She'll Fly True
Chapter 1

From the nearby rooftops Eavesdown Docks was an impressive sight – a steady mass of people making honest and dishonest livings in equal measure. The petty thieves mingled with the honest man with practised ease. Two hooded figures stooped low amongst the shadows, their faces entirely obscured. They were watching as a certain ship – one that meant a great deal to their superiors – descended smoothly into the docks. The larger of the two figures finally spoke, "The Order appreciates a member of your … distinction agreeing to take on this task."

"It only seemed right, given my predecessor."

"He was one of our best … you read the files we sent to you?"

"Of course, no sense goin' in blind."

"And you've been made aware that we expect you to continue on as normal with your work?"

There was a tired sigh, and a short pause before the smaller figure nodded and stepped off the edge of the roof, falling seamlessly into the shadows below.

Kaylee sat proudly outside Serenity, hollering at all the passers-by that looked like they had somewhere else they needed to be. Seeing someone dither, she turned. There was a woman about Inara's age looked to place a hand on Serenity. "She's a beauty, ain't she?"

The woman straightened slightly and smiled. Kaylee found she very much liked the woman's eyes – deep grey and highly alert, like there was a storm brewing behind them. "Gotta say, I've never been a big fan of Firefly Class, but she's lookin' sound. Must have one hell of a mechanic on board."

"You think so?" Kaylee beamed.

The woman gave a firm nod. "I could make one of the newer models look good. This takes skill! I'd rather fly with a ship that I know has a good mechanic from the get-go, 'stead of finding out they don't know jack when we're in the air."

"That's awful sweet o' you to say." Remembering her manners then, Kaylee popped her hand out. "I'm Kaylee, and this is Serenity," she said, inclining her head towards the ship.

Putting her bag down gently, the woman shook Kaylee's hand. "Sarah, pleasure to meet you … where's she headed next?"

"Can't say right now, but I'm sure we can get you somewhere nearer to where you need to- Oh! Hey Captain!"

Mal frowned at Kaylee as he and Zoe approached, Jayne trailed behind them. They had just heard of some work, but they needed to move quick. "Kaylee, thought I told you to stay inside the ship."

The mechanic's smile fell. Since their discovery about the Pax, Mal had been more interested than ever in maintaining a low profile. Kaylee wasn't even meant to scout for customers anymore. Not unless she was accompanied by someone with a greater proclivity for shooting people in the head. "But, Captain, we got a customer right here! This is Sarah."

Smiling still, Sarah turned to face Mal properly and offered him her hand. "Pleased to meet you Captain …"

"Reynolds." Mal was used to getting the measure of a person on the spot, and there was something not quite right about this person. This Sarah was dressed nicely, but not too fancy-like. So, she had some money. But her hands were covered in callouses, and her thin coat couldn't disguise the muscle in her arms – whoever this woman was, she was used to hard labour. Her face was more interesting to Mal. She was all freckled cheeks, with skin touched by plenty of sunshine. Her nose was crooked from a recent bad break. One of her canines – revealed whenever a smile pulled taut the full lips – was noticeably chipped. No chubbiness softened her features, and when she frowned she looked severe. "So, where you lookin' to go on my ship?"

"Hopin' I could just come along for the ride most places," she told him earnestly. "I'm a researcher for the company that makes the terraforming equipment and we're due a big review. They'll pay my way for food and a bunk and whatnot. We need to collect samples from as many planets as we can."

"I see," he sounded. Mal supposed if she was digging all day that'd explain a few things. "And if you don't mind me askin', what happened here…?" he trailed off and tapped his own nose. When Kaylee whined at his rudeness, he rounded on her. "Back on the ship Kaylee," the tone of his voice told the mechanic not to argue. With Kaylee gone, the remaining three crew-members looked to Sarah expectantly.

"Not too ladylike, I know … Unification Day's not my finest. Drowned my sorrows and thought I was big as your man there." She motioned towards Jayne, and her lips quirked as he puffed out his chest slightly. "Managed to get a lick or two in though." Mal and Zoe exchanged a small but wary glance. "Y'all are Browncoats, right?" she sounded hopeful.

Mal gave a firm nod. "You seem a mite young to have seen the war …"

"I was a mite young to be in 'em," she said with a shrug, "but what the Alliance was doin' was wrong. I grew up close to the edge, so the war was comin' my way whether I wanted it to or not."

That was when Mal saw it, Zoe too. Her eyes had softened for a second. The Captain may still have had his misgivings but – if nothing else – she had fought in that war, and on their side. Zoe spoke next, she had caught something that neither of the others could. "Saw your first blood in that war?"

Slightly alarmed, Sarah looked straight down and nodded. Obviously, she knew when she'd been caught out. "Still feels like murder, even when they're tellin' you it's mercy, y'know?"

Of course they knew. At least, Mal and Zoe knew, and Jayne could imagine. Killing a man that was trying to kill you, that was survival. But mercy-kills were the things that haunted you. Once you'd looked a friend and ally in the eye and shot him dead there was no rationalisation, just the memory of the light leaving their eyes.

A few more moments passed before Jayne finally lost his patience. "She comin' on board or not?"

Mal turned to Sarah. "You need to leave quick?"

"In the next week or so…"

Then he looked to Zoe and inclined his head towards Serenity. "We'll talk it over. You around these parts much?"

"I can be. You gonna have an answer for me soon Captain?"

Once more Mal looked to Zoe, prompting his first-mate to respond, "We'll let you know tomorrow."

Sarah had been prompt in turning up at Eavesdown Docks the following morning. Mal knew she'd arrived a good hour before he'd "found" her, but decided to watch her anyway. He followed her through the Docks, conducting his own errands as he went along. As far as he could tell she was personable, seemed to get along with everyone alright. He heard her asking around at the other ships, and her story was always the same one that she had given to him.

He was still uneasy though.

Things had been difficult since the Pax secret had been uncovered. Mal suspected that the Operative had been behind their relative peace thus far, pulling strings without ever being caught, but Mal still worried about the dangers that might befall them.

Before, they'd been low-level criminals – smugglers and thugs. Now, he didn't know what they were, but he thought they'd suddenly become worth a lot more to some high-ranking official out there. And how exactly was he meant to keep his crew safe, and his ship flying if he didn't know how much danger they were in?

Neither he nor Zoe doubted that Sarah was a Browncoat, and it endeared her to them somewhat. But they'd known plenty of Browncoats to switch to the Alliance after the defeat. And it was only useful having someone else on the ship who could shoot and fight if it wasn't going to be his crew that she was aiming at.

Sarah started meandering towards Serenity and Mal started to shorten the distance between them – it was about time he accidentally bumped into her after all. In the end, it had been Simon who'd come up with the best solution to their problem – have Sarah meet River. They'd been hiding her away at the controls for so long, maybe it was time they put their Reader to use.

"Mornin' Captain," chimed a cheery voice.

Mal jumped slightly, he was maybe less stealthy than he'd realised because Sarah had apparently known he was coming. "Mornin'," he responded cautiously.

"So… what's the verdict?"

"There's someone we need you to meet first."

"That so?"

"Our pilot's the eccentric sort, if someone's story don't fly with her, then they don't fly with us."

Sarah's brow furrowed. "I see… hope she likes me then I guess."

As they walked, Mal found that his unease about Sarah just wouldn't subside. But the feeling in his gut, for once, just didn't match up with what he was seeing in front of him. When he let himself focus on the conversation, he found Sarah to be just his sort of person – a still-loyal Browncoat, hard-working, no-nonsense. By the time, they reached Serenity he wondered if his gut instinct was off just this once. Maybe the paranoia after Miranda had gotten to him and made him just a bit too wary. If they'd met before Miranda, Mal decided, they'd have already welcomed Sarah on-board. As it stood, they'd have to let River make that decision for them.

Automatically, Mal led Sarah through to the dining table and he was unsurprised to find that the entire crew was there waiting for them. "I told them they shouldn't all be here," he told Sarah quietly, "but I guess a new passenger was just too exciting."

"Hey Sarah," Kaylee greeted her with a small wave and a big smile.

"Mornin' Kaylee," Sarah said with a smile, before nodding politely to greet Zoe and Jayne. Her attention turned to Inara momentarily, but she didn't seem the least bit surprised to find a companion aboard a Firefly vessel.

Without any hesitation, Inara stepped forward to welcome Sarah, all smiles and perfumed graces. She placed both of her hands around one of Sarah's own. "We haven't met, I'm Inara."

"Sarah," she replied, before placing her free hand over Inara's. "Which school did you attend?"

"House Madrassa on-"

"Sihnon, one of the best by my understanding."

"Yes," Inara cocked her head to the side as she realised Sarah's hands. "You're familiar with the Companion's Guild?"

"I worked on the terraforming equipment on Sihnon for work for a while a couple of years back," Sarah explained with a shrug, "you don't work on Sihnon without learning about the Companion Houses."

Jayne chuckled from the side, "I'll bet you don't."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I could save up for a decade straight and I still wouldn't be able to afford a Companion. My work might take me all over the Verse, but it don't pay well." Apparently slightly restless, Sarah turned to Mal. "So, I'm meeting your pilot?"

"This is our medic," he paused so that Simon could introduce himself, "and our pilot." He motioned towards one of the women sat at the table.

Simon gripped his sister's shoulders slightly tighter. "River, say hello," he told her.

River said nothing, simply watched as Sarah tilted her head to the side. "Don't talk much, huh?" said Sarah, eventually. "S'pose it don't matter much so long as you can fly." River looked up at Sarah, but still said nothing. Simon could feel the tension in his sister's shoulders. Sarah crouched to meet River's eye. "I met someone like you once, he didn't like to talk much, only liked people he knew. He'd seen some bad things, done some worse. You got the look o' someone who knows how evil people can be."

"You know too." River looked Sarah straight in the eye, observing the small scars and the broken nose. "Your mind is… very quiet," she finally said.

After a beat of silence, Sarah laughed so suddenly that everyone jumped. "I can't even tell whether or not I've just been called simple, but I guess that answers that right there!"

Mal glanced at Simon, who shrugged. His sister seemed content enough with Sarah. Finally, Mal looked to Zoe. She had the most to lose should the wrong decision be made, so they had decided that she would have final say. Almost imperceptibly, she nodded.

So, it was that simple, Sarah would be joining them