The Mercenary takes a wife : The Mercer girls Jayne’s worst nightmare and wildest fantasy *Nightmare* “Captain! We have a distress call.” Wash yelled down to the kitchen. Mal and Zoë came onto the bridge. “Can you tell from what?” “It’s a transport ship, the Mercer, out of New Bedford.” Wash read off the registry. “Call’s about 5 weeks old.” He looked between the Captain and his wife. “They said they were attacked by the ugliest pirates ever.” Mal and Zoë exchange knowing looks. “You thinking Reavers?” Wash looked at Mal, swallowed hard and muttered quietly to himself. “Oh God, oh God, oh God.” “How far out? Call was five weeks old? Reavers will be gone by now, no need to mention that part to anyone. Wonder how they survived?” Mal looked at Zoë, his mind turning a mile a minute. They hadn’t had a good job in months and he was hoping for a little salvage work. Wash messed with his dials. “About… three… hours. Should I set a course?” “Yeah, time for some good humanitarian work.” He headed down to the engine room to warn Kaylee to get her salvage stuff ready. He would wait until the last minute to tell the crew about the ugly pirates. * There were to two ships merged together, like no two ships should be. One was obviously the transport and the other was just as obviously a Reaver ship. The transport had rammed into the Reaver’s ship in a last ditch effort to protect the shuttle that was caught on the grappling hook. It had saved the people in the shuttle, but trapped them too. “Wash, you got someone?” Mal came back up onto the bridge. “Yeah, there are five still alive. She looked normal on the vid.” “She?” Jayne had followed Mal onto the bridge. “What do you mean ‘Normal’?” “Just… you know... being alone… for five weeks can do stuff to a person.” Wash looked at Mal and hoped Jayne bought it. “That’s gotta be the meanest looking ship, how come they rammed her like that? Only reason I can see ramming a ship like that… would…be… Gorram it Mal, that’s a Reaver ship ain’t it?” Jayne started to sweat. “Reaver’s are all gone, Jayne.” “You don’t know that!” He paced back and forth. “If there were Reavers around, wouldn’t be any one left on that shuttle.” He motioned Wash to get up. Mal turned the vid back on. “Ma’am, how can we help you?” “Well, a ride would be nice.” She smiled. “Need to get these women to Seattle. I can pay and we have lots of supplies on board.” “You have suits? We can’t get close enough to the shuttle to dock.” “Yes, we have three suits. Might need some air for them, used most of it up the last few days.” “OK, we’ll be over in a few.” He closed the connection. “Zoë, Jayne get suited up, we’re going a ‘calling. Kaylee! How many extra air tanks we got?” “We going over there?” Jayne was white as a sheet. “People need rescuing.” “Right, ‘cause the last time we rescued someone it turned out so well.” “You saw her Jayne, she looked normal.” Mal ran down to the cargo hold, taking a detour to find the Shepard. “Book, can you make up rooms for five people.” It wasn’t really asked as a question and Mal didn’t wait around for an answer, he continued to the cargo hold. * “Door’s still hold’n pressure.” Zoë looked over her shoulder at Mal, as she and Jayne muscled the door open. The three dragged in the extra tanks and closed the door. As soon as the pressure equalized Mal open the inner door. Each of them carried two tanks and didn’t at first see their welcoming committee. “Put the tanks down and remove your helmets.” The woman held a jury-rigged grenade. “It has a dead man switch, so don’t try any thing.” “Great rescue, Captain.” Jayne sneered as he removed his helmet. Zoë and Mal followed suit. When she saw they were indeed human she put her grenade down. “Sorry Captain, needed to be sure you were for real. I’m Michelin.” She walked over to the door behind her and opened it up. Mal watched as she walked away, she was as tall as Zoë, but not as muscular. “Come on out ladies, it’s safe.” * Fantasy * Jayne stood a little taller when he saw the four women enter the room; he could spot a whore a mile away. “This the rest of your crew?” Mal walked over to Michelin. “No, these women were our cargo; they are on their way to Seattle as future brides. This is Suzie,” A short Asian walked over towards Michelin. “This is Michelle,” A tall slender blonde. “Linda,” A curvy, curly dark haired beauty. “And Rosie.” A vivacious, large breasted blonde. “Shit Mal, how come we never get cargo like this.” Jayne smiled at the women, ignoring the look Mal gave him Each of the four women looked Jayne over appreciatively. “Jayne! Bring those tanks over here.” Mal didn’t like the way people were eyeing each other. Jayne reluctantly removed himself from the women and grabbed the air tanks. “Where are the suits?” He looked at Michelin, she gestured to the back room. The women ran up, each offering to help him find the suits. *Nightmare* “So you mentioned supplies and payment?” Mal looked around the shuttle, not seeing a whole lot of either. “Well, there are lots of both over on the Rainier. I would sneak over when ever we needed something…” “Sneak? Why the hell you have to sneak? Damn it Mal, you said the Reavers were all gone.” It was all Jayne could do not to shake in front of the women. Michelin understood Jayne’s fear. “I haven’t run into anyone in days, we used to see them once in awhile on their ship. That’s why the blankets are over the windows, but we haven’t seen anyone lately.” She turned back to Mal. “I could never take much by my self, but if you could dock your shuttle to the Rainier we could unload all the supplies and the other cargo my Dad had on board.” “What kind of cargo?” “Lots of weapons and every thing a new mining colony would need.” “Ok… Zoë, you take the ladies over to Serenity. Jayne, you’re with me.” “How come I can’t take the ladies?” Jayne smiled at the women around him. Mal raised an eyebrow and walked away. “Michelin, get suited up. We’re going.” Jayne swallowed hard and followed Mal with one last look at the ladies.