Legalities : Not my characters. I ain’t that good. Although the concepts are original musings of mine as I think what might happen after the events of the Series Finale/Major Motion Picture “Serenity” Warning Some m/m and f/f smexin' In a word, slashariffic! Disclaimer : MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE TELEVISION SHOW FIREFLY AND THE MOTION PICTURE SERENITY

A Note About Language: It’s been 500 years so some of the language I’ve adapted. For instance, in this chapter, the word “Russian” has been changed to “rushin” because now it’s a descriptor that has been divorced from its place of origin. Russia has no real meaning to most folks on the outer rim even if the core worlds teach about Earth-That-Was in detail. Also I might be making some shit up too. Loved Joss’s language going to try and keep that up but embellish it a bit. … Don’t’ trip if you see some Dark Tower’isms make their way into this fic as well. *cries over Firefly not getting it’s proper 7 seasons.* Okay, I’m better now. .. … … On to the narrative!

To most folks in the backwaters of the ‘verse, Serenity was still just a valley soaked scarlet with the foolish notion of independence and the crew of the ship that bore its name was just another scavenger vessel filled with no-accounts scraping by on the Alliances pot leavings just like everybody else on the rim. They had no way of knowing that, a scant 5 months prior, Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his crew were responsible for toppling the regime which had ruled over humanity and had up until its final death throws clung to power with a tattered, tenuous grip.

Most folks regarded Malcolm and his crew with the surly eyes and the dismissive glances that were indigenous to the badlands. Most. Not all. There were functionaries and higher echelon Alliance persons who had lost everything due to Serenity’s meddling and some of them knew the name Malcolm Reynolds well. They swore against it into the starry night. They impotently begged the cosmos to exact some vengeance for his stepping beyond his station thus sending them to some horrid correctional facility or into poverty and hiding. Five months prior, Malcolm Reynolds and the crew of Serenity informed the populace that The Alliance – the government which had fought a war and won for the responsibility of uniting and ruling humanity far from their home star - had quite, literally created the most heinous horde of monsters to ever exist. Had created them and allowed them to descend on and feast upon the flesh of the Outer Rim inhabitants all the while upholding the fallacy that the threat did not exist, that it was a fairy tale spread by an ignorant and backward people. The Alliance had made these beasts from men, had made them from their own colonists on a slag of forgotten terra named Miranda.

These crimes were unforgivable. Once-loyal Central Planet inhabitants rebelled; using protests, espionage, power consolidation, and indictments, to pass the ruling party from its seat of absolute domination. In the months that came just after Malcolm Reynolds broadcasted the origin story of the Reavers, many of the Outer Rim inhabitants formed themselves into makeshift militias. Lead by former Independent Army leaders, outlaws, and lawmen; they road on the Central Planets demanding someone, anyone, everyone pay. Some of them became major players in the call for reform and reparations; others became disillusioned and dangerous pirates feeding off of the very populace which they claimed to represent.

The Alliance still stood. Even in this disjointed form, even if the faces of the big muckety mucks running Parliament had changed and the Parliament itself had been moved from Sihnon to Persephone, there was still a class of people with money that held a vast majority of the power …. But things were changing. Wasn’t always clear to see if the changes were of the good or not but the worlds were moving on, say true.

All this didn’t amount to much though as far as Serenity was concerned. They were still flying. That’s all that mattered

Serenity. Firefly Class Transport: Shipboard Time: 14:35

Kaylee showed all of the travelers where to stow their things in the cargo bay. Ennis and Jack’s fellow passengers consisted of an older Chinese man and a young newlywed couple judging by their matching rings and the "Just” written in Chinese on the back of her jacket and the Married" written across the back of his. As the motley crew mounted the stairs, Jack gave the newlyweds one of his winning smiles. They returned it and the girl let out a little squeal which Jack interpreted as “Here we go!” Jack looked back over his shoulder at Ennis, and Ennis having seen Jack make friends immediately had to half smile despite the anxiety he was feeling. That’s my Jack. The thought still frightened him but it didn’t’ negate the fact that it was pure gospel truth. Jack was his. He was Jack’s.

Ennis took in the lay of the place. Reminded him of the big munitions factory that was erected during the war in Victory, the next settlement over from Signal. Many of the ranchers who were having bad years in Signal traveled the two hours it took to get to Victory to work in the Alliance’s factory. It closed down because Independents and their sympathizers kept sabotaging the works and it got too pricey to maintain the thing. Ennis didn’t know much from Independents and Alliance, alls he knew was he was out of a job that was paying more than drifting from ranch to ranch ever had. Knew it was petty but he was secretly pleased that the Independents had lost the war. Served ‘em right for shutting down a source of honest work on their little shitty moon. ‘Course the Alliance won’t no good either but Ennis felt like the Independents wouldn’t have faired any better at running things if they had won. The devil you know and all that.

Ennis was not sure what he expected the “mess hall” to be but he was certain that this wasn’t it. It was downright cozy-warm, almost like a place back home, just bigger. It was clear that much more than dining went on in this space. It looked lived in. There were no unclean dishes or anything but there were some tools laid out neatly on the small table across the room and some papers and assorted other objects were piled on the main kitchen table. Ennis noticed on the refrigerator was a neatly colored drawing of some little egg shaped rushin nesting dolls like the ones his momma kept on her window sill. Ennis choked on a sob but with all the shuffling activity of getting situated in this new space no one but Jack heard him. Jack followed his gaze over to the refrigerator and understood immediately. He placed a firm hand on Ennis’s shoulder and squeezed. Ennis enjoyed the contact for a few seconds before he shook Jack’s hand off and sniffed uncomfortably. Jack stared at him for a few uncertain moments while he settled himself in his chair.

Ennis knew what Kaylee had said but he had seen what the men of their town had done to Earl because he was 'that way'. Well actually he had only seen the aftermath, but that was enough. That was enough by a long shot. Jack's family was still living in the Victory settlement at the time, didn't even remember Earl or Rich. Ennis did. He remembered how the men of the town would invoke their names in disgust or the way in which they kept their faces blank when either man past. They were two of the most prosperous ranchers in Signal due to some deal they had with the folken two settlements over. Most folks of Signal knew where their bread was buttered and Ennis supposed Earl and Rich felt safe because of it. Nobody never said nothing hard to ‘em but sometimes some spittle mixed with a clod of snot would land in their footstep’s wake. The men would tense up but would never stop their gait. ‘Course that was before somebody stopped Earl’s gait for permanent. Ennis would never forget the gruesome scene for the rest of his years. The flash in his mind made him shiver.

“You okay?” silently mouthed his best friend beside him. Jack reached out to place a hand on Ennis’s thigh. Ennis stopped him and pushed it away, looked around to see if anyone saw. Nobody did. Ennis looked over at Jack again and Jack had a funny expression Ennis couldn’t rightly place. But “happy” didn’t seem to figure into the equation. Ennis softened his own face in apology but just then the cowboy, who Ennis immediately recognized as the captain out on the gangway, entered. With him was an impressive brown woman with flowing brambles for dark hair, large almond eyes, and full lips that set themselves in a mild but sad frown. Kaylee went over and stood with them as the captain began to speak. Something struck Jack about the brown woman He never did have a problem appraising a fine lookin’ woman and she was that in spades, but that was not what registered with Jack. It was the sadness that seemed to flow from this woman like water even when she relaxed her face into a small smile while the captain recited his welcome speech to the passengers. Jack kept allowing his eyes to go to her.

“Welcome to Serenity. I’m her captain, Malcolm Reynolds. This here is Zoe my First Officer, and you’ve already met Kaylee, our engineer.” No wonder she’s so proud of this ship. Ennis thought as Kaylee waved cheerfully at everyone from her post at Mal’s side. “This is our home we’re happy to have you fly with us for a spell but I just wanna go over some ground rules first. Meals are taken up here in the dining area. The kitchen is pretty much self explanatory. You’re welcome to eat what we got any time. What there is, is pretty standard fare, I guess. Protein in every color of the rainbow. We do have sit-down meals, the next being at 1900 hours. Apart from here, I ask that you stay in the passenger dorm while we’re flyin’. The bridge and the engine room are off limits and you must be accompanied by a crew member to go to the cargo bay. Also, if you need the infirmary for any reason, one of the crew will be happy to escort you there as well. There’s a crew of six, and one long-term renter. Spose you’ll be meetin’ everyone soon enough.” When the captain said the number of crew, Jack noticed Zoe’s mouth quirk momentarily as she buried her gaze in the deck. She looked up a second later, her gaze just as stoic as before. Jack didn’t know what that meant but felt it was important to notice. “You all are guests here and we aim to get you safely and comfortably to Boros in the next 9 days.”

Just at the completion of the captain’s speech a large wall of a man moved through the door behind where the passengers sat listening to Captain Reynolds. He skirted off to the left, where the galley was and poured himself a beverage he had fished out of one of the cupboards. Ennis made a small click in his throat upon seeing him. Jack was dragged away from his observation of Zoi to see what had caught Ennis’s attention. Jack couldn’t help but let out a little huff of laughter. The large man was wearing a tight tee shirt which clearly showed the clefts and bulges of his broad chest arms and stomach. His pants fit his backside and thighs snugly as well and revealed an inviting fullness at his front. Jack noted the well worn but handsome looking holster hanging from his left side, empty for the time being, but he also noted the vicious looking knife that was strapped to his right thigh. The man was as unmistakably male as any man Jack had ever seen and Ennis had probably sprung half a wood just lookin’ on him. Jack could definitely see the appeal. He’d had his fair share of crushes on big farm boys back home but his tastes tended toward lean wiry boys.

“Ah, Jayne.” Captain Reynolds acknowledged.

”Jane?” Ennis mouthed to Jack amused. Jack returned his gaze with a smile of his own, shifting his earlier misgivings over Ennis’s behavior to the back of his mind, resolving to talk to him in private when the time came.

“Can you take these fine people to the passenger dorms? I need little Kaylee here in the engine room if we’re gonna break atmo in the next few minutes.” Jayne looked over his shoulder with a small bit of irritation, downed his libation with a quick buck of the head, then slammed the empty metal cup on the counter.

“Sure thing Cap’n.” came his gruff but deferential rumble. He measured the passengers as they stared at him expectantly. Both Ennis and Jack noticed that the captain had not mentioned what his title might be on the ship. “Well, let’s mozy, folks. Time’s a wastin’!” Chairs scraped against the floor and feet shuffled as the passengers formed themselves into a line following their new guide into the darkened hallway.

As they made their way down the corridors, Jayne lazily pointed out parts of the ship. He showed them the bathrooms which were actually just two identical rooms with a thin stall for showers and two shelves that slid out from the wall containing toilets and sinks. Ennis was just beginning to realize how tightly wound he’d become from the time he and Jack had met Kaylee outside Serenity. A valve in Ennis’s stomach twisted tighter with each step, adding pressure to an already impossible inner ache. Finally, they were headed for privacy, where he could hold his man in his arms again. Before Ennis knew it, the other passengers had been shown to their rooms and at last they stood just outside the final door.

“Well,” was all the mountainous crewman said by way of introduction to their quarters after sliding the door open for them. The dim yellow light of paper lanterns pooled into the hallway casting Jayne in a muddy sunset. The smell of burnt sage wafted out, no doubt masking the more unpleasant smells of engine exhaust and recycled air. Jayne gave them a stern head dip by way of adieu and eased past them back down the hallway to parts unknown.

Ennis entered first. T’was more of a large closet than a small room but it would due well for the next 9 days. To the immediate right of them were the bunks stacked one top the ‘nother. Ennis made out four drawers beneath the bottom bunk. The panels were flat and a bit crooked but the whole rig looked sturdy. Clean bedding lay folded in the center of the lower bunk. He threw his gunny sack up on the top bunk. Jack entered on his heels and did the same. To the left, near the door where they stood, were wooden pegs made for hanging clothes. Next to it was a non-descript metal chair. Another chair, this one, a rich looking deal, stood incongruently in the corner between where the bunks ended and the back wall began. The back wall curved out, a reminder that they were on a space vessel. The final amenity was a small wooden table, with a round mirror atop it in the left corner. Room surely was’nt much, but it was clean and private.

As soon as Jack had secured the sliding door and latched it to the other, Ennis stepped to him, smoothing his hands over Jack’s twitching muscular abdomen and down the sides to his hips which he drew back against him. Ennis enjoyed the firm roundness resting on his semi-erection through two pairs of dungarees. Despite the flare of lust that bloomed in Jack from the contact, he managed to keep his tone flat when he asked, “What was that back there Ennis?” Ennis tightened his grip on Jack for a second before dropping it and stepping away from the raven haired man.

It was the lack of inflection that made Ennis feel like gou shi. “Jack,” he began in the tone of the deeply put upon.

“I aint gonna be able to be hands off with you for nine fuckin’ days!”

“Jack,”

“I mean it, Ennis. What’s the matter with you? I thought this why we left Signal to begin with! Aint nothin’ to be shamed of out here!”

“You don’t’ get it Jack. … You don’t know what folks can do they find out what me and you get up to…” Jack had been respectful and duly horrified when Ennis had told him the story of Earl but Ennis was never convinced that Jack ever really ‘got it’. Now he was sure he hadn’t.

“I just touched you, Ennis, and you act like I asked you to suck me right there at the table! I know we can’t go about flauntin’ ourselves for everyone, but Kaylee told us…”

“Kaylee’s a girl!” Ennis erupted. “What’chu think that big sum’bitch gonna say if he finds out? Likely to sink that big ass knife ‘a his into both our chests!”

“Qin wode pigu!, you think a crew of folks done seen the ‘verse aint seen two fellas like us ‘before? Hell all we had to do was go ‘cross the planet to see a whole mess of boys like us!”

“Don’t make it right!” Ennis barked.

There was silence for a moment.

”I see,” Jack’s tongue came out to caress his lower lip as grim understanding bloomed in his eyes then shrunk them to slits. “It’s not about you bein’ fraid of what folks might do to us. It’s about you hidin’ again.” Jack stabbed his finger into Ennis’s chest when he said “you”. Jack wanted to storm off and would have if the ship had not chosen that moment to start shaking like it was going through a fit. Jack lost his footing a bit. Ennis instinctively put his hand out to hold him steady. Jack fastened his hand around Ennis’s fore arm as they road out the tremor.

*snickack* ”This is your captain speaking.. We’re just breaking atmo at the moment. Things should even out in a few.” *snickack*

Ennis and Jack made their way shakily over to the bunk and sat down. Ennis laid his hand on Jack’s thigh. Jack allowed it. “Jack, Ah… I don’t know why I feel this way for you but I do. I know it aint right,,, but I cain’t help it.” Ennis’s miserable pout hit Jack in the heart; still his tone was fierce when he spoke.

“Ennis, … Ennis look at me, boy! How you figure it aint right? Cause Shephard Hank say? Cause Aguirre say? Cause ‘a my daddy? Cause ‘a yours? Hell, aint right for Shep to be on ‘em young’uns like he do but that don’t keep him from beddin’ ‘Lizbeth and Connie!”

“Jack, that’s a rumor…”

“Didn’t stop my daddy from whippin’ me til I fell unconscious that time! Shi! Chou wang ba dan aint never stepped foot inside damn church but gon’ tell me what God want?! Pi hua! And that gan ni niang Aguirre, is a pig. Why come we gotta take their word for what’s right? What about what Matron say? What about Kurt and Monroe and all the other guys and the girls too?!. They sell themselves and don’t have a second thought about it.”

“Matron and them follow the Alliance religion.” Ennis said remembering the altars with the statues, fruit, and incense.

“Well then maybe we should too!” Jack barked slamming his palms on his knees resolutely. He looked over at the door than back at Ennis.

“None of those folks gave us reason to fear ‘em but I’ll be more discreet ‘til we feel ‘em out a bit more.”

“That’s all I was saying, Jack.” Ennis said relieved.

“No, friend, it’s not.” Jack said his voice loaded with disappointment. The anger seemed to have left him like steam from a bath but to Ennis this was no improvement. Ennis would take Mad-As-Hell Jack over Disappointed-At-Ennis Jack any day of the week.

As suddenly as it began, the tremors ended. There was a second when their stomachs did a slow roll and then it was just like sitting in a room back home. Ennis quirked his mouth to the side and began rubbing absently at the skin on the side of his thumb. Jack considered his own hands in his lap. One boy sniffed, then the other. Jack shifted his weight on the bed. The only other sound was the hum of Serenety’s engine.

“Ennis,” the name came out like a sigh.

When Ennis looked up, his mouth was seized hungrily. Made him hot all the way down to his toes. He and Jack went at it like this for a bit and then Jack toed off his boots and stood up. Bending over Ennis he continued to ravage his entire mouth, barely breaking contact as he adjusted himself in his new position. After a few more mouthfuls of Ennis, Jack did break the kiss and stood strait. He carefully unsnapped his shirt enjoying putting on this bit of show for Ennis’s benefit. Ennis sat on the bed and did the same; his anxiousness betrayed when he damn near ripped his shirt yanking it free from his waistband. The clink of Jack’s big rodeo buckle sparked a Pavlovian response in Ennis’s dick, which began leaking seminal fluid in anticipation. Jack, adorned in socks and his opened shirt, reached above him to his pack on the top bunk. After a moment of rummaging, which he did without, taking his eyes off of Ennis, he found what he needed, pushed Ennis gently back on the bed and climbed on top of him.

They had much practice making love in tight corners since their bed at Matron’s was not much bigger than this bunk tethered to the wall but there was the added impediment of the bunk directly overhead. “Ain’t never did this in a space ship before.” Jack breathed, feeling Ennis’s hot body press against his. Jack was not keen on banging his head so he was very careful as he lifted up a little to pull Ennis’s jeans down so he could coat Ennis’s rigid thickness with lube. Ennis hardly needed it as each stroke of Jack’s hand pumped out more of Ennis’s clear slick. Jack trembled as he lowered himself taking Ennis in an inch at a time. He moaned long and low in his throat as Ennis filled him completely. The two boys huddled together, trying to negotiate just how hard they could buck in the enclosed space.

There was no room for doubt in this coupling. For a time this feeling was all that was right in both boys’ lives. They rocked. The bed creaked. They stifled their moans and hushed their screams of ecstasy having no idea that the rooms on Serenity were virtually soundproof with all the heavy bulkheads keeping them from the exposure of space. At one point Jack put his hand over Ennis’s mouth as he rode him. Ennis licked and bit the inside of Jack’s palm while his eyes rolled up and his toes curled. Jack bent down and bit Ennis’s throat through the throws of his orgasm not caring if it would leave a mark.

Central Planets: Ariel: Night Side

An austere apartment of black and gray leather, chrome, and marble sits on an estate at the center of Capital City, the Outer Rim’s chosen seat of power. Barons, landlords, and nobility from the outer worlds have seen Reformation as an opportunity to grab even greater power, insuring that the syphilitic dogs that once ran everything from the center of the galaxy were not going to be using their ultimate power to play gods again. As one might imagine there was much dissention in the ranks, uneasy alliances built, torn apart and rebuilt in a week’s time, bloodless coups, and kidnappings blighted their progress. Still it was a scene worth breaking into, if only for a fleeting taste of power. Who knew? Maybe you would be one of the lucky ones destined to shape the new Alliance during these unsteady times, or maybe you’d hit a big score and find wealth beyond your wildest expectations.

Astrid’s pelvis and hips are the waves that lap at the shore. Her breath comes in hard little puffs. The skylight above reveals the star-filled moonlit sky which she gazes at through cloudy slited eyes. The deep indigo hair of the Companion, like spun silk, drapes Astrid’s belly and pours down her creamy thighs. The tongue on her works in circles around her, yindi going agonizingly slow one moment then humming bird fast the next. She varies the pressure, dips into Astrid’s wet cleft with her sharp little tongue, and kisses the inside of Astrid’s thighs in order to make it last. Astrid likes this, the loss of control for a while, the expert attention. She had secured this weekly R&R session through one of the few guild houses that had not been set upon by looters and squatters here in Ariel. The girl was kissing her now, using Astrid’s nee yin like she would a mouth. All lips and tongue. Astrid let out a low moan and her thighs start rippling as she nears completion. After a while of the kissing, Astrid’s Companion slipped back to her yindi and attacked with renewed zest.

They do train ‘em well, she thinks with a crooked grin which develops into a small trembling chuckle. The Companion looks up through dark hair revealing heavily lashed eyes. Astrid uses the tip of her index finger to push loose strands of thick tresses behind the girl’s ear. So similar to another beautiful woman she had known once and whom she had vowed vengeance. This girl currently between her legs plying her trade was much younger though. Maybe only two years into her training but worth every credit as far as Astrid was concerned. Astrid regards the smiling, eager to please young girl. Her lips are wet and parted a bit.

“C’mere.” Astrid breathes. The girl crawls up Astrid’s body and they begin to kiss passionately. Astrid is always delighted to taste herself on another’s lips. The girl is naked but adorned with an ornate metal cuff on her left upper arm and jewels grafted to strategic places on her belly, legs, and chest. She lays herself against Astrid as they kiss. After a moment, the girl works her thighs so that her left is between Astrid’s sweat bathed legs and her right is on the outside of them. The women begins moving together receiving mutual stimulation from their distended yindis. Their moans fill up the large room and even make their way into the hallway where the guards at the door pretended not to hear. It is not long before Astrid is yelling the girls name into the empty room and the girl is a quivering colt on top of Astrid.

Astrid brings her right leg up and wraps it around the small of the girl’s back, hugging her close. “That was extraordinary, honey.” She pulls back to look in the girl’s eyes a bit woozy and sated. “I’ll see you next week?”

“I look forward to it, Madame.” The companion rises from Astrid. Astrid retrieves her mid length kimono while the girl busies herself with dressing and collecting her things. Astrid immediately strides over to her console and begins working on the Cortex, trying to see what has been going on in the last hour. The girl blows a flirtatious kiss, which Astrid makes a show of catching, before she is out of the door.

As the door closes in the Companion’s wake, Astrid’s buzzer rings. She switches to the station on her console that shows her the front door of her apartment. She doesn’t recognize the men standing there and something about them makes her reach for her gun strapped to the underside of her desk. “Yes,” she says into the speaker as she presses the speak button.

“We would like to see you.” Says the dark haired one. No name. Nothing by way of explanation.

“Lots of people wanna see me, hon. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“We would like to come up and discuss a job we feel is suited to you.” The lighter haired one says. Astrid takes a moment to consider this. It had been a while since she’d done any freelance. What could these two creepy dudes want her to do, she thought. Astrid reaches over to press the button which will free the latch on the downstairs door but then the Companion approaches the door., Astrid watches the two men catch the door from her hands before it swings closed. They don’t respond to the Companion’s gentle smile, in fact something in the way they carry themselves makes the Companion frown and hasten her retreat into the night. Astrid frowns. What the hell is this all about … and why the hell are those freaks wearing blue rubber gloves on their hands?