This sector of Capitol City is riddled with black out zones and home to the disreputable.
This message was last updated by the GM at 07:02, Sat 22 Apr 2006.

   It took Lei quite a while to walk to the old town sector. It was the next district over from the Downtown sector, but on foot it was still a fair distance to walk. Her feet were getting sore from walking on the concrete sidewalk, too. On Destiny she could get away with walking around barefoot all the time, but the concrete was slightly more abrasive than the metal decks of the ship, and she had covered more distance in the last half hour than she would need to for a full day on the ship. She was starting to really wish that she had grabbed the shoes Geoff had bought her before they had left, but everything had happened so fast when Destiny was coming in to land.
   Lei spotted another Alliance cruiser driving up the street, and slipped into a side alley to hide from it, sitting in the shadows to give her feet a rest too. The first cruiser had got too close to her for comfort before she had spotted the uniforms of the people inside it. But now she knew what the vehicles looked like, she could spot them a long way away, and could hide properly before they got near her.
   She rested the tablet on her lap again, and took a quick look at the map. She had finally worked out where she was, maybe, and shouldn't be too far from one of the blackout zones. It was looking like she had come up lucky in choosing to come here, the blackout zones were starting to look like the perfect place to hide. She still didn't look like she belonged here, if anything, she was too clean, but the few other people walking around took little notice of her, once she had learned to slip the tablet out of sight into her dress top. It still wasn't a perfect way to hide the device, but it was better than nothing.
   While she was waiting for the Alliance vehicle to go by, Lei decided to start looking into the message she had spotted earlier. She read the message several times, thinking about everything that it could mean. According to the message, she was from here, and her father was looking for her. Lei could not remember anything about her father, all she could remember was the lab on Valon. As far as she knew, she didn't have a father. She knew that someone had to have provided the genetic material for her, so she had to have a mother and father somewhere, but she couldn't remember anything about them. All she could remember was the last couple of years, in the lab.
   The wave did tell her who was looking for her, though. Mr Fredrick Timoto and the Blue Sun corporation. She opened up new searches, one for each name. It seemed safe enough here for now. It was time to find out a bit about her "father".

Every search that Lei tried for Fredrick Timoto came up with nothing.  There was n record of him working for Blue Sun or of him every having been on Osiris, or any other planet for that matter, either.  As far as the computer was concerned the man didn't exsist.

   Lei gave up on trying to find information on her so called father, and concentrated on finding out about the Blue Sun corporation. The first hit on the search was an information page run by the company. It gave her an idea of how big and widespread the company was, and what they were publicly involved in. The only useful thing it told her was that they had a lot of resources.
   She closed down the tablet, and hid it in her dress again. It was time to continue on. Hopefully, she'd be able to find somewhere to sleep later. She'd heard about rain and didn't want to try sleeping in it, it had to be something like trying to sleep in the shower with the water running. Lei didn't think she'd be able to.
   She stepped out onto the street again, and started towards the nearest blackout zone. It was time to start looking for a better place to stop, and maybe some food, if she could find it. The only thing she had eaten all day was that sandwich back at Kyoko's apartment.

Lei noticed that no one seemed to be entering the street that the computer had denoted as a 'black out' zone.  A few people glanced down it but most walked quickly by.  There were no security cameras in the zones and no police presence at all.  Could be safe for someone hiding out ... could also be highly dangerous for someone who couldn't protect themselves.

As she entered the dark street she noticed a group of men talking in low voices, all with pistols at their hips, most of them tall and scruffy - they looked a little like Geoff - but meaner. They seemed to have packets of some sort of powdery looking substance in bags.

There were a few shops on the street but none looked to be open for business.  Although most looked occupied.  One was playing loud music and voices could be heard, most rather loud, and very drunk.

   Lei tried to avoid getting too close to anyone as she entered the street. She didn't know anyone here, and didn't know who she could trust. She started to look for somewhere quiet, somewhere she could be alone to think, preferably somewhere inside. And she wanted to do it without bieng seen if she could.
   Remembering how she got out of Kyoko's apartment, she snuck down the street until she came to a side alley. She looked in, hoping to find a convenient ladder on the side of one of the buildings. She got out down the fire escape once, maybe she could get in by the fire escape this time... And hopefully find an empty room to hole up in.

Lei skirts down a side alleyway and sure enough finds a fire escape, its too high for her to reach to pull the ladder down though.  There are however some empty or nearly empty trash bins nearby, and all the windows upstairs appear to be be dark and empty.

   Lei checked behind her, just to see that she had the alley to herself. Once she was sure, she started to move empty bins over to under the end of the fire escape, until she had enough stacked there to reach up to the bottom platform.
   Eventually, she had an unstable stack of bins high enough to try to reach. She carefully started climbing up onto them, hoping that they would be stable enough to hold her weight until she could get up onto the fire escape. She carefully pulled the data tablet out, and slipped it up onto the lowest platform, it wouldn't do to have that damaged, before reaching up to grab the edge of the platform herself.
   Once she had struggled up onto the platform, and retrieved the tablet, she started to climb up the stairs, stopping at the windows on each floor to listen for a short while.

   ((The only question is did she knock the bins over when she started to climb?))

The bins wobbled slightly but didn't come crashing down as Lei scrambled onto the platform.  The first window Lei came to she could hear voices but the next was dark and quiet.  It was a small room with a few stacked chairs in one corner and an old desk.  The door was closed.

   This room would do.
   Lei looked at the window, trying to work out how to get into it without breaking the glass. She put her palms flat against the glass of the lower section, and tried pushing up. It was stiff, but the window slid open slowly. Lei climbed into the room through the gap as soon as it was open enough for her to fit.
   She looked around the room, examining the chairs and the desk quietly before going to the door and listening to see if there was anyone on the other side. She gently reached out to the handle and gave it a slight turn to check if it was unlocked. The handle turned easily. Deciding that she wanted something a little more secure, she went over to the desk and started trying to drag it to the door without making too much noise.

The desk was quite a bit louder then Lei would have liked but not so loud that she didn't think it was worth pushing it in front of the door.  With it in place the room was pretty empty save the chairs and covered in dust and cobwebs in the corners.

   Lei wiped the dust from her hands onto her dress. Moving the desk was a bit harder than she thought it would be, and she was sure that the scraping sound it produced was audible from two rooms away. But the door was blocked, and she felt a little more secure now.
   She eyed off the chairs stacked in the corner. Dismissing them as not worth the effort, she went over to one edge of the room, and sat down leaning against the wall. She fired up the data tablet again to check on what was happening in the city.
   The only thing that Lei regretted about her getaway so far was that she hadn't greabbed any more food...

Larry glanced up as he heard something in the other room and held up a hand for the rest of the men in the room to stop talking.  "You hear that?" he said.

"The sound of somethin' scrappin', Boss?" the small measley man asked.

"No the sound 'o children laughin'" Larry said smacking the man over the head.  "Yes the scrappin' sound." he didn't wait for a response though as he got up and began walking out of the room and down the hall, not bothering to hide the sound of his footsteps.  If there was someone in his building they were as good as dead, ain't no one goes sneakin' 'round his place.

Larry owned the bar downstairs ... and practically the entire crime world in Old Town Osiris.  Whoever had snuck into his place was just askin' fer trouble.  He reached the door at the end of the hall and turned the handle ... the thing didn't budge.  "What the hell! he said, knowing that there was no reason for that door to be locked he began hitting it with his shoulder the door slid open slightly and he realized that somone had pushed a large desk in front of it, and that someone looked to be a very scared little girl.

   Lei had only just settled down, and was only just starting to play with the tablet again when she heard the footsteps approaching the other side of the door she had just barricaded.
   Just keep going. Just walk past. Don't come in here. Keep going.
   The doorhandle rattled as someone tried to open it. Lei pushed herself upright, leaning against the wall and staring towards the door.
   It's shut. There's nothing in here. Just go away. Go back to what you were doing. No-one in here.
   The door shuddered with a thump from the other side, shifting the desk an inch into the room. Lei was frozen to the spot, staring. The door shuddered again, and there was enough of a gap for her to see the face of the man trying to push his way into the room. He looked big and rough, kind of like Geoff, except he also looked mean and angry.
   Lei made a break for the window. She was already starting to worm her way out the gap when the next thud shifted the desk a little further across the room. It had done it's job and slowed down any trouble, allowing her time to escape. She dropped the couple of feet onto the fire escape and scrambled to her feet, taking one last wide eyed look back into the room at the man who had finally succeeded at getting through the door. She ran to the end of the platform and started quickly climbing the stairs up the outside of the building.

Larry kicked the door open the rest of the way as the little girl scrambled out the window, "Who in the gorram hell let a lil' girl in here!" he shouted and climbed out the window after her.  What he feared is that some thug had hired the little brat as a spy.  She looked scrawny enough to be a street urchin and those kids would do anything for a credit, hell half a credit.  His boots pounded on the metal platform as he chased her up the stairs, he caught hold of her ankle as she tried to step up onto the roof and tugged hard.  She literally fell right on top of him, and he wrapped his strong arms around her, pinning her arms to her side.

"Well, whatta we got here?  A lil' spy ain't cha?"  His two buddies were just now making it onto the platform outside the window.  Larry looked back at them with an exhausted and annoyed expression, "Yeah, great work guys, real quick there ... so glad I hired ya."  He pulled Lei back in the window, "Looks like we're gonna have ta figure out what ta do with this one." Larry said.

"Ai ya, boss." the small man said, "She's the girl from the wave ... Blue Sun's looking fer her, payin' a pretty nice reward for her return too."

"Is that so?" Larry asked.

"Sure is, I recognize her, I was just lookin' at the wave."

Larry grinned at Lei, "Well, looks like you just might be useful after all."

   Lei had almost finished climbing the short ladder that led from the top platform of the fire escape and onto the roof when the man made it to the platform. She reached up, putting both hands over the small wall that ran around the roof of the building, and started to lift herself over the edge. Then the man managed to reach up and grab her ankle. He pulled back, putting more weight onto Lei's small frame than she could lift. She lost her grip on the edge of the building and fell backwards onto the man. The data tablet caught on the small wall surrounding the roof, and tore from Lei's grip, falling onto the flat area on top of the building.
   Lei found herself pinned in the man's grip, unable to escape. She squirming and kicking her legs about in an effort to make him loosen his grip on her, but everything she tried didn't seem to make a difference. She soon found herself bundled inside the same window she had climbed out of just before.

Larry pulled the struggling girl in through the window and down the hall to the room he had been sitting in earlier.  "Now that's quite enough of that." he said as she kicked her legs and he twisted her arm up behind her, applying pressure that could cause just the right about of pain to shoot through her ... just as a friendly warning.

"She's a fighter, boss." the small man commented.

"Thank you for your profound observation, Smalls." Larry said sarcastically.  "Toss my that will ya?"

Smalls tossed Larry a bit of rope, he forced Lei down into a chair and began tying her hands securely behind her and to the back of the chair.  Finishing he moved to the table in the center of the room and leaned over the terminal there.  Sure enough a picture of the same girl that he now had squirming in his chair looked back at him.  "Some guys daughter, eh?" he said and looked a Smalls "Bet we could get the reward to be even higher." Larry said with a grin.  "Contact them anonymously, let them know we got their girl and if they want her, they'll have to be raising that pretty little reward they got."  He smiled looking at Lei, "Looks like its gonna be a pretty damn good day after all my little friend."

   Lei let out a scream as she was lifted slightly by the pressure applied to her arm. With it twisted up behind her back, she could do nothing other than stand on the tips of her toes in an attempt to relieve the pressure on her elbow. As soon as she was released and thrown into the chair, she started to struggle again, but was unable to do anything as her hands were roughly dragged behind her and tied to the chair.
   They were going to hand her over to the people who were looking for her, and she was going to get sent back to there. Lei sullenly stared at the man's back as he walked away fron her, and started trying to slip her hands through the loops of rope that held her to the chair. Unfortunately, it seemed that the man had some experience in restraining people, as the loops were too tight for her to make any progress on.
   She was helpless to do anything...

Larry glanced at the girl then back at Smalls, "We're going to want to get her out of here, don't want this leading back to this establishment." Larry said.  This little girl was going to make him a rich man ... well richer then he already was.  He had to play it right however.  "You keep an' eye on her and I'll arrange for a bit of transportation." he said, and left the room, heading down the dingy hall.

Rhaef led Wei-Li into a side alley and after checking for cameras and cops, and seeing none, handed her the other gun from the pawn shop. "I hope you don't need this, but we can't really take that chance. This place can be rough and ugly. Its a place from my past, and they can't really want to see me."

As Rhaef finished talking, he gave himself over to the changes in his mind. He had resisted becoming this man again, but now to help his friends and his crew he had to go back. He allowed himself to embrace the side of himself that he'd denied when he stepped on to destiny. As he did, his breathing slowly, his posture became more loose and fluid, and his eyes acquired a cold, hard stare. He checked both of the blasters to make sure they were fully loaded and he had easy access to them. Finally, he rolled back his sleeve to reveal the long black tatoo on his arm. He turned to Wei-Li, in many ways a different person, "Are you ready? I wish there was another way, but we really don't have much of a choice."

Wei-li gave him a gentle smile and nodded.  Then, she asked in a quiet tone, "Innocent or worldly?".

She blinked, waiting for an answer, her expression and posture completely nuetral.

Rhaef nodded understanding her question, "With this crew, very worldly, and a more than a hint of viciousness." He paused and shook his head, "those were the kind of people I used to run with."

Wei-Li nodded and then pulled her hair up into a pony tail.  Her expression grew grim and guarded.  When she nodded that she was ready, she looked like a completely different woman.

Gone was the ready smile, and the sparkle in her eyes.  Instead she looked like she could discect a person as soon as look at them.

Rhaef nodded to her, slightly disturbed by her sudden transformation, but oddly comforted by it. As they were ready, they walked across the alley and knocked on the door of Larry's establishment, and waited for an answer.

An extremely tall man with sandy brown hair and a long dark coat on answers the door. And stares a the two before him, eyeing them coldly, sizing them up.  He says nothing for a good minute or so.  Then, "You got business here?" his voice is very deep, almost a low rumble.

Rhaef laughed, it had slightly sickening, manic tone to it. "Gorram it, Porter. You sure as hell know I got business here. Ain't no way Larry hasn't been watchin' the waves, and ain't no way he ain't expecting me. Tell Rhaef Sorandash is here to see him." He paused and his twisted into a manical grin, "And Porter, tell him its in his best interest to be seeing me, and not having me shot."

Porter's frown deepened at Rhaef's cocky attitude.  "I know that it ain't rightly wise fer you ta come snooping around this place, Sorandash.  You must have a death wish or something.  I bet ya Larry will want to see you ... but I sure as hell can't promise that he won't want to greet you with a bullet." Porter said in his deep, rumbling voice.  "Who's the girl?" he asked, looking Wei-Li up and down.

"Ain't here snooping Porter. And I sure as hell know this ain't a social call, but its in Larry's best interest for me and Sascha to stay alive. Might even be some profit in it, if he hear's me out." Rhaef smiled, knowing he got Porter's goat and his ego moving, which might give them an advantage if things got ugly.

Rhaef slide his arm Wei-Li hips familarly, "Sascha, baby, introduce yourself to the man."

Wei-Li leaned into Rhaef, almost like a cat marking her property.  Then she reached out a hand to Porter.  There was something in the way she held it that seemed to indicate that she didn't care if he took or or not, that she was simply doing this to please her man.

"Sascha Roszk," she said cooly standing up to her full height, and managing to add a few inches to it through her stance.

Porter looked at Sascha appreciatively then ... perhaps a bit too appreciatively and nodded the two of them inside.  He wasn't the smartest man in the world and had a weakness for beautiful woman and this Sascha girl seemed like someone worth having around.  That and the fact that Porter wasn't even going to pretend to know about Larry's business when he knew that he was aware of very little.  He wasn't a member of the Hand - just an associate.  And he knew very well that they were not people that you wanted to get on the bad side of.  Besides, long time ago Sorandash had been right up there with them.  Long time ago Porter would have groveled at this mans feet ... but he was no longer the great prodigy.  The right hand man.

The Black hand, people used to call him, cause his hand wasn't all burnt to a crisp and clothed in a grey glove like everyone else's.  His hand was adorned with elaborate, tatooed black flames.  Way back when it had been rumored that Sorandash was going to take over the whole Burnt-Hand Order.  Curio had taken a liking to the boy ... of course, then Curio had turned up dead ... Porter didn't know much about what had happened but he knew that Sorandash had disappeared that night as well.  Most said that he had killed Curio - the ultimate betrayal - whatever it was there was bad blood between him and the Burnt-Hand.  Bad, bad blood.  If Larry didn't kill him someone else just might.  All the same it wasn't Porter's place to decide.  As much as he liked to fancy that this place was his establishment (considering it was his building and his bar) he knew very well that it belonged to Larry.  Larry would decide.  Porter smirked, and he thought that most likely Larry would decide to shoot Sorandash, and then perhaps the pretty lady would need some comforting.

He led Sorandash and Sascha inside and offered them a seat at a small table in the back corner of the the bar.  All around the room mostly men, but a few woman as well sat about talking quietly and intensely to one another.  This certainly was no 'happy hour'.  "I'll go get Larry." he cast a firm glare at Rhaef, "No funny business." he said and began making his way to the stairs.

Rhaef shurgged, "Ah hell, Porter, then what kind of business do you in this place? You can't actually harbor illusions of running a legitimate business here." Rhaef replied, shoveling the needle a little bit farther. Rhaef knew he could be pushing his luck, but, whenever he paused to consider it, he knew that they were pushing their luck just being here. So it just made sense to embrace the person he used to be a run with it. Rhaef knew Porter probably did not respect him anymore, but Rhaef's reputation still had to be feared at least a little, and he wanted the man off his game as much as possible.

When they were seated, Rhaef pushed two chairs against the back wall, so they could watch the entire bar. He seated himself, kicked his feet onto the table, lit a cigarette, and motioned to for Wei-Li to slither in next to him. She seemed to playing the role well enough. As she joined him, he leaned over, and said quietly. "Our friend, Porter has taken a liking to him, you might want to work on him a bit, when he and Larry return. Things might go better for us, if he's a bit distracted." Rhaef said as he smoked, giving the appearance of impatience as he waited for Larry.

Wei-Li contined to play her part, nodding seductively as if Rhaef were whispering sweet nothings to her.

"Just as long as you're ready to play the jealous type... should things go too far?" she answered softly.

The longer she stayed in this role, the longer it would take her to get out of it.

Rhaef smirked back, seeing an opportunity in the line to set up dealings with Porter. "Jealous, me? Baby, there's plenty of fish in the sea. You find a better offer, than take it. Ain't no skin for me. I'll have me a new doll before I'm back in the black."  A part of him sickened him to speak those words, it was a reminder of how much of his old life, he'd left behind.

Wei-li's eyes widened and for a moment, it was her eyes staring back in surprise not Sascha's.  She froze for a second realizing her slip and then slipped back into the role of the cat.

"Not as good as me lover... just remember that... nobody can take you where I've taken you..."

"That I have no doubt, baby, but you're were the one talking about me bein' jealous, and you leavin' me." Rhaef replied, sliding his around her shoulder. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, "You're doing fine, just stay with me. I ain't liking this much either, but right now we ain't got much of a choice."

Larry was immersed in making transportation arrangements on the phone when Porter entered one of the small side rooms on the first floor of establishment.  Larry continued talking but he heard Porter come in and lurk quietly in the doorway, as soon as he hung up, without turning around he said, "Are you making it a hobby to lurk in doorways now, Porter?"

"Uh, no ... sorry, I was just -"

"Spit it out, I don't have time fer you to mumble." he collected a few papers in his grey gloved hand and turned to face the man.  Porter was bigger then him but Larry was by far the more intimidating man.

"Sorandash is here." Larry stopped dead, Porter now had his full attention.

"He's in this building as we speak?"

"As we speak, sir." Porter confirmed, a grin forming on his lips.  Larry didn't look to happy, perhaps there really would be a shooting.  Larry just nodded briskly then.  This was interesting ... very interesting ...

"Well, of course I'll go greet him." he said and set his papers back down.  Porter's smile vanished.  Larry chuckled as he noticed, "What?  You didn't think I'd want to see him?  Rhaef Sorandash, returned to the Hand ... this is a monumental day." there was an odd look in Larry's eyes though as he said this.  He knew full well that Rhaef wouldn't be returning to join with them again, he had heard too often of how over the last few years Rhaef had changed - he had become soft, weak.  And Larry was very glad for this.  It was because Rhaef had left that Larry was now had the position he did.

He strode out of the room then, right past Porter and out into the bar.  He spotted Rhaef immediately, sitting against the back wall, his feet planted atop the table, a cocky grin on his face - so typical.  There was a woman with him that appeared to be his current fling.  The Rhaef of old had always been dripping with girls ... so something told Larry that this lady was nothing but an act.  Probably some whore he'd picked up on the street, paid a pretty penny to in exchange for her pretending to be head over heels in love with him.  Larry smiled then, "Rhaef!" he said, "Well, look who the cat dragged in.  An' that is some cat you got there." he said, motioning to Wei-Li, then ignoring her completely.  "Thought we'd never see the likes 'o you again 'round these parts.  You in some kinda trouble?" Larry said, cutting right to the chase.  He knew full well that the only reason the great Black Hand would come crawling back here was if he needed something - and he'd have to need it pretty damn bad too.

Rhaef rolled his eyes, Larry had not changed. He was still a disingenious pig, but Rhaef sensed that he might be able to play that.

He waved his cigarette dismissived at Larry. "Cut the shit, Larry. You don't want me here, and I sure as hell don't want to be here. But the gorram captain of the ship I hired's gone and got himself arrested and the Alliance is looking for me." Rhaef ground out his cigarette, allowing the shirt to fall open and reveal both guns on his legs.

"So, let's cut to the chase. You don't want me on your planet, and I ain't exactly desirous of being here. But as long as the Alliance is looking for me, well then, we've got to work together. I mean, ain't no way, I survive in one of their prisions. So if they catch me, its in my best interest to co-operate." Rhaef paused flashing a wolfish grin.  "Cause think about this Larry, I go down - its your operation I'm offering up first. The Alliance ain't going to look to kindly on a capo operating in their own backyard."

He paused again, "And just so you don't get any funny ideas, I made it clear to Sascha's friends that if I'm not back in an hour to take a file I left with them to the Alliance, so it would not be in your best interests to have me killed neither." He paused again, lighting another cigarette. "Not that you could, Porter maybe, but you were never good at getting your hands dirty."

Wei-Li watched the exchanged through seemingly disinterested eyes.  She gave a slight raise of the eyebrows and tilt of the head when Larry called her Rhaef's 'cat'.  The justure itself was more than a little cat like.

She said nothing but let a slight smile form when Rhaef mentioned her friends.

Rhaef watched and waited. His eyes followed from Larry to "Sascha" to the rest of the bar. He sensed he was pushing the limits of their hospitality. He turned to "Sascha." "Sascha, babe, why don't you go get us some drinks? And let the men finish their business talk. Then we'll get out of here, and find us some real fun." Rhaef said with a pat on her hips to get her moving.

Even as he did this, a part of Rhaef felt slimy inside, this man was dead - but he kept coming back like a gorram zombie who wouldn't die. "Now Larry, despite all I said, I didna come empty handed." Rhaef reached into his pocket and set the drugs he filched from the hospital on the table. "The street value of this is more than enough to pay for what we need. But more than that, if you hurry, you could clean out the Alliance hospital. Their entire security team is out looking for us, so you call your inside man there, you could clean them out, without anyone knowing. Pretty sweet haul for little risk on your part." Rhaef said with a smirk.

Wei-li gave Rhaef an almost possessive look before walking away, or more to the point slinking away.  Her moves were more than a little provactive.  When she reached the bar she gave a luxurous stretch before pouring a mix of for drinks.

She was glad for her time at the club, having learned from the tenders how to mix a good drink.  She filled the tray with a beer, a white russian, a Gin and Tonic and scotch straight up.

She took her time mixing the drinks.  She didn't want to push Rhaef, she definitely didn't want to push Larry, and over here meant that she had some cover should things go south.

As soon as Rhaef opened his mouth Larry's smile dropped from his face and was replaced with a scowl.  The man was still as big of a cocky pain in the ass as ever.  Black Hand, he thought with scorn.  Well he wasn't that anymore.  He'd lost his place here.  He'd been driven out, left to the birds.  Rhaef couldn't handle it in the Hand without his precious Curio.  And Curio hadn't wanted him around anymore.  Nope, Rhaef Sorandash wasn't the Black Hand anymore, he was a nobody.  Larry was the man now.  "I'm pretty sure I don't much appreciate yer tone 'o voice." Larry growled, "Ain't appreciating it at all.  You come all this way ta set me up with an' ultimatum?  I don' think yer really in any position ta be doin' that.  Ya really think that my boys can't cover up whatever dirt ya left with that whore's friends.  Bet their just a bunch 'o junkies anyway." he raised his hand to stop Rhaef from saying anything to that, "I ain't ignoring the threat ... don't get me wrong.  But yer gonna have ta excuse me if I'm not feelin' quite trustworthy of ya."

He watched as Rhaef had Wei-Li get up and head to the bar.  And laughed outright at Rhaef's offer.  "You always were a clever one.  Too clever fer yer own good." there was a hint of something ... something secret to Larry's voice.  He wanted so badly to tell Rhaef that he was nothing now and that he, Larry, was the man to be.  But he knew he couldn't so he just smiled, trying to stay cool and calm.  "So we make a business deal?  You give me those an' I call my men ta clear out the hospital in exchange fer what?  What do you need?  'Cause I'm a busy man, Rhaef.  I ain't got all day ta be playin' games with ya.  Got real business ta be attending to."

Rhaef laughed silently to himself, as the scowl appeared on Larry's face. He'd gotten to the man, Rhaef'd made the right choice by preying on Larry's pride.

As Larry spoke Rhaef shrugged, disinterested in his threats. "You know Larry, I don't gorram care how you feel. Even if you've been elevated to my place, don't ever think you replaced me. You'll always be an errand boy to the Hand, unless you end up running the show." He paused and lit another cigarette, "but you're right, we both have things to attend to. What I need, and I believe its rather simple, is a cover. I need you to disappear my friend and I here."

He paused and leaned in to the man. "I'm guess you got a couple of bodies on ice, you'd like to get rid of, and at least one capable hacker. In fact, if I remember right, you were one of the best yourself, back in the day. What I need is a some sort of car wreck, that leaves a couple of bodies badly burned, and those bodies to read the records that the Alliance has looking for me."

He paused again, "Look Larry, I know you hate me. And would rather shoot me than see me walk out of here. But how often does an opportunity like this come around. The Hand does not know I'm here. You can dispose of a couple hot bodies and a hot car, which you no doubt want to anyway, and you clean out an alliance hospital and quintiple your investment in the deal. Or you could kill me, chance that you can't be the information I've got stowed away in multiple places, and take the meager pitance, the Hand has on my head." Rhaef reclined exhaling smoke into the air. "I'm guessing a smart business man can put emotion aside, and see where the profit is in such a deal."

Larry's frown deepened and his hatred for Rhaef burned, he had forgotten that stupid cocky smile, the disinterested look in his eye.  It'd been a long time, and Larry didn't much like seeing it again.  He wanted Rhaef out of his establishment ... and now.  "I ain't stupid, Rhaef, 'spite what dillusions you might have.  I don' want ya here.  An' if all I gotta do ta get you gone is fake a few records - well then that's a simple piece 'o cake.  Porter!" Larry shouted and a second later Porter was at his side.  "I want ya to form a team to go pay the hospital a visit - they got real low security right now so we gotta act fast." as he said this his eyes never left Rhaef, it was as though he were trying to prove to this man that he was an important man now.  'Course he'd never admit that that was what he was trying to do, "I want Benji in charge." he tossed Porter the few bottles the Rhaef had set on the table, "We want more 'o this stuff an' whatever else Benji can find that's 'o high value."  Porter nodded and left the room, although sulking slightly, obviously upset that he hadn't been put in charge of the job.

"As fer you two," he gestured to Rhaef and the girl he was with, "Well, I think yer deaths can be arranged."

Rhaef watched the man as he worked. Rhaef begrudgingly had to admit that Larry had gotten much better at his job. "Sounds fair, Larry. But I want to see the records cleaned myself." Rhaef said holding his image together for a few more minutes.

Larry just stared at Rhaef for a moment, his hatred for the man burning inside him.  He really didn't have time for this.  The plans tonight were too important to be playing games with this man.  It pleased Larry to know that he knew more then Rhaef did these days.  It pleased him that it was he that got to take over in Curio's place while Rhaef was framed for the old mans death.  And here Rhaef had thought that he was Curio's right hand man ... Curio didn't care about Rhaef.  Couldn't care about Rhaef - he had framed him for his murder after all.  He wanted Rhaef dead and Larry would love to comply, but he couldn't risk what Rhaef threatened to do.  Not now, not when they were so close to closing The Burnt Hand down permanently. Not on the eve of Curio's re-emergence into the lime light.

After tonight the Hand and all those associated with it would be disposed of.  He and the select few which were hand picked by Curio before the night he faked his death were on the brink of becoming very wealthy men ... and framing the Hand for their crimes.  With the Hand out of the way all of Curio's enemies would be eliminated and he would be a free man again.  And Larry, Larry would be right at his side.  Not Rhaef.  But Larry.

So he smirked at Rhaef, knowing that he was the better man.  He was the winner.  "If you must." he said in a snide voice.  "Follow me."

Larry lead Rhaef and Wei-Li up the stairs and into a small back room where Smalls was sitting at the huge computer terminals he had set up.  Lei was still tied up in the corner of the room but Larry took absolutely no notice of her ... he didn't mention her at all to Rhaef and Wei-Li.  It was a sight Rhaef was used to seeing from back in his days with the Hand ... it needed no explination.

"Smalls, we got some records to wipe clean." he said to the man and gave him the information needed.  In a few moments Small's was busily at work.  Larry meanwhile made a few calls to the men he had infiltrated in the police force on Osiris.  In a matter of moments Rhaef Sorandash and Wei-Li Steal were officially dead.  A wave was sent out over the news that the two escaped convicts from the hospital were found burned to cinders in a car wreck a few miles from the hospital ...

Rhaef smiled as he became a ghost in the machine. His mind wandered, and he wondered exactly Larry had going that he had not risked trying to finish Rhaef more permanently, must be big he told himself. At that moment, he noticed Lei in the corner. He turned to the child as Larry and Smalls were engrossed in their work, and gave the child a quick wink, he hoped it would be enough for the girl to trust him.

As Larry hung up the phone, Rhaef spoke. "I see you've found our wayward shiprat. My captain was very afraid we were going to fail in our delivery of that package." Rhaef faced forced his old sickening smile, "And you know how the Blue Sun doesn't like for its couriers to fail." Rhaef was not sure, but he was taking a leap here, based on what he'd seen and knew of Lei, and the rumors he's heard about Blue Sun, through the years.

"Seems you're taking a risk keeping here, Larry. The Blue Sun is supposed to be very powerful and very well connected. It wouldn't sit well with The Hand, if one of their safehouses was raided by the Blue Sun commando squads." Rhaef could have been lying through his teeth, the Blue Sun and The Hand could be in league for all he knew, but this was probably their only chance to get Lei out alive. "We need her back, and you and I both know that hospital job easily covered your hacking and any reward you might get for her. Plus once the Blue Sun get her, do you think they'll let you live anyway?" Rhaef smiled again, letting Larry ponder this. "I mean, they might even catch us with her, and kill us for real, then I'm completely out of your hands with no trail to you." Rhaef shrugs, "although thanks to Smalls here, you can't go telling them that I'm still alive, they'll think you're trying to bluff them and raid you instead."

He paused again, "Think about it Larry, one fell swoop and all your current problems are gone, is there really any risk in this? Or percentage in other moves?"

Larry arched at brow at Rhaef.  Interesting, he mused, So Rhaef knew a bit about his little friend here. Larry glanced over at the girl.  Her eyes were wide and frightened as she stared at the four people gathered in the room.  Larry was wishing now that he had thought to have the little brat moved before allowing Rhaef and his dame into the room.  But hindsights 20/20.

What interested Larry was how interested Rhaef seemed to be in the girl.  He had figured Rhaef wouldn't even give her a second thought ... Larry barely did.  The fact that Rhaef even felt the need to mention her brought a grin to his lips.  So she's important ... even more important then I thought. Larry mused.

"Ah, Rhaef, always the cautious one aren't you?  Just like old times you tryin' to watch my back.  Thing is though, the girls none of your concern now.  You can tell your captain to be more careful with his cargo next time.  It's really no trouble or risk to the Hand for me to keep her here for the time being ... in fact she won't be here much longer.  And I see no reason for me not to get the money from this girl and the hospital to boot.  Its no trouble at all ... nice of ya ta be concerned though." Larry said.

Just then two men entered the room.  "The cars are here." said one.

Larry smiled, "Ah, see I told you ... not long at all." Larry said to Rhaef, then turned back to the men.  "Grab the girl, we're taking her with us, once business is done at the party we can make our rendevous with Blue Sun." The two men quickly grabbed the struggling Lei and pulled her out of the room.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm a very busy man.  You and the lady are free to go ... I'll show you the door."  Larry lead Rhaef and Wei-Li back down stairs, through the bar and out onto the streets of Old Town Osiris.  "I sincerely hope that I never see you again." Larry said with a friendly smile.  Then he walked briskly to one of the three black cars that were pulled up in front of the headquarters.  Lei was probably in one of those cars.  But Rhaef and Wei-Li didn't have long to contemplate which before they were all driving away.

Rhaef walked up behind Larry and reached him rather quickly, and with a fluidity and speed that would have shocked most anyone but Curio had a gun in Larry's back.

He snarled and his voice hissed in Larry's ear. "I asked you nicely to hand over the girl Larry, now I'm telling you hand over the girl." He press the gun harder into his back. "Now your boys might get me in a firefight, but not before I turn your head into a canoe. Now Larry, whatever else I would say about you, I know you ain't ready to die, especially not like this, so its rather easy. You let the girl out, you give her to my friend. And they get a good ways away. Then you and I will take a short walk ourselves, and I'll let you go. Ain't no need for your worthless soul on my conscious, but if you make it that way I will."

The second Rhaef had pulled the gun on Larry about six other men had their guns out as well.  Most were pointed at Rhaef ... but one of the men had thought to grab Wei-Li and now had the barrel of a gun pressed firmly to her temple.

Larry just laughed, "Rhaef, Rhaef, Rhaef ... you're more foolish then I thought." Larry was careful not to move a muscle but he knew that Rhaef was severely outnumbered.  "You shoot me, your girl gets it too ... and contrary to what you say I know that you don't want her soul on your concious or mine." Larry's voice was calm and full of confidence.

"I have a feeling that this little girl is not worth that much to you ... she may not even be worth that much to me either." he smirked, "But now its just the principle of the thing.  Knowing that you want her badly enough to do something so stupid and desperate as pulling a gun on me, makes her that much more valuable.  Put the gun down, Rhaef.  Don't be stupid."

Larry was gambling, and he was gambling with his life.  It was a dangerous business but it was the one he was in.  He had to bet that Rhaef wasn't willing to risk his life, and the life of his pretty lady friend on one stupid little girl that the Blue Sun wanted to get their hands on.  Because if Rhaef did pull the trigger on Larry he and the girl would die.

Wei-Li had remained silent through the process, relying on Rhaef to get them though this.  All the while she was wondering if coming here had been the best of choices... at least they had lost the police.

Then things had gotten much, much worse.  It had taken everything she had to remain passive as she saw Lei sitting there, tied up.  She closed everything down, forcing it to the back of her mind.  She forced herself to be cold, so cold that it hurt... it was the only way to survive.

And then... the piase de resistance... Rhaef's bluff being called... and she had been stupid enough to be caught.  She tensed, letting her breathing grow a little shaky.  She knew that it was much harder to hold a limp person than a stiff one.  Even as she prepared, she felt the man holding her stiffen slightly, pushing his gun hard against her temple.

"Do Bitch, and its the last thing you do."

There was no mistaking his tone for anything other than a promise.  She bit her lip and remained still.  This was so not good.

Rhaef sighed he did not like this at all. "We're not done, not by and long shot." Rhaef said pulling the gun from his back, and removing his other one and backing away covering all of them. He backed away to cover the whole group. He could sense that his reputation still proceeded him and despite Larry's tough talk, none of his men were particularly keen to engage him in a firefight.

He stepped back a few more steps. "Larry, I can see it in your boys' eyes, and I know even you know that I've walked out of firefights worse than this. So Wei-Li will walk away - not even follow you - now a smart man like you will accept that he won this round and trying for any more is foolish."

Larry smiled as Rhaef backed down.  It was the smile of a completely ignorant man.  A man who actually believed in his illusionment.  Larry truly believed that he was the stronger man, the more powerful man, the better man.  He felt the eyes of all the other men gathered, guns drawn, pointing at Rhaef and he thought that he felt their admiration and respect ... he didn't realize that who they were looking at was Rhaef.  Good 'ol Rhaef.  The Black Hand, back from the dead.  Larry would always be a poor second ... but he didn't know that.  And so he continued to smile as Rhaef pulled away.

"Knew you were a smart one." Larry said.  He motioned for the two other cars - one persumably holding Lei to take off.  A few of the men who had had their guns out disappeared inside the vehicles and they roared to life and took off.  Larry held Rhaef's gaze for a few moments longer.  "You know, you're wrong 'bout one thing, Rhaef." Larry said, opening the door to his car and motioning for the man holding Wei-Li to back down and come with him.  "We are done." he said.  Then got into the car and drove off as well, leaving Rhaef and Wei-Li alone on the street.

Rhaef let out a string of curses that would have made an Alliance marine blush. He hated standing down from Larry. If he'd been alone he would have gotten Lei or at least died in a firefight. But he wasn't alone. He turned to Wei-Li and moved to her side. His old Rhaef pretense fell completely away. "Are you okay? I am sorry you had to get mixed up in all of this." Yet even as he sighed, he knew he was ahead of the game, the Alliance was off his trail, and for the time being so was the Hand. He only prayed none of his shipmates saw the wave before he and Wei-Li could explain. He turned to her, "So any ideas on we can track them?"

Wei-Li allowed herself a moment of colapse to deal with everything she had seen, and done in the past few moments, then she looked up at Rhaef.  Her expression was open, and he could see the fear and disgust she felt there, but even as he watched determination took the place of both.

"We ha..have to find Lei." she said evenly, then nodded, realizing that Rhaef was Rhaef now and he was on the same page.

She closed her eyes as she forced herself to think.  They were in a strange town, on a core world...  even if her family were present here, she did not want them mixed up in this or those people.

"Car or roofs.. we've got to move-- on the bright side.. they aren't trying to lose anyone or draw attention to themselves... "

She focused on Rhaef and nodded.

Rhaef nodded and whistled loudly, a cab sitting a few blocks down began to pull up. As they waited, Rhaef turned to Wei-Li and said, "I'm sorry to have gotten you mixed up in all this, and to get you threatened. I owe you a big one now, and I always deliver on my debts." It was the least Rhaef could but the most he could over.

As the cab pulled up, he opened the door for Wei, and got in after her. "We have a surprise party for some friends, and we need to follow those black cars up ahead. Not to close to notice us, but close enough not to lose them. You do that well, and there's a sizable tip in it for you."

The cab driver nodded and stepped on the gas, following the black cars out of Old Town and into the night of Capitol City.

------->To City Streets

Charlie became the anxious one as she started to lead Geoff.  While she was anxious to find Lei, she was just as worried about seeming weak in front of him.  Only two people really knew about what had happened to her after they first found Lei.  Most would just assume she would need a breather, but Geoff and Acacia...well, they would assume she was about to explode from the inside out.

"Now we're gettin' close to her last log, y'know?  I mean, if I'm readin' this right, which I'm assumin' I am."  Charlie turned the pad around in her hands, bringing the map up again.  "I'm one more for movin' parts'n digital stuff, but I've had th'share of interests in th'sort.  Had t'get familiar at some point, I'm guessin'..."

Charlie and Geoff make there way through the streets of Old Town Capitol City passing by more then a few shady characters.  If it weren't for Geoff's intimidating appearance they probably would have been stopped.  More then a few eyes were wandering up and down Charlie's body.

They reached the base of a large building.  Glancing at the fire escape they saw a piece of torn cloth ... a piece that Geoff recognized from the dress he had bought Lei.

Geoff followed Charlie's lead, walking a few steps behind her. He let her lead partly because she was the one who knew where they were headed and partly so he could throw a glare at any of the men on the street who eyed Charlie and him. He wanted to make sure that the people who eyed her knew that if they made a move toward her, it would be the last move they ever made. Geoff emphasized this point by keeping his hands at the grips of his pistols as he glared about.

When they reached a large building, Geoff looked about to gauge their surroundings. That was when he saw it. The piece of torn cloth on the fire escape. "Charlie. That scrap o' cloth. It's part o' Lei's dress...", he said in a voice barely above a whisper as thoughts of what could have happened to the girl ran through his mind. None of the scenarios that were conjured by his imagination were good ones and he couldn't help but have a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he thought more about it.

He shook off the feeling though, knowing that Lei was okay. Convincing himself that she was okay. Not knowing what he'd do if she wasn't. He shook his head and put on an even expression as he looked at the building. "She's gotta be in there then. We gotta go in, Charlie. We gotta find her!", he said, his voice increasing in fervor as he felt the urgency of his need to find Lei and know that she was safe become more intense as his imagination continued to throw horrible images into his mind.

Charlie listened to what Geoff had to say about Lei, standing next to him and looking at the scrap.  "You're sayin' that like it's sure'r somethin'.  I mean...how're you t'know that there's not another dress like it?  Y'know, bein' Osiris, there'd be a million people n'such.  What're th'odds of being similar dresses?"  While she had the same fear, Charlie spoke purely in hopes that she could somehow lighten Geoff's spirits a bit.  Things weren't lost yet.

"This's the end of the trail, but th'trail was just where she was accessing th'cortex, sendin' out waves across the world."  Charlie lifted the datapad, clicking a few buttons on it.  "I'll tell ya, though, if they caught her they'd have removed th'notice for it.  No sense havin' people lookin' on an expired contract.  You know anyway we'd be catchin' a Fed report, maybe hearin' if there's been any activity in the area?"

Charlie looked down at her data tablet.  This was indeed where the map had indicated Lei last accessing the net.  However, something else caught Charlie's eye.  She pressed a button and a recent news update flashed onto the screen. Beside the article was a car, burnt out of all recognition.


                               <c>Federation Bulletin</c>
                                   Osiris News

The chase proceeding the escape of the two convicts, recently identified as Rhaef Sorandash and Wei-Li Steal, from the Osiris Medical Facility has now ended.  Their bodies were found in an automoblie accident in the G quadrant.  The nature of their previous detainment has not yet been released to to the public but it was stated by Chief of Staff, Mr. Edward Blooming, "Death is always a tragedy however, in light of the persons in question previous actions their deaths are not entirely regretable.  If they had not died first ... who knows how many innocents they may have killed."  Fortunately, no one has to find out.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was more to the article .... but Charlie had heard enough.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:46, Fri 19 May 2006.

"I'm, lesse, what's-..."  Charlie mumbled off, reading closely the words on the tablet and bringing it close to her face.  She stood very still as she went over it, forgetting that Geoff was there...that they had been chased...all of it seemed to just crumble away for the moment, and the world didn't exist outside of those few words that glowed from the screen.  She bit her lip, doing her best not to collapse as she lowered the pad.

"Geoff...they..."  Charlie's voice begins quivering as she speaks, and she cuts herself off, looking away from Geoff and putting her hand to her face.  "We...they...Wei-Li and...and Rhaef, they're...they're not..."  It was too much for her, as she was feeling her world beginning to crumble.  She pushed the pad into Geoff's hands, turning and stepping further into the alley, leaning against the wall as she slid into a crouch and began to cry...

Geoff had only smiled half heartedly to Charlie's attempts to make him think that it might not be Lei's dress scrap. He knew it was, even if Charlie's reasoning was sound. Charlie said that this had been the place that tablet had led them to so it had to be Lei's. Still, he allowed himself to hope as he nodded to Charlie distractedly as she was looking at the tablet.

It was the tone of her voice when she spoke next that got his attention more than anything. She seemed to be trying to be saying something about Rhaef and Wei-Li, but she seemd to be unable to get the words out. Her reactions and voice did not bode well at all for whatever it was she was trying to say, though. So Geoff took the pad as she gave it to him with a bit of trepidation and worry. He watched Charlie move into the alley before he looked at the pad himself. He let out a deep exhalation of breath as he finished reading, closing his eyes briefly and shaking his head. "Ta ma de... No. This just ain't right. Ain't right. I said...gorramit.", he muttered to himself before trying to regain his composure.

He hadn't been particularly close to either of the two, but he still felt deeply sorrowful at the news of their death. Rhaef had been a good man, if a bit on the irritating side sometimes, and he had been a useful member of the crew. Wei-Li....well, Geoff just didn't know what to think about that. To think that somebody else that he had sworn to protect was lost caused him near physical pain...and for it to be Wei-Li just added to that. But, with that feeling, came a deep resolve. A resolve that nobody else under his care would be dying. Right now, that meant finding Lei and keeping Charlie safe while he did it. So that's what he would do.

Geoff looked to where Charlie was crouched against the wall, crying, and he winced slightly. It must be especially hard on Charlie to have lost Rhaef. From what Geoff understood, it had been she, Rhaef and the captain since the beginning so they must have been close. She had a right to grieve for him. But not now. Geoff couldn't let her grieve now. It may make him seem cold, but they needed to move on and save their grieving for later. So he sighed to himself as he moved to where Charlie was and crouched down beside her, tentatively laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Charlie....we gotta go. We can't be stayin' here. We gotta move on.", he said in as gentle a tone as he could,"We gotta get goin' and find Lei. Find her so....so that she don't end up..." He let the sentence drift away, not wanting to say, "so she don't end up like Rhaef and Wei-Li". It seemed wrong to say it like that. Still, they had to move and Geoff didn't have time to try and comfort Charlie or to allow her her full time to grieve. He regretted that fact, but it was how things were.

Charlie sniffed through her tears, her head instinctively turning away when Geoff came close, keeping her hands up.  "I can't, I-I...I never got to tell...I didn't say..."  She let out another burst of tears, completely collapsing, the entire thought just being too overwhelming.  Her body had begun to shake with the sobs, hardly able to control herself.  She was probably making some kind of scene, maybe there were people even peering in...it didn't matter.  None of that mattered, anything that was happening outside.

"I want to go home."  She murmured between sobs, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands and trying to get some control.  "I have to get home.  I need to be home...on the ship."  She looked over at Geoff, her nose and cheeks red, tears still sliding down her cheeks and collecting at her jaw.  "We need to find Kale.  We need to tell him."  She put a hand to the wall, trying to find her footing to get up, still shaking as she continued to cry.  "We don't have a lead to follow, and Wei-Li is dead, and Rhaef is..."  Charlie took another shaky breath, looking back at the ground.

Charlie and Geoff were standing beside the fire escape when suddenly a voice rang out.  "Hey!  What do you two think yer doin'?"

Geoff and Charlie turned to see two men approaching them.  Neither one was particularly large but they both had mean faces and were clearly armed.  They looked from Geoff to Charlie and then back again.

"Gorram fire escape seems to be the hot spot today, don' it Smalls?" one man (the larger of the two) commented.

"First, that little girl that we just done got rid of fer good, an' now these two."

"What's up with her?" the larger man asked, motioning to Charlie, "'Ol waterworks here." he said with a laugh and the other chimed in.

"You two best get gone.  I ain't up to arrangin' anymore more deaths here tonight ... looks like ya got lucky." although Geoff and Charlie could tell that Smalls was also a bit intimidated by Geoff's size and the expression that had crossed his face in the course of their conversation. "Come on, lets get goin'." Smalls said quickly to the other man and they both went inside before Charlie or Geoff could say a word.

Geoff had sighed softly and shook his head to Charlie as he stood up from his crouching position. "Charlie...I'm sorry, but there ain't no way that I'm goin' anywhere 'til I find Lei. I can't abandon her. I can't. I promised her I...", he said but was cut off by the sudden call from the two men that were approaching. Geoff's hands instinctively went down to hang by his pistols as he eyed the men warily.

Geoff was silent as the two spoke and was, at first, confused by the men's words. It was not until the men were already leaving that Geoff's mind snapped together to put together what he had heard with the scrap of Lei's dress on the fire escape. Little girl? Got rid of? Arrangin' deaths. ....Oh, god....no..., he thought as he felt his mouth go dry and his blood turn to ice in his veins. They had been talking about Lei. The little girl they were talking about was Lei. She was...

Geoff felt a complex mix of emotions run through him at that moment, but the most apparent was the gut wrenching pain that filled him. The pain of anguish and guilt. He had failed again. Lei had been killed and he hadn't been there to protect her. He suddenly felt rage fill him and he wanted nothing more than to go and rip the two men whom had admitted to killing Lei apart with his bare hands. But, as he took a step forward to do that, his legs suddenly felt shaky and weak and he fell to his knees. He shook his head in something like disbelief and gulped in breaths of air, trying to keep himself steady and keep his mind clear. It was just a death. It wasn't anything new. He was used to it. He was used to it....

Geoff didn't believe that no matter how much h said it. This was different and it hurt. It hurt worse than anything. He had sworn to protect Lei. He had taken her under his wing. He had watched over her and cared for her as if she were his own family and now she was gone. She was gone because he couldn't protect her. He took in a shuddering breath and his eyes suddenly stung with wetness, but he closed his eyes and shook his head, refusing to do what his heart andbody wanted. No. He wouldn't give into his grief. Not now.

Instead he stood up, looking to the ground and trying to keep his legs steady. He didn't even look to Charlie as he spoke then. ".....Let's go tell the cap'n what happened. Ain't no point in hangin' 'round. Ain't nothin'...nothin' fer us ta do. So let's go find the cap'n so we can get off of this gorram rock.", he said in a tone that was nearly devoid of emotion as he waited for Charlie to get up so they could go.. It was a flat and even tone that betrayed nothing of what he felt and that is what he wanted. He wanted to be disconnected. To be away from the part of him that cared about anybody and anything. For now, he wanted to be nothing because that's what he felt he deserved to be.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:35, Wed 29 Mar 2006.

Charlie finally stood back up, letting outa s huddering breath and grabbing Geoff's arm to steady herself, wiping way more tears.  Get ahold of yourself, Charlie.  You can cry when we have Destiny back.  "Yeah, let's...let's go."  She speaks through another sniff, her eyes starting to turn red at the corners from the tears, face still red and slightly puffy.  "Do you...know where we're goin?"

Geoff's face and voice were impassive and even, even though his body was tense and a slight shiver passed through him every so often. "Gotta fine the cap'n. He should be at that fancy party o' his by now. Don't rightly know where that is, but that's where we should go.", he said in a flat monotone,"Guessin' we should go back ta Kyoko's place ta find out whereabouts that party is, fer now."

What Geoff wanted to do was just lay down and die, the way he was feeling, but he had a job to do. That's all that was left to him. To do his job was all he had left. Right now, that job was to get to the captain and tell him what happened. So that's what he would do...and woe to anybody who tried to get in his way while he was doing it. He began to shuffle forward on unfeeling legs as that thought passed through his mind, part of him hoping that they would meet somebody stupid enough to get in their way and another part not caring about anything at all.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:34, Wed 29 Mar 2006.

Geoff glanced back down at the data tablet, quickly clearing the screen of the article on Rhaef and Wei-Li so he could see the map once more.  What he saw was even better ... the next news flash was about the Grand Yacht Party on Lake Ceaurel.

Now they had a destination ...

------->To Osiris: City Streets
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:00, Wed 29 Mar 2006.