Chapter Two
Thank you so much to:
angw- My first reviewer! Thank you so much- I like Simon, this fics been floating around my head for a while
Missjasadin- sorry, this one's rather shorter, but more will be coming, when this pesky Leaving Certificate is done...
Guardian- thanks- i'm getting there!
smeg1- I try to avoid making people cry so just for you- the next section rather earlier then planned!
And I promise the next section will be longer
Thank you so much- you guys rock!
Part Two (the short bit)
Simon, Independents HQ, Mathesda
Simon was also catching up on lost time. He was ready to try infiltrate Porthidion Science Base, the most securely guarded Government base in this region. Again. The only thing he had in his advantage were the fact that he was supposed to be dead and buried on a backwater desert planet at the arse end of the galaxy. His other advantage was the pulse weapon which, Hesten and River had designed and a team of scientists had built. It was what had saved them last time. Now, he just hoped they hadn't found some way around it or he would be in the serious gos se.
"They officially think you just got lucky last time and didn't have anything to do with the power strike last time" Marian told him, giving him the hand held beacon affair. He turned it over.
"Hey, it's smaller."
"Yeah- Hesten's pet project after you and River left last time- he was absolutely obsessed with it. This time it should disrupt even projectile weapons as well as laser- types." He glanced up at her in surprise and she shook her head.
"Don't even ask- I have no idea. But that was the major weakness last time around and you were damn lucky. Now they carry projectiles thanks to you. This will give you the edge. Hope you're still as good with a sword." she added, the smile leaving her face. Simon nodded. He hoped he was as well. He hadn't really gotten much of a chance to practice onboard Serenity. When they left Mathseda it was with very little and a sword was a bit of a giveaway. He had it back and he touched the hilt for reassurance. In the kitbag on his back he had Rivers weapons- a pair of ancient Japanese katana that she had been very good with.
It was strange for a doctor to be a swordsman, he mused. Proper swordsman, not merely a duelist. But even as a child he had just taken naturally to it, when his training started for dueling. The man- recognized as one of the best in his day, had taught the quiet twelve year old all he knew and talked another man out of retirement to teach him and his sister (that had taken some doing). Hand-to-hand, gun, whatever- he knew he was rubbish at those, but he didn't know anyone apart from River who could best him at this. (And even River only about half the time)
He was dressed as an Alliance soldier-medic with uniform and kitbag on his back. His ID identified him as Major- Doctor Jonathan Archer, age 29 with twelve years experience in the forces as a medic. It ought to be enough to get him inside anyway. On ce he was in though it would be entirely his own wits to rely on in getting two- no, four people out, he reconsidered. There was no way that this Sedae would leave her brothers behind -he recognized that. He also knew that while he would do what he could for the others, River was, and always would be, his first priority.
It was a days flight to Porthidion and he left his rebel family at nightfall- the station didn't have days or nights only shifts and he wanted to arrive at changeover. He was refreshed after his two days (two days!) erm, enforced sleep (i.e. unconsciousness) and he could now think, plan and…worry.
There were a lot of things to worry about. Was River still there? What if they'd brought her somewhere else? How was he supposed to find this Sedae (assuming she was even alive) And her brothers? Was the Section still in the same place? Was this a trap? (Unlikely- he was 'dead' and anyway they didn't particularly want him) Dead. Crap- guess that meant he was dead as far as Serenity was concerned too. Not that there was any way they could find them even if they really wanted to- and they'd caused enough trouble with the Alliance for any captain to be glad to wash his hands of them, he thought ruefully. Jayne would be happy anyway- insofar as he ever was! He wished he knew how Kaylee was though. Kaylee… he wondered would ever see her again and was forced to conclude, sadly, no- in all likelyhood- even if he did survive this particular episode and he and River went on the run again. Space was big and Serenity very good at keeping a low profile. And anyway, did they want to find her again, just to put them all in danger? Put Kaylee in danger? Not that their chosen lifestyle was exactly safe but that wasn't the point. He shook his head again. He and River would be on their own again. Maybe they'd rejoin the Independents on Mathesta- from the looks of it a full rebellion might be taking place soon- and when that time came they'd need a medic and a genius with mechanics like his sister. Hell, they might even succeed!
Serenity, Mathesta- Day 11
It was nightfall on day ten when they retired back to the ship- Wash had taken some dragging out but Mal didn't want to leave any of his crew on their own on a planet with such a strong Alliance presence. Family didn't count as not on his own, was his rather convoluted reasoning.
Wash arrived into the Mess last, just behind Zoë with a wide grin on his face, which seemed rather out of place, considering. They started to eat dinner (protein stuff! Yay!) and volunteered what they'd discovered. Wash had eaten already so he went first while the others ate.
"Charrie is an Independent- not all my family are so keeping quiet on that. Would you believe- she knows Simon? Last year she lived with the Independents for a while- during the fighting, and met him when he'd escaped with River the first time. She told me- she was very cagey about this so the quieter we keep it the better- where to find Lessin Ferdetti.." People looked up with interest- Kaylee in particular.
"This guy was a recruiter and all that- like the Remora said. After the resistance went underground he opened a pub on the Southside, called, funnily enough, The Southside. It's not a great part of town, where being too different is likely to get you beaten up or shot, so we keep our heads down and don't attract attention. Even the Alliance soldiers don't go in there unless in groups."
"Why is the Southside so bad?" asked Book with interest.
"The Independents headquarters last time round. The Demera City rebellion was the most serious- nearly succeeded- whole Southside rose up and it spread to the Northside. They just had very bad luck is all. Nearly wiped out. Southside is still bitter so they're being kept down. Stupid really- from the sounds of it, it's almost ready to go up again."
"Who are the 'vested interests"?" asked Zoë.
"Same as usual- Alliance pander to the rich- give 'em the chance to get richer, the status quo stays statusy."
"How are we to get in contact with this guy, if going there is likely to cause trouble?"
"She gave me this." Wash held up what looked like an Alliance token- small copper coin with the Alliance crest on it. Mal raised his eyebrows questioningly. Wash looked at it again.
"Dunno- guess there's something strange about it 'cos she seemed certain that it'd work."
"No offence Wash, but she seems kinda…trusting." started Mal. "I mean- she hasn't seen you in years and for all she knows you could be Alliance in which case she'd have sold out the whole movement." Wash shook his head.
"She knew about Simon." He frowned. "Actually, if I didn't know better, I'd say there was some history there…" He bit his tongue, realising that that wasn't perhaps the brightest thing in the world to say and conspicuously didn't look at Kaylee.
"Actually, no- damn…" he muttered as Kaylee stood up and excused herself. After she left the room Zoë hit him on the shoulder in remonstration.
"Ow… yes okay- it was a dumb thing to say. " to everyone else's glares. "What I didn't get to say was…." He shook his head and followed Kaylee.
Kaylee was down in the engine room staring at a piece of recalctriciant engine. He sat down beside her.
"What I should have perhaps mentioned is that my sister has had a steady relationship for almost three years now with a rather nice girl from Radharc- bout ten klicks north of Demera and has apparently not shown the slightest sliver of interest In males in almost six years now. There is definitely no history there." Kaylee stared at the engine again, processing this.
"Oh…" she whispered, in a bit of confusion.
"My people actually have very little problem with same- sex relationships. It's considered to be the individuals choice- unless there's a family name to be carried on or something."
Kaylee nodded, only half listening, although she would find that interesting later on. Wash stood up, sensing that the girl wanted to be on her own for a little while.
"It looks like we have a good lead from what Charrie said- we'll find this place tomorrow and find our guy." Kaylee smiled shakily. As Wash started to stand up she looked like she wanted to say something and he paused.
"Wash…." She paused as well and he waited patiently. "Why…why didn't he wait for us?" she finally asked. Wash suspected that the last word might have as easily been 'me'- why didn't he wait for me? He sat down again.
"Well, he was probably in shock and still had that whack on the head from earlier- perhaps he wasn't entirely thinking straight. And the ship was apparently gone- he might have thought we thought he was dead or captured- last thing he would've remembered is spreading the hay for the cattle in the bay. And didn't that woman- Fidelma? say that he didn't want to put you in danger?" He suspected it as the last that she most needed to hear. "He was going to do something dangerous- get River back, and didn't want to risk you getting hurt too. I guess he didn't wait 'cos he loves ya, Kaylee." Kaylee froze for a second then nodded slowly. Wash took it as his signal to leave and quietly did so.
Kaylee stared at the engine piece again before, slowly, mechanically, starting to work on it.
Demera Town- 12 days AC
"Did your sister give any more specific directions?" groaned Mal to Wash after they'd walked what seemed to be most of the hot, dusty roads of Mathesta's Second City.
Wash frowned. "We should have passed it twice. I don't get it…"
Mals face had a 'wild goose chase' expression, which Wash saw and shrugged at. It had been decided only two should go- try not to spook the locals if they did find this Ferdetti guy.
"Hang on- this is it…" said Wash relieved as he dived down a side street. Mal followed at a more sedate pace, grumbling. He stopped outside an ancient and depressed-looking pub that had obviously seen better days. It looked like the owner had fallen on hard times- then fallen off them and off the damn cart altogether.
"Doesn't look like a front for anything much…" muttered Mal to Wash who shrugged.
"If it did look like a front it'd be a bit pointless." he noted.
"True."
They hiked inside and the place fell silent. They could feel eyes focussed on them and it was all Mal could do not to be holding some sort of weapon at least. They ignored the unfriendly customers and went to the bar. Mal ordered two beers and passed the crossed Alliance token on top of the money. The barman glanced at it unconcernedly and wandered back over with change. He slowly put them on the counter.
"Not from around here, are ya?" he asked.
"No- my sister, Marie suggested this place."
"Marie- that girl with the red hair?" he asked, unconcernedly. This was the 'code'
"Nah- she dyed it black last week. Looking for a change." Mal looked on with eyebrows carefully not raised. But he wanted them to be.
"Here." the barman grunted, tossing back a couple of small coins. Wash took them and they walked down to an empty table.
It was nearly closing time. They had wandered off and come back in time to order some beer as an excuse to be there. The man served them with a scowl. This beer tasted okay. It wasn't congealing to the bottom of the glass anyway. Neither of them drank much of it, which made what happened next rather surprising.
Little cliffhanger there. Well okay, not really. Anyways, please tell me your reactions! This is my first Firefly fanfic sooo… :)
Please?
