Saw That Coming : Part 4

Players:

Crew of Serenity Hugo Frisbie Billy Bester Jacob Hanover Stranger #1 Stranger #2

Prologue:

Shifting from Serenity to Persephone’s underworld. Deals have been made and everyone seems happy.

For some, the future will become less bright. For others, future events will turn out somewhat well. Which will it be for Serenity and her crew…….read on.

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Saw That Coming 4

It was another weeknight at the “ Bar & Steel” and Hugo Frisbie was again polishing the countertop of his less than respectable establishment. Not that he minded that his place of business was considered a watering hole for the rowdy and rugged cliental of Persephone’s underbelly. Still even folk such as these preferred drowning their sorrows, or making their shady deals in a place that was a bit cleaner than a dusty street corner or animal infested crossroad. A cleaner place meant happier patrons, and happier patrons meant more coin.

Hugo looked across the room at the folk that were inside his place of business…….nine in total. Two on stools at the other end of the bar, two at a table in the center of the room, one in a dark corner in the far back. His right hand leisurely grasping the form of an empty liquor bottle and his head resting comfortably on the tabletop where he sat alone.

There was another using his facilities,……..but the people who were of most interest to the barkeep were the three sitting at a table in a more light area in front near the dirty glass windows. Hugo recognized the three, well, one of them anyway. The youngest was Billy. Billy Wild, Bester, the other two he had seen before but didn‘t know their names. Not that it mattered, many of his patrons liked and wanted it that way. Still this was his place, and, wasn’t it his duty to look after his cliental?

Billy Bester was by no means a big spender at the “Bar & Steel“, but he was a good lad and Hugo had grown somewhat fond of the boy. Hugo felt that it was his honored duty as an outstanding citizen of Persephone……well, his honored duty anyway, to look after his loyal customers and to see that their well being was forefront in his place of business. Also, he like Billy, and didn’t want the out-of-work mechanic to get into any trouble. Trouble he couldn’t get out of.

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Billy Bester looked across the table at the two gentlemen he’d been introduced to two weeks before.

“ So the final deed is done?” He quizzed of the man.

“ Yes it has been. Serenity has picked up the package and is now in route to her new destination, Demeter moon. Should be there day after tomorrow. The information that you have provided has worked well.” The taller of the two men paused and glanced at his partner before continuing.

“ There, they will find a welcoming committee waiting for them.” He smiled.

“ But no harm will…..I mean they won‘t be hurt or anything?” William looked into the man’s eyes.

“ No physical harm.” The man replied. “ Yes…..that’s the plan.”

Billy wasn’t sure if he believed him. But this job was paying well enough that he could lay off finding mechanics work for a year, or better yet, open his own shop and let other people do the work.

“ ………and I can go with you when you make contact with Serenity?” Billy was eager to witness the looks on the Captain and Kaylee’s faces.

“ That you can my young friend.” The man said.

Billy still wasn’t sure of their actual interest in the Firefly transport of his one time employer, but, it was really none of his business. His revenge was to see the looks on Serenity’s master mechanics face and also on the face of the Captain who’d fired him all those months ago. Billy knew he was a bit on the slow side when it came to making repairs on ships, but no one had really complained about his work. He’d always done well on the repairs he was able to make, although figuring out what was actually wrong did take him a bit of time on occasion.

Still, being the owner of his own shop would allow him the opportunity to hire the best mechanics in the verse. He already had a name and slogan picked out for his business……..“William’s Vehicle Repair-The Bester Shop In The Universe!”. Heck he may even hire Kaylee as one of his mechanics. He viewed the two gentlemen.

“ It has been shiny working with you guys.” He smiled.

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Jacob Hanover stood on the breaches of Cordell Rock. A giant stone outcropping which lined the area of Bixby Canyon. He looked with binoculars over the vast land that lay before him. “The perfect place for an illicit rendezvous.” He considered.

“ Been a while since we’ve had any crime here!” He spoke looking over his shoulder at his deputy walking up the escarpment to meet up with him.

Hanover was sheriff of Newton Province. A region on the back side of Demeter Moon. Demeter, like many moons in the system, was gravity locked with her larger companion world Persephone so that she shone the same face of her surface to her larger complement every minute of every day or night.

For a long time Demeter had been a favorite staging area for crime being conducted in this quadrant of the system. It was akin to a populated world (Persephone) who’s orbit lie between two even larger worlds, Bellerophon and Beaumonde. In later years crooks had used the small moon less and less due to authority crack-downs and it’s surface being easily seen from it’s home world Persephone. There was still occasionally crime brought to the small moon, but usually only on the side of the world out of view of it’s home planet.

Hanover heard the sound of a vehicle entering atmo. He looked at Reese, his second in command.

“ Get the posse ready.” He said. Looking back to the beautiful noonday sky he saw a craft coming into his view.

“ A Firefly!” The tall sheriff smiled as, with his eyes to binoculars he watch the ship land not a quarter mile from his hiding place. He was a bit excited. This arrest would definitely help win him re-election and help in his upcoming bid for Reign Magistrate. He would allow the criminals to get cozy and comfortable before springing the trap and taking the whole band of desperados under his control.

“ Those two fellows and that younger guy sure had their Intel right.” He whispered to himself as the dust stirred up by the transport ship began to settle.

“Time to foil some crime.” The sheriff continued as he turned to walk down the hill back towards the three police hovercraft that awaited him there.

End Part 4