TITLE: "TWO STEPS BACK"

SERIES: THE DEVIL'S CRADLE

CHAPTER: 62. Sequel to "ONE STEP FORWARD"

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

AUTHOR: Alison M DOBELL

PAIRING: Zoe/Wash Kaylee/Simon Mal/Inara

SUMMARY: "Even when everything appears to be

going their way it really isn't."

"TWO STEPS BACK"

A "Firefly" Story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

"It was destroyed?"

"Totally."

Chancellor Owen Stark was not happy but it did prove one thing. The Dust really did create an 'extinction level event'. They just had not meant it to destroy their only manufacturing facility complete with what had been left of their base material. Starting again from scratch would be difficile but not impossible and given the resources at their disposal it was more a matter of time. First they would have to let those party to the project discuss and iron out how they would move forward. Assessing every aspect of the operation including what had gone wrong was now top priority.

"Survivors?"

"*Wuyi*."

Stark glanced around the table. "Suggestions?"

A small, weasel sharp man at the far end looked thoughtful. "We will need to find a new base for future operations. One that has not been 'compromised'."

The Chancellor knew he was referring to what had happened with the Cold Harbour. How had Malcolm Reynolds turned his capture into such a dramatic and impossible escape? He and the other captured Browncoats had been the intended cannon fodder for the project, fuel to feed the manufacture of their most effective weapon yet. Only the man had found a way to turn defeat into victory taking with it a top of the line Alliance ship in hot pursuit. Now all was lost, reduced by the voracious Dust into an inert compound which took all life and left nothing useful in its' wake. And yet, Reynolds had esc