Life In The Black Chapter 6
Disclaimer: Not mine Don't Sue
Chapter 6
Mal dropped a sack of food down into the bunk where they were holding Saffron and went down the ladder behind it. She looked up at him, still in chains, and asked, "So whatcha gonna do with me?"
"Well now, that depends on you," Mal drawled.
Saffron cocked her head to the side, and Mal continued. "The Lassiter is still on board, and if you would be willing to give us the way to contact your buyer, I'll sell it, give you twenty five percent, and leave you at the nearest settlement."
"And if I don't give you my buyer?" Saffron vamped.
"Then we could either leave you naked on the nearest moon, or you could try and escape and Jayne could shoot you right here." He paused while Jayne cocked his very favorite gun at the top of the ladder. "It’s your choice," Mal finished.
"Well, then you got something to write down this guy’s comm number?" she asked, and for the first time, Mal saw how defeated she seemed now. She was trying to cover it, but Mal could see she seemed smaller, somehow than she had been. He handed her a scrap of paper and a pencil.
"So that was your brother?" He asked, conversationally.
"Yes," she answered, reservedly.
"I think I see now why you have such a low opinion of family if he's your prime example."
Saffron started writing. "Joey is a product of my father just as I am," she answered enigmatically.
"There are rations here in the bag. We'll holler when we've got the cash," Mal said awkwardly.
"Here you go," she said, handing him the paper and pencil.
*********************************************************************************************************************
Up in the kitchen, the crew had all gathered to start picking up the mess left by the thugs. The new arrivals had a few questions."Exactly what is the deal here? Is she really the Captain's wife?" Sam asked as he examined the bruises on his wife’s face.
"Sort of," Zoe replied, picking up debris.
"Sam, I'm fine." Kara shrugged him off, irritated. "But what exactly is going on here?"
Simon looked around the room before he answered. "Awhile ago, we did a job on Triumph, and Saffron stowed away and claimed to have married Mal as part of the payment. It turned out she just wanted to turn Serenity over to some associates of hers for parts and tried to kill us in the process. A couple of months later, we ran into her again, and this time she promised the biggest score we'd ever seen in the form of the Lassiter, a priceless antique weapon. The job was completed, but when Saffron tried to double cross us, we were forced to leave her behind. While we managed to escape with the Lassiter, we couldn’t fence it without Saffron's contacts, and it has sat collecting dust on the ship ever since."
Kara blinked and said, "Wow, so this Saffron is a con-artist?"
"One of the best I ever seen," Jayne said, walking up the stairs from crew quarters with Vera.
"So we're trusting her because?" Sam asked from beside his wife.
"She got us the Lassiter before, and I suspect the Captain has a plan to stay one step ahead of her," Kaylee said from the stove.
"I wouldn't count any money just yet Mei-mei. Saffron has more tricks than a Shinon show pony," Inara cautioned.
"Saffron has nothing to gain from screwing us over without incentive. She doesn't hurt. It’s her only value," River said.
"Well, I suppose you guys would know better than we would," Sam said
Inara smiled warmly and said "Don't worry, the Captain has a talent for getting into terrible scrapes and then getting out of them again. We all trust him for a reason after all"
"We've just been on our own for so long. It’s a little weird to be counting on someone else. Out here in the black, that seems to be pretty dangerous," Kara explained softly.
Simon smiled kindly. "I know how you feel, but we operate a little differently than most out here in the black. We're a family, and while you fly with us, you’re a part of that."
"Good to know," Kara replied she relaxed slightly but it was obvious she wasn't completely convinced. Sam looked around the room slowly not challenging but still somehow sizing everyone up.
"If you’re done speechifying, Doc, how about we play cards?" Jayne broke in.
***********************************************************************************************************************
Mal was amazed at how smoothly things went from there on out. He made the call, met the man, and received the biggest payment of his life without any hassle. Saffron even stayed put, and before Mal knew it, he was dropping her on a nearby moon with a large sack of cash. "It’s a fair take, but you’re welcome to count it if you want," Mal said as he removed her shackles.
Saffron just smiled. "It’s okay Mal. I trust you," she said before she swung the bag onto her back and walked away.
Mal stood there for moment and watched her walk away before turning around and turning his mind back to getting the ship to Boros.
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Mal dropped a sack of food down into the bunk where they were holding Saffron and went down the ladder behind it. She looked up at him, still in chains, and asked, "So whatcha gonna do with me?"
"Well now, that depends on you," Mal drawled.
Saffron cocked her head to the side, and Mal continued. "The Lassiter is still on board, and if you would be willing to give us the way to contact your buyer, I'll sell it, give you twenty five percent, and leave you at the nearest settlement."
"And if I don't give you my buyer?" Saffron vamped.
"Then we could either leave you naked on the nearest moon, or you could try and escape and Jayne could shoot you right here." He paused while Jayne cocked his very favorite gun at the top of the ladder. "It’s your choice," Mal finished.
"Well, then you got something to write down this guy’s comm number?" she asked, and for the first time, Mal saw how defeated she seemed now. She was trying to cover it, but Mal could see she seemed smaller, somehow than she had been. He handed her a scrap of paper and a pencil.
"So that was your brother?" He asked, conversationally.
"Yes," she answered, reservedly.
"I think I see now why you have such a low opinion of family if he's your prime example."
Saffron started writing. "Joey is a product of my father just as I am," she answered enigmatically.
"There are rations here in the bag. We'll holler when we've got the cash," Mal said awkwardly.
"Here you go," she said, handing him the paper and pencil.
*********************************************************************************************************************
Up in the kitchen, the crew had all gathered to start picking up the mess left by the thugs. The new arrivals had a few questions."Exactly what is the deal here? Is she really the Captain's wife?" Sam asked as he examined the bruises on his wife’s face.
"Sort of," Zoe replied, picking up debris.
"Sam, I'm fine." Kara shrugged him off, irritated. "But what exactly is going on here?"
Simon looked around the room before he answered. "Awhile ago, we did a job on Triumph, and Saffron stowed away and claimed to have married Mal as part of the payment. It turned out she just wanted to turn Serenity over to some associates of hers for parts and tried to kill us in the process. A couple of months later, we ran into her again, and this time she promised the biggest score we'd ever seen in the form of the Lassiter, a priceless antique weapon. The job was completed, but when Saffron tried to double cross us, we were forced to leave her behind. While we managed to escape with the Lassiter, we couldn’t fence it without Saffron's contacts, and it has sat collecting dust on the ship ever since."
Kara blinked and said, "Wow, so this Saffron is a con-artist?"
"One of the best I ever seen," Jayne said, walking up the stairs from crew quarters with Vera.
"So we're trusting her because?" Sam asked from beside his wife.
"She got us the Lassiter before, and I suspect the Captain has a plan to stay one step ahead of her," Kaylee said from the stove.
"I wouldn't count any money just yet Mei-mei. Saffron has more tricks than a Shinon show pony," Inara cautioned.
"Saffron has nothing to gain from screwing us over without incentive. She doesn't hurt. It’s her only value," River said.
"Well, I suppose you guys would know better than we would," Sam said
Inara smiled warmly and said "Don't worry, the Captain has a talent for getting into terrible scrapes and then getting out of them again. We all trust him for a reason after all"
"We've just been on our own for so long. It’s a little weird to be counting on someone else. Out here in the black, that seems to be pretty dangerous," Kara explained softly.
Simon smiled kindly. "I know how you feel, but we operate a little differently than most out here in the black. We're a family, and while you fly with us, you’re a part of that."
"Good to know," Kara replied she relaxed slightly but it was obvious she wasn't completely convinced. Sam looked around the room slowly not challenging but still somehow sizing everyone up.
"If you’re done speechifying, Doc, how about we play cards?" Jayne broke in.
***********************************************************************************************************************
Mal was amazed at how smoothly things went from there on out. He made the call, met the man, and received the biggest payment of his life without any hassle. Saffron even stayed put, and before Mal knew it, he was dropping her on a nearby moon with a large sack of cash. "It’s a fair take, but you’re welcome to count it if you want," Mal said as he removed her shackles.
Saffron just smiled. "It’s okay Mal. I trust you," she said before she swung the bag onto her back and walked away.
Mal stood there for moment and watched her walk away before turning around and turning his mind back to getting the ship to Boros.
Chapter 5