Out of This World

Andy

Andy stood crouched in the middle of the training deck, holding an ionic staff in her left hand. She didn't have a serrator, and Vex wouldn't let her fight with just her fists, so hence the staff. It had been long enough, and Mother had cleared her to be healed and able to fight, so she was sparring with Aja and Vex.

She heard something very light behind her and whirled around, spinning the staff. She made contact with something hard, registering milliseconds later that she had indeed beaned Aja across the face and sent her flying, serrator nearly knocked from her hand.

Aja laughed, hitting the ground. "GOOD!" She lept to her feet and ran at her again, but Andy heard something else.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Vex shouted, vaulting into the room, slicing down hard with his serrator. Andy blocked it, grinning wickedly.

"Did your grandmother teach you to fight?" Andy jabbed, spinning the staff to block Varvatos's attacks. Aja tried the sneak attack again, and Andy spun around and landed a toe kick square in the middle of her chest.

"Indeed she did!" Varvatos crowed. "Anasia Vex was a fearsome Taylon commander!" He tried to sweep the leg, but Andy dodged it. She had forgotten, however, that it was two against one, because as soon as she landed she felt the cold buzzing of an ionic blade at her back.

"Gotcha," said Aja. Andy twisted her head to see Krel's older sister wearing a shit-eating grin on her face.

Andy laughed. "You sure did! Nice job!"

Aja pulled the serrator away, allowing Andy to stand. "Would you like to spar again?"

"Yes!"

Vex puffed his chest, circling the two of them as they took their stances. "Varvatos Vex will grant you the honor of the most remarkable pummeling!"

"Oh, are you sure about that? Because I'm about to wipe the floor with your ass," Andy shot right back, and Aja raised her eyebrows, trying to hide her laugh.

Vex whirled around and brought his serrator down hard, Andy leaping out of the way just in time. Aja took the opportunity to take a shot at his legs, sweeping them with one of her own. He dodged, and Aja turned her attack to Andy.

"That is funny," Aja said, as Andy blocked her serrator with the ionic staff in her left hand. She parried a blow to the head, ducking to do so. "You fight with your left."

"Well, I know something that you do not," said Andy, loving that she was getting to use this line. She spun around and landed a blow on Aja's shoulder. "I am not actually left handed." She switched the staff to her right hand, spinning it even faster and with more ease, blocking most of Aja's blows.

Aja laughed in shock. "That is something I did not know, you are correct!" she said, as Andy disarmed her and knocked her to the ground, pushing the staff into her chest.

"Now we're even," she said, helping the Akiridion up.

"Both of you have done well today," said Vex, circling them with his hands behind his back. "Varvatos is almost impressed. Lady Aja, your skill with the blade increases with each lesson. Andy, you are quite adept with the staff, I wonder how you would fight with a blade?"

Andy twisted her mouth to the side pensively. "I honestly don't know, I've never used a blade in fighting before."

"Well then, that shall be for tomorrow's lesson," said Vex. "You two are dismissed."

Andy and Aja walked together out of the inner workings of the Mothership and into the main house. Aja flopped down on the couch, and Andy joined her.