As it happened, Dayton colony was currently aligned with Regina, and as such, the trip took little more than a day. During that time, Jason and Rick had relatively little chance to get to know their new traveling companions before the ship landed. About the only thing that they knew was that the boy could cook.

It had been quite the scene when Jason had stepped out of the cockpit to find young Mathew Hawkins standing in front of the stove. There was a pot of boiling liquid looking much to close to boiling over for Jason’s comfort and a skillet filled with crackling hot oil in which several balls of some type of protein or other were rapidly browning. The sink was filled with more soiled bowls and other cooking implements than it had ever been in the short time Jason had owned the boat.

“What in the sphincter o hell you think you’re doing boy,” exclaimed Jason. “Trying to set my ship a’fire.”

The boy jumped at the sound of his voice. “Sorry, sir,” said the boy, now frightened that he had done something wrong. “Just thought I’d make dinner for you’all. Didn’t mean to step outa bounds.”

Jason was about to reply when the sound of boots on ladder rungs issued from the double bunk that Jason had allocated to the boy and his mother earlier in the day.

“My son causing trouble, sir?” asked Linda Hawkins as she climbed up into view.

“Dunno, is he safe to be doing that?”

“What,” the woman looked to her son, “Cooking? He’s been doing that most of his life. Been workin’ in the kitchens since he was six. Don’t worry sir, he won’t burn your ship down.”

“Good to hear,” Jason was still not convinced. “See that he don’t.”

The meal had turned out surprisingly well. Certainly better than anything that Jason or Rick had yet put together, seeing as neither had any talent in the kitchen. Most of the time dinner for them had consisted of cold protein bars and cider.

Jason had at one point, about two weeks back, gotten the idea in his head to use the stove to turn one of those cold protein bars into a hot one, but the experiment had ended horribly wrong and with the thing on fire. That had been the end to his culinary experimentation. Matt, however, served up a meal of pasta and protein balls that somehow actually tasted more than a little like genuine meat. He even made a sauce to go with it, though the boy grumbled that it didn’t quite come out the way he would’ve liked being as they were in need of fresh basil. It was enough to earn the boy the position of ship’s cook for the duration that he and his mother were on board.

When the ship landed on Dayton Colony the following morning by ship’s time there were two very unusual coincidences. First, it also happened to be late morning planet time, and also by coincidence it happened to be Unification Day. Unloading and reloading the post was quick work with the extra hands and Linda proved herself able to keep up with Rick, a feat even Jason had to wonder at. As they had no side jobs this stop, it made for a short day. While Jason had a desire to follow up on the tip regarding his sister, he chose this opportunity to get to know his newest crewmates a bit better and take everyone out to see the town.

Dayton Colony turned out to be less than impressive. The main city consisted of several gated communities where lived those with the coin could afford, surrounded by a sprawling slum filled with people that all talked like Badger. During their walk through the city streets Rick and Jason were propositioned by more than a handful of seedy looking whores, a few of whom even offered to give young Matt and ‘education’ at a discount. At one point, the boy’s mother replied to one in rather colorful Chinese that he didn’t need to learn about antibiotics just yet.

Aside from a slight haze that hung in the sky over the grimy city, the day was clear and the sun beat down with warmth on their backs. It was as pleasant an afternoon as any the settlement likely saw and merchants and revelers alike were making the most of it. The bars had opened early for the Alliance holiday and there were already a large number of people stumbling about with less than their full faculties at their disposal. The main drag was lined with stall owners and street vendors who were busy hawking everything from what passed for food to cheap knockoffs of the best Blue Sun name brand goods.

Linda and Rick seemed to be getting along and the woman was describing her life on Shadow with her late husband before the Unification War. Rick in turn was talking about his life as a stable hand growing up on Persephone. Both being from rural upbringings, the two seemed to be hitting it off rather well.

It was late afternoon when they stopped in a bar that looked slightly less rowdy than most and might actually serve food other than the liquid variety. As Linda and her son had no money, Jason bought the first round of drinks. Linda was about to protest when Jason added that it was in celebration of a day actually going smooth for a change, and had nothing to do with the Damn ‘Liance. Rick got whiskey, as did Linda. Jason even ordered himself a beer, leaving only Matt to drink Blue Sun soda.

They were just about to consider weather or not to risk the mystery special when a rather inebriated fellow at the bar stood up and shushed the room to silence, declaring that he had an announcement to make.

“Gather round, ‘riends,” the man slurred in his thick cockney accent. “This er is an ausiou, er auspicious day. Today, we celebrate the victory of the Mighty Alliance. Near on ten years ago, civilization was finally brought to the filthy rim rabble what didn’t even have the sense ta know what it was was be’in brought em. So I ask all ye here to raise yer glasses with me….”

The man paused to take in the room, where everyone had raised their glasses, save for a small group at a corner table. “Hey, you lot, you listen’n ta me?”

Jason and company continued to ignore him. They genuinely had not been paying attention. The man weaved drunkenly as he strode over to the table, stopping only to leer down at the small group until he had their attention. “I said I wuz toastin’ tha ‘Liance. You folk gonna show proper ‘spect… wait a second, them coats a two a you er wearing look mighty brown to me. You wouldn’t be one a them cowardly little pi gu border rim trash would ya?

“Excuse me?” said Jason, standing up to face the man.

“I said, you wouldn’t be one a them cowardly little pi gu border rim trash would ya?” the man repeated, as Linda also rose silently behind the man.

“Hell, no,” said Jason with a forced grin.

“wearin’ an awful brown coat there mister,” threatened the drunk.

“Got the coat in a second hand store; came free with a couch as a matter of fact.” Then, to Linda’s visible shock, Jason raised his glass. “Come on everyone, raise your glasses,” Jason looked across his small entourage. Rick complied, having no desire to start a bar fight. “You too Linda. To the mighty Alliance, great men with great vision,” Jason slapped the drunk on the arm.

The man was caught off guard by this development and looked at Jason a moment, then finally grinned and raised his glass with a cheer. Linda said nothing, just started in disbelief. As the room erupted into cheers, the woman turned her back on Jason and quickly strode out of the establishment. Jason drained his drink and soon followed with Rick and Matt in toe. The place was getting too damn rowdy for his taste as well.

As they entered the cargo bay of the Shire, Rick felt a tugging on his arm. He looked down to find the boy Matt holding him back, stopping him from climbing the gangway up to the kitchen area.

“Don’t wanna go in there now,” said the boy. “Not gonna be fun.”

-----------------------------------------

Jason, for his part, was relieved to make it back to the ship otherwise unmolested by Alliance supporters. When he entered the ship’s kitchen, however, it was to confront a very angry looking Linda who glowered at him darkly from his own chair at the head of the table.

“Would you mind explaining to me, exactly, what the hell that was all about back there?” she asked sharply.

“Apparently,” said Jason, “this gorram coat is an invitation to get my pi gu kicked by half the damn verse,” he shrugged the offending garment from his shoulders and tossed it onto the couch that sat against the bulkhead opposite the kitchen area. His aim was less than perfect, and the coat slid to the floor.

The woman suddenly stood up, regarding Jason with contempt. “Do you have any pride, or are you just a coward like that drunk said?” Acidity literally dripped off her tongue.

“The hell you talkin’ bout woman?” Jason was suddenly a little annoyed himself; Christ, hadn’t he just saved this woman’s life; not to mention her kid’s?

“Pick that up soldier,” she was nearly hollering now. “Before I make you pick it up.”

“Now hold on here,” Jason’s voice was now raised as well. “Think we got a misunderstanding here. Ain’t never been a soldier, nor ever served in that war. I know allot a you vets still got a few axes what ain’t buried yet, but I got my coat just how I said, at a second hand store, same as that couch there. Would’a never taken the gorram thing had I known it was a walking invitation to get my pi gu kicked by half the damn ‘Verse!” Thinking on this, it occurred to Jason that he maybe should’ve got the surplus blue and purple coat for the few credits more instead. Regarding the very offended look Linda was giving him, he revised this thought quickly. That other one would probably just be an invitation to get his pi gu kicked by the other half.

“And I might add, as fun as it would have been starting a bar brawl, while outnumbered ten to one,” said Jason evenly, “it might not be the most foresightful thing for a mother to be wantin’ to do with her own ten year old son sitting next to her.”

Linda carefully stepped around the table walked slowly toward Jason. For a moment he thought she might actually hit him. But she simply looked at him, never taking her eyes off his, even as she bent down to pick up Jason’s coat. “A like you don’t deserve to wear this.”

Jason, to his credit did not back down, staring back equally coolly. She was finally forced to break eye contact as she descended into her bunk.

-----------------------------------------

Down in the cargo bay Rick and Matt looked at each other. The boy had been right thought Rick, not a good time to be getting between those two.

“Fancy a game of cards? I think we got a folding table round here someplace,” Rick looked around the cargo bay.

“You willing to teach?” asked the boy.

-----------------------------------------

Jason had been sitting alone in the pilot’s seat for several hours when he felt an uneasy presence enter the bridge. He had wondered when Rick would come to ask him about the commotion earlier. Needless to say he was surprised to hear Linda’s voice when the person finally spoke.

“Back on Shadow, I worked as a nurse in a local clinic. That was where I men my husband, Daniel. He was a ranch foreman who came in for a broken wrist.”

“I was not even twenty at the time, but we fell in love and got married. A year later we had Matthew. When the war started, well, Dan being the man he was, felt called to enlist. The Independents where short on medical personnel, so I joined as well, leaving Matt in the care of my parents. During the war, I saw a lot of good men and women die. Even had to choose, more than a few times, between who to save and who not. There’s not too many things like being on a battlefield, looking into the eyes of a young man who just had his stomach torn open by shrapnel, and knowing the only think you might be able to do is ease his passing. I still wake up at nights, the sound of the bombs ringing in my ears, the smell of napalm and burnt flesh still fresh in my memory.”

“The end of the war, my husband was at Serenity Valley, that’s where...”

“I’m sorry,” said Jason sincerely. “How did…”

“He got shot, nothing serious though, bout where you got hit when we met. He survived the end of the battle.”

“I was there as well,” continued Linda, “not in the valley though. My MedVac unit was supposed to go in with the air support until it got called off, when the Independents finally surrendered. They still wouldn’t let us go in though. They waited weeks while terms were negotiated. Medical personnel standing by and they wouldn’t let us go in. Dan died in the second week from a combination of infection and of Cholera.”

“I heard about what happened to Shadow in the internment camp afterward. I cried for thee days straight. My entire world, literally, was gone, taken by the war, by the Alliance.”

“But, your son?”

“Found out afterward, when I went back, that my parents had put him on a transport just a few days before the Alliance dropped the bomb. There had been rumors of the new weapon. Anyway, took me near on a year after to find him. He was working as a scullery boy indentured to some fat old rich man. Took a job as a housemaid there, but fell ill afterward. Disease had been coming a long time, something I picked up at the camps, but I’d been ignoring it. Amazing what a few aspirin a day can keep you going on. That’s how I wound up bonded. Weren’t so bad till the old man died. But then, instead of letting us go, we got transferred to some other hu dan. Local Alliance feds apparently been bought off by some human trafficers. Got bounced around a few times till, well, you found us on Regina.” Jason could hear the slightly ragged edge in the woman’s voice.

“I’m sorry” she sniffed ever so quietly, quickly hiding her tears. “I didn’t quite intend to tell you all that. I just wanted to try and explain why I…” she paused.

“Well, I suppose I should give this back to you,” Linda said as she finally stepped forward into Jason’s field of vision. He tried not to notice her red eyes and wet cheeks. She had been crying a while before coming here. He looked down to see that she was holding his coat out to him.

“Keep it.”

“Excuse me?”

“Keep it,” Jason repeated. “You where right back there, I ain’t earned the right to wear that.”

TO BE CONTINUED

Authors Notes: This felt like a risky one for me to write. It’s 180 out from the usual U Day stories. But, I realized ever since the morning after I wrote it into my second post, Jason never deserved that coat, and I needed a way to get rid of it. Well, here it is.