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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Serenity/Granite Gorge – Underway – 2520AD

‘Captain always said everyone on the boat has to work,’ Kaylee declared.

Across the table Jennifer still looked less than impressed. ‘So that’s the reason why my son has been so dirty lately. And that was really one-hundred percent vital for the running of the ship?’

‘Not so much necessary as efficient. Kaylee cleared it with me,’ Mal stated defending his mechanic.

‘And you derived authority over my Son how?’ Jennifer asked, directing a seething glare at the Captain.

Mal blinked. ‘I talked to Steve about it,’ he said plaintively.

Jennifer’s head snapped around just in time to see her husband drawing his fingers across his throat in a desperate attempt to forestall the conversation. ‘I should have known you had a hand in this Steven Hicks.’

‘Well it’s not like he minded and it does save Kaylee a lot of time and trouble.’

‘Running power lines from Granite to Serenity does mean we can shut down the reactor for servicing and still have artificial gravity and light over there,’ the mechanic said.

Jennifer turned back to Kaylee. ‘So when exactly did it occur to you that you could just tie a line to my son and send him scurrying through the vents, crawlspaces and pipes to lay cables like a robot or a trained monkey.’

‘I got the idea when I kept finding him in there anyway. He moves like greased lightning through those vents. I just tie one end of the cable to him and tell him where to go.’

‘It’s not like we made him a chimney sweep or anything,’ Steve pointed out.

‘No it’s far more horizontal than that,’ Wash interjected before being silenced again.

‘Actually the rate he’s gro