32051:
Unification Year 034:
Day 64:
Hour 1946.
Day before yesterday.
"Oh Gos Se!" The tall, slender young woman muttered despondently as she looked at herself in the mirror.
A small looking glass hung over an old style in-room washbasin that lay atop an equally antique vanity. She dabbed the cool damp cloth against the growing purple on her right cheek and cringed slightly at the sting. The orange glow of sunset shone through the window of her cheap room, diffused off the buildings across the narrow alley. It let in just enough light to tell her that this one was going to show. No amount of cheap makeup would hide this bruise.
The sounds of joy and indulgence filtered up from the saloon below, a piano rambled gaily, but the wayward Companion was anything but happy. Terra Reynolds didn't need this, on top of everything else that had happened that day. Another job had gone bad, another client breaching the terms of her carefully crafted contract, another town to run from. But this one would affect her next job for sure, that was if there was a next. No one wanted damaged goods and this bruise was getting dark by the minute. The yellow-green that would follow made her sick just thinking about it.
"Agh!" She uttered, her body shuddering with frustration. "Why now?"
Things weren't supposed to be this hard. People were supposed to treat her with respect. It was in the contract. But this was the third job to go bad since she shipped out with her brother's freighter and things didn't look to be getting any better. At least this time she'd gotten paid in full before she lit out of there. The young Companion could pay Captain Washburne her rent this month and that was a relief. Sixteen hundred wasn't cheap, for an oversized passenger module, and it wasn't looking good for next month. She had only one client lined up and now that would have to be delayed.
Terra pulled back her long black, curly hair into a loose bun and tied it with a thin veil. Since leaving the training house on Harvest nearly a year ago nothing had been quite as she expected. Life in space just wasn't the adventure she thought it would be. It was more about making ends meet than exotic worlds and elegant strangers. It was about reading your clients and knowing their intentions, understanding them before accepting the contract. It had nothing to do with romantic ideals.
Though she had expected to bring in less than what a fresh young Companion might bring in on Sihnon or even Harvest, a modest income of four to five thousand a month wasn't out of the question. That was far from her current reality of two and a half, if that.
She walked gracefully over to her packed bag and put a fold of Alliance bills in before zipping it closed. Maybe this would workout, in the long run. It had for her mother, but that was a long time ago. Things were different now, the Verse was a different place. This job had at least paid well, Still, it was not looking good for her – not just yet anyway.
A knock came on her door. That would be her ride.
"Nate." She started, as she unlocked the door. "Don't be …"
But it wasn't Nathan Serra that had knocked on the door. Instead two men she didn't know pushed their way in, pushing her along with them.
"Now where do you think you're goin, Darlin?" The small one asked, as the larger slipped behind her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You got paid to do a job – and you ain't done it yet."
"Mr. Castlebaum broke that contract when he laid his hand across my cheek." She demanded in a dignified and haughty tone. "Now let me go – or."
"Or what?" The man laughed knowingly. "I ain't seen no Guild Certification. Did you, Zeb?"
"No JT, I didn't."
"I …" Terra stopped.
They were right. They'd check up on her and now they knew. Terra was not registered. She left the House early and chased a dream that was now looking more like a nightmare. The girl was left open mouthed and speechless as she struggle against the larger man. Her heart started racing as she realized the trouble she was in. She really had no 'or else' to fall back on. This was trouble she could not handle.
"Boss told us to go fetch his money back." JT continued, as he closed the door and locked it behind him. "He was not too specific on how we was to be paid."
"No!" She cried, but her shout was stifled by the big man's hand as it clamped down on her mouth.
"Now where do you figure that money is Zeb?"
The smaller man grabbed the front of her dress and ripped it open, sending small round buttons flying around the room with a gentile rain-like clattering. Zeb pressed her down onto the bed as the little one pulled at her clothing, never intending to find the money. Terra wriggled and squirmed as hard was she could, but there was no escape.
"Dang, she's feisty." The larger complained.
JT undid his gun belt and tossed it on the fine cushioned chair by the window. He pulled up her dress and pried her knees apart, kneeling on the bed between them to keep them that way. Her stomach turned as he started undoing the buttons on his pants slowly, enjoying the panic in her eyes.
Oh God, oh God – Help me! But "Mmmm." Was all that came out from behind her muzzle.
The doorknob behind them rattled.
"What's going on in there?" A voice came from behind the door.
"This ain't any of your concern." JT snapped. "We're settling a contract."
"Ahhhhh! She got my Gorram finger!" Zeb started screaming.
Terra had managed to get her teeth around one of Zeb's fingers and bit down as hard as she could. He shook and shook, but she was clamped on good and tight.
"Stop it biao zi!" JT yelled as he jabbed her in the gut. Zeb's finger came loose.
"Uh!" She gasped. But her mouth was uncovered now and she took advantage of it. "Nathan!"
"Shut up, Lan-fu!" JT cracked her across the mouth with the back of his hand, splitting her lip.
Terra fell silent, but her scream had done its job. The door exploded open behind JT and a large man in a black duster kicked through it. Zeb went for his gun, but his bloody hand was too slow. The blast from the stranger's .44 classic caught him in the right shoulder, sending him reeling back against the wall where he slumped.
Terra immediately started clawing at JT's face and eyes until he fell from her to the floor. Jumping from the bed, she scrambled behind her brother, clenching the torn dress to her bare chest. Jake Tyler rose to find himself staring down the barrel of the 44 caliber, bull nosed revolver held by a steely eyed and very angry man. Nathan pulled the hammer back with a loud click, clenching his jaw tightly as his eyes narrowed.
"Nathan No!" Terra cried, as she pulled closed what remained of her dress. "It's not worth it."
He pressed the barrel of his gun to JT's petrified forehead.
"Let's just get out of here." Terra pleaded, pulling at his other arm. "Please."
"Go get their guns." He replied coldly.
Terra quickly fetched their weapons and gave them to her brother. Then she pulled a shawl around her head and shoulders, hiding both her damaged dress and bruised face. Calmly picking up her bag, she took Nathan by the arm and led him from the room.
Everyone in the hall below was staring at them as the two descended the stairs. But Terra, to her brother's continual amazement, remained as dignified as royalty. That was a quality he never possessed. He holstered his gun and they descended the stairs together and walked slowly to the Innkeepers counter. Nathan just glowered at the onlookers.
"This should cover what I owe you." Terra announced, with a smile that was so damn disarming it belied the fact that anything was wrong. She pressed another coin into his palm and added in a whisper. "One of my visitors will be needing medical attention. Please see that he is taken care of."
Nathan tossed the man a silver, wondering how she could remain so civil to the men that were going to rape her. "That's for the door. Do what you like with the trash inside."
And then they left.
"I can keep bailing you out like this, Terra." Nathan complained as he strapped into the shuttle seat.
Terra had been calmly listening to his litany of I told you so's for the quarter mile walk back to the shuttle without making a peep. The sky outside had turn from the glowing orange and pinks to a dull purple that matched her cheek almost exactly. Still, she said nothing.
Never once did she slip for her regal posture on their walk back. She held her shoulders back and her head high as the left to the south of town, onlookers whispering as they walked. She walked with her brother as if they were on a casual sunset stroll, not the hasty retreat they were actually pursuing. Not until she fell into the co-pilot's chair next to her brother, on the old, ramshackle cargo shuttle, did she lose all composure and descend into a fit of sobs.
This would be the time for it, Nathan figured. Companion training kicking in. First charm them, then pull at their heart and when that fails – cry. Defuse, deflect, soften and then in for the kill.
But that wasn't so and he knew it. Nathan could tell the difference between the-put on and the-real with Terra and these were real. She wasn't playing him this time. She was scared and hurt and embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, Nate." She blubbered, as she buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm …"
"Save it." Nathan cut, knowing he shouldn't have.
"Nate – I."
"What you don't seem to be comprehending here." He interrupted. "Is that when you break these contracts, it's reflecting on us, on Captain Wash, and she's got to go patch things up. She can't keep to fixin things up for you Terra. It's hurting business."
"I get it Nate." She snapped angrily, wiping away a real tear. "I get it."
"I don't know why Zoe even took you in." He mumbled, as he finished his prefight check.
The shuttle lifted off the dusty field that this small, back berth town used as a shuttle port and headed toward the setting sun. They would be off this moon in just a few minutes, but that wasn't soon enough for either of them.
"It's not all been that bad, Nate. I've opened plenty of doors." His little sister defended after a minute. "It's only been the two…"
"Three!"
She lowered her eyes. "Three." She whispered.
"Nate! What the Sam-Hell's goin on out there?" Zoe's voice interrupted from the Com. "I got Castlebaum grating my ears about a broken contract, the Sheriff talking about some wounded guy pressin charges and an Inn keeper sayin you bloodied up a room?"
Nathan calmly switched on the unit and replied. "If the contract's broke, he did the breakin. Terra's got the bruises to attest to that. Other guy went for his gun first and I met the Inn keep half way. Paid for the door."
Zoe's tone shifted. "She okay?"
"She'll survive. Always does." Nathan stated coldly. "Be at lock down in about five."
"Nate." Zoe sounded concerned. "I got any bodies to deal with?"
"No Captain." Nathan thought about how close he came to letting that hammer fall and pushed down the fresh bout of anger. "Not this time."
Terra sat quietly through the exchange, contemplating her situation. She'd managed to fasten enough of her clothing to make he brother feel less awkward, even though she was not prone to those feelings. They had been trained out of her a long time ago. What she couldn't overcome was the feeling of guilt for letting it get as far as it had, for endangering her brother and herself.
"Terra?" Nathan broke the silence as the shuttle finally broke Atmo. "Why' you doing this?"
"I need the work." She said. "I need the experience."
"What you need is the Certification." Nathan offered. "You're running too much risk out here with out Guild backing. When' they sending you your creds?"
"They're not going to." She muttered, after a short pause. "I'm not ready."
Nathan thought on that for a quick second.
"Your not ready or they're not ready to Cert you?"
"Both."
"Fu lao tian! Then why'd Ma send you?" Nathan paused for an answer that wasn't coming. Terra's eyes just stared at the console; empty, blank, not even looking to the stars as he could tell they were want to do. "Terra? Ma didn't send you?"
"No." Her voice was small, almost inaudible.
"Shen mu de tian ah! What the hell are you doing out here?"
"Nate – I can't do it. I thought I could but I can't." She rambled. "I can't just waste my life away pleasing other people. It's not me. It's not what I want."
"So you're running?"
"God - I don't know." She uttered in frustration. "I just had to get away from it. I had to leave Harvest."
"So what the hell are you whorin for?"
"It's all I know."
Nathan let the silence settle in for a time. He needed to chew on all of this for a bit and he could see his sister needed the time too. She needed to gather her feelings before they got back to Serenity.
"I want to do something with my life." She said after a moment. "Something with meaning, like Son Lee or Uncle Jayne."
Nathan nearly gagged. "Son Lee!? Son Lee Tam? What's she ever done?" Nathan's opinion of Government was shaped at an early age, by less accepting minds. Though Son was a friend, he had no use at all for what she did in life.
"Come on Nate. Look at what Persephone's like now. It could be a Core planet for all you'd know. She's done a lot."
"Well she's got Badger moved out to Verbena and that ain't nothing." He admitted. "And Jayne's got a lot of life to be makin up for. I don't see how that applies to you."
"No. Terra's had everything feed to her on a silver spoon all her life." She retorted sardonically. "What call does she have to want to make something of herself?"
"Don't get that way Terra, or you might could end up out here like me."
'And is that so bad?' She thought, but she knew a whole lot better than to argue that point with him.
To her, Nathan was a big brother. He was independent and capable. She revered him, looked up to him. God – she wanted nothing more than to be like him. But to Nathan, he was nothing. He hated what he was and she couldn't do anything about that. It hurt in her heart how he felt about life. He was better than that. He was good and honest and true. But he was a hard man – never cut her any slack.
"Why are you so hard on me Nate?"
'Cause you don't know what you got.' He thought. 'Cause you get everything you ever want and you don't know it or just don't care. Cause the whole damn Verse would turn itself inside out for you and it ain't ever enough.' God he could go on for a week. But why?
"Ma know where you are?" Was all he said.
"She's probably figured it out." The girl said. 'For all she cares.' "She's not a stupid woman."
"Terra, you're sixteen ta ma years old. If you ain't ready, you gotta go back."
"No! – Nathan!" Her startled, panicked eyes locked on his. "I can't do that. I can't."
"Then you gotta tell her what you want."
Terra shook her head slowly, contemplating the thought before it came out. Her eyes glistened with the tears that she held back and she bit on her lip, but her voice was controlled, calm.
"I can't do that either, Nate. She don't love me like she does you. You could tell her and she would listen. She loves you for who you are, not what she can make you into."
"That ain't so." Nathan retorted.
"Yes – it is. If I tell her that I don't want this life…" She stopped, gathering her self-control. "She won't have any reason to love me at all."
"What are you talking about?"
"You've seen her with Aunt Kay's youngest. She loves that girl like her own."
"Like she does you."
"Cause Shannon wants what Ma wants." She yelled.
"So tell her what you want." He yelled right back.
"I – Can't!"
"So you're just going to run?"
"Like you haven't been running since daddy died."
She regretted saying it as soon as it left her lips. The hurt in his face was impossible for him to hide. She bit her lip, but it was too late. Nathan fell silent. He could never argue with the truth, not even when it was his snot nosed little sister that had thrown it at him.
"Nate – I'm sorry." Her tears were fresh and real.
"No." He said quietly. "You're right."
Serenity grew larger in the windshield of the shuttle as they grew closer. They sat, nothing more to say to each other. The two of them were tapped out, hurt, lonely, flawed and running from themselves. There was no place left to go.
"What' we gonna do, Nate?" Terra let her language slip, sounding more like the Harvest farmers they'd grown up with than a Companion she pretended to be. "What' we gonna do?"
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