I found my muse, not sure where it was hiding, but hopefully it will stick around until the end of this series. mal4prez is a little responsible for said inspiration, her delicious mead having had it’s effects on my brain. 16 days until DragonCon and I am fair certain (read: very hopeful) that I will have it done before then.

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pt 01,pt 02,pt 03,pt 04

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Mal looked around at the little group, stunned into silence by the imminent confrontation that was much closer than he preferred it to be. Aside from Zoe, the rest of them seemed to be in the same state he was. Zoe was checking her weapon, making sure it was fully loaded, and moving up to the catwalks above the cargo bay floor. Gorram if that woman wasn’t as cool and precise as ever even under the stress of the coming gun battle.

“Okay, listen up.” Mal admonished, turning to face the rest of the assembly. “We’ll be in range to trade lead in a minute and a half, and I think we definitely have the advantage. We’ll close up the ramp, leaving only the airlock door open, and wait inside for their entry. I figure they don’t know exactly how many of us there are, so if we spread out through out ship in small groups we’ll have a better chance of taking more of them out before they are able to radio for backup. Claire, you’re with me. Jayne and Zoe will be another group, and the rest of you will be a third.” He paused, turning to face Amos and tossing the man’s gun back to him. He also tossed the man a little black box containing an earwig transmitter/receiver. Amos inserted the device into his ear as Tom walked over to the stairs where Zoe had left his gun leaning against a railing, picking it up and inspecting it to make sure it was ready for the approaching fight.

“There’s a crew member of this ship restrained in one of the passenger dorms,”