BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

BADKARMA00

Blue Blood – Chapter Six A
Saturday, December 15, 2007

Mal's plan works. Kinda.


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2020    RATING: 10    SERIES: FIREFLY

Blue Blood – Chapter Six A Author owns no rights to Firefly and no copyright infringement was intended. --------------------------- Mal paced the bridge as Astra grew in the screen. He’d pushed Companion fairly hard, trying to make up the time. They needed to arrive as near to on schedule as possible to avoid arousing suspicion. Even as he looked at the clock, seeing they were only a few hours off estimate, his mind was swirling with other concerns. Like would Jayne control himself and not go after Grippen the minute that Serenity hit the ground. He’d had a quiet talk with River before leaving, and the little assassin had promised that she would keep Jayne under control. Mal hoped that wasn’t just wishful thinking. “Astra control, this the Firefly transport Private Companion, out of Argo with agricultural cargo, inbound for Capital Dockyards, by way of Guilford pad,” he heard Inara say over the cortex. Mal gave his attention to the goings on around him, pushing thoughts of a homicidal Jayne aside for the moment. “Companion, be advised you are requested to set down at Astra Control Authority,” the controller called back. “Please have all paperwork, manifests, and crew logs available upon landing.” “Ai ya,” Mal muttered. “Now what?” “Astra control, this vessel was just inspected three weeks prior,” Inara called back after checking Companion’s listings. “Is there a problem? Or is this routine?” “Looks like a routine request, Companion,” the controller responded. “Affirmative,” Inara replied, looking to Mal, who nodded again. “Companion is inbound for ACA. ETA is twenty-five minutes.” “Roger, Companion. Astra control, out.” “Three guesses as to who ‘requested’ our inspection. “Our Blue Hand friends, no doubt,” Inara nodded. “Have you briefed Holly and Greggs on this?” “No, I haven’t. If it gets that far, we’re done for, anyway.” ------------------ “This is the transport vessel Private Companion?” The dock controller turned to see who was asking, and was startled to see four men, all looking vaguely similar, and dressed alike in blue suits. Complete with matching gloves. “Yeah,” he nodded. “Who wants to know?” “Merely inquisitive, I assure you,” the larger of the men replied. He nodded his thanks, and the men set off toward the docks. “Hey!” the controller called. “You can’t go out there!” “We have permission, I assure you,” the smallest of the men informed him, reaching into his pocket. “Let me show you.” ---------------- Mal opened the ramp reluctantly, but knew he had to at least pretend he didn’t know what was happening. He couldn’t sit here, buttoned up, and expect anyone to believe he had nothing to hide. The reason for the inspection was worrying him, though. “You the Captain?” a dockhand asked, looking up from the bottom of the ramp. “Yep,” Mal nodded amiably. “Malcolm Reynolds, at your service.” “Paperwork in order?” the man asked, walking up the ramp. “Better be, or I’ll have to fire my pilot,” Mal smiled. “Seeing as she’s my wife, be a bit rough on the home life.” The man chuckled at that, and Mal hit the comm. “Ai ren, can you bring the paperwork down for the inspector?” “On the way, Mal,” Inara answered, and Mal smiled. “What’s the deal, anyway?” he asked, genuinely curious. “We just stood to inspection less’n a month ago, or thereabouts.” “Don’t know,” the man shook his head. “Just take’em as they come in.” Inara arrived with the ships log and the manifest. “Hauling for Guilford’s ay?” The inspector asked. “Good food. Always try to get their meat products, myself. Best beef and pork on the market.” “We’ll tell’em that,” Mal beamed. “They’ll be glad to hear it.” “Well, looks like it’s in order,” the man handed the paper work back. He looked at Inara. “You have your license?” “I do,” Inara smiled beautifully, and handed over her own papers. A cursory inspection was all they received, the inspector dazzled by Inara’s smile. He handed them back. “And cargo,” he said, walking toward the crates. He quickly and efficiently checked each one, noting seals and numbers, then nodded. “Looks good to me, Captain,” he announced. “You folks have a safe trip. Sorry for the inconvenience.” “No problems,” Mal assured him. “Makes us feel better about using your facilities that you folks are so careful.” “Have to be, these days,” the man nodded. “Too much going on not to watch. You folks fly safe.” He headed down the ramp. Mal hit release as soon as the man was clear, and the ramp began to close. As he looked out the door, he spied a blue suit, watching. He didn’t seem to notice, though, turning away into the bay. “Get us off the ground,” he ordered Inara, and she went quickly to the bridge. As soon as the door was firmly shut, Mal joined her. In minutes, they were on their way to Guilford’s pad. ----------------- “Excuse me,” the inspector heard. “I wondered if I might trouble you for information?” “How can I help you?” the inspector asked. “That woman,” the man pointed to the departing Firefly. “She looks remarkably like someone I know. Was she, by chance, a pilot?” “Yep,” the inspector nodded absently, intent on his paperwork. “Wife to the captain. Ingrid something or other,” he added, not having paid much attention to the name on the license after that beautiful smile. “And the only woman aboard?” the man asked casually. “Odd to see that.” “Not really,” the inspector replied. “Lotta women pilots, especially these days. And yes, the rest of the crew were men. Three of them.” “One of them a rather large man?” The inspector looked at the blue suited man. “No,” he said thoughtfully. “Reckon the Captain was the biggest of the lot.” “Thank you,” the man smiled, and turned to leave. The inspector started to call after him, asking him what difference it was to him, but suddenly thought better of it. None of his affair, anyway. With a shrug, he walked into his office, unaware that his casual indifference had just saved his life. ------------------ “We have been deceived,” the lead agent told the others, once they were alone. “The pilot is a woman,” he nodded, “but she is not the subject. Nor is her large ‘husband’ aboard the ship.” “Wise of you, then, not to contact higher with the report,” the leader of the second team nodded sagely. “If this ‘sheriff’ has misled us, then we should pay him a visit.” “I concur,” the lead agent’s partner offered. “It is possible that the Tam subject, and her husband,” he added for the benefit of his associate, “are on the moon, and simply did not make this run.” “Doubtful,” the lead agent argued. “The contact insisted that she was on the ship, and would be arriving within the established time frame. Yet the ship is here, within the variance, and no sign of the subject. Thus, we are forced to conclude, this was a deception from the start, designed to collect the bounty by fraudulent means.” “No doubt thinking to hide behind his official standing, should the company that offered the reward object,” the fourth put in, drawing the same conclusion. “Then we should visit this sheriff,” the lead agent told the others. “We are in agreement?” The other three nodded their heads. “Then let us prepare to depart.” ---------------------------

COMMENTS

Saturday, December 15, 2007 9:50 PM

KIMBER


Aww, I hope Jayne and River won't have to leave, it's their home! I'm glad Inara and Mal made fools of the alliance officers LOL Hope to see more of them =)

Keep flying ;)


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