An eternity passed as she stared at the cold grey slab of metal before her. It was sturdy, the table in front of her; plain and functional. Four non-descript straight legs and the cold steel grey top. Nothing unusual the eye could see but the mind filled in the blanks. In the mind the table became a river raging through thoughts and memories, carrying them into one melting pool of time.
They were hers… of that she was certain. Nothing so vivid could belong to anyone else, or be pulled from the depths of imagination. Fighting to survive under the most impossible of situations, finding hope where the was none. Hours spent haunting the sky chasing phantoms as they tore holes through her reality.
She remembered with vivid clarity when they first took her, the hospital on Caprica where they carved her open and twisted her mind. Months later on New Caprica where her spirit was more captive than her body in the dollhouse of a prison he'd built to break her down. And he had.
Every tear, every heartbreak she wasn't allowed to feel because she was too strong, had to be the leader, had to hold up the image… They all raced past in the flow of the stream, tainted by crimson droplets that fell from an accidental yet unattended split lip.
The child she never knew she wanted, not hers, torn from her arms along with what was left of her soul. Drowning the sorrow and trying to patch the pieces of what was left with the bitter burn of sweet alcohol. Hitting that place of absolute nothingness and starting to rebuild the facade that would mask the depths of despair to everyone around once more.
The revelation, resolution; letting all the madness boil over and drift away until she could accept the fate that wasn't to be hers after all… Coming home.
Over and over each detail danced across the tabletop that flowed across the tabletop before her, drifting on a stream only she could see as his voice echoed in her ears and in her mind. He'd always known, always understood when no one else could even grasp. She understood why know… it was all in the stream, He was her, she was him, their experiences shared like two halves of the same spirit.
The artificial hiss of hydraulics forcing open the metallic hatch wasn't enough to draw her out of the stream, to make her look up, nor were the approaching footsteps, steady yet favored… the injury not yet healed. Even the folder dropping tot he table before her with an audible slap on the water's surface didn't bring her head up.
A heartbeat, maybe two longer her eyes lingered on the the thick metal cuffs that bound her wrists, the chain that looped secure through matching cuffs on her ankles. It was time to begin again. With a smile that was calm, almost pleased she began to lift her head, taking in first the hands that rested on the table. Hands she knew as well as her own, hands that had guided hers through a long, haggard path to find her destiny, touched her in ways only her soul could grasp, leaving her body crying, aching for more.
Beyond the hands she could see the the cuffs of the uniform jacket. So familiar yet so foreign now… had she once worn one just like it?
Finally she gifted herself with looking up into eyes of steel blue, tired eyes on a rugged, handsome face.. Every detail was as she remembered, and the glimmer of shock in his eyes said he remembered too, though it was still buried deep. Her smile quirked at the tousled short blonde hair even the military couldn't hope to tame… Even the impatience in his face mirrored what was once her own.
The impatient tapping of the pen on the folder came to an abrupt halt, when she finally spoke. Just three simple words would start everything that had already begun again, maybe this time they would get it right…
"I remember you…"
Monday, January 4, 2010
(untitled) - Start of another crossover
((Another victim of writer's block, would still like to see where this one goes one day))
"Galactica, Starbuck," The pilot spoke though the microphone inside her headset. "I'm picking up an abnormal reading bearing 127,39 karom 4, request permission for closer scan." the CAP had been the standard very dull routine that it had become since the truce. She'd been one of the few to argue it was still necessary as many had just fallen into a sense of security surrounding the whole thing. Her main reason had been it kept her flying.
"Copy Starbuck, we're not picking up anything from this range, permission to take a closer look granted." Came back the crackled reply.
"Copy that Galactica, Starbuck out." It was obvious they were humoring her, nothing of any significance had been turned up the last five times she'd thought she saw something. Likely they hadn't even looked.
Shrugging the thought off she angled off fro the fleet to go investigate the faint blip on her dradis, setting a direct heading. As she approached, the blip remained weak but constant. "Galactica, Starbuck, looks to be a glitch in the dradis system. There's nothing here..." There was nothing but static on the comm, though she was sure she'd not moved out of comm range... likely a short in the helmet system, again.
She moved just a little further out, to see if the signal changed, intending on turning back when the small craft was seemingly jerked from the spot it had been, lurching sideways through what felt like an extended FTL jump.
The viper jerked to a stop, throwing her against the canopy, descending her into blackness as she lost consciousness from the impact.
She didn't have time to determine how much time had passed when the radiological alarms on the console kicked in full force. The display indicated a massive radioactive concentration just ahead, and she looked up to see the most grotesque ship she had ever come across.
Nothing she had ever seen could even come close, cylon or human. It was big, battered, looked like it had been patched together from a dozen other ships. That was the pleasant part, what wasn't so pleasant was the fact it was reading as a giant mass of radioactivity, and had what looked like scorched skeletons strapped along its hull like trophies.
Before the shock of seeing it passed and she cold bank away, a thin harpoon on a chain shattered through the canopy, impaling her shoulder and pinning her to the seat. Had she been sitting straight it would have gone straight through her chest. "Son of a frakkin bitch!:" She hissed out, taking hold of the flight stick. Arming the two heat seekers the viper carried, she released them at the ship. No way in hell was something like that going to take her without a fight.
The explosion tore the ship into a hundred pieces, sending the viper end over end. The tear in her flight suit would burn up the oxygen in her reserve pack in a matter of minutes, she might be able to buy a few more if she could path the canopy with something and get its life support online.
Resigned to the fact it would likely do little good, she flicked on the distress beacon and closed her eyes, floating among the rubble of the other ship.
"Galactica, Starbuck," The pilot spoke though the microphone inside her headset. "I'm picking up an abnormal reading bearing 127,39 karom 4, request permission for closer scan." the CAP had been the standard very dull routine that it had become since the truce. She'd been one of the few to argue it was still necessary as many had just fallen into a sense of security surrounding the whole thing. Her main reason had been it kept her flying.
"Copy Starbuck, we're not picking up anything from this range, permission to take a closer look granted." Came back the crackled reply.
"Copy that Galactica, Starbuck out." It was obvious they were humoring her, nothing of any significance had been turned up the last five times she'd thought she saw something. Likely they hadn't even looked.
Shrugging the thought off she angled off fro the fleet to go investigate the faint blip on her dradis, setting a direct heading. As she approached, the blip remained weak but constant. "Galactica, Starbuck, looks to be a glitch in the dradis system. There's nothing here..." There was nothing but static on the comm, though she was sure she'd not moved out of comm range... likely a short in the helmet system, again.
She moved just a little further out, to see if the signal changed, intending on turning back when the small craft was seemingly jerked from the spot it had been, lurching sideways through what felt like an extended FTL jump.
The viper jerked to a stop, throwing her against the canopy, descending her into blackness as she lost consciousness from the impact.
She didn't have time to determine how much time had passed when the radiological alarms on the console kicked in full force. The display indicated a massive radioactive concentration just ahead, and she looked up to see the most grotesque ship she had ever come across.
Nothing she had ever seen could even come close, cylon or human. It was big, battered, looked like it had been patched together from a dozen other ships. That was the pleasant part, what wasn't so pleasant was the fact it was reading as a giant mass of radioactivity, and had what looked like scorched skeletons strapped along its hull like trophies.
Before the shock of seeing it passed and she cold bank away, a thin harpoon on a chain shattered through the canopy, impaling her shoulder and pinning her to the seat. Had she been sitting straight it would have gone straight through her chest. "Son of a frakkin bitch!:" She hissed out, taking hold of the flight stick. Arming the two heat seekers the viper carried, she released them at the ship. No way in hell was something like that going to take her without a fight.
The explosion tore the ship into a hundred pieces, sending the viper end over end. The tear in her flight suit would burn up the oxygen in her reserve pack in a matter of minutes, she might be able to buy a few more if she could path the canopy with something and get its life support online.
Resigned to the fact it would likely do little good, she flicked on the distress beacon and closed her eyes, floating among the rubble of the other ship.
Wings Across the Sky - Chapter 4/4 - Unfinished
“Just tell me what you want from Inara.” If Mal had known how far his voice would carry from the quiet bridge through the mostly silent ship, he wouldn’t have said a single word to the Companion when she stepped into the bridge. He was on watch, like he was most nights. Sleep wasn’t his friend anymore. Too many bad dreams mingled with worse memories.
“I just want to know how long this layover is going to be Mal. I have an appointment on Persephone, and for once I’d like to not be late.” Her lips were painted the same swollen berry red that they’d been the first time he’d seen her when she’d come to rent his shuttle.
“We’ll be there in plenty of time. Ath, will be able to get his jollies right on schedule. We’re in good shape and makin’ good time. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with Serenity for a change.” When she’d left him, them, he’d missed her every single day and night, but now he was wishing that she’d never agreed to stay on board. He had made her a whore this time. It wasn’t the Guild that he could blame.
“It’s not what’s wrong with Serenity that has me concerned Mal. I’m worried about you.”
“Well don’t be. Let’s make a deal,” his voice went cold as his eye turned to ice. “You don’t want me walkin’ into your shuttle unannounced, how ‘bout you stop comin’ on my bridge whenever you feel like bein’ a nag.”
“Fine!” Inara took a step back, and Mal fought the urge to say he was sorry. He shoved the concern back under the anger. Her feet made barely a sound as she raced back to her shuttle. “I won’t bother you any longer Captain Reynolds.”
“Good!” He picked up his coffee cup and took a long drink before he realized how cold and nasty it had gotten. With a frown he stomped on down through to the kitchen to get a refill.
“You need to stop doing that sir,” Zoë said from behind the counter where she was getting her own cup of what passed for coffee on Serenity.
“Please Zoë; I’ve already gotten into one fight tonight. Don’t want to get into one with you too.” He passed her his old blue cup and watched her fill it instead of making eye contact. He felt like a heel for the way he’d treated Inara.
“Why don’t you tell her the truth Mal.” That caught his attention. Zoë never used his name unless she meant for him to listen. “I lost Wash in a blink of my eyes. We thought we were safe, and then he was dead. She’s left you once. Why can’t you admit that you love her?”
“It wouldn’t do me any good if I did. I ain’t good enough for her Zoë, and I never will be. Any chance we had died when she went back to work.”
“But she did it to help us.”
“That’s what makes it worse, don’t you see?” Mal scrubbed at his face. “When she did it for her callin’, she was a companion. She does it now to make sure we’re never as desperate for money as we were when she was gone. I’ve made her a whore Zoë. I’ve ruined Inara, like I’ve ruined everything else I’ve ever loved.”
“You didn’t ruin Serenity Sir,” Zoë said as she reached over and squeezed his hand. “And you didn’t ruin me or River or Kaylee. Notice I only mention those of us you do love. You’ve got no responsibility when it comes to how fucked up Jayne is. He came that way.”
An alarm went off before Mal could say another word; he dropped his cup in the sink and raced back through the ship to the bridge. The ship rocked as a low powered shot hit them. Checking the scanners, Mal sent out a long string of curses as he answered the wave that was chiming in.
“Serenity, this is Alliance Captain Milton of the Starship Destiny. Prepare to be boarded and your cargo seized.”
((Hoping one day will find the thread to finish this one))
“I just want to know how long this layover is going to be Mal. I have an appointment on Persephone, and for once I’d like to not be late.” Her lips were painted the same swollen berry red that they’d been the first time he’d seen her when she’d come to rent his shuttle.
“We’ll be there in plenty of time. Ath, will be able to get his jollies right on schedule. We’re in good shape and makin’ good time. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with Serenity for a change.” When she’d left him, them, he’d missed her every single day and night, but now he was wishing that she’d never agreed to stay on board. He had made her a whore this time. It wasn’t the Guild that he could blame.
“It’s not what’s wrong with Serenity that has me concerned Mal. I’m worried about you.”
“Well don’t be. Let’s make a deal,” his voice went cold as his eye turned to ice. “You don’t want me walkin’ into your shuttle unannounced, how ‘bout you stop comin’ on my bridge whenever you feel like bein’ a nag.”
“Fine!” Inara took a step back, and Mal fought the urge to say he was sorry. He shoved the concern back under the anger. Her feet made barely a sound as she raced back to her shuttle. “I won’t bother you any longer Captain Reynolds.”
“Good!” He picked up his coffee cup and took a long drink before he realized how cold and nasty it had gotten. With a frown he stomped on down through to the kitchen to get a refill.
“You need to stop doing that sir,” Zoë said from behind the counter where she was getting her own cup of what passed for coffee on Serenity.
“Please Zoë; I’ve already gotten into one fight tonight. Don’t want to get into one with you too.” He passed her his old blue cup and watched her fill it instead of making eye contact. He felt like a heel for the way he’d treated Inara.
“Why don’t you tell her the truth Mal.” That caught his attention. Zoë never used his name unless she meant for him to listen. “I lost Wash in a blink of my eyes. We thought we were safe, and then he was dead. She’s left you once. Why can’t you admit that you love her?”
“It wouldn’t do me any good if I did. I ain’t good enough for her Zoë, and I never will be. Any chance we had died when she went back to work.”
“But she did it to help us.”
“That’s what makes it worse, don’t you see?” Mal scrubbed at his face. “When she did it for her callin’, she was a companion. She does it now to make sure we’re never as desperate for money as we were when she was gone. I’ve made her a whore Zoë. I’ve ruined Inara, like I’ve ruined everything else I’ve ever loved.”
“You didn’t ruin Serenity Sir,” Zoë said as she reached over and squeezed his hand. “And you didn’t ruin me or River or Kaylee. Notice I only mention those of us you do love. You’ve got no responsibility when it comes to how fucked up Jayne is. He came that way.”
An alarm went off before Mal could say another word; he dropped his cup in the sink and raced back through the ship to the bridge. The ship rocked as a low powered shot hit them. Checking the scanners, Mal sent out a long string of curses as he answered the wave that was chiming in.
“Serenity, this is Alliance Captain Milton of the Starship Destiny. Prepare to be boarded and your cargo seized.”
((Hoping one day will find the thread to finish this one))
Wings Across the Sky - Chapter 3/4 - Unfinished
The room she'd beens shown to was small by most standards, but it was far more space than she was used to. Life in the fleet had been pretty much living in one another's back pockets, and on Lilac it had been worse. Not enough shelter or supplies to go around meant overcrowding and general misery.
She'd not even hesitated once Zoe had left her, grabbing a relatively clean change of clothes she'd kept packed in the bottom of her duffle since landing on that desolate rock. She filled the small washbasin, stripped off her dust encrusted shirt and proceeded to wash away what she could of the dirt that clung to her skin. Never did she think she would be so appreciative of freshly recycled water.
The engines of the ship firing up made the deck plates tremble, the water in the sink rippling rapidly. A sigh of relief met the sound as she closed her eyes. She was finally going to be free of here.
Changed and feeling considerably cleaner, she eventually made her way to the lower common area near the passenger berths. Up several winding metal staircases she eventually found the common dining room, which was painted an abnormally cheerful yellow. What caught her eye most was when she looked up, the stars now visible through the high windows.
She'd been sure to stay back out of the way, just letting herself get lost in the view as they left the atmosphere completely, leaving the dustball behind.
***
After two days on board, she was wishin like hell she had forever to stay, but with each passing day they got closer to Persephone where she'd be parting ways with the crew. It wasn't as though she'd made close friends with them, but they were for the most part pleasant with her.
The Captain, he kept to himself, she mostly only saw him at mealtime. He was deeply troubled by something. He spoke little and hung around even less. What was more telling were the looks the crew would exchange among themselves when he'd leave. There was definitely something going on that had him troubled.
In her mind she'd dubbed Kaylee the ambassador of cheerfulness. She was pretty sure nothing could bring that girl down. And at times it was infectious…. She'd seen it in action at the dinner-table, The girl could even make Captain Reynolds smile.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to see Kaylee was sweet on the ship's doctor, Simon. Somon seemed to manage his time well between his sweetheart and his younger sister River, who was nothing but an enigma to Kara.
Zoe was one Kara understood, in fact she was much a mirror image of herself. Career military, fiercely loyal to her captain, and recently widowed… They'd traded stories the night before over a bottle of weak whiskey. It was badly watered down but neither acknowledged. It made it easier to talk, pretending it was the whiskey doing the talking. All things considered, it was a good thing the whiskey had been watered down to nothing but flavor, otherwise they would both have very large painful heads today.
However, the bonding with the first mate may never had happened had it not been for Jayne.
It turned out Janye was the epitome if big dumb muscle. It hadn't mattered in the least how often she'd told him she wasn't the least bit interested in his gun collection, he still insisted. He would just not let it go. Sure as she was he really did have quite a collection, no way in hell was she going down into his bunk to see it.
Add that to the constant harassment he dished out upon the other women on the ship… She was pretty sure she'd seen Captain Reynolds throw him a warning glare or two over dinner the night before. He was pretty much everything she disliked in a man.
That made it pretty easy when he'd finally cornered her. He towered over her by a good foot in height, and he'd definitely had a drink or two, it was all you could smell on him. Likely thought it would give him the courage to push her just a little. She'd never worried he would push to far, he was dumb, not a creep. She just needed to give him a lesson that was on his level. A lesson that wound up with him kissing carpet, his wrist making friendly with his shoulder blades and a rather heavy boot holding his head still.
She'd let him up right away and he got up, looking a little wounded as he stated simply. "Gorramit woman, coulda just said no…" What followed was the first time Kara had seen Zoe smile. She'd later find out it was because that moment made her think of her late husband, as he was always amused when Jayne got put in his place by a woman.
That left just one other person on the crew for her to really meet. Inara. She'd seen the woman several times, though usually it was after Inara had been talking to the Captain, which always seemed to put her in a foul mood and she'd disappear for hours. Kaylee had once tried to explain that Inara was a companion and the Captain didn't much like it, though kara hadn't bothered to ask what exactly a companion was. The name pretty much put some ideas in her head as to what it entailed.
It was late, everyone had long since retired to their bunks, so she did the same. As she lay on her bunk she could hear the faint creak and groan of the metal hull. The low hum of the engines as the small ship coasted through space.
Tomorrow would be a long day. They had a stop to make, so she'd been told, ships business… Which, just being a passenger didn't concern her at all. So why the hell did the thought bother her so much?
She'd not even hesitated once Zoe had left her, grabbing a relatively clean change of clothes she'd kept packed in the bottom of her duffle since landing on that desolate rock. She filled the small washbasin, stripped off her dust encrusted shirt and proceeded to wash away what she could of the dirt that clung to her skin. Never did she think she would be so appreciative of freshly recycled water.
The engines of the ship firing up made the deck plates tremble, the water in the sink rippling rapidly. A sigh of relief met the sound as she closed her eyes. She was finally going to be free of here.
Changed and feeling considerably cleaner, she eventually made her way to the lower common area near the passenger berths. Up several winding metal staircases she eventually found the common dining room, which was painted an abnormally cheerful yellow. What caught her eye most was when she looked up, the stars now visible through the high windows.
She'd been sure to stay back out of the way, just letting herself get lost in the view as they left the atmosphere completely, leaving the dustball behind.
***
After two days on board, she was wishin like hell she had forever to stay, but with each passing day they got closer to Persephone where she'd be parting ways with the crew. It wasn't as though she'd made close friends with them, but they were for the most part pleasant with her.
The Captain, he kept to himself, she mostly only saw him at mealtime. He was deeply troubled by something. He spoke little and hung around even less. What was more telling were the looks the crew would exchange among themselves when he'd leave. There was definitely something going on that had him troubled.
In her mind she'd dubbed Kaylee the ambassador of cheerfulness. She was pretty sure nothing could bring that girl down. And at times it was infectious…. She'd seen it in action at the dinner-table, The girl could even make Captain Reynolds smile.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to see Kaylee was sweet on the ship's doctor, Simon. Somon seemed to manage his time well between his sweetheart and his younger sister River, who was nothing but an enigma to Kara.
Zoe was one Kara understood, in fact she was much a mirror image of herself. Career military, fiercely loyal to her captain, and recently widowed… They'd traded stories the night before over a bottle of weak whiskey. It was badly watered down but neither acknowledged. It made it easier to talk, pretending it was the whiskey doing the talking. All things considered, it was a good thing the whiskey had been watered down to nothing but flavor, otherwise they would both have very large painful heads today.
However, the bonding with the first mate may never had happened had it not been for Jayne.
It turned out Janye was the epitome if big dumb muscle. It hadn't mattered in the least how often she'd told him she wasn't the least bit interested in his gun collection, he still insisted. He would just not let it go. Sure as she was he really did have quite a collection, no way in hell was she going down into his bunk to see it.
Add that to the constant harassment he dished out upon the other women on the ship… She was pretty sure she'd seen Captain Reynolds throw him a warning glare or two over dinner the night before. He was pretty much everything she disliked in a man.
That made it pretty easy when he'd finally cornered her. He towered over her by a good foot in height, and he'd definitely had a drink or two, it was all you could smell on him. Likely thought it would give him the courage to push her just a little. She'd never worried he would push to far, he was dumb, not a creep. She just needed to give him a lesson that was on his level. A lesson that wound up with him kissing carpet, his wrist making friendly with his shoulder blades and a rather heavy boot holding his head still.
She'd let him up right away and he got up, looking a little wounded as he stated simply. "Gorramit woman, coulda just said no…" What followed was the first time Kara had seen Zoe smile. She'd later find out it was because that moment made her think of her late husband, as he was always amused when Jayne got put in his place by a woman.
That left just one other person on the crew for her to really meet. Inara. She'd seen the woman several times, though usually it was after Inara had been talking to the Captain, which always seemed to put her in a foul mood and she'd disappear for hours. Kaylee had once tried to explain that Inara was a companion and the Captain didn't much like it, though kara hadn't bothered to ask what exactly a companion was. The name pretty much put some ideas in her head as to what it entailed.
It was late, everyone had long since retired to their bunks, so she did the same. As she lay on her bunk she could hear the faint creak and groan of the metal hull. The low hum of the engines as the small ship coasted through space.
Tomorrow would be a long day. They had a stop to make, so she'd been told, ships business… Which, just being a passenger didn't concern her at all. So why the hell did the thought bother her so much?
Wings Across the Sky - Chapter 2/4 - Unfinished
When the call had come in about the job, an actual mostly legal job, Mal had been happy about catching the Wave. But the happy lasted only as long as it took for Zoe to tell him where the job was. A dry swallow ate the name Lilac, and he shoved it down into his gut with all the rest of his guilt and regrets.
“Captain?” Kaylee rocked on the toes of her boots beside him, a bright smile on her face. They both watched as the ramp lowered onto the dust bowl moon that was all the Reavers had left behind. “You all right?”
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with me,” he said as he tugged on his gloves. “Make sure we’re ready to go soon as they get their cargo. Don’t want to spend anymore time here as we have to.”
“Don’t worry. Jayne an’ I’ll handle it. Where are you goin’?” her dark eyes filled with concern as Mal started walking down the ramp.
“Need to see a man ‘bout a mule,” was Mal’s bitter reply. The sun was brilliant, and not for the first time he wished that he wore a hat to shade his eyes. Serenity had landed near the new settlement where the Colonial refugees had made their home, but it wasn’t too terribly far from the old settlement where he and a trio of his crew were the last people to walk out on their own.
Even through the thick patina of dust and grime, he could still see the battle scars from the Reaver weapons on the walls of the surviving buildings. Here and there were the brown stains of the blood of the fallen. The Alliance had done a shiny job of hiding what had happened, but Malcolm Reynolds knew better he’d been there.
He stopped in front of the bar where he’d shot a man who’d been begging him for help. He’d called it a kindness to justify what he’d done, but that kindness was churning in his belly like a snake made out of broken glass.
“I’m sorry,” he said as the wind tore the words from his lips, drying the tear that slid down from one blue eye. “Should’ve taken the chance. Won’t forget what I done to you. I ain’t never goin’ to leave another soul behind that wants away from this or anyplace long as I can get to the Black.”
Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a pair of silver coins. Hunkering down on his heels, Mal scooped out a few inches of dusty soil and buried the twin coins. “They used to put coins on the eyes of the dead. This is the best I can do for you and yours.”
By the time he walked back to Serenity, he was more than ready to leave. Then she came asking for passage. It was almost as if he’d been the one who could read the future and not the little Albatross. He looked at the coins he’d been given by Kara Thrace, wasn’t nearly enough to get her off of any normal piss hole planet. He’d have tried to up the ante, see what else he could get from her.
But not on Lilac. Any amount of change was good enough on Lilac.
###
The cargo bay was empty when he prepped Serenity to break atmo. It’d be a good long time before the colonists had anything to trade to the outside world. For now all they had was money. Mal hoped that the seeds they’d brought would help them make something out of the place.
“There are worse planets,” Jayne said as he stomped onto the bridge. “Least there ain’t no more Reavers.”
“There are still Reavers, Jayne,” Mal answered as he started flipping switches along Wash’s station. It would always be Wash’s station, no matter how long Mal was filling in as pilot. Even if he hired a new one, they’d be told to use the co-pilot’s. ‘They just ain’t all covered in skin and piercings. Some of ‘em just work for the Feds is all. Our passenger all settled? I want off of this piece of shit now.”
“Think so. Zoe’s doin’ the tour.” The big mercenary rubbed at the back of his neck and shrugged. “She’s pretty.”
“Zoe?” Mal’s thought he heard Wash’s voice scream in his head that Jayne was NEVER to say that he thought Zoe was pretty. But then again, it might have been his own voice. “Yeah, Jayne Zoe’s pretty, but don’t tell her that. She’ll get a big head.”
“No, not Zoe Mal. The passenger. She’s pretty.”
“Didn’t notice,” Mal said with not a small amount of relief. The last thing he wanted was to watch Jayne get some kind of insane crush on Zoe. She was still hurt. She tried to hide it, but Mal knew her better than he knew himself. “All I noticed was her money was good.”
Wasn’t really all he’d noticed. But he didn’t really want to warn Jayne that Kara Thrace looked like she could kick the shit out of him just as easily as Zoe could. Where would the fun be in that?
“I’ll tell ‘em we’re leavin’ then.”
“You do that,” Mal said as he sat down in Wash’s seat. He waited until the sound of Jayne’s boots stopped echoing down the passageway, and started up Serenity’s engines. With his eyes closed, he listened to the rough thrum of the engine turning, and waited until he heard the sweet sound of her settling in. That was when it was time for lift off, not before. The take off was smooth as one of Inara’s silk dresses. “Well now, seems I’m gettin’ pretty good at this.”
“Thankfully,” Inara said as they broke into the Black. The stars in the sky nearly as bright as the sparkling jewels she’d woven into her hair. “But you do need to work on the landings. I still need to replace one of my tea sets.”
“I’m sure y’all make enough to replace it Inara.” He glanced back at her. She was dressed for work. A job he’d hoped she wouldn’t go back to, but it was the only way she knew. At least she was out there with them, and not at the temple teaching new girls. But with them, was never going to be the same as with him, and he knew it. “Picked up a passenger. Why don’t you go say hello?”
“Captain?” Kaylee rocked on the toes of her boots beside him, a bright smile on her face. They both watched as the ramp lowered onto the dust bowl moon that was all the Reavers had left behind. “You all right?”
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with me,” he said as he tugged on his gloves. “Make sure we’re ready to go soon as they get their cargo. Don’t want to spend anymore time here as we have to.”
“Don’t worry. Jayne an’ I’ll handle it. Where are you goin’?” her dark eyes filled with concern as Mal started walking down the ramp.
“Need to see a man ‘bout a mule,” was Mal’s bitter reply. The sun was brilliant, and not for the first time he wished that he wore a hat to shade his eyes. Serenity had landed near the new settlement where the Colonial refugees had made their home, but it wasn’t too terribly far from the old settlement where he and a trio of his crew were the last people to walk out on their own.
Even through the thick patina of dust and grime, he could still see the battle scars from the Reaver weapons on the walls of the surviving buildings. Here and there were the brown stains of the blood of the fallen. The Alliance had done a shiny job of hiding what had happened, but Malcolm Reynolds knew better he’d been there.
He stopped in front of the bar where he’d shot a man who’d been begging him for help. He’d called it a kindness to justify what he’d done, but that kindness was churning in his belly like a snake made out of broken glass.
“I’m sorry,” he said as the wind tore the words from his lips, drying the tear that slid down from one blue eye. “Should’ve taken the chance. Won’t forget what I done to you. I ain’t never goin’ to leave another soul behind that wants away from this or anyplace long as I can get to the Black.”
Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a pair of silver coins. Hunkering down on his heels, Mal scooped out a few inches of dusty soil and buried the twin coins. “They used to put coins on the eyes of the dead. This is the best I can do for you and yours.”
By the time he walked back to Serenity, he was more than ready to leave. Then she came asking for passage. It was almost as if he’d been the one who could read the future and not the little Albatross. He looked at the coins he’d been given by Kara Thrace, wasn’t nearly enough to get her off of any normal piss hole planet. He’d have tried to up the ante, see what else he could get from her.
But not on Lilac. Any amount of change was good enough on Lilac.
###
The cargo bay was empty when he prepped Serenity to break atmo. It’d be a good long time before the colonists had anything to trade to the outside world. For now all they had was money. Mal hoped that the seeds they’d brought would help them make something out of the place.
“There are worse planets,” Jayne said as he stomped onto the bridge. “Least there ain’t no more Reavers.”
“There are still Reavers, Jayne,” Mal answered as he started flipping switches along Wash’s station. It would always be Wash’s station, no matter how long Mal was filling in as pilot. Even if he hired a new one, they’d be told to use the co-pilot’s. ‘They just ain’t all covered in skin and piercings. Some of ‘em just work for the Feds is all. Our passenger all settled? I want off of this piece of shit now.”
“Think so. Zoe’s doin’ the tour.” The big mercenary rubbed at the back of his neck and shrugged. “She’s pretty.”
“Zoe?” Mal’s thought he heard Wash’s voice scream in his head that Jayne was NEVER to say that he thought Zoe was pretty. But then again, it might have been his own voice. “Yeah, Jayne Zoe’s pretty, but don’t tell her that. She’ll get a big head.”
“No, not Zoe Mal. The passenger. She’s pretty.”
“Didn’t notice,” Mal said with not a small amount of relief. The last thing he wanted was to watch Jayne get some kind of insane crush on Zoe. She was still hurt. She tried to hide it, but Mal knew her better than he knew himself. “All I noticed was her money was good.”
Wasn’t really all he’d noticed. But he didn’t really want to warn Jayne that Kara Thrace looked like she could kick the shit out of him just as easily as Zoe could. Where would the fun be in that?
“I’ll tell ‘em we’re leavin’ then.”
“You do that,” Mal said as he sat down in Wash’s seat. He waited until the sound of Jayne’s boots stopped echoing down the passageway, and started up Serenity’s engines. With his eyes closed, he listened to the rough thrum of the engine turning, and waited until he heard the sweet sound of her settling in. That was when it was time for lift off, not before. The take off was smooth as one of Inara’s silk dresses. “Well now, seems I’m gettin’ pretty good at this.”
“Thankfully,” Inara said as they broke into the Black. The stars in the sky nearly as bright as the sparkling jewels she’d woven into her hair. “But you do need to work on the landings. I still need to replace one of my tea sets.”
“I’m sure y’all make enough to replace it Inara.” He glanced back at her. She was dressed for work. A job he’d hoped she wouldn’t go back to, but it was the only way she knew. At least she was out there with them, and not at the temple teaching new girls. But with them, was never going to be the same as with him, and he knew it. “Picked up a passenger. Why don’t you go say hello?”
Wings Across the Sky - Chapter 1/4 - Unfinished
((Another I started working on with a friend, unfortunately bad writer's block stalled it indefinitely, and I have since lost touch with the friend, who knows if it will ever be finished))
The dust whipped around, biting at any exposed skin, stinging eyes and making breathing difficult. The cloud was so thick one could barely see the metallic bulk responsible for it settle to the ground. Nine months on this desolate rock and this was only the second transport ship to bring supplies. The first had been two days after they'd arrived. Basic food supplies, crop seeds, theoretically enough to get them settled. Not everyone was thrilled with the idea of farming, but they were alive. If you could call this dust ball living, it made New Caprica look downright inviting, and all things considered, that was not saying much at all.
What was worst was what they took. Most of the ships had been barely flight worthy, and coming into the atmosphere had done nothing to help that, so they'd become permanent fixtures on the ground, serving as homes and shelters against the unforgiving climate. The ships that had still been air worthy had been taken, apparently to be returned sometime later, but Galactica and the crew that had remained on board hadn't been seen or heard from since.
Zarek had assumed leadership. It was frakked up all to hell but he did look out for the people, and he sure the hell couldn't do worse than Baltar had. Hell had he been in charge at the time the Alliance encountered them maybe they would have found a better rock to dump them on. One that hadn't already been wiped out before. A scouting party had found the abandoned settlement the same afternoon the transport had dropped off supplies. The signs of struggle were evident but not a trace of who had been there before remained. Orders had been to scavenge everything they could and keep quiet. They'd established their own settlement several miles from where the other had been. Those who knew of the ghost town decided it best not to mention, things were dire enough without a panicked population.
They'd had no contact from the Alliance since. No supplies, no word… hell who knew if they were even still out there. The few thousand that remained went about setting up a new life, though sickness had claimed so many over the winder that had passed. Now there were less than twenty five thousand, and I was beginning to look like they'd just been left out here to die.
Then things had changed, word came about the transport arriving and there was a spark of hope among the colonials once again. Kara wasn't really sure how Zarek had managed it, but there was now a transport touching down with much needed medical supplies, food, and whatever else they were able to scrounge together. What was on the transport, she really wasn't interested, what she was looking for was a way out.
As the transaction took place, money and goods changing hands, she hung back, just observing the crew. Her hand settled over her pocket, a pouch of coins tucked inside. Coins she'd scavenged from those burned out buildings on that first scouting trip so many months ago. Most they'd turned over to the government, but Kara had tucked away a portion of whatever she found for herself. She'd been planning even then to find a way to buy passage away from here, away from everything. She just hadn't expected it to be so long in coming.
The dust had settled, and the supplies were being hauled back towards the settlement when she approached the ship. The man she assumed was Captain was looking out over the filed towards the old settlement, his expression almost haunted. He turned to Kara as she approached, eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity, though it would have been hard for a trained soldier to miss the slight flinch in his hand, prepared to go for his gun should he need to.. He was obviously used to things going bad.
"You take on passengers? I can pay…" She called out as she approached. At the mention of money his posture shifted, far more welcoming than before, some of the defensive stance gone.
"Depends, where you're intent on traveling to, we don't tend to go into toe core none to often."
"Suits me fine, just want off this rock, get somewhere I can find work." She pulled one of the small bag of coins from her pocket, tossing it to him." To be honest I've no idea how far that will get me, but we haven't got much here…"
His expression stayed mostly neutral, he'd have made a good gambler, as he looked at the contents of the bag. "Well, if you don't mind making a few little stops along the way, we can get you to persephone inside of a fortnight."
"Suits me fine…" She smiled a little, the prospect of getting off the rock finally making her feel a little bit lighter.
"In that case. I"m Malcom Reynolds, your captain, welcome aboard Serenity." he said with a lazy smile extending his hand which she took in a firm handshake.
"Kara Thrace… and you have no idea just how happy I am to meet you." Her eyes lit up with a smirk and for a moment it felt like she had already lifted off.
With a nod he turned, motioning her to follow him up the ramp and into the belly of the transport. "Zoe will show you to the passenger quarters, generally cargo bay is off limits to everyone but crew, so best you take whatever you need with you." He nodded towards a beautiful, dark skinned woman. "Mealtime's round about two hors from now, you might well go get settled" he said before moving off once more.
Kara followed Zoe through into the passenger bunks, listening as she set out the ships rules, gave her a general indication of where things were, then disappeared once Kara'd been shown her room.
Overall, the crew seemed to be a sad lot, yet there was a closeness between them. Something she could relate to well… you had to be able to count on the people you flew with… your life could depend on it. And thought he ship itself may have seemed old, and they were complete strangers to her, there was a familiarity she could relate to and she felt she'd secured herself a relatively safe journey into the unknown.
The dust whipped around, biting at any exposed skin, stinging eyes and making breathing difficult. The cloud was so thick one could barely see the metallic bulk responsible for it settle to the ground. Nine months on this desolate rock and this was only the second transport ship to bring supplies. The first had been two days after they'd arrived. Basic food supplies, crop seeds, theoretically enough to get them settled. Not everyone was thrilled with the idea of farming, but they were alive. If you could call this dust ball living, it made New Caprica look downright inviting, and all things considered, that was not saying much at all.
What was worst was what they took. Most of the ships had been barely flight worthy, and coming into the atmosphere had done nothing to help that, so they'd become permanent fixtures on the ground, serving as homes and shelters against the unforgiving climate. The ships that had still been air worthy had been taken, apparently to be returned sometime later, but Galactica and the crew that had remained on board hadn't been seen or heard from since.
Zarek had assumed leadership. It was frakked up all to hell but he did look out for the people, and he sure the hell couldn't do worse than Baltar had. Hell had he been in charge at the time the Alliance encountered them maybe they would have found a better rock to dump them on. One that hadn't already been wiped out before. A scouting party had found the abandoned settlement the same afternoon the transport had dropped off supplies. The signs of struggle were evident but not a trace of who had been there before remained. Orders had been to scavenge everything they could and keep quiet. They'd established their own settlement several miles from where the other had been. Those who knew of the ghost town decided it best not to mention, things were dire enough without a panicked population.
They'd had no contact from the Alliance since. No supplies, no word… hell who knew if they were even still out there. The few thousand that remained went about setting up a new life, though sickness had claimed so many over the winder that had passed. Now there were less than twenty five thousand, and I was beginning to look like they'd just been left out here to die.
Then things had changed, word came about the transport arriving and there was a spark of hope among the colonials once again. Kara wasn't really sure how Zarek had managed it, but there was now a transport touching down with much needed medical supplies, food, and whatever else they were able to scrounge together. What was on the transport, she really wasn't interested, what she was looking for was a way out.
As the transaction took place, money and goods changing hands, she hung back, just observing the crew. Her hand settled over her pocket, a pouch of coins tucked inside. Coins she'd scavenged from those burned out buildings on that first scouting trip so many months ago. Most they'd turned over to the government, but Kara had tucked away a portion of whatever she found for herself. She'd been planning even then to find a way to buy passage away from here, away from everything. She just hadn't expected it to be so long in coming.
The dust had settled, and the supplies were being hauled back towards the settlement when she approached the ship. The man she assumed was Captain was looking out over the filed towards the old settlement, his expression almost haunted. He turned to Kara as she approached, eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity, though it would have been hard for a trained soldier to miss the slight flinch in his hand, prepared to go for his gun should he need to.. He was obviously used to things going bad.
"You take on passengers? I can pay…" She called out as she approached. At the mention of money his posture shifted, far more welcoming than before, some of the defensive stance gone.
"Depends, where you're intent on traveling to, we don't tend to go into toe core none to often."
"Suits me fine, just want off this rock, get somewhere I can find work." She pulled one of the small bag of coins from her pocket, tossing it to him." To be honest I've no idea how far that will get me, but we haven't got much here…"
His expression stayed mostly neutral, he'd have made a good gambler, as he looked at the contents of the bag. "Well, if you don't mind making a few little stops along the way, we can get you to persephone inside of a fortnight."
"Suits me fine…" She smiled a little, the prospect of getting off the rock finally making her feel a little bit lighter.
"In that case. I"m Malcom Reynolds, your captain, welcome aboard Serenity." he said with a lazy smile extending his hand which she took in a firm handshake.
"Kara Thrace… and you have no idea just how happy I am to meet you." Her eyes lit up with a smirk and for a moment it felt like she had already lifted off.
With a nod he turned, motioning her to follow him up the ramp and into the belly of the transport. "Zoe will show you to the passenger quarters, generally cargo bay is off limits to everyone but crew, so best you take whatever you need with you." He nodded towards a beautiful, dark skinned woman. "Mealtime's round about two hors from now, you might well go get settled" he said before moving off once more.
Kara followed Zoe through into the passenger bunks, listening as she set out the ships rules, gave her a general indication of where things were, then disappeared once Kara'd been shown her room.
Overall, the crew seemed to be a sad lot, yet there was a closeness between them. Something she could relate to well… you had to be able to count on the people you flew with… your life could depend on it. And thought he ship itself may have seemed old, and they were complete strangers to her, there was a familiarity she could relate to and she felt she'd secured herself a relatively safe journey into the unknown.
A lot of old work
There were a LOT of old stories I worked on, rather than re-post them here I will link to the journal they are on. These were written in tandem with a friend at the time, probably my most prolific writing period. Feel free to browse the list and read at your leisure.
The Journal is no longer being maintained, but it will remain up i have been told.
The Journal is no longer being maintained, but it will remain up i have been told.
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