PART THREE * They say The odds are stacked against us But that can't hold us back We will be relentless There's a voice they're gonna hear A voice so loud and clear So let them say we can't do it Give us a mountain and we're gonna move it.. cause..

We can, do the impossible We have the power in our hands And we won't stop Cause we've got To make a difference in this life With one voice, one heart Two hands, we can * [Leeann Rimes – We Can] * [Jenneth is to be visualised as Lucy Lawless, close to 'Xena' looks. Todd Lawless is the late and much missed Kevin 'Ares' Smith]

From the musings of Malcolm Reynolds * Adelei Niska. Gorram, this wasn't easy the last two times. There's a scar around one of my ears that's telling me so and places of well-remembered pain in my chest. Need to think and think hard. Gotta have a plan and a couple of back-ups, 'cos that Niska bastard is sneaky, devious and all kinds of nasty. Plus he's got Kaylee and if she's talked by now he'll realise we're hot on his heels. I'll put the big Niska problem in the back of the brain pan for a moment and freewheel. Something will come to me. * Summer is here on Beltane, same of sorts up there on Venice. Can't use the big freeze they have to our advantage. Funny how the seasons vary across the 'verse. Newhall, Jayne's home planet, has Summertide, Rains and Tornado seasons. No Winter to speak of on the great plains between the mountains. Children tend to be either conceived or born at Summertide, because they fall about nine Earth months apart. It's the time when all of the children on Newhall are reckoned to be a year older. Being that we've been gone from Earth-that-was a long time and are looking at a whole different bunch of stars, including Sol way off in the distance, it's hard to tell, but Summertide on Newhall has definite resonances with Beltane and Maytime, from what I've heard. The astrologers have gone nuts over the new constellations and calculations since we arrived in the 'verse, but Summertide just seems to produce folk who act a whole lot like old-style Taureans. Stubborn, tactile, sensual, sometimes belligerent and loyal to death once their hearts and minds have been won. Which explains Jayne and also Vera; different home planet of course. * Vera's birthplace, Avalon city and its environs has either Wet or Dry days and a temperate climate all year round, which includes two harvests per year. Again, not much of a Winter, just lots of Wet. On the islands further south, where she and Jayne impulsively bought a house, the climate is hot and dry all year round. Vera was born on a Dry day during first apple harvest; which is, give or take, equivelant to when Jayne's planet would be experiencing Summertide. With the differing orbits and places in the 'verse, it isn't easy to be completely accurate about someone's age, especially if they live on one of the fast spinning border moons with a three month 'year' and one face of the moon is always turned towards whatever star is providing light. Alliance official records put Vera and Jayne within five years of each other and make him older, but there's no telling how gorram accurate that is. Could be the other way about. * Same goes for me. I'm somewhere in my mid thirties. Have a birthday, of course. I'm closest in personality to Aries under the old astrological scheme. Was born in what passes for Spring. Got a pile of stubborn as well. Had my share of knocks and pain; seem to have a constitution that manages to bounce back from that most of the time. Saw me in good stead during the war; it's surprising how far I can go on adrenaline, pain and determination, even with an empty belly. Same goes for Zoe and Inara. Ah, my love; I waited me a powerful long, stubborn, lonely and hurting time when I could have been just loving you. Making up for lost time, though. Every time we're sharing a bunk, I'm close to insatiable with needing to make love to you. * Zhang and River will do their martial arts thing and knock the opposition senseless or dead with fluid grace. Jayne will tool up with everything up to and including the kitchen sink plus both Veras. And I'm betting that if Niska's tortured Kaylee, then Simon probably knows some really inventive ways to hurt a body whilst keeping it alive and conscious. I'll be right there helping him. Ah, got it! The beginnings of a plan. Time to get the crew riled up and ready for action. ** There were seven of them in the semi-darkness, in some kind of cold metal room, all in powerfully strong leg and arm chains. Her breasts and heart hurt for the two children and husband that she couldn't see or touch. Her mouth was gagged too. She was glad of that, gave her the space to get over the need to blub everything out loud to find the quiet strength deep under the pink sweetness that was otherwise her own Kaylee self. Once Cappy found out, he'd be coming. The other Maori too; she'd caught enough of a glimpse of her cell mates to figure that out. Simon would cope wonderfully with the twins and keeping everyone in one piece. They – whoever it was who'd got them – pulled Sheena out at some point and Kaylee caught enough of a glimpse of her when she returned to make her very scared. Someone was hurting them all, one by one. Probably enjoying it too. Kaylee wasn't a dummy by any means; she had a pretty good idea of the kind of person who'd enjoy hurting people. She correctly guessed Niska in her own mind without any other evidence. Didn't find out she was right until later. Kaylee spent her time fretting about her children, Simon and picturing all the many working parts of Serenity's engine. * Three days later * Serenity was flying in on the blind side of Venice. “Are we sure Niska's there, sir?” Zoe had Sarah on her back like a bush baby and the little girl was grinning from ear to ear. “Anomalous readings here – and here. Remember Vera said there's water inside the moon as well as on the outside? Niska's Raptor's airtight; same as all space going vehicles. He's hiding inside the outer skin of the planet, under water. Lotus Flower confirmed it a short while ago.” Zoe sucked her breath in through her teeth, “Gonna be risky, sir.” “I know, and most of us don't have sub aqua training or experience. I sent a very carefully coded wave to Lotus Flower and she knows someone that does. Got us a sneaky place to hide Serenity and room in three 'borrowed' submersibles for five passengers each. There's Jayne and either you alone or Vera on gun duty. Simon is naturally champing at the bit to rescue Kaylee. River can pilot just about anything in her sleep and there's me. Seven people to rescue, plus White Lotus' friend guiding the way. I'd rather have some spare space, just in case. Plus Niska needs bringing to justice and he must have got some more muscle with him..” “I understand, sir. I'll stay here with Inara, Zhang and Sarah and keep the engine humming. We'll keep Serenity safe. Plus I'd be likely to do something terminal to that go se pile of filth and he needs to stand trial if possible.” “Sorry to leave you out, but thanks.” * Vera trembled, “Oh God, no. Not under water. I have a fear of drowning.” “Darlin' Vera, we could do the drownin' right here in space.” “I know. Somehow I don't mind that. It's crazy; just the thought of being inside Venice under a whole heap of water...” Jayne put a hand on her shoulder. His woman was really afraid of something and didn't mind showing him, “Hey, I'll be right there with you.” Vera managed a smile, then set her jaw, determined, “I'll make it. Being with you and rescuing Kaylee.” Jayne slashed an evil grin, “Not to mention dealing with that bastard Niska.” Vera matched his grin, “That's enough to put fire in my belly.” His own smile widened, “That's my woman! Save some of that fire for later, hmm?” “You betcha!” * Serenity touched down very delicately on the burnt space which was still there from when the whorehouse had burned down. Lotus Flower and a few others pulled on ropes and suddenly the ship was hidden by high sided building hoardings, rising from flat on the ground around them. Mal stepped down Serenity's ramp onto the somewhat blackened boardwalk, “Neat trick.” Lotus Flower smiled, “We've just got planning permission to rebuild the whorehouse.” Mal smiled slightly, “Ah. Nice cover story and Serenity will be difficult to spot, except from the air.” Lotus Flower nodded, “I've asked Jim and a couple of the new boy whores to be security guards for our 'construction site'. This is the sub aqua expert.” Mal recognised the man immediately, “Lieutenant Commander Todd Lawless?!” The Polynesian man smiled widely, “Well, General now, but yes. I grew up on Poseidon, mate.” Mal nodded curtly, “Pretty much 100 per cent water, that moon.” Todd's smile widened, “Yep, with a string of floating habitation around the equator where it's nice and warm. Plenty of fishing and sub aqua stuff to do. Near on thirty years experience, both in the open sea and in submerged caves.” Lotus Flower added, “Todd's one of the best in his field, Mal.” “I'll get you in and out again in one piece.” Mal considered for a hair's breadth of time, then nodded again, “Seems we have a deal. What's your cut?” Todd blushed very slightly under his tanned skin, “Negotiated some hospitality with one of the new whores, mate.” “Well, we won't be using their...hospitality, so that seems okay to me. Let's get started.” * In fairly short order, there was a procession towards the docks. A couple of discreetly armed women were guarding the three submersibles. Jayne narrowed his eyes, “Don't look much like armed guards to me.” Vera protested, “Hey! Remember who you're married to, huh?” One of the women turned and everyone gasped slightly, Vera more than most. The woman had shorter, darker brown hair which was almost black and had a slighter build, but otherwise she was strikingly like Vera. “Ta ma duh!” Jayne exclaimed, “Cousin Jenneth!” Vera finally found her voice, “My half-sister?!” Jenneth came over, swaying her hips slightly, “John Samuel's other daughter?” Vera nodded, “Yes; I had a younger sister called Sally, but she died a long time ago.” “Your lawyer found me and contacted me; told me about you.” The two women shook hands. Jenneth looked at Jayne, “And you're kin too; my mother was some kind of aunt to your father.” Jayne grinned, “We're all Cobbs, darlin'!” Todd was suddenly grinning at Jayne's shoulder, “I hear the Cobb libido is pretty legendary!” He was obviously very hopeful about his later 'hospitality'. Jenneth shrugged with fluid grace, “S'why I became a whore. Couldn't get enough sex any other way.” Jayne's grin widened, “Ya just need to find another Cobb who's not too closely related, then you'll be fine!” He put his arm around Vera. Vera looked at Jayne, “You never thought of becoming a boy whore, then?” Jayne's grin threatened to reach his ears, “Thought of it, tried it, earned a whole heap from it!” Vera raised one eyebrow artfully, “Guess it takes a whore to know one!” Jayne blinked, “You were a whore?” “Kinda freelance and on very specific terms, but yes, now and again. Needed the money, or information, or swag.” Jenneth nodded, “I know *that game.” She turned to Vera, “I'd really like to get to know you. I ain't had much contact with family apart from Ma; she lived away from the rest of the Cobb clan because her father was an embezzler of the worst kind.” “I'd like to get to know *you.” Mal had caught the general drift of things by now and had wandered over, “You want to pass on going under water?” Vera turned to him apologetically, “Sorry Mal, but this is family. Family I thought I'd never meet. I'll gladly look after Sarah if Zoe's willing.” He nodded, “I'll make the call to Zoe.” * Whilst the crew was being amended and Zoe prepped, Jayne drew Vera to one side, “You never told me you were a whore.” “Well, likewise.” “Yeah, but... You ain't with me fer the money, are you? Because if this is a big scam...” His face darkened menacingly. “Jayne, sweetheart...” Vera stroked one hand softly up his arm, trailing the ever present fire of arousal with the movement, “Feel that? That's not fake. We have it every time we touch and you know it. Remember after we got handfasted? We saw right down into each other, joined bone deep, and you *know the link we formed between us is stronger than steel or death.” “Better 'n money?” “Better than anything I've ever known. You've told me it's the same for you. If it's not, there's an almost double of me over there in Jenneth and you can try your luck that way.” “Her?” Jayne almost spat, “She might look powerful like you, but even she couldn't make me rise up to service her. Not as rounded; smaller breasts and rump, plus she ain't *you. My John Thomas gets hard an' achin' at the mere thought of havin' you and he's gone off any other woman. S'why I gotta be sure; surer than sure, solid.” “And all the glorious sex we've been having and the love we've been sharing these last few years hasn't made you sure and solid, darling wan nao?” A slight smile played around his lips, “Yeah, sure has. Need you to keep right on remindin' me of that, darlin'. An' I'll keep showin' you just how *very solid I am for you.” Vera trembled slightly, “Now I'm going to be on fire for you every moment you're away under the water.” Jayne's smile widened, “Thought of you bein' hot and wantin' me, mi mei gui... Gonna power me summat fierce to make it back to you in one piece and nail you into the far end of next week!” Vera grinned, “That's my merc!” He snatched a brief kiss, “Gonna pleasure you real soon, darlin'!” *