"Madness? Have you looked at this scan carefully, Doctor? At his face? It's love, in point of fact. Something a good deal more dangerous." -The Operative
Love
Serenity had always been home, ever since Mal bought what she'd originally seen as a death-trap. The crew had come together and now, here they all were flying through Reaver space after desecrating the bodies of their friends. She had watched, back on Haven, as Mal prepared Book's body. He'd been quietly talking to the Shepherd, explaining things, telling him they needed him. Said it hurt him to do it. Truth was, all of them had been hurtin' from the moment they'd seen the destroyed Haven. Zoe sighed to herself as she moved into the cockpit, hoping Mal's plan continued to work.
"I aim to survive. Me and my crew." That was what he'd said, the very words he'd spoken as he knelt beside the Shepherd's body. Mal knew he'd been trying to justify the fact in his own mind rather than reassure anyone else. "Wishin' I didn't have to do this, but it's all we got..." He looked out over the recently burned ground, members of the crew scurryin' to follow his orders. Least he'd found one way to get 'em movin' fast... "It should've been me, Shepherd. Not you. We both know that. This ain't exactly my best plan, I know, but it's the only way we can make it to Miranda. I've thought on it and it's all we got." The Captain sighed to himself. He had work to do too. "It should've been me..." With that, he called Wash over. Movin' bodies took help.
The ship felt...contaminated. Desecrated. Still, it meant home and safety. Stepping off it made him nervous despite the scans and readings all coming back as normal. Gravity was Earth-norm. Atmosphere breathable. The planet seemed deserted for no reason. Every member of the crew was on edge; Simon could tell. He kept his focus on River until they moved into the city. He'd asked her what Miranda would show them. She'd said it would show death...but he'd never expected this. Everywhere, skeletons lay covered in ragged bits of slowly rotting clothing. His medical training took over, studying them objectively. No sign of injuries. No bones broken. No signs of pain at all. Just...death. He watched Kaylee move backwards, eyes widening. He tried to warn her, but his voice made her turn, made her face the closed room, the preserved bodies. Again, the doctor studied them objectively, part of him still wishing hard they were all back on the ship.
Touch
He knew without looking that the gentle touch on his shoulder was his wife. A soft smile crossed his face as his hands tightened around the controls, a brief moment of relaxation before his focus returned to the black surrounding them. They were flying through Reaver space, the whole ship shuddering as they led the Reavers right into the Alliance. Muscles strained as he fought to keep her steady, to get her out of the way of cannon fire. If this continued too long, he knew ache would settle in. Still, better to have aching arms and sore muscles than get caught.
All around them were explosions. Wash kept moving, putting the ship through some hard turns, avoiding enemy fire just in time. "I am a leaf on the wind...watch how I soar." They were almost through. He could feel it, would know it for sure even if he weren't seeing it, watching the Alliance ships and the Reaver ships continued to fight, providing a perfect distraction for Serenity to slip through.
"Chicken's come home to roost," Mal said, his focus outside the ship as well. The tension in the cockpit was thick, almost tangible. Wash could practically taste it. Something big hit the ship, causing Mal to sway, almost losing his footing. "What the hell?"
"It's okay," the pilot reassured, not looking away from the chaos they flew through. "I am a leaf on the wind." He pulled up, moving over the ships. They were getting there. Just a little farther. "We're almost through," he added, ignoring Mal's wonderings of his 'leaf on the wind.' No time to explain that now.
