Firefly - Away and Back Again

by: Smorgy

Part 2: The Crazed and the Evil

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Mal, looking at the screen holding the capture of The Operative says, “What exactly is goin’ on about down there? We were lookin’ to set this boat down and fix the lazy craftsmanship of your people cause’ my boat to go all skelter and the like."

“I’m sorry, I haven’t been entirely honest with you yet about the Tams. Seeing as this is certainly my end, I see no harm in –” The Operative turned his head from the screen and coughed, interrupting this new information. The wall he faced splashed with spatter as the blood dripped down the wounds on his face and over his mouth. “When I was searching for River, I came across something. Something I wasn’t quite sure of what exactly it was.”

Zoe and Simon stepped up the stairs to the bridge and stopped few paces from Mal. “What is this, why are you talking to… him?” Zoe said as she pointed at the screen.

“Seems there was a tussle, and now this man has some new intel regarding our little ninja here,” Mal says as he reaches over and pats River’s head.

“Mal, I don’t have long I fear. Those men are here now. They killed everyone aboard The Colbert, my old ship. They have one of, one of your men, his coffin,” The Operative said, just before he saw something. He shut off his communicator and struggled his body up to limping.

Zoe’s face wrenched, “Those yín chóng, what are they doing with him?” her mind immediately lept to her late husband.

River had reverted to inconsolable; she had shrunk out of the co-pilot’s chair and into the corner against a grate. She was shaking and repeating over and over, “Hands of blue, two by two.”

“We cannot go back there, to them, Capt’n. River is just starting to come back to me, I can’t lose her again. We have to go. Now,” Simon barked, now crouched over with his sister, facing Mal.

Zoe’s shotgun unholstered and pointed at him before he was through his first few words. “I don’t care who is w