Inferno – Chapter Nineteen

Author owns no rights to Firefly, and no copyright infringement is intended. A work of fan fiction only, and not done for money.

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Inara awakened to a piercing alarm, and Holly’s voice yelling into the intercom.

“Miss Inara! We got trouble!” Inara shot to her feet, slipping on her shoes and scurrying to the bridge. When she arrived, she noticed that Holly was looking at the monitor.

“We’re. . .we got company!” he yelled.

“Are we. . .are they attacking us?” Inara asked, silencing the proximity alarm.

“They fired on us,” Holly nodded, “but I’m pretty sure it was just a warning.”

“Have they tried to contact us?” Inara asked, then looked at the cortex. The incoming signal was blinking.

“Holly, I want you to go to the engine room,” Inara said calmly. “How long for you to get set up for full burn?”

“I can have us ready in five minutes, ma’am, but. . .”

“Then get us ready, and be prepared to initiate as soon as I say to. Go on, now,” she shooed, when he hesitated. John met him as the engineer hurried on his way.

“What’s wrong, ma’am?” he asked quietly. “And what do we need to do?”

“I think we’re being attacked by pirates, John,” was her calm reply. “I’m about to see if this is them hailing us.”

“I’ll wait here, then,” John nodded. Inara walked over to the screen, and accepted the call.

“About time,” a man in what had once probably been a uniform snarled. “Took you long enough to answer.”

“We’ve a very small crew, not that that’s any of your concern,” Inara replied stiffly. “And we were on night cycle. Who are you, and what do you want?”

“Who I am is the man aiming a rather large cannon at your vessel,” the man smirked. “Other than that, it doesn’t matter. Shut down your engine, and prepare to be boarded.”

“On whose authority do you seek to board my ship?” Inara demanded, stalling for time.

“On the authority that I will blast you into atoms if you don’t!” the man on the screen snarled back. “That’s all the authority I need.”

“I see,” Ina