A/N: Sorry for the delay. I was focusing on other stories and then life got in the way. I'm ready to start again though. Please leave reviews. Let me know how I'm doing so far.
Chapter Four: Bushwhacked
River rubs her eyes as she wakes up. After a few moments, she notices that she's cuddled close to a still sleeping Trinity. She carefully gets out of the bed, trying not to wake the girl. She makes it to the ladder when she hears Trinity move.
Trinity sits up in bed and brushes wild strands of hair away from her face. She's sees the apologetic look on River's face and shakes her head. "It's not your fault. You were really quiet. I'm just a light sleeper." She gets out of the bed and grabs a hair brush. "Problem is once I wake up, I can't go back to sleep." She explains as she brushes her hair. "I could practice a few katas before getting started on breakfast."
River walks towards her. "Can I listen to the melodies while you dance?"
Trinity sets the brush down and opens her weapons cabinet, grabbing her swords. "You understand that this can't happen every night right?" She asks. "You coming into my bunk anytime you feel like it. If anyone ever found out, they'll get the wrong idea and I'll be thrown off the ship."
River nods. "I understand."
Trinity sighs. "Let's go." She says, opening the hatch and making her way up the ladder.
River sits on the catwalk, watching Trinity glide through the cargo bay.
"River?" She hears Simon call, his hurried footsteps sound through the quiet ship. "River." He sighs when he finds her on the catwalk. "What are you doing out of your room?"
Trinity doesn't stop her katas. "She's not making any trouble doctor. Probably didn't want to be cooped up in her room until you woke up."
Simon looks at Trinity and the dangerous blades that she has in her hands. He crouches down near River. "You can't just leave your room like that. You can't wonder around the ship without anyone knowing." He whispers gently taking her arm. "Let's go."
Trinity watches Simon lead River away from the corner of her eye and stops her katas. She sheathes her swords and makes her way up the stairs.
After breakfast, the crew plays in the cargo bay. Jayne bounces the ball, keeping it away from the opposing team. "Yeah, too tall, too tall!"
"Jayne!" Wash calls.
Jayne passes him the ball. "Little man!"
Zoe takes the ball from Wash and shoots it through a metal hoop suspended by a chain.
"Yes!" The team cheers.
River and Simon watch the game from the walkway above. Trinity sits on the stairs, a knife dancing back and forth between her fingers.
"Come on, old man!" Jayne says. "Ha ha!"
Inara walks onto the catwalk and sees the game.
Kaylee climbs onto Jayne's shoulders and shoots the ball into the hoop.
"Hello." Simon greets.
Inara looks at the crew. "Who's winning?"
"I can't tell. They don't seem to be playing by any civilized rules that I know."
"Well, we're pretty far from civilization."
Inara glances at River, whose eyes flicker between Trinity and the game. "How's your sister?"
"She's good." Simon nods to himself. "Better. She has her days. And she still won't talk about what it was they did to her at the academy."
"Perhaps she's not sure herself."
"She dreams about it. I know that much." He tells her. "Nightmares. And now, on the run, on this ship, I don't know if I'll be able to help her here, and I need to help her."
"Simon, you are. Leaving your whole world behind. It's incredibly selfless."
"Yeah." He gives a small scoff. "I selflessly turned us both into wanted fugitives."
"Well, we're all running from something, I suppose."
A loud alarm rings through the ships, halting the game.
"Proximity alert. Must be coming up on something." Zoe says.
"Oh my god. What can it be? We're all doomed! Who's flying this thing?!" Wash feigns panic. "Oh right, that would be me." He deadpans. "Back to work." He makes his way towards the stairs.
"So I guess that makes us one man short." Kaylee says.
"Little Kaylee's always one man short." Jayne taunts only for her to punch him in the arm. "Ow, hey."
Kaylee looks up towards the catwalk. "Say Doc, why don't you come on down, play or our side? Inara won't mind."
Wash walks into the bridge and looks through the window. He sees a ships tumbling through space. He takes a seat when suddenly a body bumps into the window. He jumps back in fright, accidentally hitting the controls, making the ship shudder.
Mal and Zoe walk into the cockpit. "Wash, you have a stroke or something?" He asks.
"Near enough."
"What happened?" Zoe asks as the rest of the crew enters the room.
"Wu de ma." Jayne says, seeing the ship.
"Anybody home?" Mal asks.
"Been hailing her, but if whoever's there is as healthy as the guy we just ran over, can't imagine anyone's going to be picking up." Wash says.
"Bring us in a little closer."
"Get you close enough to ring the doorbell."
"What is it?" Simon asks.
River leans against the wall outside the doorway of the bridge. "It's ghosts." She says quietly.
"So, what do we figure? Transport ship?" Mal guesses.
"Converted cargo hauler, maybe a short-range scow." Wash tells him.
"You can see she don't want to be parked like that. The port thrust's gone, that's what's making her spin the way she is." Kaylee points out.
"A short range vessel, this far out in space?" Simon asks.
"Retrofitted to carry passengers." Trinity tells him.
"Travelers pick them up cheap at government auction. A few modifications and they serve well enough for a one-way push to the outer planets." Zoe explains.
"Settlers." Book says.
Wash nods. "Cram fifteen, maybe twenty families on a boat that size, you pack 'em in tight enough."
"Families?" Inara asks.
"Tell you what I think. I think that fellow we ran into did everyone on board, killed them all, then decided to take a swim through space, see how fast his blood would boil out of his ears." Jayne says.
Wash looks at him. "You're a very 'up' person."
"Shouldn't we report this?" Book asks.
"To who? Alliance? Right. They're going to run out here lickety-split and make sure these taxpayers are okay." Mal says.
"Then we'll have to."
"If there's folks on board in need of help, why ain't they beaming no distress call?" Jayne asks.
Zoe nods. "It's true, there's no beacon."
"Which means it's likely no one's looking to find her." Mal says.
"All the more reason for us to do the right thing." Book points out.
"How about you just say a prayer when we slide on by." Jayne tells him.
"Shall I remind you of the story of the Good Samaritan?"
"I'd rather you didn't. But we'll check it out. See if there are survivors. If not, then, well no one's going to mind if we take a look around, see if there's not something of value they might have left behind."
Jayne perks up at that. "Yeah, no, uh, someone could be hurt."
Serenity moves against the derelict ship and links to it. As they join, several cables latch onto Serenity from the other ship.
Simon walks into the cargo bay carrying a medical kit. He sees Mal and Zoe putting on space suits.
Jayne walks up from behind Simon. "Where do you think you're headed?"
"Thought I'd offer my services, in case anyone on board required medical attention." He says.
"Well, Cap and Zoe are going in first. We'll holler if we need you." He sees the worried look on Simon's face. "Something wrong?"
Simon doesn't take his eyes off of the duo. "Hmm?" He looks at Jayne. "Oh, no. I suppose it's just the thought of a little Mylar and glass separating a person from…nothing."
"It's impressive what 'nothing' can do to a man. Like that fella we bumped into. He's likely stuck up under our belly about now. That's what space trash does, you know. Kind of latches onto the first big something that stops long enough. Hey now, that'd be a bit like you and your sister now, wouldn't it?"
Zoe and Mal slowly walk through the airlock, fully suited-up.
"Entering adjoining airlock now." Mal says. "Okay, Wash, ask Serenity to knock for us."
Wash types on the control panel.
"Emergency power's up. Dashboard lights." Mal explains as he and Zoe move into the galley. They look around the dark deserted ship. Mal spots a child's balloon tied to the back of a chair at a table of unfinished meals. "Whatever happened here, happened quick."
"Everything was left on." Zoe says as she and Mal walk onto the bride of the deserted ship. "Ship powered down on its own. No sign of a struggle. They're just…"
"Gone."
Zoe sees an active screen and walks over to it. "Sir. Personal log. Someone was in the middle of an entry." She taps on the screen, which shorts out.
Asleep in her dorm, River's eyes snap open. She gasps and begins to cry.
Simon walks in, having heard the noise. He sees his distraught sister and takes her into his arms. "Shh, shh, it's okay, it's okay, I'm here." He comforts her. Once she calms down, he pulls back a bit to look at her. "Bad dreams again?"
"No, I can't sleep. There's too much screaming." She tells him.
"River, there is…" Simon shakes his head. "There is no screaming."
"There was." She says quietly.
Jayne peeks into the room, loading a firearm. "Hey! Grab your med kit and let's hoof it. Mal wants us both over there on the double."
Simon looks at him. "They found survivors?"
"Didn't say."
"Right. I'll ask Inara to look in on River." Simon says, thinking that he rather his sister be with the calm companion and not the cook that always seems to have a weapon on her person.
"Whatever. I ain't waiting. I'll meet you over there. But don't take forever. Still got to get suited up."
Simon nervously walks into the airlock with a space suit on. He breathes heavily as he moves through the ship. He enters a small room and sees Jayne, Mal, Zoe and Kaylee, without spacesuits.
"Hi." Mal greets; his lips quirking at the sight of Simon with a space suit on.
Simon sighs as he realizes that he was tricked. He struggles as he tries to remove his helmet. Kaylee moves to help him.
"Um, what are you doing here, and what's with the suit?" Mal asks. Just as he finishes speaking, Jayne burst into laughter.
"You're hilarious." Simon says sarcastically, his helmet finally off. "Sadist."
"All right, enough." Mal tells them. "Ain't got time for games. As long as you're here, you may as well lend a hand. You can run with Kaylee. Let's be quick about this people, all right? A few loads each, no need to be greedy."
"Where are all the people?" Simon asks.
"Ship says lifeboat launched more than a week ago. We're going to assume everyone got off okay. Anyway, we're just here to pick the bones. You two start in the engine room. Jayne, you take the galley."
Kaylee looks at Simon, holding his helmet in her hands. "You, um, had this on wrong." She tells him.
Jayne laughs as he passes them.
"Sir, I count sixteen families signed on. Lifeboat wouldn't hold a third of that." Zoe says.
"I know." Mal says before speaking into his com. "Wash, any luck?"
"I think I found something pretty well matches that class. Layout looks about right. Seems to me any valuables, if there are any, likely be stored C-deck, aft." Wash tells him.
"Good work. Keep the engine running, shouldn't be long."
Inara walks to the passenger quarters, carrying a tray of food. She stops outside of River's dorm. "River? It's Inara. Are you hungry sweetie?" She knocks on the door and opens it, only to find an empty room. "River?"
River walks barefoot into the airlock.
"Aren't you the least bit curious?" She hears Simon's voice from deeper within the ship.
Kaylee looks around the engine room while Simon watches her with a bag in his hand. "About what?" She asks.
"Well…what happened here." He tells her. "Why would anyone abandon their ship in the middle of nowhere like this?"
"For all sorts of reasons. Just not the mechanical."
"What?" He asks.
"There ain't nothing wrong with this. Not that I can see, anyhow."
Electricity flashes and crackles as Kaylee pulls a part from the ship. "Woo. Well there's a good one. Hold the bag open."
In the galley, Jayne is scooping supplies into a duffel bag, chewing on a piece of food.
Mal and Zoe look ad Deck C, Aft. "This looks to be it." He says.
Zoe tries to open a door set in the side of the wall. "Locked."
"Well now. I'd say that's like to be a very good sign."
"Mal stoops and removes a blowtorch from his satchel, and proceeds to work on the door."
River moves gracefully though the dimly lit ship.
Trinity exits her bunk and walks down the hallway.
"Trinity!" Inara calls, spotting the girl.
Trinity turns at the sound of her voice. "Yeah?"
The companion walks up to her friend. "Have you seen River?"
Trinity shakes her head. "No. Why?"
"I came to give her something to eat, but she wasn't in her dorm. I've looked all over the place."
Trinity sighs at the thought of the reader wondering around the ship. "She's got to be around her somewhere. I'll help you look."
Inara gives her a grateful nod and they continue down the hallway.
The door gives away and Mal and Zoe walk in. The move through the room, seeing it's stacked with trunks and boxes. Zoe opens a case to reveal a child's doll, along with everyday things that would be found in a suitcase. Mal inspects a stack of plastic crates."
"Here. Genseed, protein, crop supplements. Everything a growing family needs to make a fresh start on a new world." Mal says.
"Hard subsidies for fourteen-plus families. That's…" Zoe trails off, doing the math in her head.
"About a fortune." Mal says tells her; not needing an exact number. "Forget the rest, we just take this stuff. We're going to need a hand hauling it out of here."
"Sir. Even on a lifeboat, you'd think those who escaped would have found room for some of this."
River quietly steps into the room, her eyes locked on the image above her. Mal sees her and follows her gaze.
"Nobody escaped." He says.
"Sir?" Zoe asks, confused. Mal and Zoe turn their flashlights to the ceiling, revealing half a dozen mutilated corpses, strung up by chains.
"Nobody."
"Oh my god." Zoe says, staring at the bodies in horror.
"Jen dao mei. I know what did this." Mal motions Zoe towards River. "Get her out of here." He orders before speaking into his com. "Jayne? Jayne, drop what you're doing, and get to the engine room. I want you to take Kaylee and the doctor off this boat."
In the dark galley, Jayne listens to Mal's orders. Suddenly the lights flash on and a man rushes at Jayne from behind, knocking him into a table. Pots and pans clatter to the floor, along with Jayne's walkie-talkie.
"Jayne?" Mal asks.
Wash has a look of worry on his face as he speaks into the com. "Captain? Captain. Zoe!"
Mal, Zoe and River quickly move though the ship.
"It came from above, Sir." Zoe tells him.
"Galley." Mal nods. They turn a corner and find Kaylee and Simon standing there.
"We heard shooting." The mechanic says.
Simon's eyes widen at the sight of his sister. "River! What are you…?"
"I followed the voices." She tells him.
Simon steps closer to her. "Don't ever leave the ship. Not ever."
"Handle her, will you son?" Mal tells the doctor.
Wash's voice rings through the com's. "What the tyen shiao duh is going on in there?"
"Not now, dear." Zoe says into her com.
Mal and Zoe move into the galley, seeing the signs of struggle. The others follow behind them. Mal hears a noise and aims his gun, only to see Jayne, who is aiming his weapon at him. "What'd you see?"
"Didn't." Jayne says, panting. "Came at me from behind. Big, though. Strong. I think I might have hit him."
Simon sees a trail of blood on the floor. "You did."
Mal follows the blood trail to a circular screen covering up a cubbyhole. He hears the sound of heavy breathing as he gets closer and removes the screen. A young, terrified man hides in the small space.
"No, no, no!" The survivor panics.
"Shh, easy now. No one's going to hurt you." Mal tells him.
"No, no mercy, no." The man continues.
"I mean, more than we already did. We got lots and lots of-" Mal punches the man, knocking him unconscious before dragging him out of the cubby and dropping him to the floor.
"Oh yes, he's a real beast." Simon says; sarcasm thick in his voice. He takes in the form of the short, thin man on the floor before looking at Jayne. "It's a wonder you're still alive."
"Looked bigger when I couldn't see him." Jayne says, trying to save what's left of his pride.
Now on Serenity, the crew is gathered outside of the infirmary, looking through the window.
"I wonder how long he'd been living like that?" Inara asks. Trinity nods, not taking her eyes away from the man.
Kaylee shrugs. "I don't know. He must be real brave to survive like that when nobody else did."
Jayne scoffs. "Yeah, real hero, killing all them people."
Kaylee turns to him with a mixture of shock and worry in her eyes. "What!? We don't believe that." She looks to Zoe. "We don't, do we?"
"Captain wouldn't have brought him on board, were that the case." Zoe tells her.
Simon tends to the man while Mal watches him. "Pulse is rapid, blood pressure's the high side of normal. That's to be expected." He explains.
"Weak, they were all weak." The man on the table mutters.
"Other than the bullet wound, there doesn't appear to be any exterior trauma. Though that crack in the head you gave him probably didn't do him any good."
"Cattle. Cattle for the slaughter."
"Dope him." Mal orders, no longer wanting to hear the man's words.
Simon looks at him. "I don't think that's-"
"Just do it."
"No mercy, no resistance." The man says. Simon moves to sedate him when the man grabs his arm. "Open up, see what's inside." Simon pushes down on the plunger. The man struggles to keep his eyes open. "No mercy." The man says before going limp.
Simon and Mal leave the infirmary and turn to the others.
"So, how's our patient?" Kaylee asks.
"Aside from borderline malnutrition, he's in remarkably good health." Simon explains.
"So he'll live then." Book says, relieved.
Mal grimaces a bit. "Which to my mind is unfortunate."
The Shepard frowns at him. "Not a very charitable attitude, Captain."
"Charity'd be putting a bullet in his brainpan."
"Mal!" Inara scolds him.
"Only save him the suffering." He tells her, justifying his words. He closes the door to the infirmary. "All right, no one goes in here. Nothing more we can do for him now, not after what he's seen."
"What do you mean?" Simon asks.
"That ship was hit by Reavers."
"Reavers?" Jayne says, shocked.
"Tzao gao." Wash curses.
Mal walks into the galley and fixes himself a drink, the others follow behind him.
"Mal, how can you know?" Inara asks.
"He don't, that's how." Jayne shakes his head. "No way. It was that other fella, the one we ran into, like I said before, he went stir-crazy, killed the rest, then took a walk in space."
"Just a second ago you said that-" Kaylee starts but the merc cuts her off.
"Don't matter what I said. Reavers don't leave no survivors."
"Strictly speaking, wouldn't say they did." Mal tells them.
Book looks at him. "What are you suggesting?"
"Doesn't matter that we took him off that boat, Shepherd, it's the place he's going to live from now on."
"I don't accept that. Whatever horror he witnessed, whatever acts of barbarism, it was done by men, nothing more."
"Reavers aren't men." Trinity tells him.
Book looks at her. "Of course they are. Too long removed from civilization, of course, but men. And, I believe there is a power greater than men, a power that heals."
"Reavers might take issue with that philosophy." Mal says. "If they had a philosophy. If they weren't too busy gnawing on your insides. Trinity's right. Reavers ain't men. Or they forgot how to be. Now they're just nothing. They got out to the edge of the galaxy, to that place of nothing, and that's what they became."
"Why're we still sitting here?" Jayne asks. "If it was Reavers, shouldn't we be gone?"
"Work ain't done. Still substantial money value sitting over there."
"Whoa. I ain't going over there with them bodies, no ruttin' way. Not if Reavers messed with them." Jayne protests.
"Jayne, you'll scare the women." Zoe says.
"I'll go." Simon speaks. "I've dealt with bodies, they don't worry me."
"I'd like to go with him." Book volunteers. "Maybe see what I can do about putting those folks to rest."
"Those folks already resting pretty good, Shepherd." Mal says. "Reavers saw to that."
"How we treat our dead is part of what makes us different than those that did the slaughtering."
"All right, you go say your words. Jayne,you'll help the doc and Shepherd Book cut down those people, then you'll load up the cargo."
"I don't believe this. We're sitting put for a funeral?" Jayne says in disbelief.
"Yes, Jayne, that is exactly what we're going to do. Not going to have these people looking over my shoulder once we're gone. I'm not saying there's any peace to be had, but on the off chance there is, those folks deserve a little of it."
"Just when I think I've got you figured out." Inara says before leaving, Book, Simon, and Jayne following after her.
Kaylee walks up to Mal, smiling. "That was real pretty Captain, what you just said."
"I didn't think you were one for rituals and such." Wash says.
"I'm not, but it'll keep the others busy for a while. No reason to concern them with what's to be done." Mal tells him. Trinity tilts her head in confusion.
"Sir?" Zoe asks.
Kaylee, Wash, Trinity, Mal, and Zoe look at the camera feed of the cables that latched onto Serenity.
"It's a real burden being right so often." Mal says.
Wash takes a closer look at the video. "What is that?"
"Booby trap. Reavers sometimes leave them for the rescue ships. Triggered it when we latched on."
"And when we detach?" Trinity asks.
"It blows." Mal reveals.
"Okay, so we don't detach, we just, I don't know, sit tight until…" Wash trails off.
"What, Reavers come back?" Zoe says.
Kaylee looks at the video. "Looks like they've jerry-rigged it with a pressure catch. It's the only thing that'd work with all these spare parts. We could probably bypass that easy, we get to the DC line."
Mal looks at her. "You tell me right now, little Kaylee, you really think you can do this?"
Kaylee shrugs. "Sure. Yeah. I think so. 'Sides, if I mess up, not like you'll be able to yell at me."
Back on the C Deck, Aft, Jayne lowers the hanging bodies while Simon and Book look on.
In the Cargo bay, Zoe, Trinity, and Mal look on while Kaylee lowers herself into a chamber beneath the floor.
In her shuttle, Inara works on a scroll covered in Chinese calligraphy, while River sleeps on her bed.
In the infirmary, the man begins to wake. "No. No." He moans.
Kaylee worms her way into a crawl space.
In the infirmary, the man wakes up, laughing.
Rivers eyes snap open and she begins to scream, startling Inara, who tries to comfort her.
The man knocks a tray of surgical tools over and picks up a scalpel.
Kaylee clips a line, causing a dark liquid to leak through.
Outside, the cables disengage from the ship.
Jayne hauls a load of goods into the cargo bay. He looks at the people in the room. "What's going on?"
"Well, I'd have to say, right at this particular moment, not a thing. Right?" Mal asks, looking at Kaylee.
"Not a gorram thing." She smiles.
Jayne looks at them with suspicion in his eyes. "Looked like a thing to me." He says. Book and Simon walk into the cargo bay.
"Thought we might have had a situation, but it looks to be taken care of. Let's get that merchandise put away." Mal says.
Serenity detaches from the ship.
"Everyone's home Wash, let's go." Mal orders. Just as he says that, the proximity alarm begins sounding.
"Oh no." Jayne groans. "No, no, no. Don't you say that. It's the Reavers. It's the gorram Reavers come back!"
"Get that stuff stored." Mal motions to the cargo.
"Like it's going to matter!"
"Just do it!" He yells before racing to the bridge, Zoe following after him.
Trinity races to her bunk, going to grab her weapons.
"Firefly class transport, you are ordered to release control of your helm." A male voice sounds over the bridge.
Mal looks at the large Alliance Cruiser. "Looks like civilization finally caught up with us."
Commander Harken watches from the bridge as Serenity moves towards their cruiser. An ensign walks up to him. Harken points to the ship. "No mandatory registration markings on the bow. Make sure we cite them for that." He says.
"Sir, we've identified the transport ship they were attached to. It was licensed to a group of families out of Bernadette. They were due to touch down in Newhall three weeks ago. Never made it." The ensign explains.
"Once we secure these vultures, we'll send a team over, check it out."
"Sir, didn't we have a flag on a Firefly a while back?" A com operator asks.
"Check." Harken orders.
The operator brings up the screen. "Here it is. An alert issued on a Firefly-class, believed to be carrying two fugitives, a brother and a sister."
"What are they wanted for?"
"It's uh, it's not available, it's classified."
"40,000 of these old wrecks in the air and that's all they give us." Harken grumbles. "Well, I'm not about to have any surprises on a routine check. We run into these two, we shoot first. The brass can sort it out later."
Mal quickly makes his way along the catwalk of the cargo bay.
Jayne looks up at him. "So what was it?" He asks.
"Open the stash, pull out the goods." Mal orders.
"What? Just got done putting it in."
"Yeah, and I'm telling you to take it all out again."
"Why for?"
"I got no notion to argue this. In about two minutes time this boat's going to be crawling with Alliance." He sees Trinity and her weapons. "Go put those away and come help get this cargo." She nods and rushes back to her bunk as the rest of the crew hurry to help get the salvaged goods out.
Simon watches on with horror filled eyes. "No. We've got to run."
"Can't run. They're pulling us in." Mal tells him.
"If they find us they'll send River back to that place. T-to be tortured." He stammers. "I'd never see her again."
"Stack everything here, in plain sight. Wouldn't want it to seem like we got anything to hide. It might give them Alliance boys the wrong impression."
"Or the right one." Wash says.
"That too." Mal turns to Simon. "Now go run and fetch your sister."
"What?" Simon asks, appalled. "Why, are you going to put her in plain sight, too?"
"Don't get tetchy. Just do as I say."
"Is that why you let us stay? So you could use us as bargaining chips?"
"I knew there was a reason." Jayne smiles.
"They are not taking her and you are not giving her to them!" Simon yells.
"Don't be a fool son." Book says, calmly. "Do as the man says."
Serenity is pulled against the large Alliance ship. The crew stands in the cargo bay with grim looks on their faces. Simon and River are nowhere to be seen. Wash raises his hands into the air as Commander Harken enters the ship with armed men behind him.
Mal looks at the men. "Well, quite a lot of fuss. If I didn't know better, I'd think we were dangerous."
"Is this your vessel?" Harken asks.
Mal nods. "It is, bought and paid for. I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds."
"And is this everyone, Captain?"
"By way of crew it is, though in our infirmary you're going to find a fellow that we rescued off that derelict. Saved him, guess you could say."
"Hmm." Harken hums, skeptically. He motions his men to check the ship.
"Straight through the back, next to the common area." Mal directs them.
Harken motions to the goods. "And these items, I take it you rescued them as well."
Two soldiers enter the infirmary, hearing the soft, crazed laughter of the man.
"Looks to me like an illegal salvage operation." Harken says.
"Does it?" Mal feigns a frown. "Well, that's discouraging."
"Yeah, and Alliance property. You could lose your ship, Captain. But that is a wrist slap compared to the penalty for harboring fugitives. A brother and sister. When I search this vessel, I won't find them, will I?"
Mal shakes his head. "No children on this boat."
"Hmm. I didn't say children. Siblings. Adult siblings."
"I misunderstood."
"No chance they could have stowed away? No one would blame you for that Captain. I know how these older model Firefly's tend to have those troublesome little nooks."
"Do they?" Mal asks.
"Smugglers and the like tend to prefer them just for that reason." Harken tells him. A soldier returns from the infirmary and whispers into the Commander's ear. Harken turns his attention back to the crew. "We will continue this conversation in a more official capacity." The soldiers begin to move the crew of Serenity onto the Alliance ship. "I want every inch of this junker tossed."
Kaylee turns her head at the Commander. "Junker?" She says, offended.
"Settle down, Kaylee." Mal says.
Kaylee looks at him. "But Captain, did you hear what that purple-belly called Serenity?"
The soldiers carry out the rescued man, who is now strapped to a stretcher. The others continue to search Serenity.
The Commander and Inara are seated at a large, glass-topped table in an empty room.
"You are a Companion." Harken says.
Inara nods. "Yes."
"And you were based for years on Sihnon. It's only in the last year that you've been shipping out with the crew of The Serenity?"
"It's just Serenity." She corrects him. "And that's correct. In a few weeks, it will be a year."
"Oh."
"I'm just trying to put the pieces together. It's a curiosity, a woman of stature such as yourself falling in with…" He trails off, trying to find cleaner words than the ones that comes to mind. "These types." He settles.
"Not in the least. It's a mutually beneficial business arrangement. I rent the shuttle from Captain Reynolds, which allows me to expand my client base. And the Captain finds that having a Companion on board opens certain doors to him that might otherwise be closed to him."
"And do you love him?" Harken asks.
"I don't see how that's relevant." Zoe says, now having her time with the Commander.
"Well, he is your husband." Harken says.
"Yes."
"You two met through Captain Reynolds?"
"Captain was looking for a pilot. I found a husband. Seemed to work out."
"You fought with Captain Reynolds in the war?"
"Fought with a lot of people in the war."
"And your husband?"
"Fight with him sometimes, too." She answers coolly.
"Is there any particular reason you don't wish to discuss your marriage?"
"Don't see that it's any of your business, is all. We're very private people."
"The legs." Wash says, smiling with a faraway look in his eyes. He nods. Oh yeah, definitely have to say it was her legs. You can put that down. Her legs. And where her legs meet her back. Actually, that whole area. That, and above it."
"Six Gurtslers crammed under every cooling drive, so that you strain your primary artery function, and you end up having to recycle secondary exhaust through a bypass system, just so's you don't end up pumping it though the main atmo feed and asphyxiating the entire crew! Now that's junk." Kaylee rants, still angry over the Commanders opinion of Serenity.
"Have you seen what she wears?" Wash continues. "Forget about it. Have you ever been with a warrior woman?"
Jayne stares silently at the Commander with his arms crossed.
The Commander looks at Trinity. "My men found a startling amount of weapons in your bunk. Want to tell me what a young lady like you would be doing with all those blades?"
"I'm a cook." Trinity answers simply.
"A cook." Harken says, skeptically.
"That's right." Trinity nods.
"And why would a cook need all those blades."
"Well if you want to get something right, you've to cut it a certain way. If you think you could take just any old knife and make a meal, you're sorely mistaken. Food's not just about taste. It's about texture, passion, health, and emotions."
"And you need a sword to make dinner." He says, skepticism still clear in his voice.
Trinity shrugs. "Some fruits are tough. The best way to cut through them is to do it all at once. Or else it'll through the whole meal off."
"Pirates." Harken says, looking at Book. "Pirates with their own chaplain. There's an oddity."
"Not the only oddity this end of space, Commander." Book tells him. "Way of things not always so plain as on the central planets. Rules can be a mite fuzzier."
"These fugitives that we're looking for, the brother and the sister. They were last seen on Persephone."
"That a fact?"
"They also left port aboard a Firefly-class transport. Just about the same time you shipped out with Serenity."
"Well, Persephone's a big place."
"Yes, it is, and that Firefly isn't. And if anyone's hiding anywhere on it, we will find them."
Simon and River are in spacesuits, clinging to the hull of Serenity. River is gazing at the stars with a look of awe and wonder in her eyes, and a rare smile. Simon has a terrified look on his face. He sees the joyful look on his sister's face and looks over his shoulder at the vastness of space. He quickly turns back, pressing his body as near to the hull as he can manage.
The Commander interviews Mal; this time with an armed guard in the room.
"So, by now, I figure you've been over to the derelict. Seen it for yourself." Mal says.
Harken nods. "Yes. Terrible thing."
"You want my advice, you won't tow it back. Just fire the whole gorram thing from space. Be done with it."
"That ship is evidence. I'm not in the habit of destroying evidence."
"'Course not. Be against the rules. I'm going to make a leap here and figure this is your first tour here, out on the border?"
"That's a very loyal crew you have there. But then I can tell by your record you have a tendency to inspire that quality in people." Harken pauses. "Sergeant."
"It's not Sergeant." Mal says. "Not no more. War's over."
"For some the war will never be over. I notice your ship's called Serenity. You were stationed on Hera at the end of the war; Battle of Serenity Valley took place there if I recall."
"You know, I believe you might be right."
"Independents suffered a pretty crushing defeat there. Some say that after Serenity the brown coats were through. That the war ended in that valley."
"Hmm."
"Seems odd that you would name your ship after a battle you were on the wrong side of."
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."
"Is that why you attacked that transport?"
"What?" Mal asks, shock in his voice.
"You're still fighting the same battle, Sergeant. Only those weren't soldiers you murdered. Those were civilians, families. Citizens loyal to the Alliance, trying to make a new life for themselves and you just can't stand that, can you?"
"So we attacked that ship, then brought the only living survivor to our infirmary. That's what we did?"
"I'd ask him. Only I'm not sure he'll be able to speak with his tongue split down the middle."
Mal eyes widen in realization. "Wuh de tyen, ah."
"I haven't seen that kind of torture since…well, since the war." Harken continues.
"Oh I should have known." Mal says quietly to himself.
"You and your crew are bound by law. Formal charges will be transmitted to Central Authority."
Mal looks at Harken. "Commander, I'm not what you need to be concerned with right now. Things go the way they are, there's going to be blood."
In the Alliance infirmary, several doctors and nurses work on the man from the derelict as he convulses on the table.
"Get a line in!" A doctor orders.
The staff work frantically as others try to restrain the man. Suddenly, the man's arm shoots up. In his hand is a scalpel from Serenity. Screams ring through the room as blood splatters on the wall.
"Reavers?" Harken says, his voice once again filled with skepticism.
"That is what I said." Mal says with a serious look on his face.
"You can't imagine how many times men in my position hear that excuse. 'Reavers did it'."
"It's the truth."
"You saw them, did you?"
"Wouldn't be sitting here talking to you if I had."
"No, of course not."
"But I'll tell you who did. That poor bastard you took off my ship. He looked right into the face of it. Was made to stare."
"It?" Harken asks.
"The darkness. Kind of darkness you can't even imagine. Blacker than the space it moves through." Mal tells him.
"Very poetic." The Commander scoffs.
"They made him watch. He probably tried to turn away, and they wouldn't let him. You call him a survivor? He's not. A man comes up against that kind of will, the only way to deal with it, I suspect, is to become it. He's following the only course left to him. First, he'll try to make himself look like one. Cut on himself, desecrate his flesh and then, he'll start acting like one." Mal explains.
The Commander taps an intercom buzzer, and a second armed soldier enters. "Let's have two M.P.s up here to escort Sergeant Reynolds to the brig."
Simon and River stand inside the airlock, removing their spacesuits.
"Let's go again." River smiles.
"Later, maybe. Captain said once the coast is clear, we should lay low in the shuttle. Come on." He goes to lead her away but River pauses.
"He's coming back." She says, sensing the reaver from the Alliance ship.
Simon nods, misunderstanding her. "Yes, yes of course he is. They all are."
Two M.P.s begin to take Mal to the brig.
"Your ship and its contents will be auctioned; the proceeds of the sale will be applied to the cost of your defense." Harken informs him. A third soldier enters and whispers into the Commander's ear. Harken turns to the soldiers holding Mal. "Get him out of here!" He turns back to the third soldier. "Go to full lock-down. I want guards on the nursery."
"It won't matter!" Mal shouts, gaining their attention. "You won't find him. But I know where he'll go."
Simon and River, still in their spacesuits, enter the galley. They see that it is in shambles, having been torn apart by the soldiers.
River stops and backs towards the entrance of the galley. "Wait, no! Don't, don't."
"No, River, River, it's okay." Simon tries to calm her.
"Wait." She says. "Wait, wait, wait."
"They've gone. Come on." He tries to coax her into the room.
"Don't."
"It's okay, come on." Simon tries again. He doesn't see a hand take a knife from the table.
"No, don't!" River protests.
"River, you don't have to be afraid."
The Commander and four soldiers walk into the corridor leading to Serenity. Mal walks next to them, his hand cuffed behind his back. They see the bloody dead body of a soldier on the floor.
"Why would he come back here?" Harken asks.
"Looking for familiar ground. He's on the hunt." Mal explains.
Harken nods and turns to the soldiers. "All right, let's get him to the brig."
"No, no, no." Mal shakes his head. "Whoa, I should go with you."
"That's out of the question."
"How many more men do you feel like losing today, Commander? Nobody knows Serenity like I do. I can help you."
The Commander pauses in thought before nodding. "We let him go first."
"Right. You want to, uh?" Mal motions with his handcuffs. The Commander unlocks the handcuffs, and re-fastens them, only this time Mal has his hands in front of himself. "Thanks." He says, sarcastically. "Now I'll really have the advantage."
River continues to refuse entering the galley.
"No, we don't, we don't know how long it's going to be. Once we're settled, I don't think we should move around much. I'm just going to grab some food." Simon says. Just then, he hears the sound of footsteps. "Someone's coming."
Mal enters the galley warily, with the Commander and other soldiers following. He crosses the length of the galley, and notices Simon's helmet in the passage at the other end. He steps into the doorway, where he sees Simon and River pressed up against the wall.
Just at that moment, the Reaver attacks one of the soldiers. Blood splatters across Harken's face. The Commander is then knocked to the ground by the Reaver, who's face is now bloody and horrifying, having been inexpertly pierced by surgical staples. He closes in for the kill when Mal loops his handcuffed hands around the neck of the attacker, and strangles him to death.
Serenity undocks from Alliance ship and begins maneuvering for departure.
Wash, Zoe, Mal, Trinity, and Jayne are looking out of the bridge viewports.
"You saved his gorram life he still takes the cargo." Jayne says. "Húndàn."
"He had to." Mal says, shaking his head. "Couldn't let us profit." He pauses. "Wouldn't be civilized."
The Alliance ships fires missiles at the derelict ship. It explodes and breaks apart.
Trinity sighs as she begins to clean up the mess in the galley. "Gorram Alliance Hóuzi tuófēng húndàns." She curses. Just then, she sees movement out of the corner of her eye. She turns her head and sees River, standing warily at the entrance of the galley. "Hey." She greets. The reader remains silent. "You gonna come help?"
After a moment, River begins to slowly walk into the room before bending down and helping the cook clean up.