PART FOUR

Bring me my broadsword and clear understanding...

Bless with a hard heart those who surround me.

Bless the women and children who firm our hands.

Put our backs to the north wind. Hold fast by the river.

Broadsword – Jethro Tull

[Yes, I'm using these lyrics again!]

[If he was still on this plane of existance, Todd Lawless would be played by Kevin 'Ares' Smith]

“What are you playing at, sir? I thought we'd said 'no thanks'.”

Mal looked at Zoe, “Yes, we did. And then the 'verse forced my hand; *everyone's hand. Thirteen Alliance ships at our backs persuading us otherwise. Do you know how far we'd have got if I'd still declined?”

Zoe looked back at Mal, unflinchingly, “Not far, I'm thinking. But if one hair gets hurt on Sarah's head...”

“I know. You'll take me apart with your bare hands. I promise to do my best to protect *everyone on board, especially the children. But this is no longer the fight of the little guys against the faceless corporation, it's an uprising. The tsunami has caught us and the best we can do is learn to surf gorram fast. We've got some high up, well connected folk around us.”

Vera nodded, “Ping Han and his Sensei.”

“The male Companions and Chow Hu from Aberdeen.”

“My sisters from Sihnon.”

Hori added, “And Lieutenant Commander Todd's pretty high up; he's career military, but he's decent. Plus he's part Polynesian, so I reckon he'll see us right, eh!”

*

River nodded, “We're on the side of the 'verse; the side it wants to go with.”

Mal commented, “You said that before.”

“It's true. Everything in your life has been leading to this. All the pieces are on the board. You have your queen, your knights, your bishops, your pawns and this castle.” She patted Serenity's console.

“Seem to remember there were old stories from Earth-that-was about playing chess with Death. Didn't turn out so good.”

“No, you're playing with Life. Life in all its fullness. The 'verse is going to turn inside out and the pieces will be scattered abroad, but they will find home in the end