[D7MA] Sharpest Knife in the Drawer

[Axel Ward]

While he might not know much about improving his weapons, Axel did know that they needed to be maintained. And even if he wasn't the best at it, it was something that he tried to do.

Axel was doing that now, sitting at a bench with his two-handed vibrosword. He was cleaning it, using a hydroscrubber to polish out some of the rough spots. His expression was almost peaceful as he worked, with less of a scowl than he usually wore.

[Phoebe Wren]

Phoebe was just going to do some maintance herself on her gear when she came down to engineering, and it was a bit of a surprise to see Axel there already.

"Hello there, mate," she gave him a small wave as she stepped over. "Oh, I see you're taking to heart some of the things we talked about last time?"

[Axel Ward]

Axel looked up as Phoebe came in, giving her just a little bit of a smile. "Hey, Phoebe. How's it going?"

He looked down at his sword. "Uh. Yeah. I guess so." He frowned as he looked up. "Hey, I've got a question..."

But this one was not going to be about having children. "If the sword's been treated with a mono-molecular edge, do I still have to sharpen it and stuff? I mean... doesn't that mean it's as sharp as it can get already?"

[Phoebe Wren]

"Going well. Had fun racing today, after all," she chuckled and gave a thumbs-up.

There was a sharp intake of air in mental preparation for what the question would be now, and then some relief when it was not more awkward questions.

"Huh, well... even a mono-molecular edge can be dulled or dented, and needs to be properly aligned after use," she scratched the back of her head slightly.

[Axel Ward]

"Yeah." Axel chuckled. "Nice job out there. I didn't know you could drive like that."

"Uh... okay." Axel stared at her. "I don't know what any of that even means." Well, at least Axel was willing to admit when he didn't know something.

[Phoebe Wren]

"Heh, well, I never did that kind of swoop-racing before either. Helps to have a good bike, I guess," she shrugged, not minding at all to give credit to the swoop-bikes they had used.

With Axel's bluntness Phoebe blinked somewhat in surprise. "Huh, you really aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you?"

[Axel Ward]

Axel scowled. "Hey, my parents didn't teach me a thing about all of this stuff. I had to figure it out on my own."

He waved a hand. "Just... what sort of tool do you use?"

[Phoebe Wren]

"Alright, alright, I'll show you," she snickered and put down her toolkit on the workbench.

"And we'll see if we can improve that mono-molecular edge of yours, ok?"

[Axel Ward]

Axel snorted, chuckling. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

He shifted around the workbench so that they both could see. "So, how's Corellia treating you?"

[Phoebe Wren]

"It's been... hmmmm..." she paused in her movements, leaning against the workbench with her palms pressed flat across its surface with her fingers tapping.

"Not what I expected? It's given me some perspective on things, that much I know." She didn't look at Axel as she spoke, as her mind seemed distant for a moment. "What about you?"

[Axel Ward]

Axel studied her curiously as she seemed to thing. He'd get back to that for sure.

"Me? I dunno." Axel shrugged. "These big planets are all kinda the same. Even if this one had the Festival of Love." He made a face at that. "But gangs, crime. It's all the same."

His frown turned thoughtful. "But I'm liking working with people. Seems like we've got a pretty good team here."

[Phoebe Wren]

"Yeah, you got that right," Phoebe grinned in his direction. "Strange how it's Corellia that's brought all of us together on the team. That's the real way we learn to work together.

[Axel Ward]

"Well, I guess there's a lesson here." Axel said, his tone bland. "Corellia sucks less than Tattoine. Low bar, but there it is."

His gentle smile turned more thoughtful. "Is that what you were talking about? The new perspective you've got on things?"

[Phoebe Wren]

"No. Or, I mean, kinda?" she shook her head slightly to focus her thoughts. "It gave me some perspective on how I need to move on from my past, and embrace this as my new family."

Phoebe took her hands off the bench. "It's why I spoke in favor of the two newcomers today. I fought beside them the other day, and well, I trusted them then, so I can trust them now too."

[Axel Ward]

Axel scowled. "I still don't trust that hunter guy. But..." Axel shrugged. "I'll give him a shot."

He cleared his throat. "I think I see what you mean. It's like being in a unit, but... also not like that." Axel frowned.

He looked at Phoebe. "How'd you end up fighting alongside them, anyway? I miss a fight no one told me about?" He chuckled; it was a joke. Mostly.

[Phoebe Wren]

"He's a bit of a shady guy, or at least looks like it, but... I dunno, I think I've seen that he can be committed to working with a group too. And understands the importance of a team."

At his question, she laughed, almost sheepishly. "Yeah, there was a fight of sorts. I don't think you would've liked it."

[Axel Ward]

Axel's grunt was a bit grudging, but he nodded. "Well, if you're vouching for him..." He shrugged.

"Yeah?" Axel crossed his arms over his chest. "So what was it?"

[Phoebe Wren]

"Well, look at it this way," she gestured slightly while speaking, "all of us had to have someone vouch for us - most of us weren't exactly squeaky clean examplary choices, right? I feel it was unfair to get up in their business like that when we were in their positions not too long ago."

Phoebe rubbed her nose and focused. "Anyway... as for what happened... would you believe me if I said it was a ghost?"

[Axel Ward]

Axel stared at Phoebe a long time. The expression on his rough features was impassive. Time stretched on. Finally, he spoke.

"Yes." He said. Axel smiled. "But you're gonna have to explain a bit more, anyway."

[Phoebe Wren]

Phoebe's eyebrows rose slightly in surrise. Did Axel believe in this kind of stuff too?

"Well... huh, it's kind of a long story I guess. But I suppose I can say that there was some sort of ghost, or something like that, up in the mountains here and it was... making weird shit happen. Like nightmares, seeing stuff. From what I could understand, it was some kind of ghost from a long long long time ago that was trying to draw energy from everyone with that."

She gave a shrug. "So, me, Sarana, and Hu- I mean Keh'ral, we went up there. We faced it. And now it's gone."