BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

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Archangel Chapter Twenty Eight
Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The crew begins to put things together


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2064    RATING: 0    SERIES: FIREFLY

Archangel Chapter Twenty Eight Author owns no rights to Firefly, and no copyright infringement is intended. Fanfic only. -------------------- Once Serenity was in the black, the crew gathered around the galley table, and Mal filled them in on what had occurred. Simon was livid. “I told you this would happen!” he nearly screeched. Mal nodded. “So you did, Simon,” he agreed. “But, he wasn’t followin’ us, and he ain’t trackin’ us. This was all on Monty. I won’t make that mistake again. From here on out, till whatever is happ’nin is done, everyone I trust like that is sittin’ at this table, right now.” Simon’s anger cooled a bit at that, and he nodded. “Somethin’ ‘bout this ain’t right, Mal,” Jayne said quietly. Everyone looked at him. “I’d say that’s the height of understatement,” Simon snorted. Jayne looked at him. “No, I mean more than that, Simon,” he replied calmly. “There’s more to what’s happenin’ than we can see. Someone is controlling the reavers, we think. At least guidin’em to their targets. Maybe we ought be askin’ why those targets?” “I don’t follow, Jayne,” Mal said from the head of the table. “Look, we know that three worlds has been hit in the last two weeks or so. Maybe more than that, and we just ain’t heard it. But if you can control where the reavers attack, then how are you picking your targets?” “And where does the Operative fit into it,” River chimed in. Jayne nodded. “Exactly. We’re so tore up about all this, we ain’t thinkin’ straight. Jazz,” he nodded to the reporter, “sent all that info to her folks, they broadcast it, and suddenly they’re targets. You been stirring the pot for a while now, right?” “Well, yes,” Carter nodded. “It’s what we’re known for, actually. And we didn’t pick the name Independent News Service out of thin air,” she added, smiling. “But yet they wait until you broadcast somethin’ ‘bout reavers ‘fore they come down on you. They hit so fast, they had to know where you was, and where your transmitters were. So why’d they wait?” Mal was dumbfounded. No matter how much he knew about Jayne, he was being surprised nearly everyday, seemed like, nowadays. “So you’re sayin’ we need to be lookin’ deeper, ‘stead o’ runnin’ about skimmin’ the surface.” It was a statement, rather than a question. “I am,” Jayne nodded. “We need to be askin’ who and why, ‘stead o’ where and when,” he added. “We need to know who’s doin’ it, and why. Where they are, and when they’ll do it again, that can come after. And be easier.” “From the mouths of apes,” Simon chuckled softly, but there was no sting in the words. He was impressed, and it showed. From the lips of Archangels, Inara thought to herself, but said nothing. “Hey!” Jayne grinned. “I resemble that.” Everyone laughed at that, Jayne included. “Okay, then let’s look at what we know,” Mal said calmly. “We’re assumin’ that Blue Sun is behind it, on account o’ that blue glove in the video from Hera.” “But we saw only the glove,” River nodded. “Could have been anything. Even a deliberate attempt to throw suspicions onto Blue Sun, and off of the true culprit.” “How likely is that?” Mal wondered. “Who. . . .” He trailed off suddenly. “The Operative knows,” River and Jayne said at the same time. “And Monty’s paired up with him,” Mal whispered. “Surely he ain’t. . . .” “Man’s driven, sir,” Zoe offered softly. “Might even say desperate.” “But. . .reavers?” Mal shook his head. “Was the excuse used to rally the troops,” River pointed out. “Let’s not forget that Blue Sun may still be the actual culprit,” Simon added. “I agree,” Inara spoke up at last. “Perhaps the glimpse of the glove was an accident, or they didn’t realize that the transmission was going out even as it was being taped. Let’s not allow our thinking to cast aside any potential answer.” “Good point,” Mal nodded. “But,” he added, “from now on, we think about all of this, and evaluate every new piece of evidence we can find with this new paradigm in mind.” “Paradigm,” Inara’s eyebrows rose. “Mal, are you feeling all right?” That drew laughs around the table. “I been readin’ a dictionary, some,” Mal said loftily. “Never know when fancy words might come in handy.” “And I thought that’s why you had me,” Inara smiled. “All right, then,” Mal stammered, trying to change the topic. “I’d say it’s time we got on the wave, and started lookin’ for answers.” “Where are we going?” River asked. “For now, set a course for Hera,” Mal said reluctantly. “If the blockade’s lifted, then we might be able to get in, and find something useful. Zoe, see if you can scrounge us a cargo into Hera, one we can pick up ‘tween here and there. Give us a flimsy excuse, at least, to set down there.” Zoe nodded. “Jayne, you and River see if you can’t follow that train o’ thought o’ yours a bit further. Jazz, I think it’s about time you tried to contact your people, see if they’re set back up, and if they know any more. You can use the cortex in Shuttle Two.” The reporter nodded, rising. She glanced down at Simon. “Want to show me where it is?” she asked, smiling. “Sure,” Simon grinned, without a hint of red for once. Mal hid his smirk as the two walked away. “How we set for fuel?” he asked Kaylee. “We can make Hera, I ‘spect,” she mused. “But we’ll be near dry. Might better fuel up, at least partly, along the way.” “We’ll find a spot,” Mal nodded. “Maybe Zoe can get us a job, we can fuel there. All right, let’s be about it,” he ordered. Jayne, Kaylee and River all stood and headed for the lounge. Zoe went toward the bridge, and Mal and Inara were suddenly alone. “You know I keep you around for more than fancy words, don’t you?” he asked her. She smiled at him. “Well, yes. Though for what else, I’m not always sure.” “Yes, you are,” he leaned forward and kissed her softly. “I keep you around on account o’ I can’t imagine life without you.” Inara almost gasped at that, but managed not to. “Well, that’s an excellent reason,” she admitted. “Best I know of,” he nodded, kissing her again. ------------------------ River had erected a dry mark board in the lounge. On it was every piece of information they had collected so far. She had made copious notes, on everything they knew. She added to them almost constantly, as one member of the crew or another would think of a new angle, or remember something that might be related. “That’s a lotta information,” Kaylee offered softly. “How we gonna wade through all that?” “Elimination,” Jayne and River said at once. Kaylee giggled at that. “You two almost share a brain,” she teased. “Please!” River rolled her eyes. “I am so superior to him that even a fraction of my brain would overwhelm him.” “Hey!” Jayne whined. “That ain’t nice!” “Nor are you,” River shot back, smirking. “Probably pulled little girls pigtails in school.” “I didn’t go to school, much,” Jayne said quietly. “Didn’t get too many chances at that pigtail pullin’.” River’s face reddened slightly. “I’m sorry, Jayne,” she said contritely. “Gotcha!” Jayne beamed after a moment, and River’s flush deepened. “You’ll pay for that!” she warned, tossing her hair in a haughty manner. “Promises, promises,” Jayne grinned, and Kaylee laughed at River’s fluster. “He got you fair and square, sweetie,” she beamed. She was leaning against Jayne, his arm around her shoulders. She’d never felt more comfortable. “Whatever,” River rolled her eyes again. “As I, we, were saying, we’ll narrow the field through the process of elimination. Sifting through the data, with an eye on our decision making paradigm, and factoring in all possible variables. . .” “River,” Jayne interrupted. “We get it.” “Sorry,” she murmured. “Anyway, where should we start?” “I’d say we start with whatever we know about Beaumond, since that seems to have been the first attack,” Jayne suggested. “Very well,” River nodded. “There were four vessels, possibly five, involved in that attack. Three struck the dock area, where we were. The fourth confirmed ship hit an industrial complex some three miles north of the docks.” “What kind of industry?” Jayne asked. River glanced at her notes. “Interesting,” she mused. “In the area of the landing, there is a chemical factory, an engine manufacturer, a hover bed dealer, and. . . .” She trailed off, reading. “And?” Kaylee prompted. “And a munitions facility,” River looked up. “Manufacturer of small grenades, such as Grizwalds, and pulse rifles, as well as various calibers of ammunition.” “What’s the largest round?” Jayne asked, eyes narrowing. “Forty millimeter rail gun rounds,” River said after a few seconds. “Ship caliber, near enough,” Jayne mused. “I’d say that’s worth notin’.” “Indeed,” River nodded, and made a notation on the board. “Any ships taken?” Kaylee asked. “Yes,” River nodded. “Three small liners, two cargo vessels, a Mitari and a Valego. Also, a small cutter used by the Planetary Patrol. It was in for fueling, routine maintenance, and crew change over.” “That’s another worth takin’ note of,” Jayne told them. “Reavers take ships all the time, in the black. But how often do they take’em off the ground?” “And that many,” River nodded. “And,” she added, looking at Jayne, “the reavers were very interested in you, ge ge. How were they able to still get the ships off the ground? And to what purpose.” Jayne shrugged at that. He’d been far too occupied with killing reavers to note anything. “What if they ain’t all reavers?” Kaylee asked. River looked at her, wide eyed. “What?” “What if they ain’t all reavers?” Kaylee asked again. “I mean, there was that blue glove in the vid from Hera,” Kaylee pointed out. “What’s ta say they ain’t more o’ them somewhere we ain’t seen?” “That’s my girl,” Jayne said quietly, kissing Kaylee softly. She blushed at that. “You’re smarter than the two of us together, Kaylee,” River grinned. “Even if we do share a brain.” ----------------------- “Say what?” Mal looked at his trio of crew members. “We think the reaver attacks are a subterfuge,” River said firmly. “At least in part. In order to prove it, however, we need better information. See this area?” she asked, pointing to the circular area around the industrial complex on Beaumond. “Yeah.” “There are several factories here,” River told him. “One of them is a munitions facility. This area was hit by the fourth reaver ship, while Jayne fought the reavers from the three other vessels at the docks.” “So, you don’t own any armor, Mister Cobb?” Carter smirked, and River flushed, realizing she had spoken out of turn. It didn’t matter that she already knew it. River had just confirmed it. “Keep goin’, mei mei,” Jayne winked at her. She grinned, and continued. “We think it is possible that the fourth vessel, and certainly the fifth, if there was one, were not reavers, but were simply masquerading as such in order to cover their real activities.” “Like lootin’ a certain ammo dump?” Mal said darkly. River nodded. “Tamade,” Mal muttered under his breath. “This is all pointin’ right square back at Monty and his ‘army’.” “We don’t know that,” River said at once. “Avoid making assumptions. We must deal only with the facts. You ordered this yourself.” “So I did,” Mal smiled. “Good work you three.” “Kaylee’s idea,” River shrugged. The mechanic blushed at that, but grinned proudly. “Smart as a whip,” Jayne bragged, and her blush deepened. “All right, what’s next?” Mal asked. Carter cleared her throat. “Hank and the crew are set up again, Captain,” she informed him. “But our transmitters are still being hit. I was wondering if, perhaps. . . .” “We could put out new one’s for’em?” Mal asked with a smile. “Well, yes,” Jazz nodded. “It would keep their locations hidden, at least a while longer. They’d have to actually look for them, instead of just digging around for the location in the logs of whoever is hired to set them up.” “I think we can manage that,” Mal nodded. “You two think you can handle something like that?” he asked Kaylee and Jayne. Both nodded. “Then we’ll head that way, once this little meetin’ is concluded. Anything else?” Mal looked back to Jazz. “Yes, Captain,” she nodded. “Reavers have hit three other moons since we left Idlewild. Two were far out on the Rim, Beatrice, and Okolana. Casualties were reportedly heavy, but once again, the Alliance has erected a blockade. Nothing in or out.” “The third was Higgins’ Moon,” she said quietly. “What?” Jayne sat bolt upright. “They hit the mudder camps at near dark, according to what we’ve been able to discover. There. . .there are no known survivors at this time.” Jayne sat back, his face blank. Higgins’ Moon? All gone? Everyone? “Jayne?” Mal asked. The big man looked over at him. “We’ll find out who did it, Jayne,” Mal promised. “And make’em pay.” “Won’t help them none,” Jayne said sadly. “I just can’t. . . .Why do this, Mal? I mean, there ain’t nothin’ on Higgins’ Moon worth that.” “I don’t know,” Mal admitted. “The best thing we can do, now, Jayne,” Inara intoned softly, “is keep working to find out who’s behind all this, and stop them. We can’t fight the reavers. Perhaps we can fight the source behind them.” Jayne nodded, suddenly tired. “I think we can wrap this up for now,” Mal said. “‘Tross, get with Jazz and figure out our best course to these transmitters o’ hers. Zoe managed to find us a job to Hera, but it’s on hold till the blockade’s been lifted. Might be another few days. We should have time to pick up the transmitters, and maybehaps set a few up ‘fore we head into Hera. And we can leave one there, if they want.” “Yes, Captain,” Jazz stood, following River to the bridge. After a second, Simon followed them. “Jayne, why don’t you get some rest?” Inara said soothingly. “I know you’re tired. Did Simon see to your cuts?” “Yes,” Jayne nodded. He stood, and Kaylee was up right with him. “C’mon, you old bear,” she smiled sweetly. “Let mama bear put ya ta bed.” “Night,” Inara called as the couple walked out. “Mama bear,” Mal chuckled. “It’s near amazin’ the effect she has on him, you know that?” “It is,” Inara smiled gently. “He’d do anything for her.” “Well, I know how he feels.” ------------------------ Jayne and Kaylee lay in bed, her softly rubbing his scalp through his short hair. Jayne’s hands roamed across her body, leaving her tingling everywhere he touched. “You know I love you, right?” Jayne smiled at her, and she grinned. “Yep,” she kissed him. “Sure do.” “Just makin’ sure,” Jayne closed his eyes, enjoying her touch. “Love you back, too,” Kaylee sighed, basking in the gentle caress of his hands. “That’s good,” he told her, eyes opening. “Don’t know, now, what I’d do if you didn’t. Be like wakin’ up from a dream, into a nightmare.” “Ain’t gonna happen, ai ren,” Kaylee kissed him again, softly. “You wake up, I’ll still be here.” His hands ceased their caressing, and his arms enveloped her instead. Jayne kissed her, and Kaylee responded. Soon, neither one had the time, or the inclination, to worry about reavers. At least not for a while.

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