DR: Hey everyone, welcome back. Let's get down to business, shall we?
Chapter 10: Games & Threats
Sir Warwick Harrow stood in one of the corners of the ballroom, talking quietly with Sir Albert Norrington. Both were men from before the Alliance, when due to the problems with the terraforming processes society had regressed a little. As powerful men, they had been awarded their titles, for being two of the few who had held civilisation together. Nowadays, while they still held considerable power in their respective fields, the titles themselves were little more than extras.
While Harrow oversaw vast amounts of farmers, Norrington was lord of Persephone's shipbuilding yards. While overshadowed by the Government run yards, Norrington's yards were still respected for their small craft. He'd kept his yard going, when all other independent yards were failing and being taken over by the government, by branching out into building sea going craft. The oceans and seas of the worlds in the Alliance were still mostly ignored, but the bounty of such bodies of water could not be underestimated. It was this small market that had kept him afloat.
While both their futures and fortunes were secured under the Alliance, both old friends were troubled by recent events, going back over the last couple of years. Harrow had been uneasy even before the 'Miranda Broadcast', and everything since had just added to his gut feeling that something was fundamentally wrong.
And so they had met here, to discuss the issue. It was a bit of a risk, but they were not likely to be overheard with all the rest of the background chatter and music. Besides, it wouldn't look suspicious for them to be talking here, but if either visited the home of the other, that would.
They had just finished discussing the worrying recent change in education, where children would no longer be taught about Earth-That-Was in schools. The information was not restricted, yet, but the kids would not be told about it. Earth-That-Was was to be sidelined, mentioned only in passing as the place of humanity's origin, nothing more. For both Harrow and Norrington, whose families could both be traced back across several generations on Earth, this was deeply worrying.
As they paused, Harrow heard the words he'd been listening out for all evening, called out by the doorman. "Captain Malcolm Reynolds and Inara Serra."
Harrow turned to look towards the entranceway, a tiny smile on his lips as he looked at the two. Mal looked somewhat more comfortable than he had the last time he'd been here, while Miss Serra fitted in perfectly. He also noted with interest that the two also appeared to be together, rather than the strained attraction of before, as he watched them move only a couple of steps away from the entrance. He wondered who they had passed the second invite he had sent them to.
"Miss...Miranda Schubaltz and escort."
While Inara's name had drawn some attention, that name drew quite a bit. The general hum of conversation died for a moment, long enough for everyone to wonder who would dare announce themselves with the same name as... that planet.
What they saw was a young woman, barely twenty, wearing an elaborate dress of layered reds and white, blond hair neatly sat on her head, with a wide eyed look of awe on her face. The young man besides her drew Harrow's eyes however. His open, innocent face jumped out from between the raven locks on his head and the black suit he wore. Harrow decided to keep an eye on him, recalling what happened with Malcolm the last time he came to this event.
X-X-X-X-X-X
'I wonder if this is how Bit felt...' Vega mused to himself as he looked at Miranda again. He kept on having to reassure himself that it really was her. In all the time he had known her, she'd never dressed up once. Utility and Practical summed up her wardrobe.
This was quite a departure from that. But it did show that Miranda had grown into a very beautiful woman, at least in Vega's eyes. When he had finally mange to regain control of his voice and compliment her after seeing her walk down from Inara's shuttle, Miranda's blush had been visible underneath her makeup.
After a couple of brief words from Mal and Inara – mainly Inara, really – the two couples had split up to mingle. For the next few minutes, Vega could only look about in amazement at the other patrons, nearly all dressed even more elaborately. Vega began to get the feeling he was underdressed...
"Vega?"
Miranda's word finally reached his mind and he faced her. "Huh?"
Miranda just smiled sadly. "I was asking if you'd seen the drinks bar yet."
"Oh! I think I saw something a moment ago... I'll be right back." Vega reluctantly slipped his arm out from hers before moving back off, slipping between some other people.
Miranda remained where she stood, smiling happily. Vega's reaction to her dress had been worth all the worry and hassle, never mind the cost. As part of the Blitz, and with the funds from her own zoid upgrades, Miranda had plenty of money. True, at the moment it was hard to use here, but with Inara's help...
"Excuse me?"
Miranda, her train of thought interrupted, turned to regard the woman who had spoken. A few inches taller than her, the woman was also slightly older, with a thin, fine boned face. Her dress was done in several brown shades, with much lace and ruffles. Over her shoulders Miranda could see three other girls, while a small group of men were off to one side, talking amongst themselves.
"That is a lovely dress you have. I was wondering... how much would you be willing to trade your girl for?"
Miranda just stared wide eyed.
"If you want, I'm sure I can exchange my current girl for yours." The woman went on, taking Miranda's shock for a willingness to listen. "She was good, but lately she's lost that creativity. Why, she even tried to make me a dress that I could have bought in a store!" The other girls gasped in sympathy for a moment.
"Oh, how rude of me! I'm Banni Miller." She extended her hand, palm angled downwards.
Miranda looked at the hand offered, then back into Banni's eyes. "I'm sorry, but I don't fraternise with slave owners. Owning people is wrong, and I don't stand for it!"
Banni gasp, and took a half step back. "How rude!" She gasped. Then a dark look crossed her face as she stepped closer. "You should watch that mouth of yours. If you keep talking like that, you'll be out on the streets, begging someone to take you in as an indentured servant."
Miranda however just cocked her head and met Danni's gaze, clearly unsettling the older girl. "That the new way to say 'slave' now?" She had noticed how the four girls had stiffened slightly at the word earlier. "But that won't happen to me anyway."
Danni's reply was cold. "Oh, is Daddy going to keep you safe?"
Miranda smirked. "I can keep myself safe, thank you. AND I could kick you all the way around this planet. Assuming my boyfriend doesn't get to you first."
"Everything all right Miranda?" Vega asked as he stepped up besides her. He'd seen the confrontation between the two as he'd walked back. Concern for her was clear in his voice.
"Just fine Vega." Miranda replied as she took her drink from him. "Just a difference of opinion." The last word was almost a purr since Vega slid his arm around her waist as she said it.
Banni backed off slightly, confused and bewildered. She had not been expecting the appearance of any kind of male support on this rude little girl's side, certainly not one so handsome. Certainly the way they spoke to one another and stood shouted that they were very close indeed. Noting that the two of them were no longer paying her any attention, she moved away, the other girls following.
X-X-X-X-X-X
The clicking of the small metal plates was the only sound around the table. Four of the five men sitting there who had been dealt the cards picked them up straight away. The fifth waited a few seconds before doing the same, taking his time as he did. It was all calculated to unease his opponents. Not that it took much now: the tall piles of various coins sat on the table before him, mostly gained from the stocks of the other players, were also effective in that regard.
While inside he frowned as he worked out the various faces and values, on the outside Starbuck was grinning around his fumerlo, laid back in his chair as he slowly sorted the metal cards in his hand.
"Al'right cowboy, your turn to start." The one man, lean faced, almost snarled.
"Easy there, let's keep the game friendly. And in the spirit of such, I wager… sixty platinum." Was Starbucks wounded reply as he slid one of the smaller stacks into the centre of the round table.
As the other players added their bets, Starbuck once again thanked the Lords of Kobol that he'd had the foresight to find out about the various card games played by the people in this system. A couple were a little odd, but this Poker was very much like Pyramid.
As he traded in two of his cards, Starbuck felt a thrill run through him. Things had been very quiet for some time now, with the exception of the initial contact with the Alliance ship. And while the long breather after the Cylon Assault had been just what the battered and tired Colonials had needed, Starbuck had found that he had begun to fidget over the last couple of months. A mostly friendly game with new people was just what he needed.
Seeing that his new hand was all but unbeatable, and that none of the other players had anything good, Starbuck leaned back some more, feeling very confident.
As he sat back and watched the other agonise over their cards and stacks, a murmur of conversation came over from a table behind him.
"...guy's understand the plan?"
"Understand it, yes. Like it? No. We can't take anything?"
"Nothing that would be missed." The first voice answered. "You all know we can't let ourselves be seen."
"It just seems wrong, you know?" A third voice spoke up. "Sneaking onto a rust bucket of a Firefly just to place a big, gorram heavy crate on board. What's in that thing anyway?"
"You don't need, or want, to know." The first man answered. "You're all being paid enough to keep your traps shut, dong ma?"
"What if some of the crew discover us?" The second asked.
"Then we take them down."
"What if it's one of the women? That one was nice..." A new voice asked, dark and cruel sounding.
"What, the skinny, dark haired girl? Too bony mate, plus she looked not all there..." That was the third man.
"Na, I was thinking of the one in the coveralls and the floral top. Nice build, perfect for a little fun..." There was a suggestive tone in his voice, and Starbuck didn't need to see his face to know he was grinning.
But it was not the man's manner that put a chill through Starbuck's blood. He knew now that these men could only be talking about Serenity; the descriptions of River and Kaylee were crude, but accurate.
"Come on blondie, are you in or what?" So focused had he been on the discussion behind him, Starbuck had forgotten about the card game.
"Yes... yes I'm in." Sitting forwards again, Starbuck looked once more at his cards, taking in the expressions of the others, and then slid another pile of coins into the middle, this time made up of small flattened cubes made of gold. "Twenty Cubits, worth five hundred Platinum."
Such a bold, and daring, stake clearly shocked four of the other players. One by one, they threw their cards in and bowed out. The last player however glared at Starbuck, before looking down at his cards.
"Seven hundred." He said slowly, pushing all his remaining coins into the middle.
"Call." Starbuck countered almost immediately, pushing enough to cover the bet in. He then flipped his cards over, even as the other man did the same.
There was a long pause as both sets were compared.
The other man sagged a little in his chair as he realised that he had lost, but then his head snapped up, an angry look on his face.
"You win... again."
"Well... guess I'm just lucky." Starbuck grinned as he reached out to rake in his winnings.
"Too lucky..." The other man muttered before his own hand shot out, snapping shut around Starbucks wrist.
"Too lucky to be real..."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Starbuck asked, but the only answered was a combination of yanking up his sleeves and shaking of his arms. "I don't cheat mister!" Starbuck told him.
"All of them say that..." He snarled through gritted teeth, the lack of any emerging evidence making him even angrier.
With a sharp twist of his arm, Starbuck pulled free, using his other arm to drag his winnings closer to his edge of the table.
"Don't you go thinking that you'll walk away from this cheater..." The man who'd grabbed him said, reaching down to his holster.
"Everything alright Starbuck?" Boomer's voice from over Starbuck's shoulder was more than welcome, plus the fact that he already had his laser out. The other man stilled, figuring that he'd be dead before he could draw. Starbuck finished collecting his winnings.
"Fine Boomer. Just a little disagreement." As he turned to face his long time friend, Starbuck looked over all the tables behind him. None had more than two people at them. Raising his eyes, he spotted a group of five exiting the bar...
"Come on." He spoke aside to Boomer as he gave chase. Boomer covered the other game players for a bit more as he backed up, before turning and following.
The darkness outside half blinded Starbuck as he stepped out, and he lost precious seconds as his eyes adjusted. Casting about, he finally saw five figures settling down onto a small wheeled vehicle and trailer combo, three on the quad bike, and two either side of a large box that sat in the middle. Starbuck started towards them, but the driver gunned the engine and they were off.
Boomer caught up with his friend to find him swearing. "Care to explain buddy?"
"Serenity's in danger Boom-boom."
Boomer frowned. "Why don't you call them up and warn them then?"
Starbuck cursed again, himself this time, before going for his communicator.
X-X-X-X-X-X
River sat in Serenity's cockpit, leaning back in her seat with her feet tucked up underneath her. Head tilted back, she gazed up into the night sky. The Evesdown Docks had all but shut down for the night, and with it its people.
Within the ship the others were mostly resting. Jayne had gone out alone, likely to some bar. Zoe and Wash were together with their son in their bunk, while Kaylee was tinkering with the engine. Simon was supposed to be watching the twins, but he'd fallen asleep. Luckily, they had too.
River smiled slowly. She would be forever grateful to both Kane and Mnementh for giving her back her mind and self control. Together, they had repaired the damage to her brain, restoring her control over her emotions, while at the same time taught her how to control and direct her 'gift', her psychic abilities. Commander Adama had also helped her, teaching her many of the teachings from a study he'd once been part of. She had been amazed – something that rarely happened – when he had demonstrated that he too had such abilities. For him, it was telekinetic, the power to move objects with his mind. It had taken a lot out of him – he was out of practice – but it had opened her eyes.
Now, she only picked up a faint buzz, a muted muttering from those around her. It varied in intensity with each person. Inara was almost totally silent, while Jayne was loud and boisterous. Her brother was close to Inara, as was Zoe. Mal and Kaylee were closer to Jayne, though they were much more pleasant to be around.
However, to hold stray thoughts in place she needed to keep her shields up consciously, and it was tiring. Mnementh had explained that with time it would become both instinctual and effortless, till it would happen without her even thinking about it. But he had stressed that during the first little while, which varied from person to person, that she had to rest her mind often to recover.
Now after nearly a year, she could hold her shields up for a whole day, but at night they had to come down. And so she started coming up here after Wash had turned in. Up here, in the very bows of the ship, she was as far away from the others as she could be. The engine room would have been better, but that was Kaylee's retreat, her space, and River would never think about trying to take that away from her.
She was starting to slip into a light doze, wondering how Mal, Inara, Miranda and Vega were getting on, when the console before her chimed for her attention. Releasing a small sigh of irritation, River answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Hey, is that River?" Even over the comm., River could tell that Starbuck was worried. It was in his voice.
"Yes, the others are asleep or still out."
"Feldercarb! Okay... River, there's some men heading for your ship. I overheard them discussing their mission. I think they're going to plant a bomb on Serenity."
River's demeanour stilled, and her eyes narrowed. "I'll be waiting for them."
O'Neill: I foresee a major can of 'whoopass' being opened.
Sheppard: Can't wait to see that.
DR: Well you'll have too... until next chapter, that is! See you all there and then!
Zeke: And don't forget to review!