Disclaimer – Everything either does belong to Joss or it should. I’m just borrowing his shiny ‘verse for a while.

The 21st Lancers belong to the British Army so I’m borrowing them too. I hope they don’t mind.

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“We were in a race against an opponent who was already a lap ahead at the start, was faster and had more endurance. The solution was simple, hit the ground running and break their legs”

General Eric Brown – Head of Independent Military Intelligence 2531AD

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Four Days Hard Burn out of Beaumonde – 2521AD

‘This is getting to be a mite repetitive Captain’ the crewman stated as he handed over the cargo manifest.

‘Gorram Alliance is getting more and more active out here’ the Captain agreed and spat on the deck. This was the second time an Alliance Patrol Boat had ordered them to stop for a random search in the last month. Time was you could go more than half a year without running into one of them but they were definitely trying to tighten their grip on the worlds outside the core now.

The Airlock cycled and the cargo bay doors began to open. The whole of the crew were lined up behind their Captain waiting to back his play if he decided to make one. It wasn’t that all their cargo wasn’t entirely legal it was more the way they felt about the Alliance and their loyalty to their Captain. Ties of spilled blood and honour made in the war, and more than a few fights, both fist and fire, since then.

Monty took a step forward to show he was the master of the boat.

A uniformed figure stepped through the airlock from the Alliance Vessel.

‘Sorry about the choice of transport but it’s easier to travel in these parts in disguise’ the figure said. ‘It was a steal’ he continued, ‘one careless owner, now deceased, and only EMP’ed and boarded once.’

Monty’s eyes widened and his jaw almost hit the deck.

‘You know our mutual Ex was right about one thing’ the figure said, ‘you did look better without the beard, why did you grow it back?’

‘Mal?’ M