Disclaimer - characters/premise/etc. not mine, thanks ME and Mr. W.

Author's note - and there you were thinking I couldn't manage another plot twist this late in the day. I just took that as a challenge. With luck, next chapter will be the last. Deep sigh.

Things Fall Apart Chapter 13

On board Alliance Cruiser Orion

General Mengitsu sat in his ready room, scrolling through the hastily compiled reports his staff had submitted in an attempt to explain what had happened at Nexus 7, all of them failing miserably. The General glanced at the time in the top right of the screen. Little more than an hour since the Reavers had deserted the station, leaving nothing but vapor trails, wreckage and one small, unarmed, and apparently unharmed Firefly-class freighter behind.

“None of it makes any sense,” the General muttered.

“Sir?”

The General glanced up at the Lieutenant Colonel who stood attentively at the other end of the room and let some of his frustration show.

“Have we had a report from the ships we sent after the Reavers yet? I thought I asked to be updated on the quarter hour.”

“Yes sir, we have had reports. They have found nothing yet, sir.” Lieutenant Colonel Stuart thought for a moment, knowing that the question he needed to ask was going to annoy his superior and mentally bracing himself. “Sir, do you wish to continue the pursuit?”

“What?” General Mengitsu asked, staring at the screen again.

“Do you wish to continue the pursuit, sir? We have a ship following each of the Reaver ship’s trails, but they have made little headway, and it leaves us dangerously exposed here. Should some of the Reaver ships double back-”

“I am aware of the dangers, Lieutenant Colonel,” the General interrupted. “There really is no further need to remind me of them.”

“I apologize, sir.”

“This is ridiculous!” The General stood up and took a couple of quick paces away from his chair to stand staring at one of the tasteful murals hung on the walls, currently showing a soothing scene of a lake in the middle