Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, that's Joss's department.
Notes: I want to thank everyone for their suggestions and comments. I do take them all into consideration and I appreciate everyone's honesty. Please continue to read and review, and I hope you all enjoy my visions and ideas for how this story will continue and eventually end.
"The Beginning of the End"
The six marched in, one by one, as if going to their doom.
"What seems to be the trouble Mal?" Shepard Book looked on in concern. The captain looked up at the rest of the crew and put his hands on his hips, the usual dramatic gesture he used when there were signs of real trouble.
"Is it alliance?" Simon appeared from behind the Shepard. His face showed all colors of concern as he swallowed a thick lump in his throat. Mal paced around until he was back facing the window looking out into space.
"Nope, don't figure it is." He looked to the left of Serenity and observed a small transport ship. It appeared to be tailing them, but hadn't made a move to communicate yet.
"Reavers?" Kaylee's question came out in more of a whimper then words. Jayne moved behind her, a look of fear crossing his face.
"Ain't getting' me anywhere near no gorram Reavers!" Jayne moved his hand to his gun holster and stared suspiciously at the small ship through the window.
"Hold it Sparky." Wash quipped as he punched a few buttons on the control panel. "I'm not getting any radiation readings out of the ordinary here. No, these seem to be just regular old folk." Zoe stood behind her husband and put her hands on his shoulders.
"Ain't no regular folk who tail a transport." Mal mumbled, placing his hands on the panel and looking out into the black void outside. Suddenly, the small screen on the panel lit up, indicating that someone was trying to contact the crew of Serenity.
"Guess again sir." Zoe gestured towards the screen. It read the name Barnabus Reily and showed a picture of a gruff looking man with a long brown beard and a leather jacket. Mal looked down at the screen and his eyed widened in surprise. He gestured for the rest of the crew to stand back and pushed the button to answer the call. The mans face appeared on the screen and he smiled up at Mal, showing his missing teeth.
"Hi Mal. Been a while ay?" He laughed and quickly began to cough in the middle of it. Mal stared back at the screen and smiled.
"Howdy there Barnabus. Good to see your face again." He wore a friendly smile, the one he wore whenever he was more suspicious then friendly.
"Yours too old friend. Is that there a bald spot I see?" Mal ignored the chuckles coming from Wash and Zoe to his left.
"Reckon it ain't as big as that gap tween your teeth there buddy." Mal did his best to make his laugh sound real enough, casting an annoyed glance at the rest of the crew behind him. "So what brings you to these parts Barnabus?"
"Well Mal, I'm looking' for someone to transport some goods for me. Nothing too troublesome I reckon. Heard you were in the business and figured I'd look ya up." The man pulled on his beard as he talked, providing a distraction from his mangled hair and missing teeth.
Mal looked over at Zoe, considering. "Well now Barnabus, reckon we're a bit full right now. Got some medical supplies and such to get to Ariel in a day or two."
"But Mal…" Jayne chimed in. Mal raised his hand to shush the man's objections.
"Don't gotta fool with me Mal." The man laughed. "I know you too well for that. You working for the alliance? Not in a million moons." He paused to pull his beard again. "Unless you got objections with working with an old war buddy, well, I figure it ain't no problem for me."
Mal seemed to consider this for a moment, causing the man to become impatient.
"Aw Come on Mal, 'member that time I saved your hide when we was fightin' on Hera? Wouldn't no one else jump in front of a bullet to save your pee-goo." He paused. "Cept maybe for Zoe, now she was a…" Zoe stepped in front of the screen and smiled at the old haggered man.
"What were you saying Barnabus?" Wash stood up next to her and put on his tough guy facod.
"Yea!" He yelled out in determination. "What she said." Mal pushed both of them aside and addressed the man on the screen.
"Alright Barnabus. Always in the mood to talk business. See ya in a spec." He immediately shut off the screen and turned to the others. They all looked back at him, waiting for the downside to this new development.
"What is it sir?" Zoe approached him with uncertainty. Mal looked up at her, deep in thought suddenly.
"Somethan ain't right." He started towards the door. "Jayne, Zoe, arm yourselves and meet me down in the airlock. Wash need you to stay here at the controls. Rest a ya…" He turned and gestured to Simon and River, "specially you two, keep yourselves hidden. Somethan ain't right with this." He continued down the corridor with his usual panicked determination.
"Alright, bought time we had a good ruttin fight." Jayne took the gun out of his belt and cocked it. He smiled, like he only did when there was violence involved, and followed Mal. Zoe kissed her husband and did the same, leaving the others to watch them go.
This wasn't the first time they had seen trouble like this, but there was something different about the look on Mal's face this time. It was a look that said if they weren't careful, it might be their last.
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Alliance Cruiser
Present Day
Three men stood in suits, awaiting the opening of the airlock that would lead them onto the apparent deserted transport ship. One was a larger man, confident in his appearance and ability to get the job done. The other two, lesser of men some would say, stood behind him. One looked nervous, but ready to face what was to come. The other, a mere rookie at heart, held onto his weapon a bit tighter then the other two.
And when the airlock opened they were faced with an empty abyss, an empty ship in all appearance.
"Alright boys, lets go." The general gestured for the other two to follow him as he stepped aboard. Their steps were slow and deliberate, the only way they could be in the heavy suits they were wearing. The ship creaked when they walked, causing the rookie to fall back a step before continuing on.
The other young man looked at the rookie, laughing at him silently. "Sure you can handle this, Tucker? If you plan to turn back now's the time." Tucker stopped, turned around slightly to look at the way they had come. Before he could answer the other man, the general's voice boomed through their earpieces.
"OK. She looks dead to me." He turned and looked at the other men. "You boys go up, see if you find anything useful. I'll keep going this way." He gestured toward an area that looked like the common area of the ship. The man started walking without looking back. Rafferty looked at his new companion and rolled his eyes.
"Just try to keep up." He started up the stairs. "And have your weapon ready, just in case we encounter any ghosts." He said the last words in a teasing manner, but the young rookie was in no laughing mood.
He swallowed a lump in his throat and followed the other man upstairs.