A/N: Yes, this is short but I'll try and make future chapters longer. I had
this stupid biology project to do... stupid bio...
GALLOWS:
Hundreds of years earlier on death row they'd shout out "Dead man walking!" At that moment, Eion was wondering what possessed his father to share that pointless information with him. A history teacher before the war, Brass Keer had a vast knowledge of time and space. But why he shared that particular piece of history with his son, Eion would never know.
And that's how he felt as his life was coming to an end. He was a dead man walking, a defiant one with his chin up but a dead one none the less.
With no hope in sight, he was nineteen and about to leave the cruel universe behind. For a fleeting moment, he felt relief. Then... he felt panic.
His stride was proud but his eyes defied him. They showed the fear that he felt inside. No longer the hard gaze of the rebel, Eion Keer Brass, they were now the eyes of the boy Eion Keer. He didn't want to die. But there didn't seem much he could do about it.
As the gallows came into view, Eion wished he'd been more careful and not killed those people. Then he'd be able to live.
***
There were hisses and boos and Malcolm Reynolds knew that the prisoner was making his final march. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to see when they marched the doomed man to the gallows. Mal had heard the name E.K. Brass, the Brass part being the only thing that drew his attention. Then the E.K... chances were it was an just coincidence.
Yet there was always the possibility that it meant something.
When the prisoner was brought up to the gallows for execution, he shifted his leaning position to hide his surpise.
Mal would have recognized Eion Keer anywhere. Or rather, he would have recognized Brass Keer anywhere and this kid was his spitting image... with less gray but just as hard and weary a face.
"Eion!" he called out to the kid on the gallow stage.
He turned to look down into the crowd.
Recognition and a flash of hope entered Eion's eyes but were soon extinguished with a shove in the back by the guard. Mal wanted to jump up there and knock the man out. Yet that wouldn't do any good.
"Zoe?" he said into a wrist communicator. "You'll never guess who I just met at the public hanging today."
***
"Do I want to know?" she asked.
Wash was reclined in the pilot's seat, watching Zoe. "Probably not," he commented.
"Keer's kid," Mal told her. "He's the hanger. I'm not sure what happened. From what I pick up, he blew up a federal munitions depot and killed the night crew."
"Well, what are you going to do?"
Her husband sat up and got ready making preflight checks. Everytime Mal called in, he was in trouble and needed help. That help always came in the form of Wash and Serenity.
"I'm not going to let him hang," Mal said and then ended the communique.
Wash groaned and pulled Serenity up. Unlike the drunks from the bar, these Alliance cronies would know that the ship was not, in any way, armed.
***
Simon had heard the exchange between Mal and Zoe and groaned to himself. He never should have agreed to leaving the ship. Even if he could be sure River was safe, even if he was the doctor and these were medical supplies. Now he was going to get into more trouble than he ever wanted.
Now, rescuing a convicted murder right before his execution wasn't nearly as heavy as running off with his sister. That had been family. So here was this kid causing him to risk his life because Mal knew him.
"Go back and get the supplies ready," Mal told the young doctor. "They'll get you first and then come here. We've got some time while they read off the charges and sentence and that."
Okay, so maybe he was safe. That was good.
Mal obviously thought so too as he was quick to get Simon moving. They really *didn't* have much time and Serenity was coming for him first.
***
Eion watched as the man who had been with Mal left.Whatever hope he had left disappeared with the retreating man. There was no way he could rescue him alone and he had just sent his only help away.
But Mal caught Eion's eye and he felt that everything would be alright.
GALLOWS:
Hundreds of years earlier on death row they'd shout out "Dead man walking!" At that moment, Eion was wondering what possessed his father to share that pointless information with him. A history teacher before the war, Brass Keer had a vast knowledge of time and space. But why he shared that particular piece of history with his son, Eion would never know.
And that's how he felt as his life was coming to an end. He was a dead man walking, a defiant one with his chin up but a dead one none the less.
With no hope in sight, he was nineteen and about to leave the cruel universe behind. For a fleeting moment, he felt relief. Then... he felt panic.
His stride was proud but his eyes defied him. They showed the fear that he felt inside. No longer the hard gaze of the rebel, Eion Keer Brass, they were now the eyes of the boy Eion Keer. He didn't want to die. But there didn't seem much he could do about it.
As the gallows came into view, Eion wished he'd been more careful and not killed those people. Then he'd be able to live.
***
There were hisses and boos and Malcolm Reynolds knew that the prisoner was making his final march. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to see when they marched the doomed man to the gallows. Mal had heard the name E.K. Brass, the Brass part being the only thing that drew his attention. Then the E.K... chances were it was an just coincidence.
Yet there was always the possibility that it meant something.
When the prisoner was brought up to the gallows for execution, he shifted his leaning position to hide his surpise.
Mal would have recognized Eion Keer anywhere. Or rather, he would have recognized Brass Keer anywhere and this kid was his spitting image... with less gray but just as hard and weary a face.
"Eion!" he called out to the kid on the gallow stage.
He turned to look down into the crowd.
Recognition and a flash of hope entered Eion's eyes but were soon extinguished with a shove in the back by the guard. Mal wanted to jump up there and knock the man out. Yet that wouldn't do any good.
"Zoe?" he said into a wrist communicator. "You'll never guess who I just met at the public hanging today."
***
"Do I want to know?" she asked.
Wash was reclined in the pilot's seat, watching Zoe. "Probably not," he commented.
"Keer's kid," Mal told her. "He's the hanger. I'm not sure what happened. From what I pick up, he blew up a federal munitions depot and killed the night crew."
"Well, what are you going to do?"
Her husband sat up and got ready making preflight checks. Everytime Mal called in, he was in trouble and needed help. That help always came in the form of Wash and Serenity.
"I'm not going to let him hang," Mal said and then ended the communique.
Wash groaned and pulled Serenity up. Unlike the drunks from the bar, these Alliance cronies would know that the ship was not, in any way, armed.
***
Simon had heard the exchange between Mal and Zoe and groaned to himself. He never should have agreed to leaving the ship. Even if he could be sure River was safe, even if he was the doctor and these were medical supplies. Now he was going to get into more trouble than he ever wanted.
Now, rescuing a convicted murder right before his execution wasn't nearly as heavy as running off with his sister. That had been family. So here was this kid causing him to risk his life because Mal knew him.
"Go back and get the supplies ready," Mal told the young doctor. "They'll get you first and then come here. We've got some time while they read off the charges and sentence and that."
Okay, so maybe he was safe. That was good.
Mal obviously thought so too as he was quick to get Simon moving. They really *didn't* have much time and Serenity was coming for him first.
***
Eion watched as the man who had been with Mal left.Whatever hope he had left disappeared with the retreating man. There was no way he could rescue him alone and he had just sent his only help away.
But Mal caught Eion's eye and he felt that everything would be alright.