Firefly Universe

GR RP "Adventures in GunRunning" ACT 22

POSTED BY: CapnRahn
UPDATED: Thursday, October 28, 2004 03:16
VIEWED: 19308
PAGE 2 of 10

CAPNRAHN

Friday, October 15, 2004 5:46 PM

MERZ and MAL BLEND

LOCATION – TRAVELING:INFIRMARY TO GALLEY
As ...

MAL tries to stop her, as she pushes past. The expression on his face as he fails is … gratifying. She slows as he is dragged around, to allow him to get whatever it is off his chest. However, his voice pulls her, and forces an instant obedience from her, an automatic response to her earliest training. It matters not how soft his voice is, the command is unmistakable.

MAL
“Stand down solider, and come with me, and to everyone else, "Alone."

He strides on up the back stairs towards the Galley, and she falls into place behind him, eyes locked on the back of his head, no longer aware of anyone else around.

There is no one in the room when they arrive. As MAL steps into the galley area he says,

MAL
…To Merz, but not looking around - proceeding to the Fore Hatch as Merz enters the Aft Hatch…
“Dog it.”

And she does, securing the Aft Hatch behind her. MAL paces across the room, and secures the other door as well.

Not knowing what comes next, MERZ comes to a halt, at rigid, unwavering attention, in the center of the room, near the foot of the galley table, and there she waits. MAL, coming back her direction detours near the comm, and verifies that it too, is secure.

Once he is satisfied that everything is as it should be for a private chat, MAL approaches the end of the table, near where Merz is; he boots the chair at the foot of the table out of the way, and rests one hip on the surface. Secure and comfortable, he contemplates MERZ carefully for a few minutes.

MAL
…when he has collected his thoughts…
“Now, just what do you need from me?”

She stands mute under his scrutiny. There is just something familiar about all this. Does it always come to the same pass, a confrontation with the voice of authority over her – differences? She remembers … and almost in the same words. She does a quick conversion in her head. Has it really been twenty years ago now …

Quote:
FLASHBACK - 20 YEARS
IKC BEAU GESTE
On the Cavalry flight deck, Sgt. Marovech was poised, one hip resting on a bench. Merzedes stands before him, uncomfortably neither at rest or at attention, uncertain what is called for. Rank had never been an issue before, this new situation was perplexing. Merzedes knew her rank was above Sgt. Marovech’s, but she had seen those of a higher rank than her current posting deferring to this man. She was instructed to study and integrate, so she followed the pattern she had observed.

SGT. MAROVECH
“What do you need from me? To make this easier for you, I mean. You can’t go stirring the crew up like this.”

She is listening to this ‘civilian’. Not sure why – but three years ago, he taught her a hard lesson in hand-to-hand combat that has served her well ever since. Last time aboard the “Geste”, she was an observer, an outsider. She was under a certain amount of ‘control’, and not really a part of the newly forming team. The A.P.E.s have formed a cohesive team now, and she has this … rank. Lieutenant, ElleTee some such … it has no meaning to her, and no interest for her, merely a civilian convention. Which she is expected to treat as if it has import. He continues to speak in the face of her silence; caution would dictate she should attend to his words.

SGT. MAROVECH
…speaking in a soft, yet penetrating tone…
“ElleTee it has been…what…3 years since you were last aboard the Geste and I understand that things may be waaay different from your last posting. Here, things are not the same in every situation; nothing is ever black and white. Like white light, there are an infinite number of colors and shades of perspective within the A.P.E.s and oth

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SQUEE

Friday, October 15, 2004 6:49 PM

Damon's turn:
LOCATION - CARGO BAY

Quote:
Originally posted by Saint Jayne:
Calm and nonchalant, he lets Damon get it all out. Then he adds flippantly, "Good point. I wonder why yer not coming down tomorrow to secure the drop spot? Maybe 'cause ya draw on yer own crew? Or Mal might want a team down there who knows how ta take the safety off. Either way, I guess I'm just worth what I make."

Now they lock eyes for a second. Jayne wears a slight grin. He turns back and walks towards his project.

Jayne's smile disfusses Damon's unease and he can't help but smile. "Fair enough. Just don't let my blunder in the galley earlier give you the wrong impression- I've got plenty experience with guns- maybe tomorrrow I can help you drop a few purple bellies-or whoever we are fighting. Though I don't plan on gettin shot again, I'll leave that to you, I've had enough medical care to last me a good long while."

I'm not broken, in my dream I win...

SAINT JAYNE

Friday, October 15, 2004 7:04 PM

JAYNE - CARGO BAY

Slapping his dark leather gloves on, Jayne keeps talking with Damon. "If ya do plan fer gettin' shot, it just means yer better prepared when it happens."

He pulls on his goggles, then bends down to retrieve the stick welder and fires it up.

"I said you must be eager to finish up here and you started getting all defensive about who's gettin' spaced. Yer not thinking of just sitting around in a' hopes that I'm the first tossed off, are ya? I got 30 minutes work left. You could cut it down ta 15 if you check the fuses and power supplies in those explosives." Jayne indicates their location with a swing of his head. Two large duffle bags sit against a stack of crates chained to the hull.

CAPNRAHN

Friday, October 15, 2004 7:39 PM

LOCATION - FRONT HALL
As ...

Mal stomps up the hall, burning out a minute bit of his frustration physically. Feeling much better that he got some truth out of one of the new folks, he grins like a maniac.

MAL
...a little high pitched and playful...
"KAYWINNET LEE FRYE, you got some 'splainin' ta do!!!"

EOM

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

SQUEE

Friday, October 15, 2004 8:37 PM

Damon's turn:
LOCATION - CARGO BAY

Quote:
Originally posted by Saint Jayne:
"I said you must be eager to finish up here and you started getting all defensive about who's gettin' spaced. Yer not thinking of just sitting around in a' hopes that I'm the first tossed off, are ya? I got 30 minutes work left. You could cut it down ta 15 if you check the fuses and power supplies in those explosives." Jayne indicates their location with a swing of his head. Two large duffle bags sit against a stack of crates chained to the hull.

Damon looks at the bag Jayne indicated to. Explosives? They sure go all out don't they? He walks over to it and kneels down to open the bag. Explosives aren't something he's had a whole lot of experience in- his owners would've had to be daft to let him anywhere near an explosive- but he knows fuses and power supplies so it shouldn't be a problem. He pulls one out carefully, and inspects it. He recognizes the types of wires- all seem to be in place- the fuse also gets inspected and checks out, along with the power supplies. He sets it down and pulls out the next.

"What are these for anyway? Looks to me like you guys have enough weapons and fireworks to start a war."

OOC: SJ, I don't know where you are, but I've been on AIM almost the entire morning

I'm not broken, in my dream I win...

INARAESQUE

Friday, October 15, 2004 8:38 PM

Inara's Move

LOCATION - INFIRMARY

"IGNORING THINGS WON'T MAKE THEM GO AWAY!" River glares after Mal, her words probably intended for him, for his ignoring her, but Inara can't help but think that is good advice in general. And certainly in keeping with the way her thoughts have been wandering since Thorne stepped in to help her out. River gives Inara a frustrated look. "It's past his bed time."

"You know how cranky the Captain can be," Inara offers another soothing smile to River, even as a familiar presence arrives. She doesn't need to look to know it's Thorne, but she turns to smile at him anyway, offering her hand as he approaches to talk to River.

"Hello, little sister. You seem to be having a bad night. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Inara smiles to herself, allowing Thorne's presense to calm the ruffled feathers Mal left in his wake.

EOM

SQUEE

Friday, October 15, 2004 8:51 PM

River
LOCATION - INFIRMARY

River smiles when she sees Thorne enter.

THORNE: "Hello, little sister. You seem to be having a bad night. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes." She beams and gets off of the med bed. Before either of them can say more, she glides past them and skips to her room. Half a minute later, she returns to the common room and sits down on the floor with her box of jacks. She smiles up at Thorne. "Kaylee taught me." She opens the box and looks up at Thorne expectantly.

I'm not broken, in my dream I win...

SAINT JAYNE

Friday, October 15, 2004 9:36 PM

JAYNE - CARGO BAY

Jayne continues his welding with his back to Damon, shielding him from the flare of the torch. He hears Damon ask, "What are these for anyway? Looks to me like you guys have enough weapons and fireworks to start a war."

"Had these for near a half year. Plenny of opportunity to use 'em too, but Shepherd never wanted me to. Good Lord's got enough work without me sendin' up any more than I gotta."

Jayne falls silent for a moment and picks up another bar from the deck.

OOC: Squee, I can't AIM from work! I'll see you in the evening, or on the weekend.

SQUEE

Saturday, October 16, 2004 12:07 AM

Damon's turn:
LOCATION - CARGO BAY

JAYNE: "Had these for near a half year. Plenny of opportunity to use 'em too, but Shepherd never wanted me to. Good Lord's got enough work without me sendin' up any more than I gotta."

Damon glances up at Jayne, clearly having different notions on that topic but he decides not to say anything. If there is a God and He's good to other folks, that's their business. Damon pulls another explosive out of the bag and begins its inspection.

I'm not broken, in my dream I win...

MERCEDESTROY

Saturday, October 16, 2004 4:56 AM

KAYLEEs move

LOCATION - BRIDGE

They share a touch and a glance, two women who are momentarily in sync with each other. In some ways they are alike, but then in some ways, all women are.

She is happy that Rowan understands why she elected to retain the Solo Systems package. Speed should never be an option over functionality, and that package is NOTHING if it is not functional. It is not fast, and it is not pretty, but it sure works.

As ROWAN leans back to gaze calmly out the window, KAYLEE turns to smile fondly at WASH, and his delusions of ownership. But as often is the case his attention if not nailed to the ships control, has transferred to ZOË. Their bond is something KAYLEE can only envy.

With the last of her tools gathered up and nothing more required of her on the bridge, Kaylee glances around one more time to make sure everything is as ship-shape as she can make it. Seeing nothing amiss she turns to ROWAN once again.

KAYLEE
“Rowan, you get the least little red light from that diagnostic, you give me a holler pronto. I’ll come runnin’. But I got a couple other irons in the fire, before I can relax tonight so I’d best get to it. I got all night to work, ‘cause I can sleep tomorrow - not much for me to do once it hot’s up, except keep an eye on the gauges.” ~and no matter what our fearless leader wants, I’m not much for a partying mood just now.~

She hauls up the clanking toolbox and moves down the stairs towards the cargo bay. From what the Captain says, first step is to fetch up some party supplies and get them to the Shepherd. At the foot of the stairs, she sets down the toolbox and turns towards her special storage. She been putting odd supplies in that little bit of space ever since she’s been aboard, and mighty useful it’s been too. There are a couple casks of inter-engine hooch right now and one is darned near 2 months old – ancient for this kind of potable. Yeah, tonight she’s gonna break out the good stuff. She was lucky to score some empty aluminum faced wooden casks a while back, from an enterprising thief what had no clue the worth of what he was sitting on. One o’ them was making it’s maiden voyage tonight; she’ll explain how to tap it correctly to Book when she hands it over.

On her hands and knees, rolling out the dusty mini-barrel, she remembers her second thought, and her second stash. They had a couple lucky hauls in a row and were temporarily heavy in the pocket when she made this find. Real chocolate bars, not that nasty, Blue-Sun choc-o-synth nastiness. She fingers the box thoughtfully. Even if she claims her own share, there is enough in here to give half a bar to everyone on board. ~Yeah,~ she thinks, ~send this along too. Make a real treat.~ She adds the box to the burden she is pushing out of the space.

Once she is outside and the door closed and concealed once again, she pushes the barrel and the box under the stairs out of the way and picks up her tools once again. ~I’ll just put this away, and come back for the rest; find the Shepherd then.~

She heads for the engine room.

EOM

Sometimes, chocolate is the only comfort ...