So I started work on this story in February this year, and finished it this week. I was doing good for a few weeks, then found myself completely stuck. I didn't open the file for close to 6 months.
I had a problem about 15,000 words in and about 9 months later I figured, I'm committed to my idea, I don't want to fix it, I should just push through and finish it.
And so, without further ado, this takes place roughly 1 month after the events of 'A Clear River'.
I do not own Firefly/Serenity or any of its characters.
River knelt in the middle of an empty room. Shoji covered the walls around her and the room was silent as she sat motionless, her eyes closed, concentrating on her breathing. She leaned forward, her fingers firmly planted into the Tatami beneath her. She wore a tank top, and a loose pair of pants; both tattered and grayed from extensive washing and use. Her hair was tied back, several braided strands within' the single tie.
The room in which she sat was on the uppermost level of Inara's training house on Sihnon. After her ordeal with Niska's son, Mal had promised her a vacation and while she merely mused over the prospect of time away, he was serious about her taking time to herself. Inara arranged for her and River to spend 14 days at the house. While Inara had given her full run of the compound, River spent nearly all of her time in this single room, leaving only to get food.
The calm and absolute isolation offered by this single room granted her unrivaled peace; the thoughts of the numerous companions in training just far enough away that they didn't intrude on her own thoughts. She shifted her weight, bringing her body and legs over her head propping herself into a handstand; her light-weight easily supported through her fingers. She lowered her right foot to the ground, then her left and with a gentle push lifted herself vertical.
She took a deep breath before slowly bending backwards, her fingers once again digging into the mats as she pushed off with her toes bringing her feet over her head and back to the floor behind her. Her body followed and she once again found herself kneeling. Her breathing slowed within seconds and her mind had never been so clear.
A bell rang out signifying it was 900 hours and breakfast was served. River made her way to a piece of Shoji which silently slid open revealing a small and ornate bedroom. The décor was Asian inspired, simple, yet elegant. She changed into one of the several outfits Inara had gotten for her from the house's stock and undid her ponytail before making her way to one of the dining rooms in the lower levels of the compound.
While the companions in training were made-up to look like they had been crafted from porcelain, River happened to meet the criteria naturally. She collected a few pieces of fruit from the serving tables and made way back to her room. On her way, she passed several classrooms and stopped occasionally, her expression dictating her fascination as she observed the various training sessions. She moved on every few minutes until finally coming to the stairs back to her room.
-
Aboard Serenity, Mal had taken on flight responsibilities while River was away and being a bit rusty, wasn't quite as delicate as her which led Serenity to require a few repairs throughout. The crew had been on Persephone for 4 days while Badger and Mal tied up loose ends with some of Badger's clients. Ever since Badger's life and business had been stripped of him, he was significantly humbled. He had always thought a great deal of himself and significantly less of Mal, but when Mal agreed to take him in, he saw there was still a lot to learn about the captain.
They walked through the Eavesdown docks on the way to their next meeting, "I gotta tell ya Mal, I appreciate what you're doin' for me."
"Ain't nothin' Badge. Ya did right by me and I appreciate that."
"Was the right thing ta do."
"I gotta ask, you coverin' fer me, the protein shipment to Whitefall, you find god'er somethin'?" Mal asked.
"Nah, nothin' like that. I just got tired of it is all. Too many people dyin' 'round me."
Mal smiled slightly, "People that can pay?"
"Somethin' like that." Badger replied with a smile.
Mal and Badger came to their final destination; the home of Sir Warrick Harrow. Harrow never cared for Badger but he did find Mal to be an interesting character.
"This ain't gonna be good. I reckon he don't like me much."
"I might actually be on'is good side. Gave him a laugh when I stabbed that hun-dan Wing."
Mal rang a bell at the gate to Harrow's compound and was greeted by none other than Sir Harrow's voice, "Can I help you?"
Always on his best behavior when conducting business with such a high-ranking individual, Mal replied, "Good afternoon Sir Harrow, Captain Reynolds here."
"That you Mal? I haven't heard from you in quite some time." Harrow replied.
"Not since I dropped a herd'a cattle for you on Jiangyin. You've been well I trust?"
"Not much happening these days I'm afraid."
"I'm sorry ta hear that, would you mind a little company?"
"Is anyone with you?"
Mal cringed as he replied, "Badger…"
Harrow fell silent for a moment. A professional man such as himself wouldn't state his blatant distaste for Badger more-or-less directly to him. He sighed before replying, "Yes please come in, but we must be brief."
Mal and Badger entered Harrow's home and proceeded to discuss the details of their situation with him. It didn't take much for him to see that Badger was not the man he remembered. To call him broken would have been a dramatic understatement.
"I'm afraid business has been slow these days Mal, I do however have something that might interest you."
"We're open for anything." The captain replied.
"I have a 1-year contract I need to fulfill; simple movement of goods, planet-to-planet; perfectly legal and legitimate. However, due to my status…" Mal finished for him, "…all of your contracts are filled in secret."
Harrow nodded and continued, "Drops are made at a designated location and time; no interaction required. If you'd like to take on the deliveries, which are to occur monthly, the payment would be fairly substantial."
"You'll understand that I have to ask, what type of goods are we moving?" Mal asked.
"Medical supplies and protein shipments to border moons and planets. All of the goods are paid for and marked for delivery. As I said, it's perfectly legal."
Mal couldn't conceal his smile at the prospect of honest and hassle-free work, "Perfectly legal, no interaction, sounds ta me like you have a deal old friend."
"Very good then." Harrow replied contently.
"So it's a monthly job. As in consistent payment?" Badger asked.
"Indeed. Since my trust is in Mal here to complete the work, I'll also see to it that your ship stays in repair this year as well."
Mal's eyes lit up. Having Serenity's maintenance costs taken care of, Kaylee could get the ship in perfect working order, "Oh we most definitely have a deal Sir Harrow." Mal replied.
-
Back at the training house, River's legs were in seemingly impossible bends and her body perched in various states of seemingly impossible balance as she practiced somewhat of a routine. The door to her room opened revealing a servant girl, "There is a wave for you miss."
River relaxed her body, her foot falling to the mat and her hands to her sides, "Sheh-sheh."
River entered her room and sat at a desk to answer the wave, it was Simon, "Good morning mei-mei!"
River smiled at the sight of her brother, "Nihao-ma. How is everything?"
"Well let's see, Mal broke Serenity, Jayne and Zoe are out trading guns, and Mal just called from the home of one Warick Harrow."
"The cow man?"
Simon laughed slightly, "The one and only. Apparently the captain secured us a deal that will keep us busy for 12 months as well as fund Serenity's maintenance and repairs."
River giggled, "Kaylee's already searching for parts isn't she?"
"Indeed she is. Soon as everyone's back we're going to head out to Sihnon to pick you two up."
"Oh good." River sighed in relief.
"Is everything alright?"
"Oh, everything is fine, I'm just homesick. This time has been good for me. Sleeping hasn't been a problem and filtering out a room full of companions is almost reflexive."
"That's great to hear." Simon replied with a smile.
Simon's head turned away from the screen bringing River to ask, "Simon?"
"I think Kaylee just came back. I should probably run in case she needs help with anything. We'll get in touch again tonight, I'll see if I can get everyone together. You know we all miss you mei-mei."
Simon and River exchanged good-byes and she switched off the screen. She sat for a moment saddened at being without her family. She stood and turned to leave the room and as she raised her hand to move the door, it slid slightly without her ever touching it.
Minor shock overtook her as she closed her eyes and took a step back in awe of what had just happened. She opened her eyes and again raised her hand to the door, though this time it failed to move. Her disappointment was written all over her face and she proceeded to physically push the door the rest of the way and walk back into the tatami room. Again she knelt in the center of the room and closed her eyes in concentration.
Did she really just move the door with her mind?
-
On Serenity, Simon had descended to the cargo hold to help Kaylee but when he got to there, he found someone else had entered the ship.
Since he had been spending time by himself aboard Serenity for the past two weeks, he had grown accustomed to keeping a weapon on him. At the sight of the individual who had boarded, he reached behind him, retrieved the gun and held it on him.
The fury in the doctor's eyes was immeasurable, "What the hell are you doing here?"