Keeping On: Part 4 - Over the Rainbow

Disclaimer: Firefly, Serenity, and all related characters are copyright 2002-2005 Mutant Enemy, Inc., Universal Pictures, and 20th Century Fox. This is a work of fanfiction. No copyright infringement is intended.

***

A large and burly man with a bushy brown beard entered the bar. Some of the patrons called out greetings while others muttered dirty insults under their breath. He was well known in this establishment; no one was going to start anything with Montana “Monty” Henrey. Anyone who did was likely to find themselves on the ground looking for their teeth.

He looked around the bar, looking for his contacts – if he could even call them that. Friends and colleagues, was more like. He’d been surprised when he’d gotten the wave from Mal and Zoe, asking him to meet them on Persephone when he got the next chance. He was even more surprised when they asked him if he knew of any good pilots on the market, so to speak.

He knew about Wash, of course. He’d even drunk a glass or three in the man’s memory, because Wash had been a great man. But he had been sure that Mal and Zoe already had a new pilot. He remembered her as being some tiny, pretty little slip of a girl who reminded Monty of a niece he had back on New Melbourne. River, he thought it was. The Doc’s sister.

He had agreed and the three had set a date. He would have done nearly anything for Mal and Zoe, given that he’d have never gotten through the war if it hadn’t been for Zoe. Mal had always liked to attest that it was him, but always seemed to forget the fact that he was knocked out at the time.

***

Monty looked around to see his men on their knees, hands behind their heads as the Purplebellies beat on Rogers. His platoon had been cut off from their company and was down to only fifteen and hope was looking grim.

He and his men had been sitting there for hours, taking the beatings and derision from the Alliance soldiers.

He noticed movement behi