The Return Home – Part 25

Kaylee’s emotions were on a roller coaster, going from defiance of Admiral Byrd, to sheer horror and terror as the Admiral ordered Major Grace to shoot Simon, to elation as her Capt’n suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere with his gun in his hand and was confronting Major Grace.

Other emotions were present, tension most of all and as Mal’s gun came out and was pointed at Grace several Alliance weapons turned from Jonathan and pointed at Mal. But Mal’s gaze or concentration never wavered as he pointed his pistol at Grace who had his pistol pointed at Simon and Kaylee.

“Major, I ain’t gonna ask twice,” Mal send in his don’t mess with me or face the consequences tone of voice.

“Shoot this son-of-a-bitch!” Admiral Byrd ordered his soldiers and just as all hell seem to break loose a voice of reason came like a soothing balm to all. Kaylee was surprised to find it came from an Alliance officer.

“Stop! Nobody move!” said a man standing next to Mal in the fore hall doorway to the dining room. He was tall and well built and had grey hair and the markings of a colonel on his uniform. His voice was commanding and even Admiral Byrd looked at him and hesitated. Byrd knew him, all the soldiers knew him. He was Colonel Justin Powers and he had been a hero in the war.

“Everyone just calm down,” Powers said. “Men, lower your weapons.”

Immediately the soldiers lowered their weapons, included Major Grace, who let out a long sigh and seemed about to collapse. Kaylee hugged Simon tighter and just kept staring at Mal, whose pistol was still up and whose gaze didn’t leave Grace.

“Colonel, you better have a good explanation for this,” said Byrd in a commanding tone.

“I could ask the same thing, Admiral,” Powers replied and Byrd just glared at him. “Here are my orders.”

Powers stepped into the room and handed over a piece of paper which Byrd snatched away and quickly scanned. His angry turned to surprise and then indignation.

“This is an outrage!”

“When I report you wer