The Reaver boat that had been dogging them was massive. Reaver ships were, generally, intended to strike fear into who or whatever they were pursuing, and this one was no different. At some distant point in the past, this boat looked like it might have been one of the huge cargo haulers the Alliance used to run between cruisers, big enough to carry ten fully equipped gunships. This was a rough description, because the ship, like it’s inhabitants, had been mutilated to near beyond recognition. Two massive harpoon pods had been built onto nacelles which had never been intended for such a vessel. The nacelles ended in ragged edges, like junk that had been hastily welded onto the superstructure. Shards of metal, some small, some bigger than the Firefly herself, stuck out of the sides, top and bottom of the ship, like a massive, insane pin-cushion, made all the more frightful by the red running lights that ran the length of her. Though the Firefly hadn’t been close enough to see, there were skeletons, or what remained of skeletons, strewn along the bow of the ship. A trail of black, oily smoke ran behind her, evidence of the reactor-core containment units which were non-existent on the ship. Reavers were well known for removing these, giving them additional speed to run their quarry down. While radiation poisoning was inevitable, Reavers weren’t known for thinking too far into the future. What the massive boat was not, however, was agile, and so far, that had kept the Firefly ahead. “Bring her around to starboard, full speed, make for that asteroid cluster,” the captain barked. “Sir, that’s an awful straight-ahead run with that thing behind us,” His mate told him. “I am well aware of that, and if you have any other ideas, really, do feel free to share,” he said sardonically. “I’m feeling quite open-minded right about now.” “Let’s make a zig-zag pattern, it’ll slow us down, but they won’t be so easy to put one of those harpoons into us.” “Give it a try,” he said, running a hand through his hair. The pilot followed instruction, flying left and right, up and down, doing her level best to make as difficult a target of her boat as possible. “Sir, assuming we make the asteroid field, then what?” the first mate asked. “You know, honestly, I really hadn’t thought that far ahead. I just know that that big monster can’t follow us in there without getting all smashed to hell and gone.” A harpoon glanced off the port bow, sending the Firefly staggering, and as the pilot got her back under control, she lost sight of the fact that she was sitting still for a little too long. The harpoon took her amidships, slicing right through the little boat, prongs extending after it’s exit. The ship was trapped. As she was hauled towards the massive structure, a cargo door opened, and massive loading arms extended outward, taking the Firefly into it’s firm grip, pulling the smaller ship into the belly of the Reaver ship. As the Reavers spun into their blood frenzy, where they were beyond speech or thought, they never heard the gunshots within the little Firefly-class. One round for the mechanic, one for the pilot, and one for the ship’s first mate. The captain waited just long enough to hear the growls and screams of the invaders to clear out his own brain-pan, depriving those things of their feast. While the rushing Reavers were disappointed by the crew being dead, they were still meat, and meat was not to be wasted. And so the Reavers feasted. When it was done, when the blood frenzy had dissipated into the numbness of Reaver existence, the Alpha Reaver told his brethren “This is not the Firefly we want. We hunt again!” And his brethren, hearing the word hunt, screamed with joy.