The Serenity slipped sideways and tried to get lost in the asteroid field. Mal willed the ship to be silent and be graceful and invisible. He felt as though he could feel every small rock that bounced off her hull, and could almost see the Alliance Ship searching the area, out in the deeps outside the Field.
Wash's hands seemed to barely move as he coaxed the ship through tight corners with steering jets alone, trying to stay quiet and unseen as long as possible. His face was broken out with sweat and Zoë's hand on his shoulder was clenched tight but he seemed not to feel it at all. His concentration was on the instruments and on the screen, seemingly flicking from one to the other faster than any human could.
They had hit the wrong ship and Mal could curse his luck for choosing the one to hit. It had been a trap and he usually could smell them a mile away. Now he and the rest of his crew were all at bay , and being searched for by the Alliance heavy cruiser out there. He only hoped that they could get away. Suddenly the Alliance ship fired at one of the asteroids that had slung it self out of the belt and in their direction. Mal gaped as his mind suddenly kicked in high gear.
"Wash! Full power to all Engines! Get us out of here on a perpendicular course and sweep the rear with casualty mines!"
Wash seemed almost ready to object but when Zoë's hand tightened on his shoulder he complied muttering under his breath. The ship lurched away and out of the Field on the opposite side from the Alliance Cruiser. From it's rear streamed their newest acquisition, a set of special explosives created by an old friend of Mal's, Doc Edge. They were essentially Molotov Cocktails but designed for space explosion and designed to fragment the things they hit at high speed and in all different directions. As the Casualty Mines hit the field suddenly there were lots of rocks headed at the Alliance ship.
Mal whooped and clapped a hand on both Zoë's and Wash's shoulders.
"Good job! Now get us out of here and to Pax, so we can make repairs."
As they passed out of the area of space where the Alliance ship had been Mal smiled and patted the nearby side of the passageway. Once again Serenity had brought her crew through the darkness...
Wash's hands seemed to barely move as he coaxed the ship through tight corners with steering jets alone, trying to stay quiet and unseen as long as possible. His face was broken out with sweat and Zoë's hand on his shoulder was clenched tight but he seemed not to feel it at all. His concentration was on the instruments and on the screen, seemingly flicking from one to the other faster than any human could.
They had hit the wrong ship and Mal could curse his luck for choosing the one to hit. It had been a trap and he usually could smell them a mile away. Now he and the rest of his crew were all at bay , and being searched for by the Alliance heavy cruiser out there. He only hoped that they could get away. Suddenly the Alliance ship fired at one of the asteroids that had slung it self out of the belt and in their direction. Mal gaped as his mind suddenly kicked in high gear.
"Wash! Full power to all Engines! Get us out of here on a perpendicular course and sweep the rear with casualty mines!"
Wash seemed almost ready to object but when Zoë's hand tightened on his shoulder he complied muttering under his breath. The ship lurched away and out of the Field on the opposite side from the Alliance Cruiser. From it's rear streamed their newest acquisition, a set of special explosives created by an old friend of Mal's, Doc Edge. They were essentially Molotov Cocktails but designed for space explosion and designed to fragment the things they hit at high speed and in all different directions. As the Casualty Mines hit the field suddenly there were lots of rocks headed at the Alliance ship.
Mal whooped and clapped a hand on both Zoë's and Wash's shoulders.
"Good job! Now get us out of here and to Pax, so we can make repairs."
As they passed out of the area of space where the Alliance ship had been Mal smiled and patted the nearby side of the passageway. Once again Serenity had brought her crew through the darkness...