Saw That Coming : Part 3

Players:

Crew of Serenity & Badger

Prologue:

The story extends. Mal learns more info about a particular job opportunity that has come Serenity’s way. Will he take the job? Well, the Captain is smart enough not to jump into uncertain circumstances. Still, there is a lot of money being offered, and if there’s one thing known about the Captain……he like coin.

Saw That Coming Part 3

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Malcolm Reynolds turned off the screen to his cortex monitor and pushed himself away from the small desk he had set up inside his bunk.

“ For someone who claims to know everything that happens on Persephone, both as it happens and before, Badger sure seemed blind-sided by this one.”

Mal was referring to the conversation he’d just finished with the Persephone crime boss about a weapons shipment which someone had sent to Serenity in a coded message a few days before. He had teased Badger about being kept out of the loop on this particular illicit activity.

“ Don’t you fret none Sergeant Reynolds ( Badger referred to Mal as Sergeant just to irritate him) I’ll have an answer for you by the end of the day.”

Badger himself, had been miffed at hearing that there was illicit “ job for hire” work being touted around this quadrant of the verse without his knowledge. If there was one thing the small-time crime boss prided himself upon, it was his ability at knowing of all the illegal activity going on around Persephone. Both the ones he was personally involved in, and those he was not. He meant to find out why he hadn’t found out about this sooner.

Just as all crime organizations around the verse conduct their business, Badger had a turf to protect. If someone was trying to weasel in on his territory,……..well then that person would have to be dealt with.

Badger could care less if his territory were populated by small-time pick-pockets or con-artists, but what did bother him, was the idea that someone was moving in on his high-dollar deals. He had employees that had families to feed. He would find out what he could concerning what the Serenity Captain had told him.

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A few hours later:

Mal Reynolds stood and moved away from the cortex monitor in his bunk. He had already made arrangements to meet with Shepherd Book in Serenity’s holding quarters. The captain had requested that the preacher meet him there on the chance that the good, God fearing man may have a talent, among his other abilities, to teach him something he may find very useful in the near future. What that skill was, Shepherd Book was to be informed of later. Book had a feeling it had something to do with the activities he’d involved himself in back at the monastery, and it had something to do with close-quarter combat.

The preacher sat back in his chair.

“ Why would the Captain have any idea that, that was a hobby my mine back at the momentary?”

Shepherd Book felt that the information may have slipped his lips in talks he’d had with Kaylee or Jayne. The Shepherd hadn’t spoken often about his personal activities back at the monastery but, if anyone knew of his talent in this regard, it would be one of those two.

Book smiled and arose from his chair to meet the Captain in the ship’s cargo hold.

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Mal Reynolds, haven just spoken to Badger for the second time that day had leaned that the weapons job was legitimately, illegitimate. If that made any sense? Badger had informed him that there was an illegal shipment of government arms being ferried across the system to Persephone. How he had missed out on this information was something of a puzzle to the crime boss, but Badger felt that this was due to it involving individuals that were new to the crime game.

“ My thoughts are that this person, or persons have no idea on what it takes to run a highly skilled operation! Badger said.

Mal’s smile on the cortex screen surely agitated the Persephone crime boss.

“ Look! You want in on this or not?” Badger meant to rein Mal in with a bit of seriousness to keep him on the path, and to keep the Captain’s irritating facial expressions down to a minimum.

“ Yeah, I’m in!” Mal told him.

“ Ok! By my thinking this little exercise is being conducted by an amateur. Someone not skilled in the knowledge of what they’re getting themselves into. I can infiltrate the operation, but you my friend…..” Then he paused a second.

“ Your end will be as a decoy only.”

Mal wasn’t happy with the idea of being a decoy. Especially since he was used to being in the thick of things, whether it be battle, or heavy crime, Mal wanted to be right in the middle of the mud and muck. And, wasn’t Serenity the one that got the message before Badger had?

“ Mal, a good commander knows when to give direction, and when to take them.” Badger said.

Mal knew he was right. Even though he wanted to strangle that short little crime boss with that irritating tie he wore around his neck, Mal knew when it was time to listen.

“ Ok what’s the plan?” The Captain requested.

End Part 3