Archangel - Chapter Thirty-Six

Author owns no rights to Firefly, and no copyright infringement is intended. Fanfic only.

--------------------

Zoe sat in the pilot’s chair, watching as the auto-pilot maintained their course for Idlewild. They had been in the black for over two days, and would soon be near enough for a direct wave. She hoped that Monty would listen.

“Copper for your thoughts,” Inara’s voice floated to her. Zoe turned slightly as Inara strode gracefully up on the bridge, and situated herself into the co-pilot’s chair.

“Just hopin’ this works,” Zoe admitted. “That Monty’ll listen.”

“I think he will,” Inara smiled encouragingly, although she wondered herself. “When you tell him that the Operative asked you to keep him apprised of anything we learned.”

“Here’s hopin’,” Zoe smiled slightly, moving to the cortex screen. She entered the address, and waited.

------------------

Mal watched as the ship descended towards Ariel. He had wondered where this place was, having known that once Simon had liberated River, it had been moved.

“We’re on final, sir,” the pilot advised him.

“Anyone seein’ us?” Mal asked.

“No, sir,” the pilot shook his head. “This ship is small, but practically invisible, even at close range. Anyone who get’s a visual will assume we’re a planetary shuttle.”

“How’d you get hold o’ something like this?” Mal asked.

“God moves in mysterious ways, Captain,” was the standard answer. Mal chuckled, and went aft.

The talk of God and Faith had reminded Mal of his own upbringing. After Serenity, Mal had lost his faith, he’d thought. He’d been hard and bitter. So many good men and women dead, and the evil that was the Alliance had prevailed. Mal hadn’t understood how God could abide that.

Book had told him that God didn’t choose sides in such a manner.

“‘Bibles full o’ stories where God was on the side of the Israelites,’” Mal had argued.

“And we no longer live in that dispensation, Mal,” Book had countered easily. “God has chosen a different path, for a different peo