Unneeded – Chapter Two
Author owns no rights of any kind, and writes for his own amusement, and that of others.
Valkyrie did prove to be a good ship, Jayne decided, looking over the vessel. She wasn't new, by any stretch, an old Mitari class freighter. Not so old as Serenity, but she wouldn't ever be new again.
Jayne noted with satisfaction that the ship was clean. In fact, she fairly gleamed inside. Always a good sign, he'd learned early on in the black. It meant that the crew took good care of the ship. Which meant the Captain probably took good care of them.
"Bunk's are this way," Mike Taggart motioned down the forward passageway. "They ain't liner rooms, mind, but they're comfortable. And good sized," he added, nodding toward Jayne's many gun cases. Jayne nodded, following along. Things didn't feel right, and it took him a minute to figure out why.
It wasn't Serenity. It wasn't home. At least, not yet.
"Here we go," Taggart stopped at a doorway, and entered a code. The hatch hissed open, and Jayne was looking at his new bunk.
Bigger than my old one, he noticed. Clean, too.
"Looks good," Jayne nodded. He set his things inside.
"When do we leave?" he asked, looking up at Taggart.
"Soon's I can get things movin'," Taggart admitted. "Like I said, we got a job ready to go. Taking some stuff to a moon called Aramis. Been there?"
"Once or twice," Jayne nodded. "Back o' beyond. Kinda rough, in places." Taggart nodded.
"So it is. That a problem?" The question was an honest one, Jayne noted, and not a challenge, as it would have been with Mal.
"Nope," Jayne assured him. "Like I said, I don't mind workin' fer my money."
"Get settled in, while we're gettin' off world," Taggart ordered. "Once we're in the black, you can meet ever one else." Jayne nodded again. Taggart hit a series of buttons on the door controls.
"Door's blank, now," he told Jayne, moving away. "Set yer own code. Bunk's is personal space on this ship. Invitation only."
"Good deal," Jayne smiled slightly. Wouldn't o' stopped crazy girl, but it was nice to have his own bunk still.
As he went to work putting his things in order, Jayne reflected on his new job. He'd been lucky, walking into what looked like a good spot right off Serenity. He'd see what happened.
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"Ever body, this here is our new crew member," Taggart announced to the crew, now gathered around the galley table. "Name's Jayne Cobb. Used to work on Serenity," he added. Eyebrows rose around the table at that.
"Cobb, this is my first mate, Jerry Pernell, and his wife, Gerri," he chuckled softly. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it," he added as the others laughed. Jayne grinned, nodded.
"This here is Frankie Willows," he went on, pointing to a slender brown haired man. "He's the engineer. Takes good care o' the old girl for us. Man's a near mechanical genius. Does a lotta other work for us, too," Taggart added. The others laughed again at that. Jayne was starting to feel better about this all the time.
"Genevieve Montreau, our cook and caretaker," Taggart continued down the line, to a middle aged woman, just starting to grey. She smiled at him.
"You look like a good eater, boy," she teased. "I'll keep you fed, you keep me from gettin' hurt." Everyone knew what Jayne's job was. Jayne smiled.
"That's a deal I'm always up for," he told her, and the matronly woman laughed heartily.
"These two is Jamie and Janine Farrell," Taggart pointed to the last two. Jayne noticed they looked eerily alike. "Jamie and you will work together. Janine takes care of our hurts, and does a good bit of our electronic work, too. They's twins, case you was wonderin'. Ain't never figured out whether Jamie's lucky he looks like Janey, or Janey is cursed to look like Jamie." Everyone laughed at that, including the twins. Jayne chuckled.
"And, like I said, ever one, this here is Jayne Cobb. He's our new heavy lifter."
"Welcome aboard," everyone chorused, surprising him. He'd never been on a ship where he was welcome.
"Well, now that the introductions is done, 'spect we all got work to do," Taggart smiled. Everyone nodded, and started to their respective jobs. "Jamie, you and Jayne stay a minute," Taggart ordered. Jayne noticed that Jerry Pernell stayed as well, though his wife headed for the bridge. As the others filed out, Taggart motioned for the remaining men to take a seat.
"Okay, I ain't said nothin' till we got goin', but I wanna lay out what this job is gonna be like," he said quietly. Pernell and Farrell both groaned. They'd obviously heard that line before.
"Whine, bitch, and mutter," Taggart sighed theatrically. "That's all I get. And me the Captain o' this tub, at that." The others laughed again, and Jayne noticed that it was comfortable. Hell, the whole crew, the whole ship was comfortable.
"Okay, we're headed to Aramis, ya'll know that," Taggart began in earnest. "Thing is, we're moving some high interest cargo. What I'm about to tell you stays at this table, and I mean stays. Dong ma?" He looked from one to the other. Jayne just nodded, leaning forward.
"Everyone here knows there's a new independent movement," Taggart said matter-of-factly. Jayne looked surprised at that, Taggart noted.
"Figured you knew it too, workin' for Reynolds," he said.
"First I heard of it," Jayne admitted. "We. . .Mal, ain't been about much last few months," he added evasively. "Had ship troubles, and a few other difficulties," he explained. "He might know, considerin' who he is, and was. But he hadn't said nothin' to the rest of us. But," he added, "Wouldn't be no reason for him to, really."
"Makes sense," Taggart nodded after a minute. "Well, I ain't really of a mind to join, but I don't mind makin' a bit o' coin takin'em supplies, or movin' their folks. I ain't against'em, mind. Alliance ain't exactly my favorite people. But all I really care about are the people on this ship. One way or another." Jayne noticed how that sounded a lot like Mal, and decided it was a good thing.
"Anyhow," the Captain went on, "we're transportin' weapons, ammunition, and some 'plosives to a group on Aramis," he dropped it all at once. Jayne didn't react at all, while Pernell and Farrell whistled softly, both leaning back into their seats.
"I know it's a bit more than we normally carry," Taggart nodded. "But this job pays twenty-K plat'num, and we done got half of it up front." The others set up at that. Even for their services, that was a lot of money.
"Wow," Jayne mouthed softly. Taggart snorted.
"I told ya we make good money," he reminded the merc. "Also told ya sometimes we have to work for it."
"Hey, I ain't complainin'," Jayne shook his head. "Just impressed." Taggart smiled at that, the bigger man's answer having pleased him. He looked to the others.
"This ain't a normal haul, and we're takin' a bigger risk than even we normally do. And," he added, "we got a return run outta the deal, worth another five-K. Takin' some o' their people to Beaumonde." Pernell frowned at that.
"How many people?" he asked. "I don't much care for the idea of a buncha soldiers bein' on board, sir," he added. Taggart nodded.
"Me neither, but it's only five people, 'coordin' to Berry. Some kinda intel team, from what I gathered. I didn't ask no questions, really. Far as I'm concerned, they's just payin' passengers, and that's all. Meantime, we got to make delivery, first. Everything in the hold is pretty well concealed, but I want everyone to take a look, make sure nothin' sticks out. They added a goodly buncha stuff to help camouflage the goods. Blankets, medicines, foodstuffs, and such like. None of which is illegal," he smirked. "So, we make sure the illegal portion o' the cargo ain't out in the open for all to see, and make the delivery just like it was another run. It'll look like we're takin' a load o' supplies to a mining town. Fact is, I think the Independents own the town, and use it as a base. That's just a guess, mind, but a good one, I figure. We ain't landing in the town, mind," he added. "I'll contact'em when we get there, and set up a meet somewhere that'll give us an advantage. It ain't that I don't trust'em," he smiled. "I just got a suspicious nature, that's all." The others, Jayne included, laughed.
"All right, that's it. Let's get to work."
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Serenity was in the black, again. Finally. Mal had scrounged a small job transporting odd an end machine parts to a small farming moon. It wasn't much, but it would keep them eating for a while longer. And he'd been promised the possibility of return cargo, if any was available. It would be farm stores, but it was better than nothing.
"How we lookin', 'Tross?" Mal asked, walking onto the bridge.
"We are away fine, and all systems are nominal," the little pilot informed him. "We should reach our destination in two days time. Perhaps a bit less," she added. Mal nodded.
"Good deal. And good to be back in the sky, too," he added. River nodded.
"It is. Too long on the ground is a bad thing," she smiled.
"That it is," Mal agreed. He left the bridge, heading back toward the galley. He found Zoe sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee. She allowed herself only one cup per day, and usually made it last as long as possible. Mal noted that her pants weren't buttoned, but rather held together with her belt.
"We gonna need to get you some maternity clothes, Zoe," he smiled. The warrior woman looked up at him.
"'Spect so," she agreed, then turned back to her coffee. "I'm sorry this is making it hard on you, sir," she added after a moment.
"Don't be," Mal replied at once. "Soon as the little one's here, we'll be shiny again."
"Will we?" Zoe asked, looking at him again. "I'm not so sure, sir." Mal frowned slightly at that, taking a seat.
"What's that mean?" he asked.
"Just that I ain't so sure," Zoe shrugged. "I know you been skirtin' work on account o' me being pregnant. And I know it cost us Jayne," she added, looking at him. "I also know that we ain't been workin' near enough to support us all. We're barely gettin' by."
"True," Mal agreed. "But that's only temporary. Once you're back in form, we'll be shiny."
"With a little one on board?" Zoe eyed him doubtfully. "How will that affect your decisions about which jobs we take, and which ones we pass, sir? And we can't take on the jobs that are like to pay well enough to get us back into the green, without Jayne."
"Jayne can be replaced," Mal said flatly, though there was no heat in it. "He ain't the only merc in the 'verse, Zoe."
"He wasn't a merc, no more. Least not with us," she objected. "And you know that well as I do. Take time to find another man dependable as he was. Or as good."
"Likely so," Mal nodded. "But we got plenty of time for that. You ain't due for another three, four months. And it'll take a bit after for you to be fit to do much. So we take what we can get, and make do until then. Meanwhile, we keep our eyes open and our ears to the ground for a new gunhand. Easy peasy," he finished with a smile.
"You say so, sir," Zoe sounded unconvinced.
"I do say so," Mal said firmly, standing. "And you ain't to worry 'bout any o' that so long as you're. . .well, like you are."
"You can say the word, sir," Zoe almost grinned.
"No, I can't," Mal threw over his shoulder, already walking away down the passage to the engine room. Zoe laughed a little at that, and Mal smiled at the sound.
His smiled died away, though, as he thought about what Zoe had said. True, Jayne had become a part of their crew, earning Mal's trust after Miranda. His presence would be missed.
But, everyone had to make their own way, and that included Jayne. Mal did regret pushing the big man into his decision, but he couldn't take it back now. Jayne was gone, and they'd have to adjust to that.
And, they had five months or so, at least, before Zoe would be able to do more than. . .well, anything.
Something would happen before then, he figured.
**********
Valkyrie settled into orbit over Aramis, Gerrie Pernell easing the large ship expertly into a holding pattern. Taggart looked at the planet below for a moment, then went to the coretex receiver, and started dialing in an address. In seconds, a dark haired man wearing the Browncoat of an Independent appeared on screen.
"State your business," he said flatly.
"Name's Taggart," Mike said amiably. "My ship, Valkyrie, is in orbit overhead, with a load o' cargo for the Aramis Mining Consortium." The man's interest peaked a bit at that.
"I'll give you coordinates for landing, if you can. . . ."
"I'll provide the coordinates," Taggart cut the man off calmly. "I got a place already in mind, in fact." Without waiting, he rattled off the directions to the sight.
"We don't usually take delivery away from the mine, Captain," the man's face pinched into a slight scowl.
"I don't usually land amongst a good number o' folks I ain't never done business with, neither," Taggart shrugged. "Tryin' times, and all. This deal goes okay, then next time we'll do it your way, I reckon. This time, though, it's mine."
The man studied Taggart for a moment, then smiled, ever so slightly.
"I can understand that," he nodded. "Very well, then. Say in an hour?"
"Make it two," Taggart replied. "We're still in orbit."
"Two hours it is, then," the man agreed, cutting the feed. Gerrie looked up.
"We can make it there in way less time than that, Mike."
"I know," Mike smiled. "But he maybe don't. Take us in, Gerrie. Little bit o' extra time can let us make sure we ain't walkin' into somethin' untoward."
"Right in it is," Gerrie agreed, and the large ship nosed over. Taggart headed aft, where Jayne and Jamie were gearing up.
"We hit dirt, I want you out somewhere, hid like, Jayne," Mike ordered. "See, I gotta itchy spot on my neck, and it's itchin' now. I don't like that. Berry, the man what set this deal up, is okay so far as I know. But I don't ignore my itchy spot."
"Works for me," Jayne nodded. "Man's gotta trust his instincts." Taggart smiled at that, pleased.
"If Berry briefed them on us, then they don't know we got you," he added. "Nice surprise for'em, anything odd was to occur."
"Just give the word," was all Jayne said, hefting Vera.
"Man, that's some piece," Jamie whistled. "Callahan?" he asked.
"Yep," Jayne beamed. "My pride and joy. Vera."
"You name your guns?" Jamie asked, eyes alight.
"Oh no, not another one," Taggart groaned.
"Man's gotta name his girls, boss," Jamie almost whined, and Jayne laughed.
"You're okay, kid," he told Jamie. "And yeah, man needs to name his girls. And treat'em right. He takes care o' them, they'll take care o' him."
"See?" Jamie demanded, eyeing Taggart with a narrow eye.
"I give up," the Captain raised his hands in mock surrender. "Just be ready when we hit dirt."
"We will be."