You can't take the skies from me.

This SRP is currently fully cast. Thanks

Useful Links

Firefly Episodes, Planets & Moons, 'Verse Map, Firefly Chinese.

Cast

Mal ~ Kircanos
Inara ~ VelvetDarkness
Jayne ~ DemonLove
Kaylee ~ TearsOfTheWorld
Simon ~ Ahren1
River ~ Vail_Indigo
Wash ~ Millsy
Zoe ~ SiaKlynn
Book ~ HopefulRealist
Saffron ~ LilyBean
Alexander Freemont & Badger ~ Marauder13


http://www.picsec.com/images/6579de98ltiz5cahajxh.jpg
Inara

I moved around my shuttle restlessly, adjusting things that were already perfectly prepared and smoothing my shimmering emerald gown. My hair was elaborately curled and piled high on my head with a few strategically arranged tendrils tumbling down to frame my face. Wash's voice came over the intercom, startling me as he told me what I already knew.

"We are down Inara, you're free to depart whenever you're ready."

Persephone. How long it had been since I last spent time in such a bustling metropolis? I could feel the rust that had accumulated on my social graces squealing in protest as I mentally refreshed my memory regarding how to behave here. A visit to a core world such as this, to a client such as Garion Wing was the sort of event that studded my resume with enviable liaisons. I came here so rarely that it was crucial the impression I left was flawless. Garion Wing was the brother of Atherton, a previous client who had attempted to kill Mal for defending my honour. Mal had spared him and just now I was wishing he had finished the job. No companion would contract with Atherton now and Garion had gloated happily that his brother was bitter and vengeful about the whole affair. I would not have countenanced contracting with Garion while his brother was a regular client of mine but things had changed dramatically and I was curious to meet him. He wanted to dine out with me and I sincerely hoped that Atherton would not be foolish enough to cause a scene. One duel on Persephone had been more than enough for me. I had no desire to be the catalyst that drew two brothers into mortal combat. I had had reservations about this booking since Garion had first blinked onto my videolink but the fact remained he was the most affluent, handsome and influential prospect to have submitted a proposal as we travelled from Bellerophon.

I sat down at the shuttle's controls and started the usual pre-flight checks. If I left now I would arrive a little earlier than planned but Garion would be more than pleased to see me. I could never be sure how long Serenity would stay anywhere but this visit was supposed to be trouble free. Mal was making a drop to Badger and the slimy little man had alluded to a lucrative job offer somewhere off-world. Naturally, he was keeping the details to himself until they were face to face.

As always when my thoughts turned to Mal, I felt a pang of exasperated affection. He is a walking dichotomy and as much of a mystery to me as they day he had tried to lease me my shuttle for an exorbitant rate. He had wanted me aboard for respectability and legitimacy but it became rapidly apparent that he thought very little of my chosen trade. My status as a companion had saved his ass on more than one occasion but still he strutted around the place as though there was more honour in pottering around the border planets as a jobbing pirate. He had blundered into a potentially fatal duel with Atherton in defence of my 'honour' but the fact remained that he avoided me completely when I was preparing for a client and glared at me in mute reproach when I returned to the ship. At times he was downright scathing about my work and more than once I had watched him bite his tongue on the 'w' word. It was though referring to my trade in any context left a bad taste in his mouth. Mal would never see beyond it, something that pained me deeply.

I fired up the shuttle and detached from Serenity, glancing down to see Mal striding off towards the busy streets, no doubt headed for the worst part of town. I shook my head, endeavouring to clear it and turned my shuttle towards Garion Wing's no doubt opulent estate.

http://www.xbox360rally.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/nathanfillion.jpg
Mal

I closed my eyes as I hear Inara's shuttle detach from the hull, the groaning of the metal restraints uncoupling allowing her fly off to her job. I opened my eyes and clenched my jaw, job, yeah I guess you could call it that. It was the oldest profession in the verse, somehow it had become respectable. I guess if you pour enough perfume on shit it will start to smell good, I thought shaking my head. The Serenity's readouts flashed in front of my eyes as Walsh started to shut things down. Scanning over them I searched for anything out of the ordinary, Kaylee had done a bang up job on keeping the ship running and everything seemed to be in order.



Well it was time to find badger. We had swiped a nice load of jewelery from a from a few homes in Bellerophon Estates. They hadn't been nearly as guarded as I thought they would have been, oh well, guess they will have to worry about that next time they try to get dressed up for a party. The cargo door hisses as it equalized the pressure and started to slowly lower. The smell from the world started to rush in, that was always such a shock after breathing recycled air for a week. Taking a deep breath, I try to place all of the mingled smells, fumes and body odor seemed to be the primary ones. Oh well can't pay that no mind now, got to drop the goods off and make sure that badger doesn't cheat us out of what we are due.

Picking up my coat off of a crate I slipped it on making sure that everything was secure. I take a look over at Zoe and give her a nod “Lets get the cargo dropped off” I say as my gaze shifts over to Walsh “buy what fuel you can with that” I say as I flip a stack of credits over to him. “Lets go” I say as I start to walk down the slowly lowering ramp, and out into the sunlight of Persephone. Squinting as I give my eyes a chance to adjust to the light, I look over my shoulder seeing Zoe and Walsh saying good bye “come on now” I say as I turn back and continue down the ramp till my boots touch terra. I always was in a foul mood when Inara left for 'work'.

Zoe

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab302/Meli_Ann/Zoe.jpg

Zoe lingered on the bridge until they flew into Persephone's atmosphere and once they touched ground walked with Wash to the cargo hold. Mal was already waiting near the cargo hold doors. As booted steps thud against the steel steps she can tell just by Mal's stance he's not in the best mood and she also knows why. She's known him too long not easily read him. "Captain."

She greets and then looks over to her husband with a smile, "We won't be long."

Hitting the button to open the cargo hold door she turns her head as her eyes squint against the sudden bright sunlight. Wash's hand finds her own and fingers squeeze firmly. The drop was routine as is the meeting with Badger. She care much for the slimy little man, but he had a job for them and as always they needed work. Mal's voice echoes back that it's time to get to moving. Zoe takes a step closer to Wash pressing her lips against his as her hand rests on the side of his face, "Be back soon."

Mal barks again and Zoe leaves her husband's side to follow after the Captain. "Sir." Is her only response as she steps down the ramp squinting against the sun. She quickly catches up with Mal walking at his side the heels of her boots kicking up the dust as they continue down the street.

The red-haired man clentched his teeth a bit as he guided Serenity into the atmosphere of their current destination, Persephone. There was the typical rumbling and creaking of metal that they were used to, whereas others on more "high-class" ships might wonder about now if they were going to break apart. Wash was the pilot, and a damn good one at that. Between him and Kaylee, they'd never let that ship go down so easily. Occasionally he'd flip a few switches above him to adjust for the sudden change in gravity, air-resistance and temperature. The buffer panel would make sure they don't explode in the meantime.

Punching in a few buttons on a nearby panel, Wash made sure they were clear for a docking at Eavesdown Docks. It wasn't the most high society part of the planet, but that was all the more fitting considering who they were. Wash couldn't help but smile to himself as he thought about Simon wandering the slum district as he soon would be doing in order to gather medical supplies. A minute or so later, the shaking lessened and the ship's landing gear extended, letting the ship fall to the dock with a bit of a clatter, shaking it about a moment.

Wash glanced over to the Captain and his lovely wife nearby as he chuckled a bit nervously. "Why, those wily planets. Always sneaking up on you!" He joked, beginning to power down the thrusters. Reaching over to the comm, he called for Inara. "We are down Inara, you're free to depart whenever you're ready."

With that, the pilot followed the two down to the cargo hold, though he remained silent. Mal was in one of his moods. Probably just due to the fact that they had to go deal with Badger again. However the other, more likely, possibility was Inara. He typically got touchy whenever she was off to see a client. The whole ship knew it, yet they still danced around each other like children playing some sort of game. Wash thought it wasn't fair. He was supposed to be the big kid around here! However there were more pressing matters, and Mal knew it as he tossed Wash the credits for fuel.

'Ah good, we'd barely break atmo and have to float to our next destination with the fuel we had left.' He thought to himself, trying to hold back any smart comments at this time with the Captain's mood as it was. Still, he was a bit concerned, and showed it by reaching out to grasp Zoe's hand. Jayne wasn't going with them this time. He needed to watch over Simon and the others as they went out for their supplies. It sounded risky going to Badger like that, but he had given up on arguing his point. Zoe and Mal had survived a war together, they could survive a little guy with a cockney accent and a bowler's cap. She was a strong woman on her own, anyway. He knew she could handle herself... but it didn't stop his worrying.

"Be back soon." Zoe said as she placed his hands upon her face and kissed him. He returned the gesture and grinned.

"Soon is good. Unless it's preceeded by "We're going to run out of fuel soon" or "We're all going to explode and die soon" though in this case I'm more fond of now. How about you be back now and let the Captain handle this one?" Wash said with his usual tone of goofiness. Though one look to the Captain and the glare he got in return made him quiet up rather quickly.

"Okay, soon it is! Come back with many a riches so we can all live happily ever after." He smirked as the Captain and Zoe headed out of the ship. With a sigh, Wash turned to ready the small hovercraft for fuel retrieval. The job that had been done recently definitely wouldn't let them live happily ever after, but it might just finally be enough to give them a day off. He had been poking the Captain for some time for him and Zoe a long while now. If they got paid well enough, maybe it would put him in a better mood and he'd finally give them a break... He could only hope...

--

As Simon Tam stepped out of the cargo hold and into the sun. It was a bit surreal being back at the same docks where he first met the crew. He had a bit more forethought to dress a bit less proper this time, remaining in a Chinese blue shirt that buttoned over the right breast. As he raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light, he glanced around at the hustle and bustle of various ships and lower-class citizens gathering their cargo, looking for transport or otherwise just having a good time in a place without a lot of the Law around to push them around. That wasn't to say The Alliance had no presence there. This was Persephone and it had a rather diverse social structure. The occasional guard wasn't likely to ID him or his sister as the fugitives they were, but it didn't make him any less uneasy about being out and about.

It was River he worried about, though. The Captain had ordered Simon specifically to pick up medical supplies, which was a first, and she'd have to accompany him since having Shepard Book look after her wasn't an option this time around. On the rare chance they needed something specific in terms of medical supplies, Simon would just tell them what they needed and Wash or Kaylee would get it. The fact that Mal wanted him to do it probably was just something he found funny. To have a man who tried his best to stay proper barter with nearly the bottom rung of society for medicine he'd normally have unlimited access to. That was his sacrifice, though. His career, his money, his status, everything for River. But she was his sister, and he'd do anything for her.

"Stay close, River..." Simon whispered to his younger sister as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "And don't talk to anyone... strange." He added, looking around the docks, realizing that would require one to pretty much... not talk to anyone. Thankfully Kaylee would be with them. The fact that River and Kaylee had grown close was such a relief to Simon. To have a friend. To have someone that treated her like a normal girl. He was sure it made River happy. Kaylee was good at that, though. Making people happy. Her smile lit up the room, and made everything just feel right. Of course, if he were to say that to her, he'd likely screw it up somehow and make her give him the silent treatment for another week. Talking to people, women especially, wasn't his specialty...

They had Jayne with them for protection, but that was like having an untrained dog along with you. Just as likely to bite your hand as anyone else's. Though after Ariel and their 'chat', he seemed to have calmed down on the whole notion of having Simon and River aboard the ship. There had been the impression that the Captain had said something as well. Whatever it was, it seemed to have made Jayne wary about even considering turning in the Tams anytime soon. Not to mention the whole fact that he got double crossed trying it the first time...

"So... shopping. This'll be... fun." Simon spoke up again with an obvious lack of enthusiasm, glancing out into the docks once again. Various ships and cargo containers made everything seem like a mess. He tilted his head toward Kaylee. "And... where exactly do we go from here?"

As Serenity approached the planet Perspephone, Kaylee Frye was busy keeping the ship from falling to a million pieces (it did that anyways, but it was still at least travel-worthy). Wash had landed them safely on the planet, and Kaylee let out a tiny sigh of relief when the metal behemoth clunked around. There was still a lot of work to do, but time was not a particularly critical issue for once. She had been given orders to go with Simon, River and Jayne to pick up supplies while the captain and Zoe were to meet up with Badger.

A tiny glean of sweat lingered on her softly tanned skin, but things could have been a lot worse off. This ship was her home, of sorts, and she'd do her damnedest to keep it up and running. She could still remember her first encounter with Serenity's TCB engine.

Not pretty.

But that was a long time ago, and she had practically turned the engine room on the firefly ship into her own mini sanctuary since then. Hardly anyone, except for the Captain from time to time, ever really came back to visit her while she was at work, though she had often thought about a certain other member of the crew... doing... things.

That possibility seemed about as likely as her getting into a ship with a Capissen 38.

Or a Delmen 22.

She often wondered what was keeping Simon from noticing she was there, but instead of talking to him directly she often buried herself in her work. But now they had been given a real chance to spend some time together... albeit not alone. Simon seemed about as excited as ever to be mingling with the bottom rung of Persephone's food chain, and River was aloof as always.

One could never tell where her real focus was...

Probably everywhere.

"So... shopping. This'll be... fun. And... where exactly do we go from here?"

Kaylee once again noted Simon's "jubilee" at them having stopped in at Persephone to resupply, but she mentally shrugged it off and then smiled. She had cleaned herself up a bit since landing, and she put on some clothes that made her fit in with the crowd while still maintaining her cheerful demeanor. This little corner of the grand cosmos held a particularly special place in the young woman's heart, being the world where she had met Simon for the very first time. Circumstances would have normally tainted their first meeting, but Kaylee often looked at the glass as being half-full,

"Not far. If you don't mind walking, that is." Kaylee smiled. "And just think of it... the exercise! It'll be good for you."

Aside from River and Simon, Jayne would also be tagging along, though she knew his mind, eyes and mouth were bound to wander away from the group from time to time.

Mal

Mal pursed his lips as he heard Zoe say “Sir”, she always had a way of cutting him with a word that was supposed to mean respect. He let out a deep sigh as they continued to walk the streets of Persephone. His brown eyes shifted from side to side as he scanned the crowds of faces for those that were familiar to him. They had made some friends and several enemies as they traveled through the verse. It was always good to know where your friends were and even better to know where your enemies were.

He looked over at Zoe “Stay sharp we will have to see what Badger has in store for us today” he said as they continued their walk to Badger's “Office” in the Eavesdown Dock area. They walked the rest of the way in relative silence as they both seemed to focus on what they were about to be doing.

Entering the outer office they saw one of Badger's thugs “We're here to see Badger” Mal said in a flippant way as he looked over at Zoe. He started to crack a smile when he saw the scowl that she had taken on but he suppressed the smile and returned his gaze to the guard.

The guard nodded towards a door “Thank you” Mal said as he kept his eyes on the goon as he made his way to the door. Pulling it open they stepped into a small room where Badger sat at a desk going over some flimsies.

He looked up at them and then back down at the flimsies. Mal and Zoe made their way to stand in front of his desk, hearing boots behind him Mal knew that the goon had followed them into the room. Great, well this might prove a little more interesting, he thought to himself as Badger put down his reading and looked up at them.

Badger

When I heard my old 'friend' Captain Reynolds had something for me, it had me wondering what he would be seeking to offload. I had very little work for him in the last few times he was around. I knew he'd get the job done, but the amount of... dust the flew up was not something I liked. He, unlike me, could just turn tail and run. Whereas I was more of a businessman, with stronger ties to the locals.

I did, however, feel a lot more at ease when it was just two of them showing up. Zoe was one that you could trust to keep a level head, not like that ape Jayne. So, I was looking forward to a more amicable exchange of goods and credits.

Still, I didn't like the way that Mal just walked in like he owned the place. He still needed to learn that he had to pay his respects to people like me. If he continued to rub me the wrong way, he'd find himself in too deep with the alliance in all the wrong ways.

"Captain Reynolds," I declared, as I decided to acknowledge his ill mannered arrival. "To what do I owe this pleasure? And might I say it is a pleasure that it's just the two of you." I swung my chair around a little so I could continue to peel the apple I was going to eat before they barged in.

"If you're looking for work, you've come at the wrong time. The Law around here is a little flustered. You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

Mal

Looking down at Badger I gave a half hearted smile when he finally acknowledged our presence there. “I've got some merchandise that you might be interested in” he said as he ignored the slight to his other crew members. He looked over at Zoe and nodded for her to hand over the jewels to Badger.

Mal focused on badger and flashed a more cocky smile now and shrugged his shoulders a bit “I guess they might have found out that the 'security' that they are claiming to offer the people isn't all that it is cracked up to be” he said with a rather smug look on his face. “Can't say as I blame them, getting taken advantage of would put anyones nickers in twist” he said offering an idiom that he was sure that his boler hatted friend would understand.

“What do you think you can get for those” he asked as Zoe placed a leather bag down on the desk in front of Badger.

“And now with the law on a heightened sense would seem like just the time that 'respectable' people might me looking to move some items that might just call into question that respectability Mal offered.

JAYNE

Full lungs and a real sun.

Fists clenched,arms outstretched,upper back concave,then convex,noise spreading toward him from every side. Horse manure,steamed dumplings,wet paint streaming in to deepen lungs inflated way past where he'd ever need them to be in that metal and sweat filled prison in the sky.

The short,sharp,pop and crack of fire-crackers on a string poised his ears for dreaded deeper booming noises, He imagined the back of his head exploding. It had become part of his on-world arrival ritual but he still didn't like it,not one bit. If he believed in omens,he would fear falling to an impending sniper attack,but he knew such visions to be rehearsals,preparation for an inevitable violent end.

Freedom. Freedom was as easy as a fast walk up these crowded streets. A bullet to the doctors' head. There would be no remorse. There was nothing in Simon to mourn. He was an automaton. He'ld arrived to life already knowing whom to mimic. Proud of this ability. A product of luck. Not even his dedication to his sister was a saving grace. He'd mimicked that trait too,most likely-was proud of it,and thought it was his. An android. Putting a bullet in Simons' head would be like stopping a clock. Kill the clock and fence the psycho. She would be nothing but a source of endless pain for them,that psycho. She added nothing,and was reason enough for them all to be hunted. Was she in pain? Yes. Because the Alliance hadn't finished with her. Had they been allowed to,then she would barely be human. And she would be happier than she was now.

So why not do it? Why not push for freedom now? Several reasons. But the easy answer was: "Kaylee".

Kaylee was a species apart. Kaylee walked with them now,and she could actually mourn Simon. Jayne knew what she was but he couldn't express it. Not in words. He could fantasize her living at his mothers brothel,himself still just a boy. He could see the whores kissing her, and running to her for comfort and for a break from dreariness. He could see himself wondering at her happiness,her detatchment,her sensuality which extended to food,life,everything. Her love of harmony and her watchfulness in such an ugly universe awed him to such a degree that he could not understand how anyone like her could exist. He knew that he wasn't smart enough to comprehend her,but he was smart enough to know that she was holy.

So,no death for Kaylee. Not by his hand,and not on his watch.

Still,it was as annoying as shit to not be out with the gun-bearers. To lose the opportunity to find an excuse to kick in the teeth of that rat-faced Badger. Someone else would take the rats place if it led to outright murder. Maybe even someone who didn't wear "sophisticated" patchwork outfits that smelled like urine. At worst,they would be surrounded,afterwards,and unable to shoot their way out. Then he could die riddled by bullets that covered him like the black- dotted skin of a bleeding strawberry. That would be better than dieing in an endlessly chatty alphabet soup can in outer space.

"Let's hurry up and get this shit over with."

Jayne was in need of some late night whorehouse insomnia. This day couldn't get done fast enough,

Inara

Inara felt the familiar shift as her shuttle moved into private airspace and Garion's staff took control of it, streaming her idents and confirming she was their expected visitor without Inara so much as having to press a button. She stayed seated until the little craft touched terra firma and then bustled around, carefully moving items that had strayed from their place in the process.

Persephone was a wonderful place to be a companion and having been away from the planet so long, Inara was determined that this time she would charm and impress Garion Wing and whoever else she encountered while on his arm. Inara planned to complete her stay without the scandal that the duel had caused last time. She was wearing one of her most sumptuous gowns, a deep blood red embellished with intricate gold embroidery. Her dark curls shone in an elaborate hairstyle studded with golden combs and clips. Her make-up was dark, sultry and flawless, perfectly illuminating her olive skin. When the door to her shuttle was opened, Inara smiled demurely and took Garion's hand as she stepped out. It was morning, the first sunlit morning she had seen in quite a while. She looked out over Garion's manicured estate to the radiant blue sun above the horizon.

Garion was a handsome man and he had dressed for the occasion of meeting her. His face was open and sincere looking, without the petulant twist to the features that his brother had had. He was the elder of the two siblings but when Inara had begun contracting with Atherton, she had not been quite the experienced and sought after companion that she was now. Now, Inara was pretty much at the top of her game and hooking a client such as Garion was incontrovertible proof of that.

"Inara." He said warmly, taking her arm and escorting her to his enormous house. "I have waited too long for this day to come."

Inara dropped her gaze and blushed, hoping that Garion would not be so indelicate as to allude to the fact that she had slept with his brother.

"I hope that this is the first of many such days." She replied politely.

Garion proved to be thoughtful, intelligent and entertaining. His servants brought Inara a beautifully prepared breakfast and she relished the fresh fruits that seldom made it onto Serenity. Garion led her on a tour of his property and then suggested that she freshen up before they went out for lunch. His manner was confident and unhurried, with none of the urgency Atherton had displayed on such bookings and Inara began to relax. They walked through the affluent part of town hand in hand and Inara enjoyed the looks she received from other men as they walked. Garion paused at a jeweller's window and his eye fell on a ruby pendant in the shape of a teardrop. Gemstones were extremely costly since Earth that was had ceased yielding them because there were few precious jewels to be found on the new worlds. Nevertheless, Garion drew Inara into the store and purchased the bauble, placing it around her neck with a gentle but self assured intimacy that promised skillful lovemaking later on.

"A reminder of your stay with me." He murmured, his lips brushing the back of her neck and sending a shiver down her spine. "I flatter myself that this will be a time worth remembering."

Inara embraced and thanked him. They moved on down the street until Garion led her into the exclusive restaurant he had booked for their lunch.

Wash

I watched them head on out into the sunlight of Persephone, The Doctor, Kaylee, River and Jayne. I couldn't help but smile when I thought of that psychopath going by one of the most common girls’ names in the 'verse, though of course I'd never mention that unless I was drunk as a mudder on a three day pass or on my deathbed with the Ravages in their final stage and my brain a steaming, liquefied stew.

Mal and Zoe were off to do the dirty work with Badger and his henchmen - those two were joined at the hip almost every waking moment - well, the waking moments that weren't spent in our quarters at any rate.

Sometimes the pangs of irrational jealousy resisted suppression. It's not that I didn't trust either of them. Zoe because she was....well....Zoe and a Zoe is the kind of Goddess like creature that never betrays a trust to man nor beast, not even on pain of death. It was why she followed where Mal led. Always had. And Mal, well that was because of Inara Serra. A fevered man in a fur coat could feel the heat rise when those two passed by each other, like walking behind a thruster as it spooled up to an atmo burn. Those two needed their heads banged together, or at least some other parts of their anatomy banged together. That'd fix it. And we'd all live happily ever after in peace and harmony until the Alliance caught up with little River. Then all hell would break loose.

Still, if things stayed as they were right now with all these tensions building up to their frequent flashpoints inside the dented hull of what was perversely called 'Serenity' then all hell breaking loose would remain the normal state of affairs and we'd all be ready to meet the Alliance head on when they came knocking and ready to deal a little mayhem of our own. With half the ship on the verge of jumping on top of and strangle the other half, and another half of the ship wanting to jump on and shag the brains out of the other half we were all getting a little bit testy.

I shook my head as the image of Zoe's butt filling her canvas pants evaporated out of my wandering mind and stuffed the stack of credits inside my shirt as they disappeared off the docks and turned to the task at hand, jamming myself into the narrow access tunnel that led to the fuel cell bay and duck walked down to the reloading station control panel. 16 red lights. 4 amber. 8 full green. The stack of credits wasn't anywhere near enough to buy 16 replacements, never mind refills for the four partially drained cells as well, so I just hit the buttons that unlocked the sixteen drained cells and then a twist of the locking handle detached the load tray from the underside of Serenity and it lowered it's undercarriage and dropped to the dock floor, the 16 dead cells in place ready to be hooked up to the mule. The red lights went dark, which meant that I wouldn't have to beat any of them with a hammer to dislodge them from their hard points to get them to fall off. I hated having to do that.

I hooked up the mule to the fuel tray and counted the dead cells, making sure they were all there - four rows of four in a nice neat box shape - and headed off to the chandlery, gunning the throttle and beeping the horn to clear a path. I doubted there were enough credits rattling around in my shirt for all sixteen to be refilled - fuel costs were always on the up - and so it was proved five minutes later as I haggled with some scowling visaged ex-pirate over a discount for cash.

" Hoban Washburne!" I hear a deep voice exclaim as a heavy hand crashed down on my shoulder. I put my hands up in surrender, but as I turned I found it was not the Alliance cops, but Stefan Bulevski from flight school. Jeez, I thought as I lowered my hands and extended them to grab him by the shoulders, the guy had put on some serious weight.

" Steffy! Looking good, man!"

" Life's been kind." He laughed, his expanding gut shaking in mirth. " Whatever he wants," Stefan said to the fuel pirate, " Put it on my account. Just this once. I owe him."

My eyebrows rise in surprise as I swept my stack of credits back into my shirt. " Call it a goodwill gesture, Wash. If not for you I wouldn't be driving my own ship and looking for another and a pilot. That job with Xercorp you turned down when we left flight school they gave to me in the end. Bonuses were good enough after three years for me to go independent. Now I'm looking to grow the business. You were the best in flight school, well after that Asbach guy I suppose. How the hell did he outscore us and where the fuck is he now?"

" I have no idea. Haven't heard sight nor sound nor wave of him since we graduated. Alliance maybe?"

" Bullshit. We were too good for Alliance."

I nodded and smiled at that. Asbach was just another alias. And Asbach was my secret. He had his own moon, after hacking into the terraforming equipment and forcing the prospecting company that had owned it into abandoning it for fear of collapsing it and sending it crashing into the planet below, and turning it into the biggest underground communications nexus in the 'verse. I knew he wasn't good enough a pilot to outscore me, and when I dug around trying to figure out how I had been beaten to second-in-class I found out that he'd hacked the simulators to give him an easy ride through the examinations. Given the choice of killing him or blackmailing him and keeping him in my pocket I chose the latter - killing him might have backfired on a pilot not having a predilection towards violence. Now when he was looking for new tech to upgrade his nexus he came to me, and Serenity ferried it to him in return for discretion. It was a good relationship - profitable and safe. A milk run that helped pay the bills. Manfred Asbach - Mr. Universe.

" That we were. Good to know you're doing well. My captain will be mighty grateful for the fuel cells." I said as he palmed his calling card into my hand. " Fancy!" I commented at the silver card.

" Don't tell Reynolds anything Wash, and pocket the damn money. When it all goes to shit on that beaten up Firefly you call me and I'll have your own ship fired up and ready to go. Serious."

It was a good offer. I'd turned down good offers before, though. This was no different. " I've got ties, Steffy. And Mal's got a good crew together. Runs a tight ship. It ain't just a job to me."

" Things change. Reynolds has a building rep, and it's not all gold stars and shiny shirts." Steffy shrugged. " Keep the card. You never know what's gonna happen when you ride so close to the edge out in the black, and maybe I can throw some work your way when things get too busy at my end." He laughed. " Good seeing you again Wash. Don't waste my fuel showing off."

We parted by bashing each other on the arms until mine hurt. Not a bad start to the day, though I was kicking myself for not putting the half-drained cells on the rack and getting those topped up for free, too. Mal would be happy. Well, at least until Inara got back from whatever or whoever the hell she was doing in a day or two. Maybe he'd even spring for a night out! Lord knows we all needed one.

Zoe

The warm sun of Persephone made it a little warm for the ankle length leather coat, but it was the most convenient way of hiding the leather pouch bouncing on her hip, filled with the jewels they’d recently acquired. Mildly frustrated Mal’s mood and how he chooses not to handle the situation with Inara. She would never speak on the matter with him, it is his business, and even in the private quarters she shares with her husband she refused to talk about the subject. Zoe’s attention is alert as they move through the crowd and briefly recalls their last visit to Persephone. That trip had changed things on Serenity indefinitely with the addition of Simon, River and Sheppard Book. It hasn’t been the easiest transition and she wasn’t sure it was the best decision to keep Simon and his sister on board, but as always she deferred to the captain’s judgment, of course not without having her say.

“Stay sharp we will have to see what Badger has in store for us today”

“I’m sure he’ll be as charming as always.” She says dryly. Zoe didn’t like Badger or any of the others they dealt with, but it comes with the territory of less respectable work. The honest day’s pay is fewer and far between. They had to eat and keep the ship running though eating sometimes came second to keeping Serenity flying. As they approach Badger’s place of business she takes a more serious scowl one to let these hooligans know if they step out of line she is sure to put them back in place and yet, her body language is causal. While on decent terms with Badger there is always the risk of a fight and she is ready should the meeting become confrontational.

One step behind Mal as they enter the room her eyes sweep their surroundings one man behind them wasn’t exactly threatening. Turning her attention to Badger she smirks as not to appear unfriendly, but the distaste is present in those dark eyes. Sliding her gaze to Mal, she peers at him from the corner of her eyes before her left hand sweeps back the coat and fingers grasp the leather pouch at her hip. A single tug frees the bag and with a step forward she drops the jingling pouch in front of the slimy little man. Stepping back to Mal’s side she takes on a relax stance, but her attention is listening for any warning sounds of trouble, the captain could barter with Badger.

Cpt Alexander Freemont

[ OOC: These events occur two days before Serenity make planet fall on Persphone. This is to help do some plot setup. marauder13 ]

Captain Freemont looked down from the gangway overlooking the cells where his workforce was being kept. The light brown haired man paced the metallic walkway. His compact frame was accentuated by the cut of his uniform, making it appear that he was taller than his actual 5'8". Still, for a man in his mid 30's, he kept himself fit and healthy. And his current civilian offsider had been helping with that too. But thinking of her made him frown. More correctly, what she suggested to him.

His executive officer was already drawing up the transfer list of those that were to be sold off to the Terraformers as they were no longer of any use for sex. He had a contact on Persephone who had a fresh batch of slaves to replace those he was going to loose. Not to mention there were a number of clients waiting for his slaves to entertain.

It was a strange career path that had lead him to the Charon. The ship had been a transport ship, converted to a "Q-Boat" during the Unification War, then made into a prison barge before finally being reactivated as a "Q-Boat", this time going after pirates rather than Browncoat raiders and merchant vessels. As such, it was lightly armed and capable of standing up against most pirate threats. Added to that was the small, but effective marine contingent. But the crowning glory of it all was the crew. All loyal to their Captain, as per the regulations and following the chain of command without question.

Which allowed him to run his little sideline business.

He walked back to his quaters, ignoring the cries and other sounds of the slaves, as well as mostly ignoring the rest of his command. He knew he was walking an ever increasingly fine line as far as Alliance Fleet Command was concerned. It was only his record, connections and the nature of his mission that allowed him the freedom to do what he was doing.

At least he thought that at first.

As he reached his quarters, he closed the door and sat on his bunk. He had got the idea for all of this from her. It made so much sense when she explained it to him. She even gave him contacts to secure his first clients, once he had caught his first batch of prisoners. She even gave a few suggestions of how to condition them properly to accept their new lives.

"Comms. Captain." The voice sounded through the room.

"Go ahead, Comms." He sounded bored.

"Message for you on the Cortex. Priority."

"Thank you, Comms. I'll take it here." He walked over to the screen, calling up the message. Alliance Fleet Command. Encrypted. Keyed to him. His blood ran cold. He decrypted the message, and read it slowly. Five times.

Captain Alexander Freemont is to report ASAP to answer allegations of dishonourable conduct by a Fleet Officer. Details concerning his dealing with Alliance prisoners and suspected illegal activities were the basis for his predicament. And he knew who the source of his problems was.

Saffron.

"Captain. Security."

"Security reporting."

"Sergeant, have your men apprehend the civilian Saffron and secure her in the brig. Immediately."

"Yes Sir. Do you want us to go after her, or wait for her to return to the ship?"

"WHAT?"

"Sir, she left the ship ten minutes ago."

The communication arrived 15 minutes before. Freemont's face went white. "That goram bitch!" Freemont remembered that the channel was still open. "Negative, Sergeant. This is something that I need to handle. Captain out."

[Two days before Serenity arrives]
http://i29.tinypic.com/33cyukk.jpg

'Stupid..son of a bitch...' she cursed, briskly moving down a busy market street. Thank God they'd landed on Persephone. Saffron's time had been running short aboard the Charon. She knew that their activities, however good she was at choosing her people and places, would be picked up. And when they were, she would be in trouble. Deep trouble.

Travelling with an Alliance Captain was dangerous enough. She'd never imagined she'd willingly stay onboard. Originally it was supposed to be a quick ride, a one way trip to something better. However when she'd discovered, thanks to her way with words and the grace of her tongue, that he'd follow her half cocked idea..she couldn't resist. It hadn't even been a serious conversation but she was glad it had happened. And that's how she wound up on his ship..and in his bed for that matter. Both of which were suited to her tastes...despite his position in the Fleet.

And now she was putting as much distance between them as she could. With his cash of course. She wondered how long it would be before he noticed she'd taken all the money he'd earned on the side. She needed it more than he had or would. What use would money be for a man destined for jail or...worse. Saffron on the other hand wouldn't be able to get around without money. Especially since she needed to jump a ship, lay low for awhile and get off radar.

But where...

"Hey pretty lady," a greasy voice said from behind. A voice that attached to an equally filthy hand which wrapped around her wrist.

"Hello ugly bastard," she shot back turning to face him. Wincing Saffron looked him over,"oooh...I take that back..you're fucking hideous.."

"Pretty mouth," he grinned, showing her his yellow rotting teeth,"I'd like to taste it."

"No way in hell.."she put her hand on his wrist,"You're going to let me go."

"I am, am I?" he said laughing.

"Yes, you are." Saffron smirked, pitying the poor man. Swiftly and without warning she brought her knee up and dug it into the side of his ribcage. Almost immediately her leg came up again hitting his crotch before adding a third shot to the back of his knee. He doubled over. His hand still attached to her wrist but only barely.

"Stupid bitch.."he groaned from the ground.

"Pick your fight wiser next time," she grinned, kicking him squarely in the face, breaking his nose. Both his hands scrambled to cover the blood rushing from his face.

"Oh..shit," she mumbled. Her eyes catching sight of the local authority. Obviously they'd be alerted. Despite this scum probably not being worth their time. However Freemont would ask for their help sooner or later, they'd be keeping an eye out for her. Unless they already were which made her check the area for exists. Ducking under a table she crawled into the stall and moved out the back into another equally busy area.

Just then she saw her savior. A man she knew who could save her ass. Looking to the left and then right Saffron followed him. This was her lucky day!

“I've got some merchandise that you might be interested in”

I did my best not to look skeptical at that pronouncement. But then, Captain Reynolds wasn't one for making statements without some basis of truth.

“I guess they might have found out that the 'security' that they are claiming to offer the people isn't all that it is cracked up to be. Can't say as I blame them, getting taken advantage of would put anyone's nickers in a twist.”

“What do you think you can get for those?” I watched as the dark skinned beauty placed a leather bag down on the desk in front of me.

I tipped open the bag, and cast an eye over the collection. Mal and his crew had scored reasonably well. A few of the pieces were going to be touch to move, given their nature, as well as the efforts put into being able to trace them.

"And now with the law on a heightened sense would seem like just the time that 'respectable' people might me looking to move some items that might just call into question that respectability"

I leaned back in my chair, ignoring the creak. I shook my head with a little smile and a chuckle. "Captain Reynolds, I think you might have been spending too much time in the engine room of that ship of yours, as it's addled your hearing. I said I don't have any work for you. At least none that you'd be willing to accept... given your circumstances.

"Now, this little collection of baubles is quite a haul. I'm sure that a well experienced procurer of goods like you would have a good idea of their value. So, to make things easier for us all, I'll give you twenty percent. And before you start getting you nose further out of joint, there are a couple of pieces that'll be hard to move due to their nature."

I took the apple off the peeler and took a bite out of it, making sure that it crunched loudly. I sat back again, chewing on the juicy fruit while I let Captain Reynolds think over what I said.

Mal stood there for a moment and internalized the offer that Badger had made. He watched the seated man crunching on his apple “fifty percent and you let me be the judge of what sort of jobs I accept” he said as he widened his stance and gave a side ways glance to Zoe. The offer they had been given was very low, much lower than they needed to keep the Serenity in the sky.

Times were getting a little lean and they needed work, Mal was going to take just anything but he wasn't going to be picky either. If it was something he thought that they could do and if it was something that he was comfortable with they would have to seriously consider it. Mal scrunched his face up in frown, their lack of credits was making them a little on the desperate side, he hated being in this position.

“And what sort of circumstances are those” Mal asked intrigued that he had been keeping tabs on them.

I will admit I almost choked on the piece of apple I was eating when Captain Reynolds made his counter offer.

“fifty percent and you let me be the judge of what sort of jobs I accept.”

"Fifty? I'm a businessman, not a runner of a charity. But since you have actually done well for me in the past, I'll be willing to give you thirty percent. But only because you got me in a good mood."

I ran my finger and thumb down my jaw, thinking of the one offer I did have one my books. It was dodgy, evening thinking of giving it to them. The did haul some interesting cargo for me before, but could they handle this cargo?

"Well... would you be able to haul some more live cargo? Some that would be best left unseen by the Law. You up to something like that, Captain Reynolds? Or are you too busy with your new security business?"

Zoe

The art of negotiations, though it can hardly be considered an art form the way Badger low balls them, he had to be out of his mind, twenty percent? Meeting Mal's side glance, she arches a single brow knowing what he is thinking. Yes, they will need more than twenty percent to keep Serenity in the skies. There is movement behind them, a slight tilt of her head she listens for any further movement before dismissing it as a casual shift in stance.

Sighing on the inside Zoe grows impatient as the minutes tick by and they're forced to remain in the presence of the annoying little man. When the mention of live cargo is brought up another side glance is sent Mal's way, but she knows if the pay is decent he'll take it, they need the work.

Simon could only quietly nod in response to Kaylee. If only it were as simple as "exercise" like she suggested. Unfortunately, the supplies they were low on would be tough to get legally without a prescription or license. Things he had or could have provided less than a year ago... It was sort of frustrating that it had to come to this, but sparing River from more pain and experiments was worth it. Sadly, a lot of damage had already been done. It didn't all have to be permanent, though. If he could find a proper combination of meds, perhaps River could someday be mostly normal. That was why he was here right now. Despite their haul of medicine from Ariel, there were still a few things that weren't picked up that he now realized he needed. If only he had known then what he knew now, maybe he could have given them a better list of what to grab.

Simon had slowly been getting used to his status as a fugitive and now even associate to crime, but it was rare for him to get involved to this extent. Ariel may have been more dangerous in theory, but that didn't mean things that were slightly less dangerous were any less worrying or potentially lethal. Because of that, Simon spent a good deal of his time watching River during their... "shopping." He wanted to converse with Kaylee, but it was difficult to focus on her and his sister at the same time. Plus there was Jayne, who wasn't shy about his unhappiness with this whole situation. The Doctor wouldn't have minded the oaf getting lost on his own somewhere if this were a different setting, but as it were, Jayne was really their only protection if something were to go wrong. Back when Simon first queried Mal about what Jayne's role on the ship was, the Captain responded rather simply "Public Relations." Mal definitely made his share of jokes, but perhaps even stranger was that it was mostly true. It just held a slightly different definition in their line of work.

Everything mostly went as well as it could have, though. Apart from Jayne needing to shove a few people around just to get his fix and a stop by a junkyard at Kaylee's request. The latter was an odd sight, for sure. Seeing Kaylee's eyes light up when she found something "rare" just sitting in a heap of scrap metal like a child's on Christmas morning... It was a strange yet endearing quality. She had her affinity for engines and machines and she wasn't going to let anything get in the way. Simon often envied that part of her. The part that just enjoyed life for what it was and didn't pretend to be something she wasn't... unless it was attending a ball with the Captain. Everyone had their moments where they wanted to try new things, though.

As the evening neared, Jayne had eventually dragged the group to a bar where he was told to rendezvous with the Captain. The gruff man was apparently too lazy to guide them back to the ship first, and Simon decided to just stay with the group than take River and try and make the trip themselves. The place wasn't as run down as the docks, but it certainly had an air of shadiness to it. Sort of a spot for people like the Serenity crew to do their less than honest dealings. Simon wasn't quite sure what the plan was, but he had decided the best bet was to stay off to the side with River, whom seemed entranced by the setting more than anything else.

"Better than a mudtown, I suppose..." The Doctor muttered to himself as he rested his chin on his hand.

Mal clenched his jaw at the offer of thirty, it wasn't much but he knew that badger wasn't going to give them much more than that. He wasn't sure if they would get a better offer from any of the others that they had dealings with here on this rock. “Thirty five” Mal said as he put his arms on his hips and started the seated man down.

Mal let Badgers offer of moving cargo hang in the air for a while, he didn't like the sound of live cargo. There were to many things that that could mean, and there were to many variables when dealing with live things. “What sort of live cargo is this” he asked as he waited for a reply.

He shifted his gaze over to Zoe to see if he could get a read on what she thought about this offer, Mal had his standards but their situation was making him. A slow grin crossed his face at Badgers security business crack.

"The delicate kind," Saffron said, moving out from the shadows, gun pointed directly at Mal,"Ah ah." she said waving her free finger back and forth in Zoe's direction,"Don't even try it or think it."

She'd seen how impatient they were getting and as much as she would have preferred a 'yes' before making herself known, it didn't seem like much of an option anymore.

"Hello Mal, long time no see." she looked him up and down rather openly,"Looking good, as always." Saffron ignored Zoe and moved behind the desk to lean against the wall. Pausing for a moment she turned her head slightly to look out the window confirming her fears before returning her gaze back to the others.

"I need your help...as much as it pains me to say." she smirked,"But I can make it well worth your while. Even enough to put up with my sweet company. You willing to listen or do I have to keep the gun out?"

Mal whirlled around at the voice coming from behind him, his brown coat flowing as he moved. His brown eyes focused on the shape that emerged from the shadow. The voice that he had heard brought back enough bitter memories, each one of them showed in the squint that he gave her. “Saffron” he growled as she came out of the shadow.

He eyed the gun she held wearily “Not long enough for me Darlin'” he said sarcastically, “If its alright by you, you can go back to what ever rock you crawled out from under” he said as he clenched his jaw and placed his hands on his hip.s

“Oh you need more help than I could ever provide Saffron” he said, but then there was the offer to make it worth his while. Damn he hated being this hard up for money that he would even have to entertain something like this.

He sighed, letting out a deep breath “What do you need Saff” he asked as he shot a look over at Zoe.

"I need transport and I need someone to walk into a building to retrieve my credits before someone else does." she lowered the gun, "In return I'd be willing to give you a hefty sum. Say...twenty thousand credits."

Saffron knew she was pushing it and time wasn't on her side. The longer she stayed on the planet the easier he would find her and the harder she could get away.

"Its on the Planet Angel. Not far from here."

Mal thought the offer over, it sounded reasonable enough, not a very tough job. The price seemed to be right for the amount of effort it was going to take, but he was willing to push Saff to see how much he could get out of her. He shook his head “We've had a bit of trouble there so going back puts a little bit of a target on me” he chuckled and shuffled his feet a bit, his boots scraping the floor. “I could put all that aside for ohh say thirty thousand” he said counter offering.

He looked over at Zoe “What do you think, that sounds fair don't it” he asked turning to her.

He looked back at Saff “If that is agreeable to you, I think we could be ready to fly with in the hour”

Badger

I smiled between bites of the apple as I watched the two of them barter.

"Well," I said taking a swallow, "it's nice to see that the two of you are so well acquainted. It'll make things so much easier. Since you've agreed to the job, thirty-five percent it is, Captain Reynolds."

I walked over to a safe, opening it and taking out sufficient cash to cover the baubles left on my desk. I dumped it all into a pouch, a lobbed it over to Reynolds.

"As always, a pleasure to deal with you." I sat back down. "Oh, and if that young lass is still a part of your crew, pass on my regards. Not Kaylee... the other one. She's welcome to pop by for a visit anytime she's here."

I looked at some of the other matters I had to deal with, but noticed that I was not alone.

"This ain't a public meetin' hall. You can go now. I have other business to attend to."