On fixing up a rusted old speeder ...

[twelve_not_fourteen]

That night at the arena was both a boom and bust for the Nexus' scruffy haired scoundrel.

Han now had the money to get every part he needed for the Falcon with more than enough left over to make purchases of this and that for the Overracer. He didn't need to waste time slowly harvesting credits playing various games of chance anymore, so he had all the time in the world to devote to fixing either thing. It's just that a wrist in an immobilizer didn't lend itself to mechanic's work very well at all.

He expected to be held up for a while not being able to do much of anything.

Then he expected to try to get into it a little too soon before he'd fully recovered and thereby complicate his healing and cause himself a good deal of pain.

Then he'd be more disciplined - going stir crazy all the while - and wait until he got clearance from a healer before he tried again.

If anyone wanted to take him up on it, he would bet that would be exactly what would happen over the next few weeks after his big fight with Kirk. Imagine his surprise that nothing really happened the way he thought it would and it was mainly because Captain Solo neglected to consider the Joshua Washington factor.

For everything that was out of wack in the kid's head, he had a good mind for trade work. Something, Han never knew exactly what, but something told him that he would be. Josh would make a capable wrench handler, especially with his hands around to guide him and he downright excelled at the electrical work. He'd even manage to surprise Han when he rewired all the lights and displays while hadn't been paying attention.

And he always showed up when he said he would, which, meant more to the Corellian than he would ever let on. He'd expected the kid to lose interest half way through helping him fix the bike.

"Alright, Josh." Han says with a head tilted thoughtfully to the side whilst regarding the speeder. "We're going open up the engine today and check the ignition points."

Comments

[brother_alone]

There's not a whole lot vying for Josh's attention in the Nexus these days. He spends a good chunk of his time hanging out with Chris, but a good chunk isn't even close to half of the free time he actually has in this place.

He hadn't gotten hired at another place since the bakery fiasco. Josh has withdrawn, a fear of other people lashing out the next time he has another lapse. Because there's always a next time.

Working on the speeder has given Josh something to do other than stew in a cesspool of self loathing, and Josh has thrown himself whole heartedly at the task. The man has an eye for detail, and a solid work ethic when he cares about what he's doing.

He shows up rain or shine, even on days when the shadows under his eyes look deep enough to consume his face. The work is fulfilling and a good distraction. It means more than josh can put into words to see something coming together. Becoming complete because of his work.

However little it may be, it makes him feel valuable. He stops tossing the spanner he's been holding from hand to hand and gives a small nod, both eyebrows raised.

"Oh yeah? About time. I've taken her on how many dates? Finally get to check under the hood."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"Yeah, you finally get to undress her." Han says with a bit of a smirk. He's gotta admit, he's fond of the kids metaphor. Allow him to extend it a little bit ... "Be gentle, kid, it's her first time and I don't want to be picking up the pieces if you mess things up."

Captain Solo uses his right hand to pick up the toolbox, which leaves Josh to grab a few small boxes of parts. Then it's down the ramp and out to the speeder.

[brother_alone]

"First time. We don't know that. She could be all kinds of modded under that veneer of rust. We'll get her fixed up." Josh carefully stacks the boxes they won't topple and carries them down the ramp.

Only chumps make two trips unless its for beer.

The spanner Josh had been tossing around juts out of his back pocket of his pants as he sets the parts boxes down in the dirt next to the speeder. It's hardly factory fresh but Josh still feels proud at how far the thing has come from when they pushed it here forever ago.

"It blows my mind how similar the engineering is on these damn things compared to Terran machine craft." Josh murmurs, having long since adopted Han's terminology for the sake of easier conversations with the other.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

He's technically right.

They haven't opened her up, so they truly don't know for sure if anyone has broken the 'factory seal' or not. On the other hand, they've taken apart plenty of other pieces of the vehicle that have all been stock Mobquet parts. It seems pretty unlikely that they would suddenly find all kinds all kinds of work done to the engine, when cheaper and simpler mods had been altogether ignored.

The backtalk will earn Josh an eye roll, but he's not going to see it because putting the boxes down. "Well it is your first time, so handle your business, young man."

He does find it slightly amusing that his little brother has adopted some of the terms. Though he would have sooner figured it was because he knows Han likes people to adapt to him. At any rate, he could handle himself if he wanted to talk more Earth English. He can speak plenty of langauges and understand even more. What's one more?

"You'd think things would be more different." Han does admit. "But it's kind of comforting to know that people and the things they design still reliably behave the same ... even galaxies apart from each other."

And then, he thinks to mention, "we're gonna have to lift the engine together. It's awkward and heavy."

[brother_alone]

"Yeah, yeah, alright mom." His tone is sarcastic, but Josh is grinning when he stands back upright. After everything he's put into this thing, he's not about to do anything stupid on purpose. Worry not, Han.

"Guess humans are human, no matter where they're from or when." Josh shrugs easily. It's best not to spend too much time worrying about it. Works out in their favor in this case. Since the engineering isn't too weird, Josh is better able to pick up on what Han's been teaching him without too much difficulty.

"You gonna be alright with that?" Josh pulls a bit of a face, but he knows Han's right on this. While Josh has been getting better little by little physically, he's still more lean than he is muscular. "I mean, not that we have a choice. I can't lift it on my own, pretty sure."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Mom? Really, Josh? Really. You dropped the 'yes mom' on Han Solo.

"If you ever call me mom again, I am gonna fly you into space just so I can leave you somewhere." Though by the way that he delivers that threat it seems like he's more amused than he is upset about the comment. This little shit. Who does he think he is, anyway?

Maybe not at the most conscious level of thought, but on some level, he probably realizes this is what it's like to talk to him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

Maybe he would have grabbed Ice Bear to help them pick up and replace the engine if he thought differently, but he's really not concerned that they can't handle it between the two of them.

"So the bolts that you'll want to remove to get the engine out are in four places." And he takes the time to point them out to his mechanic prodigy. "The spanner you got already should be just fine."

[brother_alone]

The littlest shit. He thinks he's Joshua Washington, funniest Canuk this side of the Nexus is what he thinks. And he laughs at the threat, mostly because of how familial it sounds, too.

The sort of retort Beth or Hannah would make. Before. Ah. Josh stops laughing, but he keeps the smirk that's at home on his face.

He's never seen the inside of this thing yet, and he's quite eager to get some work done and progress made so Josh makes quick work of the durasteel paneling keeping the engine block protected from the elements. The bolts don't look too badly rusted but they're gonna be a bitch and a half to reach around and get to. Luckily Josh is lithe and pretty flexible so bending in to reach down for the bolts isn't too much trouble for the kid.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

While Josh is handling the beginning part of detaching the engine from the frame, Han is going through the mental checklist one more time of the prep work they had done leading up to this.

Battery disconnected. Check. Fuel and caustic chemicals removed. That was one of the first things they did, so check there. And firing parts ...? Check. As far as he can tell, they're not likely to get burned, electrocuted or cause a huge mess, so, he's got a good feeling about this.

When Josh gets about half way through the unbolting, Han settles on the opposite side so that he can support the engine when it's time to do so.

[brother_alone]

"Okay, get read for this thing to be a bitch...there!" Josh tosses the spanner behind him so he can get his other hand on the engine block because Jesus Christ Christmas cake this fucker is heavy. A grunt slips out of his throat as he hefts his side of the engine up.

Luckily they're not trying to move it very far but Josh is still sweating by the time they put it down, chest heaving with every breath he takes. He just needs a minute. Josh was never the strongest of even his group of friends. Where's Matt when you need him anyway?

"Sh...she's heavier than she looks." Josh finally mutters, shooting Han a conspiratorial glance as though the speeder might be listening.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han, conversely, was always the type to surprise. Even in his underfed teenage thievery days. He was stronger than he looked. Faster than he had any right to be. Lucky when it mattered the most.

Watching Josh with the buckets, he knew what he was getting into when he signed the two of them up for supporting the engine block themselves. He was going to be hanging onto the fair share of the weight when they unbolted it from the frame. And he took the harder side to grasp too, which in this case, is the underside.

Han takes sharp breaths while they step it over and place it to the earth. They got it down safely and nobody was injured. Sounds like success to him. "That was nothing, kid. The hard part is going to be putting it back onto the frame later. It's always harder to pick something up than to put it down."

[brother_alone]

Josh has been getting better over the weeks. Less starvation victim and more lithe but at least somewhat healthy young adult. Recovering has been slowed somewhat by periodic slips in his mental state. He goes for days without eating when he isn't sure where he is, or who and what can be trusted.

Luckily for every step backward he's taken he seems to have netted progress toward getting better. He at least isn't painful to look at anymore.

"Something something lift with your knees." Josh grumbles, pushing his hair out of his face. It's getting long. The slicked back look isn't holding much these days, giving way to dark curls. Even if he had the time and hair products his sisters used to keep their hair in line, he doesn't have electricity or running water in his shack. Stopping in while Natasha isn't home for a quick shower has been Josh's MO for the last few months.

"Okay. Engine's out. Where's her ignition whatevers."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Little brother's hair starting to get to that overdue for a cut look about it, which in his humble opinion is just the right length. He'd not ever be able to let it get as long as his own, though. Too much curl. He'd look like a feral child.

"Easy there kid, the case is held together with a few screws. We'll need to get at those first."

Not that it will take that long to show him where the screws are. While he does that, Han will procure them a place in one of those boxes they hauled out for all the bolts and screws.

"So we're definitely going to check the ignition points but the rest is going to be another one of those open and see what we have scenarios. I wouldn't be surpised if there was more we needed to work on."

[brother_alone]

Everyone in his family has that kind of thick, unruly hair. His sisters just spent a lot more effort to keep it in line. Though Han isn't the only one who would say the change is a good one. Josh thinks it's a pain though, sticking to his forehead, the back of his neck. Getting tangled.

Ah well.

"Bout time I got to screw her." Not letting up on the metaphor in the least, but Josh is already reaching for a different tool to get back to work while he mutters nonsense. "You know, is it just me, or is the engine not looking all that bad by comparison? I mean I sort of figured it would be since it was all sealed up like that? But she was in such rough shape, I didn't want to get my hopes up..."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han nods his agreement. "All the parts and caustic materials inside of that you wouldn't want to get out. And then, there's a whole lot from the outside you don't want to get in and corrode your parts and fuel either. It's all designed to be self-contained."

The engine would be better protected from the rain and snow if it had been left out in the elements for a long, long time. But ...

"It would be pretty well protected from weather, but if they pulled this thing out of a lake, we might need to do a complete engine rebuild. They're built to be weather resistant, but not watertight."

At this point, Han has begun organizing what they've been dismantling. There's nothing more obnoxious than trying to wrap things up and figure out you're missing some of the bolts and screws.

[brother_alone]

It's a good thing someone is keeping things organized because Josh certainly isn't. Not that he's incapable of being meticulous--he definitely knows how to get a job done efficiently when he puts his mind to it. But with Han organizing and picking things up, he doesn't really feel like he needs to bother as much.

"Guessing the guy you got it from didn't know where it had come from exactly?" Off comes another panel, with the screws set down on top of it while Josh moves on to the next plate. He's mostly just going to keep disassembling until Han tells him to stop. Some of this looks familiar, but there's a few things here he has no clue what they are and isn't quite sure what they're looking for in here.

One thing he is glad for though is that this thing isn't full of sand and debris or other worrisome things.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Taking advantage of the fact that Han is willing to pick up after you, eh Josh? He would too. Besides he has to sit here and do something. Otherwise, he'll get bored. Or he'll nit-pick about every little thing that his mechanic is doing. Neither of those outcomes would be very good for his Canadian friend.

"The guy I got it from." Han repeats with a smirk spreading over his lips. "The guy I got it from is me, because I nabbed it out of a pile of assorted junk, which was also rusted."

It's a personal philosophy of Han's to never pay for what you can take. At least at this point in his life, anyway. The fact that he's generally so broke he's just barely scraping along makes it that much easier to subscribe to that philosophy.

"Lucky I got to it when I did. I heard there are Jawa's here now." Although now he's wondering if he took it from a pile of stuff the Jawa's were collecting. He still doesn't seem like he's bothered by the thought of it.

Captain Solo leans in over Josh's shoulder and points to a metal plate inside of the engine with smaller electrical components fastened around it. "So I want you to grab a rag and some of the solvent in the white bottle by your foot and clean in here." He indicates where he wants the young man to scrub. "Especially by the screws, kid."

It's definitely not rusted out, but there's a faint residue of something left behind. Not liquid. Some kind of dirt, perhaps.

[brother_alone]

He'd be a fool not to, wouldn't he? It's not every day someone has a personal nanny who is also Han Solo following you around and picking up after you. Without complaining, even! The nitpicking would lead to a snark war that might end in tempers flaring and hurtful things said, none of it either of them would mean and really just a bummer of a way to end a session. Also they wouldn't get any progress done on the speeder and that would be a true shame.

"Th'fuck is a Jawa?" Josh grunts from where he's working, trying to angle his screwdriver to a particularly stuck screw. A few choice curses are scattered here or there, before he gets it loose and adds it to the pile.

He stops when Han starts pinpoint out their next targeted area, dropping the screwdriver to the ground and moving to grab for the rag and bottle of solvent. "Is this stuff safe to get on your skin?" As he's already folding the rag and pressing it firm against the open end and tipping the bottle quickly to dampen the rag with the solvent before he starts scrubbing.

Doesn't burn, so it's probably safe right? Problem for future Josh, really.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"I wouldn't recommend leaving it on your skin for hours at a time if it goes through the rag, but it's not particularly dangerous." He drawls. "Do you want me to translate the label for you or do you trust me?"

Can't you give your older and wiser space pirate friend a little more credit than that, Josh? You don't think he'd tell you if it was caustic? He's not sure if he should be insulted by that or not. He's leaning toward should be at the moment. He supposes he'll decide for certain when he answers the question.

"The Jawas? They're a short, hooded scavenger people native to a desert planet where I come from. They sort of roam around and collect junk - especially tech - clean it up and then try to sell it. I would never trust one not to try to rip you off, either. They're stingy."

[brother_alone]

"Seems legit."

It should be noted that Josh didn't exactly hesitate to get the stuff all over his hands and get back to work. It was more a stream of consciousness thought like many of the things that comes out of his mouth. At least this one was a relevant thought. Usually when he gets that weird sound to his voice he's saying very awkward, inappropriate, or completely nonsensical things.

He seems to have a better time of staying focused lately. It's a good thing, overall.

"Oh the little chittering things in the robes." He knows what they are now. "That sell droids and whatever else they can get their midgetty hands on." There's a moment of mostly silence while Josh works, before he glances over his shoulder back at Han. "How does something so small build those hugeass vehicles they plow around the desert with?"

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Chittering things. That's funny or it would be, if it wasn't so weird. There were Jawas in those things he saw about his galaxy too?

"The Sandcrawlers. They built them on my homeworld a long time ago. They're designed for mining." Those details spew forth from Solo without hesitation and matter of fact. As if everyone in his galaxy knew that and there was no way he was lying. Simple truth.

"And before you ask, I have no idea what anyone would be trying to mine on a desert planet." Perhaps the fact that the vehicles got left behind by the miners who initially paid to bring them there says everything one needs to say on that matter. "Never thought about it, but I'd have to think those resourceful little twerps somehow scavenged that too."

[brother_alone]

"Man this stuff smells like it'd give you a good ride before killing you." Involuntarily shaking his head and flinching back as a particularly powerful bit of fumes hits his nose while he's scrubbing away.

The explanation about Jawa tech seems to satisfy Josh as he doesn't pose any other uncomfortable questions about Han's universe he shouldn't know to ask for the time being.

He's a bit distracted by the work at hand. Though when he pulls back a few minutes later, hands covered in a greasy dirty film of solvent and the grime he was dissolving, he's got a smile on his face.

"Clean as a whistle. Well, comparatively."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"Looking good." The Captain murmurs with an appreciative nod. "As far as the cleaning up goes anyway."

He's not particularly liking the condition of the ignition points. They were dirty and wearing down, so pieces that should be fitting together intricately, are bent. Even Josh never seeing the inside of a repulsorlift engine, could probably see the wear. It wasn't far from where he was cleaning after all.

"So, were you around when I tried to fire the engine last time? There was a sputtering noise that was happening while the bike was sitting idle?" He's almost positive the kid was. The only thing Han felt like he did alone was that initial scrubbing. "That's called spark knocking. It's usually indicative of the damage were seeing here."

Even though it seems pretty obvious, Solo takes the time to point out the pieces that are out of whack. "That's called the contact breaker. It's made up of four parts - the screw, the heel, the spring and the points. We're gonna put a whole breaker on there."

And they're going to start, of course, by dissembling more of the bike. "Take off these clips here and these screws here."

[brother_alone]

"I know, I know. I'm the best."

Josh may talk big, but Han knows as well as anyone he doesn't mean it. The kid has like negative ego after whatever the hell happened on his world. But pretending that he's normal helps. Josh flops backward onto the dirt a moment, rubbing his hands on his jeans to clean them. Takes a moment to just listen to Han talk about the speeder while he has a short rest.

"I was yeah. It had that sickly cough sound." Seems like forever ago really, considering all the work they've put into this thing over the last bunch of weeks. When Han starts pointing to things in specific, Josh makes himself get up again so he can peer inside alongside the other.

"Okay so all four parts are busted up right?" Seems easy enough. Just take it out. "Right on." The screwdriver and spanner are back in his back pocket as he gets back to work. Josh is quiet when he's working really hard. Always chewing on his bottom lip and focusing. No detail too small gets by him. He wants to be useful. Wants to make Han proud of him, and Chris too.

Maybe even himself.

To look at something that used to be trash and say 'I did that. I made something. For real this time.'

The clips are corroded and difficult to get off, leaving Josh a stream of curses as he pries and levers the damn things off before turning his attention to the screws.

"You better be worth it, speeder. Cuz right now you're a royal pain in my ass."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han is not a delegator by nature. It reminds him too much of his life under the thumb of Garris Shrike or following the orders of his idiotic superiors in the Navy. He much prefers to be working side by side with a person and you can better believe if he could do more right now, he would be.

He never wants to be seen as that kind of leader.

On the beneficial side, trying to work with somebody has a way about making them loyal to you. It's still not quite dawned on Han yet exactly how good he can be at inspiring people, but he's starting to sense it now. Just a little bit. Josh isn't the only one learning things as they're working on this speeder...

Solo reaches for the new contact breaker, holding it in his hands while Josh works. He taps the kid on the shoulder to stop when he wants to lean in again and point something out. "These two screws here are gonna remove the arm, but be careful, kid. They're already bent, now. It wouldn't take much to have the thing fall apart while you're to remove the breaker."

Han eases back a little, but the warning ain't quite finished. "Leave fragments behind and we'll end up frying the engine when we try to turn it over."

[brother_alone]

Josh doesn't mind being left the lions share of the work, precisely because it makes him feel useful. That he has worth, and that he's someone Han can depend on. He's no one special, a shitty kid who made shitty decisions and caused his friends a world of hurt. No special powers. No exceptional talents, unless you consider being batshit crazy a talent.

But he can do this. He stops when Han taps him, wiping the sweat and his curls out of his face with the back of one hand.

"Okay we don't want that bit damaged then, right?" Hard to tell what they're replacing and what they're keeping on this thing. But he makes a note to be extra careful. And then, no, no they do not. If the engine fries all this hard work is essentially for nothing. Josh sinks his teeth into his lower lip while he works, eyebrows knit in concentration. It takes some doing, and a few more choice swears, but he finally manages to get the arm--in one piece even--off and out of the way.

There's more dirt and residue built up that he can see once the piece comes free, and Josh wastes no time in slipping the screwdriver back into his back pocket and picking the rag and solvent back up.

"How many of these things you figure you've put back together or modded?"