Life’s Too Short- Part Eight

Disclaimer: these characters, as you all know perfectly well, aren’t mine. Good thing Joss lets us share them!

Author’s Note: so here it is, the big space thingy. And reunions. Comment, and enjoy! (Words inside asterisks are in italics)

“It’s been nearly an hour since you dispatched the units to planetside. Why aren’t they back?” The question was calm, almost flat, and it didn’t sound as if the voice wanted an answer. Dawson Boroughs gave it a shot anyway. “Well, sir, they may have run into several-” The voice interrupted him, smoothly coming out of the black screen mounted just above the pilot’s consol. “I’ve put too much money and effort into hiring you people,” it said calmly, “to waste my time speaking to one such as yourself. Captain Jennings, I’m sure, is off trying to find out just what went wrong, and he placed you here to try and distract me. I’d had such high hopes for him. What a pity.” Dawson swallowed, trying to straighten. “What do you mean? I can assure you, I-” “I need no assurances, Private Boroughs. Run and fetch Captain Jennings. Now.” Dawson dipped his head and left. Captain had said not to get him unless it was an emergency, and that last line about pity had sounded pretty serious. It was time to let the Captain deal with the flat, sexless, disembodied voice that had arranged for so much money to be transferred into the honorable Alliance starship Captain Albert Jennings’s private account, just so that he would use his technology and utter discretion to find River Tam. Dawson remembered standing in the doorway as the request was made, feeling the chills run down his spine at the memory. * “River Tam. Serenity. Captain Malcolm Reynolds.” “I’m familiar with the name of the ship. It’s been on and off our radar for some time.” “I don’t care about the Firefly, Captain Jennings. Capture them, kill them, do whatever it is you Alliance do with them. I want River Tam.” “I’m afraid there’s a high-priority warrant on her head.” “I’m willing to pay whatever you require.” “Maybe we can come to an arrangement.” “I’m sure we can. I’ve been told you are ruthless in the hunt, Captain. That is what I’m looking for. Hunt her down. Drug her, cage her, do whatever you need to. But bring her to me, and I will fill your account to bursting. Half now, half when I have the girl.” “Agreed.” * * * * * “Oh god.” Mal turned from his post in the copilot’s seat, and looked at River. “What was that?” “Rogues. They’re rogues. They’ll follow no books.” “Albatross, what are you talkin’ about?” She glanced at him, eyes filled with fear. “We’ll get away, but they’ll keep coming. He’s greedy. He’s not worried about procedure.” “Procedure o’ wh-” And then Mal broke off as River made a sharp turn, jarring the bridge as Serenity shook with the air sweeping by her flank. “What in the hell was that?!” “Signal’s coming now.” Mal stood, and Zoe began to step forward from where she’d been leaning against the counter, but then the wave screen flicked on as River’s hand darted out, and Inara’s face filled the screen. “Now, Mal,” she said. “Micah sent his private fleet to hold them off.” “Then why’re you lookin’ so apprehensive-like?” “Because… you have to fly straight through an Alliance quadrant before you reach free space. It shouldn’t be too hard,” she added with a nervous swallow. “If River keeps Serenity steady and you go fast enough, you should blow right through. They’ll be busy trying to talk to Micah’s men.” “Nothing is ever hard enough,” Mal muttered. “Right, ‘Nara, thanks. And thank your friend, too,” he said with a grimace. Inara gave a shaky smile, and switched off the wave screen without another word. Mal turned to River. Simon stepped up behind her and laid a soothing hand on her shoulder, and she reached up with her own hand to pat his reassuringly. “I can fly well enough,” she said confidently. Her terror from minutes ago had vanished. Mal still wasn’t used to her swiftly changeable moods. It was a female thing, he decided. Kaylee and ‘Nara did it, too, but River sure had it down to an art. Soon she’d be developin’ wiles, an’ that would be the end of peace on Serenity. Mal shook his head wryly. What peace? “Don’t think like that,” River said. Mal rolled his eyes. Crazy reader. “Where’s Jayne,” he asked tersely, eyeing the doorway. Everyone else was on the bridge. Where the hell was his mercenary? “Here! I’m here, Mal,” Jayne called, loping up the steps and panting for breath. He had what looked to be every single weapon he owned strapped on. Mal, Zoe, Simon and River just blinked at him. Finally, Mal spoke. “We ain’t even leavin’ the ship, Jayne.” “Nuthin’ else I can do. Better to be prepared. ‘Case they board us.” “Ah. Of course. Okay, River, let’s get this party started.” River spun a dial and flicked two switches, pushing a black lever slowly up as Serenity gained speed. They hit atmo fast and hard, and Mal had to steady himself against the back of the copilot’s seat. Then, with a shriek of metal, they broke into clean space. Or, rather, not-so-clean space. There was a cloud of Alliance vessels, facing another, larger, cloud of unmarked ships that Mal assumed belonged to Micah Hughes. “Go, River, go!” “I’m going,” she said, falling into the same slow, calm way of speaking that had been Wash’s trademark while flying dangerously. Zoe’s heart clenched, but she pushed the pain away. River spun Serenity in a risky roll that brought them under and around one of the Alliance ships, and righted her with a steady hand. She was going up and between ship after ship, and only once did Serenity’s side scrape against Alliance steel. Twice, however, two well-placed shots rocked the ship’s hull, but then they- were- out! * * * * “Captain Jennings. Would you care to explain just exactly how it is that you, and fifteen Alliance ships, are sitting in space while Serenity flies free? May I remind you that my property is on that ship?” “She’s not your property yet,” Jennings said with a surly glance at the screen. He wasn’t used to being so completely thwarted. They had friends in high places, all right. Micah Hughes himself had stepped in, claiming that one of his close acquaintances was shipping out on Serenity. Sure. What a load of go se. “She’s not human, Captain,” the voice stated with a monotoned laugh. “She belongs to the highest bidder. And that happens to be me. If it helps you, think of River Tam as an object, not a girl.” “I don’t have a problem with hunting humans, girl or boy.” “Good. I am running out of patience, and you are running out of chances.” * * * * As the shuttle docked, River let out a little yelp. “Simon! Don’t think so loudly!” Simon flushed and swallowed from his place directly behind her chair. “River!” “What? It’s just a request. Oh,” she said, reaching up and turning on the mike. “Kaylee and Inara are back!” She turned off the mike and stood. “Autopilot for now. We’re set to Persephone.” “We’re set to what, now?” Mal stepped onto the bridge, scratching the back of his head. An hour had passed since they’d escaped- barely- the Alliance barricade. “I was thinkin’ we’d just fly low. Under the radar.” “Remember what happened last time?” “But we got fuel, and parts. Ain’t no way I’m landin’ anywhere just now.” “But we need to go to Persephone.” “Not just yet, we don’t. Don’t argue, lil Albatross.” River rolled her eyes and unset the controls. Then, her face fell into a frightened look that made Mal shiver. “He’s coming.” “Who’s coming?” But she was moving past him with that sleek grace of hers, and was gone. Mal turned around, arms out in a what-just-happened motion. No respect for the captain, that was the problem. Sheesh. He strode down the stairs and headed for Inara’s shuttle. As he turned a corner, Simon joined him and the two of them went to meet the girls. Mal glanced at Simon out of the corner of his eye. The younger man was damn near glowing. Hard not to, with Kaylee’s happiness leechin’ out all night- stop that right there. I do not want to be goin’ there. Kaylee and Inara stepped out of the shuttle and smiled at the two men. Kaylee at once bounded down into Simon’s arms, and began kissing him so fervently that Mal had to cough and jump up the few steps to where Inara stood. He stuck his hands in his pockets and coughed again. “Hey,” Mal said. Inara. She was so beautiful, so gorram lovely it almost hurt. “I think it’s wonderful that they’re so happy,” she said, gesturing over his shoulder to where Kaylee and Simon were undoubtedly still locked together, though Mal wouldn’t look to save his life. “Shipboard romances are nothin’-” But before he could finish his sentence, Inara reached up and grabbed his ears, one hand noticeably gentler on the ear that Niska had cut off, yanked his head down and planted a hard kiss on his mouth. “I’d say don’t ever scare me like that again, but I’ve been more scared for you than I was today and I probably will be again. Soon. So just be careful, Mal, because you still owe me a date.” “I- I do, at that,” he said, trying to regain his balance. He reached for her, meaning to pull her in for another kiss, but she neatly sidestepped his hands and walked gracefully down the steps onto the hall leading to the kitchen. “Don’t get too cocky,” she said over her shoulder. Mal squinted at her. “I haven’t forgotten your cheating.” “My what?” “Our argument about the shopping trip. Don’t think I haven’t forgotten how you stopped it.” “I let you go on the trip, woman!” “But I can’t let you think a kiss will stop every one.” She turned a corner, and he followed the disappearing sway of her hips wistfully. “Nothin’ is ever hard enough,” Mal muttered.

TBC: Next: we find out more about the mysterious 'bidder', and relationships develope more...