Spartan's Quest - Chapter 28

Author owns no rights to Firefly, and writes only for his own amusement.


Gabriel Tam stalked up the steps of his house, anger boiling off him in waves. Another day of losses, thanks, he was sure, to his wayward daughter and her untouchable fiancee had left him in an ill mood. As he entered the house, he was conscious of other people in his home. Walking into the living room, he saw his wife, surrounded by baggage and boxes, and four people standing with her.

"What the hell is going on here?" he demanded, voice surly, bordering on outrage. Regan turned to face him, her own face set in determined lines,

"I'm going to Londinium, for a while," she said softly, but firmly. "River sent a ship for me, and I'm going to visit my daughter."

"Like hell you are!" Gabriel snapped. "You'll go nowhere near her, or her Lord Janos! You know what they've done to me?"

"Nothing," Regan replied calmly. "I asked River myself, and she told me that they had taken no actions against you. Someone is trying to leverage you, Gabriel. I don't know who, or why. But I do know it isn't our daughter. And I am going."

"I'll return when you have your temper in check, and can talk to me, treat with me, as I deserve. I'm tired of feeling your wrath over whatever is happening at your office."

"You aren't leaving!"

"Yes, sir, she is," Jerl McCann said softly from where he stood just an arm length from the woman he was charged to protect. "Lady River sent me with implicit instructions to see to it that her mother was safely transported to Londinium, along with whatever baggage she desired." Just as he finished speaking, two more men entered the room, taking boxes and baggage and starting for the door.

"You hold it right there!" Gabriel demanded, advancing on the two. McCann placed himself between the two and the outraged Tam.

"Continue," was all he said over his shoulder. Then he turned to Gabriel Tam.

"Mister Tam, don't interfere," he said quietly. "All we're doing is following Lady River's wishes with respect to her mother. Don't make this more difficult for her than it already is."

"Who?" Tam demanded. "My daughter?"

"Your wife," the other replied, his voice like iron. Gabriel looked at Regan, and noticed that his wife was on the verge of tears. For some reason, this infuriated him even further. He looked back to McCann.

"You bring her things back inside, and get the hell out of my house," he seethed. "If you don't, then I'll have the authorities on you before you've gone a mile. My wife will leave when I say she leaves, and not a minute before!"

"I'm afraid that's not how things will go, Mister Tam," said another of the visitors. A woman in a business suit.

"Who the hell are you?" Tam demanded.

"My name is Winifred Weigel, of Wright, Patterson, and King law firm. I've been retained to look after your wife's legal affairs in her absence. And to see to it that she has no difficulty in leaving. She is completely within her rights. And the authorities have already been notified of her impending departure. So the easiest, and the wisest, course of action open to you is to simply let things take their course."

"Gabriel," Regan said, looking at the attorney to silence her. "I don't want this to cause a separation between us. I simply want to give you time to get things straightened out, so that we can go back to being what we were. I can't. . .I won't, take your abuse. I've tried to be patient, and I've tried to be understanding. All that's done is make it worse. I know you're angry, and I know you're having troubles. When you have them sorted out, and you think that the two of us can sit down and talk, call me. I want things to go back to how they were. That's all that I want. Until then, I think it's better if I'm not here to distract you, or be your whipping post." With that, she gathered her personal bags and started to the door, with a uniformed woman right behind her.

"Regan!" Gabriel shouted. "You get back here right now! If you walk out that door, then you can keep walking! Do you hear me?" Regan stopped, and McCann tensed. His orders were to protect Mrs. Tam, and return her to the estate. If she decided not go, he couldn't force her. But he needn't have worried.

"If that's truly how you want it, once you've regained your senses, then we'll work out the terms of our divorce. Until then, I'm leaving." She was out the door before he could respond. Gabriel started after her, only to be blocked by McCann.

"Mister Tam," the soldier said softly. "Don't do it. Let this lie."

"Get the hell out of my way!" Gabriel hissed, and placed a hand on McCann's shoulder to push him aside. But McCann didn't budge. He didn't strike Gabriel Tam, he simply stood there as the infuriated business man tried to move him.

"Let it go," McCann said again.

"This is it, sir," one of the porters called, as he and his partner gathered the last of the baggage. "We're ready."

"Then let's go," McCann ordered. The remaining uniformed man walked outside, taking a post just outside the door. The lawyer followed, and McCann exited right behind her.

Gabriel Tam stalked to the door, watching in helpless fury as his wife joined the rest in the long ground car, the car being followed by a transport vehicle out of the gates, and out of sight.


"I can't say it went well, Lady River," McCann spoke into the cortex viewer, "but it went smoothly. We're away safely from Osiris, and on our way home. ETA is just under a day-and-a-half. Your mother is waiting to speak to you."

"Thank you, Jerl," River smiled. Her smile faltered as Regan appeared on the screen.

"River," her mother smiled. "Thank you. I don't like the think what might have happened if you hadn't taken the steps you did." She took a deep breath.

"But I may have misjudged your father," she continued. "This. . .this may well be the end of our relationship, dear. He didn't take things as I had hoped. I really thought this would serve as a wake-up call, of a sort. I don't think it worked quite that way, however." She paused, then looked at her daughter in despair.

"Oh, River, what will I do?"

"We'll worry about that if the need arises, Mother," River assured her. "In the meantime, you'll be safe here, and we can share some time together. And," she smiled, "I may have a job for you."

"A job?" Regan blinked. "Really? What kind?"

"Business manager for a very large firm," River said in satisfaction. "And I mean very large. The best part of it is that you can work from home, for the most part. Right here."

"River, I can't stay with you permanently," Regan chided. "That's not fair to you or Janos."

"You haven't seen this place," River laughed. "The guest houses are larger than our house on Osiris, Mother."

"Oh," was all Regan could muster. "Well, I. . .we can discuss it when I see you, then, I guess."

"See you soon, Mother. And don't worry. You're as safe as you can possibly be."


"We headed back to Warhol?" Willie asked, as Serenity left orbit from Byalye.

"Just briefly," Mal nodded, his mind clearly not on the subject. "No need to hurry. We'll tool along." His hand came up to rub his chin. Zoe, still sitting in the Navigator's chair, saw that, and frowned.

"What's eatin' you, sir?" she demanded. She'd seen that look before.

"I don't like leavin' that lot to prey on other ships," Mal admitted. "I don't want us goin' in there, but seems like someone oughta clear that rat's nest out."

"We take out their finger man, that'll likely keep them on ice, so to speak," Neera pointed out.

"If he's the only one," Mal nodded. "But I been thinkin'. Operation like that, can't take lambs from just one flock. Too noticeable. Folks'd start notin' how many ships from one supplier ain't comin' round no more. I think this operation's pretty big."

"Too big for us, then," Zoe said abruptly. "I say we stick to the plan, and put the word out everywhere."

"And we will," Mal nodded absently. "I was just thinkin' on some way to get rid o' that whole outfit, that's all."

"Sir," Zoe began, but Mal held his hand up.

"I don't mean to take us in there, Zoe," he cut off her objection. "I said I wasn't, and I ain't. Don't mean I'm comfortable with just lettin' it lie, neither."

"So what is it you thinkin' on doin', then?" Zoe asked, puzzlement on her face.

"I was thinkin' I'd give Jayne a call," Mal smiled.


"That sounds pretty bad, Mal," Jayne mused. "Wonder how many o' them ships they've took that had women and kids on'em. And what happened to them same women and kids?"

"Was thinkin' that myself," Mal nodded. He was in his bunk, talking to Jayne in private. "Like to think we'd have come out all right, all things considered," he grinned. "But others? I ain't never been no saint, mind, but I don't like the idea of leavin' this bunch to keep runnin' their scam, neither."

"I don't like it myself," Jayne agreed, his voice thoughtful. "Mal, why don't you set course for here? By the time you get here, I got an idea might already be set up. Be a good chance for you to make a start on that little thing we talked about the night we raided the Facility."

Mal studied Jayne carefully for a second.

"What you got in mind, Jayne?" he asked carefully.

"How'd you like to be a Marshal, Mal?"


"A Marshal, huh?" Neera said, sitting on the bed next to Mal. "Be a purplebelly next thing you know," she grinned.

"Like hell," Mal grimaced. "But, thing is, Jayne was right. Folks got to start standing up to them as run the Alliance. Makin' a fight out here, that's all well and good, but it don't amount to a bit o' spit on the griddle, when ya think on it."

"Man was to make a name for hisself takin' out operations like the one on Byalye, might be he could move on to more interestin' things. Get a bigger voice, and maybe start things to changin'. Tried changin' it with a war, once, and that didn't work out so well. Maybehap Jayne's got a point. Try changin' from the inside this time."

"You're only one man, Mal," Neera pointed out.

"But I'm not the only man," Mal surprised her. "There's other folk out there willin' to do what's right, given a chance. Happen I do as Jayne said, I might wind up in a place where I can giv'em that chance."

"Well, that's a point," Neera conceded. "What about Serenity? Zoe and the others? You can't take them along on something like that."

"Zoe can run this ship well as I can," Mal shrugged. "Better, most like," he added. "Have to get her a couple o' serious shooters, mind, to replace us."

"Us?" Neera's eyebrows rose sharply. "You just assume I'm comin' along?" Mal looked flustered.

"No, but if you ain't, then I ain't goin'," he surprised her. "Don't aim to be without you, can I help it. Ever. If you say no, then it's no, and we stay right here."

"What about Amanda?" Neera asked, more to cover her surprise than anything else. The certainty in Mal's voice had sent a thrill through her, and a chill down her spine. It was the closet he'd ever come to saying that he loved her.

"Thought about that," Mal nodded. "Figured River could look after her a bit. See to it she get's schooled, and get some help with her readin' ability. Ain't plannin' on flittin' about the verse as a lawman forever. If I start, that is," he added, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Well," she considered for a second. "You'll look awful cute in uniform, I bet."


"It's an unusual request, Lord Janos," the Minister for Law and Order spoke respectfully. "But, as you said, it's also an unusual situation. But Malcolm Reynolds isn't a very popular man among my contemporaries."

"You aren't inviting him to tea, Minister," Jayne replied in his 'Janos' voice. "Things along the rim worlds have been allowed to spiral too far out of control. Someone has to get a handle on them before it's complete lawlessness. That's not the Alliance way at all. I know you don't need me to tell you that. And while Reynolds does have some strikes against him in his past, he is a very savvy ship Captain, and is no longer a fugitive. I believe," Janos leaned forward slightly, "that if you review his file, you'll note that he was wanted because he chose to help someone who was a victim of a secret government operation. One your ministry was quite successful in closing. My congratulations on that, by the way." The Minister smiled slightly, bowing his head at the compliment.

"Thank you. And I didn't notice that," he admitted, looking more closely at the file before him. "Hmm, Simon and River Tam. I say, isn't that. . . ."

"Yes, she is," Janos smiled. "Surely you don't believe that I'd be marrying a criminal," he added with a laugh.

"Of course not," the Minister scoffed. "I read her file, and her brother's. Quite a young man. His only real crime was impersonating an Alliance Officer, which, all in all, I think we can simply overlook." The Minister went quiet for a few seconds, looking off screen as he pondered the request.

"Very well, Lord Janos," he said when he turned back to the screen. "I quite agree that something needs to be done about such operations. At the moment, however, I fear that my resources are spread quite thin. I can't say a great deal, but I will tell you, privately, that my Ministry is practically at war with a crime syndicate. One that is heavily entrenched on several core worlds. I don't have the men, or the ships, to spare."

"I can provide both, with your blessing, and the authority for them to police these problems," Janos assured him. "I feel it's my duty to help when and where I can. And this is something I can get done."

"It's too bad there aren't more like you, milord," the Minister spoke openly. "The Navy used to handle these things more so than we did, but with the war over with, I'm afraid the Navy has been scaled back a great deal. That's not public information, however, so I ask for your discretion here," the man hurried to add. Janos nodded.

"I understand, and it will not leave this room," Janos assured him. "I thank you for your trust in me."

"I'll have the necessary paperwork and identifications sent to your estate by tomorrow, milord," the Minister smiled. "The rest I'll leave to you. Do take care, however. I trust you won't be going yourself," the man added, a hint of concern in his voice. Janos laughed.

"Hardly. I'm not the sort to go about shooting and slicing, Minister. I have staff who do that for me." The Minister chuckled.

"So you do, milord. So you do. Well, good luck. If problems arise, let me know."

"I will, and thank you once more for the trust you place in me." Jayne killed the wave, and leaned back, looking out his office window.

"It's good to be king," he said to no one in particular.