Firefly: The Next Generation (IC)

[celestialdragon]

Wash saw the Niskas approaching, and she moved to stand by Kylar's side. She heard what Kylar said to Mike, before turning to the rest of the crew.

"If your name ain't Kylar or Mike, get on the gorram ship, or you're bein' left behind!" she barked. She turned to Kylar and touched his shoulder. "Take as much time as you need with her," she said softly. "I'll be in the cockpit if you need me."

 

[GentleValkyrie]

Sparring with Jesse was really fun. Most matches ended with him overpowering her or plowing through her defenses when she got tired and made a slip, but she could occasionally catch him off guard early on and score a hit when she was fresh. And win or lose, she enjoyed the practice far more than he ever had with her teachers or her family. It had none of the undertones of searching for weaknesses to be used later, only a soaring joy in what they could use their bodies to do right now.

While the crew was occasionally solemn in the days leading up to the funeral, Mike had some of the most joy filled time in her life. She stayed quiet and still when more than and handful of people were near by, still easily startled by situations that were too loud, but found herself looking forward to time with Jesse and the occasional run ins with Kylar. She even appeared in the cockpit a few times, to watch the stars.

She studiously avoided Mal and Inara, not really wanting to discuss her family's history with theirs.

She dressed reasonably for the funeral, elegant, almost severe, in charcoal grey, and more than content to stay to the back of the group, leaving Kylar alone in his pain, again the outsider in the close knit family.

It was on Persephone that she started getting nervous. She had reached out, ever so gently, to a few of the more far flung contacts of the Niska empire, looking for work for the Warlock and her crew. It was a risk, but one she hoped would pay off for them.

And then the people she had been in touch with went silent. Not returning waves. Not showing up to meetings. She'd over stayed her welcome. She'd gotten too comfortable with the crew. She'd thought she'd found a place where she belonged.

She was giggling with Jesse and headed slowly back to the ship when she heard Kylar break off in mid sentence. She turned around quickly, fearful instantly and going pale, her nimble feet rooted to the deck when she saw the matter of his concern. Her brother. Here.

"I'm here to collect my sister, Washburne," he said in an icy tone. "Turn her over at once and I might be inclined to grant you and your companions a quick death."

"Ivan-" she started, her suddenly dry throat whispering.

"Is there any version of this where we walk out alive?" asked Kylar with a grim face.

She knew the answer to that before Kylar finished answering the question. Her family legacy was death. Blood and death and pain without escape. Even for her. Especially for her.

She yelped at the gunshots, her eyes going wide and horror struck, feeling cold as she watched her brother fall. Blood for blood. Betrayal as the gravest sin her family knew. She knew they would come for her. She knew they would bring nothing but blood with them.

"We need to put some distance between us and civilized space -- fast. Mike, I don't want to kill your family, but they may leave us no choice. If they threaten my crew again, they will not live to try it a third time -- I need to know you're with me on this."

She dragged her eyes to Kylar's face meeting his eyes.

"Ivan... He's not... They're not going to stop. Maybe I should... If I stay, if I go back, maybe they'll let you go." The words felt cold and uncomfortable even as she spoke them, hollow with the lies they were.

"I just don't want anyone to get hurt." That was true at least. If pointless.

She looked at her brother, being pulled up by his guards, then back at Kylar.

"I'm with you, if you'll have me."

 

[CaramelLuv]

The funeral had been a somber affair, her sari a stark, but simple white and silver in honor of Zoe and who she had been. Then, when it was all over, arrangements had been made, with Amaya renting a shuttle on the Warlock in exchange for rent and a certain prestige that would come from a Companion being associated with such a vessel. She had bid farewell to her mistress, promising to practice and send updates. She hugged the woman she knew better than her own mother goodbye. She had left Joseph to say goodbye to his parents and made her way to her shuttle.



.....


The trouble outside brought her to the cargo bay loading ramp, and she watched curiously, and nervously, as some lacquered-up jerk demanded the girl, Mikaela. It was obvious she didn't want to go. She moved slowly to where Joseph and the others were.

 

[AuraSphere]

Sparring with Mike gave Jesse something to look forward to each day. She was a difficult opponent. Every time they went at it, they'd each bring something new to the table. Although they always ended in her defeat, she was getting tougher and tougher to beat. After the first week, she'd been managing to get in a few hits in each fight. He hadn't had a sparring partner this fun in a long time.

Over the course of the trip, Jesse eventually made peace with his father, apologizing for acting like a brat to him. He tried making it up to him by showing him his weapon stash and sharing a bowl of his best hemp. Needless to say, Jayne all over it.

At the funeral, Jesse stayed quiet and kept his distance, not wanting to disturb Kylar. Understanding Kylar's pain, Jesse knew he would need some time alone to grieve. He wasn't the only one who lost the sole person who raised him. Yes, he knew Kylar's pain all to well.

Jesse was walking back to the ship with Mike, making a few sarcastic jokes. He didn't think they were THAT funny, but they made Mike laugh all the same. He stopped in his tracks on the ramp when he noticed Mike turn her head back. Three figures were standing before Kylar.

"I'm here for my sister, Washburne," said the middle one. "Turn her over at once and I migh be inclined to grant you and your companions a quick death."

"Ivan..." Mike whispered.

Over my dead body, Jesse thought to himself. No one was taking his friend away from him if he had anything to say about it. His sleeve gun slipped into his hand. He was about to aim and fire, but Kylar was already doing so, and he had the situation handled before he could do anything. He slipped his gun away and continued on inside the ship as Kylar ran up the ramp. He knew Kylar would want to speak with Mike alone, so he made his way to his room to give them some privacy.

 

[creampieu444]

xxxxx

 

[CaramelLuv]

Amaya followed Joseph, falling into step. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly as she reached a cool hand to take his. She was dressed in shades of yellow with silver embroidery. She didn't have any feelings regarding the girl, Mikaela, but she did care about Joe. She knew him better than anyone present, and she loved him dearly. She knew he was having feelings about Mikaela and the Niskas. She wasn't going to let him go at it alone.

 

[The Jeffinator]

"You're part of my crew, Mike," Kylar said to her. "I promised to watch over you, and that is what I intend to do. I just need to know that you will not hate me or stand in my way should I be forced to act against your family."

Once they were all inside and the ship was off the planet, Kylar called everyone to the dining room. "You all know now that Mike is related to the Niskas. But she is part of this crew, and I would die for her just as I would for any of you. There will be dangers ahead for us, so if anyone wants to back out, say so now or fly true till the end."

He waited for them to respond, when suddenly, an alarm started buzzing. "Crap! We got three ships approaching, and they're probably gorram Niskas!" Kylar said after running to the cockpit to see what caused the alert. "Alexa, can you lose 'em?"

 

[celestialdragon]

"Yes, if you can get into the engine room and help me pull a Crazy Ivan!!" Wash barked. "Or someone else who knows how to work this xian sa da piece of go-sel or else we're HUMPED."

She looked up at Kylar, serious.

 

[The Jeffinator]

"Alright!" he said, winked, and then tore off for the engine room. Right about now he wished they had guns mounted on the ship. Why in the hell did they not have guns mounted on the ship?

 

[celestialdragon]

Wash pulled out the mike from above her head. "Alright, Kylar, you know what to do?" she asked. "And since I know you're asking, do you remember the stories that Uncle Mal told us about the ONE time they mounted a gun onto Serenity?" she added.

 

[The Jeffinator]

Kylar smiled to himself as he heard Alexa mention the gun Uncle Mal once mounted. They pulled off their maneuver, just barely escaping the Niska ships. Kylar jumped on the radio in the engine room and told Alexa to hide them in the nearby Halo asteroid belt. Luckily, they found one huge space rock with a narrow cave just big enough to allow them in, then they landed and cut engines to reduce heat emissions.

"We will stay here for the night to let things cool down, then we make a beeline back towards Haven," Kylar explained after they all gathered back in the dining room. "I don't think the Niskas would look for us there, and it is far enough away from civilized space where we can disappear for a bit. I've already made a call over a secure channel to set us up with a private hangar where we can hide Warlock from aerial view until we figure something out, just in case the Niskas do fly by."

 

[celestialdragon]

Wash nodded, agreeing with Kylar's plans. She saw the stormy look on Joseph's face and she gave him a small, sympathetic look. Kylar, Joseph, and herself knew just how bad the Niskas were. But she sensed that Mike was different, and hey, if Kylar trusted her, then so did Wash.

"Who's the contact, Kylar? Just so I know," she asked.

 

[The Jeffinator]

"You wouldn't know him," explained Kylar. "He's an old war buddy of mine. He happens to be in the Blue Sun system right now and agreed to get our hangar set up so we can land quickly. I have trusted him with my life before, and would do so again in a heart beat."

 

[GentleValkyrie]

Her family destroyed everything it touched. She destroyed everything she touched.

She numbly nodded as Kylar took her shoulders, "You're part of my crew, Mike, I promised to watch over you, and that is what I intend to do. I just need to know that you will not hate me or stand in my way should I be forced to act against your family."

Forced to act. She'd already acted against them. Betrayal was more keen a wound than any gunshot. they'd found her. Tracked well enough her brother came for her, not some out family lieutenant. Her gut twisted, she'd put the whole ship in danger. She forced herself to walk back into the ship, following Kylar dumbly toward the kitchen, shying away from Joeseph's dark look.

How do you begin to apologize for her family? How do you begin to explain?

"You all know now that Mike is related to the Niskas. But she is part of this crew, and I would die for her just as I would for any of you. There will be dangers ahead for us, so if anyone wants to back out, say so now or fly true till the end."

No one said anything, but the weight of it fell on her shoulders like bricks. Too little time for deliberation and the klaxon of approaching ships made her jump, wide eyed. The Crazy Ivan was just what it said on its face, and not something the Niska's more modern fleet could match without atmospheric engines mounted on an equal axis. In another time, with other adversaries, it would have been fun to experience. Knowing that if it failed it would be all her fault found her following Kylar to the engine room, being an agile pair of hands and eyes and all too aware of how close to the edge of the ships performance envelope they were pushing her.

Because of her.

She slipped back into the dining room, leaning against the cupboards close to the hatch, not willing to take her usual chair at the table. She nodded as Kylar laid out his plan and then slipped away, retreating to her quarters.

 

[celestialdragon]

Wash nodded at Kylar's response, noticing that Mike had sneaked off. She really didn't blame her, and she felt bad for her.

"Right. Anyways, let's get some chow on the table," she said, smiling. "I believe it's the good doctor's turn to cook," she added, winking at Joseph. "Let us know when food's done. In the meantime, I'm going to work on some of the wiring on Warlock."

And with that she went up to the cockpit.

 

[The Jeffinator]

"Okay, cool," replied Kylar. After a minute, he went and knocked on the hatch to Mike's room. "How are you doing, kid?" he asked gently as he sat down next to her on her bed. "It can't be easy -- having a family like the Niskas. But blood doesn't mean squat. The people who you enjoy being with -- the ones who make you happy -- that's family. We're your family, Mike. These horrible people who have brought you so much suffering in your life just happen to have the same last name, that's all."

Kylar pulled Mikaela into a hug and then kissed her on the forehead gently. He then walked toward the hatch and started to climb up the ladder, but before leaving he looked back towards her. "We're your family, Mike. The only family you need. Never forget that."

 

[AuraSphere]

Just as Jesse made it to his room, the captain called everyone out to the dining hall to make his announcement regarding Mike. Jesse didn't even consider the offer to back out. This was his friend Kylar was talking about, and he'd grown somewhat fond of the rest of the crew. The ship felt like the closest thing he'd had to a real home in months. No way could he turn his back on them. Especially Mike.

While Kylar and Wash were working on some fancy maneuver, he made his way down to the cargo hold. In addition to the sparring space he and Mike used, Kylar had allotted Jesse some space for his exercise equipment. Jesse was grateful for that; oftentimes he felt like he was just waste of space to have on the ship. Fighting was all he was good for, and everyone else seemed to be able to handle themselves just fine.

Jesse furiously hit the punching bag over and over again. He imagined that it was the Niskas. He wanted to make them pay for trying to take his friend away. For wanting to kill him and the rest of the crew.

And small part of him wanted to bring them to justice so he could prove he was useful to those he now lived with. To prove he was worth something. To prove he wasn't just waste of space...like his equipment.

Jesse tackled the bag to the ground, breaking it off its chain. He kneeled overtop of it, striking it over and over. Small rips were starting to form. He got up and kicked it as he stormed off to his room to smoke a bowl. He really needed to calm down. He'd fix his stuff later.

 

[creampieu444]

xxxxx

 

[celestialdragon]

Wash came out of the cockpit, smelling food. She was absolutely starving.

She noticed how surly Joseph looked and went over to him, hugging him. "Hey, talk to me," she said softly, giving the food a quick glance to make sure it wasn't burnt. "You're upset."

 

[CaramelLuv]

Amaya listened to Kylar's words silently, then watched Joseph close in on himself, as he tended to do when he was upset. Shaking her head slightly at the ways that the universe seemed to bring even the unlikliest of allies together, she moved to take a walk while Joseph cooked.

She wasn't even hurt he hadn't bothered to answer her question when she had caught up with him earlier. He hadn't wanted to talk. That she was there for him, should he need her, was never in question with the two of them. They were closer than siblings, more than family.

As she moved her way toward her shuttle, she paused on the walkway and watched Jesse, sighing softly at his anger, before going to do some meditation before dinner.

 

[creampieu444]

xxxxx

 

[celestialdragon]

Wash nodded. "Sure," she said softly. She kissed his cheek and went and found Amaya. "Hey Amaya? Joseph says dinner's ready in five, and he apologizes," she said.

 

[GentleValkyrie]

She paced in her room, a feeling of being trapped in her life filling her with nervous energy. She jumped when Kylar knocked on the hatch, trying to recover herself as he climbed down into her room. She forced herself to sit on the bed, trying to remain calm.

"How are you doing, kid?"

She shook her head. "Rough day. I don't know what to do with myself. I don't know if this is the right thing ... I put you and yours in danger, Kylar. My family doesn't forget things and betrayal... I'm really scared." she admitted softly.

It can't be easy -- having a family like the Niskas. But blood doesn't mean squat. The people who you enjoy being with -- the ones who make you happy -- that's family. We're your family, Mike. These horrible people who have brought you so much suffering in your life just happen to have the same last name, that's all."

She listened to him, letting herself lean against his shoulder and feeling his voice vibrate into her, calming her with more than his words. She managed a small smile. His arms were warm and solid as he gathered her into a gentle embrace and she buried her face into his shoulder for a moment, drawing comfort from his closeness, before pulling away and collecting herself behind a more stoic face.

"We're your family, Mike. The only family you need. Never forget that." She nodded as he made his way from her room. It would be enough. It had to be enough.

 

[The Jeffinator]

As Kylar was walking through the hall away from Mike's room, he passed Alexa, then pulled her into a hug. "Hey. I didn't ask how you were doing. With all this, I mean. You okay?"

 

[CaramelLuv]

Amaya looked up from her her altar and smiled. "I know he does." She stood, gracefully unfolding her legs, and moved to the door. "Thank you for letting me know. I'll head there in a moment." She went back to her altar to finish praying before heading to the dining area for dinner.