Can't Take the Sky From Us:

A Firefly Fanfiction Episode Collection

Dead or Alive, Part 2:

Act IV

He patches a wave to Serenity directly.

Again and again... Mal calls out over it, "Inara? What the gorram hell is going on?! Inara! !"

Private Declan has recently come in.

He kind of rushes in...with the bars of the mobile assistive bars unit like a cold pendulum as it hums in the back of his mind and the sharp pain kicks up a notch.

He catches himself by the kitchen counter.

Kind of out of breath... Private Declan starts to wonder, "what?! What did I...?"

As Private Declan turns sharply to him...he then sees Mal's face. A faint tear is there.

Private Declan's annoyance vanishes altogether.

He takes a deep breath.

Sounding very uneasy... He questions, "Mal...what in god's name has got you all worked up?"

Mal briefly turns back to the TV frame, only to see it's still with a lost holographic screen.

He nervously gulps a little, still holding the two way radio in one hand.

After a bit... Mal answers him, "Everton, this is my crew. I don't gěi gǒu pìgu 'bout The Alliance. But, that's my crew in that fire!"

Grumpily, Private Declan mutters back, "well tee wuh duh pee-goo Mal: I only walk in and out so fast on these gorram unificated bars!"

Even so... That gets a faint uneasy chuckle out of Mal and him.

Around then, back on Verbena...

Bits of ash and debris rain down in fire and burning tent sheets.

Smoke all around. Violent coughing. Fading out screams and passing out thuds.

But, amidst the smoke and fire... A arm tears through the tent with great ease.

River crawls out from under...making out more than smoke under the holding center of the tent.

She's quick to get to her feet.

She's ignoring some of her violent coughing from the smoke while still holding her half burnt bumblebee plushie in her other arm. Her vision hasn't seemed to even waver yet.

But, with a massive headache...the voices in her head sure aren't helping.

The center of the tent is starting to burn.

Flames are running up the Verbena bushes. Heat is rushing over the unsuspecting bees in the transparent bee farms.

With the buzzing of the bees... River's voices seem to fade off.

But, that's not all that has caught her attention that fades the voices off.

For, by the very center...there's several unburnt concession stands.

With a bright smile... River runs to them.

She picks up some burnt rings from the ground. She keeps running.

River puts down the plushie on one of the concession stands, freeing both hands.

In just seconds, she carts over some of the wheeled concession stands around to face her.

She gets in the middle of them. And then...she takes aim with the two rings.

Some branches burn down to the ground. The tent's center is coming down.

But, just as quickly... Two by two... The rings bounce off the back of the concession stands...fast and hard from one glass water tank to another.

And, River says to herself, "purple elephants are flying now."

The tanks burst open...unleashing gallons of water across the tent.

The transparent bee farms are knocked up on their sides, tumbling on the ground.

River tries to outrun the water.

But...even she is knocked to the ground.

She falls unconscious on her side.

But, as she does...

She can hear happy buzzing. She can faintly hear steady breathing. And, she faintly smiles.

A hour or so later...

By some parted Verbena bushes... There's some propped up tents: Set up a few hours ago.

Aside from a nasty bruise on the side of his head, Book seems no worse for wear. But, his prayers tell a different tale.

Along a eerily silent bend of dirt path... Book prays over the dead body of a elderly man.

A crowd of folk is gathered near, bent over in prayer too.

Book pulls the sheet over the elderly man's head. Then, he moves on to the next body. There's a long row of them on white sheeted stretchers, stretching out from one dirt path to another.

A patrol of fourteen Companion police officers and Alliance police officers are gathered outside the tents, armed with sonic rifles ready if necessary for stopping another bombing.

Inside the tents... There's white sheeted stretchers with a lot of critically injured people. There's monitoring equipment: The best The Alliance can buy.

Doctor, patient... Their clothes are dirty, dripped with dark red liquid. Ash soot is everywhere.

Simon has a nasty bruise on the back of his head. But, he's gotten the doctors to get him some medication from his medical bag for the high dizziness and mild nausea.

And, after a half hour with otherwise no complications... He convinced them he can help.

Simon is currently bandaging a drooping over woman around a burnt chest wound. Dark red liquid from the wound is seeping into the heavy duty bandages as he bandages it up with a pack of ice.

A Doctor grade Companion with short black hair, a Alliance doctor with medium black hair, and a Doctor grade Companion with medium curly dark blond hair are also in this tent: Seeing to the critically injured.

With help from administering rounds of Moxoceline B... They and several other doctors in the tents are extracting shards of metal and fiberglass without most of their patients feeling much a thing.

But, some shards are more curved...which can be a delicate and time consuming procedure.

Many patients have fallen unconscious with first degree and second degree burns, drooping over and breathing through respirators.

In a second tent... Zoe and Wash have recently come to. But, the doctors are too busy seeing to the critically injured at the moment to realize it.

Finding he's not seriously injured much... Wash turns over on his side with a moderate groan.

Facing Zoe... He is quick to ask, "what the hell just happened?! Why are we...?"

With a sympathetic hand on his, Zoe gets him to relax a little.

Without a second thought...Zoe figures, "Concussion bomb. Probably tied into the skiffs's gas or under the stage. Planet side remote trigger."

Wash moderately sighs. He reasons, "probably. It looks like you were right. But, that doesn't really make me feel any better."

Zoe admits solemnly, "me neither. When we're sure on our feet again, we should get off Verbena and check on Jayne and Mal."

Wash concludes, "yeah. Wherever Mal is, I hope they're doing better with our getting rich."

Zoe adds, "so do I, Wash. More curly carrots and one locked up for good Saffron. Now there's a bright side we can count on."

Wash and Zoe faintly smile at that thought.

Outside, by the fair grounds...

Most folks aren't sticking around here for long. They're making off with whatever they can recover in pairs and carrying them by hand to bring back to their cabins planet side.

Inara looks to the decimated burnt down tents and stage.

Some tears fall from her face.

She sniffles hard, struggling to keep it together within sight of the folks around.

There's so many shards of fair game booths and Alliance skiff parts. So many dead bodies taken away...and yet so many still on the ground of young children and teenagers.

A elderly farmer is on the ground, hugging his dead wife and silently sobbing to himself.

Inara closes her eyes. She can't take it anymore.

She was hoping someone would want to come to her: Someone she could help as a Companion. But, all it's done is gravely remind her that any chance of that tonight has gone up with the explosion.

She fast walks back for one of the triage tents.

Getting worried, Inara checks, "how is Kaylee?"

With a sympathetic hand on hers... A Doctor grade Companion there answers, "she'll be ok, Inara. Faint chuckle."

Inara reasons uneasily, "you know, that doesn't sound very assuring."

The Doctor grade Companion leads her to Kaylee, lying on a stretcher.

She seems to be sleeping soundly: Even with a nasty bruise in her side and some stitches where there was a metal shard stuck in her other shoulder.

The Doctor grade Companion uncovers a purple swirled blanket...from Kaylee's firefly plushie.

It has some metal shards sticking out. Torn up stuffing is all over.

Inara checks her vitals.

She faintly smiles to herself, knowing her pulse is steady.

The Doctor grade Companion points out, "it looks like the plushie got the worst of it. We don't know how it happened to. But, she's going to make it. Even the plushie can be easy to fèng."

Inara faintly nods, "thank you."

She sounds kind of puzzled. But, she does sound relieved.

The Doctor grade Companion moves on to other patients.

With a little startle... Kaylee then comes to.

Beamingly... She says, "Inara."

Teary eyed in very mixed relief... Inara faintly smiles back. She says, "Kaylee."

She hugs her close. Kaylee hugs her back.

After a bit, they then pull away.

Uncertainly, Kaylee wonders, "I'm happy to see you too. But...what happened while I was out?"

Inara breaks the news to her, "a bomb went off. Hundreds are dead. We're fortunate to be alive."

Kaylee gets teary eyed.

She asks, "who would do such a horrible thing?"

With a assuring hand on hers... Inara figures, "we don't know. But, Lieutenant Quillian and the other federal officers are looking into it."

Around then, back in a certain tent...

River comes to on a stretcher.

She's faintly smiling to herself in mixed amusement over the discovery Inara made, which she catches from Inara's mind.

Simon thanks the Doctor grade Companion with short black hair. She's cleaning both of their tools quick so they can go onto the next patients with first and second degree burns being brought in.

She pauses a bit to faintly nod with a faint smile.

The Doctor grade Companion with medium curly dark blond hair is about to call Simon over to River...when the Alliance doctor comes back in with two Alliance police officers carrying a stretcher.

A faintly familiar looking officer is lying unconscious under a dark red liquid soaked sheet.

The Alliance Doctor calls out to Simon, "Doctor! Over here."

Very uneasily... Simon goes over to the already being set down stretcher.

Simon is quick to realize, "Commander Tanaka. I thought I had already...!"

The Alliance Doctor points out, "you did. But, when we tried to extract some fragments... Heavy sigh. It caused internal bleeding when small fragments moved up his bloodstream. We fired the doctor responsible."

Simon starts to mutter under his breath, "son of a..."

He sighs kind of nervously, realizing what kind of officers he's around right now.

He figures, "all right. I'll get started."

Coldly, the Alliance Doctor mutters, "good. Don't be like the last one."

Simon mutters back, "yes. Thank you."

He's already prepping some monitoring equipment for Commander Tanaka, beginning to isolate where the shards are exactly in the bloodstream on the monitor.

With a sympathetic hand on hers... The second Doctor grade Companion tries to assure River, "it'll be ok. You're among friends here."

With a very faint smile... River firmly says, "I know. I know I am."

Meanwhile...

Lieutenant Quillian is walking down a dirt path, coming around a town square lined by cabins.

Most of the folk are turning in for the night because it's that late.

But...their angry mutterings and faint tears are so close to being a mob. And, Lieutenant Quillian nervously does her best to look away as she continues on her way.

A torn brown coat is on the ground, covered in red paint. Some little Alliance flags are scattered.

On the torn up brown coat... It says, "gorram browncoats. There will be blood."

Lieutenant Quillian can't help but look at it.

She puts on some white gloves.

A tear falls from her face.

She takes the brown coat, carrying it in her gloved hands on her way.

After passing through a few more grim looking towns... She comes up to a cabin.

With a free hand, she opens the door. She goes in.

The cabin turns out to be a police office among several: One for each town.

A grayish white Alliance forensics holo-scanner is in one room, taking up the whole ceiling. It's shining bright light over the remnants of a badge, two brown coats, and one dead body in one of the brown coats: All of which are on the metal floor.

Lieutenant Quillian places the brown coat in her hands in a wooden evidence bucket off to the side of the door. She then places the gloves on a lieutenant's desk to be cleaned in the morning, like they usually are for The Alliance's forensics until they give out.

A small metal barred cell for one inmate is in the corner. A handcuffed man with skeevy looking medium blond hair is lying on the cold grated metal bed, sleeping and down to a black undershirt.

He looks like he was beaten up recently after the cuffs came on.

As she starts to sit down... Lieutenant Quillian politely says, "Lieutenant Grayson."

The lieutenant sitting at the desk politely says back, "Lieutenant Quillian."

His eyes are piercing. He has medium frontless black hair.

Looking on edge as she often does with him... Lieutenant Quillian is in a wood chair facing him.

Lieutenant Quillian inquires, "what about our bounty hunters?"

A black and white picture is on his gray computer monitor. It's of a skeevy looking medium black haired man in a brown coat named Mather: Nicknamed The Grunter Shock. His favorite weapon was a electrically charged crossbow: Black market issue, and known for causing permanent seizures or instant death more often than not.

He was known across the Verse for being paid off for shocking murders. But, the computer classifies him as deceased: In big gray letters, bordered around by the colors of The Alliance.

Lieutenant Grayson moderately sighs. He answers, "the same one who was about to pull a gun? He was killed in the explosion. We interrogated his partner Jonah. But, he was far from cooperative."

Lieutenant Quillian observes, "I can see that as soon as I came in."

Lieutenant Grayson mutters lowly, "we beat on the gorram bounty hunter, and he was still laughing! He kept going on about how sticks of dynamite would look up our buttholes."

Surprisingly light... Lieutenant Quillian comments, "and why are you mad over a gorram bounty hunter? You couldn't keep peace with him. Faint laugh. Far as I'm concerned, you can keep him locked up until the rats get to him."

With a very faint smile... Lieutenant Grayson comments back, "I just want to see justice done: Which is the only thing we agree on, lieutenant."

Looking back on edge... Lieutenant Quillian mutters, "yeah. So let's get to business. What about that first forensic holo-scan?"

With some contempt... Lieutenant Grayson answers, "we found where the remote trigger signal came from. I just know you're not going to like it, which means more of your "little" annoyances."

Lieutenant Quillian is quick to point out, "it will either way."

Lieutenant Grayson reveals, "we holographically reconstructed the remote trigger from the wreckage and narrowed down the range. The signal was traced back to one of our shuttles...in the Verbena sub-system off of Verbena. You know what that means."

Lieutenant Quillian comments, "you're right. I don't like it."

With a sharp glare... She adds, "this is going to add more fuel to the fire, and you know it."

Lieutenant Grayson reasons, "I'll take two teams and go to the retirement homes: Both with Companion federal officers and Alliance federal officers. We'll say we're searching for a third bounty hunter until we know the truth. Is that enough for you, lieutenant?"

Lieutenant Quillian's glare softens a little.

She concludes, "I got a bad feeling about this. But, it's a hopeful start."

Lieutenant Grayson gets out of the chair.

He figures, "then it's time I start off."

He starts out, getting out his sonic rifle from a big desk drawer.

Lieutenant Quillian very faintly smiles to herself.

She's checking if her sonic rifle is loaded with charges before heading out herself.

Not very long after...

Back in the first tent... Commander Tanaka is awake and ranting like mad, even with being kind of short of breath and very pale from the loss of blood.

Commander Tanaka rants, "then get me someone who will! Get Lieutenant Grayson, gorramit!"

With nervousness... A Alliance police officer tries to explain, "but Grayson has just gone with a team to check the Browncoat retirement homes. He can't be gotten yet. Alliance orders, commander!"

Commander Tanaka rants on, "gorram Browncoats. We should have bombed them when we had the chance! Gorramit, we should've wiped them out after the war before they bombed us back!"

He doesn't even notice the Alliance police officer leaving the tent to go get back the Alliance doctor in a hurry to try to get him to calm down.

Serenity's cargo ramp is open.

Book, Simon, and Inara are heading for the ramp. Wash and Zoe are already in.

River and Kaylee are also heading in, carrying their plushies under their arms.

Simon pauses.

Book checks, "you all right, son?"

Uneasily... Simon brings up, "not really. I saved a psychotic commander from death who would turn me and River in soon as he could."

Book considers, "you were willing to save a dying man that might not be innocent. That makes you a better man."

Sounding a little better... Simon says, "you're right. I...I just hope it's not the last."

Book points out, "that's living, son. That's just living."

With a uneasy laugh... Simon adds, "I'm sorry. That doesn't really help. But, thank you."

Book puts a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Then, he solemnly walks on the ramp ahead.

Teary eyed... River mumbles cryptically to herself, "not bee. Stinger. A mad prince in brown."

Trying not to have River think about death... Kaylee wonders, "what about your bumblebee?"

With a faint chuckle... River faintly remarks, "it'll be ok. It looks a little better in red."

More solemnly... Kaylee admits, "well, I hope this doesn't turn to more fighting. Faint sniffle. The Browncoats already had one big fight."

River comments sadly, "they're not better in washing up red." Kaylee adds, "true."

Reading Kaylee's sadness...River is quick to change the subject herself.

Just to check... River asks Inara, "the bees?"

Inara pauses, turning to her.

She faintly smiles. And, she tells River, "miraculously ok. Some water tanks were hit by the fire first. Everyone hurried with the water with the other tents and got all the bees out."

Kaylee very faintly smiles. She says, "that's one little miracle all right."

And, faintly smiling knowingly in River's direction... Simon interjects, "yes. It is a miracle."

River, Kaylee, Simon, and Inara faintly smile to each other.

Soon, all of them walk into Serenity...with the ramp closing behind them.

Meanwhile, back on a certain Verbena moon...

Mal is finishing packing up some canned rations and fruit in a sack. He's got his loaded shotgun on his holster and his two way radio down in the sack.

There's footsteps. There's soon a hard knock.

On the other end... Lieutenant Grayson calls out, "we don't want any trouble, Everton Declan! We're just looking for a bounty hunter that might have stowed away in your house."

Determinedly... Private Declan calls back, "gorram feds! You'll never shoot my good side!"

Without question... He and Mal are fast walking for the back.

A sonic blast crumples the door to rubble.

Mal mutters to himself, "uh-huh. Gorram feds."

Mal puts down the sack to draw out his Winchester 1300 shotgun.

He shoots out the left on Alliance dedicated source box.

It explodes in smoke and little fires. It sets off the sprinklers.

And, much to their frustration... Lieutenant Grayson's team find their sonic rifles shorted out when they try to fire again.

One of the officers mutters under his breath, "yen guo duh hwai dan!"

Past the smoke...Mal faintly chuckles to himself.

He puts away his shotgun and quickly grabs up the sack. He runs for the left open back door.

Out back, just by a moon crater... Private Declan's rustic brownish gray shuttle from the Unification War days is sputtering and humming to life.

Private Declan urges to him, "come on, Sergeant. Come on!"

Mal firmly nods.

He runs in through the closing shuttle door. The shuttle's engines start flaring up.

And, just when Lieutenant Grayson's team has come out...the shuttle takes off.

Mal leaves the sack in the back of the shuttle.

After catching his breath a little... He goes over to strap himself in in the co-pilot seat.

Mal checks, "did you find our man?"

Private Declan reports, "he'll be at the central factory tomorrow at 2100 with enough grenades to get your crew out of federal custody. He said it weren't advisable now. Aside from some bruises, they're all expected to be ok come morning. At least, that's what he said over the Cortex to tell you. But, by then, they'll be aiming to take them into custody. God, I hate The Alliance."

With a hint of nervousness in his voice... Mal concludes, "yeah. On another hand...they're sure not looking to hurt them if they don't got to. That buys us some mighty fancible time."

He's planning a flightpath on the acetate sheet tinted floor plan like readouts of black, red, and brown.

Mal supposes, "we touch down on a forest in Verbena. No way in hell they'll search for us two there at this time of night. Even the Alliance has to sleep."

Sounding a little better... Private Declan faintly remarks, "good. It'll be like the old days."

Mal admits, "I kind of wish it weren't. But, at least I have you to cover me Everton."

Private Declan insists, "no problem, Sergeant. You'd do the same for me."

With a firm smile, Mal concludes, "I reckon you're right."

The shuttle starts circling around the darker side of the planet Verbena, disappearing behind it.

Around then, back on Serenity...

Shaken... Inara is in the co-pilot's seat. She's going over Mal's message:

Inara? What the gorram hell is going on?! Inara! !

She stops the message with the press of a button when she hears footsteps.

But, when Zoe and Wash come in, she still looks shaken.

Zoe is quick to ask, "are we interrupting? You look like you've just walked through hell."

Wash adds, "well honey, we've all been. What matters is we're still living."

Zoe whispers to him, "Wash baby, maybe now ain't the time to..."

Inara faintly smiles, trying to be assuring. But, her eyes are teary.

With a quick answer...Inara says, "does the name Private Everton Declan sound familiar to you?"

With a faint chill down her spine... Zoe realizes, "yeah. It does. He and Mal grew up together on Shadow. Faint chuckle. Was even trying to get on the same battalion in the war...'cept Everton was so by the book that he wouldn't take a piss or tie his shoes without being told he could."

Inara and Wash can't help but faintly chuckle at that.

After a awkward bit though... Inara admits, "well, Zoe... Deep sigh. I'm sorry to tell you this. But, he's wanted dead or alive by The Alliance."

There's a brief uncomfortable silence.

Then... Wash speaks up, "wait a minute guys. What's the big deal? We just reach Mal and Jayne on the Cortex and we go rabbiting: Have Mal get his own bearings."

Zoe sharply concludes, "Mal or Everton would do the same for me, Wash. I'm staying."

Wash mutters under his breath, "ohh, kwong-juh duh. We were about ready to get off this planet. But, ok: The hell with me!"

He waves up his arms with the last part.

Inara tries to apologize, "I'm sorry, Wash."

Wash starts storming out. But, he just as quickly turns around.

Kind of lightly... Wash insists, "no, it's okay. I'll get over it. Walking through hell, right?"

Kind of sarcastically, Zoe comments, "yeah. Thanks, Wash." Wash adds, "anytime, Zoe."

He noisily walks down the steps and down the hall.

Inara looks faintly amused. Zoe just faint shakes her head, looking even more amused.

Late in the morning, on Bellerophron...

The sun shines over the Bellerophron sea.

But, even over Bellerophron, it has its fair share of shooting galleries: Not all holographic either.

Only the red, white, and yellow striped bullseyes and the moving targets are.

Several gray lantern styled plazas are on their own hovering island. Barely a tree to be seen.

Inside... There's wooden crates and wooden screens in between. There's rich folk in all black or all gray, bringing in their most prized guns.

They're popular with the teenage sons of rich men. Sometimes they even bring their daughters.

And, inside one of these plazas... There's Saffron and Jayne.

Jayne is wearing his clothes from earlier. Saffron has on a open near white bluish leather jacket over cloudy white, a near white bluish pair of five inch high heels on a feeling all her own, a goldish chained amulet with a central white sun of the Verse, and dark blue jeans.

Saffron is shooting off some rounds with Vera. Yet, the gold bullet like things in the back of Vera seem to be missing.

Against the stark gray wall with a painted on rocky hill... She shoots off one...three...five... Then nine of ten whizzing by holographic army men in crumply trashbag uniforms and brown coats.

The hit ones ding and seem to evaporate in water. The last just wavers off.

Jayne smiles brightly. Saffron faintly smiles back as she hands him back Vera.

Tilting her head slightly up... Saffron then points out, "you know, you kind of smell."

Sounding off put, Jayne exclaims, "aw, give me a rutting break! I've been on watch on the ship for three nights. 'sides, I thought you liked men going all heroic."

She faintly rolls her eyes.

She then tilts her head back to look straight at him, with a smile with closed lips.

Sounding both amused and not... Saffron explains, "I said you don't know how hard it is for me to see myself as more than just playing parts. A bath wouldn't kill you. But, you're all right."

Sounding a little confused... Jayne just adds, "thanks."

Saffron just adds, "sure."

He shoots off the last round himself.

Against the stark gray wall with the rocky hill... He shoots off two...five...seven... Then eight of ten whizzing by holographic army men in crumply trashbag like uniforms and browncoats.

The hit ones ding and seem to evaporate in water. The other two just waver off.

Jayne grins to himself. But, this time, Saffron has a more blank expression.

Jayne puts away Vera.

They start walking off together down a turn in a very dark gray hall...when he pauses.

He outright asks her, "what you looking at me like that for?"

With a raised eyebrow... Saffron observes, "I might have had short visits to Serenity. But, I know you're missing part of Vera. Care to tell your girlfriend?"

Kind of awkwardly brushing it off... Jayne figures, "well... Faint laugh. They're magnetic latch custom grenades. I can load them in the mounted grenade launcher. Originally came with Vera. They got a ruttin' ton of flash and acid. But, I figured I got no need so far to use them none."

With a wide grin... Saffron comments, "impressive."

All too confidently... Jayne goes, "damn right I am."

Saffron faintly laughs. She figures, "too bad you figured you had no need to get them out. We could of burn off a lot of safes with that kind of ammo and grab millions for ourselves easy."

With a smirk... Jayne figures, "well, when you put it that way...that is sure a tempting job."

Saffron adds, "yes. It is."

She goes to pull him closer, pressing her lips together more as she does.

Kind of taken off guard... Jayne almost shoves her off.

Even in high heels though... Saffron stands her ground: Kicking off the wall with one leg and quickly coming back down.

Looking stunned...Saffron mutters, "BUN tyen-shung duh ee-DWAY-RO! You never were kissed before?"

After a awkward silent minute... Jayne heavily sighs, letting his grip on her go.

With mixed feelings... Jayne explains, "I have: Just not on the mouth. Before you, I knew of narcotic and psychotic. Thought that was damn obvious with your first time on the ship. But..."

Saffron breathes a heavy sigh of relief. She looks a little teary.

Before he can say more... Saffron speaks up, "Jayne...I'm sorry. It was too short of a stay for me to know. And me... I'm very determined. You know that. But..."

Jayne asks, "yeah?"

With a creepy kind of sympathetic hand on his... Saffron admits, "I might really be into that kind of kissing. But, I have a few ideas you might like. I know what you're asking yourself: Am I going to knock you out? No. 'cause even if you try to kill me, knocking you out is the last thing on my mind."

Saffron reflects, "hell, I was playing the part of that I might still love Durran just so I could get to more of his priceless artifacts later. Faint laugh. Too bad Malcolm got in the way of that and I had to settle on dumping him in the desert naked."

Though, at the last part...she faintly grins like a peeping schoolgirl.

Not sure of what to say much with it all... Jayne just smiles in a creepy kind of mixed relief.

Saffron widely grins back at him.

Then... Saffron and Jayne walk outside...holding hands almost like nothing happened in the hall.

Around this time, in a town square on Verbena...

A crowd of angry and confused folk are watching from the side lines. In the square is Commander Tanaka, Lieutenant Grayson, Lieutenant Quillian, several Companion police officers, and several Alliance police officers: All armed and ready with sonic rifles.

Lieutenant Grayson is holding the mostly burnt off Companion badge found from the wreckage last night. Book is standing not far from him and Lieutenant Quillian.

Book comments cuttingly, "always thought you needed a little more evidence than a badge and the kind of business someone is in to make a arrest."

With a heated glare... Commander Tanaka calls, "you keep out of this, gorram preacher!"

Lieutenant Quillian heavily sighs.

There's a cold silence. But, angry mutters from the sidelines come just as quick.

Trying to keep calm herself... Lieutenant Quillian figures, "zhè tài fēngkuángle, lieutenant! Check me first and then I'll check the other Companion federal officers myself. I don't exactly like that plan either. But, it shouldn't not be that hard to clear with The Alliance."

Lieutenant Grayson heavily sighs.

With some reluctance...he says, "sorry, lieutenant. We can't take a chance of another bomb going off. I'm sure even you can respect that. We're bringing you all in for questioning: Alliance orders."

Lieutenant Quillian sharply glares at him. Commander Tanaka looks all too happy with this.

Incredulously... One of the Companion police officers calls out, "not take any chances? Our word isn't good enough now for you Alliance feds?!"

Angry mutters are escalating. Several folk from the crowd start drawing out brown shotguns.

Angrily... One of them calls out, "murderous Independents!"

Lieutenant Grayson calls out, "settle down, or we will have no choice but to open fire!"

Then... The first shots go off.


Act V

A dust cloud of madness. Screams.

Most of the crowd runs like hell to get out of the way.

And, from the crowd... Inara is rushing right past them, heading for the center.

Some more Alliance police officers come charging in, readying their sonic rifles to fire.

With a very low choo... Lieutenant Quillian is shot at by Commander Tanaka.

But, she side steps quick enough out of the way of the sonic wave.

Then... Commander Tanaka is shot dead by one of the folk in the crowd, with brief flashes of dark red liquid splatter.

A Companion police officer tackles Lieutenant Grayson to the ground, wrestling over his sonic rifle.

With a piercing glare... Lieutenant Grayson kicks her violently off.

At the same time, with a very low choo...he fires his sonic rifle.

The Companion police officer goes flying...landing violently against the rocky dust covered ground with a violent groan. Hints of dark red liquid are there.

With some very low choos... Some of the companion police officers stun back some of the Alliance police officers with sonic waves.

They're quick to punch them out before they can get up.

Book ducks for cover behind a cabin, getting out a mostly silvery long tipped gun.

Several very low choos barely hits the cabin wall. It vibrates quite a bit, but stays intact.

A Companion officer is knocked back stunned.

From a cabin porch... A Alliance police officer shoots right at Lieutenant Quillian.

Inara jump tackles Lieutenant Quillian on the ground.

And, with a very low choo... The sonic wave passes over them.

With some relief... Lieutenant Quillian says, "thanks."

Sounding uneasy... Inara concludes, "it's the least I could do for a fellow Companion."

Lieutenant Quillian faintly smiles and nods to her.

Then, coming from behind the same cabin... Zoe is run charging in by surprise.

She shoots off her custom Winchester Model 1892 rifle with a loud bang at the Alliance police officer as she passes him.

He falls dead...crashing into a splintering to pieces edge of porch.

And, with some more loud bangs...Zoe shoots dead most of the Alliance police officers.

One of them has just fired back with a very low choo. But, Zoe outruns it.

She's catching her breath, taking cover behind a corner of a wooden storefront.

With some loud choos... Some folk with shotguns fire at two Companion officers.

One falls dead.

One of them tumbles out of the way of the shot. She fires back with her sonic rifle...knocking those folk back with a very low choo and a sonic wave.

Some folk in brown coats with shotguns go to shoot the same folk down.

But, some Companion officers call out, "they're already down! Stand down!"

They reluctantly stand down, falling back from the square.

A Alliance police officer tries to come up behind Zoe.

But, Zoe turns around quick...shooting him dead with brief flashes of dark red liquid splatter.

After being shot down by a sonic wave... Lieutenant Grayson barely gets up, coughing hard and clutching his heavily bruised side.

Having lost his sonic rifle... He runs off to report this to The Alliance.

Book fires his gun at the few remaining incoming Alliance police officers...hitting them in the legs below the knee.

They're down, clutching their legs with a violent groan. Dark red liquid drips on the ground.

Inara gets up, helping Lieutenant Quillian to her feet.

Book and Zoe put away their guns and come back out to join them.

Looking very shaken... The few Companion police officers left start falling back to regroup.

With relief in her voice, Zoe figures, "turns out Serenity for sure ain't going without us."

Inara looks teary eyed.

Very nervously... Inara says, "well, if it meant protecting the rest of the crew..."

With a sympathetic hand on her shoulder... Zoe firmly nods, "I know. You did all right for your first time as captain."

With a faint sniffle... Inara considers, "thank you. But...I don't know if it'll be all right on Verbena much longer."

She's quick to turn back to Lieutenant Quillian.

Worriedly... Inara inquires, "Lieutenant Quillian...is there any way to put a stop to this?"

Lieutenant Quillian picks up the mostly burnt badge from the ground.

Some silent tears fall from her face.

After some awkward silence... Lieutenant Quillian looks up.

Turning to Inara, Book, and Zoe... Lieutenant Quillian answers, "yes. Everton was the only one who ran from federal officers before the shooting started. He was living off of Verbena where the signal range of the planet side remote trigger was isolated. This shooting will be expected to be reported on direct to The Alliance tomorrow. We find him with solid evidence before tomorrow, and we can go back home. At least...I hope we can."

At hearing Private Declan's name...a chill goes down Zoe's spine.

She looks a little shaken. But, she doesn't bring it up out loud for the others to hear.

Book figures, "good solid plan. The only question is...where is this man?"

Suddenly hitting on it... And, with a bittersweet tone... Inara concludes, "then I know just where to look go for him."

As day gives way to nightfall...

By a parted Verbena bush... Lieutenant Quillian is getting a yellowish tinted gray shuttle ready.

Usually when The Alliance commandeers ships, they're short handed with ships and have a lot of credits to burn to get crews inclined to help. But, with most folk on Verbena getting along so well in the past, they hadn't gone and done it: They've liked trading around shuttles and ships just for work.

From the side... Inara is there, looking just ok.

Inara proposes, "you know, you don't have to go in the shuttle. You can come with us."

Lieutenant Quillian turns to her.

After a bit... Lieutenant Quillian puts to question, "why are you so sure of that? Please don't misunderstand. You already risked a lot for us. I'm thankful. But, I don't see why going after Everton Declan on Serenity would go any better."

Kind of nervously...Inara explains, "because if Everton sees a shuttle similar enough to him to a Alliance Short Range Enforcement Vessel, he'll run. I also know Mal. So, I know how Everton thinks."

Sounding fairly impressed... Lieutenant Quillian reasons, "all right. We'll try it your way. But, I'm bringing Everton in."

Kind of sarcastically... Inara comments, "well, don't let me stop you. I'm no federal officer."

With a very faint smile... Lieutenant Quillian supposes, "I don't see it that way, Inara. Anyone who saves my life is worth a federal officer. You would be welcome here...if we can come back home."

Blushing a little... And, a little teary eyed... Inara thinks out loud, "thank you. That's very flattering. But, after my first time as captain... Deep sigh. I think it's all too much for me: All those lives to protect at once. Faint uneasy chuckle. I'd like to think it's more simple. But, I admire Companion federal officers can guard this many. More planets could learn from your example."

Sounding a little better... Lieutenant Quillian reasons, "there's no time to waste then. Let's hoof it and set another."

They faintly smile to each other.

And, with a sympathetic hand on each other's hand... They're walking over to Serenity, over a rocky hill.

Around then, by the edge of a Verbena forest...

By some parted Verbena bushes... There's a patrol of shaken looking Alliance police officers, sonic rifles ready. They seem bruised still from a kind of recent shootout from earlier.

There's a rustle in the bushes.

Nervously... One of the Alliance police officers goes, "Come out, come out, wherever you are?"

Nothing.

The other Alliance police officer looks at him funny.

The first Alliance police officer sighs annoyedly. He starts to say, "that sometimes works in..."

Suddenly... Some loud choos go off.

Warning shots are fired.

Both Alliance police officers double back a little, shot in their sides with just flesh wounds.

Some dark red liquid drips from their sides. But, they find they can quickly bandage it up.

Soon, they're aiming for the bushes with their sonic rifles.

But, by then...Mal and Private Declan are a mile away, fast walking past some Verbena bushes.

Mal stands near one, taking a bit to check if Alliance police officers are coming.

While he moves up a thick leaved branch though... He accidentally gets his hand on a thorn.

Loudly to himself... Mal exclaims, "ahh! Gorram! !"

And yet... He lets part of his hand drip some dark red liquid like it's nothing.

He starts to catch up with Private Declan.

But, what he doesn't catch is he dropped his two way radio...on the ground and smashed over a thick Verbena bush root.

A little out of breath... He catches up with Private Declan, by a clearing under the cover of night.

Harshly... Private Declan whispers, "god, Mal. You could've just got them corpsified!"

In a harsh whisper... Mal comments back, "yeah, and not be holing up no more in the dark. I thought we taught each other better, Private!"

That got Private Declan silent the rest of the way.

Around then, up in atmo...

Serenity is flying in atmo, over the western edge of a Verbena forest.

In the engine room... Kaylee has recently been flipping switches and pressing little buttons on the walls to get Serenity to go at high burn.

In the cockpit... Inara and Lieutenant Quillian are in the back. Wash is at the control.

Inara checks, "how close are we to the central factory?"

Kind of annoyed... Wash answers, "Inara, we're almost down to the wire. Fifteen minutes."

Nervous and impatient looking... Inara just stands there in the back of the cockpit.

Around then...

There's the central factory. It's very dark blue and warehouse styled, with some crude large honeycomb like fiberglass yellow tinted windows looking in.

Most of the new Alliance skiff parts were made here, with plenty for if The Alliance decides to make a whole line of them. There's also a coolant warehouse, a fiberglass warehouse, and a assembly factory to clean all the parts up and assemble them together.

But, in light of the shootouts lately, it was decided to move it all into the factories: With Companion police patrolling the assembly factory and Alliance police patrolling the central factory.

And, with officers on night patrol keeping a suspicious close watch on the other patrol around the other factory... Mal and Private Declan could just fast walk in through a metal back door.

They go on, up a ladder to the dark blue grated platform with rustic mostly coal black controls.

Chains on pulleys for hot presses and burnt metalwork tables across the first floor.

Very dark blue grated catwalks and a lot of hanging over spare chains. Very dark brown fishing rod like cranes with electromagnetic black planks on their tips.

Mal looks kind of uneasily about.

He then hits on something, "I thought our man would be here. What's keeping...?"

Interestingly...Private Declan is working the controls, picking up part after part with the electromagnetic cranes. He doesn't even seem to hear him.

Mal warns him, "Everton...you mind telling me what the hell is going on?"

With a hum to his mobile assistive bars unit... Private Declan slightly turns to him.

He doesn't take one of his hands off the controls.

With his other hand... Private Declan pulls out a crude black market brownish black remote.

With a sharp smirk... Private Declan deduces, "our men will be here soon. But, it seems there ain't hand grenades here. So, we got to make do with these skiff parts. But, first...I want to see if you're still in the war. So... Are we going to wipe out The Alliance together, or are you against me?"

A very cold glare comes across Mal's face. His eyes get teary.

He draws out his shotgun.

And... He realizes, "son of a bitch! You made me a fool to trust you. You armed that concussion bomb and had it go off, didn't you?"


Act VI

The smirk fades from Private Declan's face.

Turning completely to face him... He tells him, "Mal...I swear I didn't know your crew was..."

Very coldly... Mal mutters back, "we both know better than to take our eyes off a target, and that is kind of pissing me with my crew in the way of your bomb. But, that's not nearly covering it. What 'bout the hundreds of innocent children and people you killed?"

With a very sharp glare... And, with teary eyes... Private Declan figures, "god, Mal: We're all in federal custody! We all were since the war. We find new corners of the Verse, they shoot us and put us back in custody. And, in war, there's acceptable causalities. You remember that, don't you Mal?"

Not taking his cold glare or his shotgun away for a second... Mal highlights, "I don't care what colors you flying now. It ain't war when they're not shootin' at you. Then, it's just plain murder."

Going creepier... Private Declan goes on, "what do you think is gonna happen next time they "try to keep the peace", Sarge? The Alliance will say go ahead: Let them all eat cake?! I'm waking up the Verse to the truth before they aim those skiffs at folk like us. Sniffle! I paid for it all. The bomb, the forged Companion badge...all of it. Hell, with credits I got from retirement, I'm near 'bout ready with Browncoat skiffs right from under The Alliance's noses. My men touch down in ten minutes. And, who will all the folk blame rightfully for their own end? The Alliance!"

Mal reaches for his belt, expecting a two way radio to be there.

As soon as he realizes there isn't, he looks down a bit to be sure.

In those few seconds... And, with a whirling hum... Private Declan violently knocks away the shotgun with his mobile assistive bars unit's arm.

The shotgun clinks hard against the floor below.

Mal is knocked back into the side of the catwalk.

He's coughing violently, clutching his heavily bruised side.

Suddenly... Mal faintly laughs.

Sounding a little amused... He taunts, "you're using Alliance tech to kill folk like us. That's tài zāole. Where's your corner of the Verse at?"

With a very cold glare... Private Declan remarks bitterly, "I don't care none if I'm dead or alive: I lost my sense of freedom to the unificated bars years ago!"

Private Declan then turns back to the controls.

Mal though gets up fairly easy.

With his very cold glare resurfacing... Mal grabs off some chains hanging from above.

He swings them violently at the controls.

Private Declan blocks the first with the assistive bars over his good arm.

And, with a whirling hum and burst of speed... He grabs the other with his bad arm...violently hurling Mal through twenty loudly clinking hanging over chains.

In mid-air... Mal is quick to grab some chains.

He's struggling to swing from one to another. He's struggling to see much past the clinking dangling chains, violent coughing, and stinging headaches.

Even so... He gets to the last few chains.

And, he swings off...back for the catwalk.

But, the pulsing bruise in his side and the now pulsing dark red sides of his face get to him.

He barely grabs the edge...his hands holding on for dear life.

With a creepily cold smirk... And, even with sharp pain riding up his bad leg... Private Declan kind of fast walks to the edge, leaning onto the catwalk for support.

He says very coldly, "what happened to the great Malcolm Reynolds? You can't even kill me."

Mal glares very coldly at him...even as his grip starts to slip.

Private Declan is about to kill him...when Serenity's bright white lights flash brightly through the window behind him as it lands.

Private Declan reactively shields himself from the light by crouching down, bent over.

With Private Declan crouched... Mal hasn't much trouble pulling himself back on the catwalk.

Mal violently kicks Private Declan in the stomach.

He violently groans over himself.

Mal comments cuttingly, "next time you try to kill me... Violent cough. Try a gun. Hear that gets you further in the Verse."

He then punches Private Declan out for good measure.

Soon, Inara and Lieutenant Quillion come in. So do the Companion police officers and Alliance police officers, coming in with sonic rifles pointed at the catwalk.

Expecting the worst, Mal puts up his hands. But, no cuffs come for him.

Inara looks shaken and kind of stunned. But, she faintly smiles knowing Mal's alive.

Teary eyed... And, sounding kind of unsure... Mal says, "if you're looking for some apprehendin'...apprehend him. Apprehend the men coming on his credits. We got the remote that set off the bomb and a hell of a confession."

Some armed black market criminals in gray coats with shotguns come through the doors...only to be face to face with Alliance and Companion police.

Lieutenant Quillian faintly smiles as she puts the cuffs on Private Declan's body.

And, she just says, "good work."

Mal faintly nods.

With a awkward smirk...he goes, "all right. Sure. But, don't expect me to turn it into a habit."

The next morning...

The sun rises over a cloudy sky.

Planet side, there's big Independent Planets flags with black stars and yellow and green stripes: Up town flagpoles and over Companion and Browncoat cabin windows. On the opposite side of the planet, Big Alliance flags are up town flagpoles and flagpoles recently placed around the factories.

Posters of blurred faces burnt to the ground, reeking of campfires against wood. Border folk, Companions, and Companion and Alliance police officers in purplish and yellowish gray walking and talking solemnly among themselves in much smaller groups.

Lieutenant Grayson's dead body is over his dark red liquid stained desk: Courtesy of The Alliance for failure.

In another cabin... There's Lieutenant Quillian.

She's sitting in a wood chair by a wood framed bed. Book is sitting in another chair, facing her.

Teary eyed... Lieutenant Quillian reflects, "we arrested Everton Declan. We stopped a all out war. But... Sniffle. What peace is left for long? We tried and failed."

With a sympathetic hand on hers... Book solemnly concludes, "no. The least we can do is keep on living: To keep on trying. It might not seem it at first. But, usually...time heals all pain."

With a very faint smile... Lieutenant Quillian says, "thank you, preacher."

Book adds, "you're welcome."

Lieutenant Quillian wonders, "Book... Do you know why I am the way I am?"

With a firm smile... Book points out, "I don't. But, I have a feeling you want to tell your story."

In Lieutenant Quillion's mind... Alliance school in silhouette, in the hall talking with her friends as a teenager. Home in silhouette, her father beats her with silhouette chains.

Shots.

Sees as a teenager her silhouette father running from custody from Alliance flag decorated silhouettes. Dead Alliance criminal body silhouettes over the side not long before they came.

Finds confirming records in coal black books as a adult after graduation.

Finds more and more coal black books and Companion labeled purple flowery books.

Finds more and more silhouette bodies near dying, drawing out her sonic rifle to drive off silhouette figures trying to kill the near dying with shotguns.

Silhouettes of friends from graduation vanish. Silhouettes of Verbena folk come and go.

But, with a faint swirl of purple and yellow... Her cabin comes to picture in the mental images.

And... Lieutenant Quillian solemnly says to Book, "to you, I do."

The night after that night, on Serenity...

Mal is fast walking down the hall, heading for his bunk. He's not looking back at the kitchen, where most everyone is eating, talking, and seeming in a better mood.

He hasn't said or eaten much since two nights ago.

He's holding something crumpled in parchment paper.

The deep dark reddish cuts over his face have come down from the swelling. They've been mostly cleaned up. But, they're there.

When he hears a familiar voice... Mal stops.

In concern... Zoe asks, "sir? Is this 'bout Private Declan?"

Mal doesn't turn about.

He just mutters under his breath, "not just 'bout that son of a bitch."

In pure frustration... He throws the crumpled paper hard to the floor.

He then goes down to his bunk...slamming the door shut behind him.

Kind of perplexed by his words... Zoe bends down, picks up the paper, and uncrumples it.

And, as she reads it... She glares sharply at it.

It's a letter of sorts, recorded off the Cortex by Mal hours ago in recently dried blue ink.

It says:

Hey, Mal. It's Jayne.

Faint laugh.

Do you ruttin' believe it? I ain't seemin' stupid for once!

We haven't been shooting at the other.

We're gettin' cozied up. Ain't seen much warning shots far as I tell.

In a brief cutaway... Jayne and Saffron are back in the cabin, down by that certain mountain side on Bellerophron. A cobblestone fireplace is lit, casting crackling light through the cabin in the dark.

They have their most favorite guns aimed right at each other's heads...while they're making out.

They're lying on her bed: Topless, sweaty, their unarmed hands doing most of the feeling up and down...and with groans of sexual volumes plenty.

The letter goes on:

Well, you might.

But, you fought in a war. I ain't have.

Naw: That ain't right right now.

My own heroics, Mal. I sure as hell can call it a war.

In a cutaway... Jayne fires shots from Vera...into several faintly familiar looking army men in dark blue army uniforms carrying black rifles.

They fall dead against the light green floor, of the mostly grate like dark brown hall of a privately owned ship.

Niska is running for a shuttle, armed with a spiked mostly very dark blue brown rimmed claw like torture grapple device launcher. He's accompanied by some men in dark gray army uniforms.

Then though...Saffron up spin kicks him down from the corner of the hall: High heels and all.

The torture grapple device goes flying.

Some brief dark red liquid splatter is seen from Niska's side.

Niska groans violently, reactively clutching his side as his head slams hard on the floor.

He falls unconscious.

The bodyguards go to punch her.

Saffron's quick to grapple slam one into a then denting window.

The other man punches her in her heavily bruised side from earlier.

She doubles back some, wincing and groaning violently a bit.

But, just as quickly... Saffron violently kicks the other with the blunt side of her high heel.

They're both left on the floor, very dazed and coughing violently. Some bullets are in the walls.

Jayne fast walks over to Saffron, checking if she's injured or something.

She just faintly grins though with a faint roll of her eyes...standing over Niska's body.

The letter concludes:

Ain't even getting' one of them Alliance crackdowns on us, and we're starting for the millions.

But, 'tween you and me Mal... I didn't bring no grenades 'cause I ain't stupid.

Thought they'd be well kept with you before I went.

I'll be back for them in three...four...

Just say a ruttin' month. Easy then.

You might be wrong 'bout Saffron.

But, you're damn right 'bout somethin': I don't want to stay away from Kaylee long.

Faint laugh. Hell, I don't think I ought to stay away from you long.

We might not always got sense the same. But, it close to it.

Bounty, no million credit bounty... I keep your sense in back of the brain.

And, I'll be back with a lot of coin to go around for all of yah.

There'll be a ship left. You always think of somethin', Mal.

I never been much good with them pretty words. So...yeah. See you when I'm back.

Around then...

Inara is sitting on the couch in her shuttle, looking furious as she glares at the cold looking wall.

Saffron, Jayne... They seem to creepily laugh at her in the mental images of her mind.

Around then...

Mal is sitting on his bed...glaring kind of shakily at the cold looking wall, teary eyed.

Chills run down his spine.

And, in his mind... He can just hear Private Declan's voice and Nightmare River's voice again:

If it weren't not for the shrapnel, we could have caused all kinds of trouble for The Alliance... You and me.

What do you think is gonna happen next time they "try to keep the peace", Sarge? The Alliance will say go ahead: Let them all eat cake?! I'm waking up the Verse to the truth before...

You're a killer, Mal. You'll always be a killer. Down by the beach, looking for a sand castle that doesn't wash off into the sea of blood. Faint laugh. You won't find it. Go...before your crew gets hurt.