Disclaimer – Everything either does belong to Joss or it should. I’m just borrowing his shiny ‘verse for a while.

The 21st Lancers belong to the British Army so I’m borrowing them too. I hope they don’t mind.

Thanks to my regular readers for making it worthwhile to continue the story and special thanks to my Proof-Reader terribletink

* * *

Colony Dome – Revelation – 2520AD

Mal put his hand against the airlock. ‘Seems cold enough,’ he said.

‘Should be,’ Jayne replied. ‘The holes I cut in her from outside should have put out any fires, and she’d sure cool down fast in these parts.’

‘Open her up,’ Mal ordered, and Zoe hit the airlock release. Book had already deactivated the overrides that prevented local opening and closing of the colony locks.

The thick doors slid open to a pitch black void on the other side. Air rushed in from the Dome to replace the frigid, thin gas that filled the ship. The power must have failed on the Reaver ship, which was not too surprising.

‘You sure there’s nothing alive over there Captain?’ Jayne asked, fingering his shotgun nervously.

‘River says not,’ Mal replied. ‘But keep your wits about you.’

Jayne pulled the night-vision goggles down over his eyes again and slowly made his way towards the Reaver ship with Zoe close behind, each of them against opposite sides of the airlock tunnel until Jayne finally stepped gingerly inside the ship itself.

‘This thing is a rutting mess, Sir,’ Zoe announced. ‘Looks like Steve triggered secondary explosions in here and they were hauling fuel. There’s the remains of a couple of Mules in here so I reckon it was methanol or maybe biodiesel.’

‘Atmo holding okay?’

‘Hey Cap, I did it right. Slapped a patch on the holes after smoke stopped coming out of them,’ Jayne protested.

‘No offence meant,’ Mal responded, following on behind. ‘Yeah this’ll do,’ he said, looking around at the burnt bay, ‘plenty of room.’

‘We sure this’ll work?’ Zoe asked.

‘Easiest solution I can come up with. Dump