Dark ‘Verse

Part 1: Pension

The Operative sat at his tribunal meeting. Unlike what was seen in movies of the past, it was a simple setting. The Operative sat at a chair at a long rectangular table alone on one side while three members of the Alliance Parliament sat at the other. The three were indistinguishable from one another with their suit and ties. But one thing was clear and similar between the three of them: The Operative’s death was on their minds. The Operative sighed for a moment. He had lived the life he expected to have lived and it was ending the same way he thought it would: by violent death. But this time the environment was different. He was being put to death, not receiving death in combat, like he always thought he would. By letting River Tam escape and Captain Mal Reynolds live and reveal the deep dark secret of the galaxy and the Alliance, the Operative had failed and thus was going to be put to death. He frowned for a few moments, if not seconds, but then remained as cold as he always was. He never let emotions get him that much. His arms still hurt from what Malcolm Reynolds did to him. But though Mal angered him more then anyone else ever had since he was a boy, the Operative felt a somewhat deep respect for Malcolm, er, Mal Reynolds for beating a clearly better opponent in himself. Mal, as their last meeting suggested, did not share the same respect. The members of Parliament went about their business and talked as if the Operative wasn’t there. Then, after a few moments, they spoke. “Operative. . .,” the Operative blanked out the name. He didn’t even know it was his he hadn’t heard it in so long. “You had a reasonably easy task to fulfill. Why was it not completed,” said the first Parliament member with a very neutral tone. “I plan to make no excuses on my failure sir. I plan on moving on from this.” “I figured,” said the second Parliament member. “We obviously can’t deal with things past. The Alliance is in a load of trouble and to blame it on you would be too easy. Malcolm Reynolds was not your goal and he found a way. . .”, the Parliament member paused as if mentioning it would hurt the Operative’s feelings, “. . .to beat you. He is now a target of the Alliance in the worse sense.” “This goes deeper than Alliance vs. Browncoat,” said the third Parliament member. “But that is a case left for professionals,” said the less neutral first member of Parliament. The use of professional in such an abusive way, to inform the Operative that he was no longer a professional, was meant to damage the Operative. It didn’t work. “We have voted 2 to 1 that you shall live. Your pension will be given to you now but you are banished from Core worlds,” said the second member of Parliament. Since the Alliance aims to conquer all worlds, I am banished almost entirely from the universe. At least they can’t take the skies from me, the Operative thought. The Operative remained silent only a little pleased with his predicament. “We suggest you take an alias and. . .well, live out the rest of your days.” And with the third Parliament members words released from his mouth, the meeting was over and the Operative had 24 hours to become an outcast.

***

Malcolm Reynolds and Jayne Cobb were in a wicked fire fight. A very wicked fire fight. Since Mal became mailman to the universe, what with his messages of joy and prosperity and such, the Alliance tracked his every move. . .when they could. “God, I wish Zoe was here,” shouted Mal over the noise. There he was speaking the two names he had not wished on speaking much these days, God and Zoe. God had left his life years ago; Zoe a few weeks. She hadn’t been handling Wash’s death well and she thought it would be better to try things out on her own. That left Mal with nothing. That’s how he felt anyways. Jayne was too busy rollin’ his eyes to give a damn. “Well, she ain’t. And I ain’t gonna die ‘cause you whinin’ about a comrade come-gone.” Jayne stopped his bicker to fire back at a few Alliance officers. Jayne, who was huddled behind some empty barrels checked out his surroundings. It was in the middle of a desert, an abandoned mining station on Kerry. Mal and the crew had been delivering another set of cattle to this place, their third run, when they got hit. The Alliance was shooting at them and killed all the cattle for good measure. Another deal lost. Mal was shooting less. Instead of being angry and bitter like he was after God left him, Mal was quiet, lonely, and sometimes overly nice. He was broken and lost. Not even Inara could help him out of this one. “We better be fixin’ on leavin’ soon Mal!” Jayne fired a few shots and hit someone. He cheered in Chinese. Another Alliance dead another credit added to his wanted price total. Mal looked at Jayne who was the same as he always was. Jayne had lost a friend too but he wasn’t going to admit it too loud. Shepherd Book had been a big loss but Jayne took it better then people thought he would. Book was the only fella Jayne got along with on a regular basis. Since Zoe’s disappearance, Mal and Jayne had gotten closer. . .whatever that meant. . .but Zoe was hard shoes to fill. “Right. That new pilot come on the phones yet?” “Naw. Jackass is probably still trying to figure out where the hell the steering wheel is.” Jayne and Mal kept firing back as the fire fight wasn’t going anywhere. Mal and Jayne were tired and the fight was out of them. They had fought Reavers, Alliance, and Parliament Operatives in the last few months and they were damn tired. Sure enough, without warning, Serenity came flying over a mountain top. The lower section of the hull hit the mountain square and Mal winced at the hundreds of credits he’d have to pay for that one. Larry Behn, the new pilot, came over on the radio: “Sorry guys, I’m a little late.” “No, come on down, have some tea maybe bring a basket for the picnic. . .hurry the hell up Behn and get down here!” screamed Mal. Jayne provided cover fire while Mal ran towards Serenity a moment later. Serenity, once Mal was in, flew over Jayne just high enough for him to jump in while Mal cover fired. Once in they took off. At full burn, Serenity was out of there before the Alliance could recover.

***

“God damn it Behn. I told you we should have stayed here. I am not taking suggestions again from you,” screamed Mal in the cockpit. There was a time when suggestions didn’t exist on Serenity. But somehow now they did. . .or simple they did. Mal was through whining and moping. It was time to get back to being Mal. But he was disappointed his heart wasn’t in the fire fight. He would have jumped in the battle screaming years ago. Could it be he was getting old. Behn, a tall man with dark hair but decidedly goofy features including very large sideburns, nearly shrugged it off. He wasn’t into fighting or caring for that matter. He was in this for the money as Jayne was in the beginning, but after a few weeks Jayne at least showed signs that he liked something here whether it be his bunk or the gym or maybe even a person. “Sorry boss,” he said halfheartedly. Speaking of money. “Well, at least we got us some fine mula. . .oh wait, shit we didn’t,” said Jayne in as mock a tone as possible. “Another gorram waste of time.” Mal just walked by Jayne into the crew quarters hall. As he walked he screamed behind him, “Behn, call Taylor and tell him Kerry is sealed off and the rest of the deal is off.” Jayne rolled his eyes as he followed Mal. The two eventually made it to the Dining Room where Simon and Kaylee were sharing a nice lunch. “Good to see you two back!” said Kaylee in a delightful tone. Simon simply smiled. Mal nodded halfheartedly while Jayne sat down and began eating Simon’s food. “Good to see you two making relations while we nearly get killed. Keep that Behn guy in shape Kaylee,” said Mal a little too forcibly. Simon took a defensive position quickly but Mal’s apologetic face calmed him. Since he and Kaylee were together Simon suddenly got more brave. . .and he had been spending less time with River who was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s little crazy head?” said Jayne still eating Simon’s food. When it came to Jayne, Simon wasn’t so brave. “I don’t have any idea, actually,” said Simon to both his and everyone else's shock. “I think that’s the first time you’ve ever said that,” exclaimed Kaylee. Mal wasn’t sure what to think. The very few times he had seen River she looked angry and lonely but Mal wasn’t one to talk to her since she was a bit screwloosey at times. “Maybe if you weren’t screechin’ bed wires you’d know where she be,” said Jayne while he stuffed his face. Simon and Kaylee simply rolled their eyes. “And get some sleep around here,” he continued with his mouth full and in a quieter tone. “You know she’s been lookin’ a might lonely lately. She could use some company,” suggested Mal. Keep on being a nice rebel Mal, people will think your rough and tumble for sure, thought Mal a bit angry at himself. “I hadn’t thought about it actually. I think I will go check on her,” said Simon slowly and emotionally. It was clear he hadn’t even thought about River in some time. Times were changing. Mal was soft, Zoe, Wash, and Book were gone, Kaylee was getting sex with Simon and Simon was forgetting River. The ship just didn’t feel right anymore. Angry that he had even thought that his home wasn’t right anymore, Mal quit early and hit the sack.

***

Inara Serra was in her newly acquired shuttle aboard Serenity. Since Mal was anxious to have her back he had given her her shuttle. . .for a bargain price but a price nonetheless. She hadn’t been doing business at all since the incidents on Miranda. Her brain had been too wrapped up in finding home and finding her place in the ‘verse. Mal. And finding, possibly, a new career. Mal. She had to get up and slap that thought out of her head. Mal. No, she thought. I am not thinking about Mal right now. She decided to check her mail on her computer screen. Most of them were fairly annoying until she came across an unnamed one. She opened it and the wave told her to send a wave out to a specific location. Once she started sending the wave a few minutes later, a familiar, if not sinister face, appeared. “Hello, Inara. Wonderful to see you again.”

***

Inara met Mal and Jayne down in the cargo bay. Simon, Kaylee, Behn, and even River were down there as well doing various things. Behn, a weight lifter, was lifting with Jayne and Jayne was mocking him on his weaknesses. Mal had been summoned by Inara while the rest were doing whatever they were doing. “Mal, in five minutes we are going to be boarding with someone you need to meet,” said Inara. “Do I not get to know his/her name? Is it my birthday?” he replied. “No, he,” she emphasized he, “insisted he not reveal himself until,” she stopped as the ship docked with something. Mal, surprised, told Behn to get up to the cockpit and see what was going on. Inara finished: “. . .he got here.” “I don’t like this Inara. Who is it?” The door shot open and in came the Operative.

*** Jayne grabbed a hidden gun from behind the weights while Simon protected Kaylee from a far distance. River, remained still and unmoved. Mal went to draw his weapon but amazingly faster than he was Inara’s arm stopping him. “Listen to what he has to say,” she said. Mal gave her a nasty look. She was wheelin’ and dealin’ on his ship and he didn’t like it. Not to mention wheelin’ and dealin’ with gorram filth. “Looks like we need a little talk Nara.” Inara couldn’t have looked too upset since, though Mal was angry, he had called her by her nickname. Something he never did. “Jayne. Weapons down,” commanded Mal. “I mean no harm Mal,” said the Operative calmly. Mal winced when he heard his name referred by the Operative. “Simple Captain will do, thanks. Now, speak your peace and get going.” Jayne stayed at the ready while the others remained a safe distance away. Behn came in a little later and paused on the upper deck stairs. “I have a simple request,” said the Operative. “You better not be asking favors ‘cause we fresh out,” said Jayne tough-like. “Well, a favor is something done for free. I wish to pay for services,” said the Operative assuredly. He talked to Jayne like he could take him and that made Jayne a little unsettled-like. “Spew it son,” said Mal quickly. “I would like to join Serenity as a crew mate. I would perform tasks as mercenary and protection.” Mal laughed a bit. Jayne looked a little intimidated and angry. “We already got a mercenary. . .me.” “Yes, the Hero of Canton. Your legend is well known,” said the Operative with a smile. Jayne took a deep breath in of pride but then exhaled suspicion. “We got enough room on this boat,” said Mal calmly. “I’d be willing to pay and I would take no payment from you. Basically I am paying for rent, as it were.” “Why?” said Simon, who was, as usual, mostly silent. “Not an issue until the money is down. Would you like to see my cash?” asked the Operative. “No. There ain’t cash you can give me to harbor you,” said Mal, this time a little more angry. The Operative went into his craft quickly and threw out four sacks, four large sacks, of coin onto the cargo deck floor. “My Alliance pension. . .four million credits.” A very long pause. “Well. . .” said Mal.

End of Part 1