Camouflage Ch2
Mar. 11th, 2005 11:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jebbypalAU-ish Firefly story. Ch1 etc can be found here
Chapter 2: Destinations
Zoe programmed her destination into the autopilot when she heard Wash start to wake. Immediate necessities taken care of, she went to her husband's side. "Hey there."
Wash blinked at her blearily. "Zoe?"
"Hey you," she replied with a tender smile. "Everything's fine. Here, this will help," she told him, offering a canteen of water.
Wash pushed the canteen away. "What's going on and why are we on the shuttle? If Mal agreed to a vacation, why do I feel like I just went two rounds with Jayne?"
Zoe caressed his face as she considered her answer. Most likely Wash wasn't ready for the truth. It would come out soon, but best to only have one passenger to worry about right now. "Things got humped at the meet and the feds showed up. Mal ordered me to get River away from the ship. Knew I'd be distracted if you were left behind, so he told me to take you too."
Wash struggled to sit up. The drugs were clearly still affecting him because his color turned rather green and he forcefully balanced himself with his hands on the bench. "So if that's what happened, how come I'm all space-sick and River's unconscious…and tied up?"
"Feds piped a narcotic gas into the ship. Mal and Jayne distracted them while I got the two of you to a shuttle. River might be disoriented when she comes around; I figured restraints would be better than fighting with her for control of the ship," Zoe explained.
"It doesn't make any sense Zoe. How did they find us?"
"I don't know. Maybe the buyer rolled on us after getting pinched." Zoe looked up when she heard the alarm notifying her that the shuttle had reached the intended coordinates. "Look, rest for a bit more and keep an eye on River. Everything will be okay."
Wash swallowed hard as another wave of nausea hit him. Sure, things would be just fine. But who the hell was flying Serenity in his and Zoe's absence?
Kaylee watched Inara in the pilot's seat examining Serenity's flight controls while the mechanic nervously chewed at her fingernails. "Ya really think you'll be able to fly her?"
Inara resisted the urge to snap at the mechanic. Everyone dealt with the stress of the disappearance of River, Wash, and Zoe in different ways. Kaylee's just happened to be a nuisance when Inara was trying to focus on deciphering the main cockpit controls. "Flying the ship won't be difficult, mei mei. Navigation is another matter. I think that between Simon and Book's mathematical knowledge, we'll manage."
Kaylee nodded as she walked closer to the other woman. "Just don't understand it is all. I mean, why would they leave? And where's Zoe? She's gonna be so upset when she finds out Wash is gone."
"I'm sure Mal will find her. And then we'll be able to start looking for the others." Inara prayed that Zoe would indeed be found. Experience had taught her that when Malcolm Reynolds was deprived of the steadying influence of his second-in-command, the situation often deteriorated from bad to worse.
"Well, that was a waste of time and fuel," Mal stated.
Book nodded. He'd felt the Captain's tension rise with every landing that yielded no clues as to Zoe's whereabouts. The man was worried about his friend while being downright terrified by the disappearance of the other two crewmembers. Zoe, Wash, and River…the pattern made no sense. Book's gut told him that Wash would be the last person to turn the younger girl in to the authorities and there was no one that Malcolm trusted more than Zoe. Yet here they were, returning from a fruitless search for one with no idea as to what had happened to the rest.
"I'm going to check on Jayne," Book informed the younger man as they exited the shuttle.
Mal grunted. "Good idea. Maybe the doctor knows why all my crew was asleep in their food."
They found Simon sitting on the couch outside of the infirmary. His face fell when Book shook his head in response to the boy's unspoken query. Book felt deeply for him. To have thought that he and his sister had attained some measure of security in the unlikeliest of places and then have it all ripped from him without warning was akin to torture. As a shepherd, this situation was testing even his faith. He admired the strength of character of both the captain and the doctor. Lesser men would be cursing the fates or have resigned themselves to their loss already.
"How's Jayne doin'?" Mal asked as he turned his back to allow the doctor a measure of privacy to regain his composure.
"The bullet went straight through without damaging the bone. He'll be in pain, but should heal quickly," Simon informed them.
"Any ideas as to what affected the rest of us?" Book asked.
Simon looked down at the floor before answering. "The food. A strong sedative was in the food." Mal cursed fluently as Book considered the new information. Simon finally added the conclusion that Book had already reached. "It was Wash's turn to cook."
Book almost felt weak with shock. The idea that the pilot might seek to profit off of River's pain only added to the betrayal of the Captain, crew, and his wife…Zoe, had she been a part of the deed? If not, where was she?
"Zoe must have gotten a whiff of what he'd planned, that's why she's missing," Mal declared. "I'm going to see if Inara is ready to try to follow them. We'll need one of you for the navigating soon."
Book and Simon both nodded. Once they were alone, Simon turned to Book. "Do you think he's right?" he asked clearly hoping for something, anything that might bring his sister back.
Book sighed. "It's possible," he replied. Out of desire to spare the boy's feelings, he refrained from mentioning other likely scenarios. The Captain's deduction didn't explain why only one shuttle was missing.
"Wode tian, that's a big ship!" Wash stated as he sat in the co-pilot seat of the shuttle.
Zoe glanced at him as she went through the identification and docking protocols necessary to turn the landing controls over to the space-carrier that loomed in space before them.
Wash leaned forward to get a better look at the behemoth. "A Zeta35 Transport?" he asked. "Geez, I thought they were all destroyed or impounded after the war."
"Not all," Zoe replied tersely.
"Apparently." Wash sat back in his seat and looked at his wife. "Judging from our course, I assume that's our ride?"
"How's River?"
"Okay," Wash drawled. "Avoidance is the battle plan for today. You know, I think that you could let me in on the plan a little here lambie-toes. I may not be Mal, but I'm not going to fall apart on you either," he griped.
Zoe sighed as she rolled her eyes at her husband. "I already told you the plan zhang-fu. We will dock with this ship which will put some more distance between us and the Alliance patrol on Rantun before we figure out a way to help the rest of the crew." Pausing for effect, she made the last adjustments to their course. "In the meantime, I would like to know whether our gracious hosts will be dealing with our crazy Reader while she's conscious or not."
"Sorry, I just thought that you already had your plan figured out. River's fine. Still sleeping peacefully."
"Good." Zoe's stomach was in knots. Wash was the one mistake in an otherwise perfectly executed maneuver. Whoever she saw next would not be happy. Worse, if they let him stay….or told him the truth, he wouldn't be happy. "Listen honey, I know you feel out of the loop, but when we get on that ship I need you to follow my lead. Dong ma?"
Wash nodded and gave her one of his signature grins. She did her best to return it, but she didn't know if she had much to be happy about right now.
"What do you mean you lost it?" Mal roared.
Kaylee flinched at his outburst and shrank back into her seat in front of the radar and telemetry screens. "Don’t yell at her, it's not her fault," Inara shouted back.
Mal's face twisted at the Companion's words. "This is my boat 'Nara and I will do as…"
"Captain," Book interrupted.
"What?" Mal asked curtly.
"It's not Kaylee's fault. The Cortex indicates that there have recently been a series of comets in this quadrant of space. Even an Alliance trained technician would have trouble picking up any kind of trail after this long," Book explained.
Mal cursed loudly in English and Mandarin for a good five minutes before calming somewhat. "Can nothing go my way today?"
Kaylee's eyes were wide as she regarded the others in the room. The entire day had been so surreal. To think that Wash could ever…No, she couldn't believe it. They'd find there was another explanation when they found him and River, surely. He'd never do that, not to the Cap'n or Zoe. They just had to find them to figure it all out.
"There's only so far that the shuttle could go," she offered. "Once Simon and Book find the places they could be, we'll check until we find 'em."
Mal barely glanced at her before turning to look out at space again. Seeing him so torn up was almost as bad as seeing Simon sick with worry over River. The shuttle would turn up, she told herself. Anything else was unthinkable.
Zoe tried to disguise her displeasure when the Cortex lit up to indicate an incoming call. After making sure that Wash was clearly visible to the camera, she initiated the signal.
"Zoe," an older woman in a brown uniform greeted.
"Ma'am," Zoe replied with a nod. "Permission to come aboard for myself and two civilians."
The officer frowned at Zoe's information. "I thought you understood we discouraged visits by anyone of neutral standing."
"Couldn't be helped. One was a fugitive we were harboring, but my ship ran into a patrol. The other's my husband." Huh, seems like that particular expression of displeasure wasn't unique to the Captain. They must get lessons when they get promoted to officer status, Zoe mused.
"If you brought them, I assume you vouch for both?" After Zoe agreed, the officer signaled instructions to someone. "Fine then, escorts will receive you. The civilians are not to roam understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." Zoe glanced over when she felt Wash hit her elbow. After seeing his silent message she turned back to the screen. "One more thing - the fugitive I mentioned, she needs medical attention."
"Understood. We'll see to it. And Zoe, welcome back," the woman stated with a warm smile before signing off.
"Welcome back?" Wash asked.
"Later husband. Later."
Chapter 2: Destinations
Zoe programmed her destination into the autopilot when she heard Wash start to wake. Immediate necessities taken care of, she went to her husband's side. "Hey there."
Wash blinked at her blearily. "Zoe?"
"Hey you," she replied with a tender smile. "Everything's fine. Here, this will help," she told him, offering a canteen of water.
Wash pushed the canteen away. "What's going on and why are we on the shuttle? If Mal agreed to a vacation, why do I feel like I just went two rounds with Jayne?"
Zoe caressed his face as she considered her answer. Most likely Wash wasn't ready for the truth. It would come out soon, but best to only have one passenger to worry about right now. "Things got humped at the meet and the feds showed up. Mal ordered me to get River away from the ship. Knew I'd be distracted if you were left behind, so he told me to take you too."
Wash struggled to sit up. The drugs were clearly still affecting him because his color turned rather green and he forcefully balanced himself with his hands on the bench. "So if that's what happened, how come I'm all space-sick and River's unconscious…and tied up?"
"Feds piped a narcotic gas into the ship. Mal and Jayne distracted them while I got the two of you to a shuttle. River might be disoriented when she comes around; I figured restraints would be better than fighting with her for control of the ship," Zoe explained.
"It doesn't make any sense Zoe. How did they find us?"
"I don't know. Maybe the buyer rolled on us after getting pinched." Zoe looked up when she heard the alarm notifying her that the shuttle had reached the intended coordinates. "Look, rest for a bit more and keep an eye on River. Everything will be okay."
Wash swallowed hard as another wave of nausea hit him. Sure, things would be just fine. But who the hell was flying Serenity in his and Zoe's absence?
Kaylee watched Inara in the pilot's seat examining Serenity's flight controls while the mechanic nervously chewed at her fingernails. "Ya really think you'll be able to fly her?"
Inara resisted the urge to snap at the mechanic. Everyone dealt with the stress of the disappearance of River, Wash, and Zoe in different ways. Kaylee's just happened to be a nuisance when Inara was trying to focus on deciphering the main cockpit controls. "Flying the ship won't be difficult, mei mei. Navigation is another matter. I think that between Simon and Book's mathematical knowledge, we'll manage."
Kaylee nodded as she walked closer to the other woman. "Just don't understand it is all. I mean, why would they leave? And where's Zoe? She's gonna be so upset when she finds out Wash is gone."
"I'm sure Mal will find her. And then we'll be able to start looking for the others." Inara prayed that Zoe would indeed be found. Experience had taught her that when Malcolm Reynolds was deprived of the steadying influence of his second-in-command, the situation often deteriorated from bad to worse.
"Well, that was a waste of time and fuel," Mal stated.
Book nodded. He'd felt the Captain's tension rise with every landing that yielded no clues as to Zoe's whereabouts. The man was worried about his friend while being downright terrified by the disappearance of the other two crewmembers. Zoe, Wash, and River…the pattern made no sense. Book's gut told him that Wash would be the last person to turn the younger girl in to the authorities and there was no one that Malcolm trusted more than Zoe. Yet here they were, returning from a fruitless search for one with no idea as to what had happened to the rest.
"I'm going to check on Jayne," Book informed the younger man as they exited the shuttle.
Mal grunted. "Good idea. Maybe the doctor knows why all my crew was asleep in their food."
They found Simon sitting on the couch outside of the infirmary. His face fell when Book shook his head in response to the boy's unspoken query. Book felt deeply for him. To have thought that he and his sister had attained some measure of security in the unlikeliest of places and then have it all ripped from him without warning was akin to torture. As a shepherd, this situation was testing even his faith. He admired the strength of character of both the captain and the doctor. Lesser men would be cursing the fates or have resigned themselves to their loss already.
"How's Jayne doin'?" Mal asked as he turned his back to allow the doctor a measure of privacy to regain his composure.
"The bullet went straight through without damaging the bone. He'll be in pain, but should heal quickly," Simon informed them.
"Any ideas as to what affected the rest of us?" Book asked.
Simon looked down at the floor before answering. "The food. A strong sedative was in the food." Mal cursed fluently as Book considered the new information. Simon finally added the conclusion that Book had already reached. "It was Wash's turn to cook."
Book almost felt weak with shock. The idea that the pilot might seek to profit off of River's pain only added to the betrayal of the Captain, crew, and his wife…Zoe, had she been a part of the deed? If not, where was she?
"Zoe must have gotten a whiff of what he'd planned, that's why she's missing," Mal declared. "I'm going to see if Inara is ready to try to follow them. We'll need one of you for the navigating soon."
Book and Simon both nodded. Once they were alone, Simon turned to Book. "Do you think he's right?" he asked clearly hoping for something, anything that might bring his sister back.
Book sighed. "It's possible," he replied. Out of desire to spare the boy's feelings, he refrained from mentioning other likely scenarios. The Captain's deduction didn't explain why only one shuttle was missing.
"Wode tian, that's a big ship!" Wash stated as he sat in the co-pilot seat of the shuttle.
Zoe glanced at him as she went through the identification and docking protocols necessary to turn the landing controls over to the space-carrier that loomed in space before them.
Wash leaned forward to get a better look at the behemoth. "A Zeta35 Transport?" he asked. "Geez, I thought they were all destroyed or impounded after the war."
"Not all," Zoe replied tersely.
"Apparently." Wash sat back in his seat and looked at his wife. "Judging from our course, I assume that's our ride?"
"How's River?"
"Okay," Wash drawled. "Avoidance is the battle plan for today. You know, I think that you could let me in on the plan a little here lambie-toes. I may not be Mal, but I'm not going to fall apart on you either," he griped.
Zoe sighed as she rolled her eyes at her husband. "I already told you the plan zhang-fu. We will dock with this ship which will put some more distance between us and the Alliance patrol on Rantun before we figure out a way to help the rest of the crew." Pausing for effect, she made the last adjustments to their course. "In the meantime, I would like to know whether our gracious hosts will be dealing with our crazy Reader while she's conscious or not."
"Sorry, I just thought that you already had your plan figured out. River's fine. Still sleeping peacefully."
"Good." Zoe's stomach was in knots. Wash was the one mistake in an otherwise perfectly executed maneuver. Whoever she saw next would not be happy. Worse, if they let him stay….or told him the truth, he wouldn't be happy. "Listen honey, I know you feel out of the loop, but when we get on that ship I need you to follow my lead. Dong ma?"
Wash nodded and gave her one of his signature grins. She did her best to return it, but she didn't know if she had much to be happy about right now.
"What do you mean you lost it?" Mal roared.
Kaylee flinched at his outburst and shrank back into her seat in front of the radar and telemetry screens. "Don’t yell at her, it's not her fault," Inara shouted back.
Mal's face twisted at the Companion's words. "This is my boat 'Nara and I will do as…"
"Captain," Book interrupted.
"What?" Mal asked curtly.
"It's not Kaylee's fault. The Cortex indicates that there have recently been a series of comets in this quadrant of space. Even an Alliance trained technician would have trouble picking up any kind of trail after this long," Book explained.
Mal cursed loudly in English and Mandarin for a good five minutes before calming somewhat. "Can nothing go my way today?"
Kaylee's eyes were wide as she regarded the others in the room. The entire day had been so surreal. To think that Wash could ever…No, she couldn't believe it. They'd find there was another explanation when they found him and River, surely. He'd never do that, not to the Cap'n or Zoe. They just had to find them to figure it all out.
"There's only so far that the shuttle could go," she offered. "Once Simon and Book find the places they could be, we'll check until we find 'em."
Mal barely glanced at her before turning to look out at space again. Seeing him so torn up was almost as bad as seeing Simon sick with worry over River. The shuttle would turn up, she told herself. Anything else was unthinkable.
Zoe tried to disguise her displeasure when the Cortex lit up to indicate an incoming call. After making sure that Wash was clearly visible to the camera, she initiated the signal.
"Zoe," an older woman in a brown uniform greeted.
"Ma'am," Zoe replied with a nod. "Permission to come aboard for myself and two civilians."
The officer frowned at Zoe's information. "I thought you understood we discouraged visits by anyone of neutral standing."
"Couldn't be helped. One was a fugitive we were harboring, but my ship ran into a patrol. The other's my husband." Huh, seems like that particular expression of displeasure wasn't unique to the Captain. They must get lessons when they get promoted to officer status, Zoe mused.
"If you brought them, I assume you vouch for both?" After Zoe agreed, the officer signaled instructions to someone. "Fine then, escorts will receive you. The civilians are not to roam understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." Zoe glanced over when she felt Wash hit her elbow. After seeing his silent message she turned back to the screen. "One more thing - the fugitive I mentioned, she needs medical attention."
"Understood. We'll see to it. And Zoe, welcome back," the woman stated with a warm smile before signing off.
"Welcome back?" Wash asked.
"Later husband. Later."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-11 08:38 pm (UTC)Very cool, remembering Inara's piloting skills. I always liked that extra little layer on her character.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-11 08:51 pm (UTC)Ch3 is up for your gratification;) More to come later in the weekend unless lj slumber party really sucks at my time.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-12 12:02 pm (UTC)