Title: Untitled Firefly AU Fic Prologue
Rating: PG-13 so far
Genre: SciFi/Humor/Adventure
Characters/Pairings: Finchel, Klaine, Tartie, Puck/Vera (lol), Will, Brittany, etc.
Disclaimer: Glee is not mine, at all. No money is being made.
Author's note: Fill for a prompt on the fluff meme, to see how well this goes over/ if there's any interest/ if anyone wants to give me more ideas.
Words: 1000 so far

Summary: Captain Finn Hudson of the Serenityknew just a few things - he could count on his friend Tina after they'd survived the war together, Art was the best pilot in the galaxy, his step-brother Kurt was the best mechanic he could have hoped for ... and he was in love with Rachel, a professional Companion. Oh, and he was never taking human passengers again. Doctor Blaine Anderson-Pierce and his sister Brittany were way more trouble than any fare was worth.

"Art," Captain Finn of the Serenity, a Firefly-class vessel, cried as he swung through the doorway into the cockpit. "What in the Sam-hell is going on up here? The cattle are going nuts!"

Artie, steadfastly refusing to look away from his console or let go of the stick, grit through his teeth, "Alliance check-point up ahead, sir. I was tryin' to bring us in quiet and not like we're fleeing Revers like our lives depended on it."

Finn sighed and punched the comm above his head, "Guys, we've got a situation. Tina, I need you up here! Everyone else, strap down and stay calm." He almost let go of the button before remembering, "Oh, and Puck? Now would be a good time to stash Vera. You know she's banned goods."

"Fuck me," Puck muttered over the comm., making Finn roll his eyes.

Then another voice broke in, high and pissed off. "Art! What are you doing to my baby? You can't slow her down this quickly or she's gonna bust a hose or something!"

"Lay off him, Kurtie," Finn told his step-brother, who he unwisely (or wisely, depending on the day) had hired to be the ship's lone mechanic. "We've got trouble ahead. Tina, where are you?"

"Right here, Captain," the woman said, stepping over the bulkhead and into the room, grabbing onto one of the railings gracefully as Serenity shuddered and bucked despite Art's skills. "What's the trouble?"

"Alliance checkpoint," Art told his wife, sparing her the glance and tight-lipped smile he hadn't given Finn. "They're gonna figure out these cattle aren't stamped and taxed."

"Unless," Tina said, turning to Finn, "you remember that maneuver we pulled outside of Tarentun?"

"And by maneuver," Finn nodded, "you mean we bribed the shit out of the border guards?"

"Yes, sir."

"Not gonna work," Finn sighed. "We're dried up on credits. Unless Rachel decides to lend us the money, we can kiss this load goodbye. Might as well just jettison them now, before we get the whole operation confiscated."

"Maybe the new guy would like to help?" another voice asked from the doorway, looking right proper with his slicked-back hair and his vest. "I know I'm not up on this whole life-of-crime business, but I did manage to steal quite a bit of money from my parents before breaking Brittany out. I could loan you the money?"

Finn thought about Blaine's offer for a moment. He still didn't trust the guy, but Kurt seemed to like him well enough. Of course, Kurt liked any guy who was nice enough to him, even Finn awkwardly enough for a few months there. It wasn't a glowing endorsement to be sure, but Finn didn't know what else he could do.

"Fine," he nodded after a moment. "Hand over the credits and then have Rachel hide you and Britt in her shuttle. The less the Alliance knows about you two being on board, the better."

Blaine nodded and flipped a data stick Finn's way, making Finn feel all cool and useful when he caught it. "How much longer until we make contact?"

Art opened his mouth to respond when a crackle came over the communications rig and an older blonde woman's face showed up onscreen. "Firefly-class ship! You'll dock with us immediately for inspection, got it?"

"Uh, yes ma'am," Finn replied, cursing himself because she did not look like the type easily bribed. "Sure thing, ma'am."

"Call me ma'am one more time and I'll cut your appendix out and feed it to you, buddy," the Alliance officer replied harshly. "That's Commander Susan B. Sylvester to you, buddy."

"Oh, well if we're making introductions," Finn said, giving the lady his best friendly smile, "I'm Captain-"

The woman cut him off, saying, "Yeah, I don't care," and severing the link.

"Well, she seems nice!" Art quipped, looking up at Finn and then at his wife. "I'll be docking then?"

"You'll be docking," Finn nodded. "C'mon Tina. Let's get the rest of the crew and make a nice welcoming committee for the Commander, huh?"

"Yes, sir," Tina replied sarcastically with a little smirk. She always loved it when someone took Finn down a peg. "Whatever you say, sir."

Finn rolled his eyes and thanked whatever gods were listening that Tina was a much better fighter than she was a follower. On his way down to the cargo bay door, Finn passed Schuester, giving the open-mouthed preacher a quick, "Not now, Mr. Schue. We've got a bit of a situation. Maybe you'd better wait this out in the kitchen."

"I'm not useless," Schuester insisted, following as Finn banged on the door to Puck's bunk to get him to come out and look intimidating. "I could help … negotiate or something."

"Aw, that's sweet!" Tina said, lacing her arm with the preacher's. "Grandpa thinks he knows how to negotiate an under-the-table deal with the law man."

"I never married," Schue insisted, shaking his head and falling behind. Finn wanted to spare a moment's thought for the preacher who had become such a stabilizing presence so quickly, but he couldn't. Art would be docking with the Alliance cruiser any second.

Everyone except Art, Rachel, and the Anderson-Pierce siblings gathered in the cargo bay, waiting for Commander Sylvester to appear. At Finn's side, Kurt stuck out his tongue at the cattle behind them and whispered, "For such cute animals, they sure are smelly and disgusting. I prefer human passengers."

Behind them, Puck sniggered and said, "We all know you've got a hard-one for the Doc, Kurtie. Just shut up and do something about it already."

Kurt blushed but hissed back, "You sound jealous, Puck. What, the company of all those guns of yours isn't enough anymore?"

"Guys," Finn warned, feeling the deep groan of Art settling Serenity into place, "shut up! We can't be seen squabbling like a bunch of little kids."

Both men grumbled but stayed silent as the cargo bay door opened, revealing Commander Sylvester, in her tight Alliance uniform, and a shorter, slim brunette with killer lips and an evil-looking smirk. The commander started things off in a no-nonsense voice, saying, "Greetings unwashed miscreants. What have we here?"

Okay, so what did you think? Am I continuing? What should come next? What about a title? Thanks, guys!