Chapter 5
January 2515, Beylix, Penglai Proto Star, The Rim
Jayne Cobb was feelin' downright ornery. Two days they been on this gorram planet and things weren't getting' any better. Not only had Marco Cafiso, his current boss and captain of the Monaro, not managed to get hisself and therefore the rest a the crew a job, but Jayne also faced a dilemma his ownself.
Beylix. Jayne's home planet. Ta couldn't have found a more typical like Rim Planet. Only nothin' looked familiar. Nothin'. Sure, he'd been gone close on 20 years, and a planet's a big place, but not a ruttin' thing was sparkin' any memories. Mebbe he'll WAVE his Ma & Pa, if'n there's a workin' WAVE machine to be found around these parts.
"JAYNE!" Marco's yell derailed Jayne's thoughts.
"What?" he growled back.
"We gots a meet with the local fixer, a piao liang de xiao jie calls herself Whisper Lo Pan, hangs outta The Pale Horse Saloon. Weapon up, amico, and let's go.."
"Sure, Marco." Finally the chwen joo might have us a real honest to goodness job!
Jayne grabbed his favorite LeMat revolver, which he'd named Boo, off the rack in his bunk – a bunk he shared with that shee niao hun dan Darren Stewart. Jayne scrunched up his nose. Man smelled worse than a joo fuen chse.
Climin' the ladder outta his bunk Jayne followed Marco down the ramp of the Monaro and into the harsh sunlight, hopin' for an interestin' day.
Later, The Pale Horse Saloon, Back Office of Whisper Lo Pan
"So, Marco," the middle aged Chinese fixer began, "I hear you have an excellent tracker yes, one who can maybe find the go neong yung duh who stole from me?"
"Yessum. This here's a Jayne Cobb, finest tracker ina Da Rim. If them that stole from you is here, he'll find 'em." Marco smiled up at Jayne, it was not returned.
"Oh, a swai specimen of a man, this Jayne of yours. Yes." Whisper looked at Jayne with a lustful look in her eyes.
Truth be told that weren't exactly a unique situation for Jayne, but he weren't interested. No, he ain't sly, but Jayne believed a woman was an impediment to his way a life. No kissin' on the mouth and no gorram responsibility. If'n he had a need, he scratched it gorram it! A whore now and then was all he needed, yessir, no one to tie him down and no one to complicate his life. He'd always thought that, or so it seemed, but like a lot a things lately, he just plumb didn't know why he thought the way he did. Was all manner a confusin'.
"But business before pleasure." Whisper continued, "this man and his crew are the ones who stole from me." She threw a data pad at Marco, who fumbled as he caught it. "Find them, find out what they have done with my cargo and then bring my goods back to me."
"Yes maam."
Whisper dismissed the two men with a wave of her hand.
Marco grabbed the data pad and went out into the main bar. "Might as well have a vino or two while we look over da info."
"Sure, Marco." Jayne weren't particular interested in the details, usually. Marco would tell him who or what to track, and he'd do it. Came natural as breathin' to Jayne. And besides, one job's the same as any other. Over the years they all sorta blended together. He wasn't sure no more why he'd even taken to The Black, and truth be told it was another thing that worried him.
There was a whole passel a things that were beginnin' to get on Jayne's nerves. Livin' on that luh suh ship, with them feh feh pi goh's, was that all life was supposed ta be? Best tracker in the 'Verse, can shoot a man at 500 yards with a bent scope, and what? This? Mebbe he deserved better, then mebbe he don't. Jayne shook his head. Anyways, thinkin' on this was pointless, there was a job to do.
"Captain Malcolm Reynolds, ship's the Serenity." Marco read from the pad.
Focusin' his mind on the present, he glared at Marco, who passed him the pad. Staring at the capture of the man he was to track, Jayne remarked "Nice brown coat." and downed his drink. "Let's go find 'im."
Tracking The Browncoat
This was provin' to be easier than usual. Man left tells like an elephant through the jungle on Earth-That-Was. Might as well have just made a hover sign saying "Here We Is – Loot Buried Here" or somesuch. Dumbass.
No, Browncoat.
Well, as things went bein' a Browncoat made you some sort a dumbass. Takin' on the Alliance! Jayne had wanted no part in the Unification War. Now the Alliance weren't no friend to Jayne, but Browncoats? Takin' up arms all noble like? No large cashy money at the end? Doin' it all for ideals? Ya can't et ideals. Still, this was yet another one a them thing's that was poppin' up in Jayne's head recently. Even the Independent's way a thinkin' weren't so crazy as it once seemed ta Jayne.
He shook his head again. Gotta focus, find the man.
And soon, very soon, he did.
Reynolds ship, the Serenity, no, just Serenity, no the, was parked out in the open, no attempt at camo, just sittin' there. All welcomin' like.
Jayne was not impressed. Clearly bein' a Browncoat don't make ya much of a smuggler or criminal mastermind. The whole thing screamed "amateur". Mayhaps just a petty thief who got lucky? This was startin' to smell. Usually Jayne couldn't a given a rats ass, but he was getting' one a them feelin's again.
"Jayne ya did it!" beamed Marco. "Now let's go get 'em."
The three men advanced towards Serenity, Jayne notin' it was a standard tactical formation. "Huh?' thought Jayne. What the ruttin hell is standard tactical formation?
Stoppin just shy of the ships' main ramp, the three men raised their guns as Captain Reynolds hisself, and what looked like to be his first mate, emerged from the shadows of the cargo bay.
"HANDS UP!" Marco yelled at the clearly surprised duo.
'Yep, amateurs" Jayne muttered.
Five Minutes Earlier
"Sir!" Zoe Washburne, 'till recently Zoe Alleyne, first mate and second in command of Serenity, called for her Captain's attention. Tall, and stoic, the dark skinned former soldier was striking.
Malcolm Reynolds looked down from the catwalk with amusement. Yep, I'm the Cap'n he thought, yet only Zoe calls me Sir. Don't get enough respect from the other two….
Mal fought, hard, during the Unification War. Sergeant Major of the 57th Overland Regiment, he was left in command of 3000 men and women – the remainder of the oversize Regiment – as officer after officer fell to the guns of the Alliance soldiers during the brutal Battle of Serenity Valley. Hera may be along way away from Beylix, but Serenity herself was a reminder to Mal of all that had been lost there, not least his previously strong Christian faith.
"How we doin' Zo?" he asked. Zoe had been with him at Serenity Valley, it made for a powerful bond.
"Loot's been stashed Sir, once we get the mule aboard and stowed we can break atmo."
"Good, and once we do break amto I'll WAVE that feh feh pi goh Badger that we're on our way. WASH?" Mal called to his pilot, Hoban Washburne.
Mal shook his head. The little red headed man had stole the heart of his second – he still wasn't sure how it happened. Hell, it wasn't even sure that Zoe had had a heart to be stole. "And I got a rule about romancin' on my boat." he muttered.
Said little red haired man, recently sans moustache – that had been part a the reason Zoe had agreed to marry the pilot – popped his head outta the cockpit.
"Yeah Mal?"
"Preflight the bird we's liftin' off shortly. Me and Zoe will secure the mule and then we head for Persephone, dong ma?"
"Sure Mal." he confirmed as he disappeared back into the cockpit. Wash had been a pilot for the Browncoats in the War, and been captured as a POW and held by the Alliance for a long spell. It didn't break the man, quick with a witty remark or a practical joke, it was his humor that had won Zoe over in the end.
Before flicking the three switches that would start Serenity in preparation for lift off he commed the engine room.
"Little Kaylee, engine good to go?"
Kaywinnet Lee Frye, Kaylee for short, was cute as a button. Full a sunshine, she was the heart of Serenity. As well a bein' cute, she was also a gorram genius at keepin' old Serenity flyin'. And Serenity was old. As a Type 3 Firefly she was built by Allied Spacecraft in 2459. The mid bulk transport was 56 years young, and mostly looked it. How Kaylee managed to do it no one rightly knew. "She talks to me." was often what young Kaylee said.
Smilin', as she often did, she gave Wash the good news. "Yeah Wash, my good girl's rarin' to go. Ready whenever you are!"
Wash cracked a smile as well. It was hard not to. Kaylee's attitude was infectious, most times.
"Thanks little Kaylee!" he flipped the comm off and waited for the signal from Mal to lift off.
Meanwhile, Mal had come down from the catwalk and joined Zoe in the cargo bay.
"Mule?" he raised an eyebrow at Zoe as he questioned her.
"Yes sir, mule.' she deadpanned back.
"Well, let's go get it and we can get off this gorram rock!"
They walked, together, out of the cargo bay and onto Serenity's loading ramp, expectin' to see the mule.
Which they did, but they also walked right into the guns of three ornery lookin' gentlemen.
"HANDS UP!" the little one in the middle yelled.
They did as they were told, they had no real choice, at least not right now.
So the little one's the leader thought Mal, time to see what the gorram hell's goin' on.
Addressin' the "leader" with the double barreled shotgun, "What can we help you fine gentlemen with today?" he asked.
"You gots something that don't belong to ya. The rightful owner wants ita back. It can go one a two ways – give us whata we want, ya'll live. Other way's nota so pretty for ya. No, wherea the hell is the stuff you dona stole from Whisper Pan Lo? Or do we hava to shot ya or the pretty lady next to ya?"
"Now I thought we was gonna be reasonable about this?" Mal asked Marco.
"Reason?" Marco sneered. "He's gonna talk to us about reason now."
"Now, that's a joke" Jayne supplied one of his usual answers without thinkin', but seein' the Browncoat up close made him feel uncomfortable. Somethin' ain't right he thought, this deal's startin' to smell more and more.
Not happy at bein' caught with his pants down, Mal turned slightly to Zoe and asked "Which one you figure tracked us?"
"The ugly one Sir." Zoe was not one to mince words.
"Could you be more specific?"
"Do we look reasonable to you?" Marco interrupted Mal, who shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, looks can be deceivin'.."
"Not as deceivin' as a low down…. dirty…deceiver." Jayne replied. That's a feng le thing to say he thought to himself. This Browncoat's got me all turned around.
At least Marco thought it was funny, a chuckle escapin' his mouth.
"Well said." Mal replied, nodding to Jayne. "Wasn't that well said Zoe?"
"Had a kinda poetry to it Sir."
"You want I should shoot 'em now Marco?" Jayne asked, as he was expected too. All part of the intimidation process.
"Wait 'til they tell us where they put the stuff." Marco replied.
"That's a good idea." Jayne said as he stared down the two Browncoats, still feelin' something wasn't quite right. I ain't got a good feelin' about this – this is wrong. He didn't usually, well ever, have a conscious – until recent. "Good idea, tell us where the stuff is so I can shoot ya!" It sounded ridiculous, and Jayne knew it.
Mal put his hand up straight. "Point of interest? Offerin' to shoot us might not work so well as an incentive as ya might imagine…..anyway, we've hidden it. So, ya kill us, you'll never find it…."
Time to get things movin' Jayne thought. "Found ya easy enough." he told Mal.
"Yeah, ya did, didn't you?" Mal replied. He'd seen somethin' in Jayne's eyes, maybe things ain't what they seem. "How much they payin' you?' he asked Jayne.
Jayne thought he knew exactly what was goin' on. Time to look all confused like. "Huh?"
"I mean," Mal continued, "let's say ya did kill us. Or didn't" he shrugged. "There could be torture, whatever. But somehow, ya found the goods. What would your cut be?"
So the hagglin' commences Jayne smiled inwardly. "Seven percent, straight off the top."
"Seven?" Mal looked surprised. "Huh." he said as he turned his head away from Jayne.
"What?" Jayne asked.
"Hmm? Nothin'. Not a thing, no…I just …does that seem low to you?" he asked Zoe.
Zoe also knew what was goin' on. "It does Sir."
"That ain't low!" stated Jayne.
Marco too, had finally caught up to what was goin' on. "STOP IT!"
"Seven percent's standard." Jayne made it known he was lookin' for a mite more than that.
"OK!" Mal laughed. "Zoe, I'm payin' ya too much!"
Time to see what the Bowncoat's offer is thought Jayne "Why, what does she get?"
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Marco was getting' antsy.
"Look, forget I said anything." was Mal's reply. "I'm sure you're treated very well," Mal continued, "ya get the perks, got ya own room…" Jayne's face fell. "No? You share a bunk? " Mal asked, feigning surprise.
Jayne was silent for a moment than looked at the yī dà tuó dà biàn Darren Stewart. "With that one…."
Mal was disgusted. "Really" he said as he looked down at the ground, a smile formin' on his mouth.
Marco turned to Jayne. "JAYNE! This ain't funny."
"Yeah, I ain't laughin'" was Jayne's only reply.
I've got 'im Mal thought. "Ya move on over to this side, we'll not only show you where the stuff's at, but we'll see to it that you'll get your fair share. Not no sad seven….."
"Private room?" Jayne asked.
"JAYNE!" Marco tried again, but Jayne clearly wasn't listenin'.
"Your own room, full run a the kitchen….the whole shot."
So that's the deal thought Jayne. Much better than what I got, but more than that. Somethin' about this man, this Malcolm Reynolds. Somethin' flared, a little, in Jayne. It was hope. Sure, his own room, more pay and food would be great, but the way this man was handlin' himself..why, most woulda pissed their pants by now. The man had somethin' about him, and Jayne aimed to find out what it was.
Marco had had enough. "JAYNE! I ain't askin'…." he began, but he never got to finish.
A loud BANG echoed through the small valley as Jayne shot Marco in the leg. "Shut up." He told the howlin' man who had fallen to the ground clutchin' his leg. He pointed Boo at Stewart and asked Mal "How big a room?"
The relief on Mal's face was palpable. Zoe was, well, stoic as ever.
That Evening Jayne's New Bunk
Jayne looked around his new bunk – his bunk. Don't matter that it was a mite small, it was his and his alone.
The day had turned out well, if he don't say so his ownself. New bunk, increase in pay, full run a the kitchen…..Jayne's musin's turned to the crew of his new ship, Serenity.
His new crewmates were wary, and that was proper accordin' to Jayne. Got to take him seriously, he's a mean hun dan and they best be rememberin' it!
Kaylee, the mechanic, now there was a fine young woman if Jayne ever saw one. Still, too much cheeriness and sunshine for his likin'. Reminds him of his mei mei….Jayne shook his head, that was only a vague memory, surely kin should give him stronger memories?
Wash. The little man was irritating from the get go, Jayne wanted to pound on him some for bein' such a gorram smartass, but he found out that Wash was Zoe's man. No, don't make much sense, but it is what it is. Zoe herself was a good lookin' woman in addition to bein' First Mate, not his type though. Far too serious. No guess who wore the pants in that pair.
That left the Captain. Malcolm Reynolds. Bowncoat. Jayne didn't fight in the Unification War. Just didn't seem either side was his. Whatever. Jayne was pretty sure he'd made the right choice here though, and when his new Captain had taken Jayne to gather his belongin's from the Monaro, he'd also taken Marco and Darren with them and dropped them off. Despite what they'd done. Jayne was definite sure when that happened that he'd made the right decision, took a special man to do that to his recent enemies. Mercy was in short supply in The Rim, and that had begun to bother Jayne a powerful lot lately, amongst a lot a other things a course.
Seems like a decent bunch a folk, all told. And decency, like mercy, was somethin' that had been in short supply in his life for a long time. Hope flared again – he knew, especially lately, that he'd been on the wrong path. Mebbe, just mebbe, he'd find whatever it was he was lookin' for here.
Mebbe his life would be better from now on.
February 2515, Tam Estate, Osiris, The Core
Fourteen year old River Tam was excited. The petite girl with the long brown hair and big eyes was about to head off on an adventure, one she had dreamed of, well, forever.
The Academy. The Academy. Just saying the name of her new educational institution brought a smile to her face. Government sponsored, with a wonderfully exciting program – most challenging!
"And I will still get to dance." she smiled to herself.
And a challenge was something that River yearned for. All her life it had been too easy. Everything. Most tasks came as easy to her as breathing.
Her parents, Gabriel and Regan, could not understand her. Unlike her brother, Simon, perfect Simon. He was the epitome of how a Tam should be. Intelligent, handsome, courteous to a fault, a perfect fit for the high society circles in which the Tam Family moved. She didn't fit at all, always questioning, always pushing the boundaries… "why can't you be more like your brother…" she had been told, often. River was sure her parents loved her, they just didn't know how to handle her. Now Simon, that was a different story.
Perhaps she should feel some sort of resentment towards him. But he was her ge ge, and she adored him. The one thing she would truly miss while she was gone.
River's thoughts were interrupted by a frustrated yell.
"RIVER, YOU BRAT!" Simon was not amused.
River, however, was. Her smile only grew larger as he stormed out of the front door of the house, where River was waiting for the car to be brought around. She was to depart for The Academy post haste.
"Simon! Ge ge! I thought you'd like something to remember me by whilst I'm gone." She hugged her brother, but not too closely – as he was currently covered in maple syrup.
Simon, for his part, couldn't stay mad for long. The brilliant and soon to be fully qualified trauma surgeon adored his mei mei as much as she adored him.
"You ARE a brat, mei mei. And I wouldn't have it any other way. " He went to hug her more fiercely this time, but she was on to his game, and easily slipped from his grip, before she too could be covered in syrup.
"Now ge ge, surely you don't want to be the cause of me making a bad first impression on the Faculty of The Academy? Scandalous!" She laughed lightly, a melodic sound that only enhanced her pixie like image.
"No mei mei, I know you will make a wonderful first impression. How could you not?"
She smiled at his earnest conviction, he believed in her in ways that her parents could not.
The siblings conversation was interrupted as the Tam's fine Town Car drew to a halt next to River. The chauffer packed River's luggage into the trunk as the siblings said their last goodbyes, for now.
"I will write you every day ge ge." She beamed a smile at her brother, as her eyes began to mist.
Simon pushed a strand of her hair behind her hair and kissed her on the end of her nose. "I will miss you so very much mei mei."
"And I you Simon." She leaned over and kissed her brother on the cheek. "I love you Simon."
"And I love you River." Simon's eyes were also misting.
One more quick hug and then she was gone, on to her great adventure.
"Onwards to The Academy!" She thought. Giddy with excitement, she leant back into the plush seats of the Town Car and thought how much more wonderful her life would be from now on.
Chinese:
piao liang de xiao jie Pretty lady
chwen joo Dumbass
shee niao hun dan Pee washed jerk
joo fuen chse Pool of pig droppings
go neong yung duh SOB
swai handsome
luh suh crappy
feh feh pi goh Baboon's butt crack
dong ma?" Understand?
mei mei Little sister
ge ge Big brother
yī dà tuó dà biàn A big pile of crap