Firefly Mafia - Finale
Serenity :: Cockpit :: Mal, Wash, Zoe
“Did they just shoot at us!?†Mal asked in disbelief as he craned his head to try and get a look back out of one of the peripheral windows. “I think they’re shooting at us!â€Â
“Well, to be fair, we are running from them,†Wash shot back as he glided the ship through a series of ever-narrowing canyon walls. “They tend to frown on that kind of behavior, so I’m told.â€Â
Another hit jolted the cabin, and Mal noticed a sudden drop in speed and altitude. Though Wash was quickly able to compensate for, pulling the ship back up as it raced insanely through the canyon, all it would take would be another well placed hit to force them into one of the nearby walls. If the Alliance couldn’t catch you alive, they sure weren’t going to let you walk away, and while Mal had no problem risking his own life in stunts like this, when it came to his crew…
“Wash, pull her up. We’re landing.â€Â
“You sure about that?â€Â
“Just do it!†Mal shouted, turning to Zoe, who had been watching events unfold, holding on to some cargo netting in the back of the cockpit. “I want the rest of the crew to get all cargo on the floor, in the open.â€Â
“All cargo, sir?â€Â
“You heard me,†he said, noticeably annoyed with all the questions. “Round up our passengers, and bring ‘em down to the cargo bay. Won’t do us no good to look like we’re hiding somethin’. These folk seem in an awful hurry to meet us, let’s not give ‘em anything that’s like to disappoint.â€Â
Serenity :: Cargo Bay :: Crew, remaining passengers, Alliance boarding party.
As the cargo bay door opened, several men donning dark body armor, and armed with pulse rifles poured in. The men formed a defensive perimeter around the crew, who had gathered in the center of the room. Behind them, wearing the steel gray uniform of an Alliance officer, and carrying nothing more then a clipboard, a tall, surprisingly youthful, man took up an authoritative position.
“My name is Lieutenant Higgins.†The man started, in a delicate, balanced voice, seemingly oblivious to the armed men that surrounded him. “At 13:00 hours we received a transmission from this vessel. A transmission that raised a lot of questions. Questions that require answers. That is why I am here.â€Â
“Captain Reynolds,†Mal said stepping forward and lifting his arm to single himself out. “This is my boat and I figure you’re here for an explanation of sorts...†The next words out of his mouth were to be an excuse for why they took off running rather then stopping for inspection, but suddenly realized that nothing he was about to say held any bearing whatsoever to the situation the Lieutenant just laid out for him. “Wait… what?â€Â
“I was the one who sent the transmission, Lieutenant,†a voice said from behind him. Mal’s head shot around, and a confused look washed over his face, as a well built man of medium height sporting a pair of dark goggles stepped forward. “These men are criminals, in possession of stolen alliance cargo. If you knew what I had to go through just to get that transmission to you…â€Â
“Excellent work,†the Lieutenant interrupted. “Arrest this man.â€Â
“WHAT!?†Eliham shouted as a pair of guards moved in and seized his arms, forcing them behind his back. Bindings were forced over his wrists, and a second pair of guards took position behind him.
“Eliham McCullough,†the officer began, reading from his clipboard. “You are under arrest for violation of the Interplanetary Secrecy Act, theft of federal documents, the sale thereof, and high treason. You are entitled to a fair hearing on the planet of your choosing, should you give up this right, sentencing shall be administered by the governing council on your home planet, Ariel. Captain?â€Â
“Right here,†Mal answered, still somewhat shocked that he wasn’t the one in shackles.
“We are also looking for these persons, if you would be so kind,†Higgins said, coolly handing the clipboard over to Mal. On the display were two images, one of a gruff looking man who looked to be in his mid thirties, the other a strikingly attractive woman in expensive clothing. Both had been on his ship. Both were dead.
“Never seen ‘em.â€Â
“He’s lying!†Eliham screamed. “They were here! Check the crates, the locked ones in the back! These men are criminals!â€Â
“Strong words seein’ as how I ain’t the one in shackles,†Mal quipped back. “If it’s these crates here you’re talkin’ about, why don’t we open ‘em up so all’s clear and honest?â€Â
Lieutenant Higgins nodded, then gestured for his men to pull one of the crates in question to the center of the cargo bay. Mal knelt down and keyed in the pass code, then released the locks. The top lifted off with a sharp hiss, as compressed air escaped from within. The Lieutenant stared gravely inside, as the men around him gripped their rifles nervously. Higgins reached inside and drew out a piece of the suspect goods. Above the tension, a tiny squeak was heard.
“Dolls,†he said to Eliham. “Wobble-headed geisha dolls.â€Â
“What… NO!â€Â
“I’m afraid so,†the Lieutenant answered, seemingly un-amused by the turn of events. “Take this man to detention.â€Â
Eliham screamed as the guards forcibly removed him from the ship. The Lieutenant turned back to Mal, and handed him the doll. “Now,†Higgins started, “I must apologize for firing on your ship, captain. It was deemed necessary to prevent this dangerous criminal from escaping. You fled from us, no doubt, under duress?â€Â
There was a hint of understanding in the man’s voice, and Mal suddenly realized he had been underestimating him from the moment he stepped onto Serenity. “Yes, absolutely… tons of it.â€Â
“Excellent, then I see no wrong doing on your part, Captain. If you wish to file a complaint for damages, you will need to submit your legal registry to the central authority and make an appointment to have your ship inspected and appraised.â€Â
“I’ll be sure to get right on that,†Mal said.
Higgins gestured to his men, and they began to make their way off the ship. As the officer turned to leave himself, his eye seemed to catch on one of the other passengers. He frowned as he lifted his clipboard and moved his fingers over the surface. “WAIT!â€Â
Higgins motioned to the two remaining guards who stepped forward, grabbed Peter and pulled him from the crowd. “This seems to be our lucky day, you’re a wanted man, Mr. Jepsen! How clever of you to make your way this far from the core, and interesting that you keep such company. Do you have any objections to us relieving you of this crew member, Captain Reynolds?â€Â
“Oh, he ain’t one of mine,†Mal quickly responded. “Picked him up on Shadow not five days ago, rescued him you might say. Was planning on dropping him off, next stop we make, but if he’s running from the law it’s first I’ve heard.â€Â
“Wonderful, I’ll make note of your cooperation in my report,†he said as he turned on his heels and left with Jepsen close behind. In stark contrast to Eliham, Peter made little effort to break free from his bonds, but rather seemed silently resigned to his capture. After two years of running, it was though he was relieved that it had finally come to an end. Mal watched as the cargo bay door closed behind them, and for the first time in nearly five days, he was alone with his crew. He turned the bobble-head doll in his hands, and wondered what the hell had just happened.
To be continued...
“Did they just shoot at us!?†Mal asked in disbelief as he craned his head to try and get a look back out of one of the peripheral windows. “I think they’re shooting at us!â€Â
“Well, to be fair, we are running from them,†Wash shot back as he glided the ship through a series of ever-narrowing canyon walls. “They tend to frown on that kind of behavior, so I’m told.â€Â
Another hit jolted the cabin, and Mal noticed a sudden drop in speed and altitude. Though Wash was quickly able to compensate for, pulling the ship back up as it raced insanely through the canyon, all it would take would be another well placed hit to force them into one of the nearby walls. If the Alliance couldn’t catch you alive, they sure weren’t going to let you walk away, and while Mal had no problem risking his own life in stunts like this, when it came to his crew…
“Wash, pull her up. We’re landing.â€Â
“You sure about that?â€Â
“Just do it!†Mal shouted, turning to Zoe, who had been watching events unfold, holding on to some cargo netting in the back of the cockpit. “I want the rest of the crew to get all cargo on the floor, in the open.â€Â
“All cargo, sir?â€Â
“You heard me,†he said, noticeably annoyed with all the questions. “Round up our passengers, and bring ‘em down to the cargo bay. Won’t do us no good to look like we’re hiding somethin’. These folk seem in an awful hurry to meet us, let’s not give ‘em anything that’s like to disappoint.â€Â
Serenity :: Cargo Bay :: Crew, remaining passengers, Alliance boarding party.
As the cargo bay door opened, several men donning dark body armor, and armed with pulse rifles poured in. The men formed a defensive perimeter around the crew, who had gathered in the center of the room. Behind them, wearing the steel gray uniform of an Alliance officer, and carrying nothing more then a clipboard, a tall, surprisingly youthful, man took up an authoritative position.
“My name is Lieutenant Higgins.†The man started, in a delicate, balanced voice, seemingly oblivious to the armed men that surrounded him. “At 13:00 hours we received a transmission from this vessel. A transmission that raised a lot of questions. Questions that require answers. That is why I am here.â€Â
“Captain Reynolds,†Mal said stepping forward and lifting his arm to single himself out. “This is my boat and I figure you’re here for an explanation of sorts...†The next words out of his mouth were to be an excuse for why they took off running rather then stopping for inspection, but suddenly realized that nothing he was about to say held any bearing whatsoever to the situation the Lieutenant just laid out for him. “Wait… what?â€Â
“I was the one who sent the transmission, Lieutenant,†a voice said from behind him. Mal’s head shot around, and a confused look washed over his face, as a well built man of medium height sporting a pair of dark goggles stepped forward. “These men are criminals, in possession of stolen alliance cargo. If you knew what I had to go through just to get that transmission to you…â€Â
“Excellent work,†the Lieutenant interrupted. “Arrest this man.â€Â
“WHAT!?†Eliham shouted as a pair of guards moved in and seized his arms, forcing them behind his back. Bindings were forced over his wrists, and a second pair of guards took position behind him.
“Eliham McCullough,†the officer began, reading from his clipboard. “You are under arrest for violation of the Interplanetary Secrecy Act, theft of federal documents, the sale thereof, and high treason. You are entitled to a fair hearing on the planet of your choosing, should you give up this right, sentencing shall be administered by the governing council on your home planet, Ariel. Captain?â€Â
“Right here,†Mal answered, still somewhat shocked that he wasn’t the one in shackles.
“We are also looking for these persons, if you would be so kind,†Higgins said, coolly handing the clipboard over to Mal. On the display were two images, one of a gruff looking man who looked to be in his mid thirties, the other a strikingly attractive woman in expensive clothing. Both had been on his ship. Both were dead.
“Never seen ‘em.â€Â
“He’s lying!†Eliham screamed. “They were here! Check the crates, the locked ones in the back! These men are criminals!â€Â
“Strong words seein’ as how I ain’t the one in shackles,†Mal quipped back. “If it’s these crates here you’re talkin’ about, why don’t we open ‘em up so all’s clear and honest?â€Â
Lieutenant Higgins nodded, then gestured for his men to pull one of the crates in question to the center of the cargo bay. Mal knelt down and keyed in the pass code, then released the locks. The top lifted off with a sharp hiss, as compressed air escaped from within. The Lieutenant stared gravely inside, as the men around him gripped their rifles nervously. Higgins reached inside and drew out a piece of the suspect goods. Above the tension, a tiny squeak was heard.
“Dolls,†he said to Eliham. “Wobble-headed geisha dolls.â€Â
“What… NO!â€Â
“I’m afraid so,†the Lieutenant answered, seemingly un-amused by the turn of events. “Take this man to detention.â€Â
Eliham screamed as the guards forcibly removed him from the ship. The Lieutenant turned back to Mal, and handed him the doll. “Now,†Higgins started, “I must apologize for firing on your ship, captain. It was deemed necessary to prevent this dangerous criminal from escaping. You fled from us, no doubt, under duress?â€Â
There was a hint of understanding in the man’s voice, and Mal suddenly realized he had been underestimating him from the moment he stepped onto Serenity. “Yes, absolutely… tons of it.â€Â
“Excellent, then I see no wrong doing on your part, Captain. If you wish to file a complaint for damages, you will need to submit your legal registry to the central authority and make an appointment to have your ship inspected and appraised.â€Â
“I’ll be sure to get right on that,†Mal said.
Higgins gestured to his men, and they began to make their way off the ship. As the officer turned to leave himself, his eye seemed to catch on one of the other passengers. He frowned as he lifted his clipboard and moved his fingers over the surface. “WAIT!â€Â
Higgins motioned to the two remaining guards who stepped forward, grabbed Peter and pulled him from the crowd. “This seems to be our lucky day, you’re a wanted man, Mr. Jepsen! How clever of you to make your way this far from the core, and interesting that you keep such company. Do you have any objections to us relieving you of this crew member, Captain Reynolds?â€Â
“Oh, he ain’t one of mine,†Mal quickly responded. “Picked him up on Shadow not five days ago, rescued him you might say. Was planning on dropping him off, next stop we make, but if he’s running from the law it’s first I’ve heard.â€Â
“Wonderful, I’ll make note of your cooperation in my report,†he said as he turned on his heels and left with Jepsen close behind. In stark contrast to Eliham, Peter made little effort to break free from his bonds, but rather seemed silently resigned to his capture. After two years of running, it was though he was relieved that it had finally come to an end. Mal watched as the cargo bay door closed behind them, and for the first time in nearly five days, he was alone with his crew. He turned the bobble-head doll in his hands, and wondered what the hell had just happened.
To be continued...

Ariel :: Alliance Prison :: Guard
Civilization. Peace. Order. These were the values that the Alliance stood for, the ideals Rebecca, as a former officer and current prison guard, kept in place.
These were the things she found in Eliham. She was visiting him too much, she knew. Finding little excuses to talk to him through the bars of the cell. ‘I brought you a blanket.’ ‘Do you want me to put on some music?’ ‘I could read you a book if you’d like. No really, it’s slow tonight, I can do my paperwork another time.’
He told her he didn’t need sight to know she was beautiful.
And he never asked her to set him free.
But he chose her, and Rebecca had no chance in the ‘verse against that.
She cried for days when he disappeared, and hardly noticed that the bars were on the other side of her now. Arrested for high treason. It wasn’t until she saw the look in Peter’s eyes as they passed each other on the way to their respective hearings that she stopped believing Eliham would find her, somehow, some day.
What a fool she’d been.
Serenity :: Inara’s Shuttle :: Mal, Inara
“Geisha dolls.”
“That’s right.”
“With giant heads.”
“You know, your powers of observation…”
“…that wobble.”
Mal crossed his arms over his chest. “What. Is your point?”
Inara threw up her hands in response. “This was your secret cargo! Unbelievable!”
Feeling somewhat indignant and not a little sulky, he tapped his foot against a support beam and frowned before answering. “We’re getting a fair amount of payment for these. Doesn’t matter what’s in the cargo, just matters that we stay in the air.
Sighing, Inara turned away, arranging her overnight bag. They would be landing soon so that the crew could meet their middle man and she could meet her client. She supposed for the rest of them it was back to business as usual. All those innocent people dead, and two companions, or former companions, involved in the killing, led by that fellow who didn’t know who he was or where he came from. Her source had dried up all too quickly, skinned alive by a deranged killer, which was a horrible way for anyone to go, particularly a curious but innocent journalist. The worst of it, though, came early in the morning, when she saw the teenager’s parents on the feed, begging for their baby to be returned to them.
She was going to be a doctor.
Persephone :: Bar :: Badger, Zoe, Mal
“Dolls, eh? With big wobbly ‘eads?” Badger gave a little shrug. “They’ll sell.”
Mal did his best to keep from sneering at the odd little man with the absurd top hat and stood patiently.
“30 credits a piece then?”
Zoe rested her hand on her pistol.
“A’right a’right, 50 credits. And I got another job for you. Salvage work, even you can’t screw it up.”
Mal shrugged. Work was work, after all. He turned to Zoe, who had relaxed her grip on the weapon at her side. “Back to business I reckon.”
Ariel :: Space Port :: Eliham
A shame about the guard, really. Someone had to take the fall for this mess, though, and Peter and the guard were both…convenient.
Eliham smiled at that thought as he boarded the craft. Peter had been quite useful indeed, unbeknownst to him. Perhaps he was going soft in allowing him to live. Of course, Peter wouldn’t live long, now that he was in the hands of the Alliance, but it was hardly Eliham’s fault that he got caught, just like the guard getting arrested wasn’t his fault. He wondered for a moment what would happen to her.
His shoulders brushed against someone else’s as he boarded the craft, and the young man reached out, apologetic, stuttering, nervous.
“I beg your pardon. I didn’t…”
Eliham smiled inwardly at the young man’s embarrassment. “See me?” He shrugged a little. “It happens.”
He accepted the young man’s offer to find a seat, though he could have done it on his own. It never hurt to appear more helpless than you were, after all. Fellow didn’t seem inclined to speak much, and Eliham guessed he was still a little embarrassed.
That was alright by him; he was busy mulling over how to get a new crew together and get back to working. Marko had made for a good leader and Sylvania’s way with people was helpful, but both were dead now and it was time to move on.
“You’re going to Persephone?”
Realizing the young man had spoken, he pulled out of his reverie. “That’s the first stop, anyway.” Eliham hesitated for a moment. This fellow spoke without a trace of accent or the slur of the core planets. His hands were soft and he smelled clean. He was polite and soft spoken, perhaps a little shy.
He was ripe for the picking.
“I’m Eliham, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Simon. You’re alright here?”
“Better if you join me.”
There was a slight pause and Eliham wondered if he had scared the jumpy young man away, but when Simon spoke again he thought he heard regret. “Oh…Ariel is my stop, actually…I’m getting off here, I just…”
Eliham waved his hand. “Then you’d best go, or you’ll find yourself in Persephone anyway.”
Probably didn’t have much worth stealing anyway.

Ariel :: Alliance Prison :: Guard
Civilization. Peace. Order. These were the values that the Alliance stood for, the ideals Rebecca, as a former officer and current prison guard, kept in place.
These were the things she found in Eliham. She was visiting him too much, she knew. Finding little excuses to talk to him through the bars of the cell. ‘I brought you a blanket.’ ‘Do you want me to put on some music?’ ‘I could read you a book if you’d like. No really, it’s slow tonight, I can do my paperwork another time.’
He told her he didn’t need sight to know she was beautiful.
And he never asked her to set him free.
But he chose her, and Rebecca had no chance in the ‘verse against that.
She cried for days when he disappeared, and hardly noticed that the bars were on the other side of her now. Arrested for high treason. It wasn’t until she saw the look in Peter’s eyes as they passed each other on the way to their respective hearings that she stopped believing Eliham would find her, somehow, some day.
What a fool she’d been.
Serenity :: Inara’s Shuttle :: Mal, Inara
“Geisha dolls.”
“That’s right.”
“With giant heads.”
“You know, your powers of observation…”
“…that wobble.”
Mal crossed his arms over his chest. “What. Is your point?”
Inara threw up her hands in response. “This was your secret cargo! Unbelievable!”
Feeling somewhat indignant and not a little sulky, he tapped his foot against a support beam and frowned before answering. “We’re getting a fair amount of payment for these. Doesn’t matter what’s in the cargo, just matters that we stay in the air.
Sighing, Inara turned away, arranging her overnight bag. They would be landing soon so that the crew could meet their middle man and she could meet her client. She supposed for the rest of them it was back to business as usual. All those innocent people dead, and two companions, or former companions, involved in the killing, led by that fellow who didn’t know who he was or where he came from. Her source had dried up all too quickly, skinned alive by a deranged killer, which was a horrible way for anyone to go, particularly a curious but innocent journalist. The worst of it, though, came early in the morning, when she saw the teenager’s parents on the feed, begging for their baby to be returned to them.
She was going to be a doctor.
Persephone :: Bar :: Badger, Zoe, Mal
“Dolls, eh? With big wobbly ‘eads?” Badger gave a little shrug. “They’ll sell.”
Mal did his best to keep from sneering at the odd little man with the absurd top hat and stood patiently.
“30 credits a piece then?”
Zoe rested her hand on her pistol.
“A’right a’right, 50 credits. And I got another job for you. Salvage work, even you can’t screw it up.”
Mal shrugged. Work was work, after all. He turned to Zoe, who had relaxed her grip on the weapon at her side. “Back to business I reckon.”
Ariel :: Space Port :: Eliham
A shame about the guard, really. Someone had to take the fall for this mess, though, and Peter and the guard were both…convenient.
Eliham smiled at that thought as he boarded the craft. Peter had been quite useful indeed, unbeknownst to him. Perhaps he was going soft in allowing him to live. Of course, Peter wouldn’t live long, now that he was in the hands of the Alliance, but it was hardly Eliham’s fault that he got caught, just like the guard getting arrested wasn’t his fault. He wondered for a moment what would happen to her.
His shoulders brushed against someone else’s as he boarded the craft, and the young man reached out, apologetic, stuttering, nervous.
“I beg your pardon. I didn’t…”
Eliham smiled inwardly at the young man’s embarrassment. “See me?” He shrugged a little. “It happens.”
He accepted the young man’s offer to find a seat, though he could have done it on his own. It never hurt to appear more helpless than you were, after all. Fellow didn’t seem inclined to speak much, and Eliham guessed he was still a little embarrassed.
That was alright by him; he was busy mulling over how to get a new crew together and get back to working. Marko had made for a good leader and Sylvania’s way with people was helpful, but both were dead now and it was time to move on.
“You’re going to Persephone?”
Realizing the young man had spoken, he pulled out of his reverie. “That’s the first stop, anyway.” Eliham hesitated for a moment. This fellow spoke without a trace of accent or the slur of the core planets. His hands were soft and he smelled clean. He was polite and soft spoken, perhaps a little shy.
He was ripe for the picking.
“I’m Eliham, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Simon. You’re alright here?”
“Better if you join me.”
There was a slight pause and Eliham wondered if he had scared the jumpy young man away, but when Simon spoke again he thought he heard regret. “Oh…Ariel is my stop, actually…I’m getting off here, I just…”
Eliham waved his hand. “Then you’d best go, or you’ll find yourself in Persephone anyway.”
Probably didn’t have much worth stealing anyway.

You guys did an excellent job writing for the Serenity crew, I loved reading the stories.

You guys did an excellent job writing for the Serenity crew, I loved reading the stories.

Very well done..
/Applause

Very well done..
/Applause



That was fun!
Laha

That was fun!
Laha









