Thanks for all the comments on the Prologue. I'm glad everyone seems to be excited to see where this goes.

Thanks to Tamsibling and Mal4Prez for the beta.

The Prologue can be found here Here

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Chapter 1

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The past:

I told them the Tams were no longer a threat. Damage Done. They might listen . . .

And they did.

The Operative was wrong.

They listened, they plotted, they schemed. And, ultimately, the Tam’s weren’t the only ones on their most wanted list any more.

Such control they had over the Central Planets, the Miranda information was squashed instantly, and the crew labeled as traitors. The people believed their government. They’d never been given a reason to think otherwise.

On the Rim worlds, where Alliance control had never taken a firm foothold, even after ‘Unification’, it took very little for them to believe what the Miranda broadwave showed in vivid, disbelievingly gory detail. The people wanted more reasons to hate the Alliance, they wanted another reason to take up arms against them. . .

And they did.

The result, this time, was an even quicker, bloodier defeat.

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“Captain, I don’t think –“

“Don’t pay you to think, Simon.”

Simon took a moment to consider this. “You don’t pay me at all, captain.”

Mal rolled his eyes. “Be that as it may, I’m still the captain on this boat and what I say goes.”

“’Bout time someone else was on the spittin’ end of that increasingly bad mood,” Jayne muttered beneath his breath as he checked the various weaponry attached to his person.

Simon wasted only a cursory glare on the mercenary before returning his attention to the increasingly infuriating Captain. “You think it’s safe to land on –“

“They need help down there, Simon. I ain’t leavin’ ‘em to die.”

“So you’re going to risk the lives of everyone on this ship to –“

“Ain’t you a doctor?” Mal whirled, eyes blazing. Before Simon could push a response out of his mouth, Mal continued. “Ain’t you obligated by that Oath of yours to render aid to them that need it?”

“Well, yes, but I –“

“Well, there’s a whole planet full of people down there that need it.”

“And Alliance battle cruisers not more than a few hours out!”

Mal leaned close to Simon, his tone firm, his position unwavering. “They’re movin’ away from the planet, not towards it.” Mal took a long, long breath, and clenched his hands at his sides. “They done their job.”

“Still –“

“Simon,” Mal stepped closer, invading the younger man’s personal space while Jayne looked on with growing amusement. “Now ain’t the time to test my patience, dong ma?”

Simon set his jaw and plunged ahead, knowing what he was about to say could land him in a heap on the deck rubbing a bruising jaw – or worse. “Your anger with me has more to do with Kaylee’s condition than with my very genuine concern about landing this small transport ship onto a war-ravaged planet.”

Zoe stepped beside Jayne and raised an eyebrow in Simon and Mal’s direction. “Those two going at it again?”

“Yup.” Jayne slid his most favorite knife into its sheath. “Mal’s gonna have to get over it.”

“Not like to any time soon.” Zoe pursed her lips and shook her head, knowing that this was precisely the conversation she would be having with Mal had she ever found herself pregnant with Wash’s baby.

“Almost feel sorry for the doc,” Jayne glanced up at Inara, who stood on the catwalk above, shaking her head disapprovingly at the argument going on below.

“Doc can take care of himself,” Zoe observed with a small smile. “But Kaylee doesn’t need the stress. Not right now. Mal’s too pigheaded to realize it.”

Jayne slipped out a small firearm and caressed it lovingly. “Can I shoot ‘im?”

Zoe’s eyes slowly shifted toward Jayne, her face an expressionless mask.

“The doc! Not Mal. I ain’t stupid.”

“That’s debatable,” Zoe murmured as she squared her shoulders and prepared to intervene. “No, Jayne. You may not shoot either of them.” They both returned their attention to the heated discussion going on not more than a few feet away. Zoe clenched her jaw, waiting for the right moment to intervene.

“It’s not your place, and it’s none of your business whether Kaylee and I –“

Zoe noticed Mal tense, and decided now would be a good time to intervene before he damaged the only doctor they were like to have down on the planet.

“Sir,” Zoe pushed herself between the two men and Simon instantly took a step back, respecting her position. “We’re set to land.”

Simon waited a moment, clearly wanting to speak but choosing to remain silent, before turning on his heel and going back toward the infirmary.

“Boy better be goin’ to get medical supplies,” Mal muttered, wrenching his gun out of its holster and inspecting it carefully.

“He’s got a point, Sir.”

Mal stared incredulously at his first mate, unable to believe she would be opposed to lending aid to fellow Browncoats.

“About Kaylee, Sir. Not your decision to land on Athens.”

“Ain’t about to discuss it further, Zoe,” Mal sighted down the barrel of his pistol, and its direction toward the infirmary was not lost on Zoe.

“We’re all a mite stressed here, sir. Simon and Kaylee just as much as the rest of us.”

“Boy’d kept his pants zipped, we wouldn’t have this problem, now would we?” Mal snapped as Inara joined them on the deck, her customary silks replaced by pants and a well worn shirt.

“Don’t let Kaylee hear you say that, Mal,” Inara said, her eyes hard. She’d been witness to more than a few of Mal and Simon’s fights over the last few months and had, amazingly, kept Kaylee pretty well sheltered from the captain’s disapproval over her condition.

“Girl doesn’t – “Mal’s eyes swept down Inara’s body and his brows knitted together. Forgetting his pervious argument over this new development, he demanded, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To help.” That Inara didn’t elaborate further was not lost on Mal.

“You ain’t goin’ out there. It’s too dangerous.”

Zoe rolled her eyes, knowing an argument with the Companion would not end well, as it never did for the captain. And he was in a bad enough mood already over his disagreement with Simon. Wasn’t fair, really. Boy had already worn him down. Inara would sink her claws into his flesh and rend it painfully with no problem whatsoever. Not that she’d ever need Simon’s help – but she’d gotten it regardless. Zoe hesitated for a moment, considering intervention, but then changed her mind and stepped away instead to keep Jayne at a manageable distance.

Inara fixed Mal with an unwavering stare. “I managed to live through a battle with Reavers, Mal. The only one who came out of that with barely a scratch, I might add. I’m certain I will be quite safe on a planet full of injured and dying.”

“This is different, Inara,” Mal’s voice softened only a fraction, “It’s –“

“I asked for her aid,” Simon said as he returned with a case stuffed with as much medicine and bandages as he could fit and still manage to carry.

Mal whirled on Simon, eyes blazing, and Zoe tensed, hoping she wouldn’t have to step in between the two stubborn men once again.

“What?” Simon stared defiantly at Mal. “You expect me to treat everyone we come across by myself? I’ve asked for Inara’s assistance and she agreed to help.”

“I don’t want her off this boat.”

“I’m glad you’re so used to not getting what you want,” Inara snapped in response. “Because I’m going. Kaylee is staying with the ship.”

Mal opened his mouth but closed it again, fixing Simon with a raised eyebrow.

“The only thing we currently agree on, Captain, is that Kaylee should remain here.”

Mal clenched his jaw tightly. “Best be thinkin’ on other things or I might just decide to leave you down there.”

No one took the threat seriously, but no one bothered to respond either. The internal gravity shifted slightly as the ship settled on the ground and the occupants in the cargo bay balanced their weight equally to keep from being jostled too badly. They waited for River to emerge from the bridge before lowering the ramp, and as she took longer than normal, Mal had moved toward the staircase to go fetch her when she appeared in the doorway to the common room with Kaylee.

Simon set down his case and moved to the agitated engineer’s side instantly. “Promise me you’ll lie down after we leave?” He slid his hands into hers, noting the way they shook from fear, anger, Simon wasn’t quite sure. He glanced down at their joined fingers, knowing his would soon be covered in blood.

“Yeah, Simon, I will.” She knew better than to argue with him when he got all protective over something. It hadn’t been an easy few months, even without news of the impending, very unexpected arrival. Her moods had swung from one end of the spectrum to the other, and right now she was in a mood to cry and throw things all at once.

Mal interrupted the couple’s moment. “An’ lock the bay doors after we leave. Don’t let anyone in that ain’t us, dong ma?” Simon shot him an annoyed look – which went ignored.

“It ain’t like I never waited behind like this before, cap’n,” Kaylee shot back, struggling to keep from rolling her eyes.

“Well, ya ain’t been six months pregnant before neither.”

Kaylee scowled at Mal and turned her attention to Simon whom she embraced tightly, closing her eyes and resting her face in the crook of his neck. “Be careful, k?”

Simon nodded as Mal moved away and punched the controls to lower the bay door. He leaned back and kissed her gently, mouth lingering a little longer than he’d originally planned. He didn’t want to leave either. He wanted to be right here where he could easily treat Kaylee if something went wrong.

“Let’s move!” Mal called as the ramp struck the ground.

Kaylee flattened her hands atop her protruding stomach and walked to the edge of the ramp, watching as her family ran off into the dark to help the wounded of yet another Alliance/Independent war.

TBC

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Currently this is 70 pages. We're only 7 into it:)