The Last Spartan – Chapter Fourteen Author owns no rights to Firefly or any related characters, and receives no money or compensation for his work. ---------------------------------- Jayne watched the six men approaching, and looked to Zoe. She nodded, and Jayne lifted Vera. He took a breath, let half of it out, and opened fire. Zoe had let him shoot first, since he could see better. As soon as he opened fire, she hit the torch, and light flooded the narrow passageway. Sure enough, the men all threw up their hands as the sudden bright light blinded them. Zoe shot two of them dead, while Jayne finished the rest. They advanced cautiously, checking for live ones. There were none. “Let’s move,” Zoe ordered. “I think not,” Atherton Wing’s voice floated down the tunnel. Both turned to see Wing, pointing a pistol at them. “Please, lower your weapons. When you do, I’ll carry you to your friends.” Jayne looked at Zoe for orders. He could take Wing right now, but would wait for her nod. Zoe considered that. She knew Jayne could take Wing, had seen it in the alley way. Jayne could get to him and tear his throat out before Wing saw him move. But they still had to find Mal and Inara. And Wing knew where they were. “I can make him show us,” Jayne said softly, where only Zoe could hear, and Zoe wondered for a second it Jayne could read, like River did. “Are you sure?” she asked, wanting to make the right decision. “There’s always his blood,” Jayne’s grin was ugly, and Zoe shivered. But he was right. “Take him,” she ordered, and Jayne was gone before the words were out of her mouth. Zoe hit the floor, hoping to avoid being shot. Wing started as the big merc, Cobb, seemed to vanish. He had an even bigger start an instant later when Cobb was standing before him, hand to his throat. The gun he held was crushed in the grip of the mercenary’s other hand. “Hello, Wing,” Jayne snarled, his fangs gleaming in the narrow light. Atherton Wing fancied himself a brave man. But the sight of the. . .thing before him gave proof to that lie, as his bladder released itself. “I want my people, Wing,” Jayne growled. “You can take me to ‘em, and I’ll go easy on you, or I can find them myself, and play with you for a while.” Jayne’s eyes almost glowed, as he leaned forward. “Guess which option I hope you want,” he whispered. “What’ll it be, Atherton?” Zoe asked, having caught up to Jayne. “Third door down, on the left,” Wing replied, his eyes never leaving Jayne’s face. “I do hope, for your sake, that nothing’s happened to them,” Zoe said as they traveled the distance to the door in question. “Ole Jayne, he don’t care much for Mal, but he sets great store by Inara, her being his friend and all.” She paused, and smirked up at Wing, who was still hanging from one of Jayne’s huge hands. “And Jayne might go all emotional if she’s upset. And she’ll be upset, anything was to happen to Mal.” Wing paled at that. “Neither have been harmed, I assure you,” he managed to stammer out. “You best be sure o’ that,” Jayne growled, just for emphasis. ------------------- Mal looked up sharply as the door opened again. His relief was palpable as first Zoe and then Jayne entered the room. His face darkened as he saw Wing dangling from Jayne’s grip. “Well, Wing,” Mal smirked. “Seems like you underestimated my crew, a bit.” “Indeed I did,” Wing blurted. Zoe went to release their friends. “Well, Atherton, old buddy, got any last words?” Jayne asked. Wing looked at him in fear. “You said if I showed you where they were. . .” “That I’d take it easy on you,” Jayne nodded. “I intend to. But that don’t include lettin’ you live.” Jayne’s other hand shot up too fast to follow, and there was as sickening crack as Wing’s neck was shattered. Inara grimaced at the sound, but not at the result. “Thank you, Jayne,” Inara said softly, hugging the large man. “You’re welcome, Inara,” Jayne growled. “You two okay?” he asked Mal. “Thanks to you two,” Mal nodded. “But I ain’t huggin’ on you so just put that outta your mind, Jayne.” “Why would I want you huggin’ on me, when Inara is?” Jayne asked in mock confusion, and all three laughed. “Let’s go,” Zoe ordered. “River’s watching the ship, and Doc and Kaylee are hid.” “Right behind you,” Mal nodded, taking Inara’s hand. Casting one last glance at the late and unlamented Atherton Wing, the four of them headed for the surface. --------------------

As soon as the men were all on board, River opened fire. Her silenced rifle kept her position hidden for the first two shot, allowing her to cut the odds, but the third shot someone saw her. “Up!” she heard one of them cry out, and a bullet struck perilously close to her. She flinched away, rolling to a new position. But she’d been seen. “Get her!” another voice cried. One man started up the stairs, and she shot him. The wound wasn’t fatal, but he fell back, eliminating the threat for the moment. But it exposed her to fire from his friends and she was forced to duck again. “There ain’t but one,” she heard another cry. There were seven men when it started. Two were dead, and two more wounded. Three still completely mobile. Difficult odds, though not insurmountable. She waited for a moment, steadying her breathing, as she reached out with her mind, looking for the three uninjured. One was near the stairs, out of her line of fire. She would have to be aware of him, lest he catch her by surprise. The other two were on opposite sides of the bay, under cover behind crates left from odd jobs. She rolled to her right, sighting and firing in less than a second on one of the hidden ones, then rolled back into cover, smiling at the yell of consternation. She hadn’t hit him, but she had scared him. She quickly reloaded her rifle, reviewing her options. The one near the stairs was moving. She felt his intent to ascend the stairs, and rolled left this time, sending three rapid shots in his general direction. Again she did not hit the target, but the bullets whining about him made the man scurry for cover. Good enough. She kept rolling to a new position, as the other one in the bay shot at her. The bullets were close, but she made it too the crate she’d placed for just such a purpose. Instead of waiting, as the men below might have expected, she continued her roll, and took aim at the one who fired. He was surprised by her appearance, and could not bring his gun to bear before she put a bullet in his head. She immediately returned to cover, and once again reloaded her rifle. Three dead, two hit, two left. Not bad so far, but she knew that her luck wouldn’t last forever. The two that were hit could still shoot, so they were still a threat. And the other two were better than the rest. She had culled out the worst of them, leaving only those with the most experience and ability. Go se. River crawled carefully to the next crate, all too aware that her motions were visible through the catwalk. Sure enough, shots rang out, and she scurried faster, making it to the hard floor of the stairwell landing. She had placed two crates here as well, and knew she was caught. She would not be able to move again without drawing fire from too many places. This would have to do. She lifted her head and rifle long enough to snap a shot at the wounded man who had shot at her, and was gratified to see him jerk as the bullet took him. Four dead. She hoped the others would hurry. ------------ As Jayne and the others neared the door, he stopped, motioning for the others to do the same. He lifted his head, listening carefully. For once, Mal kept quiet. “Shots,” Jayne said tersely. “River is under attack.” He turned to Zoe. “Wait here. She needs help.” Before anyone could object, he was gone. “How in the hell. . .?” Mal exclaimed as Jayne seemed to just disappear. “He’s very talented,” Zoe smirked. “So I see,” Inara whispered in awe. “We need to be helpin’,” Mal said. “We need to wait right here,” Zoe replied, watching the doorway. “Trust me, sir. Jayne don’t need no help.” ---------------- River felt Jayne as he approached the ship, and sighed in relief. She had managed to keep the three remaining men at bay so far, but knew it was only a matter of time before one of them got a shot in on her. Once that happened, they would have the ship. She reached out carefully, feeling for targets and opportunities. None. All were under cover, sniping at her position, hoping to get lucky. Sooner or later, they would. River had a full magazine in her rifle, and one more on her belt. After that, she was down to her pistol. Jayne watched for a minute from outside the bay, seeing two men. Good enough. In a flash he was behind the one nearest the door. His long clawed fingers tore his throat out in an instant. The man’s gurgled scream attracted the attention of another man, the one near the stairs. He brought his gun to bear, then stopped in shock at the bloody apparition before him. He only hesitated an instant, but in that instant Jayne covered the ground between them. The gunman watched in fascinated horror as Jayne’s fist tore through his body, and out his back. He died with stunned look on his face, as Jayne withdrew the fist, letting him fall to the ground. River, in her joy at seeing Jayne, forgot about the wounded man. It was a rare mistake, and one Jayne would always blame himself for. River rose from behind the crates, waving at Jayne. What happened next seem to be in slow motion. The wounded man, hit in the leg, forced himself up on his good leg, and fired at the girl on the catwalk. He hadn’t even seen Jayne, and never would, as the enraged creature ran to where the man stood and in a fit of rage literally ripped the man’s head from his shoulders. Before the man’s body stopped quivering, Jayne was at River’s side. “J. . .Jayne,” River stammered. “F. . .for. . .forgot one,” she tried to smile. The bullet had struck her in the chest, just at the bottom of her sternum, and was bleeding profusely. “My fault, parum Spartiate,” he told her gently. “Let me get you to the infirmary.” “Thi. . .think it might b. . .be too la. . .late for that, Janos my beloved,” her hand lifted shakily to his face, caressing his jaw. “Di. . .did not f. . .fail, magister. Fulfilled my ch. . .charge.” “That you did, my sweet,” Jayne nodded, lifting her from the floor. “DOC!” he cried out. “Doc get out here!” “If I were l. . .like you, would you love me?” River asked him, blood bubbling from her mouth in the effort. “If you n. . .never had to fear m. . .me growing old and l. . .leaving you? Could you l. . .love me then, Sp. . .Spartan?” Jayne felt his heart tearing at her question. “How could any warrior not love the incarnation of Athena herself,” he said gently, cradling her in his arms. She smiled at that, but the light was slowly fading from her eyes. “Janos?” she said suddenly. “I will s. . .see you again s. . .some d. . .day. When I d. . .do, d. . .on’t turn me aw. . .away. Promise m. . .me?” Jayne felt tears on his own face as she spoke. “I promise, my sweet,” he said, the words like ashes in his mouth. “I will not turn you away. Never again,” he added. “Good,” she murmured, her eyes closing at last.