The Promise part4: Meeting Your Maker

The pilot looked at the controls on the panel. Flying the little shuttle around hills and through ravines was no easy task but it wasn’t beyond her capabilities. River had planned to fly the craft under the radar and stay undetected for a while. Time enough for the crew of Serenity to find the message she’d left planted for them. The “Capture” the crew of Serenity would find on the galley table would explain some of what she had planned to do. It did leave enough holes in the details so that if things didn’t go according to plan or the recording fell into unfriendly hands her mission would not be compromised. She headed the little craft to the unpopulated side of Dellitar and there intended to take ease for a couple of days. Time to map out the rest of her strategies and time to give Serenity a chance to get free of the violence about to erupt. She brought the ship into a hover then eased down on the thrust to bring the little boat to a soft landing.

“ That should do it.” she said pleased with things so far.

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Back aboard Serenity the “Capture” River had spoken of had definitely been found . The ships crew had gathered around the galley table to listen to what the young fugitive had to say. They stared at the screen seeing the image of the young girl come into focus.

“ Captain Mal,” She cleared her throat, “I’ve asked you once before to trust me. Now I’m asking you again to do the same. A short time ago you asked if I were concerned about the safety of Serenity and her crew well, I’m here to say that I am. In four days I am requesting that you meet me on the moon nearest Jayne’s home planet. If I don’t show then it can be assumed that my plans didn’t go so well. If you aren’t there to meet me then I’ll take it that you may have fell prey yourselves. Either way I just want you to know that I do care about Serenity and everyone onboard. Sorry if I’ve caused harm or put anyone into danger, I’ve heard you say many times in your line of work that “it’s just the nature of the business“, I understand that, but to me what I’m doing now isn’t business, it’s something personal. I hope you will come to see that. So now if you’ll pardon me I have a private message for my brother and with respect I will say goodbye.”

Then the screen paused. Without sound Malcolm and the rest of Serenity moved away leaving Simon alone in the near darkness of a fading candle light to listen to the message of his sister.

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Two days later River lifted the tiny Shuttle craft and pointed the nose in the direction of 571-36-22A.

“ Time to visit some old friends.” She whispered.

It would be a three hour journey for her little boat so to “kill” time so to speak, River went over her plan. She was still uncertain of what she’d do once she made eye contact with particular individuals she was sure still called that hell hole home.

“ Doctor Vargot.” in particular was a person she was very interested in becoming reacquainted. She knew he would be there and would remain.

One hour out of 571-36-22A’s atmosphere River reached over to the left side of the flight panel and flipped a switch. There began the sound of a low whistle then a humming. The girl cracked a wicked little smile.

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Down on the ground of 571-36-22A

“Dr. Vargot that craft that was detected heading this way, it’s been scanned by Dellitar and it’s profile reads as a missile sir!”

“Dr. Remmy calm down. There are parts of this facility that are bomb proof. There is time enough to gather the workers and the patients and head them to the evacuation craft.”

“ And what of you sir?”

“ I don’t intend to leave.” The doctor said calmly.

The whole functioning body of the science structure that was 571-36-22A was on alert. There was time enough to get almost everyone off the planet before the missile made impact.

Where did it come from?

Who had launched it?

These were questions that would need to be answered later. For now the safety of the employees and other individuals kept there was the main decision of concern. If these were lost then years of research would go up in a huge cloud of smoke. Disaster! Couldn’t let that happen. In two minutes the last ship would leave, then Dr.Vargot and a couple of security personnel would bunker down and await the consequences. If need be sacrificing himself Dr.Vargot, imagined a statue of himself being raised in “Center Gardens” . A tribute to his greatness. Only thing was, he didn’t plan to die. He planned to still be around once the smoke cleared.

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Back aboard the shuttle River laughed. She could see space craft leaving the planet surface like a herd of scared sheep running from a hungry wolf. They were all leaving, except for Dr.Vargot that is. She knew he would still be there. Back on Miranda River had studied some of the launch codes and missile destruction information and had become aware that the Alliance had planed on extinguishing the planet. When that had failed their intent was to have operatives on that world to blow up the planet themselves. Both had not worked. After that the place had simply been abandoned. River had remember some of that information and used it to disguise shuttle 2 as a rocket. She had planted a missile signature into the onboard computer so that when scanned it would be read as an explosive. To late, she hoped the truth would be discovered. Time enough for her to do what she needed to do and maybe in all the confusion grant escape for many of the poor souls being held captive there. Only time would tell.

River brought the little shuttle in for a landing inside the main compound. The place was vacated, reminding her of Miranda. She exited the craft and headed for the armory unchallenged.

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Inside the strong fortifications Dr.Vargot and the two men that had remained with him had waited for the impact and the concussion that would follow. It never came. Had the security personnel of Dellitar destroyed the missile? Was it a dud? After a while it was obvious that nothing had happened. Being the brave soul that Dr.Vargot was he sent the other two men out first.

“The coast is clear Doctor!”

The three men worked their way around corners and into hallways continuing to look for signs that something had happened, but nothing had.

They came to a small lab. Here the Doctor chose to remain while sending the others on further. Shortly he heard the sound of weapon fire, then there was silence. He looked into the cabinets and drawers of the room searching for a weapon, anything. He found a short knife. He would use this if needed. He slowly turned and saw the small girl in the doorway. A fragile creature, but in her arms she brought to bare a mighty gun.

“Hello Dr. Vargot.”

“River!!?”

The girl raised her gun.

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It was the evening of the fourth day and Malcolm was about to call in the crew. They had been outside for the past couple of days watching the skies, waiting. They had spent the whole day out there that day, well all except for Simon. He’d remained in his bunk most of the time. Simon wasn’t one for taking medication but this day he had given himself something to calm his nerves. He lay on his cot, half dazed, staring at the ceiling. He felt numb.

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Mal had called everybody in. He made one last look around to make sure everything had been packed up then one last gaze into the clear blue sky. He turned to walk up the ramp and enter Serenity. In a moment a sound came to his ears. The sound of a vehicle, a craft, a shuttle craft! Malcolm Reynolds stopped and looked east to see a small dot appear in the sky, he could not stop the huge smile from stretching his face. There were shouts from Kaylee and Zoe and even Jayne was the happy hero of Canton again.

Back in his room Simon heard the shouts. He sat up. Those were happy sounds. He rushed from his room, the sound of Serenity’s shuttle 2 engaging came to his ears.

Simon took the stairs to shuttle 2 three at a time. At the entrance the crew of Serenity stood waiting just inside. Simon rushed past them. Strait to his sister. He hugged River, she hugged him back. He was so taken with happiness he hadn’t notice the rectangular container that lay resting on a low table just inside the shuttle.

“River what’s this?” then it came to him. It was a small coffin. A size that River herself could fit into.

“This is what I went back for. This is Candice. We were friends” River laid her hands across the polished wood, “She and I made a promise to each other. If one of use got out she’d come back for the other. We would get back to our families.” River paused,” She died while we were making our escape. I came back for her, gave my word.”

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A few days earlier back on 571-36-22A River had raised her weapon to the chest of Dr.Vargot. The same weapon she had used to take out the other two men. The security people weren’t dead. You don’t kill people with a stun gun. She raised her weapon at Dr.Vargot. He had been the one that had started it. Made an innocent young girl into a scarred, frightful mess. He was responsible for destroying so many lives. It was time to bring his evil work to an end. She fired the weapon.

Had River found a way to kill the Doctor? Well not with that gun and not at that moment, but she did get her revenge……yet that is another story to be told.

END