(One of my few FF "action" stories, and one of the longest. Written in May 2003, with some inspiration from another part of the Jossverse. It will be posted in 5 or 6 parts.)

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. No infringement is intended on the rights of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, or 20th Century Fox TV.

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"Fateful Hours" Part 1 by HawkMoth

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The plan was simple. Get in, make contact, do a little business, get out. Four, maybe five hours of kissing the dirt, tops.

Of course, it went all to hell while they were still just sniffing the air.

******

Niobe was supposed to a peaceable little world. Good place for a meet, and maybe pick up a few more new customers. Minimal Alliance influence. Fairly well settled, with varied enough opportunities for resupplying the ship. There was even a small Guild House in the port town, to which Inara took herself scarcely ten minutes after they'd set down in the late morning, declaring that even a half-day holiday off the ship and in truly civilized company would be a blessed relief.

She wasn't looking at anyone in particular when she said it, but everyone else knew she was talking strictly to the captain, and not at all about any of them--not even Jayne.

Mal watched her go, with a familiar discomfort stirring inside him. They both knew damn well what he'd been up to for weeks, keeping Serenity so far off the radar that they might as well have turned invisible. It had been a while since either of them had come right out and talked about it straight. Lately it had been all averted eyes, few words and a lot of tension.

The only thing Mal could take bitter comfort in was the fact that she had stopped making threats about leaving. Didn't mean she wasn't still thinking about it, though, and after a visit to her own kind, she just might come to a decision.

He didn't want to think about it. They'd come here to close a deal, and he didn't need no distracting thoughts. Just the idea of her going had been distracting enough of late.

Simon opted to remain on board with River, who'd picked up a bug of some sort on their recent stopover at Artemis Station, and was still feeling poorly. Kaylee offered to stay behind and keep them company, so Wash and Jayne were stuck with the resupplying duties. Mal took Zoe with him to the rendezvous point, which was a cafe near the town center. Book elected to walk part of the way with them, and pay a visit to the local clergy.

It was a nice day to be in the world--the sun shone warmly, and a soft breeze was stirring the clean, fresh air just enough. As much as the sky was their true home, Mal could appreciate the fineness of a day such as this. From the way Zoe was looking around at the easygoing folk doing business, and how her usual well-measured gait had loosened up a bit, he knew she was feeling the joy of it too.

The streets were paved and clean. Most folks were walking. There were a few mech-wagons and better-model mules about, but not much air traffic overhead. It was all very sedate, compared to the raucous bustle of a place like Persephone.

Book was smiling at the people passing by, likewise appreciating the pleasantness all around them. They came to a broad intersection, and he paused, lifting a hand in farewell. A church and some adjoining buildings were visible just down the block.

"See you back at the ship," the Shepherd said, turning that way.

"We head back to the sky 'round about three," Mal reminded him as they parted.

He and Zoe continued on to the meet. "How will we know our contact, sir?" she asked as they approached what appeared to be the town square, which was a small park very much like an old village green. The street they were on, and two others, converged on it. They started across, scouting around for the cafe.

"We look for the fella who's looking for us," Mal said, pointing as he located it a few doors down a quiet street to the right. "I did some checking--he's a reputable businessman, wanting to expand his trade off-world. He's got a buyer on Pacquin, and heard we knew the routes better'n anybody."

Zoe looked at him sideways. "Who from, I wonder?"

Mal shrugged. "Word gets around. Way the fella talked, though, I suspect it mighta been from our friend Harrow back on Persephone, maybe lookin' to do us a good turn."

"Uh-huh." Her tone was mildly skeptical. "Let's hope so."

There weren't many people patronizing the small, tidy cafe at this hour, so it was easy to get a table near the window and not too far from the door. It was always better that way, just in case things didn't go smooth. They ordered coffee from a harried-looking server, and waited.

No one else present took any particular interest in them, so as Mal drank his coffee he kept an eye on the door for their guy, glancing out the window into the street every now and then. After a while, he noticed something seemed to be developing up the way in the square. People were gathering around a small raised dais draped with colorful bunting, which looked as if it had been hastily constructed.

"Huh. Wonder what that's all about."

Zoe followed his gaze. Other people seemed bent on detouring around the area as they sent anxious glances at the growing crowd. Suddenly she sat up straight and tilted her head purposefully at her captain. "Sir..." She flicked one finger at a tallish building directly across the road.

Half a dozen men were standing there, wearing the unmistakable dark khaki of authority. Two had their eyes on the folks who were leaving the vicinity, while the others were directing their full attention to the crowd in the park.

"Tzao gao," Mal swore. What the hell had they wandered into? Trying to appear unperturbed, he stood up and walked casually to the counter, where he dropped a coin and picked up a news sheet. He glanced at the top story feed, then walked back to the table and handed it wordlessly to Zoe as he sat back down.

"'Magistrate's Son Wins Bid to Appear on Election Ballot,' " she read the headline softly. "'Despite the concerns of party officials, a support rally is scheduled for noon today...' " Dropping the sheet, she pulled out her pocket watch, then gave Mal a baleful look.

"Yeah," he sighed. "We're really gonna have to work on our timing."

More lawmen had appeared in the street, and were mingling officiously with the gathered citizens. "This can't be good," Zoe agreed. "When was our appointment supposed to take place?"

"Any time now," he said, looking around the cafe worriedly. They were the only people left in it.

The server, watching them from across the room, cleared her throat nervously. "You folks about done?"

Mal hardly had a chance to nod before she came hurrying over with the check. He gave her a bland, polite smile. "Is there something important going on in town today?"

She eyed them both warily. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Zoe was sorting out the bill. "No," Mal answered, maintaining an innocent tone. "Just passing through. We were hoping to meet an acquaintance here, but he might have been delayed..." He trailed off, hoping his supposed concern would prompt some sympathy and information.

The woman took the money from Zoe, glanced out the window, then nodded at the news sheet on the table. She spoke in a rush. "Magistrate's boy has been a rebel all his life. Now he's got the chance to take his daddy on for real. Some folks are for it, some aren't. It's been the cause of a lot of contention lately. Your friend may have just decided it was a good day to be elsewhere," she finished, with a significant look toward the door.

"Thank you," Mal said somberly, as they took the hint and got to their feet. They were barely out the door before it was slammed shut and locked tight behind them.

Keeping her gaze averted from the two lawmen still on alert across the street, Zoe tugged nonchalantly at her coat, using the innocuous gesture to check her gun. "What now, sir?" she asked quietly. "Give the job up as a lost cause?"

He nodded, smiling faintly as he went through the same casual motions, discreetly patting his own weapon. "They do seem to be one of our specialties," he said. "Might be we could make contact once this situation blows over, but I'm thinking it's best we just head for the ship and sit tight--wait for Preacher and Inara to be done what they're doing, then take off. No job's worth getting tangled up in political complications."

"That's for damn sure."

Mal looked up and down the street, trying to get his bearings. They'd followed the contact's directions to this spot, but maybe there was another way to get back to the port which wouldn't require crossing the square. The crowd there had gotten considerably larger, and folks seemed to getting restless as the minutes ticked on past noon and nothing was happening.

Except for the arrival of several dark-suited, hard-faced individuals who impassively took up positions all around the dais, as the people standing closest quickly stepped back out of their way. The apparent leader, a lean, sharp-eyed woman, gave a disdainful nod to the tallest of the lawmen, a burly, bearded man who was probably the ranking officer.

"Private security," Zoe commented.

"Or hired guns tricked out as such," said Mal, not liking the looks of them one bit. "C'mon, we better move."

He didn't want to take a chance on getting lost and losing time, so he crossed the street boldly, Zoe following with a look of exasperation as he approached the nearby lawmen.

"Excuse me, officers," he said pleasantly. "Could you direct us to the quickest way to the port?"

The two men looked them up and down. "Got business there?" one of them asked brusquely.

"No, not as such," he said. "Just passing through. Our ship's on a quick stopover, and the missus here--" he bestowed a fond smile on Zoe, who managed not to roll her eyes at him--"wanted to stretch her legs and get some fresh air. But it's time for us to head back and I think we may have gotten turned around a mite in our meanderings."

It must have sounded believable, for the second officer favored Zoe with an appreciative smirk as he said, "You just go that way, folks, and you'll be there in no time at all." And he pointed right straight across the town square.

"Oh." Mal scratched his head. "I could've sworn it was back that way," he said, nodding in the opposite direction. "Isn't that what you thought, honey?"

"No, dear," Zoe said with a tight smile. "We weren't sure, which is why I told you to ask."

"That way don't go anywhere near the port," the first lawman cut in impatiently. "You just head on back that way, folks, and don't mind the crowd. Looks to be breaking up anyway."

It did at that. There was no sign of any official personages, and people were starting to drift away two or three at a time.

Zoe quickly latched on to Mal's arm. "Thank you, officers," she called over her shoulder as she firmly led him away.

"What?" he said as they hurried along. "That went down smooth enough."

"And it would be nice if it stayed that way, sir."

People were still slowly dispersing. A core group, a few dozen strong, lingered determinedly around the dais, talking in low tones among themselves. At least seven of the local lawmen were maintaining stern surveillance while the paid-enforcer types also stood their ground, watching everybody. It was a very quiet, if somewhat tense tableau.

Mal and Zoe retraced their path cautiously, edging around the loiterers, mindful of the varied authority figures still present. When they were almost across the square, Mal glanced over his shoulder. "I wonder what happened to our guy," he mused. "We could mosey back and--"

"If he wants to do business that badly, Captain," Zoe cut him off, "then he can just contact us at the port." She was radiating a definite uneasieness, darting surreptitious glances in all directions. "Let's keep moving. Something about this situation bothers me."

He wasn't liking it much, either, but now with more of a disappointment that they may have lost out on a lucrative deal. Yet he wasn't going to dismiss his first mate's concerns too lightly. "Fine. Maybe we ought to collect the Shepherd on our way, and try to contact Inara--get all our chicks safely back in the nest."

"Excellent idea, sir."

They waited as two slow-moving ground cars drove by and pulled up beside the park. Three men who could have been clones of the security types already on duty emerged from the first and closed in rapidly on the second. A young man, about Simon's age to Mal's eyes, stepped out and looked around avidly as the guards moved in to escort him. Some folks on the edge of the remaining crowd took not pointing and cheering. He waved enthusiastically in return.

"Must be the boy of the hour," Mal said to Zoe as they continued on their way. They had to step aside for several latecomers hurrying up the street to join the rally. In their overeager haste, one of them collided with Mal, jostling him roughly.

He stumbled hard against Zoe, who swore under her breath, and caught the fellow by the arm. "Hey, now--"

The protest died on his lips when the man impatiently shook him off, and Mal caught a glimpse of his face. He knew in a heartbeat he was looking at a killer. As the man hurried away, reaching into a pocket, Mal heard an ominous clicking sound.

Adrenaline-charged reflexes kicked in as he recovered his balance. With one hand he reached out to steady Zoe, while drawing his gun with the other. "Down--get down!" he shouted to anybody who could hear him.

The guards around the young politician did. One pushed his charge to the ground and hovered over him protectively as the other two spun around in Mal's general direction, guns out in an instant. Their attention was drawn back to the crowd, where some were reacting with panic, the cheers turning to screams as people began to scatter. The confusion spread into the rest of the crowd like wild fire.

Mal was ready to get a shot off, but the would-be assailants had taken swift advantage of the tumult to split up. As he tried to get a bead on the one who had nearly knocked him down, the man threw something right in between the parked vehicles and the first wave of the fleeing crowd.

It hit the ground with a sizzling crack and spewed out a cloud of acrid smoke that spread rapidly through the area. More people began screaming and running, adding to the turmoil. There were lawmen charging blindly everywhere, weapons raised, shouting frantic directions.

The other hired guns appeared, surrounding the vehicles, guns ready as they searched for a target.

"Cap'n..." Zoe was at Mal's shoulder, her weapon drawn, pulling him out of the way as people tried to escape past them. "Mal," she said urgently. "This ain't our business."

His attention was still on the chaos in the square. "Can't see where the bastard went..."

The smoke was drifting their way, and then they heard a burst of gunfire in the distance.

Zoe yanked her captain around and got right in his face. "It ain't our fight, either. We have to get out of here."

Mal nodded, having finally recognized the futility of his instinctive actions. "Sounds like a--"

There were more shots, much closer, and the unmistakable whine of a laser weapon. The first parked car careened sideways into the street, its front end blown spectacularly apart. Half of the guards were knocked flat by the blast, while the rest struggled to remain upright, looking for a way to fall back to safety.

The shock wave caught Mal and Zoe as they dove for the ground. It sent them tumbling wildly and Mal's head struck the pavement hard enough to stun him for a moment. He pushed himself up unsteadily, fighting the dizziness, and reached for Zoe, who was on her knees cradling one arm against her chest.

"Go, go!" he urged, dragging her upright, both of them weaving slightly as they started to move.

"Drop your weapons!" a voice rang out over the clamor and confusion. Two of the guards and a local officer were plowing through the remnants of the fleeing crowd, straight for them.

They kept moving.

"There--that's the one!" another voice cried out. "The browncoat did it!"

"Tamade!" Mal spared a look around and saw the man who had thrown the smoke bomb pointing right at him.

"Bastard!" Zoe hissed as they picked up speed, ducking and dodging past the frightened people still in retreat or huddled anxiously against buildings.

The guards were in hot pursuit, and more of the local law had joined them. "Drop your weapons and stand down!" the one in the lead shouted.

Bullets kicked into the ground just behind them when they ignored the command. They reached a corner, and slowed only a fraction as they considered their options. Mal was fighting for breath to give Zoe the word that they should split up when he felt a stinging jolt below his right knee, and a flash of pain seared through his whole leg.

"Captain!" Zoe grabbed him with her good arm as he stumbled, dragging him awkwardly down the narrow street on their left. It was deserted--no one else had fled this way. They found the mouth of an alley and ducked into its shadows.

Not a bullet, Mal realized thickly as Zoe hauled him into the limited protection of a recessed doorway. A laser burn always took you worse. Even without hitting anything vital, it would curdle through your body and shut you down quick--and the knock his head had taken was making it happen faster.

He fell heavily against Zoe, sweating and shaking. "Gotta--gotta keep moving," he panted as his vision blurred.

"Yes, sir," she agreed, her firm grip on him a comfort, though her eyes were dark with concern and her own pain. "Soon as I figure out where we can move to..."

Her worried gaze suddenly left him. Through the haze of shock, Mal felt strong hands grab him from behind, and the last thing he heard before passing out was Zoe's gasp of surprise.

******

Part Two