"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."