The crew moved quickly through the corridors with Wei-Li at the lead moving with a dancers grace.  The trip was easier this time, the way more certain.  Occacionally Curio would try to speak up but Kale quickly ended that at each attempt.  Much of Curio's power lay in his words, Kale wasn't going to let him say anything.

They ran into no one during the trip, word must have spread that Curio was in trouble and they were all supposed to stay out of the way.  The men from the office however followed behind them quietly.  Their guns were left in the office however, it was the only way Geoff would allow them to follow.  A precaution the rest of the crew was glad for.

Eventually they came to the back exit to Curio's lair.  They opened the door and headed out into the cool night air.  Destiny still sat there a few yards away.  So did ten more of Curio's men.  they had obviously cleaned up a bit after the fire fight from earlier.  Took back the men who were injured and not already dead.  They were all watching the door expectantly though and these men were armed.

Wei-Li managed to take a deep breath before she noticed the group of armed men.  She'd known it was too easy and that there would always be more threats when it came to Curio.

Rafe had warned her as much way back on Osiris when they'd slipped out of the hospital. She knew it was too much to hope for that they would just walk out, but she did hope.

Now she found herself reacting to the new threat.  She quickly slipped back in behind Kale.  It was his show, and she hoped his human shield would sheild her as well.

Rhaef's hand tighten his grip on the gun he was holding, even as he position his aching and weakening body to best shield Charlie if there was a confrontation.

He scanned the eyes of the foot-soliders, knowing that they would tell him far more than anything Curio did or said.

Even as he waited the seeming impassable minutes for Kale to make his play, he watched for some sign that things were not going to plan.

Connor shook his head, his finger going to the trigger of the shotgun he carried. This was the part were things got interesting. If this were any government facility, they'd be home free, most likely, but, these men were bandits. Sure, Curio led, for as long as he had power.

At the moment, with Kale's gun to his head, Curio was pretty powerless, making Connor wonder if Curio's men hadn't already replaced him.

Geoff continued his trek.  He was partially aware of what was going on at the head of the line, but he was rear guard.  He had to pay attention to the hyenas following them.  His eyes never stilled.  And, his fingers were never off the triggers.

Kale pushed Curio through the doorway with him, his gun still held close to the other mans head.  They'd made it this far, the lights of Destiny were spilling out of the cargo bay and into the dark night.  Kale almost let out a sigh relief.  He probably would have if Curio hadn't been just a few inches away.

Show no weakness. he reminded himself. Any glimpse of that and Curio would find some way to manipulate it, Kale couldn't afford that, not when they had gotten so far.

His eyes took in the armed men standing between his crew and the ship.  He jerked Curio forward, "Tell them to stand down." he growled in the other mans ear, "I want them to drop their weapons or this could get all manner of unpleasant.  Not fer me of course ... mostly fer you."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:07, Tue 03 Mar 2009.

Curio frowned.  This was not the way things were supposed to play out.  All of his careful plans laid to waste by some backwater ship captain.  The man was utterly beneath him ... and utterly in control of the situation.  Curio's men were smart and resourceful.  But they were also loyal.  Curio had spent much effort ensuring that.  After the fiasco that resulted in him having to fake his own death he had vowed to never let something like that happen again.  If men wanted to follow him then they had to swear their life.  It was more than fear that held his men to him, more than respect, more than companionship and he knew without a doubt that not a single one of them would risk his life on some fool notion of being a hero.  And that was the reason his men were utter fools.

"Stand down." Curio called out calmly into the cold night at Kale's whispered words.  Rhaef would never have listened to a command like that back when he was his right hand.  He would have come up with some way to take out the idiots holding him hostage.  But there was no Rhaef's among his men, that was why he had put so much into trying to bring the man back into the fold.

Curio turned his head to find Rhaef among the ragtag crew, perhaps to somehow talk some sense into him.

"Don't you look at him." Kale said, yanking Curio's head back, "You done enough damage."

Kale waited a few moments for the men up ahead to follow Curio's command.  He glanced at Rhaef, Connor, and Geoff, seeking their nods of approval as well before pushing Curio forward and making his way back to the ship, "Wei-Li, take my comm outta my pocket, signal Dake that we're gettin' the gorram hell outta here."

Wei-Li nodded and did as Kale directed.

This was his show and as long as she viewed it as such she could fall into the rhythms of a performance.  She wasn't a warry girl from paquin, she was a member of Kale's crew doing as ordered.

She took the comm, making sure not to get into a position to be used against him and thumbed the activate button.

"Dake, it's Wei-Li.  Boss says were getting out of here.  We're on our way now."

COMM: "Roger that, Wei-Li, I'm none too fond of this rock anyhow."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:24, Tue 03 Mar 2009.

Rhaef did not notice that Curio was looking toward him until he had heard Kale's voice, although it would not have mattered anyway.

Rhaef had been through his own personal hell and come out the other side, a different man, and Curio did not and could not understand who that man was.

Rhaef, instead continue to keep his eyes fixed on the scenario around them, looking for the one man who thought he could make a play for more power by doing something stupid.

Rhaef's only goal was to make good on his promise to Charlie, everything was going to be okay.

Curio's men backed off slowly, but they backed off.  Hardened faces watched them, fingers itching for triggers that they knew they wouldn't touch, not as long as Kale had Curio at gun point.  It was unnerving walking past these men, praying that no one got brave.

The crew of Destiny crossed the open space back towards the ship.  The night air cool on their faces, dawn was still a few hours off.  Finally they had reached the ramp of the cargo bay.

COMM:"We're ready, just say when."

Outside Destiny's engines roared to life.  A whirring sound filled the air and the wind stirred up ruffled the hair of the people standing near by.

Kale barely stifled a sigh of relief as he heard Dake's voice and Destiny's engine whirred to life.  They were almost home free.  He pushed Curio with him towards the ramp.  He would wait for the rest of the crew to get on board before letting the hun dun go, which was a fair sight more than he deserved after what they'd all been put through because of him.

"Everyone on board." he called to the rest of his crew.

Rhaef winced slightly as he watched Kale. The captain almost let the whole gambit go a moment to soon, but he didn't Rhaef reminded himself.

He looked to Charlie, "Come on Charlie-girl, you heard the Captain, let's get inside before someone changes their mind." He said with a hint of smirk to encourage her, as they began climb the steps.

Even as they did, Rhaef continued to try to shield her from any gunfire with his body.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:29, Fri 10 Apr 2009.

Geoff remained at the back of the group, keeping one eye on the crew and the other firmly glued to the men outside.  He'd seen a lot of goons in his day, hell he'd been one plenty 'o times, and he didn't trust them one lick.  To be dead honest he was still expecting the whole thing to go south.

He waited for the crew to move up the ramp and then slowly began backing up onto it as well.  He'd stay by the entrance with Kale until this whole deal was done and buried.  Although, with the crew mostly safe inside now he was half hoping one of them would test him.

Wei-Li waited until Raef and Charlie had started up the ramp. They were after all the ones they'd come back for.  Once she was sure they were moving she moved up the ramp, walking backwards with practiced ease.

Once she reached the hatchway she squated down along side it, giving herself some cover while continuing to cover those left behind.

---> To Destiny Cargo Bay
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:19, Thu 30 Apr 2009.

Charlie followed Rhaef up the ramp, continuing her silence as they went, head low and pace even.  She was holding on to everything she wanted, and would be content to stay with him wherever he went, despite all that had happened.  The exhaustion of the day was catching up with her, and she could feel the dull thuds of her heart in her chest.  It was just as it had been when she was with Geoff in Osiris, the palpitations reaching a staggering level and nearly deafening her at one point.

If she was lucky, she wouldn't close her eyes and lose him again, much like last time.

"T'tha...Ah've l'tha ship runnin'n sorts, so'f we gotta go'n such, s'all ready'n hol'ta go."  She spoke through a slightly hoarse voice to Kale as the two passed, giving him a weak nod and faked smile.  "Jus'need t'ga some'f at pilot'n, we're a'ta go, y'know?  Yeah, y'know..."

Curio watched coldly as Rhaef and the rest of the Galway's ragtag crew boarded the ship and his men just stood by idly twiddling their thumbs.  Everything he had been working for, all of his carefully laid plans to rebuild his old glory was falling to pieces.

Before Rhaef had disappeared inside the ship Curio spoke, ignoring the gun pressed to his head.  He had studied Galway, the man was too soft for his own good, he wouldn't shoot him in cold blood and he had a few choice words to impart.

"You're making a mistake, Rhaef." he called after his former pupil, "Do you really believe that your skills will be appreciated with these vermin?  That you will ever truly make something of yourself scavenging through the black like some sort of animal.  I offered you a life, a real life.  You think that they accept you, but they will never see you as anything but a monster, no matter how hard they try to mask it.  I accept you as the man you are.  Think Rhaef, think of what you're walking away from."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:55, Sun 19 Apr 2009.

Connor stared at Curio, not quite believing what this man was attempting to do. Really? Trying to impart a desperation shot? Sad and pathetic.

And the worst part was, Connor was sure that, after Kale and the crew of Destiny left this little rock, that it would not be the last they heard of Curio. Hell, a history had apparently already been established.

Connor also didn't think things would turn out too well if he shotgunned Curio in the head, not to mention the emotional baggage. He shook his head and backed up the ramp cautiously, pausing halfway and kneeling down, aiming to cover Kale's exit.

Rhaef heard Curio's words, and listened to their echo against the ship. He paused just briefly and turned around, "Curio," he answered coldly and plainly, his voice even, "all you ever offered me was death. Never life. You made a monster, rather a man." He paused again, "These people have offered me a chance to become more than the man I am, you never did."

He mouth curled into a slight smile, with a touch of viciousness in it, "Curio, it was you and your men who crawled out of the underground. You and your men who found me in the gutter. You and your men scurrying out of the graveyard to feed your pathetic appetites." He looked directly at his former master, "You and your kind are the only vermin here." And then with the best insult he could levy at his former master, Rhaef turned his back on Curio and entered the ship.

Curio smiled, it was a dark and sinister expression on his face, "Then you have made your choice." he said calmly, "Don't think that this is the last you have seen of me, however, Mr. Sorandash.  You know better then to think that I will let you just walk free.  You're either with me, or your against me and I will see to it that you will regret the decision you made today.  Where ever you go I will hunt you down.  I will hurt you and these pathetic people that you call friends.  One by one I will destroy everything you love.  Your friends, this ship, the little grease rat hanging on your arm.  I will-"

Curio's eyes widened for a moment then.  A look a surprise crossing his face before his legs gave way and he fell to the ground.

Kale stood over the man as he crumpled limply to the floor, his gun still held out, the finger on the trigger.  His face jaw was clenched and his face was hard, as though carved from stone.  It was an unusual expression on a face that was normally open and trusting.  His cold eyes were focused on the man now lying on the floor, silent, "No.  You won't." Kale said woodenly.

Kale was not the type of man to kill in cold blood.  He believed in honor, even when most men nowadays had none.  But Curio had threatened his crew and Kale had no doubt that he was the kind of man to make good on his threats.  He couldn't risk leaving him alive.  He couldn't risk Destiny or the lives of his crew on a prayer that Curio wouldn't find them again.  Sometimes you had to make the hard choices.

He looked up then.  There was no time to think about what had just happened, there were about 20 men outside the cargo bay that had no reason to hold their fire now that he'd killed the hostage.

"Close her up now." Kale called to whoever was closest to the controls.  He kicked Curio's body off the ramp before heading inside as well without at backwards glance at the men who were now beginning to scramble for the guns that they had been ordered to drop only minutes earlier.

[To Destiny: Cargo Bay]

There was a brief moment of shock from Curio's men.  They just stood there, unsure of what to do now that there was no one to tell them.  After all, they were just pawns.  Quickly enough, however, many of them began gathering up their weapons once more, readying themselves to avenge Curio's death perhaps.  The crew needed to move quickly now.