based on the world of Firefly by Joss Whedon

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The valley was quiet and his men had a chance to breathe as Sargeant Reynolds walked purposely toward Zoe, his second. "Where'd that girl git to now?"

"Went that way toward the tree line." She pointed with the tip of her knife, cutting loose a bur that had tangled itself up in her boot lace.

"Thought I told you to tell her to keep her gorram ass near the unit." He looked mad, but Zoe shook her head.

"I did. Woman don't think she needs to listen to me, just you." She spit it at him, growling as she did. His second seemed to always express how much she hated this new recruit. Only having been with them a few weeks and already had devoured an entire squad just for nothing more than a dead soldier.

"I'll go find her. You hold them here and if there's trouble, fire a couple shots in the air." He turned from her as she nodded.

"Yes, Sir." She watched him as he disappeared over the rise and looked back down at the twelve more burs stuck to her laces. Sometimes, Zoe wished it was as easy to cut out people, especially a certain catlike one.

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Malcolm found her perched up in the largest tree within a mile of the area, a good twenty feet up humming some drinking song they had taught her last night around the fire. She heard him coming as her eyes looked down at him before letting her body drop, resting on a couple lower branches before her landing caused dust to rise around her feet.

"Cat, you are suppose to be with the men."

"Can't see there. Too close to the ground. How am I suppose to protect you from the Alliance soldiers?" Her long legs carried her in a circle around him as she listened to every noise that filled the air.

"It doesn't matter, Cat. You need to stay with the group and listen to Zoe." He stared at her and she tilted her head to the side.

"You are the leader, the Sargeant, not her. I take my orders from you."

"Cat, Zoe is my second, which means she's in c