BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

BADKARMA00

Inferno – Chapter Twenty-three
Friday, January 11, 2008

Home is where the ship is, and Pirates should know better


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2253    RATING: 10    SERIES: FIREFLY

Inferno – Chapter Twenty-three Author doesn’t own Firefly, doesn’t make money for this, desperately doesn’t want to be sued. --------------------- The pirate ship had waited, systems down, until the Firefly had left the station. Once their intended target had set a course, they had followed, at a distance. The captain and mate had decided, after much discussion, to wait at least twenty-four hours before hitting the ship, allowing it to get as far away as possible from any help. Now, they were closing steadily on the target, gaining with each passing minute. ----------------- “We may have a problem,” River said quietly, and Jayne looked up from the magazine he was reading. “What’s wrong?” he asked, moving across to where River sat. “We’ve picked up a shadow,” River told him. “Pirates,” she added after a minute of concentration. “They are getting ready to hit us.” “Will this never end?” Jayne complained. “I mean for the love o’. . .” “Problems, kid?” Goldie asked, as he and Liam arrived to take the watch. Goldie moved over to the cortex, and attached a small black box to the receiver. “What’s that?” Jayne demanded. “Dammit, Goldie, we got pirates on our rear. I ain’t got time for. . .” “Easy, kid,” Goldie held up a placating hand. “It’s like this. Liam was out, mindin’ his own business, when he happened to overhear some. . .gossip, let’s call it. So he came and told me about it, and then, he and I. . .” “You did this without bothering to tell me?” Jayne demanded, once Goldie finished his ‘narrative’. Goldie nodded. “You got a lot on you, kid,” Goldie said defensively. “We were just trying to help. That’s all.” “Jayne,” River stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. He flushed red at whatever she told him, but nodded. “Well, if it works, it’ll save us a pack o’ trouble, that’s for sure,” Jayne told them, anger suddenly abated. “We’ll wait and see if they open a channel to us.” As he said that, a burst of cannon fire erupted near the bridge window, shaking the ship, and the incoming message light on the cortex began blinking. ----------------- “Open a channel,” the captain of the pirate ship ordered tersely. “We ain’t lettin’ this one have the chance to get away. I want him bracketed before we ever demand they stand down.” “Signal coming back, Captain,” he heard a minute later. “Firing solution locked in.” -------------------- “Firefly vessel, stand down at once, and prepare to be boarded, or we’ll destroy your ship.” Jayne looked at the man, his face calm. “We have nothing of value, captain,” Jayne told him calmly. “Simply carrying refugees from Aberdeen. No cargo, and no money.” “Well, I expect some of the refugees will do nicely,” the captain smiled. “And there’s always your ship. Now stand down, captain, or I’ll destroy you.” Jayne looked at Goldie, and nodded. The older man smiled, and hit the button on his little black box. The signal attached itself to the cortex feed, piggybacking it’s way across to the other vessel. ----------------- The pirate captain swore as the bridge lights blinked, then went out completely. The cortex also died. “Life support off line!” his mate called a second later. “All systems are down. Switching to backups!” “What the hell is going on here!” the captain demanded, rising from his chair. “We’ve been hit by an EMP device of some kind,” the mate told him a moment later. “We’ve lost everything! We’re adrift!” ----------------- “Ship is fading,” River announced. “Losing ground. It appears that all systems are off line.” “Spike?” Jayne asked, looking at Goldie, and he nodded. “Uh huh,” Goldie smiled. “Cleaner than say, a bomb?” he smirked, and Jayne grumbled something that might have sounded like, ‘whatever’. “Will they be able to get their systems back on line?” River asked. Goldie shrugged. “I dunno,” he answered cheerfully. “Maybe.” “They could die, if life support is off line,” she pointed out. “Tough noogies,” Goldie’s sympathy meter was pegging zero. “They meant to sell the women on the slave market, kill the rest of us, and take the ship. Life’s a bitch, ain’t it?” ---------------------- Inara breathed a bit easier as Serenity settled onto the pad at Guilford’s. There’d been no sigh of the pirate vessel during the return trip. She’d ordered John’s ‘surprise’ removed from the dumping lock, and stored in one of the large storage bins in the bay. Never knew when that kinda thing might come in handy. She’d also instructed him to make a duplicate set for the Companion. She smiled when she saw Mal’s official ground car speeding up the road. Making the rest of her postflight as quickly as she could, Inara went hurriedly to meet him, hoping to be the one to explain about the. . . “But Miss Inara, she just said, ‘everyone hold on, this might be a bit rough’, all calm like, and whoosh! Off we went, riding hell bent fer leather, and left them pirates eating a vapor trail. Yes siree bob! That lady has got steel in her spine! Fly with her anywhere. Lucky man, Sheriff.” Inara was blushing a bit by the end of Pete’s recital, but she could see Mal’s face, and knew there was going to be a long discussion later on. ---------------- “So, you’re outrunning pirates now?” Mal smiled, embracing Inara fiercely, and kissing her soundly. “I am,” she batted her eyes at him when they separated. “Seemed like the thing to do, at the time.” “Well, according to ole Petey, you did just fine,” he smiled. “I’d like to think I’ve learned a trick or two, here and there,” she laughed. “Cavorting around the ‘verse with my own pirate.” “I was not a pirate,” Mal huffed indignantly. “I was a gentleman thief.” “You say to-may-to, I saw to-mah-to,” Inara sung lightly. “And I wish you’d quit referring to my not so shiny past, anyway,” he mumbled. “I don’t need all that comin’ to light right now.” “Problems?” she asked, serious now. “Nothing new, really,” he admitted. “Just that the old stuff is wearing a bit.” “Have you heard from Zoe?” Inara asked. “Heard from Jayne,” Mal smiled. “Seems Zoe got herself shot. She’s fine,” he went on quickly when Inara’s face showed alarm. “But she ain’t happy with being stuck abed. Jayne’s running the ship. Has been since the first day they got there.” “Jayne?” Inara’s look was surprised. “Yup,” Mal nodded. “And doing a first class job, too, it appears. He managed to get everyone, and a few extras. Did say they lost Kaylee’s little brother, though,” he added sadly. “Oh, no!” Inara gasped. “Poor Kaylee!” “Could have been a lot worse,” Mal told her. “Planet was a beehive o’ slavers and pirates, and other assorted hooligans, strippin’ the planet bare. Jayne and Liam had to rescue the Mann’s from a slave ship.” “Were they injured?” she asked. “Liam was shot in the leg, but he’s fine, up walking around. Mister Mann was shot, left for dead, but Jayne says Simon thinks they found him in time.” “Sounds like they had a rough trip,” Inara murmured. “Worse than yours, even,” Mal chuckled, and Inara laughed at that. “It wasn’t that big a deal, Mal,” she smiled. “I just hit the gas, and outran them.” “Well, you did good, bao-bei,” he told her, kissing her nose. “What say we adjourn to the shuttle, and discuss things more privately.” “Oh, I like that idea a great deal.” --------------------- “I gotta ask,” Goldie said, as River was about to leave the bridge. “Yes?” she smiled, knowing what was coming. “What did you tell him, when he was gettin’ set to go off on us about the Spike?” Goldie’s face was screwed into a slight frown. “I mean, he changed gears all at once, and that’s rare, for him.” “Perhaps it was just my calming effect on him,” River purred, and Goldie chuckled. “I ain’t buyin’ it,” he shook his head. “I mean, you do an excellent job o’ keeping him under thumb, I admit. But he was all set to blow, and then ‘poof’, he don’t. Now give.” He paused a moment, then added, “Please?” River giggled at the pleading tone, and stepped closer. “I reminded him that he was starting to sound just like Zoe did, when he would try and do something like that,” she whispered. Goldie almost choked. “You didn’t!” he exclaimed. “Not a word,” River pointed her finger right at him. “If you do, there will be consequences.” “Not even Zoe,” he crossed his heart. “I swear.” “Good.” ----------------------- “Ya know, Zoe,” Jayne said, looking down at his Captain. “I’m thinking I owe you an apology, now.” “Why’s that?” she asked, grinning. “Well, I been in charge now for near two weeks,” he said seriously. “And I seen first hand how important it is that you know what’s goin’ on around here. I didn’t realize that at the time, you know? Just trying to help, and all. Didn’t never occur to me that I might be giving you an ulcer.” Zoe laughed, deep and rich. “You never gave me an ulcer Jayne,” she managed to tell him. “But, maybe we’re both at fault? And, maybe we’ve both learned enough about each other, and each other’s worth to this crew, that we can avoid that happening again?” “I imagine so,” Jayne grinned tiredly. “And I’m sure River’ll remind me.” “I bet she will.” --------------------- Three days later, Companion entered atmo over Argo. The ship eased through the air, in stark contrast to the last time she’d been in atmo, over the blackened planet of Aberdeen. Inara and Mal stood together, watching the ship on approach. George Harwell and his family were waiting as well, along with an ambulance to transport Weldon Mann to the hospital in Bickford. Companion flared a little, and Mal smiled as he recognized River showing off, just a little. Likely had the girl in the cockpit with her. As the ship settled onto the pad, everyone started forward, eager to be there when the door opened. People flocked off of the ship, eager to see sky again after so long in the black. Mal watched patiently for the first sign of any of his crew. His family. Finally Liam Greggs limped down the ramp, helping a young woman with a baby, and an older couple. Liam smiled when he saw Mal. “Hiya, Boss,” he exclaimed, waving. He left the people he was with, and walked toward Mal, meeting him partway. “Good to see you, Liam,” Mal smiled, embracing the young man heartily. “I see you picked up a war wound.” “Two of’em,” the boy nodded. “But I’m good.” “And I’m glad for that,” Mal told him. “Your brothers has hired on at the Sheriff’s office. Be like to squish me, you’d been bad hurt,” he smiled. Just then he looked up and saw Zoe limping down the ramp, leaning heavily on Goldie. “Sir,” she nodded, and hugged Mal tightly. “You look none the worse for wear,” Mal snorted, then looked at Goldie. “Even got your own nurse.” Goldie smiled at that. “Finally found something he was good for,” Zoe nodded. “Hey!” Goldie looked hurt. “I resemble that!” They all shared a laugh. Mal happened to look toward the ramp again, and saw River, Jayne, and a girl who looked maybe fourteen. “Well, looky here,” Mal declared, walking up the ramp. Chelsa shied away a bit, but River held one of her hands, and Jayne the other. “Welcome home, you two,” Mal smiled. “And you must be Chelsa,” he beamed at the girl. “Yes, sir,” she smiled weakly, but her voice was strong. “Chelsa, this is my Baba, Malcolm Reynolds,” River introduced the girl, and Mal felt his heart swell almost to bursting. “He’ll be your grandpa, if you decided to live with Jayne and I.” “Hey now,” Mal managed a playful objection. “I ain’t old enough to be no one’s Grandpa.” Then he smiled down at Chelsa. “Course, I might make an exception.” He winked, and the girl smiled. “I got someone I want you three to meet,” Mal said pointedly, looking at Jayne. “I know you just got here, but there was a lotta string pullin’ involved here, so if you’d come on over this way, I’ll tell you as we walk.” -------------- “Young lady,” Judge Wallace looked down at Chelsa, “do you want these two people to be your legal guardians?” They were in George Harwell’s office. Melinda Peterson was there, along with the Judge, and a court recorder. Braz Guilford had ‘had a word’, with the judge, and he’d been ‘all too happy’ to oblige. It turned out that Chelsa was actually thirteen, three weeks shy of her fourteenth birthday. But that was old enough, on Argo, for the Judge to allow Chelsa to choose where she wanted to live. “Yes, sir,” Chelsa nodded. “We talked about that on the way home. Here, I mean. About what adoption meant.” She looked up at River and then Jayne. “They saved me,” she said simply. “My momma and daddy. . .” she broke off for a moment, choking back a sob, but then steeled herself. “When the bad men came, they took me. But Sean,” she pointed to Jayne, calling him by his real name, just as River had told her, “he found me. When I told him my momma and daddy were. . .well he said I could come with him.” “I heard everyone on the ship talking, and they said that the planet was dying,” she told the Judge, her eyes wide. “Anyone who didn’t leave would die. They didn’t leave me. They took care of me. I want. . .I want them to keep taking care of me, and they promised they would, if I wanted.” River felt a tear run down her cheek, and reached up to wipe it away. Her hand touched Jayne’s, as his finger wiped the tear away for her. She smiled up at him. “Do you two,” the Judge was saying, “who I understand were only just married, realize what you’re asking for? Though we cannot finalize the adoption for six months, in cases such as this, I do have the power to appoint you as her legal guardians during the process. Are you prepared to accept that responsibility? And to accept full and sole responsibility once the process is finalized?” “We are, sir,” Jayne told him solemnly. “Yes, your honor,” River smiled brightly. “We are.” “Well,” the Judge sighed, and signed the papers. “It’s done then. Miss, you are now the legal ward of. . .Sean and Angel Cobb.” He handed the papers to the couple, and shook their hands. “The process is a formality, but one that must be observed. If her parents have survived, or other family comes forward, then I’ll have to hear their claim. Otherwise, at the end of six months, from today, she will legally be your daughter.” “I wish you the best,” he smiled. He nodded to Mal, and then to Peterson, and walked out. “Well, that’s that, then,” Mal rubbed his hands together. “Thank you, Baba,” River said softly, hugging him tightly. Mal hugged her back strongly. “Anything for you, Albatross.” He kissed the top of her head, conscious of the scars there. She stood back, knowing what he’d felt. “Just scars, now,” she told him, her voice almost a whisper. “I am whole, and healed.” She leaned back into Jayne’s presence, and held a hand out to Chelsa.

COMMENTS

Friday, January 11, 2008 3:32 PM

BROWNCOAT135


THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish they had blown up the pirates, not EMPed them. Or at least waved someone to come haul their asses in to pay for what they had done.

Awesome fic, keep it up, PLEASE?!?!

Friday, January 11, 2008 6:24 PM

MEGG


I was kinda hoping for a bomb too, but at least they were dealt with. This has been outstanding and I'll take all I can get, please?

Saturday, January 12, 2008 3:20 AM

AMDOBELL


I actually am glad that Goldie **didn't** blow up the pirate ship after all if only because they would be left adrift to contemplate the fact that they were going to die and there was no one to help them. Might make them consider just what twisted *tamade hundans* they had been and what it felt like to be on the receiving end. Secondly I was glad because this way there is nothing to point to the deaths being due to something Serenity's crew had done so no one will be out looking for them in any official capacity. My only worry is if some poor unsuspecting ship comes across the pirates before they have breathed their last as I don't think they would hesitate to turn the help unlooked for into an opportunity to profit at the rescuers cost.

And last but not least I **LOVED** the crew being reunited, that has to be the shiniest part of all! Sigh. Felt awful having them split into two crews on two ships, hated that even though the storyline worked really well, still felt off kilter. Plus having Mal back with them was like the icing on the cake and so loved little Chelsea being able to choose to be with River and Jayne so they can put in the papers for adoption. Very very shiny! *Xie xie ni*, Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me


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.