Spartan's Quest - Chapter 23
Author owns no rights to Firefly, and writes only for his own amusement.
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Serenity entered atmo over Beaumonde with little fanfare, just the way Mal liked it. The ship had performed perfectly, he was forced to admit, and that was a set of circumstances he wasn't used to, as yet.
Maybe I hadn't oughta, anyway, he mused. Never know when somethin'll go wrong.
"We're on course and on time, Cap'n," Willie told him over her shoulder. "Be on the ground in about ten, give or take."
"Good deal," Mal nodded. He headed aft, where the rest of the crew, sans Lucas, were assembled.
"Me, Zoe and Neera'll head to the meet," he informed them. "Julio, take it as a kindness you'll watch over things whilst we're out," he added, and received a nod.
"Amanda, want you to stay outta sight while we're here," he ordered his young ward. "'Til this is all over with, don't want nobody gettin' a look at you don't need to."
"Okay," Amanda smiled. "I'll be on the bridge with Willie," she added, rising and leaving the galley on her way to join the pilot.
"This is 'sposed to be a straight up job, but there's the little issue of Wilson and his bunch bein' after us. Like as not, we'll be able to get off the ground 'fore they get here. After that, Jayne and his folks should have us covered. But," he added, finger pointing skyward, "let's don't be assumin' nothin'."
"Julio, first sign o' trouble here at the ship, you get off the ground. We'll make do 'til we can meet up somewhere else."
"Why not take a shuttle, sir," Zoe asked. "If trouble hits, we can always meet up in the black." Mal considered that for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Good idea, Zo'," he agreed. "We'll just do that. Anything else?" No one spoke. "Let's be about it, then."
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Jayne looked pensively at the nav plot, eyeing the distance still between Athena and Beaumonde.
"Four hours, milord, give or take," Harry told him, seeing his gaze locked on the screen.
"Can we do better?" he asked. Harry considered that, then nodded hesitantly.
"We can, but it will leave us short on fuel if we need to burn somewhere in a hurry. Trim it to about two hours, fifteen, maybe a smidge more."
"Do it," Jayne ordered at once. "We'll refuel on Beaumonde." He left the bridge as Harry increased power. Soon, Athena was hurtling much faster through the black.
"You are concerned," River said as Jayne walked into the galley. He looked at her for a moment, then nodded.
"Can't hide it from you, I guess," he smiled. "Yes, I am a little concerned. All o' this is bein' thrown together in a hurry. And there's not much room for error. We've increased speed, but at the risk of bein' short on fuel when we hit Beaumonde. If Mal's already back in the black, then we may not be able to follow him all the way to his destination without refueling. Which will leave him with only Artemis, plus Meadows' ship. It's powerful," he admitted, "but not nearly so strong as Athena. And Wilson has three armed freighters."
"Artemis should be able to handle three freighters," River commented idly.
"In a perfect world, yeah," Jayne nodded reluctantly. "Thing is, with only one ship, Wilson, or some of his men may escape. I don't want that. I want them all dealt with, and this is likely to be the best chance we get."
"We won't get them all together like this again, floating in three big targets like that."
"Then we'll just have to make sure we get them."
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"What you reckon them two are up to over there?" Fell said with a chuckle, inclining his head toward Elizabeth Winters' ship.
"At your age, you can't figure that out?" Meadows snorted, and Fell guffawed at that. "About time, so far as I'm concerned," he added with a grin. "I'm getting tired of all their cat bites."
"But it is fun to watch," Fell pointed out. "The funniest part is the way neither one of them are willing to acknowledge what's between them."
"True," Meadows smiled at that. "But, then, they are both uncommonly stubborn people, you know."
"Ain't that the truth if it ever was told," Fell laughed again.
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"Liz," Barstow said softly. Winters turned slightly from where she was lying, smiling at him drowsily.
"Yes?"
"Liz, I. . .that is, I don't. . .well, what I'm trying to say here, is that. . . ." Winter sat up, the sheet that covered her falling to the bed. Her eyes narrowed.
"What, exactly, are you trying to say, Jarrod?" she demanded, her eyes now showing the anger she was famous for.
"Dammit, Liz," Barstow grimaced. "Stop that. What I want to say, what I mean to say, is that I. . .I don't want this to be a one time thing. There. There it is." The fire slowly died from Winters' eyes, and she regarded him with carefully.
"So you want something regular, somewhere to go when you get the itch?" she demanded. Barstow's face flushed with anger.
"Dammit, that isn't what I said, and stop trying to twist my words to suit you!" he almost yelled. Winters started a bit at that, taken back by the normally reserved Barstow's outburst.
"All right," she said slowly. "What do you mean, then?"
"I. . .it's soon to be time for me to move on," he said, watching her closely. "I've been where I am for nearly fifty years. I can't stay much longer. People will start to notice. Three of the people I founded the firm with are already about to retire. I'll be expected to follow suit soon. And, to tell the truth, I'm ready for something new."
"When I do go, I want you to go with me," he said bluntly. "Or, I'll just come with you. I don't really care, so long as we stay together."
Winters didn't speak at once. In all honesty, she was floored, though she made sure not to let it show. She had taken Barstow to her bed without any thought of tomorrow. She had assumed he would say no more about it.
She hadn't expected this. It wasn't unwelcome, by any means. But it was unexpected.
"Jarrod," she almost whispered. "Are you sure that's what you want? I mean, really sure? Because if you're not, then this is your chance to take it back, and no harm done."
"I'm positive," Barstow said at once. "I don't want to take it back, and I don't want to think about it. I've done nothing but think about it since I saw you again. I don't want to be anywhere but wherever you are."
Winters smiled softly at that. His voice was ringing with sincerity, and Jarrod Barstow was nothing if not honorable, despite her needling him about his clients. She reached out to him, then, and he took her hand.
"In that case," she whispered huskily, "you need to be over here, with me."
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Wonder of wonders, the job was legit, and went off without trouble. Take these machine parts, deliver them here, get paid. Mal loved it.
"I tell ya, there's somethin' ta be said for doin' legitimate work," he expounded to Zoe and Neera on the way back to Serenity. The parts were already on their way.
"True, sir," Zoe nodded. "And you don't seem to get shot as much," she added with a straight face.
"No, I don't," Mal's face clouded a bit, his glare bouncing right off of his first mate. "And, as I said before, I'd like to keep it that way."
"Me too," Neera nodded, her face a mask of innocence. Zoe tried, but finally had to laugh. Just a little.
"The things I put up with outta you two. . . ." Mal's mini non-tirade was cut short by the cortex. Neera punched receive, and Juilo's face popped up.
"Looks like we cut it too fine, Mal," he said at once. "Ships that match our friends are entering orbit. No sign that they aim to enter atmo, yet. Just sitting there, looks like."
"They know we're here?" Mal asked.
"Nope," Julio smiled.
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"What do you mean, 'they ain't here'?" Wilson demanded.
"Just that, sir," his navigator replied. "I've queried the port list, and scanned for active beacons. Reynolds ship isn't here."
"Son of a. . . ." Wilson cut himself off, slamming a hand on the arm of his chair.
"Perhaps they haven't arrived as yet," his second offered. "We may have made better time than they did. Reynolds boat is a bit long on tooth, sir." Wilson considered that for a moment, then nodded.
"True. Very well. Let's have the other two ships orbit here. Meanwhile, we'll scout around, see if we can get a fix on Reynolds. We'll navigate the planet, then start a backtrack. Tell the others we'll be back in. . . ." Wilson did some fast figuring. . . "six hours. Eight at the outside," he added as insurance. "If they see Reynolds' ship, follow it out of sight of the planet, and blow it to dust. Otherwise, stay put here until we return."
His second nodded, and went to relay the orders, while the navigator started plotting their course.
"This is the second time someone's fed me a pile of go se about Reynolds," Wilson muttered to himself. "I'm gettin' right tired of it, too."
His ship was soon moving. After twenty minutes of orbiting, looking for a sign of Reynolds' boat, he started the backtrack.
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"You what?" Mal asked.
"I fixed our nav beacon to pulse something else," Julio smiled. "So far as anyone looking is concerned, we aren't here."
"Won't that make take-off a might interesting, with the port officials and all?" Mal demanded.
"Would if they were getting the false pulse, yeah," Julio nodded. "But they ain't. And they won't, less you want'em too."
"Huh," Mal grunted, unable to think of anything else to say.
"Good job, Julio," Neera smiled. "We'll be back in about fifteen."
"We'll be here," Givens smiled.
"Nice to have good help, huh, sir?" Zoe said, with a straight face.
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"Uh oh," Barstow muttered. Elizabeth looked up sharply at that.
"Uh oh? What is 'uh oh?'" she demanded.
"Wilson's ships are splitting up," he told her, not looking away from the scope. "Looks like one is checking out the planet, while the other two are maintaining an orbit over the dock."
"They can't find him," Elizabeth smiled. "All this way, and they can't find him."
"May not be here, yet," Barstow shrugged. "But we have to decided what to do."
"What do you mean?"
"Do we split up?" Barstow finally looked up at her. "Or do we place our eggs all in one basket, and hope Reynolds is just hiding?" Winters bit her lip, seeing the problem.
"I'd say we stay together," she said at last. "We know there are two ships here that we need to kill. According to Janos' timetable, Reynolds should already be here. I say we stay." Barstow was about to reply when the cortex chimed. He punched up the call.
"Mister Barstow," a man he didn't know smiled. "My name is Hawkins. I work for Lord Janos. My shop, the Artemis, is just off your starboard side. I assume you trailed Wilson and his men here?" Barstow looked out the view screen, but saw nothing.
"We're hard to see, sir," Hawkins informed him. "But we are here. We trailed Captain Reynolds' ship here. He is currently on the planet."
"You know that for sure?" Barstow demanded.
"I do," Hawkins nodded.
"Then what do we do about the ship that's leaving?" he asked.
"I have no instructions on that, sir," Hawkins admitted. "My orders are to protect Serenity at all costs. There are still two armed freighters in orbit that I am told have orders to destroy her as soon as she leaves atmo, or shortly thereafter. I have to remain here."
"We don't," Winters said softly. "We could. . . ."
"We could what?" Barstow demanded. "This ship isn't heavily armed enough to fight that freighter. You said it yourself. And Hawkins may need Meadows' help, if Janos doesn't arrive on time."
"True," Winters sighed. "Then we stay, I guess."
"We'll be in orbit with you, Captain Hawkins. When the time comes, if you need us, let us know what you require. We aren't so heavily armed as you are, but we can help, in a pinch."
"Thank you, sir, but it shouldn't be needed," Hawkins assured him. "I think we'll be able to take these two. If the third reappears before Athena arrives, then we may need your help."
"We'll be here," Barstow nodded, and killed the wave. He started punching in an address.
"Better let Fell and Garrison know the score."
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"We all loaded?" Mal asked, walking to where Zoe stood in the cargo bay.
"That we are, sir," Zoe nodded. "Set to go when you are."
"Well, we could wait, I guess," Mal sighed. "But I can't see no reason to. Julio says that one of Wilson's boats is headed off a ways, and that he's sure that Artemis is in orbit. I reckon it's time we see."
"We're ready," Zoe assured him.
"Well, let's get to gettin' then."
Ten minutes later, Serenity glided from the ground, headed for the black.
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"Hawkins says that Reynolds is on his way up," Barstow announced. He had Fell on the cortex, and Winters was just walking back onto the bridge. "It's show time."
"Suits me," she growled, settling in. "I'm ready to be shut of this crap. I gotta business to run."
"We'll trail the Artemis," Barstow informed her and the others at the same time. "She shouldn't need any help, and we aren't as stealthy as she is. But we'll have her back, just in case."
"We'll be there," Meadows nodded, and the screen went blank.
"Well, once this is over, you can go back to that business," Barstow smiled. "Fancy a partner? I might could scrounge up some investment capital."
"Shut up," Winters growled, but couldn't hide her grin.
They waited in silence.