Painting the Pony Red -------------------------------------- based on the World of Firefly by Joss Whedon

It was the first time she had stepped into Mal's ship and she secretly wished it had been for another reason. Had she gone with them, the outcome would have been different. Instead, Cat did an odd thing, she removed her leather boots and black socks before placing her bare feet on to the metal floor.

Light poured in from a single entry point, being the cargo bay door, but it was all that was needed. If the floor had once been gray, Cat would have hardly known. Blood covered every wall, catwalk, and doorway. The smell of cooper overwhelming any other scent besides that of decay. Sadly, even as much as death seemed to follow her around like a sick puppy, Cat still hated the smell. Her stomach voiced its reproach, but she silenced it.

Her bare foot hit the first patch and nearly did her in, but she was more stable on her bare feet than the boots she had discarded. She righted herself and continued inside. Dead men lay everywhere as her harsh green eyes took in the sight before her. She counted fifteen, no eighteen dead and this was just the cargo bay, though she seriously doubted they had gotten any further in, due to the metal casing littered across the floor. They were so numerous, they could have passed for confetti. Too bad, this wasn't a party.

Kaylee had said in her ramblings they had taken everyone, but she...could be an oversight or was she the messenger? The one left behind to tell Cat what they wanted her to know. They had what was important to her, Mal and River, and in turn, they also had what was important to Mal, his crew. They knew one or two she could easily rescue alone, but the rest, she would need help, and help required friends, something she had very little of.

A shot fired and then two others echoed through the cargo bay as she turned and ran to Kaylee. The captive had indeed lost his head and Kaylee sat with the smoking gun crying. “He moved. I saw him move.”

“Relax, Girl. It's okay.” Cat approached her reaching to take the gun from the frighten girl's hands. She opened the chamber to find all three bullets were spent. “He must of really moved.”

“I couldn't stop. I kept seeing what his kind did to them and...”

“It's alright. I know where they are headed.”

“Well, Serenity's in no shape to be going anywhere and even if I can get her goin', we don't have a crew.”

“Lock her up tight. Make sure there's no way someone can get inside her. “

“What're you goin' to do?”

“Find us a ride.” She looked at the young girl and then at the ship. “Actually, you wait on that. Your captain would never forgive me if we left dead bodies in his precious boat.” “ If we ever see them again..”

“That's no way to talk. The ones that took them don't just want River, they want me, too. If I know them and I think I do, they keep all your friends alive. It's safe to say, they're in good hands for the hands they're in.”

“So they are after you?”

“No, they are really after River. I'm just a bonus. Probably got wind of me looking for Mal and then figured I'd found him. Doesn't take much for them to find me. Spies of theirs are on every planet and moon known to this 'verse.”

Kaylee held back a few tears. “Guess you'll be needing a radio from inside the ship.”

“Nope. There is only one way to get a hold of the gentleman I need.” Cat laughed a little at the name she called him. Ski was no gentleman, in fact, he was exactly what she needed.

Her hand reached into her pocket and lifted out a small device that looked a bit like a phone. It beeped at her as she indicated the frequency she needed and lifted it to her ear. “It pays to have connections with some of the greatest inventors of all time.”

“Hello, Ski.” Her lips curled in a smile that could kill. “I need to steal a ship.”