Water Under The Bridge 9
Xander and River pushed everyone out of the cockpit while Julie started rechecking the systems. "It's going to be a bumpy ride," she warned as she hit the button to detach the expanded fuel tanks.
"What are you doing?" Mal asked.
"Leaving the extra tanks in orbit," Julie replied. "We don't need the extra weight and surface area when we fly down into the storm."
"Storm?" Kyle asked.
"Huge sandstorms regularly roll across the plains," Julie told them. "No way to predict the pattern accurately so we'll just have to go in assuming we're going to hit a storm and take off when we get clear weather after we do what we came to do."
"Strap in," Xander agreed cheerfully.
"And no one thought to consult with me before doing anything?" Mal asked with a frown.
The three people in the cockpit stopped what they were doing.
"What should be do, Captain?" Julie asked.
"Same thing you are doing," Mal admitted. "I just wanted to feel like I had a say."
River rolled her eyes. "We're doing what we think you'll tell us to do. We're trying to follow your commands before you make them."
"Except banging River," Xander added.
"I'm the captain of my soul," River agreed giving Xander a quick peck on the lips.
Mal nodded, deciding he was just being silly and really not wanting to hear any details about River's sex life. "You heard 'em everyone, let's get into landing positions."
"Aye, aye, captain!" Most of the crew chorused, amused at the byplay as everyone scattered.
Mal, Willow and Dawn took up stations in the galley while most everyone else went to their bunks to strap in.
Mal flipped on the intercom. "You guys aren't going to be having sex while we're landing, are you?"
"After," River assured him. "Xander has promised us a good ride after we land."
"Oh goody!" Julie said cheerfully. "I'll try and get us down quickly then."
"Strap in tight," Mal ordered over the intercom to the crew. He flipped the intercom off and started strapping himself down firmly.
"Probably a good idea," Dawn agreed following his example.
The flight down turned out to be just as rough as they expected, but they made it down in one piece... though Kaylee's cursing could be heard throughout the ship without the need for the intercom.
"Good news everyone," Mal announced over the intercom, "We're down and we're alive, though as you can hear from our chief engineer, we'll probably be here for at least one—" There was a loud banging sound as the lights flickered and Kaylee hammered on something with a wrench until they settled down. "Two days," Mal finished.
Willow bit her lip and moaned, her face flushing making Dawn growl jealously.
"Avoid the cockpit, check," Mal said recalling what caused Willow to behave that way last time. "I think I'll go check on Inara."
"I'll go help Kaylee," Dawn said as Willow ordered her back and moaned.
*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*
"I've stabilized the storm around the factory," Willow said as they all gathered in the cargo bay.
"Ampata," Xander suddenly said in a serious tone.
"Miranda," River added when only the Sunnydale residents seem to get what he meant.
"We're going to have to bury a lot of dead bodies," Mal said with a sigh. "But that's for later. For now, just try and be respectful."
"Why does everyone look at me when you say stuff like that?" Jayne demanded.
"The puppet show," Simon pointed out.
"That was a great puppet show," Jayne defended himself.
"To be fair it was surprisingly good," Mal admitted.
"Thank you," Jayne said. "I made sure they all got some good times and no one was unfairly singled out."
"No puppet show this time," Mal said.
"Fine," Jayne said. "Uncultured boors," he muttered, hoping he'd used it right and from the look on Inara's face he figured he had.
"OK, here we go," Mal said as he hit the button to lower the cargo ramp.
IT was a murky twilight outside, the sunlight being filtered through the miles high clouds of sand that swirled around the plant, held at bay by a single person's will.
"Shun-SHENG duh gao-WAHN," Mal said in awe.
The plant gleamed, the sand having scoured off all the paint and burnished any exposed metal to a bright shine while turning any clear glass into opaque material that seemed to absorb and refract the light.
"Someone get a shot of this," Inara ordered. "The first sight of our new home."
"Port" Kaylee said with unexpected steel in her voice. "If she don't fly, she ain't home."
"New home port," Mal said. "Some place we always have a berth. A place Serenity can call home."
River and Xander winced and held each other as everyone's minds seemed to resonate with the Captain's words and reality snapped into sharp focus.
"Who wants to learn the sand castle spell?" Willow asked once the moment had passed.
"Sand Castle spell?" Simon asked.
"It's a very simple spell I made to move sand," Willow explained. "Normally I'd call it a cantrip but with a little effort you can move a surprising amount of sand. I'll implant the right thought pattern in your head so you can use it without taking hours to learn. This is mostly so we can build up your magical muscles a bit."
"It would make things a lot easier," Kaylee agreed excited at the idea of learning magic and an easy way to get sand out of delicate equipment.
"Teach me!" Julie squealed excitedly.
Just as Willow had said, everyone learned the spell very easily, though not all of them used it in the same way.
Inara and Mal each took turns waving hand like they were herding school children, sand flowing like waves of water in front of them.
Simon and Kaylee meanwhile created little spheres of sand and rolling gears respectively, that moved as they willed.
Julie tried to copy them but found that she could only move a small amount, but with a great amount of force, much like a sandblaster.
Jayne squinted and made a face.
"What are you doing?" Willow asked, not sure she wanted to know.
"You put the magic words in my head so all I have to do is concentrate and summon up my energies," Jayne said letting out a grunt and making a slightly obscene looking gesture with his hand.
Several small squirrels formed out of sand, fleeing before a medium sized hound dog that chased them as they vanished into the distance.
"Sand squirrels and a hound dog?" Faith asked looking impressed. "Teach me how to do that," she ordered him.
"He's good," Dawn noted.
Xander gestured and several warriors made of sand, carrying weapons, formed and gave a nod or a small wave before they strode off, following Jayne's creations into the storm.
"He's better," Willow said watching images of old friends brought to life.
"Stand her up," River said as the falling sand level around serenity revealed a mummified corpse.
Xander dutifully stood the remains up, holding it in place as River examined it. "She saw a flash and then faded into the dark."
River concentrated for nearly a minute before her hand shot out and she let her will loose on the sand surrounding them. Countless grains of sand from all around the landing zone swooped into place fitting perfectly with each other as they flowed over the skeleton until a statue of frosted glass stood before them and not a one doubted it looked exactly like the departed soul had looked when she was alive.
"Now, she is great," Willow said impressed.
"My hands are stuck," Xander noted, his hands completely encased in the statues crystal flesh from where he'd held it up.
"Oops," River muttered with a blush.
Typing by: Stephenopolos