BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

BADKARMA00

The Last Spartan – Chapter Thirty
Monday, December 3, 2007

Time stands still


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2084    RATING: 9    SERIES: FIREFLY

The Last Spartan – Chapter Thirty Seriously, I don’t own Firefly. If I did, though, oh boy! As it is, though, I just right for the fun of it. *************** “Yes?” He listened, and River felt his anger before his face reddened. “Is this part of. . .I see. Tell Neera once it’s dealt with, to find me. And have Jax Jersix report to me at once.” Janos replaced the comm receiver and looked at River. “There is yet another intrusion upon the grounds,” he informed her bluntly. “It’s been dealt with, but one of my men is dead, and another three are wounded to one degree or another. Nettles has much to answer for.” “Do not let anger guide you,” River warned, stripping her own bloody clothing off, and walking into the bathroom. “Use your wisdom.” “I will use something far more powerful than my wisdom. Please remain here until I send for you, meus rosea,” he asked her softly. “I cannot bear another loss this night. But I would give it all for you. I will send someone to escort you down whenever you are ready, and I’m sure it’s safe.” “I know you did well, tonight,” he raised a hand to forestall the coming objections, “but you are still weak, and you have yet to master yourself entirely. Please, for me, do this.” River’s face softened, and she nodded. “For you,” she agreed. “Thank you,” he sighed in relief, and bent his head to kiss her gently. “I am sorry that our night was so ruined. I can only promise you that those responsible will pay dearly for it. And more so if. . .” He couldn’t speak the words, instead resting his forehead against hers for a moment. “I know,” River shuddered at the thought of Inara’s dying. “I know.” ************* Jersix knew he was in trouble, but he hadn’t know it was that bad. His team had been in charge of house security for the party. And now one Lord Janos’ closest friends was wounded, and rumored to be dying. His thoughts returned to business as his boss walked into the room. Stalked would likely have been a better term. None of the crew from Serenity would have recognized Jayne aside from his looks. His face was clouded with fury, and his purple eyes blazed with pure, unadulterated rage. He walked directly toward Jersix, invading the man’s personal space. He casually tossed five handguns, and an equal number of stunners on the floor at the other man’s feet. “Explain this.” The voice was a scratchy bass, signifying that Lord Janos was, perhaps, a full second away from erupting. “I failed in my charge, My lord,” Jersix answered at once. “The blame is mine.” “I agree,” Janos rumbled. Three seconds later, Jersix was twenty feet away, on his back. Unconscious. Janos turned to Neera Trivett. “See to it he awakens somewhere else,” he ordered tersely. “Somewhere far from this estate. Suggest to him that it would be unhealthy for him, were our paths to cross, ever again.” Trivett bowed slightly, and nodded to two of her men. They moved at once to the fallen man, lifting him like a sack of potatoes and carrying him from the room. Trivett nodded again to the rest of the people present, and they all found somewhere else to be. “I’m surprised you didn’t kill him,” she remarked once they were alone. “Thank my soon-to-be wife,” Janos rumbled in fury. “She has tempered my reactions, somewhat.” “She did well, I’m told,” the Amazon noted. Neera Trivett had once been a true Amazon, many centuries ago. Like Prim, she had been with Janos since long before modern times on Earth-that-was. She belonged to the innermost circle of the workings around Janos, and spoke with the confidence those years had brought. “She did,” Janos nodded in agreement. Despite his anger, the pride in his voice was unmistakable, and Trivett had to hide a smile. Now wasn’t a good time for it. “We have the prisoners,” Trivett informed him, returning to business. “I’m afraid that none of the second group managed to survive,” she added, drily. “It matters not,” Janos assured her. “We have their leader, their employer,” he hissed. “Bring him to me. He has a great deal to answer for. But before his blood is mine, he will tell me everything I wish to know.” He looked at Neera, face set in hard lines she knew all too well. “Assemble the team,” he ordered. “We will make war, Neera, my friend. Though I fear we will march without Prim this time.” “I heard about Lady Inara,” Neera nodded grimly. “I am sorry for that, Janos.” “It is not for you to be sorry, Neera,” Janos assured her. “But someone will be very sorry. And soon. Now, bring Mister Nettles to me.” ***************** “How is she, Simon?” Simon turned to see Mal standing in the doorway to Inara’s room. He had changed back into his ‘Mal’ clothes, and seemed to have calmed some. “The same,” Simon answered quietly. “She’s not any worse, for which I’m thankful, but she’s not getting any better, either. And she should be.” “Simon, I owe you. . .” Mal began, but Simon stopped him with an upraised hand. “No, you don’t,” the younger man assured him. “I understand. I used to be a real doctor before I joined your crew, you know,” he smiled in weak humor. “I’ve dealt with such reactions before, and I assure you, they’re normal.” “I just. . .there’s so much I want to say to her, before we parted ways, I mean,” Mal said in a rush. “I ruined whatever might have been between us, and I know that. I’d like us to part as friends, at least.” “I know,” Simon said kindly. “And, despite it all, I think I’m safe in saying that she still considers you a friend, Mal.” “I wish I was as sure o’ that as you seem to be,” Mal replied forlornly. “I’m gonna see what Jayne’s found out about all this. And I owe him a ‘pology too, I’m thinking.” Simon watched Mal walk away, and for the first time since he’d known the man, he felt sorrow for him. Mal had made his own bed, and realized too late that it wouldn’t include Inara Serra. It was a terrible blow for any man to absorb. He remembered when he and Kaylee had called it quits, and the pain he’d felt at that. Simon promised himself that, no matter what, he wouldn’t make the mistakes with Kaylee, now that he had her back, that Mal had made with Inara. ************** River showered and changed into more comfortable clothes. As she wandered back into the suite, her mind wandered over the night’s events. It had been a wonderful evening before the attempt to capture her. Like a fairy tale, really. But the memory of the evening would always be marred, now, by the fact that Inara was shot, and might yet die. As she collapsed on the four poster bed, River fought back tears. Had it not been for her, Inara would not be hurt. Always, because of her, people around her were being hurt. Blue Sun would never stop trying to retake her, never mind that her warrants were no longer active. They were working for the Alliance, and there was no power that could halt their attempts. She’d never be free of them. They would hunt her for as long as she. . . Abruptly, her eyes opened. For as long as she lived? Suddenly, despite the pain she was feeling, a small, slow smile washed across her face. No, they wouldn’t hunt her for as long as she lived. Not now. She would outlast them. *********************** Hiram Nettles was dumped unceremoniously at the feet of Janos. He was unfettered, as no one in this room feared him. That was a sobering thought in and of itself. “Send for Prim,” Janos ordered Neera, and she smiled, knowingly. Janos looked to Nettles. “You have attacked my home,” he began without preamble, “you have attempted to kill my betrothed, you have mortally wounded one of my dearest friends. Is there any compelling reason I should let you live another moment?” The question took Nettles by surprise. “I am an agent of. . .” “I know who you are, Hiram Nettles,” Janos cut him off, coldly. “I will deal with them in due time, I assure you. What I want to know, what I intend to know, is who sent you. To my home.” “I was tasked to retrieve the Tam subject for further study,” Nettles lied his ass off, hoping to survive the encounter. “The ‘Tam Subject’ is no longer any concern of your’s, nor the Alliance. There are no warrants for her now.” “She belongs to us,” Nettles shot back before thinking. Mistake. Janos’ large hand swept down, and Nettles found himself flying through the air. He came to an abrupt stop as he crashed into the wall twelve feet behind him. “She belongs to me,” he dimly heard Lord Janos snarl. “She was the greatest accomplishment we ever had,” Nettles tried again. “A prodigy, with unrealized potential. We helped her realize that potential.” “You terrorized a teenage girl, physically and mentally tortured her, and destroyed or removed parts of her brain.” Janos’ voice had turned gravelly, a sure bad sign to those who knew him well. Nettles did not. “How do you rate that as realizing her potential? Did you consult her, or her parents, before embarking on this process? Was she a willing participant in this torture?” “What we did was for the greater good,” Nettles responded, only to bear the wrath of Janos’ fist again. “It is not for the likes of you to decide that,” Janos growled, once Nettles had set up again, now on the opposite side of the room. “You, and people like you, have always sought to justify what you do as being for the greater good. Tell me, Mister Nettles. Had it been your daughter, your sister, who possessed this ‘unrealized potential’, would you have still conducted your experiments?” Nettles’ silence was answer enough. “I thought as much,” Janos smiled, but it was an ugly smile, lacking warmth or comfort. Nettles felt a chill run the length of his spine. “You and I are going to discuss your place of business, Mister Nettles,” Janos said calmly, as if explaining how a financial transaction was to be handled. “You will tell me what I need to know, so that I can make sure that nothing like this happens again. You will tell me, or your death will be long, and torturous. It will take weeks, perhaps, during which you will know pain like you have never imagined.” He looked up as Neera and Prim walked into the room. “After that,” he smiled again, “my friend would like to discuss your shooting of Lady Inara with you.” ****************** The night passed slowly, with no one sleeping more than a few minutes at the time. River had found that one of the ‘advantages’ to her new life was an increased metabolic rate. On the one hand, she could now go for days without rest. On the other, she was almost constantly hungry. Or thirsty. She had remained in her suite for nearly three hours before she heard a gentle knock at her door. When she opened it, there were two people, a young woman, and younger man, standing there, attired in the uniforms worn by Janos’ retainers. “Lady River,” the man spoke respectfully, bowing slightly. “I am Jon Dixon. This is my partner, Elana Harwood. We are to be your personal escorts for the time being. Lord Janos assigned us to you himself. He told us to say meus parum Spartiate, as our bonafide’s.” My little Spartan, River smiled softly. Only a select few would know that Jayne/Janos had ever called her that. “Very well,” she smiled. “Do you know where Lord Janos is, at the moment?” Janos’ presence had gone ‘dark’ not long after he had departed, and she had not sensed him since then. “He is. . .occupied, My Lady,” Harwood answered. The look on her face told River more than her words. And that she would get no more from her. “I see,” she nodded. “I want to go to the hospital, and then, perhaps find something to eat.” “You may go where you please, My Lady,” Dixon assured her at once. “We will follow.” With her own retainers now in tow, River set out to check on Inara. ****************** “I thought Prim would be here,” River said quietly to Simon. “He was, until about an hour ago,” Simon assured her. “A very formidable looking woman came and fetched him away.” “Inara has not improved at all?” River asked, looking at her friend. “No, mei mei, she hasn’t,” Simon sighed. “At least she’s stable, though. I am hopeful that, should she survive the night, she will recover. The longer she has to fight, the better her chances.” “I’m sure you’re doing all you can, Simon,” River patted his arm comfortingly. “Some things are beyond our control, that’s all.” “Not beyond everyone’s control,” River heard Mal growl from behind her. She turned to face him. “Meaning?” she asked. “Meaning where is Jayne, and his miracle cure?” Mal asked bluntly. “I’ve been all over this place, and ain’t seen hide nor hair of him.” River noticed that Mal was trying, really trying, not to be his old self. It was a strain, though, under these circumstances. “Jayne is occupied, Mal,” River said quietly. “Finding out why this has happened, and, more importantly, who is responsible.” “And it isn’t a miracle cure, Mal,” Simon added. “The process itself can be fatal.” “Didn’t kill River,” Mal pointed out, though not unkindly. “But River was already dying, right in front of me,” Simon replied, his voice breaking at the memory. “Inara is stable, right now, and might yet recover. Trying on her what Jayne did on River might. . .it might throw her into shock again, Mal, and kill her. There’s no point in risking that, when she might well recover on her own.” Mal nodded, having been unaware of that. “I didn’t know,” he spoke the words aloud. “It’s all right, Captain,” River spoke softly, placing a small hand on Mal’s arm. “You are hurting, as are we all. When faced with such events, it is not only natural, but expected, that we would grasp at any straw or branch.” Mal looked at River, and saw the understanding, the sympathy in her eyes. When Simon had resorted to the same thing for his sister, Mal’s anger over it had destroyed his crew, costing him greatly. Now, though, the shoe was on the other foot. He had an idea, for the first time, the predicament Simon had been in when Jayne had. . .changed, River. “I’m sorry, Simon,” Mal said softly, his voice almost a whisper. “I. . .for everything. You too, lil’ albatross,” he added. River’s heart swelled at that. Mal had not called her that in several days, weeks really, save for the incident in the hallway where she’d slapped him. There was hope, yet, for Malcolm Reynolds, she decided. “I’m going to get something to eat,” she said suddenly. “Would you like to accompany me?” Mal looked at her in surprise, then nodded, smiling slightly. “I’d like that,” he admitted. She looked to Simon. “Want me to have something sent to you, ge ge?” “Please,” Simon nodded at once. “I’m starving, all of a sudden.” “Then let us venture to the kitchen, Captain, and see what we can scrounge up.” River took Mal’s arm in her’s, and the two walked away, followed by River’s new retainers. ****************

COMMENTS

Monday, December 3, 2007 10:46 PM

JANE0904


This is so good. Nettles is a truly slimy piece of work, so well done! And I love the way River is now continually hungry - it's a wonderful touch from the BDS where Jayne was always eating ... now we know why!


POST YOUR COMMENTS

You must log in to post comments.

YOUR OPTIONS

OTHER FANFICS BY AUTHOR

Archangel Forty-Two
The battle ends, for all but one.

Archangel – Chapter Forty-One
Monty arrives, but is it too late?

Archangel – Chapter Forty
The battle takes a turn for the worst, and time begins to run out for defenders.

Archangel – Chapter Thirty-Nine
Things heat up, and not just on Osiris!

Unneeded
Jayne decides to leave after the damage from Miranda is put right.

Archangel – Chapter Thirty-Eight
The Battle Rolls on, and friends and foes alike began to fall.

Archangel – Chapter Thirty-Seven
THe Battle for Osiris is joined

Archangel - Chapter Thirty-Six
The Battle Begins

Archangel – Chapter Thirty-Five
Simon and River reach an understanding, and the crew separates, starting their parts of the mission.

Archangel – Chapter Thirty-Four
The Crew decideds to help. River gets help from an unexpected source.