This beautiful boat rests on Lake Ceaurel, and is decked out for the biggest extravaganza of the season.  All the most wealthy, powerful and influential people will be in attendance.  The boat has a very high tech security system so absolutely no weapons or electronical devices of any kind are allowed on board.  Hovering candles are everywhere, and beautiful artwork and decorations adorn the entire ship.
This message was last updated by the GM at 06:58, Sat 22 Apr 2006.

"Captain, one last time. Please behave." Kyoko says as theya re let on board, her face a pleasent smile that doesn't show what she is thinking. Which is how like releaasing a madden bull into an china musuen this was.

Kale offered Kyoko one of his signature roughish grins, but nodded seriously.  He held out his arm to Kyoko once they were both scanned for any weapons or electronic devices.  Allowing her to entwine her arm with his they both walked into the grand ballroom of the enormous yacht.  "Floatin' candles, huh?" Kale said out of the side of his mouth in a low voice, smirking at the sheer elaboratness of the place.  Kale bet he could keep Destiny fueled and her crew fed for months on what it cost these wealthy hun duns to have floating candles.

"Ah, Lady Monroe!" a woman with hair piled so high atop her head that Kale was given the impression that she might just fall over practically shoved her way (in the politest way possible) through the crowd and up to him and Kyoko, dragging a rather bored looking gentleman in her wake.  "It's such a pleasure to see you back on Osiris, I've heard the most terrible rumors of you traveling about on the most god forsaken vessel.  But I said to myself, surely Kyoko Monroe would never do that, she is far to sophisticated.  Really, the things people do say." she barely paused for a breath before turning her scrutinizing gaze on Kale.  "And who is this?" she seemed to be trying desperately to recall Kale's face, sure that she couldn't possibly not know one of the people at the Grand Yacht Party.  Bitsy Valtree made it her business to know absolutely everyone of any importance.  "Are you that new young artist everyones been raving about?  I'm sure I must have seen your photo in the daily bulletien!"

Kale looked over at Kyoko and tried desperately not to laugh right out at this woman.  He turned back to her with a polite incline of his head, "I surely am not, Miss.  I Captain a ship.  Captain Kale Galway.  It really is the most terrible vessel." Kale said, his tone was completely polite but his grin was completely contemptuous and mocking.  "Ah, they have wine, I'll get us a glass." Kale said, to excuse himself.  He nodded again to the two woman and the man who was still hardly paying any attention to his surroundings, and went off to the alcove where three men in white suits were pouring wine into sparkling glasses.

Bitsy was left staring after Kale, then she looked to Kyoko with a very snobbish expression, "Charming." she said dryly.

"Now Bitsy, I would look on it as a great personal favor if you helped my friend the captain to blend in. He's not too bad a person, just not ready for this setting." Kyoko says as she takes Bitsy's arm and leads her off to one side as she whispers the rest. "After all, I did help you out two years ago with that business with the news net. Silly reporters misconstrued everything didn't they? Also, you will discover if you're inspecting management out on the rim, sometimes it's easier to see what they are doing when they don't see distinquished names on a luxury yahts' manifest." She says with a smile that indicates that it was a 'trade secret'.

Bitsy's eyes narrowed for a moment when Kyoko suggested having to actually help out that inconsiderate man.  Bitsy Valtree was no fool.  That Captain fellow was making a deliberate snub.  But when Kyoko assured her that he was new to this sort of gathering Bitsy nodded happily.  "Ah, of course, new money.  I see, dear, don't say another word. I knew that he just wasn't aware of who he was speaking with.

Her eyes widened slightly when Kyoko pressed on however and spoke of that dreadful business with the news net .... Bitsy shuddered.  Dreadful.  However Kyoko was quite right, they really had miscontrued the whole affair and Bitsy felt a lot better knowing that Kyoko Monroe understood that.  She really had been all sorts of helpful.  "Say no more," Bitsy held up a hand, mostly because she just did not want anyone else to hear what they were speaking about, no use dragging up all of that nonsense at a party such as this.  "And I see, I knew you were going out for business purposes.  I said to myself, everyone else is wrong, Lady Monroe is a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders.  She knows exactly what she's doing.  Of course it is easier to inspect management while being undercover.  I'm sure it was terribly exciting - I wonder, how do less fortunate manage to travel these days and here you've actually traveled with them.  I will certainly make every effort to make your friend feel welcome.  Most proper really."

"Well keep an eye on him at least, I'm sure there are others who will want to talk with me while I'm here. Now, remember do not tell him who I am.. he isn't aware of my family's standing and I'd like to keep from overwelming him at the moment." Kyoko says with a smile as she turns to collect Kale before he gets into too much mischeif.

"Now that was nice Captain, getting me a glass of such a nice claret." Kyoko says as she collects the wine with one hand and pulls Kale away from the drink table with the other. "You're as subtle as a reaver raiding party at a fuel refinery." she adds in a whisper to just him.

Kale looks up at Kyoko with a hurt expression, "Ah, now see I was going for a bull in a china shop ..." Kale grinned, but let Kyoko lead him away from the table.  In truth he didn't even want a drink.  He needed to keep all his wits about him ... and truth be told he could probably do with a few extra if that could be arranged.

He allowed his eyes to scan the crowd then for Mr. Caddigan.  It didn't take long to spot him, standing back around the dancefloor, his eyes watching what Kale assumed were most likely his daughters twirling about.  Kale watched them for a few moments.  It was true, no amount of finery could make the girls look anything other then plain.

Kale nudged Kyoko with his elbow ... a little harder then was probably neccessary.  "Over there, 2 o'clock.  That's him." he looked at her then, "Care to make the introductions?"

"Fair enough.. remember BEHAVE." Kyoko says as she gently uses the point of her shoe's hell to bring that up in his instep. After all he could be a little less rough with his elbows.

She led the way to the man in question. "Ah, Mr. Caddigan, it has been some time since our last occasion together. May I introduce my escort for the night, Captain Kale Galway." Kyoko smiles to the two daughters. "Ladies.. it has been some time since I last saw you as well, how are you?" she asks politely to them.

Mr. Caddigan looked up as Kyoko and Kale approached.  He doesn't smile ... Brently Caddigan very rarely smiles, however he is rather pleased to see Lady Monroe.  By merely being in conversation with the woman his status was sure to rise.  She was a very important young lady.  "Ah, Lady Monroe." he said in a deep voice, "Aren't you a vision." he then turned his scrutinizing glare on Kale.  He looked him up and down, he was all dresseed up like a gentleman but he was no gentleman.  He could see it in the way Kale stood.  Too sloppy.

"I don't like you." he said simply.  Mr. Brently Caddigan was never praised as a nice man.  And this is exactly why ...

He seemed to forget about Kale completely as his two daughters came from the dance floor to stand beside him.  He gave one of his very rare smiles to the two girls.  They curtsied politely to Lady Monroe.

"Well." was all one of them said.

Kale stood by Kyoko's side smiling politely, he was about to make his own introductions when Mr. Caddigan proclaimed that he didn't like him.  Kale was honestly shocked for a few moments, his eyes wide as the man then turned his attention away from Kale and onto his daughters.

Kale exchanged a glance with Kyoko and tried to mend the situation.  He grinned at Mr. Caddigan, "I like a man who can make up his mind.  Solid thinking is a virtue."

Kyoko sighs as she considers this. "Why don't we dance Bently, I am sure that you've asked me once or twice to do so." Kyoko says as she holds out a hand for him to take.

"And I incidently do not care to know what you like." Mr. Caddigan replied stoutly, then he looked at Kyoko, "A dance would be lovely." he said and took her hand.

Kale was left standing between Mr. Caddigan's too daughters.

Kale watched Kyoko and Mr. Caddigan move out onto the dance floor.  Well, this isn't going well at all, he mused, he looked to the two women then.  They were both exceedingly plain and their reputation marked them as equally boring, but they were hopefully the key to getting into Mr. Caddigan's good graces so Kale bowed politely to them.

"Would either one of you lovely ladies care to dance?" he asked.

The eldest, Nadia, quirked a brow.  "You don't need to try flattery, Mr. Galway.  We know perfectly well that we are plain ... I'm inclined to except your invitation however because you are the only person here whom I have not already met - and it would most certainly displease my father which is a goal to be obtained at all possible opportunities." her sister nodded and Kale grinned.

"That's my kind of thinking." he said.

Nadia's brows arched in surprise, "You don't find it perfectly awful that I think that way?  It is disrespectful to wish to anger ones father."

"When one's father is an egotistical fool, the crimes worth it." he was taking a huge risk by actually being himself.  Nadia's laughter rung out though, clear as a bell.

"Unlike my father, Mr. Galway.  I believe that I have taken a liking to you." she said, "Come, let's dance.  I hope you are a perfectly dreadful dancer." she commented as she led him to the dance floor.

"Two left feet, I assure you." Kale said with a laugh and Nadia joined in.

Larry's car rolled to a stop as he peered out the darkly tinted window.  It was night now and the brilliant lights from the silly little yacht shone brighter then all the lights of the city.  The spectacle could not be outdone, even in its visibility.

Without a word from him, his men were already filing out of the cars and getting into position.  Larry smiled, tonight would be a night to remember.  The fall of The Burnt Hand and the rise of a new order.  A new order with Curio at its head once more and he, Larry, at his side - where he belonged.  Not that pitiful Rhaef Sorandash.  He looked to the young girl seated beside him, a gag pressed firmly against her mouth and her hands tied tightly behind her back.  Morgan sat on the other side of her, a gun pressed firmly to her temple.  She had tried struggling and kicking earlier ... a smack to the face with the heavy weapon and the reminder of what other pains it could cause her had put an end to that however.

Larry smirked at the tears sliding silently down her cheeks.  "We'll be back for you in a moment, got some business to attend to first." he said, and stepped out of the car as well.  "Keep an eye on her." he told Morgan as he closed the car door.

Most of his men were already dispatched around the perimeters of the party, Larry stood back aways, between the cars and the party.  He didn't make his move until he had been radiod that the perimeter was secure and they had successfully invaded the party.  Those pathetic doddering, rich fools didn't even know what was coming.

Lei moved slightly, just to try and get in a more comofortable position, and the man beside her pressed the gun more firmly against her head.  She sobbed again.  The crude ropes were biting into her wrists harshly and she could feel the skin rubbed raw.  Her mouth felt like cotton.  But none of this physical pain mattered much in comparison to the fear that was overwhelming her.

They were going to take her back, back to that place.  The white place.  Lei sobbed again just thinking about it.  She couldn't go back there ...

Blue Sun.  That's what the men had been talking about.  She wasn't entirely sure what they meant, but she remembered the name from her search on the tablet.  Her father was supposed to work for Blue Sun.  Given what was happening to her now though, she wasn't so sure she wanted to meet her father ... if it was even true and she had one.  She wanted Geoff.  Tears started streaming down her face even more when she thought of him.  Geoff would make this all better ...  He had told her that he would always protect her and that Destiny was her home.  Lei wanted to go home.

Then she thought of Rhaef and the fear returned.  If she went back to Destiny, he'd be there.  And he was friends with the bad men.  He'd winked at her happily when he'd seen her in the room, and the mean man had called him "old friend".  Lei wondered if Geoff knew that Rhaef was one of the bad men ...

Rhaef paid the cabbie with a generous type to disavow the presence of his fares and sat watched the situation unfold. "Wonder what the gorram is going on here?" He hissed quietly, and the men began to move into position. Thankfully Lei was not with them. He hoped that Larry had continued to underestimate him, and left her lightly guarded.

Rhaef's problem was Lei's reaction to him, he had played the monster before, and she had no way of knowing that was not who he was. He turned to Wei-Li, and pointed to the car Larry had exited from. "If I know Larry, Lei's in there. Probably lighty guarded too, but how do we get her out, without her loosing it. I mean there's a good chance she thinks I'm a monster."

Wei-Li nods and listens to Rhaef, all the while watching the men as they moved away from the cars.  "I don't know-- but I know she's better off angry at us then held by them.."

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the men move.  "He's holding back-- but the others are disbursing... something's going on.. but we might be able to use that to our advantage..."

The man in the car with Lei, suddenly moved the pistol from against her head.  He hit her with it then and Lei gasped in pain and surprise.  "Justa lil' reminder." the man said, "Now I'm gonna step outta this here car fer a bit an' if ya don' want more'n that then you'll stay put like a good lil' girl." he said, then he opened the door and stepped outside.

Fumbling in his pockets he pulled out a box of cigarettes.  He grabbed one, put the box back and lit the one in his hand, taking a long drag off it.  So he was stuck baby-sitting ... this wasn't at all to his liking.

" Wo Bu Shin Wo Dah Yan Jing" Rhaef said quietly, "these guys may well be dumber than I thought." He smiled as they moved closer.

He turned to Wei-Li, "I have two plans, but I want you to make the final choice because one is more risky to you. Plan 1 - I try to get close and shoot him without one hearing, we grab Lei, and run like hell. Or plan 2, we hope he has not seen you before, you seduce him enough to distract him, and he does look pretty bored, and then I come out up, knock him out, and you grab Lei and run like hell for the ship, and I go see if you I can put a stop to Larry's little game."

Wei-Li nodded as Rhaef spoke and then by way of an answer she straightened herself up and began a slow seductive walk towards the man.

She moved slowly enough so that Rhaef could get into position, then when she was close enough she smiled and tilted her head slightly.  "Hey there," she asked batting her eyes.  "You got another cigarette?" she asked in a low husky tone.