Can't take the sky from me (PM if interested)

[lil_squirter]

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d58/Ladyshadowpaladin/TakeTheskyfrommelogo.jpg​

Smoke, it was pouring from the port thruster. Thick black clouds roiling through the air and reeking the acrid stench of burning fuel and oil into the aft of the ship. It had started shortly after hitting atmo and was showing no signs of stopping now. Yet another faulty part of an limping ship needing repair. Inara hurried down the catwalk, long crimson silk sleeve of her robe covering her mouth, eyes squinting in the thin haze of smoke that wafted over the cargo hold.

"Renci de fozu, Mal!"

She was furious, she had the air lock to her shuttle sealed as soon as she smelled it but even that could only keep out more of the smoke, enough was already in there to leave it's foul reek behind. This was supposed to be a easy job, they land on Bellerphone, deliver the goods and leave. Inara wasn't even going to have time to scan for a proper client. She'd hardly even scanned the Cortex for information before Mal had told her to 'keep her drawers on' this trip.

Honestly how could one man possibly be so utterly infuriating? Somehow Malcolm Reynolds was blessed with the amazing gift to raise her ire when no other could. The man could make her livid in under ten seconds, with a look he could have her leaping to cross words. Only he managed to cut through that placid skilled coolness she masked herself in constantly. Now she was looking for him, to demand an explanation for the smoke and more quietly to make sure he and the others we alright.

"Check the bridge, up there with my man."

Zoe smirked and pointed Inara off toward the front of the ship while she finished venting the smoke seeping into the hold. Cap'n wasn't being too carefully, they were trailing like Reavers and poor lil Kaylee was doing all she could just to keep the boat afloat. From one task to another the amazonof a woman took only a moment before bending to grab a crate and move it for the transaction to come with landing.

Zoe learned a long time back, when it came to the Captain you just let him go, he didn't take well to nobody given him orders. Seemed a bit easier on the Companion though, didn't take a Intelligence Officer to see why. It was there 'tween em, clear as day. And just like Wash the two of them fought like cats and dogs.

A heave and grunt and Zoe hefted the last of the cargo crates to the center near the mule where they could be readily hooked and hauled. A curled fist slammed down on the intercom to the bridge.

"Cargo's ready Cap'n. E.T.A. on landing? Oh an we seem to have a fire in the portside, incase you missed it."

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OOC Thread is here . Pleasekeep IC and OOC in thier places!

 

[chronicle_tenko]

Wash

"Check the bridge, up there with my man."

Zoe smirked and pointed Inara off toward the front of the ship while she finished venting the smoke seeping into the hold. Cap'n wasn't being too carefully, they were trailing like Reavers and poor lil Kaylee was doing all she could just to keep the boat afloat. From one task to another the amazonof a woman took only a moment before bending to grab a crate and move it for the transaction to come with landing.

Zoe learned a long time back, when it came to the Captain you just let him go, he didn't take well to nobody given him orders. Seemed a bit easier on the Companion though, didn't take a Intelligence Officer to see why. It was there 'tween em, clear as day. And just like Wash the two of them fought like cats and dogs.

A heave and grunt and Zoe hefted the last of the cargo crates to the center near the mule where they could be readily hooked and hauled. A curled fist slammed down on the intercom to the bridge.

"Cargo's ready Cap'n. E.T.A. on landing? Oh an we seem to have a fire in the portside, incase you missed it."

Wash looked out over his screeens. Many of them flickering now that they may actually be useful. He was hitting atmo and it was hitting back. Serenity groaned her discomfort as Wash tried to get her landing gear to open. "C'mon baby please you know that I love you. So please don't crash and kill us all, open the yu-bun-duh landing gear."

Gears grinded and plates shifted, Serenity's legs unfolded, and Wash breathed a silent prayer. "Captain." Wash thought about being calm trying to land and figuring out his problems. these thoughts and rationale slipped when his screens went dead. Now Panicing was his response. Panicing had always worked before this time he hoped was no different. "Captain. MAL!"

 

[Armphid]

"Cargo's ready Cap'n. E.T.A. on landing? Oh an we seem to have a fire in the portside, incase you missed it."

Mal Reynolds frowned as he hit the comm back to his first mate, "Thanks, Zoe, I thought Jayne was fancying himself a cook again." ""Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng." This was supposed to be easy. Why couldn't it just be easy? The one time they didn't have to worry about the Alliance, Reavers, or double-crossin' snakes as clients, Serenity decided to make things interesting. "An' I reckon we'll be landing sooner rather than later, the way things are goin'."

He pulled himself up out of his quarters, running toward the bridge. As he turned, he could see the approaching loveliness of Inara, a scowl on her face that'd send a much braver man than he scurrying for cover. At present, all it did was irritate him. Did the woman not notice the ship was on fire? She was so damn frustrating! If it weren't for the prestige she gave his ship, he'd have booten her well clothed and sculpted backside voidways a long time ago. "Sorry, ambassador, I don't have time to discuss the state of your linens or whatever silky unmentionables you may want to screech at me about." "We've got somethin' of an emergency on our hands."

"Captain." Wash thought about being calm trying to land and figuring out his problems. these thoughts and rationale slipped when his screens went dead. Now Panicing was his response. Panicing had always worked before this time he hoped was no different. "Captain." "MAL!"

Mal closed his eyes, feeling that wonderful Wash headache coming on. "Da-shiang bao-tza shr duh lah doo-tze," he muttered under his breath. Sprinting up onto the bridge, Mal scowled at the panic stricken Wash, then at the dead instrument panel. "The best pilot in the 'verse worked up over this?" "All's it needs is a little boot oil." Mal lifted a booted foot, and kicked the console as hard as he could. The screens flickered, but stayed dead. Mal kicked it again, and after a moment the screens lit up. "There, now get us down, and near water." "We're gonna use up a lot of our stores in puttin' out the blaze down there."

Mal turned, "Jus' remember Wash, I got plenty o' boot oil for you if you." "Things're in a right fine state without you panicing on me." He hit an intercom, "Jayne, get th' hose an' start working on that fire int he port hold." "Any free hands best join in unless you like gettin' broiled."

Mal made his way to leave, finding it blocked by the dark beauty of Inara. He hesitated, then held up his hands as a sign of peace, "Can we just skip t' the end of the argument where you insult my illustrious lineage and have the rest after the fire's out?"

 

[LongshanksSierra]

Simon

Simon lurched through the doorway from the galley leading through to the bridge. Once again, the crew of Serentiy seemed to be heading headlong into a path of self-destruction, were taking his sister along with them.

"Um, Captain Reynolds?" Simon asked as he bobbed through passage to the bridge. "I don't know if you've noticed but your ship seems to be..." his eyes moved over the captain and Inara. "...on fire."

Smoke inhalation was not a particularly pleasant way to die, suffocation tended to do nasty things to the human body particularly when it was induced by burning ash. Of course, not that anyone would find their bodies when this... piece of luh-suh ship... obliterated itself on impact.

"I really don't have the facilites to treat carbon-seared lung tissue in the med bay," he continued despite a glower from Mal, "So unless your next master crime includes stealing a full surgical suite, I would suggest not incinerating us all."

 

[Armphid]

Mal really needed to punch someone right now. Then Simon appeared and he felt that itch in his knuckles that only application to a face could scratch. And he did have a very punchable face. However, that wouldn't help none. "Thank you, Doctor." "My poor, uneducated, self is damn incompetant as you well know, so I appreciate your pointin' out the obvious." The lanky spacer moved past Inara, pushing Simon aside none too gently. "Just get things ready in case someone gets burned fighting the fire, an' keep out of the damn way, dong ma?"

He leaped down the last part of the steps to the cargo bay floor, running over to where the burly bulk of Jayne Cobb was spraying water into the sooty orange glow of the port hold. The dignified Shepherd Book was hauling crates and other material away from the glow, Mal nodding at him, "Good man, Shepherd." "I reckon I'll burn anyway, I'm not fixin' to start yet."

Mal hit a wall comm unit. "Wash!" "Jayne an' me are gonna get this thing down a little." "When I give the word, I want you to vent the port hold." "That much wind this fast outta blow this thing right out!" With that, he pulled out of the chemical extinguishers off the wall, one of the ones that actually worked, most were for appearances, or had guns in them. Then he waded forward, wincing into the heat and blowing suffocating foam ahead of him.

 

[chronicle_tenko]

Wash

Mal's boot apparently was the wonder worker. He had a screen again. It was blurry and covered in something, but still it showed him something. He wished what it showed was not that they were all going to die but hey you can't have everything.

"Oh thank you captain I suppose next time I can do that. I'll be sure to tell you if I need any more boot oil" Mal wasn't listening the doctor had walked up on board, and there looked to be some small staredown going on between the two men. Wash hheard only the doctor's simple voice saying Fire, he would reaact but Mal already had orders in place. he had a thought of running to check and see that Zoe was ok. But One he needed to land the ship and she would likely harm him for leaving and Two she could take of herself in this situation infinitely better than he could.

Wash got Serenity back up and in a proper position Flattening most of her vents and dropping her higher end. As they straightened out he breathed a sigh of relief that much of the shaking stopped. When he heard Mal's voice over the comm. He responded favorably, almost nice.

"Wash!" "Jayne an' me are gonna get this thing down a little." "When I give the word, I want you to vent the port hold."

"Will do Captain. Will do." Wash started to scan for a good location near water and still close to the drop point. Not many options appeared attractive but he could find something on Bellerophon, Meanwhile he placed his hand near the vent point and waited for the signal.

 

[impish_pixie]

River

She drifted through Serenity, seeming unaware of the activities of the others, unmindful of the smoke and oblivious to the fire. However, she was aware, she was simply unconcerned, she knew that soon Serenity would open wide and blow the fire out, like a child blowing out candles on his birthday cake. While the captain would rant, Wash would panic, Zoe would keep the peace, The Shepard would feel useless, Jayne would be useless, Simon would worry, Imara would appear calm, and Kaylee would eventually heal the damage.

Just as it always was, she took comfort in the familiar.

 

[Armphid]

Either the fire was getting under control, or he'd just gotten used to the heat. Either way, they weren't getting more of a grasp in it than this. "Turn it off, Jayne."

Without waiting for a reply, Mal hit the switch that shut the doors between the main hold and port side where the blaze still dwelled. "Vent it, Wash." There was the sound of whining machinery, and then a great roar as the outer door was opened on the port hold. "There." "Problem solved, nothing too bad."

He caught sight of River wandering by, but couldn't find the energy to scowl. Cheating death always left him in a pleasant frame of mind. "See that?" He pointed at the odd girl, "That's faith in your captain right there." "Little sister knows there's nothin' to worry about."

That had been very close, and could have been very bad. Burning, plunging death from the sky kind of bad. Which was shy he wanted everyone to blow it off as nothing. It wasn't nothing though...and it meant money from the job going into fixing the ship instead of their pockets.

 

[lil_squirter]

Inara

He pulled himself up out of his quarters, running toward the bridge. As he turned, he could see the approaching loveliness of Inara, a scowl on her face that'd send a much braver man than he scurrying for cover. At present, all it did was irritate him. Did the woman not notice the ship was on fire? She was so damn frustrating! If it weren't for the prestige she gave his ship, he'd have booten her well clothed and sculpted backside voidways a long time ago. "Sorry, ambassador, I don't have time to discuss the state of your linens or whatever silky unmentionables you may want to screech at me about." "We've got somethin' of an emergency on our hands."


Mal made his way to leave, finding it blocked by the dark beauty of Inara. He hesitated, then held up his hands as a sign of peace, "Can we just skip t' the end of the argument where you insult my illustrious lineage and have the rest after the fire's out?"

She didn't speak, not at first, she was too livid. Inara fixed him with a glare that could have melted the cooling condensers in the engine coil. She collected herself before she launched off at him, knowing full well it would do no good before she even parted her lips.

"I'll thank you not to mention or even think of any of my unmentionables again, that's why they are unmentionable."

Snapped quibble back at him, that was the way between them, there could never be a calm and civil moment unless one or the other was in mortal peril. For the moment he was the only one in danger, and she was the danger. He stalked away before she could continue, as if she had anything further to say just then. SHe made an irritated noise at his back as he 'fixed' the console and returned toward the hallway. Again her lips parted and she was stilled by him.

"I doubt we have time for any insult that worth undertanking. But I seeing as we'll be spending more time here then we'd previously though, I will scan for possible clients. Someone has to make some sort of living on this ship."

In a huff and a whirl she stormed off, sadly Mal had already gone and the gesture was lost on all but Wash and Simon. Still she stormed her way to her shuttle and scampered inside closing out the smoke and pulling up the waves on the system.

 

[FenixZero]

Jayne's chest heaved as the fire finally died down. He was still staring at where the flames were just a moment ago, the look of suprise and confusion still on his smoke blackened face.

"Well...I jus' want it on the record that that fire wasn't my fault." Jayne waved a finger around at the chared areas of Serenity.

Noticing the confused expressions on the faces of the rest of the crew, Jayne frowned, holding his hands up in defense, "I'm jus' sayin, y'all have a tendency to blame me every time somethin explodes or catches on fire or get's shot."

Satisfied of his innocence Jayne stood back up and nodded to Mal, "Well Cap'n, we gonna get paid today? I ain't had a decent piece of trim since that little what-have-you on Cassiopea"

 

[lil_squirter]

Zoe

Zoe shook off her revulsion at Jayne, one day she'd just get used to his ways. On second thought she'd rather not, best to just ignore them.

"If you'll not be needin' me on this run Captain, I got some serious words to have with our pilot."

She wanted to spend time with Wash, Lord knows they got precious little of it. Of course that'd depend on the Cap'n giving her leave to do it, which he might have a mind not to. She didn't press the issue or fight him on it just waited for his response while she finished loading the Mule. Fire out, damage looked to be cosmetic more'n real hurt. Shouldn't take too much work before Serenity was sky worthy...or as much as she ever got to be.

Cocoa hands rubbed down on her thighs, cleaning the grit from her palms onto the rough dark brown material. Not so much slink, but very much practical, Wash was forever telling her how he loved her for being strong and yet she knew time to time he wanted to see her as more of a woman. If he could keep them comments to himself it'd be alright, but he always seemed to make 'em in front of the crew..hard to shake that off without threats of bodily harm.

Once her hands were clean enough she folded her arms and leaned on the com.

"Soon as we touch down we need a read out on the new distance to the drop, hopefully we're still in range for the Mule."

 

[Armphid]

Mal looked at Jayne with a patience-hanging-by-a-thread expression. "An' why would we look at you first, I wonder?" He stood shaking his head, "We'll have to wait an' see what Kaylee says, but I ain't goin' to be assignin' blame anywhere just yet." It was likely something inevitible, which also meant expensive.

At Jayne's question, Mal found himself wondering if he could outdraw the self-interested mercenary. Well, it was a nice dream. "Jayne, if we don't get paid today, after all this, there will be some very sorry folks on this piece o' rock, an' probably a few with a bad case o' dead."

He sighed then, running a hand through his hair. He wanted Zoe on this run. He never trusted Jayne 100%, and with all this...but she had a husband, damn it, and he shouldn't get in the way of that. Much as it bothered him not to. "Zoe, go on up front an' see if our pilot can figure out where the hell we are." "Jayne, get geared in case any o' the locals are restless." "Once we get a fix, you an' me'll go make the drop."

 

[FenixZero]

Jayne nodded his head, answering Mal with a quick, curt "Yessir" before turning and heading for his bunk.

Restless locals. Thats what the captain had called them. As far as Jayne was concerned the locals didn't know from restless. They'd be drifting for almost a month without work before they'd picked up this job and now the go-se ship was catching on fire. He'd signed up for this crew for the pay and that was something that had been few and far between lately.

Pulling a pair of pistols from his bunk and sliding them into a matching set of holsters slung around his legs, Jayne pulled a thick overcoat across his shoulders and headed back up to meet the Captain. It was going to be a really simple drop, Mal did the talking and negotiations, Jayne looked scary until things went through. And if things went south...

Jayne rounded the corner, his heavy combat boots making a clear ring as he approached Mal, "So who's the buyer this time? I thought the gorram Alliance had scared away any who'd be seen associatin with the likes of us"

 

[Armphid]

"Now, Jayne, you're not thinkin' of the advantages th' Alliance has given us." Mal shrugged on his long brown coat, the old, familar garment giving hima comfort and confidence much needed at the moment. "Fer every person who listens t' the Alliance an' decides not to do business with us, there's two adventurous ones as think, "Now those are people who know how to get a job done, an' so much so the great Alliance is scared of 'em, that's who I want to work with."" Mal grinned at the thuggish sharpshooter, "They're makin' a reputation for us that'd take us years to build."


"As fer the buyer, it's a fine bunch o' young academic folks much like our good doctor, 'cept a lot more pleasant and a little more fong luh." Mal knelt down, checking the knots that held the goods they were delivering to the Mule's sled. "Bunch o' idealistic young folks who missed out on th' war, got to readin' 'bout it, an' come t' think maybe the Core ain't thinkin' 'bout things too clearly." "Seems they decided the best way to get their heads straight was to leave home an' live like honest folk...meanin' they wanna take a few years an' play at being farmers."

Mal slapped one of the crates, "They also got plenty of money to burn, an wanna see what they can get away with." "Which is why they're payin' through the nose for these crates o' the finest genetically enhanced seed money can buy."

 

[lil_squirter]

Zoe

He..said..yes.... She was used to askin' and use ta hearing no. The fact that Mal just told her, not in so many words, that she could hang back with the ship and her husband had Zoe standing frozen in shock. She watched the Captain and Jayne work a moment and then nodded and made her way up to the bridge, still in a shocked silence. Arms folded over the leather vest that covered her shirt, she cocked her hip to the side and leaned on the secondary console. So rarely was there ever a co-pilot that it wasn't much used.

"Remember when we talked about gettin' some time together on one of these runs?"

She waited for Wash to nod before she went on.

"Cap'n said I could stay behind on this run. Think he's takin' Jayne."

She wasn't sure if she should be thrilled or worried, but either way the matter of fact was they were looking for more then a short down time here while Kaylee worked on the repairs. Inara was already fussing over her Cortex waves in her shuttle, the other were doing what they could so...well... She had no idea what to do with this. Never in the whole time she'd been with Mal had she asked for and been given the time to step aside. Even marryin' Wash had been a one day affair between heists. It had bee a hell of a day though.

"So."

Yeah...so....

 

[Wyldfire]

Mal's boot apparently was the wonder worker. He had a screen again. It was blurry and covered in something, but still it showed him something. He wished what it showed was not that they were all going to die but hey you can't have everything.

"Oh thank you captain I suppose next time I can do that. I'll be sure to tell you if I need any more boot oil" Mal wasn't listening the doctor had walked up on board, and there looked to be some small staredown going on between the two men. Wash hheard only the doctor's simple voice saying Fire, he would reaact but Mal already had orders in place. he had a thought of running to check and see that Zoe was ok. But One he needed to land the ship and she would likely harm him for leaving and Two she could take of herself in this situation infinitely better than he could.

Wash got Serenity back up and in a proper position Flattening most of her vents and dropping her higher end. As they straightened out he breathed a sigh of relief that much of the shaking stopped. When he heard Mal's voice over the comm. He responded favorably, almost nice.



"Will do Captain. Will do." Wash started to scan for a good location near water and still close to the drop point. Not many options appeared attractive but he could find something on Bellerophon, Meanwhile he placed his hand near the vent point and waited for the signal.

"What's wrong girl, c'mon ya can tell me......." This bellowed over th racket Serenity was givin off.

"C'mon baby, not alla this over an ol thrust output regulator." Working fast and hard to reroute power so Wash wouldn't crash the ship.

Managing a quick reroute she heard the landing gear startin ta behave as it oughta. Next thing there it went. Wires crisped, the smell makin her wanna heave.

"I am so Humped if I cause us ta crash" was all she could think as she began yet another reroute with fresh wirin. "I love my captain. I love my captain" she thought ta herself as she worked ta keep her baby flyin.

Reenforcin th wirin she started ta get it under control as th port cargo hold vented an th smoke started ta clear. Bout Gorram time anyone but she an Wash did anythin ta keep Serenity up. She'd never say it aloud but there was times she felt if she wasn't there her precious baby'd be dead.

 

[Wyldfire]

"Now, Jayne, you're not thinkin' of the advantages th' Alliance has given us." Mal shrugged on his long brown coat, the old, familar garment giving hima comfort and confidence much needed at the moment. "Fer every person who listens t' the Alliance an' decides not to do business with us, there's two adventurous ones as think, "Now those are people who know how to get a job done, an' so much so the great Alliance is scared of 'em, that's who I want to work with."" Mal grinned at the thuggish sharpshooter, "They're makin' a reputation for us that'd take us years to build."


"As fer the buyer, it's a fine bunch o' young academic folks much like our good doctor, 'cept a lot more pleasant and a little more fong luh." Mal knelt down, checking the knots that held the goods they were delivering to the Mule's sled. "Bunch o' idealistic young folks who missed out on th' war, got to readin' 'bout it, an' come t' think maybe the Core ain't thinkin' 'bout things too clearly." "Seems they decided the best way to get their heads straight was to leave home an' live like honest folk...meanin' they wanna take a few years an' play at being farmers."

Mal slapped one of the crates, "They also got plenty of money to burn, an wanna see what they can get away with." "Which is why they're payin' through the nose for these crates o' the finest genetically enhanced seed money can buy."

After makin sure her girl was gonna be okay till they set down an she could do a proper check up ta access th damage Kaylee went out ta have her some words wit th captain.

Still covered head ta toe in sout an grease she walked inta th cargo hold ta talk ta th captain after givin th mule a once over b'fore he took it out an tore it up again.

"Cap'n, b'fore ya even start I tol ya we needed tha Output regulator three weeks ago." Kaylee said as she inched her way closer to Mal. Once she got close enough she went up on tip toe and planted a big wet souty kiss on his cheek leaving an imprint of her lips in sout on his cheek.

Content with her revenge she began to check over the mule.

 

[Armphid]

"Cap'n, b'fore ya even start I tol ya we needed tha Output regulator three weeks ago." Kaylee said as she inched her way closer to Mal. Once she got close enough she went up on tip toe and planted a big wet souty kiss on his cheek leaving an imprint of her lips in sout on his cheek.

Content with her revenge she began to check over the mule.

Mal sighed, trying to get angry at Kaylee and failing miserably. He hated it when she did that. He was kinda lookin' forward to a good rantin' and ravin'. "I know, xiao meimei." "An' you know we ain't had but enough t' put fuel in the tank an' food on th' table." He walked over to the Mule, and pulled himself up onto it. "This'll give us enough to get 'er up again." "Jus' make sure nothin' else got fried by the fire, dong ma?" "Jayne an' me'll bring home th' pay."

"Jayne!" "Let's get goin', I ain't fixin' t'be out all day on this run."

 

[FenixZero]

Jayne climbed aboard the mule, a pair of dark glasses across his eyes. Aside from his two pistols, he'd brought Vera, two full bandoliers of shells, a couple of grenades and his biggest knife. If his job was to look scary then he aimed to do that job properly.

Slamming a fist against the release button for the main cargo door, Jayne moved across the flight deck to Mal. Serenity's main door opened with slightest of groans and just a bit of resistance. It seemed as though the ship didn't quite like the treatment it had been recieving lately.

"Yeah, yeah I'm a'comin" Jayne answer as he slid into the mule's driver seat. Thumbing the small craft to life, Jayne rolled the mule and the crates of cargo down the ramp, smiling a little wider as the mule made contact with dirt.

Felt good to be on a planet again. It was a good day to get paid.

 

[Armphid]

Bellerophon was like a lot of worlds that got terraformed after mankind left Earth That Was. Stretches of very verdant land in places and go se desert badlands everywhere else. Nice thing was most of the folk who had money, and therefore police protection, lived in private floating estates out over the oceans. Which meant they shouldn't have to worry about any legal entanglements.

'Course, a lot of things happened to Serenity's crew that shouldn't. Meaning Mal kept a close watch as the Mule chugged through the desert, pulling the cart with it's load of seed. In a way, he as embarrassed. After some of the things they'd pulled, here he was hauling seeds across the desert to a bunch of farmers.

Not that he preferred to be a criminal. Those manner o' jobs usually just paid better. And got the Alliance's goat. Okay, maybe he did prefer to be a little more criminal.

It took over an hour to get to the farm, nice enough chunk of land near the coast. Mal shook his head though, looking at it. Nice an' green as it was, who'd want to be tied down like this?

The small compound where the farmhouses were had a short wall around it. A farm's a busy and buslting place, something needing done 'bout every hour of the day. Which was why the fact that it was completely silent and still seemed a trifle odd.

Mal hopped down from the mule, pacing into the courtyard and looking around. Not a soul in sight. "Anyone in?" "Captain Reynolds of Serenity." "Got yer seed."

Nothing. "Fahng sheen, nothing to be concerned with." "They're probably all out an' about or havin' a lay in...in th' middle o' th' day durin' plantin' season."

 

[Wyldfire]

Mal sighed, trying to get angry at Kaylee and failing miserably. He hated it when she did that. He was kinda lookin' forward to a good rantin' and ravin'. "I know, xiao meimei." "An' you know we ain't had but enough t' put fuel in the tank an' food on th' table." He walked over to the Mule, and pulled himself up onto it. "This'll give us enough to get 'er up again." "Jus' make sure nothin' else got fried by the fire, dong ma?" "Jayne an' me'll bring home th' pay."

"Jayne!" "Let's get goin', I ain't fixin' t'be out all day on this run."

"Yes Cap'n," Kaylee said wit a smile, "Jus try ta make sure this time it ain't th mule an Serenity what needs fixin please?"

Smilin an with a slight skip ta her step Kaylee headed back ta th engine room ta start catalogin a list a parts she knew she'd be lucky if she got half of. But tha was parta th fun a it. It was kinda like Christmas, seein wha ya got from Cap'n Santa. Would it be enuff ta keep us up?

"Gonna have ta see ta th cargo hold door soon too." she said ta no one in particular.

 

[FenixZero]

"Fahng sheen, nothing to be concerned with." "They're probably all out an' about or havin' a lay in...in th' middle o' th' day durin' plantin' season."

Jayne climbed out of the mule, resting his hands on the impressive buckle that decorated his belt. Standing next to Mal, he surveyed the landscape, running the tip of his tongue across his lips.

"Now I do believe that might be the fastest damn time a job has gone south on us" He commented, raising his eyebrows in suprise.

"So Mal, you gotta a good explanation why we're standin around lookin at an empty farm like it's gonna do a trick?" He snorted, spitting a fat wad of saliva in the dirt near his boots.

 

[Armphid]

Mal gave Jayne a sour look. "I figger they seen your mug comin' an'-" he didn't get any further as a shot rang out and one of the posts near Mal splitered. The lanky spacer dove for cover, hitting the ground and rolling behind the corner of a house. Pulling his pistol, he took a peek around the corner.

"I say, you Reaver fellows won't be doing any of your nastiness today!" Another shot echoed through the air, pinging off of the Mule. Mal threw his head back against the wall of the house. Great, Kaylee's love that. He could her now, "This wasn't 'xactly what I had in mind when I said t' bring it back, Cap'n."

He leaned around the corner, "We ain't Reavers, quit shootin'!"

A new voice joined in, thin and reedy, "My research suggests that the trail of smoke and fire is indicitive of the reactor breach typical in Reaver ships!" "Don't try your trickery, you scallywag!"

Mal rolled his eyes, looking up at the sky. Why couldn't anything, ever, be easy? "Now you're right about that, but we jus' had some engine trouble." "'S th' kind o' thing as happens now an' again."

"A likely story!" Another bullet ripped through the air, blasting a weather vane to pieces. At least the shooter couldn't hit a damn thing.

"If'n we was Reavers, we wouldn't be talkin' at all!" "We already woulda busted in an' be goin' all murderous mutant on ya, now wouldn't we?"

There was a pause, and Mal could hear several voices conferring. "I do think he may be right, we wouldn't have much chance of repulsing Reavers, would we?"

"Well, my reasearch shows that their rabid tenacity would likely overwhelm our inexperience with firearms." "They are also not prone to negotiation."

"Then what do you propose as our resident expert?"

"Perhaps a parlay in the open?"

Capital idea!" "I say, gentlemen!" Mal looked around the corner cautiously. "Come on out and we shall see if you bear any mutations or mutliation, yes?" "Should solve our problem, I imagine."

"One 'r th' other." Mal sighed, then stood, his pistol still in his hand. He had to be a damn fool. He stepped around the corner, taking a few steps into the open courtyard. He could see the shooter now, a white haired bespecled man peering down from a window. He held his hands out at his sides, doing a slow turn. "Satisfied?"

There was another murmurred discussion. Then the white haired man leaned out the window, beaming, "Quite so, dear fellow." "Terribly sorry about the confusion and the shooting, can't be too careful."

Around the compound, doors began to open, the hidden population of the farm streaming out. Mal slid his gun back into the holster, walking up to Jayne. ""Fore you say anything, I know." "Jus' don't kill no one until after we get our money, s'all I ask."

 

[lil_squirter]

Inara

A touch to the screen sent another of the offers closed. Inara had been quite surprised at the number of clients registered in this area. She would never have guess that the planet supported such a culture. Given that part of the world was an arid desert and part were floating domes of paradise over the oceans perhaps it was to be expected. She was only just getting things narrowed down to two clients when her screen went dark. She restarted the com console and still there was no active outside signal. Indelicately she hit it, unlike Mal's magic boot oil it did noting but hurt her palm.

Muttering in mandarin and cradling her hand Inara walked out along the cat walk, the other systems seemed to be functioning normally..or at least as normally as they ever did. She watched Kaylee move by, busy with rerouting wires and moving some grease laden part from there to here. Inara stepped carefully through the patches of grease toward the domain of the young mechanic.

"Did the fire put out the coms? I can't seem to get through to the Cortex from my shuttle."

Not that Kaylee didn't have more pressing concerns, but any information would help right about now. She wanted to blame Mal, as if this was just another stunt to keep her from working. But he wasn't even here...so it couldn't possibly be...could it?

 

[FenixZero]

"Jus' don't kill no one until after we get our money, s'all I ask."

Jayne holstered his pistol and turned to the captain quizically, "You sayin I ken shoot 'em after we get paid? Cause I will. Hell, I can make it look like an accident."

Jayne slid the sun glasses off his eyes and turned around to face the farmer folk. He didn't like the idea of Reavers being near this planet. He didn't like the idea of Reavers near any planet. He just didn't like Reavers.

Laying a hand on Vera, Jayne traced a line down the gun's long barrel, his finger following the line one of her high-velocity shells would exit the gun and tear a hole in something. Vera always knew how to calm him down.