[D7MA] Sharpest Knife in the Drawer

[Axel Ward]

Axel let out a long breath. "That's..." After a few moments, he chuckled, shaking his head. "I really don't know what to do with that. Okay. A weird nightmare ghost. And you fought it."

He frowned curiously at Phoebe. "So... why you? You didn't know him before, that's for sure. Did you know her, and that's why you were involved?" He shrugged. "I just don't get it."

[Phoebe Wren]

"I didn't know him from before... as such. Got to know him on the way to Corellia." Not a lie but it wasn't completely honest.

"Sarana and I. Well, this is where the story gets a little bit longer." Phoebe sighed a little. "See, when I left Concordia - I didn't just pack up and leave. There was the civil war going on and all, and I was just a kid. Or rather, young teen, to be more specific. My parents they... well, they sided with the Saxons. And as you might know, Saxons aren't really in charge anymore."

It was a bit of a weight to say it, to actually share it with another person now, but it felt right. This group was growing closer now and becoming more like a true clan.

"So before things got too bad, my dad pulled in some favors with people he knew. A Gand named Tyvesh, and his partner, a Mon Cal named Kos. Sarana was raised by them, and mostly trained by Tyvesh. They kind of tried to raise me too, but well, I wasn't having it then and I ran away - looking back I understand it's because I just wasn't ready to have my family-life replaced by them. Nothing against the efforts they made as such, but it wasn't what I wanted or needed then."

"So I knew Sarana from back then, and she knew I'd pitch in if she ever needed help with anything. So Tyvesh knew about this ghost causing all this trouble, and Sarana reached out to me on his behalf to help them. And that's how we ended up fighting a ghost."

[Axel Ward]

Axel listened as Phoebe spoke. His expression was as neutral as always, but his dark eyes widening or narrowing, a shifting of the pupils, showed his reactions to her tale. Surprise, but also understanding.

"Wow. Okay." Axel chuckled, shaking his head. "You know, there's not a lot of people who if they told me they fought a ghost, I wouldn't say they needed their head examined. But you... okay, I believe that." He nodded. "It makes sense. All of it." The family stuff, too.

"So... who was this ghost?" He asked.

[Phoebe Wren]

"Not anyone important," she gave a shrug. Sure, the witch might've been important once upon a time, thousands of years ago, but did that really mean anything now?

"You seem to believe all of this very easily, Axel. Any reason why?"

[Axel Ward]

Axel shrugged, but he didn't hesitate. The answer was obvious to him.

"I trust you." He said, matter-of-fact. "I've never heard of fighting ghosts, and I didn't think they're a real thing. But if Phoebe Wren tells me that she fought a ghost, well, then I guess that's what happened."

Shaking his head, he chuckled. "I dunno. I hope that doesn't sound weird, or stupid or anything."

[Phoebe Wren]

"And here I thought I was the odd one - and I was more sceptical than you," she snickered with a shake of her head. It had been a very weird thing.

"Hey, do you know anything about the Force, Axel?" Maybe he had picked something up that she hadn't.

[Axel Ward]

Axel just shrugged. He'd seen some stuff.

"The Force?" Axel's brows drew down. "Jedi stuff? Far as I know, only one who can do anything with that is that Skywalker guy." He frowned at her. "Why?"

[Phoebe Wren]

She shrugged at first. "I dunno... Sarana and Ker'hal was talking about it, when we went to fight that ghost. It's not something that we talked about on Concordia."

It sounded too stupid to say that maybe there were more than this Skywalker person who could do stuff with it.

[Axel Ward]

Axel frowned. "So... what? Was this some sort of... Force ghost, or something?" Was that even a thing? It sounded funny when he said it.

He cleared his throat. "What did they say about it? Did they think they could use the Force?" He grimaced. "The Force. Sounds like something a moron would name his junk."

[Phoebe Wren]

"That... hmm... something about this ghost only being so noticeable by those who could sense the Force, and only those who could sense it could fight it." She frowned slightly. The penis-joke didn't make it easier.

"Nevermind. It's stupid anyway."

[Axel Ward]

Despite the impression he sometimes gave, Axel was no dummy. He was certainly quick enough to follow the implication.

"Wait..." Axel stopped his work entirely, giving Phoebe a look. "Are you saying you can sense the Force?" He mulled that over a few moments. "Since when?"

[Phoebe Wren]

"I don't know!" she answered defensively, as if Axel had found a pack of deathsticks in her room.

"This is all new to me, ok? I said it's not something Mandalorians really talk about and I didn't hear about it until rebels were saying things like may the Force be with you."

[Axel Ward]

"Hey, okay." Axel chuckled, raising his hands. "Look, I don't know anyone who uses the Force. I don't know what sort of questions are the right ones to ask. And I never knew why Rebels said that, either."

But he did have a question. "So... can you... do stuff? You know..." He waved a hand. "Move things, read minds, whatever it is that Jedi can do?"

[Phoebe Wren]

"I can wave my hand," she retorted with some snark, as she waved her hand like Axel had done.

"Dunno though, to be honest. I don't think I can do anything like that."

[Axel Ward]

Axel rolled his eyes at her gesture, but he chuckled. "So, it's just seeing ghosts, huh? I'll admit, Phoebe, I was hoping for a little more when you told me you could use the Force." His deep voice definitely had a teasing note to it.

He looked back down at his sword with a shrug. "I bet you just need practice. Just don't practice any of that stuff on me, huh?"

[Phoebe Wren]

That made her laugh a little. "I dunno, you seem like a perfect guinea pig." Followed up by a wink and a nudge.

"Anyway, let's see what we can try to do for your sword, ok?"