Disclaimer: anything recognizable is property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. The story and its original characters, however, are mine. Also, I had to take some creative liberties, but only on stuff not explained in the series. I also used my own translator for the Mandarin, so it may be off (although it's still comical). Feedback (good or bad) is of course welcome. On to the story:

“This is quite easily fixed. But we gotta do it from the outside.” Bill was examining the wreckage in the engine room a few hours after the incident. “Now who did this?”

“Well, it wasn’t Syd, it wasn’t you, and I’m pretty sure I’d remember if I did it.” I had gained this knowledge by probing some minds. “I’ll also make odds that it wasn’t Libby. I saw her recharging before I went upstairs for dinner. She never moved.”

Sydney piped in. “This makes no sense. Why would any of us want to sabotage the ship?”

“I suppose in theory, we all have motives. Even me.” I started floating through the hallway. “But I don’t see Serra capable of this. Which leaves Tobias.”

Sydney was moving with me to the bridge. “I don’t think Tobias would know a cycler from his big rear.”

“First rule of detective work, Xiao-Peng: everyone’s a suspect.” We floated through the dining room on the way to the bridge. “Well, at least until you logically eliminate them or probe their minds.”

Sydney arrived at the bridge. “Perhaps you should follow your own advice then.”

“We’re about twenty minutes away from Nova Planetia.” I was looking at a bridge console. “The thing is, Tobias and I are fighting the same fight against the Alliance. Why would he want to hurt a powerful weapon on his side?”

“Could be Serra.” Sydney turned her attention to flying the ship. “I sure as hell hope we can stop this boat when we hit Planetia. We’re still at the speed we pulsed at when we left Ares.”

“They have an e-mag net. Even at this speed, you can still steer into it with what’s left of the reaction mass in the engines on the wings.” I pressed a f