It hadn’t seemed too long ago that Jayne had finished filling in Book and Inara about all that had taken place since their absence from Serenity. What with the whole crew getting kidnapped by a bunch of hwoo dahns who seemed a mite too interested in getting their grubby paws on the Doc and River, and how they was all being held captured by God only knew who in that forsaken prison.

Book and Inara both set back and listened as Jayne brought the very recent past crashing full speed ahead toward the here and now. Both the preacher and the companion where brought to attention by Jayne’s harsh and vivid imagery of how the crew had been taken off Serenity, but neither Book nor Inara fractured the calm expressions they wore at his insensitive words. But deep down inside, past the façade of an emotionless masquerade, a raging sea shook vigorously at the core of their souls.

The preacher was the first to show any sign of comprehension as he shifted restively and arched his hands down in front of himself folding them together in silent prayer. It was natural to see the preacher praying, hell it was more unnatural to see him not, and so it surprised Jayne a might to see the disturbing look on Book’s face as he knelt his head down to call upon the Lord. What the hell could the preacher be praying about that it made him look like he’d just taken out 100 armed men by his ownself. But that wasn’t the eerie-ass part, the fact that Book in that one moment reminded Jayne of Mal is what made him look a little harder at the preacher. What was it? Maybe it was that sense of old ghosts walking right beside you when they ought to be dead and buried.

Jayne finally managed to pry his eyes off the contemplating Book and it was then that he took notice of Inara. Jayne was still talking and it was not until he mentioned how it would be safe to assume that the Captain was probably the cause of this mess because it was just the type of luck Mal had, that he regretted his words. Sure the man had enough friends, it was just that on the other side of that equation he had twice as many enemies; someone was bound to get to him sooner or later. Before Jayne could really backtrack and take back what he had just said Inara’s calm demeanor broke for a split second and Jayne knew even a blind man could see the feelings that bubbled up to the surface although they were restrained behind a wall of over exaggerated composure. Inara was a good actress and before Jayne could truly decipher her reaction she quickly hid it behind tight lips and guiltless eyes.

Jayne finished telling his part in the tale, a short part seeing as he had escaped as quick as rabbit being chased down hole, he never did truly know how the others where doing, and he didn’t know that Niska was one of the men responsible for this chaos, but maybe that was for the best because bad-ass information like that thrown on top of an already heaping pile of bad-ass information only made things worse, not better.

Once Jayne finished enlightening Book and Inara on the recent turn of events the trio said their farewells to Thomas, whose only regret in this whole ordeal wasn’t his busted up ship but having to say goodbye to Inara all over again. Thomas cringed inwardly as Serenity disappeared into the depths of the Black and said a silent prayer that the good Lord would be kind enough to grace him with the fine fortune of crossing paths with that beautiful woman again. Thomas’s prayers floated on a maritime of hope as he turned his battered ship homeward bound, it was always good to be going home again.

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Jayne lacked many things, but he had his talents, one such being he could track a snake back to its lair or so to speak. Sometimes it took one snake just to be able to find the path another one had created and let’s face it Jayne did have his slithery moments. Loyalty was a challenge Jayne had to face daily, a morality test that seemed to get harder the longer he stayed on Serenity. There was something about the Captain that had made Jayne stay steadfast, hell truth be told he had tested those waters of loyalty before and Mal had nearly drowned him in that attempt.

Maybe it was a deep restricted fear that kept Jayne devoted to the Captain and his crew. Serenity had a way of grabbing hold of you and making you change, whether it was forcible or natural it really didn’t matter the change always came, sometimes without your knowing it but you continued living life a little different from when you first stepped foot on that tiny ship. And maybe it wasn’t so much the ship that did the changing but the people on the ship. You live your life for so long with the same people, you see and survive the damnedest things with them always by your side, and you’re bound to get attached. Hell they ain’t no longer just people on a ship then, ain’t strangers walking amongst strangers no more…they’re family.

It was Jayne’s family being imprisoned and possibly tortured, and there was no way he was gonna sit back and let a gorram thing happen to them. It wasn’t so much a matter of loyalty as it was love. Jayne cleared his mind the best he could and focused on remembering the escape route he so recently traveled down. Jayne directed Inara who was sitting at the controls of Serenity in the pilot’s seat to the precise location of the old penitentiary. The place were the others where being held captive.

When the dark silhouetted figure of the prison rose out of the pits of the star speckled Black Inara slightly eased Serenity to a stop and held back out of view. It would be death for them all if they got caught now and it wasn’t like they could just dock with the prison without anyone taking notice. There was only one way they where getting into that prison and committing a crime wasn’t an option…they would have to get authorization to dock.

The shuttle that Jayne had commandeered from the prison during his escape was now safely tethered to Serenity’s side, moving as she moved and flying as she flew. The petite shuttle had seen better days, it had so recently escaped being blown up into nothing more than scraps of twisted metal, and with all that trauma behind it and a part from some minor dents and hollows it still managed to fly like the first day it was let off the assembly line. The shuttle was their invitation to the party, hopefully nobody missed her during her brief absence, and hopefully they would be able to fly right in without being detected; that was the plan after all.

Jayne, Inara, and Book all suited up into EVA suits and made the trip from Serenity to the shuttle that now hugged at her side like a scared child to its mother. Once inside the shuttle, Inara again at the controls detached the smaller vessel from Serenity’s side and for the second time in a week’s span Serenity was left unattended and abandoned in the ‘Verse, although this time it was intentional.

The shuttle now holding Jayne, Inara, and Book ventured cautiously toward the prison. “You really think this is gonna work?” Jayne asked unable to hide the concern in his voice

“There is always a chance of failure Jayne; it just takes a little belief.” Book responded

“Oh, I believe alright…that we’re gonna get caught.”

“There’s a chance that we may not get caught all. For all they know where just some of their own, we are after all in one of their shuttles, might be they just let us pass on through.”

“Or might be they know we’re not a one of their crew and they let us pass on through anyway just so they can look us dead in the eyes ‘afore they gut us and rape poor ol’ ‘Nara here.”

“Did you ever think Jayne that maybe they might just gut me and rape you instead? If we’re talking about possibilities here I just wanted include all potential options.” Inara said trying no to grin fully.

“You know full well I ain’t sly, I’ll gut myself ‘afore I let them….” Jayne trailed off not quite ready to let his imagination finish that thought and Inara outright laughed at Jayne’s expression and the preacher couldn’t completely suppress his own smile at Jayne’s comical features.

“It’s like a Trojan horse; we gain entry into enemy territory then wait it out until the coast is clear then we make our move.” Book said turning the topic of conversation back to the task at hand.

“Um, just remember to stay alive longer than me preacher so you can say a nice prayer over my body ‘cause this is ruttin’ suicide, we’re all gonna die.” Jayne announced.

Neither Inara nor Book had time to respond to Jayne, they had reached the prison’s docking bay doors; this was the moment of truth, would this Trojan horse be shot down before it even took its first step or would it be able to gallop across the threshold and if so how long before it became a steak dinner?

For several moments the shuttle stayed unmoving outside the docking bay doors waiting to be let in, any longer and Inara would have flown them out of there, but the doors finally parted way giving the shuttle entry into the prison; giving the trio permission to cross enemy lines. Without hesitation Inara landed the shuttle in its designated spot and the group waited to see if they would get approached, waited to see if they would get ambushed when neither events took place Jayne, Inara, and Book stepped foot off the shuttle and into the aging penitentiary.

Jayne took up the front guard twisting his about looking for any sign of movement, for any sign of the enemy. For Jayne it was like he had never left, his memories of the place where so recent they hadn’t had proper time to be forgotten, it was just like he had closed his eyes for a spell and now he was opening them and the nightmare wasn’t so much something in his head but all around him.

Inara had eaten in the most exquisite restaurants, ridden in the fastest shinniest ships, and had stepped foot on the most heavenly worlds ever created by the hands of men. This place was far from those things, it was the exact polar opposite of the ‘Verse Inara lived in…this was a piece of Hell and it was Inara’s momentary falter in fortune’s favor that landed her here.

A wave of familiarity rushed over the preacher, he had been here before, way back when…when he wasn’t known as Shepard Book. Back in the then when he was a much younger man, very much less compassionate and much less patient. The sense of recognition hit Book right between the eyes but the older man didn’t stumble and his expression never changed. He rode on the wave that sent his mind back to the place the man Book used to be lived in, hidden amongst the deadly nightmares and darkening hatred the preacher closed his mind off to. Book was a Shepard now, a herder of God’s lost children, but long ago he had been something else…someone else. A someone who desperately tried to resurface to the depths of Book’s conscience but who was forced repeatedly back into the forgotten realms. This place broke the bonds on those forgotten realms and the bad things a lifetime could not undo walked freely on the edges of Book’s soul…

Sometimes the past doesn’t always haunt us but comes forth to aide us in our quest of righteousness.

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Zoe followed two steps behind River as she led her in and out, up and down corridors all that seemed to resemble one another. And if it wasn’t for the convincing look River gave Zoe that said she knew exactly what she was doing and where she was going, Zoe wouldn’t have given the girl a second thought. Zoe followed closely behind River to a destination unknown to her but beyond a shadow of a doubt she was convinced River was leading her somewhere important. It was when River stopped abruptly a few feet in front of a door and pointed in its direction, did Zoe realize that this is where River had been leading her all along. What was in that room? Was it good or bad?

“In there.” River said solidifying the fact that she wanted Zoe to go inside the room.

Zoe stepped forward, cautious at first, then comprehending the fact that River had no notion of putting her in harms way placed her hand on the door handle and pushed her way into the room. It was a sight for sore eyes, there was Kaylee and Simon both holding snippets of a set of broken cabinet flaps like weapons in their hands expecting to see God only knew who else standing on the other side of the door. When they realized it was Zoe who had entered the room Kaylee and Simon discarded their makeshift weapons and Kaylee ran to greet Zoe with a hug. Simon simply smiled and Zoe smiled back.

“Why are you two hold up in this room?” Zoe asked

Simon didn’t answer her, he just lead her around a corner to where her husband sat on a worn out hospital bed clutching his side in pain. Zoe ran up to her husband and enveloped him in a huge embrace that caused Wash to let out a sigh of discomfort but he refused to let her pull away from him.

“You alright bao bei?” Zoe asked already knowing the answer she was going to receive.

“I’m fine this ain’t nothing but a little scratch. How ‘bout you, are you okay baby?”

“Good, I’m good.”

“You know Niska’s behind all…” Wash started unable to finish and Zoe held him tighter as he fought back memories of his previous experience with Niska.

“Yeah I know, Niska managed to crawl up out of the grave but the Captain beat him once, he’ll do it again. Mal will see to it the old bastard is face up choking on a mouthful of dirt before the second moon over Coi Ida sets.

“Where is Mal anyway?” Wash asked

“At the mercy of that hwoon dahn as we speak.”

“Well we can’t just sit here and do nothing we have to go help him.”

“This ain’t like last time Wash; aside from being outnumbered we’re also outgunned. We haven’t got a weapon to our name. Now I ain’t saying we ain’t gonna help the captain, I’m just saying we need a plan first.”

“It’s not just the Captain we have to save, they have River also.” Simon interrupted.

“No.” Zoe said

“No?” Simon questioned not sure what part of his statement Zoe was objecting, the ‘saving River part’ or ‘they have River too’ part. “What do you mean?”

“River is with me or was with me, she is standing out in the hallway.”

Kaylee and Simon where the first to reach the hallway, Zoe followed a few seconds later supporting a pain stricken Wash.

“Mei, mei--.”

“I’m fine.” River cut in already anticipating her brother’s response. “Besides you should be a little more worried about them and less about me.” River said nodding her head to indicate the approaching footsteps of the commander and his men.

An entourage of 20 armed men accustomed with precision swords turned the corner in unison, the commander leading the way. The soldiers flanked out in front of the commander and the higher ranking official hung back to enjoy the battle that was going to take place before him and hoped the termination of these ingrates would lead to his promotion to senior-officer.

Zoe let go of Wash and he found his support against a wall and watched helplessly as his wife approached the oncoming assault without fear or hesitation. Zoe walked up to the man closest to her and he pulled out his sword from his sheath and swung a mighty blown in her direction. Zoe sidestepped dodging the blade of the sword and drew up her fist hurling a fury of anger to the back of the man’s neck which caused him to fall unconscious to the floor. Everything had happened so fast, Zoe moved quick like a shadow caught in the tide of the rising sun; several more men went down before they even knew what had hit them. Some of the men stood in shock at Zoe’s abilities and watched without so much as breathing as she took down one man after the other.

Zoe picked up one of the fallen men’s sword and shredded and sliced her way through line after line of oncoming enemy, making sure none of them got past her to get to any of the others. Zoe had laid out more than half of the men but as they began to diminish in size they kept getting tougher and tougher to hold back; each one holding on a little longer and fighting more fiercely trying to overcome their inevitable doom. One of the hwoo dahns managed to slip past Zoe and he came face to face with River who was the closest to the edge of the battle even as Simon tried to hold her back she had still manage to be in the front. Now she was face to face with and angry man who wielded a very menacing sword and could easily take her down with one flick of his wrist.

The man moved to strike at River but she predicted his move and the next one and the next one after that until they where caught up in an almost whimsical dance. The angry man leading with his sword and River following before the blade could ever find a mark. River bounded this way and that until she had managed to get behind the man; her back was now facing the battle. And when the man spun to face River who had so easily gotten behind him, he barely managed to turn an inch before the tip of a friendly sword punctured his heart and he fell to the ground; River had done the math, she calculated the exact steps it would take before the man met his fate at the end of his comrades sword.

Once the man had fallen to the ground River picked up his abandoned sword and with one flick of her arm she sent the sword zooming around the enclosure striking every person that still stood in the heat of battle with a deadly blow, all except for Zoe for which the sword simply fell at her feet signifying she was no enemy. And just like that the adversary was defeated and River had ended the last of them with nothing more than a few calculations and some aerodynamics, funny part was the girl had never picked up a sword before in her life. The whole situation was kind of creepy, River’s actions had left a gruesome scene in its wake, but it was justice seeing the tip of the sword dive swiftly into the side of the commander’s head scattering his brains into a shower of bits before it landed gracefully at Zoe’s feet.

River didn’t turn to see the others reactions, she really didn’t have to see their faces to know how they felt about what she had just done, their emotions hit her like the pain of being caught in a ship’s turbulence. River walked across the road of carcasses at her feet and continued down the hallway almost out of sight. Her footfalls receded off he last man’s head, pushing his lifeless body further into the tiled floor and then there where no more dead bodies. River could hear the others making the trip across the thoroughfare of dead men to catch up to her but she didn’t slow down to wait, there where things that needed to be done.

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Mal had seen better days, hell he had seen worse days; days so bad it felt more like dying than living at all. Niska had killed Mal twice already, the coming back was always the part that hurt the most, it hurt more than the actual dying did. Mal could take the dying but it was having to let go of those few moments of true freedom that hurt the most. Mal had devoted his whole life to staying free; no matter what he did though he wasn’t ever gonna truly be free. But in those moments after death there was no one left to hold him under their heel, no one left to constrict him to the edge, just himself and God trying to call his child back home. And just when if felt like Mal was gonna walk through them pearly gates he was sucked back into the land of the living.

“I’m tired of you doing that old man, just leave me be.”

“I am going to kill you Mista Reynolds until I am satisfied. I am going to kill you over and over and over. So let’s do it again.” Niska announced cheerfully placing the plug into Mal’s chest and pulling the switched that caused watt after watt of electricity to course through his body and causing him to die once more.

Everything was silent and everything was dark, Mal remembered the same darkness encompassing him the first couple of times he died, it was always the same dark atmosphere returning to claim its victim. This time Mal tried not to get attached to the idea of the nothingness, he knew he would be back breathing in lungfuls of air again in no time. And no sooner had Mal thought these words the darkness began to recede, flickers of light clouding up his vision, and he could feel some one slapping his face trying to get his attention but it was not at all violent, more soothing than anything else.

“Mal, Mal wake up can you hear me.”

“How did I—where am I?”

“It’s okay Mal, your safe now.”

“You’re so beautiful, are you an angel and is this heaven.”

“How’s he doin’ ‘Nara?”

“Well, the CPR worked, he’s back and he’s breathing, but I think he’s a little bit delusional.”

“Just give him a moment to clear his head, the man just died.”

Mal let the familiar voices reenergize him as he lay on the cold table trying to figure out what the hell was going on; the last thing he remembered was Niska’s face. Where was that ruttin psychopath?

Mal had energy to sit up now and if to answer his own question Niska lay unconscious on the floor.

“What the hell?” Mal asked clearly indicating the situation at hand.

“Well I snuck up on the old bastard when he was killing you and all, then I knocked him out cold. The ‘lil man folded faster than Simon in a game of tall cards.” Jayne announced. “You gonna finish him right, Mal?”

“Well yeah I suppose, because as fun as this little episode was I don’t feel like replaying it anytime….ever. Do you think I outta wait until he’s awake? I mean when I finish a man off I want him lively and facing me, preferably armed.”

Mal, Inara, Jayne, and Book waited for Niska to regain consciousness, they passed the time by filling each other in on their parts in this sinister story. By the time Mal had explained to Jayne, Inara, and Book about Niska using Kaylee and Wash to get to him and how River’s blue hands had some involvement in this little charade, Niska finally began to stir. Jayne bent down and helped Niska to his feet then he backed away to let Mal do what needed to be done.

“I see Mista Reynolds your little friends have saved you, a flaw in letting them live, I won’t be making dat mistake next time.”

“What the hell makes you think there will be a next time, I mean to end you here and now.”

“No, no, not da great and noble Mista Reynolds. You wouldn’t kill an ailing old man? I know the real you Mista Reynolds, I bet my skyplex and dis ratty prison you won’t end me.”

Two things happened simultaneously, Niska relied on his assumption Mal wouldn’t hurt him and moved to strike out at Mal, a movement that Mal caught out of the corner of his eye. The other thing was the not so subtle way the preacher eyes moved to linger momentarily on a switch sticking out on the console in front of Mal. Mal knew he hadn’t imagined the passing silent communication he shared with Book and so without hesitation he flicked the switch.

Niska’s attempted assault on Mal never came to fruit and he fell through a hole that had opened up in the ground and was shot through a network of tunnels until he stopped moving caught in gravity’s clasp surrounded by nothing but space. For a few moments Niska flailed about like a child but then again I guess that was the real him, a scared little child trapped in the shell of a man trying to be the biggest and baddest so that there wasn’t anyone bigger or badder left to fear. Niska’s tirade had ended and he gave his final bow to a standing ovation of stars before the Black curtain closed on him and he went forth to answer for his sins.

The whole in the floor that so recently sucked Niska out closed back up and Mal turned toward Book. “How did you know what that switch would do?”

“Let’s just say I’ve seen it done before.”

“I don’t get, what kind of place is this. Ain’t like no prison I’ve ever been in.” Jayne asked perplexed.

“I believe this was once a facility where they kept prisoners of war in. It wasn’t meant to confine people it was used to torture them, that secret little hole in the floor was probably used to dispose of bodies tortured past the point of return, dump them out in the Black…or so I’m guessing.” Book stated

Mal had a notion Book wasn’t so much guess as recalling a deed or two, but he couldn’t say for certain, just glad Niska was out of the picture for good.

If finally felt like things where going in their favor…

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River led Zoe, Wash, Simon, and Kaylee through the maze-like corridors with ease, not once did they stumble across a dead end or an angry mob of bad guys.

“Where do you think she’s taking us?” Wash asked

“She led me to you guys, so I’m think she’s taking us to find the others.” Zoe responded.

“River do you even know were you’re going?” Simon asked trying to get his sister to stop so that he can have a proper look at her and make sure she was alright. River ignored the question and continued to lead the others through the dank corridors. Finally she stopped in the middle of a deserted hallway and the others stopped along with her. Nothing…absolutely nothing happened, and River gave them no further instructions.

“What are we doi…?”

“Shh.” River cut the question short cocking her head slightly and looking distantly down the hallway as if contemplating time itself. “Finally.” River stated but still the others couldn’t see what she had been anticipating. Then recognition flooded the hallway and River, Simon, Kaylee, Wash, and Zoe greeted the other half of Serenity’s crew with excitement and open arms.

It was smiles and hugs all around but there wasn’t much time for words because River had busted into a fit of “There coming, Two by two, hands of blue.”

“It seems them hands of blue ain’t just a figment of her imagination.” Mal cut in. “They hired Niska to track us down.”

“I know.” Simon said “I had the fortune of meeting them.”

“Ain’t just that though, they got rooms full of files on nothing but River, mite want to check it out later ‘doc.” Zoe provided.

“Two by two, hands of blue.” River chanted again in a sing song voice.

“First Niska, and now these guys, all of hell must be empty because the demons are here. Anyone got any bright ideas of how we gonna get out of this mess, ‘cause the way I hear it told these ain’t your average bad-guys; they have brains and weapons of mass destruction. Did I mention I already died once or twice today and have no notion of dying again?”

River stopped singing her creepy song long enough to say “I’ve got a plan.” There was an awkward silence that followed this statement. Jayne being the man he was broke that silence almost immediately.

“Crazy plans on saving us and your all okay with that.”

“River is just as much a part of this as the rest of us, if not more so, and unless you have an ass-load of ideas in which we get out of this mess alive then you better start talkin’ cause I’m open to suggestions.” Mal said

Jayne paused before continuing with “Do you really know what we’re up against?” I know these men done things to River…horrible things; they screwed with her head to make her the way she is now. Back on Ariel I realized then what it was they was capable of and yeah River deserves vengeance, like to give them a piece of my own thoughts on the matter. But here we are Mal toe to toe with the Devil and you so willingly hand the reigns over to River, I don’t get it…it just ain’t right.”

“It ain’t for you to get Jayne…it’s what is.” Mal stopped then started again this time not so sure if he was entirely just talking to Jayne. “It’s nothing but illusions, tiny specks of possibility, visions seen through a fools eye, they ain’t nothing but armored walls put into place to shield reality…River may act like she is addled about but in reality she could probably take down a whole entire Alliance garrison with her mind alone.” When Mal finished he realized it wasn’t just Jayne he was trying to convince but himself as well.

“That’s so poetical Mal but no matter how purty you dress that go se up it all comes down to the same thing…our lives in River’s hands, ain’t right.”

“Ain’t a one of us here who don’t know that River is a mite touched but somewhere beneath the layers of crazy there’s a mighty powerful person, more powerful than anyone of us and yes Jayne, I believe that is who is gonna save us. So what’s it gonna be?”

“Ah hell Mal, you know me I ain’t finished until the cherry is popped, today is as good a day as any to die.”

“I’m gonna take that morbid answer as a yes. If we have no further complaints, insights, or theories lets get to it…so tell me ‘lil River what’s the plan.”

“Two by two hands of blue, hard as glass that will not break, two by two hands of blue. Cast a stone forged of secrets and they will shatter into the Black, two by two hands of blue.”

“Funny idea of a plan sounded more like a poem.” Jayne snorted sarcastically and Mal refused to meet his eyes already regretting his decision to allow River to lead them into battle…