The darkest regions of the heavily-populated, city-dense planet.  No sunlight ever penetrates here as the tall buildings cast it in perpetual shadow.  Here is where Curio has made his lair ...

Drip ... drip ... drip ...

The sound was slowly driving Rhaef insane.  His world had consisted of nothing but that steady dripping sound and pain for what felt like an eternity.  Time had no meaning anymore, hours, days, months all just drifted together in this endless cycle of guilt, regret and pain that had become his entire existence.

Drip ...

The shackles about his wrists had rubbed the skin there raw and pinned his arms uncomfortably behind his back.  His eyes were covered over with a dark, rough piece of cloth.  Although deprived of his sight he had discovered that his cell was roughly six by six feet, the floor and walls were made of solid stone, not bricks but a sheer wall or concrete in all directions except the small window that although he could not see its light he knew it must shine into the room during the day ... not that any of this mattered.  He'd known it for weeks.  It'd been the first thing he had done upon being tossed inside.  Figure out his surroundings, plan for escape - but there was no escape.  Not this time ...

Drip ... drip ... drip ...

The sound of footsteps greeted his ears then, heavy footsteps.  A few moments later the familiar creak of the cell door and then rough hand jerking him to his feet.  His captor never spoke.  Just picked him up and brought him somewhere else, somewhere where Rhaef knew nothing but pain.  It was torture for torture's sake.  The man never asked any questions.  Never responded to anything Rhaef said, just hurt him and then threw him back in his cell.

Drip ... drip ...

That was the sound of madness ...

The dripping seldom stopped. Rhaef heard even in his fitful dreams. Nightmares really. It was crash and crescendo of his life, and it'd finally caught up with him.

It was there, the crashing cymbals underlying the arguement with Kale that haunted his waking hours. And worse still, it was the mournful drone that accompanied the dreams of her, when sleep did come, robbing him of the one possible respite from the madness.

Yet still Rhaef was a fight. He had never expected to go out like this, in a hole, without a gun in his hands. Yet, he'd not go out with a fight. His captors had beaten him beyond pain, and at this point, he knew he was going to die, it was matter of time. The only question was whether he'd have the chance to take someone out with him. A part of him knew he deserved this, the monster was finally caged. And that's why it made no sense for him to try to figure out who his captors were, the list was a long as one of the Professor's books... the professor...for the first time in weeks, his mind began to clear. The professor...that's how all of this started.

~*~*~*~*~* F L A S H B A C K *~*~*~*~*~*~

Professor Walton Squire sat at his desk surrounded by stacks of papers and books.  There seemed to be absolutely no method to the madness - and there very nearly wasn't - yet somehow the old man seemed to know exactly where everything was.  He'd been in much higher spirits for the past month or so - ever since Kale had returned to Regina with his stamp.  True to his word he had put the money directly into helping the people of his city and just that small diffence has greatly improved their quality of life.  It brougtht a smile to Walton's face.  He hoped that Kale and his crew, wherever they were now, were well and safe.

He bent over then and scribbled a few more notes down on evolution of the brain - a study that he had recently begun to delve into since his encounter with the extrodinary child, Lei.  It was then that he heard a faint noise outside his home.  Walton stopped the scratching of his pen on paper and sat straighter, straining his ears.

Rhaef looked up at the house. He paused, he wondered why he'd come here. He had had a drink or two, but was certainly not drunk, but yet still. He did not even know why he'd ended up on Regina. He knew a part of him wanted to go the Professor for advice, but still something raw was sitting in the back of his craw. He knew it had to do with the fight with Kale, which every day he was away from Destiny he grew to regret more. Not only because he missed her, but because he knew a lot of what Kale had said was right.

Then he saw the house in the pale lights of the evening, judging back the stacks of new books and papers he could see through the pale light of the window,  it was clear that the Professor had bettered himself, and something stuck out at him. He had no doubt that the professor had used the stamp like he'd promised, but if there'd been money left over to buy the Professor new things, then there would have been money left over to pay the crew, and well then, none of this would have happened.

Against his better judgement, Rhaef walked up to the house, smoking a cigarette. "Ain't a robber, Professor, just an old friend." There was a hint of contempt and a sneer in his voice.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:41, Thu 07 Dec 2006.

Walton squinted into the dark night outside his window as a figure approached, for a moment all of his senses were heightened and his mind quickly tried to assess the situation and his probability of coming out of a fight unscathed.  He was by no means a young man anymore and if it were a robber or worse outside ... well there was very little he could do about it.  That was when the figure spoke.  Walton let out a sigh of relief - he'd recognize that voice anywhere.  He stood slowly and moved to the door, removing the dead bolt and opening the door.  A smile touched by confusion crossed his face as his eyes fell upon Rhaef, "Well, I must say, this is quite the surprise.  Not unwelcomed of course." His eyes shifted past Rhaef then and into the darkness, searching for the others, "The rest of the crew staying on the ship tonight?" he asked as he stood aside to allow Rhaef passage inside.

Despite his frustrations, Rhaef stubbed out his cigarette on the porch before entering the house. "Rest of the crew is somewhere off the other side of the universe for all I know. Your lapdog all but threw me off the ship." Rhaef said evenly, trying not to hiss the words in anger. This was growing more difficult as he surveyed the surroundings. It appeared the stamp deal hadallowed the professor to improve his quality of life and the crew was still scratching along, hardly seemed fair. And Kale had let himself get duped. Well not duped, the Professor traded on his loyalty, and to Kale that was all he had, and he'd die before he lost it. The thought made him wince slightly, rubbing more salt in the wounds that had opened since he left the ship.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:43, Thu 07 Dec 2006.

Walton frowned as he shut the door behind Rhaef, listening to his words.  He took his time latching the bolt to gather his thoughts, "You left Destiny." Walton said.  It wasn't a question.  If Rhaef was here, alone, and in such spirits that was the only logical explanation.  He turned around to face the other man, meeting his gaze evenly, he ignored his comments about Kale being his lap dog or how he had been thrown off the ship.  Walton was sure there was some seed of truth in such statements, at least in Rhaef's mind, but more then that the words were uttered in anger and it was that anger that concerned Walton now, "Why, Rhaef?" he asked calmly.

"Ain't it obivious, Kale finally wised up to the monster he let on board. Called a spade a spade, and pretty much threw me off the ship, although I was pretty much ruttin' ready to go myself." Rhaef growled. The pain was still too fresh, coming here was a mistkae, there was no way these wounds wouldn't be opened. The professor might have been an advisor to him, but he was Kale's friend and mentor, there was no chance of this going well. And yet, even as his mind told him to leave, his mouth kept talking. He'd always been told it would get him in trouble someday. "I called Kale on the carpet after we nearly got blown up. These charity runs were killing us. The ship's falling apart, and we're making free runs. It was a matter of time before someone gets killed and for what." His anger was starting to recede, and he added quietly, "And the Hand was there. You threw me into a job, where the Hand walked in the door. I couldn't stay there, they'd hurt her."

Thoughts of Kale were painful enough, but now the professor had gotten him thinking of Charlie again. He blocked her out of his mind, the look on her face that night, and the way she might have felt when he left. He collapsed into a chair.

Walton stood quietly listening to Rhaef, not offering any interruptions, just letting him speak his piece.  It was obvious however that he was carefully observing the man, "It is rare to meet a man who is both David and Goliath ..." he said, thoughtfully once Rhaef had spent himself, "You realize the paradox in this I'm sure.  You cannot be both the monster and he who slays him - I bid you to take notice of the fact that in doing so, you're only hurting yourself."

Walton moved to the chair opposite Rhaef, picking up a stack of books and laying it upon the floor before sitting down himself.  He looked a the floor a moment, and swallowed hard, his own emotions having to be kept in check, "I am assuming that you blame me for this?" he asked outright, "I sent you on the charity run that caused you and Kale to fight and the Hand to find you, and you to leave?" he paused a moment but it was clear that he was about to go on, "You wanted to protect her ... except who is there protecting her now?"
This message was lightly edited by the player at 06:20, Fri 08 Dec 2006.

Rhaef shurgged, "Can't rightly say, I blame you for the charity run, but the rest of the stuff, well I knew the Hand would find me eventually. But still, I wonder how it feels to sit here among your books when you're sending Kale out to risk his life and the lives of his crew for you. Mean you could not get it done with anyone else, cause you'd have to pay them. Must be nice to have a friend you can rely on like that." Rhaef's voice dripped with sarcasm. Even as he spoke, he pondered the professor's other question. She had to be better without him, I mean at least the Hand would leave the ship alone and she'd be fine.

Walton actually huffed at the impertinant young man, and narrowed his eyes slightly, "As a matter of fact it is nice to have a friend like that, Mr. Sorandash." Walton always used last names when he was angry, "Kale's a good man, and he knows were the coin flipped and it were he that needed help I'd bend over backwards as well, even with these old creaking bones of mine.  It's called trust and respect and you, young man, do not seem to grasp these concepts."

Walton stood up slightly straighter then, "I doubt very much that Kale actually asked you to leave the ship, but feel it would be a very accurate assumption to believe you left on your own.  You pretend like you don't care but you are so terrified of the past that your running from that you have no idea of the future that is right in front of you that you are throwing away with both hands.  You never did tell Charlene how you felt, did you?  You never did explain to Kale exactly what you are running from, isn't that right?  And now you are here, and so I'll ask you again.  Why?"  He moved to his desk then and went back to working on his papers, glancing back a Rhaef, "And no, I don't need you to tell me the reason, but you had better figure it out for yourself or you are truly lost, my boy."

Rhaef growled, "I don't know why I came old man, guess maybe I was looking for someone to be more understanding, someone that'd help me out. But I guess, you're showing your true colors."

He stood and stomped toward the door, "I ain't proud of my past or what I done, but I survived, and no one got hurt cause of me. So no, I never told Kale. He did not need to know. He'd of done something stupid at some point, and gotten himself killed."

He began walking out the door, "And I told her, even kissed her, and she wigged out and pushed me away, Professor. And yet even still, I loved her, and I was not about to let her get hurt cause of me."

He slammed the door, and cursed away. He needed a drink, otherwise, he was going to collapse somewhere and end up doing something else he'd regret.

Walton had been looking back down at his work, a clear dismissal of the man standing behind him.  He couldn't help him if he was not willing to help himself.  Not to mention he had managed to anger Walton, and that was not an easy thing to do.  He listened to Rhaef's angry words though and then the slam of his door as he left.  He heard Rhaef stomping away from his home and he swallowed hard, staring down at his papers but not reading the words, "Oh dear god, what have I done?" he muttered to himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~* E N D   F L A S H B A C K *~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rhaef had been thrown onto the ground, his arms secured to the wall so he wouldn't move away.  Not that he even could, his body ached all over.  He tried to move his back off the rough floor, the gashes and welts along the tender skin screamed in agony whenever they came into contact with something.  He could hear the other man moving about.  He always moved slowly, with purpose, half of the torture was the waiting.  What would it be today?  When would it come?

He strained to hear what the man was doing but couldn't really make anything out.  He could hear when he got closer though.  He could hear his breath just a few feet away.  There was a sound of ... paper?  And then the distinct sound of a match being struck.  Rhaef knew it in an instant, after all, he was a smoker himself.  It didn't take a genius to know what was coming next.  The match was dropped onto his chest and the flame smouldered into his skin.  The man didn't say a word ...

Rhaef winced in pain as he hit the ground, his body was bruised and broken, and he knew he was quickly moving beyond the care of most docs. He heard the matches and smelled the sulfur, and then sick smell of burning meat, his own flesh.

Yet he managed a weak smile. His spirit was not broken, and it would not be. And fire torture was the sign of a frustration on the hands of his captors. It was dangerous, and hard to control, and it could easily go awry. They were stepping things up, which meant, either they were getting frustrated and desperate or losing interest - either way meant he was winning. His life for her freedom, that was a price he could pay, he reminded himself, yet again.

Rhaef's smile must have angered the man because this session was particularly brutal.  Perhaps they were getting frustrated ... perhaps they hated him so much that they took joy from his pain.  Whatever the reason Rhaef was barely concious as he was dragged back through the hallway and tossed unceremoniously on the hard, cold ground of his cell.  His chest was a mess of burn marks and his wrists were cut even deeper.  The door slammed shut, and Rhaef was alone ...

Drip ... drip ... drip ...

Rhaef  collapsed where they had left in the room, his body was wracked with pain, so much so that the thought of moving made him shudder. He figured he did not have much longer, not matter how strong his spirit felt he was fairly sure his body would soon be unable to cash the checks it was writing. At this point, all he could was hope that the his sacrifice would be worth it, that the others would be free.

As he thought this, her image came unbidden to his mind, it was the first time, since that night, the night this all started, that it had brought him comfort. Although it hadn't that night....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ F L A S H B A C K ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Siphon was busier then usual that night.  The hot, crowded pub reeked of sweating bodies and too much booze.  Large, burly men with hard faces and gruff voices laughed raciously at each other as the night wore on.  Most people sat in pair of two's or three's ... Rhaef sat alone in the quietest corner that he could find.

"Ya want another one 'o those, doll?" the pretty waitress said, leaning over the edge of his table revealing her ample cleavage.  The woman had been making eyes at Rhaef all night, the fact that he hadn't paid her any mind didn't seem to be deterring her.

"Rosalee, don't ya dare give that one any more ta drink - he'll be causin' us problems ..." an older lady behind the bar barked at the younger one.  Rosalee stuck her tongue out at the woman and turned big eyes back on Rhaef.

"This one's on the house." she said, pouring him another drink just as soon as she was sure the other woman wasn't looking.  She winked at Rhaef.

Rhaef nodded, "Thanks," he said quietly, "But listen to your boss. She's right, I ain't nothin' but poison." He growled lowly.

Time was before he signed up with Destiny, he'd have already taken this Rosalee back to his bunk, bedded her, and they'd getting ready for a second round of action by now. But instead, all he could was think of her. How he'd left her on the ship. Whether he should have told her again how he felt. He could not shake the way she pushed him at the night, after he told her how he felt, and how she avoided him the days later. But what if the professor was right, what he'd left her to a worse fate.

Rhaef looked around the bar unsteadily. He'd had far too much to drink. He'd began drinking heavily since that night at the professor's and even with his improved tolerance, he was not a man built for this kind of liquor consumption. More than anything, it dulled his senses, and that could spell big trouble for him...

Rosalee pouted, "Suit yourself, doll, but I got an eye fer the good ones, I'm tellin' ya.  An' you're one of them." she cocked her head to the side them, "Some brod done broke your heart bad, didn't she?" she said, "Don't feel like ya gotta answer, I'll leave ya be." she disappeared to another table then.

Rhaef watched as she leaned over a neighboring table surrounded by four large men - the typical clientele for a place like this.  The men laughed and made cat-calls at her, one even reached down to grope her backside.  She shot the man a evil looked and tried to bat his arm away.  He deflected her feeble defense with ease and laughed even more along with the rest of the table.

Rhaef grinned, but in the back of his mind, he knew this was a bad idea, but yet another part could not help but laugh, this was the kind of high risk mission that Kale would have loved if he were here. And Charlie'd have never let him stand by for this.

"Pretty clear, that the lady don't want your attention, mate." Rhaef said rising to his full height, amazed that his years with the Hand had given him the ability to focus his mind and his abilities, despite the amount of liquor he had in him. He smiled again, knowing that the glove was off, and his tatooed hand was now there for everyone to see.

"So I suggest you let the girl get back to her job, and enjoy your liquor, cause you keep hassling her, you bound to have trouble."

"Well whatta we got here?  Looks like we pissed off 'er boyfriend, fellas." the man who had initiated the groping said, and the rest of the table laughed.  The man stood up then, accepting Rhaef's challenge.  There was a confident sneer on his face as he rose to his full height - which was considerably taller then Rhaef.  The man was huge, the type of guy most folk wouldn't mess with and he knew it.  "You gonna cause me trouble?" he said in a threatening voice.

"Listen, doll, forget about it.  He didn't mean nothin' Boris." she said turning to the large man and trying to calm the two of them. Boris didn't even look at her, just eyed Rhaef coldly.

"You got yerself a damn stupid boyfriend, Rosie." he said.  It was obvious this Boris guy was a regular.

"He ain't my boyfriend, leave 'em alone."

"Ain't about you dear, although, you might want to re-evaluate your choices in men, I might be poison, but at least I'm man enough to admit." Rhaef said coldly. His mind had all but shut down, he was simply processing the odds, and wondering exactly why'd he done this, wasn't like he was afraid, he'd gotten out of worse scrapes. Hell a month before, he'd walked into the heart of the hand, and lived to tell about it.

"So Boris, I guess, its cliche, but hell, I'm always been one one for tried and true, do you even know who you are messing with?" His hands slid down to the guns, the slightly sickening, familarity of the groves was still there.

"I don't care who I'm messin' with, shorty.  No one messes with Boris an' get's away with it."  He started moving towards Rhaef more when the woman from the kitchen came running out into the main area.

"NO one messes with anyone in my pub!" she shrieked at the two of them and she looked formiddable.  Boris actually began backing off, "You know better Boris!" she whirled on Rhaef then, "And YOU!  You gonna pull out fire arms in my pub?  Gonna start shootin' folk?  OUT!!  I want you OUT!!!  And you leave the customers alone!" she yelled at Boris again.

"Right, right, just one thing." Boris said and his huge fist shot out and connected solidly with Rhaef's right cheek, making his head ring from the blow and the alcohol.

Rhaef shurgged as Boris threatened him, he'd heard it before and worse. Then the old bat came out, shrieking like a harpy, hadn't even seen what happeneing and just kowtowing the local powers. He seen her type before too. The thugs could have anything they wanted, even anyone, as long as they left the pub alone.

He shook the cobwebs out after the punch, "Sorrym M'am. I'm leavin' anyway. Ain't exactly the most hospitable joint." Rhaef walked away with a vicious smirk. Who said anything 'bout firearms, M'am? He said, as his hand shot out, and sunk a bowie knife Boris' arm. "Now we're even friend. You went for my best weapon, and I went after yours."

Rhaef said, as he back out of the pub, realizing he was loosing control and the most was rearing its head. He heard in a voice that did not even feel like his own, "See ya around, Boris."

Boris howled in pain as Rhaef's knife sunk into his arm, Rosalee screamed, the older woman shouted and the rest of Boris's gang all got to their feet.  If Rhaef had been trying to keep a low profile that was completely blown.  He tried to back out of the pub but instead back right into another large man who grabbed his arms securely behind his back in a tight hold, "I think you're going to be regretting that one, mate." the man said, his voice was deep and gravely.

Boris let out a growl but this time not of pain but anger as he turned around, "He sure as ruttin' hell is!" he said, and swung hard up into Rhaef's gut, following it swiftly with a punch to the face with his good arm before Rhaef had much time to react.  The blows landed hard and fast.  Rosalee shouted some more and tried to get Boris to stop - not so much in Rhaef's defense anymore though but because she was worried about Boris's arm.  The older woman however was trying to break the fight up because she didnt' want it in her pub.

Rhaef winced as the blows landed, his body screamed in pain, as he watched the chaos unfold around him. Yet, for him, the fiercest battle was going on inside his head, as the beast struggled with his mind from control, straining against the bonds he'd made, hoping this would finally be the time, he'd be let go again. Rhaef knew what that would mean, both to men attacking him and to all that he had worked for. He'd let the monster out, just for one moment, and this is what it had gotten. A beating he richly deserved. His adrenaline was gone and the alcohol was taking hold. And although it was dulling his reflexes, it also dulled his pain. The last thing he remembered was the sneer on Boris's face as his fist approached his face. Yet, even then, Rhaef knew he'd caged the monster, and he was not what Curio and the others had trained him to be, and with that he passed out. A smile spreading across his lips.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:49, Sat 30 Dec 2006.

~*~*~*~*~*~ E N D   F L A S H B A C K ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rhaef came to and could still feel the smile across his lips as it slipped away in the darkness. He body throbbed from the beatings although the dream and the reality were melding together at this point.

Yet even then his mind was sharp and focused. He'd caged the beast. There was no one to tell, no one to celebrate with him, but yet he knew he could bear whatever his captors did next. He had his theories in those lucid moments when his wits were around him. But mostly, he hoped, it ended with him. That whoever was taking such delight in trying to break him, would leave Destiny and his friends, and Charlie alone.

He stared around the claustrophobic confines of his cell, and waited.

A long time passed - or at least it felt as though it had.  Minutes, hours, days ... none of this seemed to have any meaning anymore.  In his solitary cell with even his vision taken from him beneath the rough blindfold Rhaef had no way of measuring time passing.  He did know however that enough time had passed for the blood to dry, and for shallow cuts to heal over.  It was the longest he had gone without being dragged out and tortured.  Something was up.  Something was happening.  Or perhaps they had just decided to leave him in there to die.  To just rot away.  Or maybe he had won ... maybe they had given up - whoever 'they' were ...

~*~*~*~*~*~ F L A S H B A C K ~*~*~*~*~*~

Rhaef had been tossed out of the bar, thrown unceremoniously onto the cold, wet pavement - a drunken mess.  His body ached from the beating he had received.  In his state of self-pity and despair, his state of drunken oblivion he had been in no position to single handedly take on 7 or 8 very large, very angry men.  But that was who he was, the type to never give-up and never back down ... so now he was lying a bloody, drunken mess on the ground.  The rain poured down from the sky, dumping buckets of freezing water over his head.  It pulled him slightly from his stupor, but not enough to cease the disorienting spinning motion the world had begun to take, as though it were trying to fling Rhaef off the face of the planet.  As though the world itself had rejected Rhaef, wished to through him off and fling him into oblivion where he would die along and cold.

Rhaef tried to stand a few times, but his balance was as broken as his body. The beating and the booze had pretty much left him broken, he shambled to a nearby alley and collapsed.

Everything was gone, but he'd beaten the beast. He'd caged at the easiest to let it out, and that sustained him. Even if he died in that alley, which was a distinct possibility, he could die a happy man. He wasn't a monster, he was a man.

Yet, this realization was tinged with pain and guilt, he just wished Kale and Charlie could be here to see that he was a better man than what they thought of him now. But his friends were safer and better off without him. He reminded himself.

Suddenly a blinding light filled Rhaef's vision, it was like the light that people claim to see moments before death.  Ethreal, all encompassing ... it was the headlights of a black, high class car.  Unusual in these parts, but in his state Rhaef was in no position to be making out the make and model of the vehicle.  He was barely in the state to realize that it was a vehicle at all.

Car doors slammed and dark shadowy figures emerged.  Tall, and thickly built they descended on Rhaef.  Strong arms gripped his already aching shoulders and hoisted him to his feet.  Two men grabbed him, but there was a third.

He felt a cloth being placed over his mouth and nose and could smell the fumes.  He was being drugged.  "The Black Hand ... he's the one, throw him in the back." the third figure said.  Rhaef couldn't see the man but that voice ... that voice it sounded familiar.  Like he had heard it before.  It was all so hazy.  Everything was growing dark.

Rhaef felt himself be manhandled, yet he could do nothing about it. He was in no condition to fight, and these weren't bar thugs anyway. He tried to break through the haze in his mind to recognize the voice, but could not place it. He glanced down at his hand, not remembering if he was wearing his glove or not. What concered him most was that, they knew who he was...

~*~*~*~*~*~ E N D   F L A S H B A C K ~*~*~*~*~*~

If Rhaef had any concept of time he'd have known it had been three whole days since anyone had come to his cell.  Three days of silence save for the dripping sound that never ceased.  Three days and he was starting to be able to move again - if only a little - but every little bit counted, right?

He'd hear footsteps outside his cell sometimes, footsteps that would stop just short of his cell.  He'd imagine someone standing outside his door, waiting.  Most likely waiting for the sound of his death.  Rhaef wasn't going to lay down and die that easy though.  He could take more.  Rhaef was a fighter.

How much more though ... it was starting to become a waiting game.  When?  When would it be too much?

Rhaef looked around his cell, his shoulders and knees stung with sharp pains which suggested a modest bit of recovery because they were no longer dull aches. He was not near fighting shape, but he was starting to find sensations in his extremities again. A day or two more to recover and he'd be dangerous to his captors again. His mind was no longer fogged by alocohol. And even unarmed the Black Hand was still a very dangerous man.

All of this, he knew, led to one inevitable conclusion he'd be killed very soon. He smiled briefly to himself, he had not given up his friends, his family, her...and he would not know - no matter what else they could bring against him.

After another long period of silence Rhaef heard it again.  Footsteps.  But something was different.  It wasn't just one pair.  There was more then one person coming for him this time.  And as Rhaef strained to hear he caught something he hadn't heard in a long time ... voices.  Human voices whispering outside his door.  He couldn't make out what they were saying but there could be no mistaking it.  Someone was whispering.  Someone was coming for him.

Rhaef pushed himself to the wall and pushed himself painfully up. If he was going out, he was going fighting and on his feet. Best tribute I can give 'em, he thought to himself.

Steeling himself for the coming fight, he smirked, as he waited for the doors to open.

For a few more moments Rhaef could hear the footsteps and voices growing closer.  Every muscle in his body began to tingle with anticipation of what may very well be the last fight of his life.  Three pairs of footsteps.  Two voices that he could make out.  It was amazing what adrenaline could do.  Just a few moments ago he couldn't of even imagine actually getting his muscles to work well enough to stand up - and now ...

The footsteps and voices came to a halt right outside of his door.  There was silence.  Then the sound of someone fiddling with the lock to his cell.

Rhaef waited.  It felt like forever.  And then the door opened.

No one rushed forward to attack him though, just a single voice spoke, a voice whose smoothness only barely concealed the raw emotion of relief and joy, a voice Rhaef had not heard in a long, long time ...

"It's you.  It's really you ... my god, Rhaef, what have they done?"

Rhaef was physically stunned when the door openned, the physcial torture had been survivable, but now they were breaking down his mind. He tried to back away, but what little strength had been drained by the act of standing, he collapsed in a crumpled heap on the floor, passing out again before hitting the ground. As he fell, he cried, "No, you're dead! Leave me alone!"

At first Rhaef thought that he was still blindfolded.  Everything was dark.  So he strained his ears.  The first thing he noticed was the dripping was gone.  Everything had changed with the dripping sound absence.  Instead he heard the soft hum of some sort of machine, and a steady beeping sound.

It was then that he realized that he wasn't blindfolded - his eyes were closed.  He struggled to open them.  All he could see was light.  It was too bright so he snapped them shut again.

"Hey." a voice he didn't recognize said, "Hey get over here, he's waking up."

There was the sound of shuffling, of people moving around the room.

"How are his vitals?"

"I think he's going to make it."

"Thank God." there was a pause then before Rhaef felt a hand on his shoulder.  The slight pressure hurt but not terribly, "Rhaef?  Can you hear me?  You're home Rhaef, you're finally home."

Rhaef was slowing coming to despite the blinding light and the haze of drugs, rather than pain. He looked at the voice speaking. "Am I in hell? Cause you're dead, so if I am seeing you, I must be in Hell." His voice was empty of rancor or emotion. It was more simply echoing his thinking without an edit box.

Curio's expression was unreadable as he stared down at the Rhaef.  A mask for the millions of connections, thoughts, and plans going on in his mind, "Don't be stupid, Rhaef, I'm just as much alive as you are.  What is the first thing you learn?  Trust your own judgment.  And if you were dead - you'd know it.  Besides, its not in your nature to die.  So snap out of it." Curio said sharply, although not uncaring.

Here was the man who had taught Rhaef everything he knew.  The man who had shaped the young boy into a man.  Who had taken him under his wing like a son - who had made Rhaef everything he had tried so long to be rid of.  Here was the man who was supposed to have died four long years ago ...

Rhaef began to come to his senses, the sights and sounds suggested not hell, but a medical facility of some sort. "But, boss how can it be? You were dead, killed by me most said." He looked at the man that had been a surrogate father to him, "If you weren't dead, why'd you let me think you were, let me run, let me take the fall?"

Curio smiled, "Ah, dying is not in my nature either." his expression became more serious as Rhaef inquired on why he had let him take the fall.

"It was an unfortunate necessity." he didn't continue however, instead he smiled again, "But come, there will be time enough to talk about all this unpleasantness later, after you've gotten something to eat.  Now is a time to celebrate the return of the prodigal son."

He clasped a hand on Rhaef's back and his voice was completely sincere when he spoke next, "You have no idea how grateful I am that I found you, how good it is to have you back.  It'll be just like old times, Rhaef."

For the next few weeks Rhaef let his questions go unanswered.  His primary focus was to regain his strength.  To become a whole man again.  For the most part he rarely saw Curio.  'Business matters.' was the mans only explanation to his long absences when Rhaef inquired.  Soon he stopped asking.  If Curio did not wish to tell him more that was his business.  Rhaef knew the man well enough to know that if it were something that he needed to know - he'd tell him.  That's how it had always been.

Rhaef hadn't yet been outside the compound where Curio had brought him - there was no need, not yet.  But after a little silent snooping about he had discovered only one exit.  It was a smart move.  One way out meant only one way in.  The door was guarded constantly.  Not that Rhaef was being held hostage ... he was sure that if he had wished to leave Curio would not protest.  The man had saved his life.  Searched for him, found him and rescued him when no one else cared ...

There were other people that moved in and out of the compound.  Curio had explained to him one night over dinner that he had started his own organization which lately had been thriving.  He talked in hushed tones about how someone had managed to take out the entirety of the Burnt Hand.  Something to do with a yacht party as rumor had it.

Most nights Curio would join him for dinner.  Inquiring on his health, reminiscing about the past.  Neither spoke of how they had lost touch, or the present circumstances.  Not yet.

The hours drifted into days, the days into weeks, and Rhaef was not above playing the games that Curio was playing, he needed to recover and the medical attention and the end of the regular beatings was helping that.

He also knew from his scouting that escape was an option. He had only two options, Curio would let him leave, or he'd fight his way out. He knew there was a third option, but as Curio had said earlier, dying was not in his nature.

He walked to dining hall where he ate, having made a decision. He'd hear out Curio's offer, give it reasonable consideration, considering it was not like Destiny was coming for him, and then make his counter offer.

Curio was already seated at the table when Rhaef entered the dining hall.  He smiled and made a motion for him to sit, "Smoked salmon, trust me, its the best." he dug his fork into a piece of meat, "You know, I've never needed the finer things in life - but sometimes they are a pleasure."

Rhaef laughed as he sat down at the table, "Curio, you may be able to lie to others, but not me. I am partically your son. You've always had a taste for the finer things in life, you just did not have the stomach to pay for them." Rhaef flashed a glint of the trademark cocky smile, he'd lost over the last few months.

He lifted his arm from the table, making a clear production of placing a gray glove, that he had lifted from the facility's service room over his tatooed hand before reaching for a plate and helping himself to some food. "Let's do something we're both good at Curio. Let's talk business. What do you want? And more importantly, what are you offering?"

Curio glanced up from his plate with a bemused expression at Rhaef's response, "Ah, there's the old Rhaef I've missed so much.  Still as cocky as ever, still as observant."

He watched then as Rhaef placed the gray glove over his hand.  Rhaef had always been funny about the mark of the Burnt Hand.  He was the only member to have not gone through with the actual burning, Curio had made an exception for him by allowing him to receive a tattoo instead.  An exception he'd have made for no one else, save his most prized pupil.

He set his fork down when Rhaef spoke again and folded his hands together on the table, the fingers coming together to form a temple.  His own left hand covered in a similar gray glove.

"It's simple.  I want my right hand back.  I want you, Rhaef. The Black Hand.  Just like old times." he leaned in, "We'll no longer have the silly restrictions of the Burnt Hand.  Thanks to you - they're all dead or in jail." Curio smiled, "Yes, I've been following you for sometime now.  You and that floating milk cart you've been traveling around the 'Verse in.   I must admit I was a little disappointed, you are so much better then that, Rhaef.  You are so much more."

He sighed then and continued, "Anyway, I became worried when I discovered that you were no longer aboard the ship - that you had vanished.  And so I searched you out, found you, saved you - like I had saved you once before."

Rhaef laughed, it was hard and cold. He pushed back away from the table, "There are many who would ask if you saved me Curio." He paused, "And the difference is now I am one of them." He lit a cigarette, another thing pilfered from an unobservant staff member. "I may not have a home anymore, but I am also not coming back to a man who faked his own murder and left me to take the blame." He stared at his former mentor plainly, "I reject your offer."

"Don't be hasty.  You haven't even heard all sides of the equation." there was a sharpness to his tone, this was a reprimand.  It softened however as he continued, a look that could almost be love if a man like Curio could love came over his face, "I didn't leave you to take the fall.  You and I both know that that would never have happened.  You'd have never let them catch you.  There was no time though - no time to let you know what was going on.  The Hand was going to have me killed.  Assassinated.  I had too much power they believed - too many were loyal to me and not the Burnt Hand.  And so I faked my own death.  Naturally, given my demise you, being my right hand would have risen to my place.  Only a fool would believe that you would not have met a similar end.  So I framed you.  Framed you so you would leave the Hand.  Leave it forever and never return.  If you did - they would have killed you too."

Curio's eyes cast down to his plate and when he looked up there was a hint of regret, "I had thought to find you right after - but you had learned well.  You had disappeared into the shadows and even I could not track you down.  I've been searching for five years now Rhaef.  And now here, at last, you are.  Denying me the one thing that has any meaning to me in this world.  You.  My most prized pupil.  The son I never had."

"Some father you were..." Rhaef said with some bitterness, "You were damn right, I ran. And spent the rest of my life lookin' over my shoulder. Worryin' about what was round the rest corner." He paused, "You lack of effort nearly cost me everything," he stopped short and laughed, "But then again, it wasn't for your dragging your feet, I'd have jumped at the offer you are giving now."

He smirked, "But I learned a lot out in the black, about folks and 'bout myself. And I know one thing, I ain't going back to what I was..." almost a vision to give him strength, her face popped to his mind. "You can let me go or kill me now, cause you do not have much to make me want to stay."

Curio frowned, this was not going according to plan, "Let you go?  I have no intention of holding you against your will, Rhaef.  However, I have to ask, where would you go?"

Rhaef shurgged he had not really thought it through that far. He thought about going back and apologizing to the Professor, but best to do that in a letter. "I don't know Curio, I disappeared once, I can do it again. Plenty of ships in the docks can use a decent gun hand, 'specially one that don't ask to many questions."

Curio nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, yes you are quite right.  There are many ships in the universe." he was quiet a moment before looking up, "Its interesting ... I thought you'd say that you would return to Destiny.  But no, of course not.  They wouldn't have you back anyhow, would they?"

The mention of the ship's name, coming out of his mouth, gave Rhaef chills up and down his spine. He fought to control his emotions. He knew Curio and Kale well enough to know trouble when he saw it, trouble for him, trouble for them, trouble for...Charlie. He paused for a second, realizing that this was an odd time to remember her name. "Curio," he said, his voice controled and measured, "what have you done? These were our issues, why couldn't you leave them out of it?"

Curio shook his head, "I've done nothing to them.  It was simply a question.  Relax." he said.  He was content though.  He had struck a nerve.  If Curio knew Rhaef, as he was fairly sure he did, then it was this ship.  This Destiny and its crew that was what was holding Rhaef back from his true potential.  Holding him back from taking his rightful place at Curio's side.

"Gorram it, Curio. You just can't leave well enough alone, can you?" Rhaef fought to control his anger, in the back of his mind he knew that Curio was playing a game, and yet his emotions ran his mouth better than his mind did at times, and this was one of them. "You can't be happy just ruinin' my life. You have to go and ruin the only decent crew of folk I ever worked wit." Almost as he said it, Rhaef's heart fell, he knew he'd given Curio exactly what he was looking for, and yet there was nothing he could about it.

Curio's face remained unreadable but Rhaef's response had made one thing very clear - there was no way he'd even consider joining back up with him while the crew of that stupid little ship was still around.  Still a beacon of hope for him.  Still a group of people where he had felt accepted.

"Rhaef, my boy, I don't intend to ruin your life nor anyone else's.  I'm simply trying to save you." he stood then, "But it is obvious that you do not understand, perhaps when you have regained your strength more - when you are in your right mind.  Perhaps then we will be able to speak rationally.  Good night." he said, not giving Rhaef a chance to respond before he left the room.

Rhaef tore up the room, tables and chairs to the ground as plates and silverware shattered and clinked of the room's floor. He was cold with fury, some at Curio, but mostly at himself, for letting him get duped. He knew better than to engage in a battle of wits with Curio when he was fully healthy, and that certainly was not the case now.

His hope now was that Kale would not bring the crew for him, but he knew that was faint, Kale if nothing else was unfailingly loyal to a fault. And if he knew the Captain, Kale was blamin' 'imself for Rhaef's leavin'. "Gorram hell," he growled as he collapsed against a wall of the roof. "I'm sorry Kale, my leavin' is bringin' right into the teeth of what I tried to protect y'all from."

He looked at the ceiling, tears flowin' more freely, "Forgive me, Charlie. Ain't supposed to end like this..."

Yet even as the words crossed his lips, Rhaef was forming a new plan of action, it didn't need to end like this - he conquered the monster within, now he'd find a way to conquer the ones without.

That night sleep came slowly to Rhaef.  The dark walls of Curio’s lair seemed to be closing in.  He could literally feel the weight of the entire ‘verse pressing against the walls.  When he closed his eyes he could see the twinkling light of the black stretching on forever above him.

I gotta get out of here …

The stars suddenly seemed to zoom up to meet him, the room, Curio’s lair, the entire planet – gone in an instant.  Swallowed by the black that had been waiting patiently for so long to take him.  He was alone – all alone floating out in the middle of space.  Just dark, cold, emptiness as far as the eye could see …

I gotta get out of here …

”You’d do well, I think, ta be worryin’ ‘bout someone other then yerself every once in a while …”

Kale’s voice.  Rhaef turned his head but he saw nothing.

”I think it's better ta be a good man then a beast of a man."

Rhaef tried to move to where the voice was coming from but it was impossible, it was everywhere and yet nowhere all at once.

”Where are you!  Kale!”

”It’s about being a good man.  My crew comes first! … can’t really say the same fer you …”

A rushing sound filled Rhaef’s ears, as if the entire ‘verse was shifting around him, zooming past.  And then it was gone.  The darkness just winked out of existence.  He wasn’t alone, he was standing in Kale’s bunk.  Yes, of course … the darkness was held at bay for the moment.

"Be honest, Kale, ain't about being a gorram good man, it’s about being the hero. Well let me tell you something about heroes, they're the people who get other people killed." he could hear his own voice speaking quietly, intensely.  Was that him?

"I'm damn proud ta be hero if the alternative is bein' whatever it is you'd call yerself.  Carin' about nobody, trustin' nobody, shuttin' everyone out.  And you say I'm throwin' my life away.  How do you get off callin' what you've been doin' living."

"You want me gone, Kale? Say the word, I walk off the ship. It'll even be my choice.

It’ll even be my choice.

…my choice …

My choice.

The words seemed to echo around the small bunk.  Everything was growing hazy and insubstantial.  Rhaef could see through the walls, they seemed to flicker and fade.  His hands grasped at them, but they were just barely solid.  Rhaef could see the darkness of the ‘verse beyond them.  The stars twinkling.  So bright.  The light caught his eye and held it.  So bright, so warm.  It filled his vision and he squinted his eyes and held his hand up to shield his face.

"Alright, you think you can catch from here?"

Charlie.  Oh God, it was Charlie.  Rhaef felt himself smiling.  His face was shaded as Charlie moved to stand in front of the suns warm rays.  Her figure was silhouetted against it – like a halo of light surrounding her.

"Ready when you are, Charlie."

"Games of trust, right?"

Rhaef watched her close her eyes.  She threw both hands out to the side and leaned forward off the edge of the ship.  There was no fear on her face as she fell.   So calm, so trusting.  Rhaef lifted his arms to catch her but suddenly he was moving away at an alarming rate.  Farther and farther.

”Charlie!!!” he screamed out, she was still falling.  She had opened her eyes and there was fear there now.  He wasn’t there to catch her.  He tried to fight against the impossible force pulling him further and further away, ”Charlie!!!”

”You wanted to protect her … except who is there protecting her now …” the professor’s voice filled his mind and he could feel tears coming to his cheeks.  And still he fell backwards into the darkness.

_{”I’m sorry … “} he whispered quietly.  He could still see that look of fear in her eyes, he could still hear the professors words in his head.  He tried to shake them but he couldn’t, ”I’m sorry …” he said softly again, ”You hear that!!!  I’M SORRY!!!!!” he screamed into the rushing darkness.  He closed his eyes, _{”Just give her back … please … give it all back …”}

The rushing sound had stopped.  Or rather, it had softened.  It wasn’t rushing at all, but gently crashing.  Like the soft sounds of the waves lapping at the beach.  And then – yes, the cry of seagulls met his ears.  His eyes fluttered open.  He was on the beaches of Paquin – there was no way to mistake them.  The sun was slowly rising over the ocean and the smell of salt reached his nose.  The waves seemed to lull him.

And there, on the beach, all in white was Charlie.  The wind picked up her simple cotton dress and cradled it around her small frame.  Her hair was down, like it so rarely was aboard the ship and it too lazily sailed in the wind.  She was lovely.  She was as he always saw her through his eyes.

He took a step forward and the noise of his footstep crunching on the sand caused her to turn around.  Her eyes sparkled with joy as she smiled at him.  They both slowly walked towards each other.  They didn’t touch; they just stood in each others presence.  And then Charlie slowly tilted her head up to meet his eyes.

” S'not about how y'die, Rhaef.  It’s more 'bout how ya live.”

And then the dream was gone …

While Rhaef slept, Curio made his way to his office, he had important matters to attend to.  After speaking to some of his men and making the appropriate arrangements Curio sat down in front of his communications screen.  He straightened his shirt and set a smug, but not unfriendly smile across his face before he hit the button to record the message to send to Destiny.

He began, "Greetings.  I hope you will pardon the interruption but I believe I have some information that will be of great interest to you ... "

Rhaef woke from the dream with Charlie's words still burning in his ears. Wasn't about how you died, it was about you lived. Course took bein' on the edge of dyin' himself to see that. Now that was the last thing he wanted, less it meant that Kale and the others went free. If it came to that, it came to that. But there was no more running for Rhaef Sorandash. He'd confronted his monster inside, now it time to confront the man who made it - no matter the cost.

[From Destiny: Cargo Bay]

Kale moved cautiously down the ramp.  The air outside was brisk and it was night time on this part of the planet, however the moon was slightly obscured by a brownish haze that clung to the air.  Beaumonde was known for its excessive pollution and this close to one of the cities it was a wonder the air was even breathable.

A hundred yards away or so stood the walls of the city, a hazy glow of lights hovered about the taller buildings, where the crew emerged however it was dark and isolated.  They had set down in a large field, thick with dead grass and dirt.  In the distance they could see roads but nothing was moving about where they were.

Kale stood still for a few moments, giving his eyes a chance to adjust to the darkness before moving forward.  There was a secret entrance somewhere in this vicinity.  Connor said that it would most likely be located beside a tree or large rock - a landmark of some kind so that those that worked there could locate it.  There were a few scraggly trees in the area.  Kale turned to Geoff and Wei, "Connor said that the entrance should be by some sorta landmark.  Seein' as there ain't nothin' out here but a few dead trees I'm guessin' one of them is it."

His eyes scanned the area, there didn't seem to be anyone moving about or watching them and there wasn't exactly anywhere to hide if they were.  Looked like Connor's information was correct, they weren't watching this entrance, "Split up, search around the trees fer - ya know, somethin' that opens up." with that he started moving towards the nearest one.

---> From Destiny: Cargo Bay

Wei-li moved with practice grace as she quietly moved out and began searching for the passage Kale was looking for.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:31, Thu 21 Feb 2008.

[ From cargo bay ]

Geoff nodded in lieu of speaking and set off toward the copse of trees - tree? - that was left.  In the dark he wasn't sure if it was one really scraggly tree or a group of them.

His eyes remained vigilent in their search for anything untoward.  This was dangerous, just the kind of situation he was suited for.  There was an eagerness to his breathing, a slight tremor of excitement thrumming through his veins.  The world seemed to fall into sharp, very detailed focus.

As he neared the tree, his sharpened vision saw something that wasn't quite right.  Was it the entrance?  It could just as easily be a piece of wind-blown garbage entangled in spindly roots.

At first Geoff was positive that it was just a piece of garbage, it looked like a bent up pipe sitting on the ground beside the tree.  Upon closer inspection however it became obvious that the pipe was attached to the ground - more precisely to a kind of trap door in the ground.  The pipe, which was bent in a U shape served as the handle to pull it open.

As he drew closer, Geoff started to grin.  Okay, so it wasn't the kind of friendly, telling-a-joke grin.  It was more of a maniacal, where're-the-bodies kind of expression.  Still, it was a grin.

He examined the pipe, testing the strength of it without disturbing the door itself, then turned his head slightly, giving a low bird-like whistle.  He whistled a second time, then took a step back from the trap door, aiming the dangerous end of his gun at it.  He'd wait for the captain and Wei-Li before opening the door... just in case some unfriendly was waiting below.

Kale turned at Geoff's signal and quickly and - well as quietly as he could - moved towards the other man.  Sure enough it looked like Geoff had found it.  He examined the pipe for a moment, it looked like a door handle.  From out here it didn't appear to be hooked up to any wires or anything that might sound and alarm and when he held his ear close to the hatch it was attached to he couldn't hear a thing.

He looked at both Wei and Geoff, "Alrigh' we're goin' in.  I'll open.  Geoff you got my back. Wei-Li, stand back a little.  If'n somethin' happens I want you ta run back to the ship an' warn the others, take off if ya need to." he waited a moment for the two to nod that they understood and then placed his hand around the rusty pipe.

Slowly and quietly he pulled up.  The hatch swung easily and surprisingly soundlessly.  It was kept oiled, that much was apparent.  And there wasn't a lock.  They must have been counting on its remote location as being enough security.  No one probably knew about it that didn't need to.  Not everyone had a hacker extrordinare at their disposal like Connor.

Kale peered inside, it was completely dark.  No lights at all.  It was silent as well.  From the little bit he could make out there appeared to be a long dark hallway.  Just like in Connor's maps.

"Anyone gotta flashlight?" he asked the other two.  They weren't going in there blind.

Geoff stood at the ready, his senses on high alert as the captain opened the hatch.  He didn't relax even when it seemed clear.  Upon being asked for a light, he withdrew a small flashlight from his pocket and handed it across.  The thing was of decent size but was dwarfed in Geoff's paw.

Though an easy entry wasn't always the case, Geoff figured they'd probably get in just fine.  It would be the extraction that would be tough.

Wei-Li hated being relegated to taking up the 'run and tell the others' position, but she understood Kale's reasoning.

She nodded, but she knew her unhappiness was obvious.  Still, they weren't here to keep her happy, they were here to save Rafe.  She clutched the haversack tightly for a moment before pulling out one of the grenades.

She gave Geoff a questioning look as she placed it along the way.

Kale took the flashlight from Geoff and shined it down into the hallway.  No one was there and there wasn't exactly any place for someone to be hiding.  With a look to the other two to signal that all was clear he lowered himself down into the hall.  He moved a few steps forward so Geoff and Wei had space to drop down.  While he waited he slowly moved the beam of light up and down the halls.  Although they were dark they were well kept.  Like someone actually regularly cleaned the place.

Go figure, OCD kidnappers ... he thought wryly.

Trying to quiet his footsteps he moved forward into the darkness.

Geoff nodded at Wei, ticking his eyes toward the side of the trap door.  It was appropriate to leave a little momento of their visit.  Hopefully they wouldn't have to use it.

Geoff waited for Wei-Li to drop down into the tunnel before finally taking the rear.  He landed lightly, perfectly balanced on the balls of his feet.  As Kale worked deeper into the tunnel, Geoff kept a vigilant eye on their six.  He also scanned - as much as he could, anyway - for discreet cameras or other surveilance gear.

It would definitely be embarrassing to make a stealthy entry only to discover that they'd been on the big screen the whole time.

Wei-Li nodded at Geoff's signal and quickly set things up before dropping down the hole with practiced ease.  She landed softly, her acrobatics training shining through.

She moved as quickly and quietly as she could also looking for signs of security cameras and sensor.  That was after all what had tripped up the Beaumonde Leatrans' and gotten them grounded.

The dark corridor stayed that way for a good forty feet or so before it made a sharp turn to the left.  At the very far end of the new corridor there was a faint yellowish glow coming from where the hall appeared to turned sharply to the left once again.  There was not a soul in sight nor did there appear to be any surveillance equipment hidden anywhere.

So far, their entrance hadn't been detected.  However, there was a very faint sound coming from somewhere beyond the second turn in the corridor.  It sounded vaguely human, perhaps someone talking or moaning.

Geoff held up his hand at the sound, then pointed at the flashlight before drawing a finger quickly across his throat.  Kale was smart, he'd know to kill the flashlight.  While they had a second, Geoff withdrew a second pistol.  Silently he slid a bullet into the chamber and clicked off the safety.  He was ready to go again.

He nodded to Kale.

Wei-Li scanned the area and felt along the wall looking for hand holds and outcroppings that could be climbed or hung from if need be.

One of the first things her uncle had taught her was that if someone expected you to follow on foot, take to the trees... or in this case, the wall.

Kale had heard it too and was already in the process of clicking the light off when Geoff made the signal.  There was someone down here.  Kale mentally tried to envision the map that Connor had pulled up for them in his head.  They were still a good ways from where the corridors started leading into larger rooms that Kale assumed were probably where the operation was actually run from.

Maybe they were in luck.  Maybe that was Rhaef.  Maybe they'd be able to get in and out completely undetected.  A knot formed in his stomach at the thought of seeing Rhaef again.  He wasn't sure how that would go.

He motioned for Geoff to take point this time, he followed right behind, prepared to back him up but he knew Geoff was the heavy hitter.  He'd proven himself more then enough since he'd joined Destiny.  Glancing back at Wei-Li he could tell that she was already figuring out her best course of action.

He made another motion with his hand, signaling them to continue onward.  As they moved closer the sound became clearer and clearer and there could be no mistaking it - someone was moaning.

The crew rounded the second corner.  This new corridor ended in a door ... and the moaning was coming from beyond the threshold.  Given the smooth stone walls Wei-Li couldn't really find any purchase or place to climb up.  The door up ahead was just barely ajar and a warm light was cutting a sliver through the darkness.

Besides the moaning coming from beyond the door all was silent.

Geoff watched, paying close attention to Kale's silent instruction.  Upon taking lead, he did so in a way that said he was extremely confident in his abilities.  Each placement of heavily-booted foot on floor was as precise as a tailor's stitches.  Each muscle, tendon, ligament and sinew moved only as far as Geoff wanted it to.  And, even though he hadn't gotten to kill anyone yet, he was having fun.

Stopping at the door, Geoff signaled his intentions to Kale.  He was going to go in low and fast - you never left a door or hallway unchecked, of course - and toward the right, making as small a target of himself as possible.  This would allow Kale to follow quickly, give him cover and provide a little entertainment value.

Well, okay, maybe "entertainment" wasn't the right word, but it really didn't matter much, did it?  They were about to get a little action.  That made Geoff feel about ten feet tall.

Pausing for confirmation, Geoff waited until Kale either agreed or changed the plan of attack.

Unable to approach from any unexpected angles Wei-Li opted to be as much a shadow as she could.  She moved quietly, timing her steps with Geoff's.

As they prepared to move into the room, she angled herself so she would have the best field of view for watching their backs.  Whatever was in front of them would be their business: hers was to make sure that their retreat was as safe as possible.

Geoff briefly flicked his eyes toward Wei-Li.  While he was confident in her abilities, there was still that tiny edge of concern for her well being.  He wanted to protect her.  Didn't need to, but wanted to.

On the job, pi gu.  Eyes on the job.

Refocused, he again turned to Kale for the signal to move.

Kale took up position directly behind Geoff, understanding his intentions and ready to cover him and move in quickly.

Let that be Rhaef, let that be Rhaef ... he said silently over and over.  The moaning sound hadn't been too happy but he'd rather have to nurse Rhaef back to health then get two more of his crew killed in the process of trying to find him.

With a nod to both Geoff and Wei-Li he signaled for them to bite the bullet and head inside.

Wei-Li noodded, ready to follow Kale in if need be.  She was a lot more about sneaking and stealth than about fire-fights, but if that was what was needed, that's what she'd give them.

She pointed to herself and then the door, then pointed to herself and where she was standing, asking Kale if he wanted her to continue to cover their retreat or take the lead.

Geoff grinned.  This was his second-favorite part.  Without another hesitation he shoved open the door, broke to the right and went low, rolling in a side-ways summersault, his feet on the floor, then shoulderblades, then feet again.  He came to a rest with his back against the wall, gun scanning the room at waist level.

Whether or not he'd actually get to shoot anybody was less important than the current opportunity to scare the crap out of whoever had been moaning in this room.

Geoff rolled into the room and almost directly on top of a man standing with his back against the far wall.

"Ow!  Jesus!" the man that Geoff had barreled into began letting off a litany of curses.  None of which Geoff caught as he heard a gun safety click off just a few feet from his right ear.  During his dramatic, rolling entrance he hadn't noticed that the entire wall where the door was situated was lined with men holding pistols.

Kale followed close behind Geoff and for a moment thought the room was empty.  The soft light came from a lantern sitting on top of a small wooden table but other then that there was nothing there.  Nothing there at all.

Then he heard the man cursing to his right and turned as the click of at least a dozen guns sounded from behind him.

Out in the hallway Wei-Li witnessed the men emerging from against the wall in the room but if she thought she had a chance to escape and warn the others she was wrong.  Three men stood in the hallway behind her, guns drawn and ushered her inside the room with the others.

"Drop your weapons." a cold voice said.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:34, Wed 28 May 2008.

He didn't move.  Though the command came from behind him, and though he certainly knew the sound of gun being made ready, he didn't move.  He didn't drop his gun, he didn't shift his position, he barely drew a breath.  The wall was supposed to be behind him.  And, yeah, it kinda was.  Unfortunately, it was already occupied.

This isn't good.

He hated the idea of being unarmed; absolutely hated it.  Because of that, he didn't immediately comply with the order.  Besides, it wasn't Kale giving the order.

Rhaef, I'm gonna beat y'up one side'n down th'other!

Being outnumbered didn't bother him.  Hell, he'd been outnumbered many times before.  But, this was a little different.  He was outnumbered and caught with his pants down.  Bad juju.

Before they left this godforesaken rock, there were gonna be a whole lot less badguys.  Well, the other badguys, anyway.  Geoff was gonna live.  And he was gonna make sure Kale, Rhaef and Wei-Li lived too!
This message was last edited by the player at 07:07, Wed 28 May 2008.

Wei-Li looked from the men to the door and back again.  She was supposed to be covering their escape but they'd somehow gotten the drop on all of them.

She kept her hands at her side, trying to think how many grenades they still had.  No, that was no good-- in this enclosed area it would hurt them just as badly as anyone else and Mexican-stand-offs only worked if you were willing to take everyone with you.

That just wasn't in her.  She bit her lip and sighed.  Sneaky wouldn't help right now... Flexible, strong and breathing might help later...

"Boss?"

Trap.

Kale felt the cool of anger filling him, anger at himself for being so foolish and diving in head first.  Of course it was a ruttin' trap.  Things never went smooth and nothing was ever what it seemed ... if Rhaef had been with them they probably wouldn't be here now.  Rhaef was the one that didn't trust the carrot when it was handed to him, despite his past Kale was always too willing to believe that there was some decency left in the 'verse.

Why hadn't he seen it coming?  It had all been faked he was sure now that he thought back, Curio's message, the waves that Connor had hacked, breaking the code - they must have known that they'd crack it.  They must have expected them to take all the actions they had and now they were here with their pants down.  This Curio that Rhaef had himself mixed up with was manipulative and smart - a bad combination to be up against.

The sound of guns clicking all around him filled his ears, followed by the cold voice.  Kale didn't listen.  He kept his pistol firmly in hand, "Well, now that just ain't a polite way ta be greetin' guests.  We got us an invitation." Kale said, buying time to turn around and get a grip on their situation.

The entire back wall was lined with men.  Muscle type, all brawns, no brain.  'Course that meant very little when you were dramatically outnumbered, there had to be at least twenty of them and they had guns to both Wei-Li and Geoff's heads.

"Ta Ma De Huhn Dahn* ..." Kale breathed.  The man that was clearly the leader stood only a few feet away from him and had his pistol trained on Kale's chest.  There was no way they were getting out of this without getting everyone shot, or worse - dead.

Wei-Li spoke then and he looked at her and shook his head.  They were going to have to let this one play out.  There was nothing they could do right now but they'd been lured here for a reason and if it was to kill them then they'd all be dead right now.

"You heard the xiong meng de kuang ren**." Kale said and dropped his pistol regretfully.

_{* mother humping son of a bitch
** violent lunatic}

With narrowed eyes, Geoff turned to look at their captors.  He moved slowly, allowing the gun in his hand to drop to the floor.  No sudden moves.  But, he didn't like it.

The sound of his grinding teeth was audible.

Wei-Li nodded slowly then shifted her grip on her pistol.  Holding in such a way that she would not be able to shoot it even if she wanted to, she slowly squated down and set it carefull on the ground.

Then with equal care she slipped out from the haversack's long strap and set it on the ground before gracefully, albiet slowly, again stood, her hands carefully placed on top of her head.

She kept her eyes downcast and said nothing.

Larry kept his pistol trained carefully on Kale as he dropped his pistol and didn't relax his guard even after the other man was unarmed.

"A wise choice, Galway, I had orders to take you in alive - no one said nothin' about these two." he said, gesturing towards the large man and then with slight surprise at the woman.  A scowl crossed his face that was now a mess of scars as he recognized her from back on Osiris.  She'd been with Rhaef when he had decided to come back from the dead and ruin Larry's life.  Hatred flashed in his eyes for a moment, he had half a mind to kill her where she stood, just because it might make him feel better.  He didn't though.  Curio's orders were to get Kale to cooperate.  Shooting his crew, although not against the rules, probably wasn't the best way to get him to listen.

Curio waited.  He had summoned for Rhaef to meet with him his personal chambers.  It was a sign of trust, no one entered Curio's personal chambers uninvited and it was very rare that anyone received an invitation.  The wheels had been set in motion and by the end of the day Rhaef would be his once more ... or he would be dead.  Something that Curio wished to avoid if at all possible.

He sat at his desk, staring at the door ... waiting ...

Rhaef fought the urge to slink into the office, that was the old Rhaef, the monster who'd been let of his cage. There was not much left of the man or beast at this point, Curio and his thugs had seen to that. Yet, what was left was going to go out fighting, come hell or gorram high water. His life for hers was the mantra he'd whispered under his breath the whole walk to Curio's office.

He entered the room, standing as straight as he could a broken form, but not a beaten man. He walked over to Curio's desk and brazenly took a cigarette from the box on the desk and lit it. Through intense concentration he was able to  make sure his hands did not shake as he did this.

Standing, "What do you want Curio? My decision remains the same, kill me or let me go 'cause I ain't gonna your errand boy ever again."

"Hello to you too." Curio said with a wry smile as Rhaef entered the room, all ready for a fight.  He placed his arms on the desk, the fingertips of each hand meeting.  He let out a heavy sigh.

"I didn't invite you here to fight however, I invited you to - to tell you that you're right.  I cannot make you stay here.  I had hoped that you would wish to return, that I would have my right hand back.  But I see that your heart is no longer in it." he stood up and walked around the desk, to speak to Rhaef as an equal, "I called for Destiny.  The ship you had been traveling on.  They should be arriving soon.  You may not believe it, but I only want the best for you and if that means letting you go once more ... well I've made it so far without you, I think I can manage.  You'll be missed, but I'd rather see you doing what you want with your life."

He smiled, it was sincere, but Rhaef could tell that it was hard for him to do.  That it was hard for Curio to let Rhaef go.

Rhaef looked at Curio, slightly cross-eyed, his ears did not believe what he was hearing from his boss, and despite the sincerity of his smile, Rhaef reminded himself he knew better. This was the man who had faked his own death and left him to hold the bag.

He looked at Curio plainly, "What's the catch, Curio? Both of us know better than to believe there isn't a catch."

Curio shook his head and chuckled mildly, "It appears I taught you too well." he said, "Always wary ... even with me." he looked down, "I made a mess of things, didn't I?  There was a time when you would have trusted me without such questions and accusations."

"No catch." he said, folding his hands together, "Your Captain Galway should be arriving as we speak.  You will meet with him when he does ... and make your choice."

Kale, Geoff, and Wei-Li had been disarmed and their comm links removed.  At one point as they were led down the twisting and turning tunnels of the Curio's lair the comm came to life and Dake's voice was heard.  Larry glanced angrily at the group and turned the comm off.

Eventually they were led into a small holding room where they were ordered to take seats on a bench positions against the wall.  The guards did not stop aiming their pistols at them, even for a second.

Wei-Li kept her head down, trying to avoid the guard's attention or in this case Larry.  She had felt a cold chill wash through her when she recognized him and she was fairly certain he recognized her.

Time had not been kind to the man, though from what she knew of him-- he was not a kind man to begin with.  She had no doubt that he would love for any of them, especially her, to make one twitch the wrong way.

She bit her lip and remained silent simply doing as she was told.  The fact that they had not relented in their watch told her that something was imminent.  That was enough for now.

Larry stopped once they reached the holding room and let his men make the crew sit on the bench against the wall.  He let a few long moments pass in silence before turning around to face the so-called Captain.  He purposefully kept his gaze away from the woman, he'd deal with her later, Curio would be very interested to see what he'd found.

"You came here for Rhaef Sorandash," the name was said as a growl of disgust and Larry spit at the ground.  There was no one in the 'verse he loathed more then that man.  And he cringed thinking that this whole plan was to get Rhaef to stay, here, where Larry would have to see him everyday.  Somehow he would make him pay.  But now he had his orders.

"And you will be allowed to see him." he let that register for a second, knowing it would come as a surprise, "Rhaef has been ... uncooperative.  Curio wishes to remedy that.  His belief is that Rhaef wishes to return to your ship - this is not going to happen," his eyes moved to Kale as he added, "And you are going to make sure of that."

He lifted his hand and the guards moved in on Wei-Li and Geoff, pistols to their temples, "There are men arriving at your ship as we speak.  If you do not manage to convince Rhaef that there is no way in hell you are going to let him come back to your ship - you're crew dies and your ship is destroyed." Larry smiled, enjoying the impact his words had.

Kale's mind was racing as they led them down the corridors to the holding room.  He had to figure a way out of this.  The man had to slip up sometime and then he'd make his move ... as soon as he came up with a move ...

Problem was, they never slipped up.  Not once did the men lower their pistols from where they were trained on him, Geoff and Wei-Li.  Goons weren't usually so well-trained.  He looked from one man to the next.  Maybe they weren't goons.  Each man carried himself as though he really knew what he was doing.  Their stance and the way they each held their gun reminded him vaguely of Rhaef.  An image of an army of Rhaef's filled his head and he couldn't help but think they were screwed.

Then Larry spoke and his mask of stubbornness turned to a look of surprise.  They were going to let him see Rhaef ... why?  He said nothing and let the man continue on, waiting for the catch.  And boy what a catch.

He rose quickly to his feet when both Geoff and Wei-Li were snatched up and pistols pressed to their temples, he stopped himself from doing something stupid however.  He would not risk his crew.  His eyes narrowed as he looked at the man in front of him. They were blackmailing him ... and there was nothing he could do about it.

He tried to reason out what was going on, it was certainly the oddest trap he'd ever found himself in.  Who the hell was Curio and what did he want with Rhaef?

"Why all of this?  What do you want with Rhaef?" Kale asked, he needed to get a hold of what the situation was.

"Me?" Larry let out a harsh laugh, "I want nothing to do with him.  But Curio has his reasons and they're none of your business.  Just do as you're told like a good little boy and no one will get hurt."

Geoff accompanied his guard without complaint.  He sat, rose and tollerated the additional threat as if they were his idea in the first place.  There would be a chance.  He knew it.

Listening to Ducket, he allowed the corner of his mouth to quirk upward just a bit, and only very briefly.  After Kale's reply, a look of shock and anger flickered in Geoff's eyes.  He turned his head to look a Kale, balling his fists.

"Wait a sec.  You just said we was gettin' him outta here.  You didn't say nuthin' 'bout him rejoinin' the crew." betrayal flickered through his eyes, replaced by more intense anger.  "That sonofabitch ain't comin' back.  He ain't gettin' my job!"

With a glare, Geoff made a move toward Kale, as if he were going to throw a punch.  "It ain't goin' down the way it did on Whitefall, Captain."

Geoff's voice was heavy with accusation.

Kale was caught completely off-guard by Geoff's outburst, his full attention had been directed at the man who was the leader of the group and so he hadn't noticed anything Geoff was doing until he was suddenly moving towards him fixin' to punch someone.

"What the gorram hell -" Kale moved back, away from Geoff, trying to figure out what had gotten into the other man.  He knew that he and Rhaef hadn't been exactly best friends but this ... this didn't make any sense - which made perfect sense ...

Kale set his face to anger as well, the guards were all slightly taking aback and looking at one another and the lead guy to know what to do - Kale jumped on the opportunity, "Yer right, it ain't goin' down like it did on Whitefall 'cause this time I ain't gonna keep you on.  We get Rhaef back an' yer gone!"

Kale was making eye contact now, they were going to have one shot at this and they had to act fast before the men got a grip on the situation.  He had backed them up only a few feet from the guard closest to Wei-Li who was no longer focusing on the girl but them, if they could get his pistol ...

Wei-Li backed away slightly, as if shocked by the confrontation.  It didn't make sense.  She swallowed as everything became crystal clear.  Her guard was focused on them.

On them.  Suddenly it all made sense, and in that clarity she looked for an opening.

One chance.  It was all they had, but it was something she had no intention of losing.

For a minute he wasn't sure it was going to work, but then he saw the flicker of understanding, followed by blatant anger.  He'd known Kale long enough to know the man almost never showed anger in his eyes; especially not when he was truly angry.  Good.

They only had one chance at this.  One wrong move and not only Wei-Li would be compromised, but so would Lei.  He may have failed them too many times to count - especially lately - but he would not fail them now!

Failure is not an option!

Geoff curled his right hand into a huge fist, drawing back even as he advanced on Kale.  The punch would have to look real.  As soon as Kale gave the signal, he'd punch, spin and do his damnedest to grab the nearest weapon he could; even if that weapon was one of the badguys.

"You've been playin' me, dragin' me 'long just so's you could get yer precious Rhaef back!  No one plays me.  No one!"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:44, Mon 02 June 2008.

"Well, then the time fer playin's done." Kale said, a slight nod of the head was all Geoff had by way of signal but Kale was sure it would be enough.

When Geoff threw the punch Kale dodged it just seconds before it landed home and spun around, swinging his own fist back and connecting with the jaw of the guard closest to Wei-Li, the man stumbled back towards the girl.

"Wei, his gun!" Kale shouted and held a hand out to catch the pistol, Wei-Li was better at relieving people of their belongings then him anyway.

Larry's eyes flashed in anger as the men began fighting his guards.  He'd been taken off-guard by the Captain and the big one when they had started fighting each other, not exactly something he had been expecting.  He should have known it was a ruse.

Larry started to go for Kale but one of his own men got in his way as he tried to react as well, heading towards Geoff however, "Out of my way!  Keep a hold of your weapons!" he shouted at the guards.  This was not going according to plan.

As Geoff and Kale drew attention to themselves with the threat of impending violence towards one another, Wei-li cringed away.  It was a natural reaction, especially given her size.

Growing up on Paquin as she had, her youth had been spent either picking pockets or avoiding having them picked and it put her in good stead here.  She knew to focus not on her target, but on what she wanted them to see.  In this case, she wanted them to look at the fight while she moved "her own safety", but when the time came she moved without thinking.

Acrobatics was all about timing and it was something that was ingrained.  The grab and toss were one graceful movement followed by a slide that propelled her into the relative protection Kale and Geoff offered.

Wei-Li easily got the mans weapon and tossed it to Kale just as Larry shouted at the men to keep a hold of their weapons.  Geoff however was not as lucky.  The guards closest to him heard Larry's words and twisted away from Geoff, keeping a firm grip on his pistol ... of course this hardly mattered, if Geoff couldn't get the weapon - then he'd grab the guy.

The guard wasn't expecting Geoff to keep advancing after he'd twisted away and so was caught off-balance when Geoff grabbed his shoulders and flung him to the ground.  There were many more guards however moving in on all of them.

Kale caught the gun as Wei-Li tossed it towards him. Good girl, he thought, thankful that Wei-Li had been able to retrieve the weapon.  He looked up to see Geoff's guard fly to the ground and notice the other guards that were swiftly moving in.

He grabbed the nearest man with one arm and pressed the pistol Wei-Li had tossed him against the mans head, "Tell yer men to stand down or I shoot!  Tell them now!" Kale stared intently at Larry, waiting for him to give the command, his mind racing, trying to decide what next.

Larry didn't hesitate even a second.  He raised his pistol and shot the man that Kale was holding hostage right between the eyes.  The man barely had a chance to widen his eyes in surprise before he was slumping to the floor.

"Drop the weapon, Galway, and tell your crew to play nice." Larry said coldly, pointing his gun directly at Kale now.  With the recent demonstration of his excellent aim there was no doubt in anyones mind that he wasn't going to miss.

"Funny thing about taking a hostage ... they're only useful if somebody cares whether they live or die.  Now you know how much I care, but I'm willing to bet my life that you don't share my attitude." he motioned for one of his men to grab and toss her towards him.  He grabbed onto her easily and held the pistol to her head, "It's what makes this so much more effective." he raised an eyebrow at both men, daring them to make a move.

The abruptness and finality of Larry's reaction left Wei-Li stunned. There were a lot of things she could have predicted, and given enough time she might have seen it coming, but she, like Kale, believed that there was still good in people.  In their defense, it was true most of the time-- but Larry had already proven himself an exception to that rule.

The stun didn't last long, but it had been enough. She did her best to avoid being used against the others but there really wasn't anywhere to go and being the smallest of the three of them, she was the most obvious choice.

She could feel her knees buckling under her as her acrobatic's training kicked in.  The hardest thing to hold onto was a dead weight.  She doubted it would help, but she simply did nothing to fight it.

Geoff didn't much care that the bandito held on to his gun.  It wasn't so much the gun he wanted as the opportunity to express a little personal flare.  This room was too abysmally decorated.  A few bent and broken guards scattered around would add delightfully to the ambience.

There was something so wonderfully satisfying about the sound of someone's air being forcefully evicted from their lungs; especially when such an occurance was preceeded by a large, somewhat-gnarled fist taking up temporary residence in someone's unsuspecting gut.  The vocal "oof" was often pleasurable as well.

There was commotion behind him, but Geoff wasn't all that certain what was going on.  To be frank, he wasn't thinking much about Kale at the moment.  He was concentrating more on bowling over the four guards that had grouped together.  This was mayhem; riot; good, old-fashioned brawling.  He was so in his element.

Fully committed to his attack, even as the leader eliminated the guess work by offing his own minion and taking Wei-Li as a hostage again, Geoff simply couldn't stop himself.  It's kind of hard to stop a frieght train when it's barrelling down on you.  Whether or not he got slammed by the mountain, he was going to make certain that he did as much damage to the mountain as possible!  He actually registered the gun shot a few seconds after the minion received it and hoped, at least subconsciously, that he hadn't just been shot in the back.

It took a moment for Kale to register what had just happened and so he was left still holding up the dead man for a few moments before he finally let him drop to the floor.  The leader had just shot his own man ... Kale hadn't expected that.  Who the hell were these people?  Rhaef had said that he had a shady past and Kale knew that to some degree that haunted him - the reality of it all was setting in now though.  This was a bad place and these were not good people.  Even in war there had been more honor then this.

He dropped the gun he'd only recently required when the leader grabbed Wei-Li, because the man was right.  He did care whether his crew lived or died, he cared a whole lot.  Of course he could have done without the leaders smug grin.

He heard a growl from his left then and turned to see Geoff hadn't done the same, he was barreling full-force into a group of four guards, "Geoff, no!" Kale shouted at his hired gun but he could tell it was too late.

Whether or not Geoff heard Kale's shout it was entirely too late to stop now, his momentum was carrying him straight into the wall of guards and there was no turning back.  He hit them like a ton of bricks, two of the men fell to the ground from the force of the blow with painful cries accompanying their fall.

The other two managed to stay on their feet, one just barely though.  The other, however, had side-stepped Geoff's attack almost completely and wasted no time in bring up the heavy metal baton he was holding and cracking it down on Geoff's head while he was still off-balance from his attack.

The blow was hard enough to kill most men - fortunately Geoff was a lot tougher then most men ... but not tough enough to hold on to consciousness for more the a few seconds before dropping to the floor.

"NO!" Kale shouted as he watched Geoff crumple to the ground, hoping against hope that the blow hadn't killed him.  He turned to look at Larry, danger and anger flashing in his eyes, "If he's dead yer not gonna make it til the end of the day." Kale said through gritted teeth.  He wanted to run over there but Larry still had Wei-Li and the only thing worse then losing one crew member was losing two.

Larry watched the scene unfold with detached interest.  When the large man crumpled to the ground he motioned for his man to check him, when the guy shook his head Larry turned back to Kale.

"Don't be over dramatic, Galway - he's not dead." Larry said, "That blow to the head saved this little ladies life though." Larry grabbed onto Wei-Li twisting her arm back far more painfully then was necessary, a form of repressed aggression against the woman, "We'll let the blow be punishment enough, agreed?"

He turned to his men then, "Bind the big man, tightly.  And this one as well." he said, handing Wei-Li over to one of the other men, "Galway, you're coming with me.  Remember the rules, you convince Rhaef to stay here and you three, and those on your ship go free - Curio's word." Larry grinned sinisterly, "It shouldn't be too hard, I'm sure your more then happy to have Rhaef off your hands now that you've met his family."

Rhaef had been led to a small room, it looked no different then most rooms here in Curio's lair.  Stone walls and floor, a shelf sat against one of the side walls with books and various knick-knacks on it.  In the center there was a simple wooden table with two chairs sitting opposite each other.

There were two entrances.  One which Rhaef had entered through and one on the opposite wall.  Larry had said goodbye to Rhaef and had one of his men show him here and now he had been waiting for around fifteen minutes for Kale to show up like Curio had said he would.

Rhaef had pocketed the cigarettes from Curio's office and was smoking heavily, lighting one cigarette from the next, waiting and pacing. He knew Curio was up to something, they would not have let him live, if they were going to let him go. There were too many people who would risked their own lives for him to be found dead, if Curio were truly serious.

So he forced himself to ponder the game that his former master was playing.

Kale was lead in silence through the twisting corridors of Curio's lair, glowering angrily at Larry the entire way.  This entire situation was a complete mess, they came here to rescue Rhaef and instead Kale had his entire crew held hostage by heartless lunatics and he might very well not be getting Rhaef back anyway.  And truth be told Kale was more then a little nervous.  He'd always known Rhaef's past was not a pleasant one ... but this.  It was hard to believe that these were the men that Rhaef had been a part of, men like Larry ... his family ...

Kale was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't realize when Larry came to an abrupt stop and almost ran into him, "We here?" he asked.

"The door is down that hall," Larry said, pointing down an adjacent hallway, it was about ten feet long with no turn offs, no where to go but through the door at the end of it, "Remember the deal, you make Rhaef believe that he has no place back on your crew ... we'll be watching, one wrong move and your crew dies." Larry said haughtily and then motioned with his arm for Kale to proceed down the hallway and through the door.

Kale scoffed, "I know the gorram deal." he said and pushed past Larry and down the hall, surprised at the butterflies building in his stomach.  Kale had never really been the best actor in the 'verse and now the life of his crew depending on his ability to convince Rhaef - perhaps the 'verse's most discerning eye - that he wanted nothing more to do with him.

He stopped outside the door for a second to gather himself before stepping inside.

The room was small, the only furniture was a bookshelf and a table in the center.  Kale wasn't looking at the furniture, he was trying to figure out how they were watching him, there were no guards in the room - there wouldn't be, they wanted Rhaef to believe that he was here of his own free will.  His gaze stopped on the bookshelf, it was full of useless things almost filling it save a few gaps here and there ... Kale was willing to bet there was a window of some sort behind it.  He casually looked away from it and to Rhaef, the rooms only other occupant.

It felt like a long time since he had seen the man - it had been a long time.  A long time since he'd just up and left, ran out on them all.  A long time since Kale had made him do just that, guilt washed over him and he repressed it.  Show time.

"Nice place." Kale said, by way of greeting, "Have to say your new buddies are real people friendly." Kale tried hard to keep his voice casual.

Rhaef winced when he saw Kale, he half had been hoping that Curio was attempting some game to convince to come back and that Kale had not brought them in to this death trap.

When he saw Kale all those thoughts left, he saw the man who had flown through hell from him and Rhaef had left them standing holding the bag. Suddenly he realized what he'd put the crew through when he left and so many of Kale's and the Professor's words rang true for the first time.

"Not everyone was lucky enough to have the Professor, or at least a man as upstanding as him to watch over their youth, Kale," Rhaef's voice was that of changed man, slightly broken, but the sarcsam and accusatory undertones were gone.

"It was not until much later in my life, that I realized that I been taken under the wing of a galatic crime boss." He said with a sigh. "Until I met you and the others, I honestly did not know anything else, and honestly I was the worst monster of the bunch."

He looked at Kale and shrugged, melancoly filling his voice, "Just once, I wished you'd have listened to my advice and not come Kale. They could have killed me, but at least Charlie, you and the others would have been okay."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:51, Wed 18 June 2008.

Kale kept his face impassive as he listened to Rhaef although the thought that Rhaef had at one time considered himself the worst monster of the bunch sent a slight chill up his spine as it finally dawned on him exactly what Rhaef was capable of.

Kale also knew that if a person wanted it, they deserved a second chance, it's what Kale had given Rhaef to begin with and now he wanted to give it to him again - but he couldn't.

Kale shook his head, "You think yer friends gave me a choice?  I'd just as well be gone.  I didn't want ta put the crew in danger to come here and talk to you after what you put them all through already.  You done hurt a lot of folk, Rhaef.  Charlie ain't been the same since, an' I keep on blamin' myself but I should really be blamin' you.  You were the one that chose to run, just abandon everyone an' everything." Kale suddenly found the words coming without being forced.  HE cared about Rhaef, but the words he spoke now were true.  Curio must have somehow known that this would happen.

You gotta convince him, Kale, convince him to save everyone else ...

"Curio insisted I come though, said you were down, said he thought I should take you back.  Take you off his hands." Kale paused and swallowed hard because this next part wasn't the truth, "I don' want you though.  I came here like he said, but I don't want ta take you back.  You made yer new bed an' now you lie in it."

Kale's words hit Rhaef like a ton of bricks, a shot to the solar plexus that hurt more than any of the beating he'd received over the past few weeks. It was that moment on the ship again.

As Kale spoke, Rhaef began to think that Kale was right, maybe he was just the monster and his best place was at Curio's side. It was not like there would not be enough booze to drown his sorrows or pretty faces to chase her memory...her...Charlie...her life for his.

Rhaef stood straight, an interesting site even for Kale, who likely had never seen Rhaef rise to his full height, like he finally had shurgged the burdens that he felt over the years off his back.

"You're right, Kale. I walked out on y'all, at a dark hour, at the first time of trouble, I ran. I became the monster that I always feared I was. And I know I hurt a ton of folks along the way." He paused and started to smile, "But now, I understand what Walton told me that night I stormed out his house."

He stood walked over to Kale, and extended hand, "Just tell Walton, that he's right, it is good to have friends like Kale Galway."

He turned to wall of knick-knacks, knowing his mentor's cameras had to be hidden. He shouted, "Gorram you, Curio. All right, you want to hear me say it, you have to look me in the eyes while I do."

He turned back to Kale, his back to the cameras,
"Thank you for coming for me. I am sorry that this happened to all of you. Hopefully, my price can buy your freedom."
He paused looked Kale in the eyes, "Swear to me, whatever else happens you'll protect Charlie."

A smile spread across his face, he wasn't the monster... turning back to await Curio, he said aloud the words that had become his mantra.

"My life for hers is fair trade."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:53, Wed 18 June 2008.

Kale felt like he was sinking as he listened to Rhaef.  He couldn't tell whether he believed his words or not ... but either way the end result was the same.  Rhaef was going to agree to stay.  And that was not what Kale wanted.  As Rhaef spoke he knew that whatever he saw, whatever has happened in Rhaef's past - it was past.  Rhaef was a changed man.

Kale listened to Rhaef's last words and thought that maybe he knew ... maybe he knew that this was all a ruse, "I'll watch out fer her, ya know I will." Kale said, "She's crew, an' I always watch out fer my crew." Kale said, looking into Rhaef's eyes, "Always."

He headed towards the door then, there was nothing more for him to do here, he needed to get back to the ship and figure out what to do next.

Rhaef nodded to Kale, "Thanks, Cap." He paused again, "Be careful out there Kale, whatever Curio promised you expect to have more strings than a marionette."

Kale nodded and then he was gone.  When he emerged back out into the hallway there were two men waiting for him at the end, neither of them was Larry.  Figured, they were done with him now, no use sending one of their lead men.

"Alrigh' I did what you done told me to, let me an' my crew go."

"You're crew has already been brought back to your ship, we're here to escort you back as well." one of the men said.

Kale quirked a brow, wondering whether to trust them or not, knowing he didn't really have a choice, "Well then lead on." he said and followed them down the corridors to his ship.

[To Destiny: Cargo Bay]

Wei-Li watched as almost all of the men struggled to lift Geoff and carry him out the door, it was obviously a hard task which gave her at least some small measure of satisfaction.  Geoff was dificult to deal with, even when unconcious - go figure.

Wei-Li's arms were tightly tied behind her back and Larry now held on to them painfully tight.

"Ya didn' think I wouldn't recognize you, did ya?  Realized you were Rhaef's girl the second I laid eyes on you.  Curio's ploy with Kale may work, but guys like Rhaef always turn ta putty when you bring their girl into it."

Larry was pleased with himself, this was the type of thing that would really swing things in his direction.  Curio needed him, he needed him because he knew things, and he could think on his feet.  He knew the games Curio played and holding the girl hostage would be just the sort of thing Curio would go for.

"Come on." he said, tugging her arms and beginning to lead her out a different door from where they were taking Geoff and down one of the narrow corridors.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:52, Thu 05 June 2008.

Wei-li winced both from the way he manhandled her and the venom in his voice.  She tried to keep the same front she hand when Rhaef had relied on the hand to get them out of the situation they were in but it was hard.

Again she kept her head down as she tried to track where they were taking her in relation to Geoff.  No, things were not good, not at all.

She debated about saying something, but as long as Larry still thought she was 'Rhaef's girl' Charlie would be safe.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:09, Thu 05 June 2008.

Once the meeting with Kale had ended Rhaef was free to let himself out.  The men who had shown him to the room were still standing outside right where he had left them like good little minions.  There was no way to be sure whether Curio had been listening in or not but either way he was probably the man that Rhaef needed to see now.

Rhaef walked out into the compound, to the uninitiated it would be a maze of tunnels and dead ends, some figuratively and others quite literally. Yet Rhaef had seen enough of it to know that Curio had modeled it on the last hideout, and the floorplan of that place had been burned into his mind like the tatoos had been etched on his hands.

One of the good little minions handed him a gun when Rhaef asked for it. He was surprised at how good it felt to have a side arm again. He knew what was coming next was the most dangerous part of his scheme. He needed to ensure that Curio cut the cords holding Destiny here and they were safely gone before he told Curio what the truth of the game really was.

He shook his head, but could not shake the thought, How would Kale get out of this?

He shurgged, and slowly walked toward Curio's office.

Curio sat at his desk, a few papers now littered the surface and it was from one of these that he looked up in surprise from when Rhaef entered his office, ignoring the guards words that he was not allowed to go in there.

"Rhaef?" Curio arched a brow, "I thought you'd be on your way by now, did you decide not to leave after all?"

His face was mostly unreadable as though he were trying hard not to get his hopes up.

"What in the gorram hell did you do, Curio?"

Rhaef said with an even, cold voice that belied the anger behind it. It was a voice that Rhaef had learned mimicing his "father" before someone who crossed the Hand was to be "removed."

"Why couldn't you just kill me? Why did you have to involve the only family I ever really had?" He paused, seething with anger.

"Those were good people you trapped, and played them like they were toys, and you expect me to actually trust you to let them go, if I say I'll work for you again." He winced, knowing the next piece would be the best acting he'd ever done, but if it worked, he could make sure the others were free, and then he'd deal with the consequences of his actions.

He closed his eyes briefly and thought of Charlie, his life for hers, he thought reminding himself of his mantra.

"You win, Curio," he said with a sigh, "you give me your word that Kale and his crew go free and promise not to bother them again, and I'll come back and work for you."

With that, Rhaef collapsed back into his chair, and pulled a pack of cigarettes that he'd lifted off one of the guards, and lit one.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:49, Tue 17 June 2008.

Curio's face was unreadable for a few moments.  He should have known that Rhaef would catch on.  It was the very reason why he wanted him back.  Regardless of whether or not Rhaef had believed Kale's words the end result appeared to be the same.  He was agreeing to stay.

Curio shook his head, a look of sympathy crossing his face on the off-chance that Rhaef was bluffing and didn't really know whether or not Curio was behind the whole thing, "I don't know what you're talking about, Rhaef.  They were invited here as my guests - not trapped.  I invited them here for you.  But if you choose not to go with them and stay here I will not argue the point ... it is what I desired all along.  You belong here, Rhaef.  Perhaps you do not see me as family but I have always loved you as a son."

He placed a hand on Rhaef's shoulder for a moment and smiled slightly, "Kale and his crew will of course be free to leave.  I have no business with them."

There was a shout from one of Curio's guards before Larry came barging into the room with Wei-Li held in his grasp.  Her hands were still tied and there were red marks on her arms from where Larry had been dragging her through the corridors.

Larry pushed her slightly in front of him, still not letting go.  His gaze briefly passed over Rhaef, a look of pure hatred flashing in his eyes for a moment and perhaps a bit of contentment.  Larry had not agreed with Curio that there was a need to bring Rhaef back into the fold but the deal that Larry was allowed to torture the hun dun until the time was right softened the blow, if only a little.  In Larry's opinion a few weeks of torture wasn't nearly enough.  Not after what he had been through after Rhaef left him for dead on Osiris.

He dismissed Rhaef for the moment however and turned to Curio, "Your men made a mistake, Curio.  This is the woman that Rhaef was with - she was on his arm when he visited me on Osiris." he scowled at Rhaef, "Your attempts to protect her failed because I know the truth." Larry couldn't hide the hatred and disgust in his voice, "Bet you didn't expect to see me again, not after you left me for dead."

Wei-Li hated being manhandled almost as much as she hated being used, but she listened to what the man said, trying to get as much information as she could.  She tried not to look at Rhaef, or anyone but it was hard.

Build something on a house of cards and it is going to come falling down, this she knew more than anything in life.  The rest was all a question of timing.  She knew she had to be ready for anything, but how could she be ready for any of this?

And what did he mean "Your man was wrong... this is the one... "

Things really did not look good for the home team, or were they the visiting team?  She didn't really know any more.

Rhaef was shocked to see Wei in the room with them and immediately all the dread he had felt on Osiris washed back over him, and worse still was the gnawing fear when Larry said this was his girl.

Did that mean Curio knew about Charlie?

He did not even bother acknowledging Larry. "Funny Curio, I believe I just heard you saying Kale and the crew of Destiny were free to leave if I joined you, and yet this gutter trash you call an assoicate brought them right back in."

He cracked the bones in his neck as he twisted his body, "Tell me again, why I should trust you?"

No anger crossed Curio's face but his eyes grew cold and his face hard.  It was far more frightening then if he had shouted ... it was far more deadly.  There could be know mistaking the fact that Larry had made a mistake and a very serious one.

"I asked you to escort the young lady back to her ship." Curio said, his voice quiet and icy, "Did you think that order was disputable?" he raised an eyebrow, daring Larry to try and explain himself.  Wisely Larry stayed silent.

"Take her back to her ship." there was an unspoken "fool" at the end of that sentence that only a deaf man could have missed. His anger ran like ice through his veins.  Larry was a fool, worse then a fool which was why he needed Rhaef back.  Did he honestly believe that Curio had not done his homework, that he did not know Rhaef like his own mind.  He knew which strings to pull and now Larry may have compromised everything.

He turned to face Rhaef and noticed with a pang of sadness the distrust in the other mans eyes.  There was going to be no friendly compromise now, Larry had ruined that small chance.  He would deal with him later.  For now it was time to bring out the big guns.

"I'm sorry." he said to Rhaef and made a small waving motion with his hand.  Two of his men stepped into the room, the small figure of a woman with dark hair and grease covered coveralls slumped between them, just barely regaining consciousness.

"Larry has pushed my hand.  You see, whether you trust me or not is irrelevant.  Either you stay, or unfortunately she must die.  It's not really a difficult choice Rhaef, your loyalty in exchange for the woman you love."

With his last words he shot a look at Larry and then turned back to Rhaef.  He had been there that night on Osiris, in the shadows and out of sight.  He had seen the way Rhaef and this young woman had embraced on the docks.  It did not take a genius to know that she meant a great deal to him.  Hopefully enough to make him stay.

Her world was a series of colours, blues and grays swirling about with yellow dots dancing around the edges.  Her nose felt wet, and she couldn't force most of her muscles to cooperate with any of her commands.  There's...something under the ship...something that...something broadcasting.  The thoughts slowly swirled in and out of the corners of her mind, and she couldn't tell up from down.  She'd been drugged before, and in some portion of her mind she knew that, but it was information that just couldn't make it's way to the front.

"Mmm..."  She tried to speak out, but couldn't get her throat to cooperate with her mouth.  It was dry, and felt swollen from the inside.  "H-hey...Ah...Ah'm..."

Wei-Li felt a cold chill run through her at the sound of Curio's voice.  The lack of emotion, the anger behind his eyes, and Charlie.

She could feel her stomach knot.  He said the crew could go free, but Charlie was crew, more than she could ever be.  She tensed but let her face shift into the performer's mask she wore so well.

'Paquin Trash' someone had called her, and that was the role she assumed now.  She was a performer in a show, a con-woman on the clock-- at stake, all their lives.  There was no way Kale could stand for this, and she knew it.

She was also fairly certain that Curio knew that but panicking would only get her dead that much sooner.

Her head shot up, seeking out Rhaef's eyes hoping he could tell her something-- anything that would help them in this deadly game of cat and mouse.

Rhaef froze when he saw and heard Charlie, everything had gone wrong. Every step and hand played to keep her out of this. Rhaef cursed Kale for bringing her here, Curio for taking her, but mostly himself for thinking he could outwit his former master when his mind was clouded and broken.

"Gorram you, Curio." He shouted, there was not cold edge, just the burning hot anger that filled his voice. "You really think that I can trust you after you threaten the woman I love. Her life means more to me than mine, Curio."

This was the trap he'd expected, the game he knew they'd play, but he could never expect the stakes to be raised so high.

"I'm sorry, Charlie." He paused, "I love you, but I cannot become the monster again, not now."

He was trapped but then he saw a gambit. It was a high stakes gamble, but so was pretty much any decision at that point. He paused and suddenly a smirk spread across his face, "Two can play that game," he said quietly.

He walked over to Larry, and held out the gun, "What'll be Larry? You going to take the chance? You know full well with me alive, you'll never get to the place you want. Hell, after you're latest mistake, you'll be lucky if Curio trusts to wash the dishes in his Catina." He smirked viciously. "I mean, an operation as simple as take a girl back to the ship, or raid a party of fops on Osiris." He grinned twisting the knife deeper, "I could have handled them in my sleep."

He looked Larry in the eyes, and set his gun down on the floor. "You'll never rise above your current station with me alive."

Now came the truly risking part.

"Now, you get those goons to let Charlie and Wei go and I'll give you what you want." He paused, "Heck, you're wearing gloves and I'm not. You pick up that gun and take out him," he craned his neck at Curio, "you get two birds with one stone. You rise to the top and look like a hero because you killed the man who killed the beloved Syndicate boss."

He looked at Larry, "All that for lives of two women, Larry. You smart enough to see the profit in that deal."

Larry didn't even hesitate.  A wiser man might have thought about the decision that he was about to make but Larry wanted nothing more then Rhaef dead.

The next few moments happened in a blur.  Larry scooped up the gun Rhaef had laid at his feet in one swift motion and quickly fired at both Rhaef and Curio, his aim deadly ... only one gun shot went off however ...

Larry dropped to his knees the gun clattering to the floor, his eyes wide with surprise and maybe just a tinge of fear.  There was a bullet wound in his right shoulder and Curio stood a few feet away with the smoking pistol.

Curio sighed heavily and shook his head, making a clicking sound with his tongue, "Ah Larry ... that was a mistake." Curio said quietly, "Did you honestly believe that I would give Rhaef, the Black Hand, a functioning gun?  If he had wanted we could all be dead right now if I had.  Interesting development however, don't you think?"

Curio smiled, it was a dangerous smile.

He turned to Rhaef then, "That was a cunning move, I didn't expect that." it was about the highest compliment Curio was capable of giving, he prided himself on knowing people, on anticipating their every move, "But you underestimated me."

"Now I'll even through in a bonus to my offer - you can take out Larry for me." he laughed as Larry made a small sputtering sound of protest on the ground, "This really is shaping up nicely." it was clear that Curio was enjoying himself.  The mirth was gone from his voice when he looked at Rhaef once more however, "Kill Larry and stay and the girl runs free as a bird." he watched Rhaef intently, "You know you want to and you have every right ... it was Larry that had you the past few weeks.  Larry who tortured you all those long hours.  You remember the pain, you don't forget that, not ever.  It was his idea even.  But torture wasn't enough for the poor lummox ... he wanted you dead too.  He didn't hesitate - neither should you.  Come, Rhaef, lets be done with this.  Come home."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:16, Mon 23 June 2008.

Wei-Li wasn't entirely surprised when Larry pushed her to the side to take the gun.  He'd been pulling and pushing her all the way to the office and she'd gotten used to the degree of control he liked to exert over her.

The push was in character but letting go had not been.  She stumbled, using the momentum to roll away from him.  If there was one thing she knew about Larry was he'd have no problem using her as a shield.  Her only option was to not be there.  She rolled then pushed herself up against a wall as quickly as she could.

It wasn't easy with her wrists tied so tightly behind her.  She didn't wince or flinch when she heard the shot.  She forced herself to keep her eyes open and scan the room.  She had to be aware and ready for anything.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:32, Mon 23 June 2008.

Rhaef nodded, the gambit had failed but it had flustered Curio and that meant there was still a chance.

"Well played, Curio. I should have expected more," he paused, "yet you always did underestimate me."

He looke back to Charlie, the pain evident in his eyes and voice, "Charlie, I love you ... but I cannot kill again. Not for him...if I do I'll never be free of the Beast I was."

He turned back to Curio, "if you truly did see me as your son, like you claim, you owe me this." He sighed, "I cannot kill, and I won't Curio. I am not the Black Hand. I am simply Rhaef Sorandash, nothing more, nothing less." He looked at Curio honestly, "You can kill me Curio, I do not begrudge you that. But, 'Father,' you owe me their lives, consider it a debt of services owed."

He answered coldly, "Understand, I will not kill for you, Curio." He paused and added, "And if you truly try to hurt Charlie, none of us will walk out of the room."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:32, Mon 23 June 2008.

Curio raised a brow, "You'll not kill, hmm?  Not even him after what he has done." Curio's expression was bemused, "Rhaef, I fear it is far too late for men like you and I to repent our sins.  Sparing Larry's life now will change nothing of who you are."

He looked about the room from one man to the other, his gaze rested on Wei-Li for a moment and he motioned to his men, "Take her back to her ship - this one may join her if Rhaef cooperates." he said referring to Charlie.

He waited a moment for Wei-Li to be gone before continuing, "I let her go, I will let this one free too if you do as I ask, be rid of Larry, I can't have you harboring illusions that you have somehow become a 'good' person, you'd be useless to me.  You will be the Black Hand once more or you will die - and she will join you."

It was not what Curio wanted, in a perfect world Rhaef would willingly return.  But the world was far from perfect and if Curio could not have Rhaef as an ally he had no intention of leaving him alive to become an enemy.

There was very little Wei-Li could do trussed up as she was.  There was a lot she wanted to do, that was sure.

She forced herself to remain calm, now was not the time.  As she was led away she gave Rhaef and Charlie a worried glance and then she was back into the labyrinth of passageways.

The moment Wei-Li was led out into the corridors the man to her right pulled a dirty piece of cloth over her eyes, tying it tightly so she could not see.  He said nothing but it was clear that Curio's lair was a secret and she was not supposed to know how to get there.

They continued on then down long corridors, turning left, then right, then left again.  The trip seemed to be an endless path of twists and turns.  Finally she felt stairs beneath her feet leading up and a few moments later she could smell the earth and feel the breeze on her cheeks and knew she was outside.

Wei-Li offered no resistance.  She needed to stay awake if she was to figure out the route.  Blindfoled was one thing, but she still had her other senses.  This was just like learning a new dance routine-- or trapese.  The timing, the strides, the turns.

She used everything she could to recognize the trail.  Sound, accoustics, scents, all the while doing her best not to be perceived as a threat.

Conscious she stood a chance of finding her way back... unconscious was something else entirely.

Once outside they walked for a few minutes before the men stopped abruptly, pulling her to a halt with them.  She heard two men speaking in low voices.  Wei-Li caught bits and pieces.

" - supposed to be taking off now, didn't say nothin' about another person -"

"She's supposed to go too -"

Eventually the men holding her won out and the familiar feel of the cargo ramp under her feet meant she was back on Destiny.

[To Destiny: Cargo Bay]

Rhaef stood this was a standoff, where he held none of the chips and all his cards were on the table. Even still, he knew if he killed Larry he would be slipping back into the monster he once was. Yet doing nothing likely not only resulted in his death, but Charlie's as well.

He sighed. Gorram you, Curio. He thought to himself. He paused, She's crew, I always take care of my crew Kale's words flooded back into his head, holding the faintest hope that they might still find a way out of this yet.

"Curio, if you want this, then give me something I want first..." This was yet another gamble, but hell at this point, Rhaef had little else left to loose, "ten minutes, alone with Charlie, to say goodbye." He paused, "And no snooping Curio..." he paused, "I mean, I'm still beat up and she's still drugged, we're not exactly in any shape to run out o'here."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:18, Wed 02 July 2008.

The drugs were wearing off quicker than they had maybe expected, although she wasn't showing it.  Charlie's body was still sort of a ragdoll in the limbs, but she was slowly concentrating ont he voices around her and picking out the conversation.  The only one she knew was Rhaef, but just that in itself was calming.  He had always taken care of her, always been there to save her...it had all been that simple not so long ago.  That's what it sounded like he was trying to do, but...did he have a plan?  Maybe he was playing it by ear, like the captain had so often done.

"Rh-...Rhaef..."  She managed to croak the word out, making it sound a little slower than she probably could let it out normally.  If Rhaef wanted them to believe that she was still drugged, she was going to have to sell it a little more.  "Ah'm....where'm...non'f, ah....wha?"

Curio eyed the man for a moment, his face as expressionless as ever.  After a few seconds he simply nodded, "You have five minutes." he said, cutting the time Rhaef requested in half.  He said nothing more as he moved from the room, and motioned his men to move with him.  It was a secure room, one way in or out.

Once Curio left he calmly told his men to keep an eye on the security camera in his office.  He would love to be able to honor Rhaef's request of no snooping but he wasn't an idiot and Rhaef had not proved himself trustworthy enough for that ... maybe someday.  Maybe someday he would truly be the Black Hand again, Curio's first, his son ...

As soon as the others left, Rhaef slid to Charlie's side. He had no reason to trust Curio, so he expected that they were likely still being watched, but it did not matter now. He just hoped he bought Kale enough time.

He reached Charlie's side in about a breath. "Charlie, I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to get caught up in this." Tears rolled down his grimy cheeks, "This is why I left to protect you because I love you, and yet it did not matter, we still ended up here."

He sat there cautiously, wanting nothing more to pull her into an embrace, but not sure what her reaction to him was going to be.

"Rhaef..."  She only muttered the word, looking at him between dark twisted strands of hair.  You left.  It's not that simple, here you are.  Nothing really changes, does it.  She let out a sigh that seemed to shake her entire body, looking back down at the floor.  "Ah've...you've...why'd all'f tha..."  She stopped herself, shaking her head a bit.  You can get it out, just take a breath.  "Ah...y'don', y'know...ya left.  Y'don' trus'tha cap'n, but'n we...we've taken care'f all'a th'problems y've come ta.  Y'think we'd not bein able t'handle wha'cha got?"

She looked back at Rhaef, biting her lower lip for a moment while she searched his eyes.  "Y'weren't s'pose ta be'n gone.  Tha's not how we'n th'cap lookin out 'fer all'n all."  She nodded, sliding a little closer to Rhaef smelling his smell again.  Her body simply missed him, the strength of his arms, the way he breathed.  They'd only ever had one intimate moment, but it was everything her dreams had told her he'd be like.  "Wha's t'happen now?  Y'gonna leave 'gain?  Are ya....a'ya gonna stay?"

Rhaef felt her pain and confusion, he hated the him who ran even more. Everything the Professor had told him was right. He tentatively reached and put an arm around her.

"I didn't know Charlie...I mean these people were...are monsters and some of them wanted me back, and the rest wanted me dead." He paused, "I never told Kale 'bout why I joined up with him in the first place, and I wasn't sure he'd want me be bringin' my kind of trouble with me, if I did."

He paused, "I was scared Charlie, I'd spent so much time livin' for myself, and watchin' out for only myself, I did not what to do when the crew..., hell, let's be honest, when you were threatened." He sighed heavily, "I guess, I thought if I ran, no one would hurt you...but what I did not realize that I could hurt you by runnin'."

He gently brushed her strands of hair of her eyes, to look for the spark, the life that had first captivated him there, "I am sorry, Charlie. I do not what else to say...other than this. If you want me back, I ain't ever leavin' again."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:30, Sat 19 July 2008.

"Ah'd just...ah lost you, n'then I lost Ren, a'tha Cap'n has'been right since'n then, an'we got'sa new pilot who ain't nice, n...ah'm jus'...ah'm all 'lone'n a'tha ship, ah'm spendin' m'days jus'....jus'here, y'know?"  The words started coming out faster as she spoke, her bottom lip shaking as the grief began to voice.  I missed you.  You left and I missed you.  It shouldn't be harder to say than that.  She lowered her head, putting the palm of a hand to her face and hiding her expression.

"Jus'...a'we gonna b'ta die here?"  She spoke roughly, choking back.  She wasn't going to lose it just yet.  They were going to come back for her, and she had no clue what was going to happen after that.  "Ah'm...ah'd never been'ta thinkin' ah'd see'ya 'gain.  Neva."  She slid in closer to him, keeping her head down and burrowing it slightly into the side of his neck.  "A'ya gonna b'ta leavin' me'gain?"

Her grief struck him as did her words, she'd lost him, then they lost Ren, new pilot, Kale wasn't right. Gorram it to hell, Sorendash, what did you do to them? They needed you and where were you, cowering in fear?

His resolve strengthened again, more than before, they were not dying here. If he had to kill everyone here to fight they're way out, they were not dying here.

He held her close and let her cry, "Charlie, I'm so sorry. I failed you. I failed Kale. I failed everyone." He paused, choked slightly up by his own words, "It will not happen again. We are not dyin' here. Our family looses no one else. I failed you once it cost y'all dearly, I won't fail you again."

He looked up, a new fire burning in his gaze, "You hear that Curio! We ain't dyin' here. I gave you a chance, old man." He paused again, "but you insisted on callin' down the thunder, well, you best get ready to deal with the storm."

He paused and continued, "You can find Redemption if you want it, I am a changed man, it just took me finding and loosing and finding my Destiny again to do it."

Even as he spoke, he thought, Gorram it, Kale, you best get here soon.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:28, Sat 19 July 2008.

"Rhaef."  She shushed him, placing a finger on the edge of his mouth.  The last thing they needed was more attention drawn to them.  "Don'.  Jus'...y'gots 'ta b'ta lettin' go.  Th'is na'tha way t'be doin' it.  We're gonna be...y'know, y'll see.  Th'cap'n all'f the other'n crew will'ta be makin' th'way outta ship'n such, a'tha com'n gettin' all'a us.  You'n me."  She managed a little smile when she said the last part, looking back into Rhaef's eyes.  Here he was...Rhaef.  In an instant, she'd forgotten how much she'd missed him, how badly she had needed him to be around her.  He was a rock in the storm, and no matter what happened...she was going to stick right here, by his side.

"Y'gonna take care'f us.  B'for now, jus'...y'gotta wait.  Cap'n'll be here'n all, a'then we'll go."  She ran a hand through the hair at the back of his head, giving him a nod, convinving herself more than him.  "I's all gonna be'kay."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:56, Tue 12 Aug 2008.

Rhaef listened to Charlie, knowing that both the message and the damage of his outburst would be done. Yet it did not change it, he would fight their way out, or give his every last breath to make sure Charlie didn't have to give hers here.

He held out the same hope for the others to come, but his mind also said to prepare for the worst. This was Curio's office, and there was no way he did not have a gun in here even if he was coming, and knowing his former boss, a gun was many guns, and it was not likely he cleaned them all out in time. The trick was finding what was left in the time they had.

Luckily, Rhaef had helped design the first office and this one bore an eery resemble that first office that he knew.

Charlie tried to calm herself as she sat next to Rhaef, trying to clear her head as she listened to the steady beating of his heart.  It was clockwork, like a drum as it hit...you could set a watch to it.  It was soothing, a low thud that didn't race as the prospect of their deaths loomed overhead.  Someone is going to die before the day is out...how does it not bother you?  She had been upset by how he referred to himself as "a monster," as she'd known plenty of people who hadn't given a damn about sticking a knife in someone.  But this...is this what he meant?  Did he simply feel nothing?  Are you a monster because you don't care, Rhaef?  She tried to shake the thought out of her head, moving against his skin and holding back her trembling lip.  Don't you worry that they won't know?  Your friends...your family?  Don't you have family?  Oh god, who would tell mine?

Charlie sat up a bit, rubbing one of her eyes with the back of a hand.  She felt like a fool in these situations...what was she supposed to do?  What can be done...what do we even have?  Rhaef was being quiet, but he wasn't the type to just sit and drovel like she had been.  No...he was trying to figure it out.  Maybe he had a plan.

"A'ight, 'kay..."  She let out a sniff, looking back at Rhaef as he observed the room.  "Ah know...ya.  Ah c'n, y'know...b'ta throw'n th'door outta th'ack, if'n y'think tha's t'be giv'n more'f time?  Y'know, if'n y'r set'n doin' som'thin."  She spoke with her best tone, although there was a little bit more light in her eyes.  She couldn't count on Kale every time.  She was here, with Rhaef...maybe it would be more helpful if the others could count on them.

Rhaef heard Charlie sniff, and even before she spoke, he had remembered that he was not alone in this, and that despite what he might be used, she wasn't. He could tell she was trying to hold it together despite being scared.

"Sorry, Charlie." He said quietly, kissing the top of her head. "I tend to go inside when I am planning," he paused and shurgged slightly, "and I can forget that ain't the most reassuring."

He looked around, guessing they had only a few minutes left before Curio and his minions returned. "Well, we're probably bein' watched, so whatever we do, we get once chance at it." He paused again, "As far as I can tell, this room only has one entrance or exit, but I cannot be sure."

He paused again, racking his brain, "This looks like Curio's old office, so that might be true, but still its kind of hard to believe he'd make the same choice twice."

He paused again, shaking out the cobwebs that came with the visions of the past, "Curio left in an hurry, so I am guessin' there's still some weapons in here. We just need to find them."

He paused, lifted her chin so their eyes met, "Are you ready for this, Charlie? It's gonna get messy, but I promise you, you will get home - even if it takes my last breath."

Rhaef moved quickly, searching the room, his eye easily falling on the most likely places for a weapon to be hidden.  Not that the locations were obvious, a man who did not have the past that Rhaef did, who did not know Curio would never have given  the places he looked a second glance.

The gun was in the second place he looked.  A secret compartment on the underside of Curio's desk, he had barely gotten his hands on it when the door burst open and six of Curio's men, followed shortly by Curio and Larry, the second man staring hatred at Rhaef as he was nearly dragged in and dismissively dropped to the floor like so much garbage.

"Rhaef, now you didn't honestly believe that I would sit by while you searched my quarters for a weapon to use against me?  You had to know that your private moment would be far from private - I'm not a fool.  If you want a weapon I offer it freely, but only if you choose to use it on this scum and I feel you have not yet come around to accepting my offer, so drop the pistol."

Curio stood, back straight, staring levelly at Rhaef.  He could not see the pistol or Rhaef's hands from where he stood on the opposite side of the desk but it was clear that Curio knew that that was where his weapon was hidden and had no doubt that Rhaef had found it there.

Rhaef did not have a chance to check the pistol before Curio and his thugs entered. He had no assurance that this one was loaded either, yet given Curio's concern in his voice and on his face, he guessed there might just be.

Rhaef moved slowly and slightly putting himself between Curio and his men, and Charlie. A smile started to spread across his lips.

"You offer a weapon freely, Father," a sarcastic laugh filled Rhaef, "come now Curio, I of all people know you offer nothing freely."

He brought the gun up, "However, this does tend to even the odds a bit, don't you think." There was no mistaking the wolfish grin on Rhaef's face now.

Larry held in a grunt as he was tossed to the ground.  Two of Curio's other men had tied his wrists while then had been outside so he had no choice but to take the full impact on his knees, but he was not going to allow the Sorandash scum to see his discomfort - or Curio for that matter.  The men who had bound him had grinned as they did so.  Men who would have jumped if he said 'boo' just twenty minutes ago.

Larry glared hatred at Rhaef.  He wanted to tell Curio to give him the damn pistol, he wouldn't hesitate to shoot.  He couldn't understand what Curio saw in Sorandash.  He was weak, and stupid.  Curio was offering him the world as his playground and he wasn't man enough to step up and take it.

Instead he was threatening Curio, threatening him.

"Give me a pistol.  He's not going to do it, but I could." he said in a low voice.

Curio laughed out loud, a brief harsh laugh, but a laugh none the less when Rhaef pointed out that he offered nothing freely, "Yes, I suppose you are right." he glanced at Larry, "You could learn from him." he added.

As Rhaef raised his pistol the dozen men around him all tensed, their guns raised and ready.  One man thinking that he could earn Curio's favor by taking Rhaef out could have ended it all right then.  But luckily none of them were stupid enough to act without express permission.

Curio raised a hand to still them.  No one lowered their gun, but they weren't firing either.  He also shot a glare at Larry as he spoke up, not dignifying the mans words with a response.

Instead he focused on Rhaef, "You've grown cockier then I remember." he said, and it wasn't entirely clear if he approved or not, "You believe the odds are even now?  You with a pistol against ten of my finest trained men with me in tow and you having to protect the little lady?"

Rhaef smiled, "Your ten best men, Curio. Or the ten you have available." He paused again, "On Osiris, I walked into the heart of your operations, more severely injured than I am now, with an injured comrade, and walked out without a scratch, a new identity in the eyes of the world, and a prize more calcuable than even you knew."

He shurgged, "Isn't that right, Larry?"   He looked over the men, tensed with their guns, a Paquin standoff if he ever saw one. "Yet, Curio, tell me something, if they were so good, if one of them even was, you would have replaced me by now, groomed a new Black Hand, and you haven't...that tells me what I need to know."

He spoke quietly, "Charlie, this'd be a good time to duck and cover."

Charlie stood by Rhaef's side, still and silent as the two spoke.  It was any moment that things could explode, as she was well aware of the volatile nature of the situation; these men were killers, and that's what they did on a professional level.  Kill.  Not the type that you would want to fight if you had to, and if it came to it...she would have to rely on Rhaef.

So when he said to take cover, there wasn't much hesitation.  Charlie moved down slowly where she was, sliding behind the des, not making any sudden movements.  The last thing she wanted to do was to trigger the men's gunfire via her own actions.

Rhaef was fast, but the blur of movement on the opposite of the room put Rhaef's speed to shame - it was obvious that Curio was his mentor.  In a second he had a pistol in his hand and aimed at Charlie, "Actually, Charlie, now is not that great of a time."

His eyes turned to Rhaef then and there was hardness there.  A dramatic switch from the bemused expression those eyes held before.  Everyone in the room was reminded once again how dangerous of a man Curio actually was.

"You did not walk in and out as easily as you thought.  Do you think you would be here now if you hadn't shown up on Osiris?  Do you honestly believe I did not learn everything I needed to know that night?  You painted a target on yourself the size of a small moon the day you showed up there, it was a stupid move - not all of those men were mine, many of them were traitorous fools that went crawling back to the old heads of the Burnt Hand with news of your arrival.  Your presence alerted every enemy you had and I protected you then.  I had your ship tracked so I could keep a better eye. I had the profiles of you and your crew uploaded so I could be sure there were no traitors in your midst.  I scared off or eliminated your enemies.  That new identity ... it was my gift to you.  I coddled you like a petulant child and this is what I get in return?  Scorn?  Illusions of grandeur?  You are but an infant still.  I should punish you like an infant.  Perhaps take away your favorite toy?" Curio gestured towards Charlie with his gun, "She doesn't strike me as your type, too ... dirty."

Rhaef bite back the emotion and bile that filled his mouth, Curio was attempting to make him make a mistake. His gun turned as quick to Curio at great speed. "Perhaps you did Curio, but unlike you, my family risked their lives for me, even after I did not deserve it."

He oberseved the man coldly, "Charlie is not a toy, Curio, or a passing fancy." He cocked his head and considered the man, his mentor and the closest thing he'd ever had to to a father. "Yet, you would not understand, Curio. You have not known love. Love is something deeper, something that makes your world a better place for knowing it, and Charlie taught me that, and I nearly threw it all away."

Rhaef stood staring down the man, a cold blooded killer pointing a gun at the woman he loved, and felt the pang of defenselessness, he was not sure they could get out of this now.

Charlie stopped halfway when Curio had begun talking, frozen in her stance with a hand on the desk, looking over at him.  Now is not that great of a time.  The words were cold, and they seemed to make her heart stop when he spoke.  It was hard to imagine that Rhaef once mentored under him, much less wanted to be like him in any capacity.  The tone he put out was like cold iron.  She didn't dare speak a word of retort, however, looking back at Rhaef.  The comment about her being dirty had bounced off of her, as her mind was somewhere beyond being offended.  She was searching his eyes, even if he didn't look back at her.  She had to believe.  I have to believe that Rhaef can get us out of this.  She wasn't going to fight them, she hardly had the means to.  It would take someone else, and this was her someone else.

No, this is Rhaef, not just someone else.  She corrected herself without knowing, her eyes dodging back to Curio.  Her jaw set a bit more firmly, and she could feel her teeth connect, her resolve stepping into place and cutting through the torrent of worries that ran through her.

I do believe that Rhaef can get us out of this.

Curio's mouth twisted into a sneer, "Touching.  Really."  He didn't even flinch at Rhaef's gun now pointed at him.

"Are you going to shoot me, Rhaef?  You spare Larry the bullet, a man who has tortured you endlessly for weeks, yet you point your weapon at me?  All I have done is offer you a second chance to be the man that you were meant to be.  You should really accept my offer.  I would hate to have to end the girls life, its just not how I like to do things.  No need for the innocent to die in this." his eyes narrowed and he shifted his aim slightly to Charlie, paying no mind to the fact that Rhaef still had his weapon pointed squarely at him, "Make your choice, Rhaef."

Rhaef laughed it was bitter and cold, but still that an edge of mirth. "Come now Curio," he said with a grin, "its your turn to over-estimate yourself." He shurgged, "Old man, you, me and everyone in this room, know that I'm faster than you. I'll shoot down before you even squeeze the round in your gun off."

He paused again, looking back Charlie, trying to give the best reassuring glance he could, "And as to the difference between you and Larry, Curio, is that I always knew where I stood with Larry."

"Rhaef..."  Charlie only managed to mutter out his name, drowned out somewhere by the speaking of the two men.  Her heart had begun to beat even faster, the pounding reaching a deafening roar.  She couldn't hear the world, and both of their words seemed like cotton underneath the continuous ebb of blood that her heart pushed through her body.  She could feel her face begin to flush, watching Curio's gun pointed at her and no longer at Rhaef.  In her mind, Acacia's words echoed very closely to the surface, almost visible.  I think it could damage your heart.

But she would not crumple, and she would not cower or hide.  She would be strong.  They are coming to rescue us.  Charlie swallowed hard, trying to ignore the slight sweat that had broken on the nape of her neck and the corners of her temples.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:45, Tue 30 Sept 2008.

Even as Rhaef waited, he sensed and saw that the situation was starting to unnerve Charlie. He knew something had to happen fast. He needed to get Charlie out of here.

"So, Curio." He added plainly, "We are at a stand stil. So let's settle this like gentlemen. A duel - me and you or your best man." He sighed heavily, but there was no way to get out of this place without killing. "If you man wins, I will come to work for you, and Charlie goes free" he paused, "if I win, Charlie goes free and I get a chance to fight my way out."

He paused and looked his former mentor in the eye. "Come now, Curio. Weigh the profit in it. If I win, your men will still likely take me down before I can escape, and I lose, you get me to work for you. All you lose in the deal is the opportunity to kill an innocent that has nothing to do with our fight."

Curio watched Rhaef intently as he spoke, he really was far more sure of himself then he had been the last time Curio had seen the boy.  Oh he had always been cocky, but this was something else.  It wasn't the cockiness of the ignorant boy that just thought he was better then the rest of the 'verse.  It was the surety of a man who had long been out there and had tested his worth and wearily accepted that he could face what the 'verse had to throw at him no matter how hard it was.  It had been a long time.

Curio smiled at Rhaef's proposition, his earlier observation causing an eager twinkle to light his eyes.  He bowed his head, "Like gentlemen.  Yes, yes I feel that would be fitting.  Just you and I."

He lifted a hand a with a small gesture his men moved to the sides of the room and lowered their pistols.  They didn't holster them and none of the men looked too happy about lowering them.  Curio could feel their eager fingers, itching to be the one to take Rhaef down and hopefully gain his favor.  He took a step further into the room.  His gun was still trained on Charlie but now his eyes were only for Rhaef.

"I accept." he said and lowered the pistol, "Shall we say an old fashioned draw, how I do love antiquities."

Rhaef nodded, wondering if this might work. "My conditions Curio," he answered plainly, "let Charlie go, and confirm she's back with her crew safely, and then, yes a draw is fair, or as fair a chance, as I can expect."

"Agreed. Truly I had no desire to harm her, I only used her as leverage to make you see sense." Curio smiled, "This, however, will be far more rewarding."

He approached the center of the room then where he would face back to back with Rhaef, his star pupil ... an interesting duel indeed.

"Heinrich, if you would." Curio said, motioning to one of his men to take the center and call out the draw.  It was apparent the Curio expected to do this here, right now, in this room.

Larry watched the exchange in disbelief.  Curio was letting Rhaef play him.  He hated to admit his doubts in Curio's abilities but he had fought Rhaef before, he had seen the man in action.  He was fast, and Curio was no longer a young man.

"Curio -" Larry began, one last attempt to get the man to see reason.  That Larry was the man who was truly on his side.  How could everything have gone so badly?  One look from Curio and Larry let the words die on his mouth and glowered at Rhaef.  His mind was slowly trying to twist the situation to his advantage however.  With the distraction of a duel perhaps he could get out.  He reluctantly abandoned hope that he would ever be the Black Hand, Curio's right hand.  At best one of these men killed the other and then killed him next.  He couldn't let that happen.

Rhaef cleared his throat, "Before the duel, Curio." Rhaef moved toward the center of the room, but refused to formally enter the duel, until Charlie was safer.

Curio's eyes flicked from Rhaef to the girl and he held his hands out, "Fine, fine.  You're free to go, this will remain between Rhaef and myself - like gentleman." he said, amusement touching his voice as he repeated Rhaef's words.

His men all had their guns down already so no one had their barrel trained on Charlie as they waited for her to cross the room and leave.

"I-...nah, Rhaef..."  She had begun to protest, but the resolve between the two seemed to grow by the second, tension sweltering like a kettle that was just about to scream.  The room was heavy, and she could feel her head going light.  Just do what he says.  Rhaef will be okay.  She had no choice, she had to believe it...or else there was nothing left to believe in.  With a hand to the wall, Charlie took a few slow steps to cross the room and get to the door that both had motioned to.  Maybe Curio wouldn't let her get more than a few steps after he shot Rhaef.  Don't think like that.

Once out the door, Charlie immediately dropped to her hands and knees, out of sight of the others.  The pounding of her heart had grown to the point that it was throwing her off balance, and the world was spinning.  She covered her mouth for a second, her stomach threatening to throw the bile that churned around.  Charlie closed her eyes tightly, counting to five and allowing it to pass, thinking back to the grass blowing on Paquin.  Just one foot in front of the other.  That's all you've gotta do.

Charlie slowly rose to her feet, letting out a slow breath and opening her eyes, looking down the hallway.  "Let Charlie go, and confirm she's back with her crew safely."  That's what Rhaef had said.  He's going to stand in that room until I get to the ship, isn't he?  She nodded to herself as she walked, taking slow steps, careful not to unbalance herself.  If it bought Kale another minute to gallop in on a white horse...well, there was always the chance.

Rhaef watched as Charlie departed, now he could only hope she would be safe and that Kale would get to her and keep her that way. He did not trust Curio to let her be, but this was her best chance to be safe.

He eyed Curio carefully, sizing up his opponent. He paused and opened the gun, and made sure it was loaded and was in good working order. He did not put it above his former mentor to find every possible way to cheat this deal.

Charlie leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, her heartbeat like a wardrum banging in her ears.  The more she thought about Rhaef back in that room, the more she felt alone...and the more alone she was, the more that her own fear overcame her.  She'd been in dangerous situations before; certainly not a stranger to anything of the sort, even before her time on the ship.  THe Bourdains had seen their share of the world, or at the least, their share of the world had come to their side of the planet.

But now things were different.  Since that day in the infirmary, even the smallest thing put her down to the ground like a dog.  And while she hated it, she knew the consequences of saving the crew.

Ren knew the consequences, too.  It could have always been worse.

Charlie shook her head, putting a hand against the wall and guiding herself back up to a standing position.  If Rhaef...if things didn't go well, they wouldn't honour their part of the bargain.  They will kill him and then they will kill me.  If I'm lucky.

Rhaef watched Charlie slowly depart the room, the shape she was in, Kale had better make it soon, or they both were in trouble.

Even as this thought passed through his mind, his resolve sharpened. He'd always believe that you made your own luck, and now was one of those day. A duel with his former master, and then exiting a room with at least ten armed men who wanted to kill him, the odds were defintely against him.

"Okay, Curio. We can begin." He walked to the center of the room and waited for the count.

--->From Destiny: Cargo Bay

Once they were sure the area was secure, Wei-Li turned and closed her eyes.  She took a deep breath focusing on the sounds and feel.   Slowly she began to retrace her steps, indeed walking backwards as she moved back through the maze of passageways and tunnels.

Years of learning dance routines and acts that required timing helped her in the effort.

Occasionally she'd pause, checking her bearings and smiling to herself.  She was used to relying on senses other than her eyesight when it came to things.  Hell, on the high wire-- she preferred to keep her eyes closed.  It helped her block out the lights and focus on the timing and direction.

In one cross section she paused, turning slightly she listened until she found the right spot where she'd stood as the guard had used key pad.  She smiled.

Humming to herself she matched the numbers he'd pressed and then continued on.  Now would come the tricky point.

To further disorient her, they had spun her around several times.  If it weren't for Rhaef and Charlie, she would have actually enjoyed this.

She spun, repeating the sequence twice until she was sure she was headed in the right direction.

"Up here, not far," she said softly.

[From Destiny: Cargo Bay]

Kale followed behind Wei-Li, Connor behind him, and Geoff taking up the rear.  The woman had been on his ship for a good amount a time now but he still marveled at how silently she moved.  Her feet made no sound as they padded silently on the ground and made him extremely conscious of all the racket he and the other two men were making with their boots.  So far, no sign of trouble though, the passage was as empty as it had been the first time they'd wandered inside, he wondered vaguely whether this was just another trap - Kale really didn't think his ego could take walkin' right into two traps in one night.

The corners of his mouth twisted into a small smile as he watched Wei-Li proceed in front of him - eyes closed and walking backward of all things.  He wasn't gonna questions her methods though, if it got him to Rhaef and Charlie that was all that mattered.

[From Destiny: Cargo Bay]

Geoff followed behind Kale and the rest of the crew that had come along, he moved pretty quietly for a man of his size, not exactly stealthy - stealth wasn't his style - but quiet enough not to bring the whole complex down on them.  He tried to keep his attention focused on his surroundings.  They'd just won one hell of a fire fight back on the ship but this was far from over.  Wouldn't be over til they got Rhaef back and he could go back to being the hired gun.  He reckoned he preferred it that way.  And Kale would probably be happy.

Geoff was technically first mate now, but Kale seldom treated him like he had Rhaef.  They never talked tactics together or devised plans.  He didn't leave him in charge of nothing, either.  He was first mate in name only.  Those thoughts were just a cliff note however on his mind at the moment.  The real reason he was having trouble keeping focused on his surroundings was because he kept stealing glances up ahead at Wei-Li.  She looked pretty even walking backwards and spinning around with her eyes closed - if'n he tried to do something like that he'd look like a bull in a china shop, but not Wei.  She moved about like a dancer, a soft hum coming from her lips.

He took his eyes away from her with a shake of his head, remembering all too well the feel of her lips on his, it felt like ages ago now.  He'd gone and mucked that all up ...

Gorramit, Geoff, focus on what yer at now. he berated himself and firmly kept his attention on where they were at, purposefully avoiding looking at Wei-Li.  His finger slowly stroking the trigger of his pistol.  When they got through this he'd show her he'd changed, he'd show her that what she'd seen - that wasn't him no more.  It wasn't ... was it?

The passageways twisted and turned, seemingly an endless maze.  Somehow Wei-Li seemed to be navigating it however, their progress was slow though and as they walked in silence they could only hope that they wouldn't be too late ...

Curio inclined his head with a smile and stepped to the center of the room as well, his eyes studying Rhaef closely.  When he reached the center he slowly turned around so that his back was facing Rhaef's back and nodded his head to his man to begin the step count.

"Ten paces." the man said, "One, two ..."

Curio's steps were slow and methodical, his fingers itching for the pistol at his hip.

"five, six ..."

Rhaef reached the point and began the count off. Where Curio appeared to be the vision of twitch and anticipation, Rhaef was one cool languidity.

His steps were practiced and fluid, his hand at his side, near but not on his gun. His mind was slowly receding in the depths, as instinct was slowly replacing it. Yet, even as this happened Rhaef smiled, knowing for the first time in many years, he was in control, and not the monster.

He moved carefully, eyes darting around the time for his next steps. Even he died, he had to buy Kale and Charlie enough time to find each other, after that his life was a bonus to both him and the crew.

In the distance, he heard the voice continue... "eight, nine"

Charlie quickly discovered that the corridors twisted and turned at random, sometimes coming to a dead end, often times lined with doors that she prayed silently wouldn't open and reveal a squad of armed men.  The place was a maze.  Sure she had been let out of the room, but getting out of Curio's lair was going to prove a tough task.  Eventually she meandered down a hall that was different then many of the others.  This one ended in with a door that had a key pad beside it, mounted on the wall.  It was larger than the others she had seen and unlike the doors that appeared to lead into interior rooms.

Charlie stopped for a moment, wiping the sweat from her brow as she looked at the keypad.  The beating of her heart had finally begun to slow, even as her anxiety over Rhaef's safety continued to swell...hardly the overwhelming sensation that it had been only a minute or so ago, but it still sent waves of pain through her arms and legs if she pushed herself.  She did her best to keep the pace up, however; there was no sense in being the one to drag behind.  Does no one a lick of good to hang back and lick my palms.

The keypad, however...she'd done something like this before.  Yeah, like you've never hacked a lock before.  Charlie felt the edges of the keypad, finding where it bolted into the wall.  Curio had a large station for the hand, but unfortunately, a few too many things had begun to reach a derelict period that he wasn't keeping up.  Bad news for him, but good news for anyone who needed a way out.  However, without a tool, it was going to be a different task; find the connection, run it together...how is that going to work?  I bet I can just short this thing without it tanking completely.

With a bit of new determination sparking her resolve, Charlie slid off one of the access panels below the keypad, the opening giving way to a mechanic to work on the device.  With a small smirk at the corner of her mouth, Charlie wrapped her hand around the central line and pulled on the grounded power wire, allowing it's cuffs to break loose.  The signal just needed the right zap, and the door would be open in no time.

Yeah...exactly like old times.

The crew moved through the maze-like passageways of Curio's lair, following Wei-Li and hoping that she was going to lead them where they needed to go.  It was silent in the corridors but at every corner the tension would raise - maybe someone would be around this next one.  Maybe they wouldn't even make it to Rhaef.

Eventually, Wei-Li led them to the end of a hallway where a large door with a key pad beside it stood.

Wei-Li stared at the pad and the door for a moment then tried closed her eyes as she fought to remember everything from her journey.  She was probably ninety-five percent sure this was the right palce, but for the life of her she coudln't remember the lock.  She remembered stepping throug the doorway.

She hadn't heard them use this pad.

She looked at it and then at Kale.  Shaking her head she traced the area around the pad.  "It must have been open when they brought me through..."

She let her breath out slowly then gave him a worried look.  "I can try and trip it but... "

While she had been trained in the family business, Wei-Li was far more skilled in the physical aspects of high-end theft... not picking locks.

Kale frowned as Wei-Li led them down a hall that ended in a large closed door and came to a stop.  He watched her for a moment as she stared at the door and then the keypad and then closed her eyes.  Kale stared at the keypad as well.  Not a good sign.  Keypads meant locks, and getting by locks wasn't exactly any area of his expertise.

"You sure this is it?" he asked.

Geoff watched, not liking the blind dead end.  It wasn't exactly a dead end, but they were just standing there, like fish in a barrel.

"Good ambush site." he muttered under his breath.

Connor nodded to agree with Geoff's assessment of their current situation. This looked like a perfect place for them to get ambushed.

And then he realized two things. Number one, the lock was automated, meaning computers...and two, he was good with computers. Huh, funny how that worked.

"Wong Ba Duhn..."*

Connor inched forward, producing a small metallic device from his pocket.

"Captain, lemme take a shot at this one..."




*_{Son of a bitch...}

Kale frowned at Geoff's comment because it was all too true.  But if there were going to be an ambush he was fairly certain it would have happened by now.  Still he couldn't stop himself from eying the corridor behind them before looking back to his crew.

When Connor spoke up he nodded his head, "If'n you think you can get us through that door then you give it a whirl.  We won't be savin' no one if we're stuck out here in the hall."

Connor nodded to Kale, sliding by him and Wei-Li as he made his way up to the keypad. He snapped into focus and all of his attention went onto the lock. Connor studied the make and model, it was very interesting...to him.

After about a minute, Connor nodded and put away the first metallic object he had. He turned back to Kale.

"Interesting...our villian here has made some interesting modifications, such as an electrical surge that will shock anyone who tries to bypass this door by prying the padlock off and working the wires in between, you can tell because he used a special type of micro-insulation around the edges...but I digress..."

Connor pulled out a second metallic instrument, one that was thin, but large enough to cover over the keypad.

"Now the real fun begins. I'll work as fast as I can, captain..."

Connor wasn't entirely sure how long "fast as I can" would end up being, but he'd give it a shot at being quick.

Before Connor had barely touched the lock there was a hissing sound and the door began to slide open.

Kale raised his eyebrows.  Connor had barely turned around when the door began hissing open, "You weren't kiddin' 'bout workin' fast." he said.

Bored with the whole lock mechanism thing, Geoff waited for something to do.  And then he got his chance.  As the door started to open, he dropped to a knee, bringing up a pistol.  He wasn't taking any chances.  The second he saw their surprise guest, he'd shoot.  He began to squeeze the trigger.

Connor looked at the door in shock, then back at the Captain. There was no way he'd been able to do it that quickly...

Still in place at the front of the group, he turned his head back to Kale.

"Pretty sure...I..."

Whatever Connor had to say it was cut off by the soft hiss of the door opening.  The tension in the small corridor skyrocketed as everyone braced themselves for the ambush that Geoff had predicted.  If Connor hadn't opened the door ...

They all waited with bated breath as it rose from the ground up, first revealing a set of feet and slowly moving upward.  Geoff, however, wasn't hesitating.  His finger compressed the trigger and took aim at the persons legs.  He had barely a seconds notice to change his aim wildly in another direction as Kale said softly, "Charlie?"

The bullet hit the ground only a few inches away from where Charlie stood, the door now fully raised to reveal the crews mechanic.  The sound of Geoff's gunshot echoed through the maze like corridors.

Geoff pulled his shot and just barely missed the woman.  "What the gorram hell..."

He was stunned for a moment, but shifted his attention to Kale.  "No time.  That shot was heard.  We gotta move."

Turning to Charlie, he continued.  "Where's Rhaef?"

Charlie hadn't moved as the bullet ricochet passed her by, her expression tired.  There was a glimmer in her eyes when she saw the others, but it wasn't much, a faded shot at the joy that her heart was trying for.  She only managed a weak noise, looking back at the direction she came, motioning out with a shaking hand.

"Rhaef..."  She spoke the word through a shaky voice, nodding slighty.  "He'....back'tha way'n'all.  Ah'm...yea."  She cleared her throat, looking back between the three, almost ready to collapse.  "Curio'n him....y'know, all...guns'a...ah'm n'sure, y'know, I...yea."  The words were seeming to confuse her, as she could feel her heart start to beat faster.  Charlie placed a hand against the wall, nodding again and pointing up at the ceiling, the exposed cables and piping showing through the meshwork.

"Follow th'green ta...u'ta th' steam line, the'ya follow that.  S'all y'gotta do."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:44, Sun 16 Nov 2008.

Kale let out a relieved sigh when he found it was indeed Charlie on the other side of the door.  The poor girl looked worse for wear though.  Kale felt a pang.  He'd put the crew through so much these last few runs but it had been hardest on them that had been around the longest and Charlie had been there since the beginning.

"Yer alright.  That's good." he said, but Geoff was right, they didn't have time for a reunion just then, "Stay close." he told her, "Let's do what we came here for." he added to the rest of the group and proceeded down the hall.

It took Wei-Li several minutes to catch her breath and process everything that happened.  When Geoff spoke she nodded and offered Charlie a hand up before turning back to the others.

"Let's go."

Connor walked over to Charlie as the group got ready to move, his shotgun shifted over to his left hand as he dug into his coat. He produced a 9mm handgun.

"Hey, take this...you might need it..."

He shifted the shotgun back over and continued to follow the captain, who was clearly going to finish this one way or another.

God help the men that stood between his group and Rhaef...

On hearing ten, Rhaef moved quickly and fluidly, and with a practiced precision, his hand flew to the gun, drew it and shot to kill, his former master or not, the man across from his threatened Charlie, and was prepared to kill him.

Trusting his aim, he fired only one shot and then dove for the desk, for cover against the likely hail of bullets that would come if his shot rang true.

"Ten."

Both Curio and Rhaef fired but only a single gunshot pierced the air and the sharp pain in Rhaef right shoulder let him know that it wasn't his.

"You gorram son of bitch, I should have known." Rhaef snarled through the pain, as he dove behind the desk. His days were numbered now, all he could is that Charlie made it back to Kale and they got out of here.

Even as the pain burned through his shoulder, his thoughts were about buying Charlie and Kale more time, and how he could do it. He'd come this far for her, he was not about to fail her now.

Curio laughed as his bullet hit home and Rhaef made a dive for cover, "Oh come now, Rhaef, its only fun and games.  I've never known you to get this touchy about a little bullet wound.  We never set any rules about playing fair." Curio laughed again, "You took the pistol from my desk.  All of my personal firearms are finger print encoded, only my hand may fire them.  It really was a sloppy mistake." Curio made a tsk, tsk sound as he slowly approached the place where Rhaef was now ducked down behind.

"Come on out, Rhaef.  I won.  It's time for you to come home."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:56, Thu 20 Nov 2008.

Rhaef rose and shurgged, "I should have known you not play fair, Curio." Even as he moved, his mind was still focused on buying time for the others, knowing that his life at this point was forfeit.

"Problem is, Curio. My only home is leavin' this planet shortly, and this gorram dump will never be home again." He hoped the element of surprise that had helped him before in bar fights would help him here. Curio had the wealth to code his guns, but everyone of his men, they were expendable and that was expensive.

He dove at the man nearest to him, and struggled to get his gun.

"Actually, it might take us just a tad longer ta leave the planet." Kale said as he entered the doorway, a pistol in both hands and ready to take it as it came, "We had someone we needed ta pick."

He and the rest of the crew had heard the gunshots from the hallway.  Kale hadn't hesitated on high tailing it to the room they were now at.  Perhaps not the most strategical plan in the world, but he hadn't been planning on waiting around to find Rhaef dead.

Wei-Li dove through the door, trying very hard not to think about what had happened the last time she'd done something like this.  Still, this time, like the last, the lives of the crew were in danger.

She moved without thinking hoping to roll to cover, but more importantly to cover Kale and the others.

Rhaef heard Kale's voice, and there hadn't been a more welcome sound in the world at the moment. "Kale, can't say I didn't warn ya, but I'm glad you came back, and I could really use a gun that works 'bout now."

Action.  Geoff loved action.  As such, he made short work of the trip down the hall and into the stand-off room.  Bursting through the door, he slid to a halt behind a pair of Curio's goons.  With an all-too-cheerful-but-somehow-malicious grin, he grabbed each man by his outside shoulder, intent on doing the impossible;  He was going to make two people occupy the same physical space at the same time.

It was possible.  Wasn't it?

Charlie looked down at the gun that Conner put in her hands, held like she'd hold a mug or a bowl, cradling it.  She hadn't held a firearm in months, and the last time...well, that was when Kyron had stowed away on the ship.  She shuddered a bit at the memory, her heart starting to pound as she slid a hand on the handle, swallowing hard.  She stayed behind Connor the entire length towards the room, looking down and counting her breaths, trying to remain calm.

Then they happened; gunshots.  Kale had run ahead, followed in par by Geoff and Wei-Li, bursting into the room that she'd come from.  She didn't follow, freezing up, her eyes starting to water on the sides.  This is it.  This is that moment that it all ends.  One gunshot was a 50/50, but two more than likely meant both hit.  Charlie leaned against the wall, holding back in the hallway instead of following, closing her eyes and letting out a slow breath.

If I see it, I won't be able to walk back...

Connor was just about to burst into the room with Kale and the others when he caught Charlie hanging back out of the corner of his eye. The last thing they needed was for anyone to get caught from behind.

Connor wheeled himself around, positioning his shotgun to guard their backs. He looked over to Charlie.

"You all right?"

"Yeah, ah'm...y'know, ah'm okay."  She nodded, taking another deep breath and squeezing her eyes shut.  "Ah just...need'n sum'f sorts break t'tha way, n'all.  I'll b'kay 'na moment, ya?"  It was slightly dismissive, but if she talked about it...well, there was a good chance that Charlie might start to cry if she talked about it, and she'd already done her good share of that today.

It was obvious that Curio and his men were more then a little surprised to see Kale and his crew suddenly show up.  They were supposed to be either dead or off-planet now as far as they knew.

Surprise registered on Curio's face for only the flicker of a moment, then he masked it behind a cold, calm smile, "Ah, Captain Galway, how nice of you to join us." he said, and began lifting his hand, a signal to all of his men to open fire.

He'd gotten this far, he was not going to let some pathetic backwater ship captain take what he had worked so hard for.  Months of planning had gone into this, it could not unravel now.

Kale did a very quick mental count of how many men were in the room.  It didn't take long to know that it was beyond "too many".  He tossed one of his pistols at Rhaef but didn't slow his step in the slightest.  Curio smiled at him, he still thought they were playing by his rules.  He didn't know that Kale was playing a different game entirely.

Kale had learned one thing about Curio - the man liked to talk.  The man liked his grand show.  It was the one thing that Kale was counting on.  He was counting on the fact that Curio would be too busy preparing his next speech to notice that Kale wasn't waiting for it.  Five large strides and he was across the small office his pistol pointed at Curio as he began to raise his hand.  Kale acted fast, his left arm came out and grabbed Curio's wrist, twisting hard.  The other brought his pistol up to point directly at the man, "Anyone of you move an' this man dies."

As the two goons collided with each other, Geoff looked apologetically at Kale, though there really wasn't any apology in his eyes.  "Sorry, Cap, but they was already movin'.  Just had t' finish the ride."

He grinned again, and, as if from thin air, a pair of pistols weighted down his hands; safeties off, triggers partially squeezed.  If he could figure out how to do it, he'd be holding guns with his feet too!

Rhaef caught the gun and blasted the man he was struggling with, and turned it on the next one. "Gentlemen, if you think I was serious about killing Curio, then you best not test my Captain. Kale is nothing, if not a man of his word." He paused adding to himself, I hope someday, someone will be able to say the same thing about me.

"Plus, I've been pushed around, burnt, beaten and shot. So I'm not exactly in a good mode either, so one of you move, please."

As the situation changed, Wei-Li worked to adjust to the new circumstances.  Now she wanted to keep as much distance between herself and Raef's captors, and and close to Kale as possible.

She wasn't sure what kind of shape Rhaef was in so she stayed ready to help if needed.  She let her expression shift to the role she had used so long ago on Osiris.

'Look like they're just dirt in the way, think like they're just dirt in the way...'  Sometimes, it was very good to come from a planet where everything was a show.

Curio stood just a little bit straighter as Kale came right up to him with his gun leveled at his face.  It was bold move and Curio hadn't been expecting it.  His men hadn't either.  For a second Curio had been about to tell his men to shoot the Captain, but it would be foolish to take a risk like that with his own life.

"This is hardly civilized." Curio said, keeping his cool as he sighed with exasperation.  Like a man long used to dealing with men from a less civilized world, "Lower your weapons." he said to his men.

"Now Mr. Galway, why don't you and I-"

Kale fired off a round, the bullet whizzing just inches from Curio's head, sailing over his shoulder and into the wall behind him, "A lil' less talk from you.  I think we're all done listenin'." Kale said, then he turned his attention to the other men in the room, this involved lifting his eye line just enough to include them in his sight, he still hadn't taken his eyes off of Curio, "Your leader an' I are gonna go fer a little walk.  Any one of you try ta interfere, well I got a mighty jumpy trigger finger.  We let him go once me an' my crew are back on our ship."

He spoke to his crew then without looking at them, "Geoff, make sure we got everyone," there was an emphasis on that word, "an' let's move out."

He moved right beside Curio and motioned for him to move in front of him and start walking.

Geoff nodded sharply, once, and shifted just enough to make sure Rhaef could get past.  "Y'heard the cap'n."

His eyes sharp, Geoff kept up his vigil, mentally begging anyone to give him half an excuse to end their miserable lives.

Wei-Li paused, watching Rhaef for any sign of needing support. She was after all, the least help in a fight (unless of course they needed someone to do gymnastics in the middle of said fight, but somehow she doubted that).

She continued to stand, detatched feeling more and more unclean every moment she spent there.

Rhaef nodded to Kale and the others. He was impressed with Kale's bold gambit and yet was weary of even thinking of trusting Curio or his men. He was grateful for Geoff taking the rear guard of the group. His own shoulder was screaming in pain and the adrenaline was going to wear off, and he would be of much less use to crew when it did.

He gave Wei a look to suggest that at this point was okay, but was grateful for her willing to help. Even as he walked he kept his gun level and his eyes open for the next threat that Curio had in store for them.

The tension in the room was high, any fool could see that Curio's men were none too pleased about the way things had turned out.  There was no real way to tell whether it was fear of Kale shooting Curio, or fear of what would happen to them if they did anything and Kale didn't shoot Curio, that made them let the crew past but they did.

Larry watched in disbelief as the events took a wild turn in Sorandash's favor.  If he hadn't been so shocked he probably would have been letting out a litany of curses.  How could Curio have let this happen? How could he have seriously thought that Sorandash was worth all this trouble?

And then a thought occurred to Larry that he had never considered - Curio was the fool.  So much of Larry's time and effort and life had been poured into trying to make that man happy.  So much of his energy went to trying to convince Curio of his worth only to have it come to this.  But no more.  Curio was the fool and Larry ... Larry had different goals now.  He would get his life back.  He would get his pride back.

His eyes settled on Rhaef as he left the room with the rest of the crew of that gorram ship ... but first, he would get his revenge on the man responsible for it all ... in due time, of course.

Curio walked casually out of the room as though he were going for an evening stroll, not held hostage at gun point.  The fool brained Captain would make a mistake sooner or later and then he would make his move.  The man couldn't honestly believe he'd be able to walk right out of his compound.  The man probably wouldn't even be able to find his way back.

Wei-Li drew a deep breath and followed the others out of the room, pausing when she saw Charlie and Connor outside the door.  She checked to make sure they were all right then took the lead.

She'd found her way back, now it was time to lead them back out again.

One granade.  Just one granade.  If only he could roll one, little, tiny granade into the room as he backed out of it.  That wouldn't hurt much.  Would it?

BUT, the lives of Kale's crew - unfortunately - came before Geoff's play.  One, little, stinkin' granade and they'd never have to worry about Curio's men again.

Even as Geoff backed behind the group, keeping his eyes - and guns - trained on the room, he plotted the "accidental" drop of a granade.  Once they were all clear, he could take a mis-step and drop a pretty little flash-bang.

He grinned to himself as a quiet, some-how-eerily-sweet tune drifted brokenly from deep in his chest.  It had been a song from his youth; something about pockets of 'posy' and ashes and falling down.

Kale was half in shock that this was actually working.  It was a sign of the loyalty - or perhaps fear - that Curio's men had for him that they didn't make a move.  Kale let Wei-Li lead the way down the twisting corridors.  They just needed to get out.

He kept quiet.  He knew that Curio was a master manipulator, he didn't want to give the man any ammunition, "Stay close, we're getting out of here." was the only thing he said when they reached Charlie and Connor who were still in the hall.  He moved past them, keeping Curio and himself towards the front of the group.

Rhaef followed closely, knowing better than saying anything. He was focusing his waning strength on the twin tasks of walking and watching. He knew Curio had to have another trick up his sleeve and to be honest, Rhaef still was not convinced they were out of the woods yet.

Wei-Li led the way, her gun held at the ready.  It was her third time through this passage, which made it a little bit easier, but she knew they weren't out of this yet.

It was one thing to travel the path with friends watching over you-- quite another when their would-be attackers knew the labyrinth better than she did.  For all she knew there were faster, more efficient ways to get to the exit before them-- but this was the way she knew.

Charlie had drooped her head, leaning against the wall next to Connor and trying to drown in her own misery.  Rhaef.  That's it.  I should have never even come out here, I should have gone back to the ship.  The thoughts pooled over in a loop, forming themselves in a chain that seemed worse and worse as it went on.  She thought continually about the people she'd seen come and go on the ship, and how she'd been linked to most of them.  It wasn't often that the situation begged a different answer, but it still stood.  If I had been quicker, Ren would have lived instead of died.  If I hadn't kissed Rhaef, he wouldn't have left.  Was it all my fault?  It probably was.  That's what I do.

The last thoughts were just floating on the surface as she saw Kale come down the way, clearing her throat as she did, trying to compose herself.  You need to be strong for the crew.  You need to be strong, because the ship is weak without you.  "Cap'n, ah'm...le's g'tha move goin'n all, y'know?  Ah'm-..."

Her words abruptly cut when she saw Rhaef following behind, jaw going slack for a moment.  Alive.  Holding a weapon.  Not being shot at by Curio.  Safe.  The others seemed to be moving with padded feet, trying to be discreet, but she couldn't contain it.  Charlie moved past Kale and jumped up to Rhaef, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly.  New tears ran from her eyes for what must have been the millionth time this day, but it didn't matter.  I'm not letting go.  She whispered in his ear, speaking through a refreshed sob.  "Rhaef Sor'ndash.  Don'cha leave m'gain, kay?"

Rhaef wrapped his one good arm around Charlie. He sighed, now was not the moment, but in the delerium, it was this moment that got him through the pain and cut through the madness to bring him back. He leaned down, "I ain't leavin, Charlie. Never 'gain." He winced slightly in pain, "But I did get shot in the shoulder, so I could use someone to lean on 'bout now. You know anyone who could help?" He said sparing her the briefest of grins. Even as they spoke, he tried to keep moving, until Destiny was in the air, they weren't safe.

Geoff kept constant vigil, crabbing his way backward behind the crew.  The sooner they were out of this mess, the better.  He was really looking forward to a nice, long sit-down.  For now, though, his attention was fixed on potential threats.

"Yea, yea, sorry."  She managed to speak through the grin that had spread on her face.  Rhaef's body was warm, and it seemed to transfer to her as she held him.  Maybe it was just her heart, increasing it's pace as it pumped the moment of joy through her.  Maybe it was just her general fatigue from the day.  It was hard to say.

"Ah'v go'cha, y'know.  Jus'a arm'n over'n here, all'ta be."  Charlie slid Rhaef's arm over her shoulder, placing a hand around his waist to help steady him.  They had to get off of Curio's ship, and she was just being a drag to that right now.  Girl emotions.  They should understand.  "Le's go."

Alex smiled, grateful for the shoulder to lean on, and especially grateful for the person offering it. He smiled a weary smile down at her, "It's gonna be okay, Charlie. I promise."

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.