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 Landry

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Transport Ship Serenity – Preparing to Enter Atmosphere – 2520AD

Zoe unhitched the ropes that had been securing the steel crate to the deck and hooked it up to the winch.

Mal had already taken the bay controls and pressed the button that opened the bay’s secondary cargo lock, the two internal doors opening inwards revealing the small space between the external hatch and the bay itself. He activated the winch and lifted the crate with Zoe steering it into position.

‘Lower away.,’ she said once it was properly positioned.

The winch slowly lowered the six foot long steel crate into the space between the two locks. ‘You’d think they’d built her for this,’ Mal said, ‘just like a proper bomb bay.’

‘Rather not have to do it again though, Sir.’ Zoe replied and unhooked the winch once it was in place. As Mal wound the cable back in she reached down and grabbed a piece of string with a clip on the end and snapped it to a small hook.

‘We’ll arm it after we make transition,’ Mal said. ‘Wouldn’t want the shaking setting her off.’

‘For the record, Sir, I’ll feel a lot more secure after we get rid of it. These things give me the creeps. Give me a nice grenade any day,’

Mal grinned. ‘You know if you’re standing next to the thing it don’t really matter if it’s a grenade or an H-Bomb. You can only get so dead.’

‘Principle of the thing,’ Zoe responded. ‘Really think this’ll work, Sir?’

‘It had darn well better. Those things aren’t cheap,’ Mal responded.

Zoe picked up a sack and began pouring the contents into the small space with the bomb. ‘It took me and River gorram hours to cut up all this stuff now we’re just dumping it.’

Mal gr