Author: Tinadoll (aka Tina- That’s me!) Setting: After BDM Characters: All majors cept Wash and Book. And a new one called Scorpion Rating: PG-13- NC-17. This chapter is R- Language and themes Spoilers: Thats a yes.-But who cares? We have all seen the episodes and the movie-right? Author’s note: Eever since Jetflair has kindly offered to Beta my work,i think it has gotten better. Thank you Maves for suggesting it! And thank You Jetflair for being so kind and patient Disclaimer: Firefly et al. Are properties of Joss Whedon- Those who don’t like that will get punched in the Kidneys Beta:Jetflair

Chapter 7: Sitting on the Moon I'm sitting on the moon Watching planet blue, hello Looking all around Rotating without sound, where are you

Where are you I'm sitting on the moon Where are you I am missing you

I came from very far A little unknown star, hello I don't know what to do It is so cold and blue, without you

Where are you I'm sitting on the moon Where are you I am missing you (Enigma, 2006 Album: A Posteriori) Scorpion was blindfolded and taken away. As she felt lift-off, she realized they were taking her off world. Sitting in the holding cell, she wondered how long the trip would last. Was it minutes, hours, or perhaps even days? She didn’t know how long it was when they finally touched down, but it didn’t seem like more than an hour or two.

She was removed her from her cell and escorted down many a corridor. When they stopped, she was unbound and thrown inside another room. Before she could turn around and retaliate the door was shut and barred behind her. She took a good look around; it was her old room that the master had provided for her. She considered it her prison.

It was still as colorless as it always was. Her bed was perfectly made and her clothes were perfectly hung in the walk in closet. Her desk was neat and organized. Her records were in their case and her sound system was still there. Absent were her Samurai swords and anything that could be used as a weapon. She felt that it him was having a last victory over her, but she allowed that without complaint because she was going to kill him anyway.

She entered her bathroom and there was her bathtub all nice and shiny. She took of her clothes and left them in a pile on the floor. She didn’t care. All she wanted was one last bath before she kicked some ass. “Well, well, what are we….in trouble again?” said a familiar voice. She looked up and there stood Jubal Early. He was her competition and only person she had ever called friend. When she was on her way to a job she found him floating in space, and he had been eternally grateful to her, often bringing her back trinkets from his conquests. “What’s up Jubal?” she asked as she sat back in her bubbles. “I can’t believe you let her live,” he said, laughing. He was very familiar with the good crew of the Serenity. All he wanted was a second chance to get back at Mal for leaving him in space in the first place. The only reason they hadn’t killed him was the Vynrock incident. 14 people lay dead. 40 million credits recovered. Jubal and Scorpion had come back as big damn heroes. “She’s like me Jubal. Special,” she said. “Besides, I’m done with this life.” He took a seat on the chair beside the bathtub and lit the clove cigarette he offered her. If she didn’t know better she would think that he was flirting with her. “And that is why they are going to kill you.” she said as he crossed his arms. She ignored him and smoked her cigarette suggestively. She finally stood up, clearly done with the bath, but he didn’t even move. All he did was arch an eyebrow. “Ugh….towel,” she said, clearly bemused. He still didn’t move. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a towel, stuck out her tongue and reentered her room. He followed her, laughing. She dried herself off but stood nude in her walk-in closet deciding what to wear. He took a seat at her desk and checked her out from the distance. She had a tattoo of a scorpion on the small of her back but nothing else was out of place. She wasn’t perfect, and he knew she hated her thighs, but he thought she was hot. “Well, how do like my odds?” she asked from the closet. She slipped on a pair of black underwear and found her favorite black lace bra, deciding against it after a moment. The folly of man to make a woman uncomfortable, she chose a flowing black silk blouse. It was simple yet elegant. “You have trained well, but is that enough? Even if you don’t kill him…” his voice trailed off. She didn’t turn around but the look on her face said it all- determination. She wasn’t going to let that fei fei de pi yan (Monkey asshole) get the better of her. “You may be a xiong meng de kuang ren (violent lunatic), but you know nothing about me,” she said as she turned around. His face hardened. “So the next question is: What the hell do you want?” she asked, almost hissing at him. “I wanted to get to know you in your final hours.” he said, a sadistic smile returning to his face. She gave him a “quit your bullshit” look- “I don’t think so Jubal- I rather have sex with that big ugly mercenary again. At least he had a big hard dick,” she said, smiling.

He came over and they kissed, hot and evil. “I owe you one kiddo,” he said, letting go of the embrace.

“I know you do,” she said as she lay on her bed suggestively. “I’ll make sure it happens quickly,” he said, almost saddened. He turned and left. That wasn’t going to be the last time she saw him. … Her last meal was taken in her room. She was asked what she wanted, and she chose paella and a rare vintage red wine, topped off with flan for dessert. Soon after, she was drunk, fed and awaiting her death. She closed her eyes. … She saw the table again. Her mother was setting and her father was following, taking the settings off. She approached and sat down. Her mother put the settings in front of her and patted her on the head. “Soon,” she said simply. “I am so proud of you,” her father replied. She was redeemed. …

She opened her eyes and cried for the first time in years. She entered her closet; many of her favorite outfits were in her shuttle, along with her favorite weapons-thank God. She put on a pair of black pants and tied up a black corset. The boots she chose were comfortable. She put on makeup and adjusted her eye patch, but then put in her back pocket. She was going to need all her assets on this one. If she couldn’t out joust him she would have to rely on her maneuver capabilities. She sat on the floor cross-legged and concentrated on the war ahead. She was going to hurt. She was going to bleed. But she wasn’t going to die. …. The next day, they finally came for her. She was escorted to a room with circle in the middle. There were elevated seats and different members of the company took each one. Some were just outstanding members of the crime community. She saw Early as well as this elder Russian gentleman sitting next to a pale redhead.

“You should have killed Reynolds when you had the chance,” the redhead screamed. All Scorpion did was give her a rude gesture, much to the delight of the audience. The chairman had a prominent place, eagerly awaiting the outcome of the fight. She entered the Circle and Mr. Laurence Yoshida entered from the other side. He was wearing his karate pants with no shirt, and the look he gave was a familiar one. He wasn’t happy and she was going to feel it. The faced each other. “You will feel everything,” he said. “You will try,” she replied. “But remember, I have a high tolerance when it comes to pain.” He snarled back at her and she laughed. “Don’t do that or your face will freeze that way.” “Enough!” bellowed the Chairman. “The rules of this fight are - ” He was cut off by an assistant. After a huddled conversation, he smiled and resumed talking. “Well, there are no rules. Just a fight to the death.”

He turned his attention to the girl. “Scorpion? What weapon do you choose?” “Katana,” she replied. She was very good at her swords, especially the katana. “Is this okay with you, Mr. Yohsida?” asked the chairman. “It will do fine,” responded Yoshida with a slight bow. There were given each a sword. “Begin,” commanded the Chairman. She took her time and they moved counter clockwise around the room- Scorpion on the defensive. She lunged and he blocked her. It went that way for a while. He advanced, she blocked, he blocked and she advanced until he got her across her left thigh. The crowd gasped and she let out a belly laugh. Even her opponent gave a confused look. She was laughing because she didn’t feel the pain-she was just having fun, in a sick sort of way.

He lunged at her and she blocked it well. What she didn’t notice that he had a knife concealed and went to stab her in the lungs. As he came at her with the knives he made a critical error and lost his head.

Literally. The crowd roared. A fitting end.

The chairman stood up and clapped as she bowed. After a suitable interval, he calmed everyone down.

“Your reward,” he started, “is to die without being submitted to the Hand portion of the company.” Her face hardened. They weren’t going to let her live after all.

“What about Jubal? You let him live?” she asked.

For once the chairman looked confused. “Jubal Early is dead,” he said. “You brought back his body years ago.”

She looked to the stands and he was nowhere to be found. He was a ghost in the past that haunted her. She didn’t beg. She never did. She just bowed a little. Somehow, she was going to get out of this.

*** She went back to her room to change and was brought out an hour later for her execution. Being as the house was located on a moon, she as going to get thrown out an airlock.

She was brought to a room with many members of the company, and the Chairman stepped out from the crowd. “Any last words?” he asked.

“If this is where you want me to beg for my life, well, you have another thing coming. I have lived a full life. I have many happy memories and will join my parents in paradise. I hope you all get to go to the special hell.”

The chairman laughed. “Memories? Those were a lie. We programmed you to have them. The only thing that is true was your service during the Insurrection.”

“The Battle for Independence,” she corrected.

“The Insurrection of the Minor quarrelsome outer core planets that were punished by their big father,” he retorted. There were claps all around; he was preaching to the choir.

“Big father is just a puppet. The ‘verse is better without him,” she said defiantly, referring to how big companies ran the Alliance and the whole damn Core government.

“Enough.” He says with a wave of an arm. “You will never know who you really were.”

She gave a confused look because she didn’t know what he was talking about, but he merely turned his attention to the goons holding her “Test subject 34-24 B of project Hera has failed to meet standards. Neutralize her.”

With those stark words, they threw her into the airlock. Jubal was inside, and he pointed to a panel. She took out the panel and found a space suit. “It has 15 minutes on it,” he said. “That should buy you enough time to say your prayers. Go out in style.”

Hearing the countdown to the opening of the outer door, she quickly donned the suit. “Goodbye Jubal,” she said, determined.

“Goodbye Maria.” he replied eerily. And he was gone. Goodbye Id. Hello Superego.

The door opened and she wandered out into the black. She continued as far as her legs could push her, leaving behind the confines of the station and the glares of the faces watching her die. “Where are you?” she asked. “I am sitting on the moon.”

She walked. She remembered the faces. Pain. Black. Faces. The pain, the inner turmoil, was excruciating now. She was trying to hide from it, but it had found her. The tears came. She didn’t mean to kill. She didn’t mean to. What she would do to cook with her mother again.” “It’s so cold and blue,” she said, sobbing. “Without you.” The oxygen soon ran low, and she sat still on a rock and awaited her death, pondering her life before she slept the glorious sleep. Goodbye, Scorpion. The light swallowed her whole. “Hello Maria,” her mother said softly. “Welcome home.” ~~~~~

Somewhere, Malcolm Reynolds said, “NOW.”