Long Road Home – Chapter Three
Author owns no rights to these characters or the 'verse they inhabit, and makes no money from his labors.
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They were ten days into the voyage to Persephone when it happened. One minute everything was fine, and the next the ship was shuddering.
Jayne was instantly awake. He sat up so quickly that he had to grab River, who was sleeping atop him peacefully, lest she fall to the floor.
"Whasit?" she muttered, then her eyes opened wide as the ship shuddered again.
"We're takin' fire," Jayne observed, getting out of bed before gently lowering River to the floor. Without need for words, the two dressed quickly, and started arming themselves. Before they were finished, Kaylee burst into their room, eyes wide with panic.
"What's goin' on?" she asked.
"Pirates, mebbe?" Jayne offered, checking that Vera was ready.
"Slavers," River whispered, her mind ranging.
"Ai ya," Jayne muttered. "You two stay here, Dong ma? I'm gonna see if there's any of the crew on this level, and find out what's hap'nin'."
"Jayne. . ." River started to object. Jayne stopped her with a kiss.
"Just wait for me here, baby girl," he whispered. "Wouldn't dream o' leavin' ya," and with that he was gone.
As River watched him go, a tear sprung to her eye. Kaylee saw it, and hugged the smaller woman.
"Jayne's good at takin' care o' hiself," she tried to comfort River.
"Good at taking care of all of us," River nodded. "Just worry for him."
"Honey, that's only natural," Kaylee observed. "You really love that big ole gunman don't you, sweetie."
"More than anything in the 'verse," River nodded, hugging Kaylee back.
"Well, I been knowing Jayne Cobb a long time, honey," Kaylee assured her. "And if there's one thing I know, it's this. Jayne loves you the same way."
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Jayne found a steward just forward of his suite, looking badly frightened, and holding a rifle that Jayne was certain he'd never fired in his life. The man jumped when he saw Jayne, then calmed when he recognized him.
"What's goin' on?" Jayne demanded. Jayne's identification showed him as the 'Chief Security Officer' for 'Reynolds Shipping'. Thus the steward didn't hesitate to answer.
"There is a pirate firing on the ship, Mister Cobb," he replied nervously. "The Captain is trying to outrun him, but ordered all passengers to their compartments, and all hands to arm themselves to repel boarders."
"I don't think they're pirates," Jayne told him flatly. "I think they're slavers." The steward's face paled at that.
"I need to see the Captain," Jayne ignored the man's fear. "Or at least talk to him. How do I make that happen?" The steward unclipped a small radio from his belt, and called the purser.
"What is it, Thomas," a strained voice came back. "This isn't the best time."
"Mister Cobb, in suite 234? Wants to talk to the Captain, sir. He fears the ship firing on us may be slavers rather than pirates."
"Is Cobb there with you?" the purser asked, his voice slightly more normal. Thomas handed the radio over to Jayne. He keyed it.
"This is Cobb."
"Mister Cobb, the situation right now is that the ship firing on us claims to be pirates. The Captain is maintaining as much speed as possible while negotiating for the passengers' safety. That's standard in these areas."
"Sir, I think you better advise your Captain that this area is a favorite trolling ground for slavers. Some of them are well organized, and large enough to try and take a ship this size."
"We've contacted the Alliance, Mister Cobb," the purser informed him. "They have a gunboat two hours away, already on it's way to us." The ship shuddered again from another near miss.
"I don't think we got two hours, sir," Jayne said through gritted teeth. "If we can't out run them, the best bet is to dock with them, and try and keep the ships together. We can fight them on board if we have too, and they can't destroy the liner with ship to ship weaponry, if we're docked, without destroying themselves."
The radio was silent for a moment, and Jayne had begun to think the purser had dismissed him.
"Thomas, escort Cobb forward. The Captain wants a word."
"Y. . .Yes sir," Thomas stammered into the radio.
"We'll need to go to my cabin, first," Jayne informed him. "I ain't leaving my women here, alone."
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With River and Kaylee in tow, Jayne followed the slightly less nervous Thomas to the bridge. The Captain took in the sight of the giant man and tiny woman, both armed to the teeth.
"Mister Cobb, I don't have time for games. I have a ship full of passengers in peril, and my purser tells me I should listen to you. You have one minute to make your case."
"The ship firing on us is probably slavers, Captain," Jayne spoke the way Inara had taught him. "They frequent this area on a regular basis, and several of them are well armed enough to threaten a liner this size. This is also their standard operating procedure. Act like typical pirates, demand to come aboard and rob the passengers, or extract ransom, and then seize the ship and it's passengers and crew."
"And you know this. . .how?" the Captain demanded.
"I've seen it before," Jayne shrugged. "Last year we came through here, and answered a distress call from a small liner similar to this. The survivors told us what happened. They didn't know the name of the ship, just what had happened."
The Captain digested this for a minute. He looked at Jayne as if trying to gauge whether or not he was trustworthy.
"How do I know you aren't with them?" he asked finally.
"If I was, you'd be dead," Jayne pointed out flatly. This, more than anything, seemed to convince the Captain.
"I'm open to suggestions, Mister Cobb, but they'd better be fast. We can't outrun them, and their demands are getting more. . .spirited."
"Tell them to use the main hatchway," Jayne said at once. "The airlock's frozen, damaged by their fire, whatever sounds good. Order your armed crew members to the main hatchway immediately. My. . . wife, and I will assist them in repelling boarders."
He felt River stiffen at that, but ignored it.
"Very well, Mister Cobb," the Captain agreed. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"He does," Kaylee assured the Captain cheerfully.
Jayne turned and left, dragging the still stuttering Thomas with him.
As they made their way down the passage, he looked at River.
"Wearin' your armor?" She nodded.
"Yes, Zhang fu," she smiled. He looked to Kaylee, who nodded likewise.
"Good girls," he nodded, and Kaylee beamed, despite her fear. River snickered.
"Told Zhang fu I would not forget again." Jayne shook his head. She would milk this for all it was worth.
When they got to the main hatch, Jayne started giving orders. Using the ship's fixtures, they started to erect a barricade that would allow some cover, and keep the slavers penned up. As crewmen scurried to do that, Jayne looked at Kaylee.
"Mei-mei can you fix the hatch so that when they dock, it'll lock us onto them, and they can't get it open again."
"Yep," Kaylee replied confidently. "It'll take me a few minutes, gotta rewire some stuff."
"Well, get at it," Jayne ordered. "We ain't like to have too many minutes. And Kaylee?" The engineer turned back. "Shootin' starts, I 'spect you to be somewhere else, dong ma?"
"Count on it," she nodded. "I'll let you and the 'Mrs' take care o' the shootin'," she winked. Jayne couldn't help but grin. As he turned, River was walking up to him.
"Have a good spot picked out, Zhang fu," she informed him with a smile. "I will watch your back."
"I'd rather be watchin' yours," he whispered into her ear, and the possessive rumble in his voice made her shiver. She stood on her tip toes, nibbling his ear lobe.
"No. More. Waiting." she said softly, and then drew back to see his face. Jayne looked down at her for a moment, her eyes full of promise, and his resolve faltered. In that instant, River knew she had him.
"No more waiting," he agreed. "Once this is over," he added when she grinned that wicked grin he loved so much.
"Hold you to that, Zhang fu," she warned, then whirled away, on her way to the hiding spot she had chosen.
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Jayne had been right, they didn't have too many minutes. Tiring of the chase, the pirates had sent their last warning shot near the engines. The liner had bucked violently, and lost considerable speed. Lights dimmed, came back on, then dimmed again.
"Kaylee!" Jayne shouted. "You done?"
"Got it, Jayne," the engineer called in reply. "It'll hold'em for a while." Jayne turned to the purser. "I want your best man to take her to the engineering area, and stay with her. She's a genius with machines, and might be a help to you." The purser nodded and pointed at Thomas. "Not him," Jayne rumbled. "Need him here," he added to keep from mortifying the young man. Instead, the comment seemed to steel him, and he stopped his incessant shivering. That gave Jayne an idea.
"Listen up!" he called. "The ship that's attacked us are probably slavers! You know what that means. But they ain't used to a bunch like you, with guts enough to fight'em. They're used to beatin' on slaves what can't fight back! So we're gonna give'em, a taste, you hear me?"
The crew men cheered at that, and Jayne nodded. Seemed to steady a few of them, anyway. In his mind, though, Jayne was counting on himself, and his little assassin. Together they should be enough to keep the slavers from taking the ship. And Jayne knew he'd die before he let Kaylee or River be taken.
The sounds of an airlock clamping over the hatch rang through the room, and everyone settled in for the coming fight.
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Jayne had been right. As soon as the hatch opened, fifteen heavily armed men raced into the ship, clearly expecting no one to oppose them, since they had 'struck a deal' with the Captain of the liner. Their job was simple. Weed out the strongest men and best looking women for the markets, take any children, and disable the ship. They'd done it countless times.
Just never when Jayne, River, and Kaylee were present.
Jayne had threatened to shoot anyone who fired before he did, and the threat worked. He waited for the last man to get clearly into the hatchway, and shot him dead. As soon as he fired, so did the twelve crewmen stationed around the barricade with him, and River. In seconds, the initial boarding crew was shot to doll rags. Jayne knew it was possible there were just as many left on the ship, but doubted it. Most slavers didn't run to too many crew, as it tended to split the take too far.
When no one else appeared for first one minute, and then two, Jayne began to think maybe this was all there was. Then he heard the sound of metal bouncing on metal.
"Grenade!" he shouted, and threw himself behind a nearby up turned table.
The grenade went off right in the midst of the barricade, killing four of the crewmen, and injuring two more rather badly. Jayne's ears were ringing, but he was otherwise uninjured. As he shook his head to clear it, he could hear more slavers coming.
Okay, so they got a good sized crew after all, he thought. He heard the chug of River's rifle behind him, and knew she was watching over him. His own guardian angel. He smiled at the thought, then rose from behind the table, Vera in hand.
Ten more slavers had come through the hatch, expecting the grenade to have done most of the work for them. In the noise, they hadn't noticed that River's silenced rifle had taken the two rearmost men down already. When the giant gunman loomed in front of them they hesitated for a second. Just a second. But it was enough.
Jayne had shot three of the remaining eight men before they could react. He ducked back behind his table as they returned fire. One bullet managed to penetrate the table, striking him in the chest, but his armor shrugged the depleted round off. Meanwhile River had taken down two more of the slavers. The purser managed to get to a sitting position and shot another between the eyes.
The remaining crewmen accounted for the other two between them, and silence reigned once again. Jayne shook himself again, trying to work out the soreness left from the impact of the bullet on his armor. In seconds River was beside him.
"Are you hurt?" she asked quietly, voice filled with concern. He shook his head, and offered her a weak grin. Her relief was evident, and he saw her fighting back tears. He was wrapping his arm around her shoulders when the ship gave a violent tug.
"They're trying to break free!" the purser gasped. Jayne didn't hesitate. With River right behind him, he headed for the hatch, and through it into the slaver vessel.
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Kaylee felt the shudder and knew what was happening. She grabbed the security man who had escorted her down to the engine room.
"We need to get back!" she shouted. "The hatch won't close the way I got it rigged! If they manage to tear loose, we'll vent into the black!" The guard nodded, clearly alarmed, and they started back. Kaylee just hoped they made it in time.
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Jayne made his way forward as fast as possible, slowing at each intersecting passageway to look for traps or ambushes. River pushed her mind forward, trying to find the remaining crew, but the minds of the slaves threatened to overwhelm her. She reached out carefully, taking hold of Jayne's shirt, his contact helping her to steady herself.
Jayne looked down at her in concern, but she shook it off. She was fine, so long as he was near her.
They continued their way down the ship, coming at last to the bridge. Here, separated somewhat from the slaves, River was able to push onto the bridge.
"Three of them," she whispered. "Anger, panic, flooding them. Want to get free, destroy the ship." Jayne nodded, and pushed her gently away, stepping back from the bridge door. He looked at the mechanism, then to River who nodded. Ready.
Jayne lifted Vera and fired two rounds straight into the locking mechanism, then grabbed the door and heaved. It slid open, exposing the bridge behind it. One slaver was positioned to watch the door, and instantly pointed his gun at Jayne.
River leaned into the room over Jayne's back and shot the gunman in the head. Before the others could react, she repeated the performance, and they were all down. She raced to the controls, and after a few seconds study, powered down the ship.
As the slave ship lost power, the buckling stopped. Jayne sat heavily onto the floor. River came over and knelt beside him.
"Are you okay?" she asked him quietly.
"Yeah, just worked up, that's all," he nodded. "Thought there for a minute that hundan had me."
"Never let that happen to you, Zhang fu," River whispered. Before he could reply, they heard footsteps approaching. Both raised their weapons, but relaxed as the purser and two of him men came into view.
"Cobb, ma'am," he nodded. "You two okay?"
"We are uninjured," River assured him. "The ship is taken, though there may be other slavers on board. Also there are many slaves."
"We'll see to that ma'am," the purser assured her. "Thank you. Both of you. If you hadn't been along, then we'd either be dead, or locked into one of these cells."
"Glad we could help," Jayne nodded. He rose to his feet. He looked at River for a minute, then suddenly engulfed her in a crushing embrace.
"I love you, girl," he said quietly but fiercely. He released her and stepped back. "Let's get off the pile o' go se."
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When the Alliance gunboat arrived, they took charge of the surviving slavers, as well as the slaves themselves. Jayne had told the Captain of the liner that he'd like his part in the incident kept quiet, as he and his wife were on their honeymoon, and he really didn't want to be ensnared in a lot of paperwork. The Captain nodded in understanding, and informed the purser.
The crew were only too happy to co-operate, as it had been the big man and his wife that had saved them from being killed or taken as slaves. Kaylee had rewired the hatch before Jayne and River had even returned, so the three of them waited in their suite while the Alliance conducted a cursory investigation. The ship was seized and declared salvage, which meant the crew would share in the prize money. Jayne grumbled a little at that, but River had something to take his mind off the money.
Jayne had showered and changed, and was reclining in a chair in their room when River walked in. She was wearing a filmy little blue. . .nothing, that revealed more than it concealed, and his eyes went one way while his mouth went another.
"Told you I would hold you to it, Zhang fu," she grinned wickedly. Jayne felt his mouth water.
"Made," he whispered, taking in the view before him.
"That's the idea," River said, her voice husky and silky smooth at the same time. She walked over to him, straddling his hips in the chair, and kissed him soundly.
"What about Kaylee?" he managed to gasp in between kisses.
"Told her to stay in her room, like a good girl," River muttered softly. "Told purser not to disturb us unless the ship caught fire," she added, working her way down to his neck, where she continues kissing, and occasionally biting.
"I ain't got no. . ." Jayne stammered between groans.
"Shot," River assured him, never missing a beat. "Current and up to date. No danger of impregnation." She stopped suddenly and looked him straight in the eyes.
"No more talking. No more waiting. No more excuses." Her eyes were smoky with desire, and Jayne heard himself groan. She smiled, then, knowing she'd won.
Jayne stood, holding her to him, her legs wrapping around him. He walked to the bedroom they shared, and closed the door behind them.
There was more talking, but no more excuses. No more waiting.