Dramatis Personae: Serenity

Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of Serenity Zoe Washburn, First Mate Simon Tam, Doctor River Tam, Psychic and Crew Jayne Cobb, Mercenary and Public Relations Kaylee Frye, Mechanic

The Seedy Underworld Fanty, Crime boss Mingo, Fanty's twin, Crime boss Badger, Crime boss

The Alliance Military The Operative Commander Tucker P. Wang

Those Looking for work Ben Goodman, Pilot Richard Seymore, Pilot Fred Taylor, Pilot Ryan McCann, Pilot

"Have Gun, Will travel" Part 1.

Mal had the gun in Badger's face, the hammer pulled back. Zoe, Jayne, and River pointing their various weapons back at Badger's gang, the mood was tense. "I seem to be gettin' stabbed in the back more often than I like... Badger, you got somethin' missin' in the brain pan? Or you plannin on takin' a slug from me?"

"Would that I knew what you were talkin' about, Captain..."

"You know damn well what I'm talkin' 'bout now, you sellin' me out to Dobbs. How much they pay you?"

"I don't know what you're-"

"I oughtta riddle you with holes, Badger... but I gotta problem. Big one. You fix this maybe we can make things square."

Zoe gave Mal a look, this was NOT what was planned. Jayne was keeping his mouth shut, but only because he was concentrating on looking as mean and evil as he possibly could... although it was impossible with the ridiculous hat he wore. The group stood there a moment in the dark room filled with containers that served as Badger's office, barely breathing... the wrong look, the wrong muscle movement and violence would ensue. Mal looked at Badger, who was unarmed... he held the hammer on his revolver and pulled the trigger, setting the hammer gently on its resting place and not discharging a bullet. He slowly placed the weapon in it's holster on his thigh, keeping his hand on its grip.

"Badger, tell your boys to put their's down too... then mine'll do the same... Ain't no reason for us not to be civilized."

Badger nodded to one of his lieutenants, and his group lowered their weapons. Badger didn't bother to sit at his desk, preferring to stand. "What you got in mind?" he said through a snarl. Mal looked at his group, they lowered their weapons. "I got a rareity burnin' a whole in my hull. I want it gone, keep my boat fueled and stocked with food."

"And this rarity... would happen to be worth some kinda currency I take it?"

"It would... larger than you can probably handle, but it's not like I'm gonna give ya the choice."

"What is it?"

"The Lassiter."

Badger laughed a moment, then saw Mal's serious expression.

"That was you?!"

"Yeah..."

"You got balls, my friend. Balls the size of... well, balls." Badger laughed to himself over the joke he'd made, then noticed no one else was. Male began to speak again. "I want one million for it after your cut. I want the million in untraceable Alliance Credits wired to this account." Mal slid over a sheet of paper with a bank account number written on it. "And I want it now. I get it, I have one of my crew bring you the Lassiter. We don't leave until it's done. The moment you step out of line... well, I really don't want things to get messy but you've stabbed me in the back twice." Badger seemed to consider this for a moment. "What if I don't have that kinda cash lyin' aronud?" Mal's expression soured. "Then I shoot you, your boys let me leave because I'm sure one of 'em wants your spot here, an' I go tell Fanty and Mingo that I got that nice little piece of collector's hardware."

From a pocket Badger withdrew a comm, it was obviously brand new but it looked as if it had been through its fair share of users before winding up in Badger's posession. He began speaking into it in hushed tones. Badger hung up and replaced it in his pocket. "One million square. Transferred to that account." Mal glared at him. "You understand if I don't believe a man of standing, like yourself." Without waiting for a response, Mal pulled out his own comm... a clunky one even more worn than Badger's. "Simon, what do you see?" From the other side he could hear Simon Tam's voice. "Every penny, Captain." Mal's lips finally hinted at a smile. "You pull it all out in cash and high-tail it back to Serenity." Mal hung up and then called Kaylee. "Kaylee, bring it in." There was a subtle knock at the door. Zoe opened the door, not turning her back on Badger's men. Kayle walked in with a bundle, she handed it to Mal as he put away his comm. "Thanks Kaylee, go ahead and prep Serenity for launch."

Kaylee simply nodded at Mal, hurrying out of the room with the scary people. Mal handed the bundle to Badger. Gingerly, Badger opened the wrappings like a child recieving his first Christmas present... "Well, I'll shit meself..." Badger said under his breath. "It's the real thing... does it work?"

Mal looked at Zoe, then back at Badger. "Not at the moment, not that you would want it too... it's on the valuable side. Remember this Badger, I don't cheat you... you don't cheat me. Next time I see you, you'll have a lot to think about if you survive." Badger looked at him. "I don't like threats."

"It ain't a threat."

Mal gestured to his crew, and they slowly filed out, not turning their backs on Badger's men. Once out Mal sprinted to the waiting Mule and pushed Kaylee out of the driver's seat. "We need to get outta here fast..." he said as the rest of the group got on. He floored it, leaving a trail of dust in his wake while he sped down to the Eavesdown docks. "I wish Wash was still here..." said Jayne, looking at his own lap. "It'd make getaways that much quicker... an' I'd feel a whole lot safer to hear one of his crazy air flying things..." Zoe looked down as well, then at Jayne. "He ain't, so we gotta make do." She looked at River. "Little one, you think you can fly us outta here?" River looked back at Zoe, the eyes of a diferent woman in her head. She was still not one hundred percent, but she was a helluva lot more lucid than Jayne was at times. "I can fly her out, but she doesn't want to leave."

Mal looked at River for a second before shifting his sight back to the road. "River, what's that mean in dumb captain talk?"

The sound of a gunshot rang out across the docks where Mal was speeding and a pair of Mules with Badger's men were firing.

Jayne squeezed off a few rounds from Vera, then began yelling over the rushing wind. "We're too heavy, and they got gorram REAPEATERS, MAL!"

Mal shouted back at Jayne. "An' what do you have, a pea shooter?!" Mal heard a bullet zoom a little too close to his head. "River, Kaylle keep your heads down!"

Zoe Took careful aim with her rifle and squeezed the trigger, picking off the driver of one of the mules. River began to fire as well, aiming for the other driver. "Mal, we gotta hurry!" Jayne shouted again.

"What, ain't I goin' fast enough for you CAPTAIN COBB?!"

Another bullet wizzed past Mal's head, the fire from Badger's men was bad enough to make Mal smile... but eventually someone was going to get lucky. "River, what the hell did that poetical garbage mean?!"

River looked behind her and then back at Mal. "Landlock."

TO BE CONTINUED, "HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL" PT.1.5