Kale waved off Rhaef's last comment, stretched out and fell asleep.

Kale woke up to the sounds of raised voices coming from the cargo bay.  Damn room echoes like all hell, he thought angrily getting to his feet and stomping out of his room.

Kale crawls back into bed and falls asleep almost immediately.

A loud buzzing sound awakes Kale, the sound reverberating through his head.  Without rolling over he reaches a hand out and starts slamming it down on the bedside table, aiming for the alarm clock ... and missing.

"Gorram, buzzing, le se ..." he mumbles, sitting up now and properly leaning over and shutting the blasted thing off.  He had set the clock to wake him up a few hours before they were supposed to arrive at Valon.  Plenty of sleeping time, even with the interruption of his crew, but Kale liked his sleep and was always grumpy when woken up.

He swings his feet over the edge of the bed and stretches his arms over his head before relieving himself, splashing some water on his face and throwing on some clean clothes.  Then he heads out to the dining hall for a bite to eat.

--------Dining hall------------>

Kale entered his bunk and collapsed on the bed, his leg still pained him but he didn't have time to think about that right now.  He didn't have time at all.  He trusted the Doc to look after Charlie ... but she wasn't looking good, and Kale had the feeling that it had something to do with those gorram kids.  Maybe there was a reason they were in them boxes.

Think, Kale, think. he told himself.  If it were those kids, that were getting Charlie sick then it might be only a matter a time before others started getting ill as well.  In which case he had to figure what it was those kids had so he could make his crew better.  And then what would he do with the kids?  He couldn't actually deliver them to Londinium, he couldn't send them back to some place where they'd be shoved in a box again ... who would do such a thing?

They were humped, they were humped good an' hard.  And the only person he could think of contacting now was Cortez.  The bastard probably knew a hell of a lot more then he had let on.

Kendra reaches Kale's bunk, slightly out of breath from running and pounds furiously on his door. "Kale, get out here! Kendra Yells.
Charlie and Acacia are sick, Reinier is with them, it's bad Captain!

Kale opened his door to find Kendra panting, "Hold on a sec there.  What's happenin'." his stomach was tying itself into a knot, if one more thing went wrong ... no use thinking of it, if one more thing went wrong then he'd just have one more thing to put right and that was that.  That was his job, keepin' his crew safe and sound.  He looked at the woman seriously, "What happened?"

Charlie got sick, the Doc gave her some medicine and then, in a hurried and strained voice "then as the doctor was trying the help her and the girl child, Ren caught her as she fell, she had tor crawl on the floor-Kendra not usually emotional - cries - then, then that's when I ran to find you - come on there in the infirmary!

So Kale had been right, it was spreading.  Now the Doc had it, and Ren would follow, he looked hard at Kendra, "I want you to stay up here, don't go below deck for any reason, we gotta make sure those of us that're healthy stay that way." then he walked past her and out into the dining hall.

---------Dining Hall-------------->

Kendra slides down the wall, backside down, and sits knees drawn close to her chest and mutters "Gao yang zhong de gu yang"

Not one to sit around, Kendra says to herself "Captain said to stay up here, well the dining hall was UP here and she stood up wiped, imaginary dirt off her backside and walked towards the dining hall.

 ---------->dining hall

Having precured the meds from Londinium all onboard Destiny have been vaccinated.  The recovering crew took refuge on the Gypsy planet Paquin where they buried the two children, Sephone and Tate, who were lost on their last mission.  Now that everyone is back on their feet Destiny is looking for work once more, while trying to avoid a very angry Cortez, Alliance patrols, and Bosik's men.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:32, Sat 13 Oct 2007.

Kale stretched out on his bunk and then kicked off the covers.  There was work to be done today, and as much as he had been enjoying their brief vacation on Paquin he was eager to get back out into the black.  He never felt quite right sitting still.

He relieved himself, splashed some water on his face and the threw on a pair of pants and slipped a shirt on over his head.  Running a hand through his hair he left his bunk.  He'd need to call a meeting, let everyone know that it was back to work - there was some things needing doing before they could take off again.

-----------Dining Hall------------>

After getting their ship back the crew of Destiny began to pick up the pieces that Kyron had shattered.  Against most of the crews wishes Kyron was kept alive - although no official plans had yet been made for what to do with him when it became apparent that Wei-Li was falling into critical condition. Destiny needed medical help and fast.  They made way for the nearest planet at the time - Orisis.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:33, Sat 13 Oct 2007.

After the fire fight at the Grand Yacht Party Kale worked out an arrangement with the Caddigan's.  Conveniently, the crews good friend Kyron Bates footed the bill with his bank card that he accidently dropped during his hijack attempt and which Wei-Li luckily found.  So finally the crew returned home ... back to Destiny.  Although slightly worse for wear.

They had been out in the black for a few days when Kale recieved a wave from his good friend and old professor, Walton Squires.  It was a pleasant surprise to recieve an invitation to his home on Regina and also to hear that he had a job for them ...
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:33, Sat 13 Oct 2007.

[From Destiny: Bridge]

Kale stepped into his room and sat down on the chair he had situated in the corner, "So, you wanted ta talk in private, so talk." he said to Rhaef, almsot positive he knew what was coming and wondering whether this was a talk he was ready to have or not.

Rhaef came in and sat down, still wondering if this was the right thing to do our not. Finally he decided there was no way around the issues facing them. "Kale, I respect the Professor and all, and I know these people need help, but if it weren't for us, the Professor'd have to pay someone to do the job, so why are we doing it for free? Look I want to help, but sooner or later, we need to start taking some paying jobs again. Seems to me we're taking a lot of unnecessary risks with these mercy missions." 

Kale sighed, he'd been right in his assumption that this was exactly what Rhaef wanted to talk about, "It's not like I'm tryin' ta make a habit outta it or nothin', Rhaef.  I trust the professor though, and I guess ya can say I have a thing fer helpin' out the underdog.  I don' think that's neccessarily a bad trait - you'd do well I think ta be worryin' 'bout someone other then yerself every once in awhile as well."

Rhaef couldn't say he was surprised by Kale's reasoning, in fact, it was exactly what he expected. "Funny way not trying to make a habit of it, Kale. First you trust Cortez enough to even take a job from him, and then you let the kids out of the box, get the crew sick and half near dead, then you take another stray, but not a job to feed them. In case, you missed Kale, we're the underdog too." Rhaef paused and steamed, "Hey, I don't what happened to you during the war, but its over, and rushing off at every sob story of people needin' help, ain't bringing anybody back. At times you just got to cut bait. People be takin' 'vantage of your generosity, Kale. Destiny's takin' all the risks, but none of the benefit. That's a recipe for diaster." He paused and his mind ran to another thought, "And what happens when someone else gets hurt or worse killed on your mercy mission, can you tell me it'd be worth it?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:27, Tue 13 June 2006.

Kale cast an angry look in Rhaef's direction, fuming at his audacity, and blantant criticism of how he choose to run his ship ... and it didn't help none that most of what he was saying were thoughts he had had himself, "Trustin' Cortez was a mistake, but I don't regret gettin' them kids outta those boxes.  What would you have done, Rhaef, left them in there?  Shipped them off ta that place that scares them shitless?" he eyed Rhaef coldly, "Yeah, ya probably would have, wouldn't you?  Didn't concern us so just let them face their own misfortunes is that right?  Why don't I remind ya that you were one 'o them strays I picked up ta begin with.  I coulda very well tossed ya to the streets, but I didn't Rhaef.  I brought ya on with me, made ya my first mate.  We may be underdogs but there are a gorram lot of folk out in the 'Verse that got it worse."

Then Rhaef brought of up war and Kale's face hardened, "An' yer right, you don't know what happened back in the war, so don't go visitin' my motives when you know nothin' 'bout them.  I think it's better ta be a good man then a beast of a man." he spat.  "An' I don't take jobs that I don't know me an' mine can handle.  An' you know my crew comes first!  It's always come first ... can't really say the same fer you though.  I recall correctly you were willin' ta sacrafice the Doc, now that's somethin' I would never do."

Rhaef snarled back, letting loose his inner anger. "And you nearly got your whole crew killed for it. Red might have gotten killed, though I doubt it, but I could put down Kyron if you'd let me."

He fumed further, "Be honest, Kale, ain't about being a gorram good man, it about being the hero. Well let me tell you something about heroes, they're the people who get other people killed. I mean where were you guys while Wei and I were locked up in that hospital, with the Alliance licking its chops to get to us? I mean Kyoko springs you from the Detention center, and first you do is go back to her fancy apartment and kick back. Even cross your mind to come look for us?"

Rhaef sighed his anger abating, his voice become more cold, distant, and serious, Don't ever dare talk to me about hardships, or what could scare a kid. I saw more before I was 15, then you'll ever see, Kale. War included. I know what evil is, hell, I've shaken hands with it. Been embraced by it. I'm trying to get better. But at least, I ain't throwing my life away trying to be a gorram hero."

"It ain't about bein' a hero, it's about doin' what's right an' you seem ta not be able to grasp that fact." Kale said shortly.  "An' you think we were just sippin' tea at Kyoko's?  Destiny had been taken, an' as much as it may hurt yer little ego that was the first order of business.  Also we had a missin' little girl who has a hell of a lot less of a chance at defendin' herself then you and Wei.  Not ta mention the fact that we were comin' to get you, course you were already foolishly tryin' ta break yerself out."

Kale jabbed a finger at Rhaef, "You know what yer problem is Rhaef?  You don't trust no one.  No one an' nothin'.  You honestly thought we were gonna leave ya there?  You took it upon yerself to go trampin' round Capitol City,  taken an' injured girl along fer the ride an' ta shake hands with insane criminals that even you try ta avoid."

"An' I don't doubt you've seen things that no one should see, Rhaef, but from where I'm standin' you got a funny way 'o tryin' ta get better.  I'm damn proud ta be hero if the alternative is bein' whatever it is you'd call yerself.  Carin' about nobody, trustin' nobody, shuttin' everyone out.  And you say I'm throwin' my life away.  How do you get off callin' what you've been doin' living."

  "Funny Kale, you askin' me if I was worried about bein' left behind. Tell me again, where's Kendra? Oh right, you got your precious ship back, and then you left her behind. Left her to rot in an Alliance prison." Rhaef snngapped back.

"Kale, I trust the people who've earned my trust, and for awhile, I thought that included you. You think I'm proud of my life, well I ain't. But I ain't been given the luxury of choosin' either." He added coldly.

"You want to talk about the problems that came up. Well, here's how I see it. Lei got lost cause no kept an eye on her. And let me remind, despite everything else that happened, I walked by into the belly of the beast to save her, and if you don't believe me, ask Wei. And worrying about your ship,  I understand, but ship's just pile of metal without her crew. You told me that." Rhaef collapsed in the chair, his energy waning from this fight.

"You want me gone, Kale? Say the word, I walk off the ship when land on Athens. It'll even be my choice." Rhaef replied his empty of passion or emotion, like it had been drained from him.

"First off, Kendra wasn't crew, wasn't even named Kendra - she was a passenger we picked up that had lied ta us from the beginnin' and while she was a sweet girl she had herself in a world 'o trouble - which if you were payin' attention an' actually worryin' about her you'd know that we still got Kyoko's people workin' on gettin' her out even though her situation doesn't got nothin' to do with us.  She's up on military charges though and the Alliance ain't to friendly to deserters.  Kale bit back at Rhaef, if there was one thing he could not accuse Kale of it was caring about other people.  He may be right that that same trait led them to trouble at times but it was a trait he carried with him always.

"As to trustin', well if I can lose yer trust so damn quickly then I ain't really sure if I ever had it ta begin with." he said, "An' I'm all sorts 'o grateful that you managed ta get Lei back but don' you go blamin' me fer losin' her.  Things happen, an' the most ya can do after is try ta fix them."

Then Rhaef collapsed into his chair.  Kale watched him, angry still on his face, his breathing slightly ragged from the effort of the argument and the mess of emotions it had stirred up.  "Rhaef, you wouldn't be here if I didn't want ya here.  But if you don't think that you can manage ta be part of this crew ... well, I suppose that's somethin' you gotta decide fer yerself."

"Fair enough, Kale. I think I need some time to think about it. You want my gun you've got for this job. After we get done, I give you answer about stayin' on. Sound fair to you, Captain?" Rhaef said, ready to simply have to argument, he realized that much of what Kale had said was right, but more than that, he could not convince the Captain of any of his points. More than anything though, Rhaef wondered how this had deteriorated into a shouting match.