Kale slowed his pace, coming to walk beside the two women, considering what Charlie said.  He looked around him, at the dirt road, and the trees poking out around the buildings.  Felt the breeze gently graze his skin, and then he looked up, up at the billions of stars and at the black in between.  He sighed, "Ain't so much a matter of missin' it ... bein' planetside is nice but, well, its just-  it ain't home ... hasn't been fer a long time ..." Kale found himself thinking about his homecoming to Santo after the war, the familiar landscape all of a sudden such a stranger to him.  Everything taken away.  Still looking at the sky he echoed his thoughts, " Here everything can be taken away ... The Alliance can do that ... it can steal the land right out from under your feet, literally - and in a not so literal sense.  But the black - well, no one could ever take that from you."

"Yeah, I know, but it's still pretty.  'sides, the Alliance can't rule everything out here...it's inevitable that they can.  I mean, y'can feel their touch everywhere you go, but...y'know."  She managed another smirk, looking back towards the dirt road they walked on, smiling at the ambient sounds of nature along with people.  "I'm sorry.  It's just, anythin' that reminds me of Whitefall just get me, y'know...all sortsa sentimental."

She looks behind them, making sure that they've stepped far enough from the tavern, leaning over to the captain.  "I have a real question, though.  Better reason t'get you out here than just to get an escort, that's for sure..."

With the fogginess in her head the doctor walked around with a slight frivolty.  She ran to catch up with the other two.    So we are running right back to the ship then She said, much louder then needed.

Kale grinned at the slightly intoxicated Acacia, "Yeah, doc.  We're headin' back to the boat."

Then he turned his attention back to Charlie, his curiosity peaked. "You got somethin' on yer mind, lil' Charlie?"

"Yeah, I do."  She scratched the back of her neck, looking down at the dirt as they walked, taking a moment before she said anything.  She wasn't exactly sure what reaction to expect in the next few moments.  "What are we doing about...well...y'know, the girl.  Lei.  I mean, I know we can't be leavin' her, but what we do?  It's...y'know, is that the life a kid's needin?  She doesn't have any family that we could be gettin' her back to?"

Kale sighed, he'd been thinking a lot about that too.  It was a liability to have a kid out in the black on his boat.  They didn't exactly live the most respectable of lives - or the safest.  That was pretty well proved with the incident with Tate.  Kale scratched the back of his neck, the day of the funeral he ... well, the coffins were just so tiny - no reason for coffins to be that small.

"I ain't rightly sure about that yet.  We can't just drop her off anywhere - and no ones been able ta get much out of her.  Far as I know, she don't got no family fer us to be returning her to.  And I'll be shot dead before I'd take her back to Valon.  And Geoff -" Kale trailed off.  They all knew that Geoff had taken it especially hard with Tate's death and now he'd kinda adopted Lei, taken her under his wing. "I ain't sure what would be right."

"I'm...I just don't want t'see her hurt.  She's already been tested, diseased, and shipped.  Both of th'kids that came with her are dead now, y'know?  I'm not sayin' that we should just leave her in worse hands, but...well...I don't want t'see her hurt.  I know you feel the same.  I'm just...I want to know if there's a plan there, y'know?"  She sighed, looking back at Kale.

"I mean...Paquin's one of th'nicer places, ain't it?  Ren could be attestin' to that, I'm sure.  It's probably the nicest place we're gonna land on in the next couple months, less she takes a shiny to another one'f these dirt planets we're always on.  I'm just sayin', y'know...establishing a forum on the subject.  I trust what'cha say is right and what isn't, Cap'n...but you haven't said much on the matter."

They reached the ramp that led up to Destiny and Kale took a seat on it. "I ain't just gonna dump her off on someone - not that I know anyone to dump her off to.  And what else then?  An orphanage?  What kinda life is that?  I say - well I say, she just stays righ' where she's at.  Girl like that needs routine right?  Familiar territory, and we're the most familiar ta her then anythin' else." Kale didn't want to just abandon her, he didn't know much about children but ... "I mean, would you leave her here?"

Acacia ran up behind Charlie, she had been staring at the sky,  The persepctive through an atmosphere, making the stars twinkle, got her to stare for a bit.  She looked up at the two taller people, So what we talkin bout  She had a big grin.  In fact it was the first time they had seen her smile in a long time.

"Cap'n...I'm not sayin' that we abandon here, nothin' like that.  I'm just...I don't want t'see anyone get hurt.  Look at me, right?  I mean...I just fix Destiny, I don't do any dealin's that you and Rhaef'n Ren go out on.  I've also got, y'know, a collection of scars from bullet grazes, a couple knife wounds, even some other things I'd rather not talk on."  Charlie broke the subject, smiling at Acacia as she walked up.  She sat down onto the ground, taking off her boots slowly, letting her toes spread out in the dirt.

"Y'know, Acacia...talkin' about our newest member to th'crew, that's all."  She smirked, looking back at Kale.  "So that's what she is, then...crew?  Or passenger?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:02, Thu 27 July 2006.

Acacia got serious for a bit Don't leave her alone, I didn't have my parents, but I had brothers.  She would have no one, we can't leave her alone.    Acacia had looked to the captain trying to get a feel for how he felt on this.  She hadn't been paying attention so now was trying to gain what she had missed.

Kale smiled appreciatively at Acacia, glad to see her smiling again.  He knew that the childrens deaths were hard on everyone, and he knew that Charlie just didn't want to see one more kid meet an untimely end. "We'll just keep her safe.  Make sure she doesn't go runnin' about all over the place when dangers afoot.  I mean, we ain't always in trouble ... just sometimes ... or well, lotsa times ... I mean, there was that one time when, when we had that nice simple job, remember that one time?" Kale said.  "I suppose fer now she's a passenger.  Ain't gonna be expectin' her to do real work."

Charlie looked down at her feet, biting her lower lip.  Kale had said that he didn't know what to make of it, but it was pretty clear he had his mind already set on what to do.  She didn't really expect otherwise...and since he had made up his mind, as it seemed, she wasn't one to oppose.  "Cap'n, I'm not sayin' that she has to go or anythin', y'know that, right?  I'm just...I don't want to see anyone hurt.  I'm just not so sure that, stayin' with us on Destiny, we can see that happenin.  I'm just worryin', don't mind it..."

Charlie shrugged off the rest of the comment, letting out a sigh and laying onto her back, looking up at the stars beyond the bow of Destiny.  Not much sense in letting it go on beyond that, if that's all the farther it would intend to go.

Acacia walked over to her friend,   She's got no on though Charlie-girl.  I don't wish anyone to be alone.  The verse is a big place.  Atleast here she would have us.  and we are pretty goog to each other right?   She nudges Charlie in the ibs slightly when she says the last bit.

"Yeah, yeah..."  She batted away Acacia, letting out a sigh.  "I'm not sayin' that any of us is gonna do anythin' to her, though..."

"I know ya ain't sayin' she has to go Charlie, you got to big a heart.  Yer just worryin' about what's right." he paused, looking up at the stars, "An' I think this is right."

She looks over at Kale, watching him for a moment...she knew at the beginning of the conversation what he would say, that she would stay on board.  It was more important to Charlie, however, that he be aware of that choice.  There was always more than one way outta the fire, like her father used to say.  Charlie crossed her arms behind her head, looking back up at the stars.  "I'm just worryin', Cap'n.  You know me.  Someone on this boat's gotta..."

Charlie, you do more worring then all us combined sometimes   Acacia thought of some of what Kyoko had mentioned about Charlie.  Sighing finally agreed she might be right.

She grits her teeth a bit, listening to Acacia...that was almost backhanded.  Charlie turned her head to Acacia, supporting herself by her elbows.  "Wha's that supposed t'mean?"

Uh....nothing, sorry, that came out wrong.  I blame the booze.  Acacia tried the deflect the subject.  Man I really put my foot in my mouth this time  Acacia thought.

"No, I think y'meant somethin'.  Have it out, Acacia."  Charlie pulled herself into a cross-legged position, looking up at the redhead.  She was already in a defensive mood from talking to Kale, this was simply feeding it.  "Y'can blame it on the booze, if y'need..."

"Now ladies-" Kale started but one look shot in his direction from Charlie shut him up for the time being.

Acacia sat down and faced her friend,   I'm worried sometimes that you care too much.  I'm worried bout you getting hurt.  I know cause it happens to me all the time.  I hate seeing others have to suffer through every hurt like I do.  I might be seeing things after all I've only known you a couple months, but I do think of you like a sister, like one I neve got to have growing up Acacia smiles, she hoped that helped.  That was what she was thinkin before she said it stupidly.

Charlie's quiet for a moment, watching her as she spoke...trying to decide what to make of what was being said to her, no doubt.  She was irritated herself at the world at the moment, and really should just be running it off, or banging away at the inside of the ship.

"I'm not sure what you mean by the idea that I'd be 'caring too much' for anything.  You think I should just be shuttin' down, maybe lettin' y'all crash and such?  Lemme tell ya...I care because that's all I can do.  I don't shoot guns, I'm not dealin' with our clients, I don't have my own shuttle'n run off to do my own business...all I've got's my caring.  I'm the one stoppin' to care whether we can give that lil' girl a life.  I'm the one worryin' about everyone else.  I'm the only one who's worryin' about the fact that we can't stay on this boat 'til we're all grey...maybe I'm the only one wonderin' if we'll make it t'grey.  I'm...ah, jeez, nevermind."  Charlie sighed, standing up and walking a few paces away from where Kale and Acacia were, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked out at the city at night.  "I'm sorry, I'm just...I'm just wound up.  I don't mean what I say, y'know?"

Kale stood up and walked over to Charlie, laying a protective and gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's good you care, Charlie.  You keep us sane up in the black, ain't no one sayin' that we don't appreciate it.  When it come down to it yer the heart of this here ship, ya hear me?" he offered her a smile, "An' I hear it ain't too healthy to have the heart all wound up."