Disclaimer: Joss, Fox, Universal Own em’. (Except for Maxine and the rest of my OC's. they're mine) I’m just playing. No money being made.

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A new story line to recharge my Muse. Set outside my “Allanverse.” Just to see what happens. Set about a year and a half post Serenity. Story line has the standard pairings of Mal/Inara, Simon/Kaylee. Also has River/Jayne. Zoë/Maxine -

Warning: This story line from here on out will include 'gasp' fem slash (Like you didn't see it coming). It won't be graphic but I know some are offended by any depiction of homosexuality. If you don't like this kind of thing... stop reading right now.

AN: Ugh... The real world keeps getting in the way of my writing.... -

New Blood

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Chapter Twenty Five

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“Down!” yelled Gunny Williams as a hail of bullets peppered the corridor above her head.

Beside the Marine, Maxine began returning fire, spraying lead from her assault rifle. On the opposite side of the corridor, Zoë meticulously picked off individual targets with her mares leg.

The balance of Williams' squad added their own volume of fire. Suddenly a pair of grenades bounced down the hallway from the corner where the federal troops were firing.

“Grenade!” screamed Zoë and ducked back around the corner, Maxine and Williams on her heels. The hallway shook as the grenades detonated.

Max shook her head to try and get her hearing back and shake off the concussion in the tight space.

“Zoë!” the redhead cried out as she saw her Ai-ren laying on the floor, blood visible on her arm.

“I'm okay, Baby. Just a graze from some shrapnel,” Zoë replied to a relived Maxine.

“Corpsman!” called out one of the Marines. Two men were down and not moving one was obviously dead. Gunny Williams was also injured but was still on her feet.

“Gorramit!” Williams swore as she swung her rifle over her shoulder. The woman's left arm was was bleeding severely. Biting back the pain, she pulled her pistol.

“Take it easy, Gunny,” The Corpsman said as he examined the wound.

“Tai-kong suo-yo duh shing-chiouh doh sai-jin wuh duh pee-goo!” Williams swore as the medical corpsman manipulated the injured extremity.

“You gonna live, Gunny?” Zoë asked as gunfire again erupted from around the corner.

“I'll live. Soon as I get patched up, I'll be behind you... Stiles!”

“Yes Ma'am!” the Corporal answered.

“Zoë's in charge. Go get those Hwoon-dahn's!”

“Aye, aye, Gunny!”

Zoë bent down and retrieved the assault rife from the dead Marine along with his ammo, “Corp!” Zoë barked.

“Ma'am,” the young man replied.

“Stick to the walls. Two up, two back, lob a couple o' grenades in the purple bellies direction as you go.”

Despite being a 'Purple Belly' himself just a week prior, the Marine nodded, “Aye-aye, Ma'am.”

Zoë turned to Maxine, “You ready?”

“I am.”

“Let's do it!” Zoë yelled.

The Marine's assault rifles thumped as the under barrel grenade launchers lobbed a pair of grenades up the hallway.

“Go!” Zoë screamed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Outwardly, Inara looked serene. Inwardly she was screaming as she used the chin mounted gun on Serenity to end yet another life.

Nearly fifty men had tried to storm the ship. The combined firepower of Corporal Shen's Squad, Josiah's scoped rifle and Inara's use of the chain gun had pushed the troops back

Now away from the ship slightly, Serenity's four Gunship escorts were now making strafing runs, causing even more carnage.

Outside on Serenity's hull, Josiah Reynolds lay prone and carefully sighted in targets with the rifle Maxine had loaned him. Every time an officer or senior non-com came into his sights, the former rancher, turned reporter did his best to remove that person from the fight.

“That's for Shadow,” Josiah whispered as he killed another lieutenant too stupid to keep his head down.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Sir! Sensors indicate that the IAV Cruiser Billings and three destroyers... looks like the Navajo, Blackfoot and Apache are approaching. ETA forty minutes!”

“Cao!” swore Captain Duke. “Communications. Signal Serenity. Tell them we're going to have company in forty minutes. We need to be on hard burn in thirty five.”

“Aye,aye,”

“You better hurry up down there,” whispered the Captain of the Longbow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Xue acknowledged the the message from Longbow and looked over at Inara who nodded. The teen keyed up the com, “Serenity to Captain.”

No answer came back

“Zoë...”

“Jess, try to reach River,” Inara ordered.

The young reader nodded and began to concentrate. Suddenly she cried out, “Two by two. Hands of Blue!”

“Jess?” Xue said as she looked to her friend.

“River's scared, overwhelmed... surrounded. All the students being held are pushing on her mind...”

Xue bolted from her seat and knelt in front of Jessie, “Concentrate on me... then concentrate on River...”

Taking a deep breath, Jessie opened her mind as River had taught her. She felt Xue's mind first. Then Inara's. Slowly she reached out to River again...

Jess smiled after a moment, “One less hand of blue.”

“Jessie?” Inara asked.

“River's okay now... And they know about the deadline.

Inara relaxed slightly as she again concentrated on the imagery from her goggles. An Alliance armored personnel carrier emerged from around a building to the left of Serenity and Inara methodically shredded it with her chain gun, “Renci de Fozu,” she prayed as the wheeled vehicle exploded.

XXXXXXXXXX

Zoë screamed as she led Maxine and the marines down the corridor. The bad guys knew they were there so stealth wasn't much of a point. Another pair of grenades fired by the Marines cleared the next corner. Poking her head around the corner for a quick look nearly ended the First Mate as a bullet embedded itself in the wall next to Zoë's head.

Swearing, she flinched back.

“Gorrammit, Zoë!” Maxine chided.

“Sorry,” Zoë apologized, “There's about fifteen left. Dug in behind some rubble.”

“What's the plan?” asked Corporal Stiles.

Before she could reply, gunfire was heard around the corner. As well as a few screams. Then it was silent.

Distant calls of “Clear!” could be heard. Zoë stuck her head around the corner again. And pulled back with a grin, “LT Just showed up.”

“What?” Max asked.

“Lt. Haskins!” Zoë called around the corner.

“Washburn?” called back a familiar voice.

“Commin' out LT!” Zoë yelled as she stepped around the corner.

Zoë led her group around the corner to where Lt. Haskins and his squad stood over the bodies of fifteen Alliance troops.

“Good to see ya' LT,” Zoë smiled as she shook the officers hand.

“Likewise,” Haskins said as he looked over his troops. Noting three absences. One in particular. “Where's Gunny Williams?”

“Right here, Sir!” Williams called out as she rounded the corner, “Peng is dead, Melen is wounded and awaiting evac back to Serenity as soon as we clean up in here.”

The Lieutenant looked at his Sargent, “And why are you here instead of getting evac'd yourself, Gunny?”

“This little thing?” Williams shrugged, indicating the bandages and sling covering her left arm, “Just an inconvenience, Sir.”

Zoë and Max grinned and the LT shook his head.

One of the Marines leaned against the wall and heard gunfire.

“Sir! Firefight on the other side of this wall!”

“Sparks!” the Lieutenant barked, “Make a door in this wall!”

“Aye, Sir!” replied the platoon's demolitions expert.

Quickly, the man pulled out a large tube from his rucksack along with a gun looking device. Fitting the tube to the 'gun' he began drawing a bead of thick liquid in a rough circle on the wall. Completing the circle, he pushed a small device into the goo.

“Take cover and hold your ears!” the Marine called out.

As soon as everyone was in position, he held up a small remote, “Fire in th' hole!”

With a roar, a huge hole was blown through the wall.

A moment later bullets peppered the opposite wall. The shots slowly died out as screams of terror were heard.

A moment later it became silent.

As Zoë was about to stick her head around the opening. A familiar face popped through.

A very disheveled River Tam grinned, holding her bloody sword in one hand and a pistol in the other, “About time you showed up.”

XXXXXXXXXX

“Albatross... we need to be movin' here,” Mal said nervously.

“I need to open the doors through the computer. Forcing the locks will introduce a lethal gas into the cells.”

“I understand that, River... we just need to be breaking atmo in ten minutes,” the Captain replied.

“I'm working as fast as I can,” was his reply as River continued to hack into the main computer system. It didn't help that all of the students held in the facility were not only frightened but some were as crazy as she used to be.

“As soon as she gets em' open, have your people grab a kid and start runnin' for Serenity. Dong-ma?” Mal asked Lt. Haskins.

Suddenly the floor shook slightly.

“What was that?” Jayne asked.

“Demo charges in the main security office,” Haskins replied.

With a beep, the cell doors all began to slowly open. Anguished cries could be heard. Almost as one, the Marines fanned out to the children.

Several were nearly catatonic and had to be carried. One cell, held a teenage girl who suddenly lashed out at her rescuer. Jayne helped the young Marine while the Corpsman sedated her. Jayne simply slung the girl over his shoulder.

“How many we got?” Mal yelled as he helped a thirteen year old boy out of his cell.

“Twenty two total!” yelled Gunny Williams as she counted off the kids as the Marines headed for the surface.

“That's all of them, Captain,” River called back.

The children, mostly thirteen to seventeen year olds with a smattering of younger kids. There was even a pair of identical twin girls who couldn't have been more than twelve.

“Head for the ship,” Mal ordered, keep a rear guard and move your asses!”

“Who... who are you, Sir?” the young man in front of Mal asked.

Mal grinned slightly, “I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds. I'm here to get you back to your family.”

The young man tilted his head in an eerily similar fashion to River and smiled, “You know my Uncle.”

“Who's that, son?”

“Admiral Harken...”

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal ran, nearly dragging the boy he had rescued. He wasn't about to let the Admiral's nephew out of his sight. Zoë ran beside him, rifle at the ready as the entered the main lobby, Maxine was on the other side carrying a small girl in her arms. River brought up the rear holding both her pistols at the ready. Along with the Operative covering their escape.

As they hit the doors, the welcome sounds of Serenity's engines spooling up made Mal smile. A smile that fled his face when several shots rang out. Mid stride, Maxine fell to the ground...

“Max!” Zoë screamed as she dropped to her lovers side.

Mal turned, “Tross, get movin with this one!”

River nodded as she fired two quick shots without looking. Holstering one of her pistols, she took the young man's hand and stated to run.

The girl Maxine had been carrying was also wounded. Zoë rolled Max onto her back, “Hit under her arm... missed the armor...” Zoë trailed off.

“Take the little one, Zoë. I got Max.”

“Sir, I...”

“Go!” Mal thundered.

Zoë grabbed the small blonde haired girl into her arms and began running. Mal scooped Maxine into his arms and began the trek back to Serenity. A moment later, he had a Corpsman and two more Marines at his side assisting.

As soon as his boots hit the ramp, Mal felt Serenity begin to lift. The ship was several hundred feet in the air before the ramp fully closed.

The Fleet doctor and nurses were triaging the now very crowded cargo bay. Mal never stopped moving as he headed for the Infirmary, Maxine still in his arms, “Simon!”

The young doctor stuck his head out the door and saw the limp form of Maxine in the Captain's arms, “On the table!” he ordered.

Zoë ran into the common area, Mal had to nearly tackle her to keep Zoë from going into the infirmary, “Zoë! Stand down!”

“Get out of my way, Mal” Zoë growled.

“No.”

“Gorramit, Mal...”

“Zoë...” the Captain began, “Simon's got all he can handle at the moment. He's got a nurse and a medic in there with him. You'd only be in the way.”

“Captain...” Zoë trailed off.

Gunny Williams stepped up next to the pair, “I'll stay with her, Captain. I think you need to be on the bridge.”

Zoë had lost most of her steam by this time as she stood silently, staring through the windows into the infirmary, “Go, Sir,” Zoë said after a moment.

Mal squeezed his best friends shoulder and smiled, “She'll be fine...”

“Damn right,” Gunny Williams added.

Serenity gave a lurch, nearly knocking everyone off their feet.

“I'll be on the bridge,” Mal said before pounding up the stairs.

“Come on, Zoë. Why don't you tell me how you and Maxine met,” Gunny Williams said softly while steering the First Mate to sit on the sofa.

Zoë nodded and sat beside the wounded Marine, “Thanks Gunny.”

“I think you better start callin me Bobbie.”

“Bobbie?”

“Short for Roberta... I like Bobbie better.”

Zoë smiled slightly, “Suits you.”

The Marine just smiled.

In the corner, still out of breath from double timing it back into the ship, Josiah said a silent prayer for Maxine

XXXXXXXXXX

“Nara! What in the gorram hell is goin... oh go-se on a stick...” Mal trailed off as he saw what was happening outside the windows.

Outside was the wildest air to air dog fight he had ever witnessed. And Serenity was smack dab in the middle of it.

The view outside twisted crazily as Serenity dodged a pair of missiles and replied in kind. In the co-pilots seat, Inara had her hands full with the gun mounted under the Firefly's chin.

Mal looked at the pilot's seat and nearly cried out. It wasn't River there flying his ship... but Xue.

And doing a right fine job too.

Mal stood in awe as the teen deftly steered Serenity around the much more nimble Gunships battling outside. After a moment, he found his voice, “Report.”

“Alliance Gunships showed up as soon as we lifted,” Xue began, never looking away from her flying, “Our escorts went down real quick.”

“Then who's out there fightin with the purple bellies?”

“Us and twenty gunships sent in by the Admiral. Apparently there is a big battle happening in orbit right now...”

Mal grabbed for the back of Xue's seat as Serenity danced away from another incoming missile. The deck plates felt as steady as sitting on the ground, Xue was so smooth on the controls. She had total concentration as she flew.

“Inara, target crossing left to right,” Xue called out.

Mal stood in awe again as Inara blasted the Alliance gunship out of the sky. Mal could also the set of her shoulders and knew how much it was tearing her up inside.

“I got it, Nara', Mal whispered as he ushered her from the seat, donning the gunnery VR display, “Jess... get her to the Galley and strap her in. Then get River up here.”

The blonde nodded and lead Inara from the bridge. Mal turned to Xue, “How you doin, little one?”

“Doing...” Xue replied through gritted teeth as she rolled Serenity to dodge another incoming missile.

“You're doing great,” Mal smiled.

“We can't break atmo,” Xue said after a moment, “This is nothing compared to what's happening in orbit. Last message we got from Longbow said that there were four cruisers and about fifteen destroyers duking it out up there. Both fleets are fully engaged.”

Mal swore under his breath.

River sprinted onto the bridge and smiled at Xue, “Fathers daughter...”

Xue looked back at River quickly and grinned.

“Need a place to hide for a bit,” Mal said as the air battle seemed to abate around them. At the moment, it looked like the Commonwealth forces had the upper hand.

“I know the perfect place,” River smiled.

XXXXXXXXXX

While it was just after dawn near the Academy. In Capital City, it was just after dusk. Gabriel and Reagan Tam stood on the rear veranda staring at the flashes in the night sky.

A huge flash lit up on the horizon.

“Gabe....” Reagan whispered.

“I don't know, Reagan...”

As they watched, a clap of thunder was heard even though there wasn't a cloud in the sky. A moment later a roar began to build. The windows began to rattle as a ship flew slowly over the grand manor house. Slowly the old vessel turned in place and landed gently on the lawn near the tennis court, the down wash from the engines blowing over small trees.

Wide eyed, Reagan held onto her husband as the ship settled to the ground and tucked it's engines up underneath the stub wings.

Hesitatingly, Gabriel stepped forward. Wanting to know who had the audacity to land an old rattletrap spaceship on his lawn.

Picking up steam, Gabriel Tam nearly ran to the ship, Reagan at his heels. He stopped short as the cargo ramp began to descend. The Tam's had to blink to adjust their eyes to the bright lights in the cargo bay. Suddenly, ten black clad soldiers ran down the ramp and held the couple at gunpoint.

“What is the meaning of this!” Gabriel thundered.

Suddenly the soldiers parted and a petite young woman walked towards them, she was dressed all in black except for a long brown coat and wore a pistol on each hip. The hilt of a sword could be seen over her shoulder.

The young woman stopped in front of the couple and looked at them with a slight smile. Suddenly she reached forward and pulled them into a hug.

“I missed you so much...”

“Ri... River?” Gabriel gasped out.

“Hi, Daddy... I'm home.”

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TBC