Red & Blue --Chapter V
Title: Red & Blue -- Chapter V (Locked)
Series Title: Red & Blue
Author: stolenfairytale
Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. Don't sue or kill.
Rating: PG-13 this chapter, probably R later.
Author's Notes: Three years after the BDM. This chapteris only half, because I wanted to divide cleanly between the two scenes. Buut....it means two chapters in quick succession.
Previous: Prologue | I | II | III | IV
Despite everyone's nervousness, the week in the black prior to landing on Liann Jiunn was surprisingly easy going. The only use for the infirmary was when one of the passengers had tripped on a catwalk and bloodied his nose. Simon found himself without even his sister to treat, as River had done so well without her injection the first day that he decided to continue it, and see how long she could function without the drugs in her system.
The cargo was stowed, and according to Jayne, it was full of some sort of rare mineral or the other. Mal didn't much care what was in the cargo, he just wanted to get this job done and get out of Alliance space. It gave him all sorts of uncomfortableness. It didn't help that nearly all their passengers were the fancy Core type. He had made the mistake of letting Simon help Kaylee get the passengers, and apparently seeing the starched and ironed doctor made the little ship look like a good place to put harbour if you owned a summer home on Liann Jiunn.
Still, the money was very good. Good enough that after the men had unloaded the cargo, Mal decided to take Jayne to the blackout zones and see if they couldn't rustle up more cargo further towards their comfort zone. Of course, they came back a little bruised, but without any purple-bellies on their tail.
When they returned, however, they found a problem. Serenity was right where they had left her, but the docking gear had land-locks on her, property of the docks. Cursing in Mandarin, Mal turned around. He had wanted to sprawl out on his bed until the soreness abated, but that wasn't going to happen.
"Why can't things ever go smooth?" He asked, nodding when Jayne grunted. They headed toward the docking office, and went inside the antiseptic white building and up to the reception desk. "I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds," he said, voice even though his posture was tense. "My ship..."
"Yes, sir, we've been expecting you." The pretty blonde receptionist said. "Right through those double doors. Mr. Shaw is expecting you."
Mal's eyebrows jumped up. "I think you may have mistaken me, I didn't make no appointment..."
"No sir." The woman said easily. "Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of the Firefly-class Serenity. Mr. Shaw has been waiting." She gave him a baleful look, as if keeping Mr. Shaw waiting was a horrible sin.
"Well then," Mal said, tugging on his brown duster. "Come on, Jayne. Won't do to keep Mr. Shaw waiting."
The office they walked into was decorated richly, with tapestries and vases, and fresh flowers by the large marble-desk. The whole room spoke wealth, much like the shindig that Mal had gotten the cows from and a swordfight out of.
"Ah, Captain Reynolds." The man beside the desk said, standing. "I'm glad to finally meet you. Please, sit."
"I think we'd rather stand, thanks." Mal said, eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid you have me at a mighty disadvantage. You know me, but I can't seem to recall you."
The man nodded, and sat, seemingly amused by the comment. "My name is Delun Shaw, I own the docks." He said simply.
"You're the man who put landlocks on my ship?" Mal asked, not inclined to like this fancy, Coreified man. His words were kind, but his eyes were shifty. "Why?"
"Because I didn't want you to leave before I got the chance to discuss business with you." Delun said easily.
"Business." Mal repeated. "Not a mighty fine way to start a business relationship, locking a man's livelihood down."
"But convincing." Delun replied, with a flash of his white teeth. "After all, you'll want to leave, and only I know the codes to those locks."
Mal heard Jayne growl behind him. "So what is it you want?"
"I heard you let passengers disembark." Delun remarked, playing with a red peacock quill pen. "I want you to transport my fiance to Osiris, as well as her bride-price, for the jie xin ren."
Mal's eyebrows went up. "Forgive me for saying so, sir, but you could charter any vessel in the 'Verse if you own those docks. Why my firefly?"
"When I heard you were coming," Delun said easily. "I found it to be...auspicious."
Before Mal could ask more, the comm radio on his belt crackled to life. "Cap'n?" Kaylee's voice came out high, and worried, slightly shrill for the young mechanic. "Cap'n, we need you back here."
Mal didn't take his eyes off of Delun. "We're working on getting the locks off of her, Kaylee. We'll be there soon."
He started to put the radio back, when he heard Zoe's voice, strained past it's normal stoicism. "This ain't about the locks, sir. Get back here..."
"What's going on?" There was more crackling, then, and what sounded like a muttered curse, before what couldn't be anything other than a gunshot came across the radio, accompanied by a shrill Kaylee-scream.
"Kaylee!" Mal said into the radio. "Zoe! Someone tell me what's happenin' on my gorram boat!" The radio only crackled in answer, and Mal looked at Delun who shook his head. "I'll be here, Captain." He said easily. "We'll talk again. I know where you are."
With Jayne growling behind him, Mal turned and left the office as quick as he could, leaving the pair to hot-wire a skimmer in the nearest blackout zone, in order to get back to the ship safely.
Series Title: Red & Blue
Author: stolenfairytale
Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. Don't sue or kill.
Rating: PG-13 this chapter, probably R later.
Author's Notes: Three years after the BDM. This chapteris only half, because I wanted to divide cleanly between the two scenes. Buut....it means two chapters in quick succession.
Previous: Prologue | I | II | III | IV
Despite everyone's nervousness, the week in the black prior to landing on Liann Jiunn was surprisingly easy going. The only use for the infirmary was when one of the passengers had tripped on a catwalk and bloodied his nose. Simon found himself without even his sister to treat, as River had done so well without her injection the first day that he decided to continue it, and see how long she could function without the drugs in her system.
The cargo was stowed, and according to Jayne, it was full of some sort of rare mineral or the other. Mal didn't much care what was in the cargo, he just wanted to get this job done and get out of Alliance space. It gave him all sorts of uncomfortableness. It didn't help that nearly all their passengers were the fancy Core type. He had made the mistake of letting Simon help Kaylee get the passengers, and apparently seeing the starched and ironed doctor made the little ship look like a good place to put harbour if you owned a summer home on Liann Jiunn.
Still, the money was very good. Good enough that after the men had unloaded the cargo, Mal decided to take Jayne to the blackout zones and see if they couldn't rustle up more cargo further towards their comfort zone. Of course, they came back a little bruised, but without any purple-bellies on their tail.
When they returned, however, they found a problem. Serenity was right where they had left her, but the docking gear had land-locks on her, property of the docks. Cursing in Mandarin, Mal turned around. He had wanted to sprawl out on his bed until the soreness abated, but that wasn't going to happen.
"Why can't things ever go smooth?" He asked, nodding when Jayne grunted. They headed toward the docking office, and went inside the antiseptic white building and up to the reception desk. "I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds," he said, voice even though his posture was tense. "My ship..."
"Yes, sir, we've been expecting you." The pretty blonde receptionist said. "Right through those double doors. Mr. Shaw is expecting you."
Mal's eyebrows jumped up. "I think you may have mistaken me, I didn't make no appointment..."
"No sir." The woman said easily. "Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of the Firefly-class Serenity. Mr. Shaw has been waiting." She gave him a baleful look, as if keeping Mr. Shaw waiting was a horrible sin.
"Well then," Mal said, tugging on his brown duster. "Come on, Jayne. Won't do to keep Mr. Shaw waiting."
The office they walked into was decorated richly, with tapestries and vases, and fresh flowers by the large marble-desk. The whole room spoke wealth, much like the shindig that Mal had gotten the cows from and a swordfight out of.
"Ah, Captain Reynolds." The man beside the desk said, standing. "I'm glad to finally meet you. Please, sit."
"I think we'd rather stand, thanks." Mal said, eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid you have me at a mighty disadvantage. You know me, but I can't seem to recall you."
The man nodded, and sat, seemingly amused by the comment. "My name is Delun Shaw, I own the docks." He said simply.
"You're the man who put landlocks on my ship?" Mal asked, not inclined to like this fancy, Coreified man. His words were kind, but his eyes were shifty. "Why?"
"Because I didn't want you to leave before I got the chance to discuss business with you." Delun said easily.
"Business." Mal repeated. "Not a mighty fine way to start a business relationship, locking a man's livelihood down."
"But convincing." Delun replied, with a flash of his white teeth. "After all, you'll want to leave, and only I know the codes to those locks."
Mal heard Jayne growl behind him. "So what is it you want?"
"I heard you let passengers disembark." Delun remarked, playing with a red peacock quill pen. "I want you to transport my fiance to Osiris, as well as her bride-price, for the jie xin ren."
Mal's eyebrows went up. "Forgive me for saying so, sir, but you could charter any vessel in the 'Verse if you own those docks. Why my firefly?"
"When I heard you were coming," Delun said easily. "I found it to be...auspicious."
Before Mal could ask more, the comm radio on his belt crackled to life. "Cap'n?" Kaylee's voice came out high, and worried, slightly shrill for the young mechanic. "Cap'n, we need you back here."
Mal didn't take his eyes off of Delun. "We're working on getting the locks off of her, Kaylee. We'll be there soon."
He started to put the radio back, when he heard Zoe's voice, strained past it's normal stoicism. "This ain't about the locks, sir. Get back here..."
"What's going on?" There was more crackling, then, and what sounded like a muttered curse, before what couldn't be anything other than a gunshot came across the radio, accompanied by a shrill Kaylee-scream.
"Kaylee!" Mal said into the radio. "Zoe! Someone tell me what's happenin' on my gorram boat!" The radio only crackled in answer, and Mal looked at Delun who shook his head. "I'll be here, Captain." He said easily. "We'll talk again. I know where you are."
With Jayne growling behind him, Mal turned and left the office as quick as he could, leaving the pair to hot-wire a skimmer in the nearest blackout zone, in order to get back to the ship safely.