Chapter 8
When they reached the rendezvous point, located on Asperz, a dry and desolate planet, Mal had a feeling the plan wasn't going to go smoothly. He had tested Velia and Ethan on their reflexes and strength and they along with River were to wait for his signal in case he, Jayne, and Zoë needed backup. Simon was worried about his wife going into combat, so he followed them.
Mal was right about the plan not going smooth; the group of five men had about a hundred guns for the ambush. Mal signaled his backup crew and when they arrived, the boss laughed for 5 minutes before saying, "Two girls and a boy? That's your backup team? I'm so going to enjoy this!"
"They might seem weak but they will surprise you." Mal defended, cockily.
"Let get this over with." Said the boss, and within a minute, everyone was fighting. River and Velia dodging bullets and attacking more than five at a time, Ethan was shooting men on horses and attacking those coming too close to the girls, Mal was dealing with three men, Zoë was killing men left and right, and Jayne was laughing giddily as he threw grenades and fired Vera. Simon was watching and upon instinct ran towards the fight, his heart pumping from adrenaline. Simon grabbed a man that was aiming for River and punched, knocking him out.
"Simon? What are you doing here?" River asked her husband.
"What does it look like? Helping you fight." responded Simon.
"Simon get your gorram pìgu back on the ship! You're going to get hurt!" River screamed at him.
"Not without you." He responded. Simon didn't see the man charging behind him, River stopped and rushed to intercept the man. She knocked him out with a swift kick but eight men surrounded her and immobilized her in their grasps. Zoë ran to help her but got grabbed as well. The boss grabbed Velia, and placed a gun on her head and walked on high ground, grabbing everyone's attention and hushing them.
"Now, then," the boss spoke, "I will give you the medicine in exchange for the money and the girls."
"No rutting way!" raged Jayne.
"No deal." said Mal.
"I wasn't asking I was telling." said the boss and started to turn with Velia still in his grasp and River and Zoë taken captive by the other men.
"River!" Simon called as he ran trying to stop them but was stopped himself by Ethan grabbing him by the collar. Ethan started to drag the squirming Simon away from there, away from the girls.
"Simon, you have to get it together." Ethan scolded at the struggling doctor.
"They're taken, we can't just walk away!" Simon raged.
"We won't, you will!" countered the Captain, "Thanks to you, we lost three men; I ain't going to lose anyone else. Now you're going to get your Pìgu back on the ship, 'fore I drag you back and lock you in the hold!"
"Captain…" Simon tried.
"Go now!" Mal interrupted.
Simon started his long walk towards the ship, fuming, but not disobeying. After all, it was his entire fault. Why didn't I listen to River?, he thought, I hope the Captain gets them back safely after my disaster of a plan. When he entered the ship, Kaylee, Inara, and Wash were all wondering what happened. He forced himself to apologize before telling them.
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River, Zoë and Velia were locked in a room together, it was small and gray, and the chains were biting into their wrists and ankles. The smell of blood from the past torturing was driving Velia frantic with hunger.
"What are we going to do now?" asked Zoë.
"Watch the curtains unveil and the play commence!" squealed River, completely unfazed about the turn of events and the raging Reaver trying to break free from the petite body that was Velia.
"River are you sure?" asked Zoë. River nodded and they both turned their attention to Velia. Velia looked at them, a tear ran unchecked, and she let the monster free. In seconds, she felt her senses increase in magnitude, and didn't feel any pain as she picked at the bondages and ripped them off. She walked towards Zoë and River but stopped when the doors opened and ten men in armor entered and approached her. She tried to fight them, but they were too strong and they managed to dope her and chain her more tightly.
"Well that plan failed." Commented Zoë, as the door shut closed. She looked at River, who seemed to be examining a very interesting point of the ceiling. When she looked at Velia, she saw her close her eyes and whisper something into the air.
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"They're smart, strong, well armed, and prepared." said Mal to Jayne and Ethan, "We have to get them out. Anyone got any ideas as to how?"
They looked at each other, and then back at the Captain.
"Alright then," said Malcolm, "we blend in, find them, and bust them out, quick and painless."
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When Velia started to recover from the effects of the drugs, River was almost completely free from the chains. Velia looked at River and could only manage a small, "How?"
River looked down and when Velia followed her eyes, she saw an unconscious man on the floor. Velia looked back at River and saw that the man had slapped River. River unlocked her chains, walks over to Zoë, frees her, and then proceeded to free Velia. Zoë stood on top of Velia's locked hands as Zoë broke the metal covering an air shaft. Zoë came down, locked her hands with Velia and they helped River up, Zoë was next. Zoë stretched her hands at Velia, and grabbed Velia's hands when she leaped up at her.
Once they were all up in the vents, they followed River as she led her way to the exit. River stopped when she heard Mal's voice. She crawled closer and broke through the bottom to land in front of Mal, Jayne and Ethan. Zoë and Velia followed as well and soon the whole group was safe on Serenity.