Yeah, WAY more delays on this chapter than I would have liked. Between me getting sick, and my internet screwing up, I was on the verge of giving up. I've had this chapter done for a few days, but my web service decided to be a jerkass and not work. Not only did this chapter not get posted, but homework for my online courses was late. Oh joy.
Now that that's off my chest, I want to thank my loyal reviewers who come back every time. The rest of you need to stop being shy! I know you're reading this. I can see it in the hit amount! Lol
I wrote a small oneshot prequel to this called A night on Garnet. It is in the regular Halo section. If enough people like it, I'll change it from a oneshot and add more fragments.
A night on Garnet is a short scene about my OC ODST's. Mostly Manning and Raines. Go check it out.
I have recently started a blog. You guys can follow my progress on the story there, and find any songs I post to go along with each chapter. It will also have little tidbits of information that might not make it into the story. If I ever get to drawing my characters, I'll be posting their pics there as well. The link is in my profile.
Before I forget, there is a post about this in my blog already, but I'll say it here. Start thinking about who your favorite OC is. I pretty much know how the story will end now, but some things are still fuzzy. Someone is going to die. No one in the story is safe honestly. So pick your favorite OC, and hell, tell me why you like'em! It'll help my character development in future writing.
So here is chapter seven! I own nothing but my OC's personality's. For love of Bridgit, don't sue me. I don't gotz nuffin's!
The bed had been small, but none the less, he made it work. Remnants of the drugs the doctor had injected into his system still remained, and they helped him fall asleep. The dull ache from the doctors work presented it's self to him again, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. John would recover soon, as he always did. It was considerably easier for him to breath, and less painful. His throat felt raw, and his lungs burned with each breath. This had to be from entering cryo without the gel in his lungs. He could feel where his body had been battered. No doubt the angry purple splotches were as vibrant as ever. The bruises would fade, eventually.
As he rolled out of the bed, he dropped into the push up position and worked until he reached one hundred. He could almost feel the long period of inactivity affecting his muscles. It shouldn't be so because of the cryo, but he swore he could feel it anyway. John stopped at the push ups though. He wasn't fully recovered yet. Another day or two should be sufficient.
The next agenda at hand was exploring the ship, learning where he was, and finding a way back to the UNSC. That was the mission. He needed to find where Cortana was too. If he knew her, it would be on the bridge, absorbing as much information as possible. But where was the bridge? Sigh.
The magnum was resting on the floor near his pillow. He re-holstered it, and turned to the door. Time to figure out what kind of a situation he was in.
The corridor outside the small sliding door was dim and silent. The entire ship seemed to be silent. What time is it? Are they all sleeping? Small sounds echoed down the hallway. They sounded familiar, like the noise an engine gives off. It seemed to come from above.
For right now, he looked down towards the medical bay. That was slightly familiar ground, and he should get a better look at it first.
Nothing looked changed from the last time he walked through. Next was what had to be the cargo chamber. After walking out of the to-short door way, the cryo tube from the Forward Unto Dawn was visible. Did I really sit in there for four years? The thought had trouble sitting comfortably.
He couldn't help but think back to his Spartans, and the Doctor. There were so many emotions he felt when it came to that, John didn't even know how to handle them. They were foreign and unproductive.
Had he been marked MIA, like the rest?
Was he that disposable?
John shook the thoughts from his head. Thinking of that nature wasn't productive. The UNSC considered him too valuable to just let go, with out confirmation of his death or status. He doubted the Arbiter would report him as such. The alien seemed to have some kind of a sense of honor. How killing millions in a planet glassing could be considered honorable was a whole other matter.
He decided to go up the stairs that he spotted near the med bay, towards the engine sounds. Maybe someone was awake up there. John was unsure of the kind of protocol or ranking structure they had on the ship. He was pretty sure it was a civilian vessel, as no servicemen would be so undisciplined. However, the military discipline in him urged at the maintenance of the rank respect. So he wanted to try and work with the captain as best as it was possible. That particular road seemed as though it was going to be rough. The captain had been a bit hard to read. What had stood out the most in the Spartans mind was that the safety of the crew seemed to come first. It was an admirable trait, and one of a leader.
His feet made little noise going up the steps, despite being encased in boots. A couple decades of being stealthy would make the skill come naturally to anyone.
The ship seemed old and broken in. One could almost feel the history and past events coming out of the walls. There was a palpable feeling in the air. It reminded him of Reach, and he knew what it was instantly. This was more than a ship. This was someone's home.
There was an audible humming over the engine sounds now. Someone was singing a tune to them self. It was a sweet feminine voice that was bubbly and cheerful.
As he rounded the top of the stairs, light shown from the side and revealed an opening to what looked to be a sort of engine room. He peeked his head around. Settled in the upper corner of the room, was a young girl with a ponytail and grease smeared face. She was fiddling with a welding tool and whistling an upbeat tune.
Precariously balanced would be a good way to describe her position.
John didn't want to be impolite, as it wasn't in him normally. He walked up and around and softly said, "Hello? Ma'am?"
The girl didn't seem to hear anything though. The tools and engine had not been making enough noise to drown him out. When he looked closer, he noticed she had small, pink ear phones inserted in her ears. The wire ran down to what looked like a portable media player on her tool belt.
In a few strides he moved closer, trying to get her attention. When he was at the doorway, John said again, "Excuse me, ma'am?"
She noticed him this time, and yelped loudly. The sudden appearance of an unfamiliar face startled her, and her feet slipped. Any balance she had was lost.
Purely on reflex, John was under her in a flash and prevented a possible head injury. He caught her, and placed her on the ground gently and unceremoniously. The bruises on his arms ached.
He towered over her by several heads, and had to look down when she looked up.
Her smile was bright and honest, and she laughed nervously when she plucked the head phones out of her ears.
"Oh ya scared me there. Thank you! I ain't exactly the most graceful thing that there ever was."
"That's fine ma'am."
"You must be the guy we picked up yesterday, obviously." She laughed again, nervously.
"Yes"
"I' don't think you caught my name before. I'm Kaylee." She held out her hand, and was nervously shaking ever so slightly. It was tiny in comparison to his large one, and he remembered not to squeeze hard when he shook it.
"Nice to meet you."
John couldn't prevent the corner of his mouth from turning up into a slight grin. The girl had a good natured demeanor that he suspected was infectious and could make anyone smile.
"Sorry if I'm a tad shaky. Last time we picked up a stranger on board he went all threatening and homicidal, and tied me up. And now here you are. Haha."
The Chief rose an eyebrow.
"Oh, I didn't mean it like that. I kinda just speak my mind, and don't pay too close attention to what comes out. How are you feeling?"
"Um, alright I suppose. Where is everyone, and your Captain? I'm not quite sure.."
"Oh, they're all sleepin." She waved a hand dismissively." It's about 5 am here on Serenity. We synched up with the nearest planets time. No one will be up till six, cept River if she's wonderin 'round. "
"Oh." River was the skinny strange one, the doctors sister…
"Are ya hungry?"
John didn't even have to think of a reply.
"Yes ma'am."
"You don't have to call me that. Make me feel all old. Everyone here just calls me Kaylee. I'm Serenity's mechanic. I keep her flyin when no one else can."
"Ah"
"I heard Miss Cortana call you some kinda military rank. Master Chief?"
He nodded." Most just call me Chief for short." And I am really getting tired of it.
"Well, if it's fine by you, I'll just use that Chief. Gimme one minute to get back up there and finish weldin this plate down."
John glanced up, and asked in his gravelly deep voice. "Need a lift?" He suspected she would probably fall again trying to get back up there.
Kaylee's infectious smile broke out over her face again.
"Sure!"
John bent down and basically hugged her legs before standing back up.
"Oop!" Came out of her mouth, but she gripped the welding tool, and got back to work immediately. John held her there with one arm, and she weighed almost nothing to him.
After a few minutes of sparks and scraping sounds she chimed out, "All done!"
He placed her down again.
"Lets go find something to eat!" The positive energy came of Kaylee in waves. John found him self almost unable to hold back the grin. He managed it, but only just. It also dawned on him that she was extremely talkative, and curious. Never before had he been asked so many irrelevant personal questions. Nothing had mattered if it didn't pertain to his health, training or mission. What he found amusing, was that he had to think about the answers for a moment before voicing them.
"Yer awful tall. Niska's men aren't near as big as you."
John held back a snort of laughter. If only she knew…
"Is it weird bein that big 'round everyone?"
John rubbed his hand on his chin. He had stubble that needed to be shaved. "Um, no. All of us are tall."
"Who's us? The other Spartans?"
"Yeah" What did Cortana say to them about before I woke up? Not that he was worried she would reveal classified information. It wasn't in her protocols. He would just like to know how much this crew was aware of. There was no need to reveal too much information.
"Ya know you don't look half as intima'datin without that armor on. Though that expression might do the trick."
"Oh. I never really noticed. People don't recognize me out of my armor." He offered more than just a blunt answer that time. He didn't want to come off as laconic and rude.
The kitchen area was only a short walk down the hall. John would have taken it in two strides, but Kaylee was walking ahead of him and her legs were significantly shorter. The common area that housed the small kitchen was decorated in an odd way. The ship seemed outdated to him again. There was storage crates stacked up against the wall and held in place with cords. Kaylee popped off the top and rummaged through one for a moment. She pulled out a foiled coated package and tossed it at him. He caught it with ease. She whistled.
He was happy his reaction time was coming back.
"Ya like dried fruit? We got plenty of it."
John nodded and looked at the package. It read : DRIED APPLES
He tore the package open and inspected the first piece to be pulled out. It didn't look bad, or taste bad when he finally popped it into his mouth. He was used to eating preserved food. Fresh wasn't always available on the battle field.
"I'll get ya som'thin more substantial in just a jiffy. I usually make breakfast for everyone. Don't trust the Cap'n near the stove, an Jayne'll munch on cardboard if you tell him it's stale bread."
"Isn't Jayne a girls name?"
Kaylee laughed. John shrugged. It wasn't the oddest name he'd ever heard of for a man. Didn't matter much anyway. He looked around again, and thought about his situation.
Here he stood, in the middle of what could be considered the mess area of an odd, probably outdated ship, in the black body suit of his MLJONIR armor. An overly perky, cheerful, kid covered in mechanical grease was making what ever form of breakfast chow there was while he was standing eating dried apples of an unknown age. Going over every memory in his head, John could not think of anything quite as strange as this. Deadlier, without a doubt, but nothing as strange.
He caught his reflection off a pan, and realized he not only needed a shave, but a haircut too. He estimated the time and guessed he probably had another forty five minutes until everyone else was due up. Then he would worry about speaking with the Captain and Cortana.
His attention snapped back to Kaylee instantly when she asked him another question.
"Did you grow up on Earth that was, or is, I guess? Are you from there?"
He took a second to think about what to put into his response. There was a lot of information that could answer this question. There wasn't a chance he would reveal all of it, considering a lot was classified.
"No, I grew up on a planet called Reach."
Kaylee looked as though something had dawned on her.
"Ohh. Cortana told us a mite bout the war yall were fightin, an what happened to all the planets….I didn't think your's was one- I'm sorry."
Despite the sharp ache of guilt and grief in his heart, John kept a straight face. "It's fine. You were not aware of that fact."
She smiled, looking relieved. "So how'd you guys get to other planets any ways? Did you discover more worlds in the system after the great exodus?"
John wrinkled his brow, trying to figure out what she meant. Great exodus? The only record of anyone leaving Earth in large droves before the discovery of faster than light travel, or other worlds was the first separatists.
"No. Faster than light travel was utilized."
Her face was truly in awe. "WOW. I knew you guys were advanced after talkin with Cortana, but you discovered FTL travel? "
"I was not born at the time…" It was very odd speaking on such casual things for him. He didn't feel like reviewing the contents of his extensive physics courses with Deja either. Now he had an idea of how outdated their technology must be.
The dulled pain across his body reminded him he was still recovering. Annoying pain spiraled through his skull. Sitting down seemed like a good idea. He reached up and rubbed his forehead right where the scar was on the left side.
"Ughh, Jayne you jerk."
John shifted his eyes onto her again. Kaylee was crouched down reading the labels on the crates.
"What kind of a Sah Gwa would put the spice crate on the bottom?" She stood up and tried to shift the top crate. It looked heavy and she struggled.
"Do you require help?"
"Um, yeah. Never was much of a heavy lifter. You don't haveta. Being all injured and stuff, not that I think you can't or anything. You look like it wouldn't be an issue."
He felt the corner of his mouth go up into a grin again. Strange as she was to be around, it was impressively refreshing. The Marines and ODST's tended to have more sarcastic, foul, and negative humor and demeanors. Kaylee was a direct opposite. You couldn't help but like her. She was just so…pleasant. Well, would be, once he got used to her. The kid had an innocence to her that was admirable and possibly annoying. He wasn't sure yet.
John placed the now empty food packet on the small kitchen island and moved over towards her. He bent and gripped the storage units that were in the way and lifted them with ease. To him, they might as well have been filled with shredded paper and feathers.
The bouncy mechanic stared for a moment. "Oookay."
She slid out the one she needed, and John put the stack back down.
Well it was certainly an interesting way to start off her morning. Kaylee had woken up early to finish up the wiring job in the engine room. The strange guy they rescued and thawed from the derelict popped up the door way, scared her so bad that she fell off her work perch and he caught her. After a mostly one sided conversation, she started to decide she liked him, even if he was extremely odd.
But Kaylee could like just about anyone that was willing to like her. The Cap'n often told her she was too nice for her own good, considering the cold, harsh verse they lived in.
They guy looked awfully strong, and only proved her theory moments ago. He made Jayne look wimpy. But he wasn't nearly as brash or crude, or mean spirited. The entire time she talked his ear off he answered her politely, albeit briskly, and wasn't once rude or cold. She couldn't help but have a little bit of pity. The mechanic couldn't imagine what this guy must have been through, or what it felt like to be in his current position. She had felt the same way bout River. He reminded her of Zoe though, because he was so obviously military he might as well be wearing a neon sign on his head. Zoe was more friendly too. He had a nice face though, even with all the scars. It was hard to imagine that face as one of a hardened solider at the moment.
He had taken a seat at the table, and was inspecting Simon's work in an offhand manner.
All the supplies taken off the wrecked Alliance ships gave them a bounty of goods to work with. It was nice having something other than molded protein to eat. Fruits and meats could be dehydrated, and they would be able to afford fresh fruits on Persephone once Karyn paid them. The way the Cap'n and Zoe talked, it would be another pay off like Ariel. She cooked up a quick meal, and didn't forget to add the spices like Shepherd Book had taught her. She thought fondly of him for a moment when she held the rosemary.
The crew didn't eat together like they used to. After the incidents surrounding Miranda, it just didn't feel the same. Dinner time, Kaylee would pull everyone together even if it was just for a half hour. Breakfast everyone would eat and run, and lunch they were on their own.
The small room smelled good, and Kaylee was humming again. She was putting some sausage patties and eggs on a plate when she noticed the Chiefs eyes dart to the corridor leading towards the crew dorms and cockpit. There wasn't any noise…..until she heard one of the ladder hatch doors opening. How'd he hear that?
After a few footfalls that failed at being stealthy, Wash tip-toed into the room. He was buttoning up one of his Hawaiian shirts. She looked at him.
"Weren't you at the controls all night?"
"Uh, no, not decidedly. I took a few hours with Zoe. Don't give me a look Kaylee dear, you really think I would leave Serenity without a pilot at the helm in fed territory? Do you think me so dumb? Don't answer that."
Kaylee laughed. "Who's up there? Cap'n?"
Wash cringed a little. "Noooo,… River?" He waited for a bad reaction. But it didn't come.
"You think she can fly Serenity?"
"Kaylee, she's a bonafied super genius."
The mechanic didn't look convinced.
"Yes she can fly it."
"Ha-ha. I'm just rasal'n ya Wash. Food?"
"Yes? Quickish though, or Mal might get all menstrual on me if he finds out."
They chuckled. Kaylee glanced over at the Chief. He was sitting quietly, observing them. A bit of white bandage stuck out of the collar of his suit, and he ran a finger over it silently. When she'd filled a second plate up for Wash, she handed him both.
He looked curiously at them, wondering who the second was for.
"Now don't go tell'n Jayne I waited on you guys."
"Guys? Who else is here?" The pilot swiveled around and scanned the room. He jumped a little and nearly dropped the plates when he spotted the Spartan sitting at the table.
"Shun Sheng Duh Gao Wahn!"
The Chief looked at him casually.
"Ya know between bounty hunters, River, Reavers, Parliament Operatives and you, I'm gorram lucky I haven't pissed myself yet. Why must everyone do the startling thing? Can't we all just walk plainly? Ta Ma Duh."
Only adding to the moment, the Chief said bluntly in his deep gravelly voice, " I made no effort to conceal myself."
Wash walked over to the table, trying to conceal his good natured grin. "Now he talks! When did you regain consciousness?"
"Thirty eight minutes ago."
"Chief's been keeping me company."
"Oh." Wash added. "Did the doc patch you up right?"
"Yes." The Chief hadn't moved from mostly one word answers. The pilot placed the plate in front of him, and he offered his thanks. It reminded him of chow food, and tasted just fine.
The pilot shrugged, and shifted in his seat before beginning to practically shovel the food in his mouth. Kaylee grinned.
"Nice table manners Lao Sheong."
"Only in an effort to impress." Wash laughed.
The pilot seemed rather undisciplined to John. Any kind of insubordination like that would never be allowed in a military setting. However, the more he was around the crew; the more he started to think they were like a family. It explained the feeling on the ship.
He wasn't one hundred percent yet, and could think of worse places to be at the moment. At least no one was pointing a weapon at him, yet.
He finished his food before Kaylee and Wash, and thanked her again for it.
John's ears picked up the sound of another person. They were barefoot, and barely audible. Had there not been a pause in Kaylee and Wash's conversation he wouldn't have heard it. He looked up at the corridor entrance again.
Almost melting out of the darkness was the doctor's sister. The strange girl instantly caught Johns eye's with her own. She spoke.
"Captains waking up."
Wash moved away from the table with surprising agility and grace. "And that would be my stage queue." He snatched a biscuit off the table, and walked back wards towards the bridge. "I was never here…" He wiggled his fingers in an attempt to look mysterious, and then took off.
River glided over to the cooking area, her eyes wide, knowing more than she should. That was the feeling John was getting. Long ago he learned to trust his gut. However, the girl said nothing else. She grabbed a piece of bread and disappeared down the hall.
Mal rolled over in his bunk, and slammed his elbow into the wall. The pain shot up his arm, and it took considerable will power not to yell. Why did he let Zoe and Wash have the big bunk? He was a mean, heartless Captain and should start acting like it. He rubbed away the pain in his arm and groped blindly for his cloths. They where somewhere in the dark room. Might be a good idea to get a night light soon. When his hand reached a familiar pile, Mal sat up groggily.
The Captain of Serenity slowly pulled on each piece of clothing running over the recent events in his mind. His mood was not much improved from before he went to sleep. He wanted a lot more straightened out before they reached Persephone.
Karyn had sent a wave to him shortly before the crew turned in for the night. Badger had found out she was operating on the planet at the moment, and he wasn't happy. The weasely little go se was a peck territorial. Karyn wasn't scared of the little turd. That woman had more man and fire power to back her up than most anyone, including Niska. She could also kick Badgers ass from one end of the Eaves Down docks to the other with her bare hands.
But Badger wasn't aware Mal had been doing jobs for her for the past year now. Karyn Whelan was the daughter of one of Mal's old Master Sergeants. She had been a Warrant Officer in the War and a hell of a skiff pilot. The fiery, determined, and aggressive red head was the spitting image of her father, and had always considered Mal something of an uncle. For that he was decidedly thankful. He wasn't over much fond of the hurt she could put on someone, and determined it was better that way.
Karyn had the charisma to maintain a large following of loyal ex-independents, and the wisdom to know how to use her resources. She would have been a fantastic career soldier had her side not lost. A fellow Shadow native and volunteer, her and her father fought till the very end of the war on Hera. Now she had her own smuggling empire, complete with what was rumored a fleet of ships hidden somewhere in the Rim. The part about the ships had to be rumors though. Mal was aware however, of two she owned. One was a small, decommissioned medical cruiser from the war, called Tearmann. The other was an Eagle class personal transport class named Saoirse Rogha.
For the life of him he couldn't figure out what any of that meant. But they were going to meet her and her main crew at the docks by morning. An early start. Everyone should be in a right good mood then.
Very faintly, Mal was almost sure he could hear Kaylee's cheerful, chipper laugh. That girl would already be up. He stumbled around looking for his boots. He stubbed his toe, and found them under his posterior when he sat on the ground to nurse the hurt.
His mother would have smacked his mouth if she ever heard him speak the language he used right then. She wouldn't stand for him not acting civilized. But that was a long time ago….
It figured that flipping the light switch would be the last thing he'd get to before heading out. He would definitely be sleeping with it on till he got a night light. When he climbed up the ladder, the smell of breakfast hit his nostrils something powerful and his belly growled in response. Kaylee was most definitely up and moving around. She was talking to someone too. Mal considered going to the bridge first, but the under current of coffee that seeped into the already tantalizing aroma in the air was too much. He wanted his morning jet fuel.
He walked up to the door way. "Well ain't this a nice way to start a day that I just know is gonna go smooth. I smell coffee. What's gone broke in the engine room?"
Kaylee tried to look appalled. "Now how can my Cap'n think something gone wrong just cause I made coffee?"
Mal raised his brow. "Do you do it regular like?"
"No."
"Somethin broke."
She rolled her eyes. "Fei Hua. I'll have you know I finished the wires up and pretty.
Mal grinned his lopsided grin and wobbled more than walked down the steps. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move. When he turned his head he noticed an unfamiliar mans face. It was an impassive, observant face with a strong jaw line and handsome features. Brown eyes and an intense stare met his own gaze. White scarring marred the chiseled appearance, and it took Mal a second to realize he was looking at the Master Chief without a helmet or armor. He could have taken a step back in surprise, but instead just muttered, "Huh."
The Captain moved towards the kitchen and the coffee pot, but kept talkin. "Morn'in."
The Chief responded with, "Morning Sir."
Mal was nonchalant. "I have the notion yer gonna be like Zoe and all proper responsive like."
"Possibly"
Kaylee moved past him and yanked at his hair. "Nice 'do there Cap'n"
Mal looked and caught his reflection. His hair was sticking out at odd angles. He grinned, only making himself look goofier.
"Oh it's all the rage. I'm making a fashion statement here Kaylee. Don't be bringing yer downtrodden jealousy on over it." The mechanic giggled and gave him a nudge. Mal beamed. He always enjoyed harassing her. He thought of Kaylee like a little sister or daughter. Something he might have had. An awful over protectiveness came right with it.
"Cap'n, Serenity needs parts, bad. Ain't no jury riggin it anymore neither."
"Alright. We'll see what kind of pay-off we get from Karyn. Should be enough to patch us good, and get everyone paid. You might ought to be able to gain yerself some new frippery."
"If only I had a place to wear it." She raised her eyebrows at him, in a reminder of the last time a dress was involved.
"Well, that would be up'n to you an the Doc." He took a huge gulp of coffee. A stimulant might not be good for his nerves if the possibility of dealing with Badger was in the mix. What did he care though?
Kaylee poured a cup and walked off to the bridge, presumably to Wash. Mal figured he might need a cup after being up most of the night. When she was gone, the obvious conversation that needed to happen could happen.
Mal walked over to the table, and sat a seat down from the other man in the room. He wasn't shy about happenings on his ship. Since he was captain, he spoke first.
"Doc said you'd need a while before you were up a hundred percent. Didn't think you'd be up this quick."
The response was so generic and expected, it could have been scripted. "I'm a fast healer."
The Captain nodded. "I reckon you are, and would know a mite bettr' than anyone of us."
The Spartan nodded in return.
"So I'mma cut right to the chase here. What exactly do you think yer planning on doin? My crew is involved now and I want to know."
The Chief sat back, looking Mal dead in the eyes. "My mission is to establish contact with the UNSC, report my status, and order a pick up for us."
"You and Cortana?" Mal asked, waving his free hand.
"Correct."
"And how do you plan on doin that?"
John paused for a moment. The Captain had a point. The remains of the Forward Unto Dawn were all but powerless. He had to find a place to send out a powerful broad encrypted signal.
"I need to send out a message. Broadcast it far. There might be some technology on the remains of the Dawn that would help." The slip space engines…
"I'm guessin yer thinking of askin me an my crew?"
"No. I was going to inquire about the local government and military force. I won't make and decisions until I've briefed with Cortana." John noticed something. When he mentioned the government, a shadow grew over the captain's face instantly. That was something to take note of…
"Don't know if contactin the government is a rightly good idea."
"How so?"
"I'm assuming yer familiar with the meanin of totalitarian?"
"Of or pertaining to a centralized government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinion and that exercises doctorial control over many aspects of life. Exercising control over the freedom, will, or thought of others."
"Soldier and a human dictionary. Alrighty then. Well that's them, the Alliance. They'll lock you up, and extract every nano of information as they can lay paws on. Purple belly good fer nothins."
"Past experiences?"
Mal squinted in surprise. He wasn't expecting that one. Or maybe he was. "You could say that. Governments are only good fer getting in a mans way."
"I have to disagree on that." The Chiefs face was stern and unwavering. Mal raised an eyebrow, and his appearance deadpanned to serious.
"I suppose we will, an' avoid that topic for the sake of perpetual peace on my boat."
"Of course Sir." John didn't budge an inch. The tone carried a sarcastic note, that was almost patronizing.
Mal relaxed a little. "Well, at least we can both find that agreeable."
"Captain Reynolds, I am not above asking for your assistance. I would not be here if it were not for you. I have no intention to bring about any danger to you or your crew. If this section of space is devoid of covenant, which is seeming more and more likely, there should be no reason for conflict."
"I take it those fellers don't have too much of a like'n for ya?
"They call me the Demon."
"I'll take yer word for it. Cortana showed us some interesting footage."
"I'm sure."
"So I've taken it in my mind to help the two of you out. The Verse knows I'll probably regret it a few times 'long the way. But, you could like say yall hit my soft spot, had I one."
Jon cocked an eyebrow ever so slightly. Mal continued.
"I fought a war some years ago. Stood up fer what I believed in an all that. So there a strand of understand'n in me a bit."
John's face was chiseled stone. However, his mind was buzzing with each piece of information he picked up. His suspicions about the captain had been confirmed. The man was a war vet, which explained a great deal about his demeanor and concern for his crew. Most likely an NCO of some sort. The same thing had been seen out of the marine sergeants. Johnson crossed his mind.
"I'mma goin to do what I can to help you. Thought bout it some last night. We don't got skill or tech on board to do mucha nothing for ya. But I know someone who ought be able to open doors. "
"Thank you Captain."
"Don't thank me yet. We don't know what the future holds, and I'm not rightly sure as can be done fer ya yet."
"I've dealt with the unexpected more than once in my life Captain. I'm sure I'll manage."
"I'm sure you will." Mal studied the guy in front of him again. The face beneath the helmet was a intense one, that could be easily menacing. Even out of the armor, this guy was a tank. Mal didn't think he'd ever seen anyone so big. He was contemplating what the Chief was physically capable of again, when he was startled by a question.
"Why?"
"Pardon?"
"Perhaps I'm being overly cautious, but I want to know why you have any inclination to assist me. You know nothing of where I come from. I have nothing to offer you. " John kept his face totally still. He knew what kind of a crew this was. Illegal salvage, living off what ever jobs are offered. The UNSC had many sanctions against such actions, and the police force to back it up. That was before the war at least. These people apparently had no idea what the UNSC was though. He had his suspicions… but they would have to wait till he spoke with Cortana again.
The captain looked thoughtful for a moment. "It wouldn't be the first time we've picked up strays. Truth be told, I'm in a good mood. Got a good haul in today. I'm not gonna lie though. If this gets too burdensome, we'll drop you somewhere."
John raised his eyebrows only a fraction. He didn't answer though. He'd been in worse situations, and come out on top. No one was firing on him either.
After seeing the ship, and their responses to a smart AI, John wasn't all the impressed. The tech was primitive compared to what he was used. This was good for his safety, somewhat. But it was bad for communication with the UNSC.
Light was coming through the windows of the common area now. Mal looked up, inhaled and exhaled heavily before he spoke. "We'll be land'n on Persephone soon. Got peck'a business there. Ain't sure you should venture off ship just yet. Doc'll wanna see ya, when ever Lord 'Font Laurie decides to wake up."
The ship lurched, and Mal caught his balance on one foot. A small bit of coffee splashed over the edge of his cup.
John watched the captains face take on a perturbed expression. "WASH?! What in the sphincter of hell was that? You better not crash my boat!" He took off for the cockpit.
John followed him with his eyes until the corridor swallowed the man's form. Malcolm Reynolds was an interesting man.
She had heard everything. Cortana was deeply imbedded into Serenity's computer systems. All night she had learned everything possible about the crew, and this new system. At the same time, she could hear everything that happened on ship though the PA and comm systems. Reynolds was an incredibly observant man. Cortana watched every movement, every flick of his eyes. It reminded her of John. She recalled when he had cut power to the Companions shuttle, thus rendering the conversation truly private. He was suspicious, she knew it.
She listened in on the crews interactions, and studied their behavior. The best way she could describe them, was like a dysfunctional family. Everyone onboard seemed to serve some kind of purpose, except for the girl, River.
Now River was interesting. She spoke oddly, almost in riddles. But if one looked closely, the riddles had meaning. At one point during the night, Cortana had picked her up on the audio directly outside the small room John was sleeping in. River had whispered, so low it was hard to pick her up, "Even angels sleep." Between that, and the subtle comment which she believed tipped Reynolds off as to her presence in the computer systems, Cortana was determined to learn what made that girl tick. There was no way she could have known the AI was monitoring the entire ship through a systems hack. It was impossible, unless she had a form of neural implant. However, Cortana detected no signal of such a device.
The meaning of this was puzzling. This girl knew nothing about John, so how could what she said possibly have any relevance? The AI made note of this, and stored it away in the new set of files she'd recently created. She had to convince herself the jealousy experienced earlier was simply a glitch and nothing to worry about. Cortana knew she was in the time period when smart AI's like herself began the decent into rampancy. Caution was the word here. However, she logically concluded she would know when the rampancy was tightening its iron grip. Until then, her main focus would be to protect John, secure as much data as possible, and find a way to contact the UNSC. Knowledge was power, and she would use every bit of it she could gather to safely deliver John back to Earth.
She would not break.
The first place she dove into was the cortex. It seemed nothing more than a more intense version of the internet. Depending on the area, it was more secure, or loose. One could connect to anything through the cortex, including government files.
The cortex was a wonderful tool, and she almost laughed at how easy it was to hack into. She wasn't sure exactly where to start. There was so much new information. She located the access points for the government sources and noted them. They were secured, and it would take a moment to break into.
For now, a trip to another topic would do, preferably something that would shed more light on their current situation. After exploring freely for a minute, she found a dedicated source for a college of history. What she discovered fascinated and shocked her. In fact, it confirmed exactly what she had thought in the beginning. These people have absolutely no idea where their civilization really came from.
She studied the history, and learned of the war between the Alliance, and the Independence. It was bloody, and lasted quite a bit. The Alliance called for the unification of all the planets under one rule. The Independent faction fought against it, and fiercely at that. Something that caught her interest was that the whole of the Independent army was volunteer, why the Alliance had to instate a draft….hmmmm.
There were numerous other recorded incidents that she found interesting, including one about a planet call Miranda. It seems someone did their best to erase everything possible about it from the cortex. Clearly they had never expected something like her. She followed the electronic footprints, and was intrigued at the findings.
So much information. So much to tell the Chief.
The technology for these people was also quite limited in comparison to the UNSC. They had no form of accelerated transportation. Slip space hadn't even been discovered yet.
It was also completely devoid of covenant influence or presence, which would account for the relative 'peace'. These people wouldn't last one battle against the prophet's armadas…
Overall, other than ignorance of the truth, or the importance of the man they had just brought onboard, Cortana concluded none of Serenity's crew was an immediate threat. They might even be helpful.
That night, or what was considered night, River had sat at the controls. Cortana had expected her to speak, or ask questions. The girl did nothing of the sort. When she left the regular pilot, Wash, ran in and jumped in his seat. There was a biscuit stuffed in his mouth. They had glanced at each other and shared a laugh.
She liked his good humor and positive disposition.
When the Captain ran in yelled something about the ship crashing, she almost laughed again. Humans were a truly varied race.
Mal fixed a pointed glare on his pilots back. Wash was decidedly trying to crash the ship, he was plumb sure of it. He glanced over at the AI. She was glowing a soft indigo color, and watching them curiously.
"Good Morn'n"
"Good Morning Captain."
"Wash, send a wave to Karyn, let'r know we'll be land'n."
Wash reached up to fiddle with the controls. "What time ya want me to tell her?"
"Bout nine-ish. Gimme some breath'in room. Got lots to do. Wanna avoid the weasel too."
"You mean Badger?"
"Yeah that. He's only good at making things more interesting for me, 'an I don't care for things to get interesting."
"I imagine he's quite grumpy after you left him stranded, not to mention-"
"I 'member my actions quite vividly, thank you."
Zoe strolled in, fully dressed, hair hanging long and loose. She hugged her arms around Wash's neck and kissed him on the cheek.
"Not this crap again. I'm makin ship-board romance against the rules."
They both laughed at him. Mal frowned.
"The big feller still in the common area?"
Zoe raised her eye brows. "Didn't see him sir."
"That's a re-occurring theme with that guy." Wash chuckled.
"Hmm." Zoe scrunched her eyes slightly in thought. She didn't like the idea of not noticing someone. She was gifted with stealth skills, and knew they could be the key to survival. It also took some skill to get by her.
"You mighta missed him. I told him let the doc look at him again before we land."
"You gave him an order?" Cortana asked.
"I'd call it a polite suggestion."
"Uh huh. You make polite suggestions often Captain?"
"Every day of my life." Mal smiled wide and sipped his coffee at the AI. Cortana chuckled.
"So sir, is it going to be polite suggestions you give Badger when he finds out we're dealing with Karyn.?"
Mal looked up attempting to appear innocent. "No. That will be threat of bodily harm." He gave his first mate an incredulous look. "How could you mix the two up?"
Zoe smirked. "My apologies sir."
"My wife gets kooky sometimes, forgets where she is, who she's talkin to. I suffer in silence cause I love her."
"I can make you suffer more." She said, looking over her shoulder at him. Wash smiled.
"Ooo, I'm intrigued."
"Hey. Fly my ship! What in the hell I pay you for?"
"My witty banter and unique perspective on the verse?"
"And Jane's not fond of Doxy's." Mal rebutted sarcastically. They all laughed. Zoe shook her head.
"If we pull port and you don't grab him…"
"Well I like to up the business a bit 'fore we get to the pleasure…. So to speak." He made a face at the choice of words. His first mate put her hand on her husbands shoulder.
"It'll be good to see Karyn again. We're not off loadin planet side are we sir?"
"No. We got no short of feds an Badger here. Lil feller's already a mite ornery and just a peck all-fired pissy at me. Like a rapid little Chihuahua." A chuckle passed though the room. "We're talkin, dealin, and getting half our coin. For now."
Cortana sensed the incoming signal. The pilot fiddled with the controls a little more, and a woman's face popped up in the monitor in front of him. She looked to be in her thirties, with a pleasingly angled face and wavy red hair. A wide grin spread across the face when she looked at who was on the other end.
"Wash! I'm happy to see yall. Uncle Mal there?"
"Yeah, he's standing in the back with a coffee IV calling us wipper snappers."
"That sounds like the old man."
"I reserve that right to be take'n cracks at my years!"
"We'll meet you at the Eaves Down Docks. This shouldn't be taken no longer than 'an hour. "
"Alright Karyn," Wash laughed," We'll see you planet side." He switched the cortex off.
Cortana continued to assemble information from the previous connection.
Mal started to walk out. "I do believe she's gonna hit me, real hard."
"I concur sir."
"Well maybe you should do something bout it. Ain't the first mate supposed to have my back?"
"Sorry sir, that's just too funny a spectacle to be passin up."
Mal was in the corridor when he said, "It's near as good as when she's beat'in Jayne from one side'a the port to the next." They all laughed again.
The more Cortana learned about the crew, the more she was interested. While they had been sitting there engrossed in conversation, she had taken a second to perform a hard search of the cortex for each one of them. The results were as varied and interesting as the crew it's self.
All of them were technically fugitives, all though the government wasn't putting as much effort into the hunt as they could. The pilot was working a job that was far beneath his skills, functioning for an ex-independent soldier and married to another. The mechanic was nothing more than a country bumpkin with almost nothing to her record and the merc was wanted for questioning in several homicide cases and a theft in Canton. The brother and sister were two of the most wanted people in the system, for reasons unspecified.
She would have to dig into that later. Currently she started a search for this Karyn woman and the man they were calling Badger.
So much data….. I can't take it all right now…the UNSC has to know.. We found the survivors of the first great separation…
I need to speak with John as soon as possible…..
Wash watched the AI silently turn different colors out of the corner of his eye. He had no idea what it might mean, but took note of it for later. Landing at the Eaves down Docks took skill. Even the most experienced pilot could have trouble with the overly chaotic layout. Course all the poor folk were jumbled right up in there with the landing ships and street vendors. The rich usually had their own private airfields.
Wash put all of his concentration into his work. Like a leaf on the wind, Serenity floated down gracefully. The seconds hung in the air and seemed to last forever until a final jolt told them all touchdown was complete.
"Nice work." Cortana offered.
Wash grinned. "I try, I try. "
Inara bumped into Mal on her way back to the shuttle. He looked her up and down quickly, taking in the nice cloths she had adorned.
"Business?"
"As usual." The sarcasm dripped from her voice. Mal raised his brow.
"Well I'd hate to keep you from it Ambassador."
She rolled her eyes. "I haven't worked in almost a month Mal. You need my rent."
"Might not be the case here ina bit."
"I assume you're going to leave me here whilst you engage in your clandestine dealings." There was a playful note in her voice.
"That be the plan. Maybe for a bit longer till I can figure as to what we're gonna do with them strays."
She crossed her arms. "You're not going to strand them and have done with it?"
"How could you think such horrid gorram things? I love helping people."
Inara fixed him with a stare. A snicker was creeping it's way into both of their expressions. The tension between them was considerably lifted since their last conversation. Mal spoke again.
"Nah. I think Imma help 'em. Call it my good deed for the year."
"Good. You know they'd stick out like sore thumbs. It wouldn't be long before the Alliance picked them up."
"And anything as I can do to impede that is alright by me. Though, the unpleasantness that man could make for the feds is rather tempting to instigate. He's a soldier, through and through. Might come in handy till we get'm help or offload."
The ship jolted slightly.
"I have to go Mal. I should have taken off in Atmo" She started to slide past him. The walkway was narrow and they brushed each other briefly.
Mal felt her hand touch his arm, and it sent an electrified shiver through his body. Their eyes met, and made an instant connection.
The moment could have lasted forever. The urge to take her in his arms was overwhelming and Mal had to fight it with every fiber of his being.
Inara felt the tremor of desire and longing run through her. She wanted him to kiss her. Never had she wanted it more. There would be no fight in her now.
Summoning courage from somewhere deep inside, Mall lifted his hands to her small, delicate shoulders and leaned forward slightly.
Her skin was tingling. Her heart beat faster.
Metal crashed on metal below them, and Jayne's vulgar cussing reached an easily audible level. Mal looked down. "You better get going."
She averted her eyes and agreed hastily. The Companion moved past him and glided quickly towards her shuttle. Mal looked over the rail and gave Jayne a dirty look.
"What?" The big merc asked confused.
Simon had woken up and gotten dressed later than usual. When he made his way to the med bay to finalize a lit of anything he might need from the planet, he didn't notice the 6'10 man sitting on the couches of the common area. John was quietly going through what looked like some kind of data pad. The doctor never noticed him until the man lifted his head.
But Simon didn't startle easy.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better." John's voice was monotone. "The Captain suggested I allow you to check on me."
Simon looked thoughtful for a minute. "Did he say whether or not he's dropping you on Persephone?"
"It wasn't his intention from what I gathered."
"Ah. That means he wants to know if you're ready to do any work or not."
Johns face showed no expression as he stood up. He followed Simon into the med bay again, and the doctor continued to explain.
"Malcolm Reynolds isn't a bad person, per say. But he's not overly charitable either. You have to bring something useful to the table in most cases. For me and River to stay on ship, I patch up any hole they manage to get themselves."
He looked over the burn wounds and changed the bandages. The injuries seemed to be healing better, and faster than they normally should. But Cortana had said that Spartans were different.
"Makes sense." Useless people on a ship were a waste of resources and a possible hazard.
Simon checked the collapsed lung. It would be a few day's till it was 100% again, but it already worked at a better capacity than anyone else's. The guy's vitals ran hot. It reminded the doc of Mal and Zoe's war buddy Tracy, the organ mule.
"I would say you're not ready to be up and moving yet, but I suspect I'd have more luck speaking to a steel bulkhead."
John let the corner of his mouth upturn just slightly. "I'd say you're correct. I know my limits Doctor."
"Alright then, I'll save my breath."
What he had said was true. It was painful for him to breathe still, but not nearly what it was before. The pains he had now could be ignored. His abdomen still throbbed a bit, but he'd been up sooner after worse. Plasma burns didn't even register any longer.
After a few minutes the doctor seemed satisfied and merely stressed he be careful. It reminded him of Dr. Halsey, only she had the authority to enforce it.
The ship had landed and Mal was already ordering them to pop crates. Karyn would want to inspect the goods first.
The idea of being inactive and useless gnawed at John like a bad itch he couldn't reach. Still wearing the black body suit of his armor, he strode out into the cargo bay.
Mal spotted the Chief instantly this time. The bay was well lit, and 6'10 is just really damn tall.
Jayne scoffed to himself.
John wasn't shy, and walked right over to the captain. "Is there anything I can help with?"
Mal's eye brows shot up. "Yeah. Help Jayne stack those over there, and pop the top one."
"Yeah. Give a hand since we's givin you a free ride."
"Jayne, shut up."
John looked over at gray containers. Instead of lifting one at a time like the guy everyone kept calling Jayne, he knelt and grabbed three, much like in the kitchen with Kaylee. It wasn't even a heavy load for him.
Mal stared, and Jayne gawked. The captain looked at the merc. "Pick your jaw up it's rude. "
Wash's voice came over the speaker. "Mal, we've got a Karyn, and she be knockin at our door."
He walked over to the main airlock door and swung it open, then stepped back.
Unceremoniously, in walked a woman of about 5'7 with bright red hair, blue eyes, and a Celtic style weave tattoo down the right side of her face. She had on a predominantly brown outfit with a leather jacket. She threw her pony tail over one shoulder and smiled. It was a cocky grin. The handgun and silencer at her hip was like a stain on an overall friendly image. Confidence oozed off her like an oil.
"Uncle Mal. It's been a couple months."
He smiled in return and accepted the hug she offered. Mal was taller by several inches.
"Don't call me uncle, makes a man feel all old and stuff. " They hadn't separated yet when she landed a solid punch on Mal's shoulder.
"AHH, didn't I tell yall there was some imminent violence towards me a brewin? "
John watched the situation like a hawk, standing next to the crates.
Emerging from the door next where two men. One was pretty tall, standing at 6'5 and weighing probably 250lbs. Muscles bulged out from his sleeves, and his expression was a sour one. He had a rather large gun slung at his side.
The second man was a little under six foot, probably 5'11, or 5'10. He looked to be leanly muscled and wearing a beat up black jump suit and a short brown jacket. His slacks were tucked into his boots, and a hunting rifle was slung on his back. A large caliber handgun sat holstered at his hip, partially hidden by a messenger bag.
What was the most interesting was the front of the bag sported a red cross on a white back ground. The almost universal medical symbol. His face was friendly with large green eyes and a lopsided grin. Several large scars marked his face including across the nose and above his eyes. It didn't take away from his overall handsome appearance. His spiky black hair sat at odd angles.
John got the same impression from the guy that he had from the captain and Zoe. This man had been a soldier at one point.
Karyn looked around at the nearly full cargo hold.
"Quite the haul ya got. Didn't I say fer you to be trustin my tips?"
"You did bring us in some good loot. Plenty more to be got too."
The red head poked around, taking a look at the contents. She made small noises of approval. When she came upon John, standing off to the side, she gave him a once over with appreciative eyes.
"Hey Mal, who's the new guy?"
"A stray we picked up. Useful for moving things."
"Oh like Jayne?"
The merc snorted. "I'm good fer other things. Gimme five minutes and I'll show you girlie."
Karyn raised her eyebrows, but Mall spoke first. "Ya know, I could be yellin at ya Jayne, there might likely be threats. But I don't rightly fear it's necessary. I like to be seeing her put you in yer place."
Kaylee's boots stomped on metal of the catwalks.
"Hey Karyn!"
"Heeeyy, there's a Kaylee." They met and hugged. The cheerful mechanic turned to the guy with the med bag.
"How ya been Rhys?"
He didn't answer, but gave a thumbs up instead.
"Alrighty, we ready to get this going? There's a weasel I'd like to be avoidin."
"Ready when you are."
Mal smacked Jaynes shoulder and motioned to move forward.
"Alright Zoe. Serenity's under yer watch."
"I'll be sure to fly off into the sunset with her sir."
"You do that."
The Captain left, and John went to the cockpit to look for Cortana. Wash pointed him in the right direction.
At the sight of him, Cortana's avatar brightened. Her attitude was unchanged.
"Hey sleeping beauty. I'm assuming the doctor did good work."
"I'm satisfied."
"Well you look good. Got a minute for a girl? We have quite a bit to talk about."
The information Cortana had compiled and debriefed him on provoked some serious thought. There was little to no surprise in what she had been able to do and learn. He'd come to expect fantastic results out of her every time.
The issue was how to go about things now that he had this information. Technically, he had been picked up by anti-government fugitives that were the opposite of almost everything the UNSC stood for. At the same time, the government in place could be considered his enemy.
The AI spent a good forty five minutes filling him in on what was the basic current history for the system. It certainly made a few things clearer. He gained more respect for Captain Reynolds as well.
When she informed him of her intentions to break into the restricted areas of the cortex, John warned her to be careful. The technology was not nearly as sophisticated as the UNSC's, but underestimation would be dangerous. The AI's here seemed dumb, but could still be effective in other ways.
With all the new data, contact with UNSC forces was even more important. It was possible he would have to consider other humans as targets. It wouldn't be the first time, though the idea left a strange taste in his mouth.
He was pondering this when he heard noise from the cargo bay. It was something at the airlock doors for a second time, and his sensitive hearing was picking it all up. The familiar gait of Kaylee moved in that direction.
Something wasn't right. He stood up, and brushed his hand over the magnum, making sure it was still there.
His steps toward the cargo bay were silent.
When Kaylee approached the door, it pushed open violently, and smacked her to the floor. Armed men ran in, scanning the bay with weapons drawn. One of them pointed a gun at the mechanic.
Her reaction was immediate and she froze up. Blood started to trickle from a wound in her head.
Walking in with more a saunter, was a short man with beady blue eyes, and wearing a bowler hat. John's impression brought several words to mind, like conniving, and greasy. The man looked like trouble.
"Now where 'as that Captain Reynolds of yers went love? We've got some talkin needs be done."
Kaylee didn't answer. One of the gun toting men charged his weapon threateningly.
John ducked behind a stack of storage units and stole a single look at the situation. There were seven men, six of which held fire arms. If he wasn't careful, Kaylee could end up with bullets in her.
"Whatsa matter? Cat got yer tongue? Well maybe we'll go lookin for some of yer friends." The man motioned, and three of the lackeys moved. One went up the steps and two moved towards John.
He made himself crouch lower, ignoring the tightness in his chest. They walked past, completely oblivious… and John was up in a flash.
The first guy took a pistol whipping to the back of the head. The Spartan was completely silent, except for the sound of bones cracking beneath the magnums handle. He caught the man by the collar, and lowered him silently to the ground. When the second guy turned, John was already on him, grabbing the man by the throat, and crushing his trachea. A small squeak was all that was uttered. In moments he was unconscious.
Kaylee sat on the floor shaking. The guy pointed the gun at her menacingly. Badger started to pace. He yelled at them to hurry up, and then turned to the mechanic.
"I know there's someone here. Always one of ya on the ship. That Cap'n of yours has gotten himself in real mess this time."
Oh god. Zoe and Wash are up there… Simon and River…
It wasn't the first time Badger had them all at gun point.
" 'Ey, ya dingo's what's takin so long?"
Kaylee wasn't sure what happened in the next few minutes. There was a sharp bang and blood sprayed from a hole in his forehead. Badgers eyes some how got bigger. The other two pulled up their weapons, but never got to fire. One took a bullet through the eye, the other through the temple. The Chief stepped out, with a large handgun raised. It was pointed directly at Badger.
The weasel didn't move when John walked over and picked up another handgun off one of the bodies.
Someone uttered a muffled yelp from the upper decks.
"Now who in the blazes are you, Ta Ma De Hun Dan?"
"Put your hands on your head." John's voice was deep and grainy, but carried a dangerous undertone.
"Who in Guai do you think you're speaking to?"
"I don't care. Put your hands up or I'll put a bullet between your eyes."
Apparently Badger believed him. Kaylee stood up and ran behind him. She heard footsteps above them, and the familiar click of Zoe's hogleg.
"Hello Badger."
"Zoe, you stunning woman. Wanna call your new pet offa me, who 'ver he is? I'm chaffin slightly just lookin at 'im, not to mention he killed three of my men, maybe more."
"My heart's a bleedin. I should make you come clean up the lump of meat in the corridor. Think it used to be yer man."
John heard one of the men stirring back where he'd be hiding. He looked up at Zoe and walked back to drag the guy out. When he tried to get up the Spartan slapped his head back down with his boot.
"Now lets go over much with that silly's here. I'm sure we can work this out reasonably, all business like."
"Will someone please shut him up?"
Taking a small amount of satisfaction in it, for John didn't care for the man, the Spartan kicked out and swept Badger's legs out. The mans skull cracked on the metal floor.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. He has an annoying voice."
Mal walked in on an interesting scene in his cargo bay. Wash sat cross legged on a crate next to Kaylee, who had a bandage on her head, and Simon. Zoe had her hogleg out, but pointed up in a relaxed way. Next to her was the Chief, his foot on a very harassed looking Badgers throat. There was a gun in each hand, one on each man.
Jayne walked in behind him.
"Juh Shi Suh Mo Go Dohng Shee? "
"You got colorful vocabulary Jayne. However crude it may be, the question is relevant. What in the holy hell? I'm all fired fuzzy here as to why Badger and his goons are laid out cross my cargo bay."
"I'm a bit curious my own self Mal, though it's very entertaining to see him eatin floor." Wash offered.
"Zoe?"
"Badger wanted to have a word with you about our commerce with Karyn. Someone finally leaked to him. Seem's he weren't all that happy bout it. Brought guns and interest with him."
"So I'm gathering. And?"
"Chief took out most of them, though there is one dead guy in the corridor up deck."
"Uh huh, that still doesn't tell me why his foot is on Badgers throat, not that I mind. I'm enjoyin it considerable. "
"I wanted him to stop talking." John said flatly.
Jayne and Mal chuckled. "Im likin him more and more. Jayne, get the bodies. We'll chuck'em in atmo."
The big merc grumbled.
Mal looked down at Badger. "You are not to be comin near my ship again ya little rat face go se. We were done the last time. I see you again; I'll end you with out a second thought." He grabbed Badger by the collar. The Chief removed his foot, and grabbed the second guy.
"I think it's over due for getting rid of some trash. " He punched Badger in the face, hard. Mal didn't like anyone hurtin Kaylee.
Zoe open the door, and Mal and John threw the two men outside. Everyone else had died. The man with the crushed trachea was pronounced by Simon.
"Wash, get us in the sky."
"What about Inara?"
"We'll pick her back in a bit. She'll be shiny."
"We get paid?" Zoe asked.
"Half upfront." Mal tossed the bag of coins at her, smiling wide. "Things are lookin up."
John holstered his gun, dropped the second, and walked away. He was no longer needed, and there was a lot to think over.
"So he help'd ya out did he?"
Kaylee nodded her head. "Big time. You shoulda seen it cap'n. One shot each and they was down, after he knocked the other two out."
Mal shifted and crossed his arms. He looked over at his pilot and first mate. "Seem awfully familiar?"
"River" Zoe nodded.
"He's good Cap'n. Better than Jayne." Kaylee insisted.
"Might not be a bad thing as having him. Saved us some trouble today."
"Well what do you make it Mal?" Wash asked.
"Don't know yet. Makin things interesten though. You set course Wash?"
"Ahh, yeah. Why she wanna go all the way out near Lilac?"
"Avoidin feds I suppose. "
"Well, we got a few days till we get there. Everyone could probably take a break. We earned come good coin today."
"Oh my captain, you're so sentimental." Wash gushed.
"I'm gonna slap you hard as a pissed of doxy one of these days."
"Jing Chai. I'll be lookin forward to it."
John sat in the common area outside of the infirmary again, messing with his data pad, and speaking quietly to Cortana. When he heard the footsteps of Captain Reynolds coming down the stairs, he switched the pad off.
The captain looked at him for a minute. "Thank you for helping today."
John kept his face blank, and said, as if it was a normal task, "It's not necessary captain. I'm supposed to protect people. Earth, and all her colonies. I also know that no ally forces their way aboard a ship and points weapons at the crew members. "
"Well you backed up crew. That's not nothing."
"I suppose. I will need to start looking for a way to contact my command Captain."
"I already got on it. That girl as came board today is a good friend to this ship. If there's a way in the verse to make it shiny she'll find it. Gonna have to garner a bit more patience outta you for now."
John nodded his head once. Cortana crossed her arms.
"Your help is appreciated Captain Reynolds. I promise."
"I'll take yer word on that, though the verdict is still out on the value of it."
She flipped her digital hair. "When will we be in contact with this Karyn again?"
"Few days. We're headin out to the Rim."
"Sounds exciting." He tone was dry.
"Just ever so." Mal returned the quip.
For the next few days John kept to himself. He woke up early and ran into Kaylee often. Meal times were where he saw the crew the most frequently. He never got involved in the conversations, and presented mostly one word answers. Socializing was not something with which he was accustomed. The crew was generally friendly though. They kept what seemed like a respectful distance, though he knew it was laced with uncertainty and just a little fear.
He stayed out of the armor, but wished he had something more besides the body suit to wear. Nothing on ship would fit however. He was too large, even for a spare set of Jayne's clothing. Not that the merc would have offered.
That man seemed to have taken a bit of a negative attitude towards John. The Spartan didn't care enough to move past that initial observation though. He decided to use this time to allow for a somewhat normal recovery. Often during the war he could recuperate only a little in-between missions. Battle didn't allow for that.
Every day he did mild amounts of PT, slowly testing his limits. The injuries were healing nicely though. The possibility of a routine was developing.
They were coming up on the coordinates. Mal could spot the small gaggle of ships floating out in the black.
"Mal there's a wave inbound. It's Karyn."
Mal leaned over the controls. Put'r on screen."
Wash flipped some switches and had the woman's face on screen instantly.
"Karyn. We ready to offload all this wonderful cargo?"
"Without a doubt, but something's come up."
Mal's face dropped. Things never went smoothly. "No, No, nothing come up. We're gonna conduct business as usual."
"Nice try Uncle Mal. I picked up a distress call planet side. They're havin some Reaver trouble. "
"Well that's nice for them. I'll be promptly turnin round now."
"I've fought Reavers. It isn't impossible."
"I've fought'em too. En masse. I ain't tryin to do it again. Almost lost crew."
"I'll pay 50% more than our already agreed price."
This caused the captain to pause. Wash watched him intently.
"What are you playin at Karyn? No one that aint leaky in the brain pan goes runnin into Reaver attacks. "
"I've been helping folk out here on the rim for quite a bit now Mal. You've been away from the world."
His gaze darkened. "With good reason." Karyn rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"These people don't have all day Mal. I can't bring all of my forces together in time. Will you help or not?"
He looked from Wash to Zoe. They said nothing.
"Start your approach. You'll be knowin my answer soon enough."
Mal switched off the screen.
"Sir?"
"I ain't deciding for anyone." He grabbed the pa microphone. "This is the Captain speaking. We've been offered a pretty shiny job. But it involves Reavers, and helping a buncha folk out. I'm not inclined to make this choice for you. We won't be alone. Should you decide you want no part of this I'll have Wash set you down, an we'll like as come back for ya. Fer now, we're heading in."
Zoe and Wash were looking at him. "Am I alone in this?"
"And let you fight without me? We'll not have a capt'n sir."
Mal looked to Wash.
"I'm just not inclined to think you'd fly the ship well in a bad situation."
"There's that fear and respect thing again. Why do I not get it? I can be mean"
"Sure you can sir."
He was laying on the small bed in what was his room, for now. Cortana had disappeared back into her chip, and John was contemplating sleeping. The ship was quiet. He fought to keep his mind from wandering to topics like Sgt. Johnson, Keyes, and his Spartans.
The Captain came over the pa, and made his announcement.
Suddenly, Cortana lit up on her holopad again.
"John!"
He rolled over and bolted upright.
"What is it?"
"I'm detecting the signal of another UNSC smart AI."
"What?" He said dumbly.
"UNSC midrange transport ship, calssification : Falcon. Designation The River Tam. On board smart AI Tatsuo making contact."
John stood, holding his breath.
"According to Tatsuo, they crashed on planet recently. They have ten ODST's and two marine pilots assigned. One pilot MIA, the other is critically wounded from the crash. Five man squads from the 82nd led by Sergeants Liam Manning and Kiato Bastogne. Call signs Phoenix and Alpha. Seven of the Hell jumpers, including Sgt. Manning took land vehicles to aid locals. This appears to be exactly where Serenity is going."
She glowed indigo. "Luck appears to be on our side."
"It always is." The Master Chief began donning his armor.
Seriously, read and review!! Check out my blog. (link in profile) and pic your favorites! Next chapter, the Chief will get reunited with UNSC personnel.