Re: All In The Game

[LadyRaven]

Serenity cradled her pistol too as the airlock opened and they were greeted by the captain and two crewmen. A slight cock of her head saw Krell move forward and plant his muzzle right under the captain's chin. Clearly, these two had a history. "Now now gentlemen." She said almost sweetly. "Let's keep the idiots locked away for now." She nodded her head to Kai who then urged the other two crewmen back so Serenity could get at Krell. "Put it down." She said quietly, "He's no use to us dead. Not yet anyways."
The other captain looked almost relieved at Serenity's interference in the matter, but he wasn't about to simply let them walk over him either. "There are two cruisers heading this way as we speak." He told the pirates, "You and your ship will be destroyed presently, upgrades and all."
Serenity smiled and carefully wedged herself in between Krell and the other captain. It put her dangerously close to Krell and in quite an intimate way too, but it was the only way she could detract the man from killing their only source of information thus far. "I have no doubt of it, Captain." She said courteously, "And when they finally get here, I'm sure the debris will give them plenty to think on. In the meantime however, you and I will have a little chat, nice and friendly-like. OK?" She smiled almost warmly as she carefully removed Krell's pistol from the other captain's chin and replaced it with her own.
"I don't have to tell you anything, Diamond." He said coldly.
"True." She replied, "But you will."
"Why should I?"
Her smile turned coldly, "Because if you don't, I'll let you and Krell have a little alone time. Which is it to be?"
The other captain gulped loudly and looked at Krell briefly before turning his eyes back to Serenity...........

[Guest]

Krell wanted to blow the captains head off so badly. But Serenity was right, he was not good to them dead. As she wedged her self in between him and the captain, he felt her body rub against his. It was distracting. She then moved his blaster from the captain and put her own in its place. He backed up a bit to giver Serenity room.

Paul was always a coward at heart and always picked on those that were weaker. Just like trying to take the Jessebel. A much smaller ship then his. He had chickened out with Krell's mutiny plans and had turned him in. Which caused Krell to be court martialed and imprisoned. Now with the Jessebel showing her new teeth, he tried to turn tail and run and he didn't want to be left alone with Krell.

"Yes we have a lot to talk about Paul. I see your betrayal got you a captain's position. But I don't think that will last very long. As for the crusiers, don't think so. You didn't get off a message before we took your comm array out." Paul swallowed hard again, licking his lips. "Now I suggest you answer the lady's questions and quickly. Or we will leave and I promise you I will put enough holes in this piece of crap that you will have but mere hours to live while suffering a slow death from lack of air."

Paul's body began to tremble and he nodded.

[LadyRaven]

Serenity smiled warmly again as the other captain nodded and slowly moved her pistol from under his chin. "Nice to meet you Paul." She said, "You can call me Serenity." She waved her gun down the corridor, "Let's go have a seat and that chat." Ahead of them, Kai already had the other two crewmen leading him to the bridge and he found no resistance on the way. He confirmed this by tapping the node on his ear.
"All clear Boss." he said, "No trouble so far and my two pups are behaving good."
"Understood." Serenity said back and nodded for Paul to make his way in the same direction. They arrived on the bridge a few minutes later.

The bridge crew greeted their attackers with their hands on their heads and chairs pulled away from their consols. Kai kept his pistol trained neatly on them all as Serenity took a seat in the captain's chair and sat back a little. Paul was allowed to sit in the second's chair while Krell was left to do his own thing.
"Now then Paul." Serenity began, "I have a few questions for you."
"OK."
"And depending on your answers, we'll see how many of you get to go home again to see your families. Crystal?"
Paul nodded.
"Good puppy." She leaned forward in the chair again and pointed her pistol at the nearest crewman, a cowering wreck of a boy no older than his late teens. "What is a second rate Gemini class Frigate doing all the way out here in the outer rims Paul?" She asked, "Not that I care much, I can make this thing disappear as quick as snapping my fingers, but I'm curious why the Empire would send one out here all alone and with such a....." She looked at the young crewman and then back at Paul, ".... half-arsed crew." She then cocked her head and waited for the answer.
The seconds ticked away and with each one, her finger put more pressure on the trigger. 3lbs on the 4lb trigger and climbing. The young crewman had maybe another ten seconds to live. "I'm waiting."..........

[Guest]

Krell followed behind them all to the bridge. He grinned when she took the captains chair and had Paul take the second's. The bridge crew were smart enough not to try anything funny. Krell walked around the bridge and walked over to one of the consols. "Might not need to blow the kid away." he told Serenity. Taking one of the ear jacks and put it in his ear and punched a few buttons.

Just like the empire not to change things. He easily accessed the ship's log. He raised a brow. "Looks like Paul and his crew have been out here for the last few days stopping all ships going to Vargas system. His eyes narrowed, "Damn. They know about the professor but don't know where he is." he then turned to Paul. "How did you find out" He grabbed the man by the uniform and pulled him from the chair, lifting him off his feet. Only one way that the imperials could have known was to have a spy in the mists of the rebels. His eyes were ablaze with anger and hate. "Talk or I will personally put you into an airlock and open the other door. You know I will do it!"

"There....... there..... there is a ..... spy." he stammered. "Don't.... know.... who....or where." he was shaking like a leaf. He swallowed hard again. "We know that someone called the professor has discovered something important and some one was coming to pick him up."

Krell virtually threw Paul back into the chair. "We have to get moving. If he is here for this, there will probably be other ships scattered all over the system waiting. He had one of his blasters in hand as he started for the bridge door.

[LadyRaven]

Not quite the answers she had been expecting, but Serenity had learned long ago never to expect much when it came to Imperials. Still, they had what hey needed and now it was time to go again. She tapped her node. "Slyder." She said firmly.
"Yes Boss?" Came the reply.
"I'm gonna download the Frigate's log into my node for you. See what you can do with it please." She told him.
"Aye aye Boss."
Serenity removed the node and attached it to the captain's consol. Another tap and the whole thing suddenly lit up like a tiny star. It turned red, then blue, then green as the information was downloaded into the tiny earpiece, then it went back to it's original colour of Grey. Serenity replaced the node into her ear and got off the chair. She looked down at Paul coldly. "If you have any honour in you." She told him, "I'd suggest you find the nearest airlock and blow yourself into space. As for the rest of you." She looked around the bridge at all the young faces. "Go home to your families before the real bad guys turn up." She then left them to it.

Back on the Jezabell, Serenity double checked they hadn't been followed and then locked the airlock hatch. She then tapped the commlink to the bridge. "Ok Kai, ready when you are."...........

[Guest]

Krell hated to leave a ship like the frigget in the hands of such as Paul. It would have made a fine additon to the rebels small fleet. Had he his own ship, he would have put a prize crew onboard it, shuttled the imperial crew to a nearby world, and towed it to a place in space off the shipping lanes to make repairs or leave it to be recovered later with a repair team.

But they had no time nor the man power for that. He made sure that none of the imperial crew showed themselves as they made their way back to the Jessebel. Once back on board and the airlock sealed, he felt a bit more secure, but still not out of the woods. He would not feel good until they were away from the Justify and on Vargas Prime. "We have to get there fast and pick the Professor up and get the hell out of there fast. It will not take Paul or one of his men long to realize they are close to that Seim Probe and can use it to sent a message out to the other imperial ships in the area."

Once out of the air lock he made his way to the bridge with Serenity. "Have the bridge jam all freqencies till we are well clear of here." he told her. They were now not far from Vargas and it would not take long to collect the professor and be back in space.

[LadyRaven]

Serenity nodded in agreement as she made her way up to the bridge. "For once, I'm in total agreement with you." She admitted openly. The Jezabell quickly moved away from the frigate and towards Vargas (valara?). "The sooner we have the professor clear and safe in Haven, we need to get a shift on." She arrived quickly on the bridge to find Kai quickly getting the ship back on course and Slyder filtering his way through the data she had sent him. She took her seat, offering the pilot's seat almost without thinking to Krell.

"Jamming all frequencies." She said firmly. "With what life support they have left, I'd give them a day out here before they're dead if they're not found. Give it maybe three or four days and send out a probe to see if it's still here. If so, we have some spare parts if nothing else." She smiled briefly at Krell and then got back to getting her ship to Vargas........

[Guest]

Krell moved to station handling the ship sensors and set them to their max range. Nothing appeared by the Justify and he breathed a sigh of releif. "When Paul does not check in at his designated time, they will attempt to contact him. When they can't they will send a ship to see what is goin on. I hope that will still be a while. Should buy us enough time to get in at least and pick the professor up." he told Serenity as he continued to watch the sensor screen, his back to her.

It seemed she was her old self again. The screaming and temper tampturm she had thrown in the galley now behind her. The rest of the trip to the planet was uneventful. Pressing a few more buttons, Krell adjusted the comm array to pick up the low frequency becon the professor had. "Follow that signal and we will be right on top of him. I'll go prepare to leave the ship and get him while you and your crew keep the ship ready for an immediate getaway." With only a quick glance at her he exited the bridge and went down to the air lock on the lower portion of the ship.

[LadyRaven]

Kai brought up the beacon on the sensors and tuned into it to give an exact location on the planet. He looked once or twice to Serenity, wondering why she hadn't spoken up as it seemed to him that Krell was taking perhaps a few comforts from the command of someone else's ship. But she said nothing and simply carried on as though it didn't matter. Slyder seemed to notice this too, but he put it down to the events of the previous few days.

The Jezabell moved into position and landed effortlessly. Even the dust cloud from the landing gear was tiny. "I've located the beacon about 200 yards North, Krell." Kai announced over the comm. "If you're not back in ten minutes, we're leaving without you." He didn't need to say that, but with an Imperial threat still close to his mind, it seemed important to him. A quick look to his captain showed her to be finding interest in some of the sensor readings from the planet and soon enough, he heard the science station come to life to his right. "Anything interesting Boss?"

Serenity, lost somewhat in her mind, gave a slight jar in her chair and smiled, "Hmm, some interesting protein deposits and some elementals I haven't seen before. I thought I might take a few samples and see what comes of them."..........

[Guest]

Krell heard Kai's comment over the comm and replied. "Wouldn't have it any other way." He took off from the ship at a run for the coridinate. He found some ruins that had been explored already. But there was a small marker at the base of one of the walls. He reached down to it and found behind some lichen a red tile like patch that did not seem to go with the floor of the ruins. Pressing down on it with his hand, a section of the floor dropped away and back to reveal an opening and a starcase. He decended below and found a room that was lit with modern lights, a table with a duffle bag, satchel and a pad and pencile. Along one wall was a cot and some rubbish from food packs and water bottles.

"Professor!" he called out and then from another opening in a wall emerged the elderly professor.

"I am here Krell." he said, "I have so much to show you. This has been a treasure trove, a wealth of information."

"Not now professor. We have troubles. Imperial type if you know what I mean." he told the professor and picked up the duffle bag. "Come on we have to leave and leave now."

The Professor followed him back up the stairs to the ruins. Once there he pressed the red tile with his foot and the door closed back up. Pushing dirt and lichen over the tile he was ready to go. They were just at the ship when the imperial squad emerged from some trees. "HALT!" one cried. Krell threw the duffle bag into the air lock and pushed the professor into it as he drew one of his blasters and began firing at the squad. They returned fire. Energy blasts splashed off the thick hull plating of the Jessebell and kicked up dirt around Krell.

He backed towards the air lock, "Get her up and out of here, he called on the comm." Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and his head spun, as he fell to the ground just outside the airlock.

[LadyRaven]

The Jezabell had been on the ground barely two minutes when the sensors picked up something unwanted. "Uh Captain?" Kai said cautiously, "I think we have company already."
Still immersed in trivials, Serenity looked up almost casually, "Hmm?"
Kai tapped his screen, "Company." He repeated, "And it don't look too friendly."
Serenity was instantly back in reality, "Dammit!" She yelled, "Slyder, get down to the airlock and get ready to give covering fire!" She hit the comm link, "Mac, fire it up, we got nasties!"
"Understood!" Came the reply.

It took Slyder only a minute to get down to the airlock and was just in time to see Krell racing back with the professor. Plasma blasts reflected off the hull in various places as Slyder ducked to avoid being hit and then got hit anyways by the professor's heavy duffle. Then, he had to literally catch the man himself before he bounced while giving Krell some cover fire at the same time. The engines were roaring and the Jezabell was already lifting off when Slyder saw Krell get hit. Tossing his blaster to one side, he reached out and plucked the man up quickly by his scruff. A hop, skip and jump backwards saw both men fall back into the ship and Slyder quickly kicked the airlock button to seal it shut. The ship then literally jarred it's way back into the atmosphere and away from the gunfire.

It took a moment, but Slyder eased Krell to the wall and then hit the comm, "All accounted for Boss." He said, "But Krell's been hit. I'm taking him to the med bay."
"Understood." Serenity replied, "I'll meet you there."
A few minutes later, Slyder eased Krell onto a slide-out medical bed and then turned back to find Serenity already getting the necessary things. "I need you on the bridge with Kai." Serenity said as she pulled out gauze bandages and salve.
"Sure thing Boss." Slyder replied and left the pair alone.

Moving quietly, Serenity went about washing her hands and getting things ready to patch up Krell. She removed her outer shirt so it wouldn't get mucky and then quickly tied her hair back. From what she could see, the wound was bad, but Krell would survive. "Just keep still." She told him quietly.........

[Guest]

Krell had been hit by a blaster blast. The energy burned a hole through his shoulder and out the back, along with burning the skin along the upper chest and arm where it had hit. He was not quite with it when he was pulled inside the airlock and the ship lifted off. Every thing was spinning for him as he was taken to the med bay. The effect of the energy that had hit him also caused his body's nervious system to short circuit a bit. A by product of the blast.

His shirt was also burned, gone from his shoulder and half his chest. When Serenity applied the gauze and bandages, she would see the scars that criss crossed his back, that had been made by the prison whips.

The imperial patrol radioed that they had been to late to capture the professor and another. They gave a discription of the ship that had taken off. Aboard the Inquisitor, a Heavy Crusier, Admiral Montrose stood on the bridge his hands clasped behind his back. "Small Cargo ship lifted off the plantet with the Professor."

"Lay in an intercept course. I want that ship and the Professor." He looked sternely at the officer that had given him the news.

"Yes sir." the man nodded and turned to go.

"Have all ships in the area close in on that cargo ship." he told the officer. The man stopped and turned back to the admiral.

"Yes Sir, but we have lost contact with the Justify. Should the ship move in that direction, we will be the only one that will be able to intercept."

The admiral did not look happy. "Keep trying to raise the Justify. They had better have a damned good reason for not responding."

[LadyRaven]

As Serenity carefully removed what was left of Krell's shirt, she took careful note of the older scarring across his shoulders and back. It was horrific to say the least. Imperial prisons were notorious for their torture and cruelty and she had seen many examples of it over the years, but she knew then that Krell must have been a special case to them to leave him with such deep wounds like that. For a brief moment, she actually wondered how he'd managed to survive long enough for them to heal. Just then.
"Boss." It was Kai.
Serenity moved back a little from the med table and hit the comm button with her elbow, "Go ahead." She replied.
"I'm picking up a heavy cruiser heading this way. It's on an intercept course. You don't need to guess who it is."
Serenity nodded, "Ok, get us out of the area quick as you can and find us somewhere to hide. There should be a large Hydro nebulae not far from here, yes?"
"Sure." Kai responded, "They could search for months and not find us in there."
"Make it happen then." She ordered and soon enough, she felt the small jarring sensation of going into hyperspace. She then turned her attention back to the rather massive hole in Krell's shoulder.

Much of the equipment in the med bay hadn't been used in years and it had taken Serenity a good minute or two to remember. Krell's injury had been the worst she had seen for a while. Still, once it was all going, it made things much easier. While Krell lay on the bed, above him, there shone a complete holographic internal scan of his body. It showed the injury in great detail allowing Serenity to know exactly what she was dealing with. On the consol above his head, she could see all his vitals and the drugs being given to ease pain. In one hand, she had a small pencil-like tool that allowed her to reattach flesh to bone without sutures and in the other, a pair of fine ribbed tweezers that she used to pull the various blood vessels and tendons back into place. All the while, the holographic image above Krell gave her step by step instructions on what she needed to do next. Kai got in touch briefly to let her know they had reached the nebulae and Mac came up from the engine room to make sure everything was going OK with Krell. Otherwise, they were generally left alone.

During this alone time, Serenity found herself talking to him. It seemed easier with him unconscious like that. No retort or excuse for whatever she had to say. "You know." She began as she carefully pulled the muscle back into place, "I never knew what kind of guy you really were until now. It's weird for me 'cause I can usually suss people out pretty early on and know them. But you're another story. Maybe that's why you've spooked me bad as you have." The muscle back in place, she carefully sealed the wound and started on another layer as per instruction. "I'd always thought you to be the ballsy, brash rich boy that smooth talked his way out of pretty much everything you got into." She looked up into his unconscious face. "I was wrong." She told him quietly. "I was way off with you and I'm sorry." She gave him a smile and then went back to work again. "I guess we all have a reputation to try and uphold with the other captains and the Empire. I know I have one hell of a rep to contend with, but it's not all true, you know. I'm not the complete hard-ass I make myself out to be. Hard headed and stubborn as a mule, I'll admit to, but I'm not that much of a bitch..... am I? I mean, are Mac and Rahma right when they say I shut everyone out and act like I do?" She looked at Krell's face again and cocked her head to one side. "Do you really see me as the bitch, Krell?" She assumed he couldn't answer of course and shook her head, carrying on. "The thing is Krell, I do this because it's all I know how to do. You see, years ago, something bad happened to me and at the time, nothing was done about it. I had to deal with it pretty much all on my own and when I finally got revenge on him, it didn't make the hurt go away. It stayed with me and I let it eat away until there was nothing left. Mac knows about it, he was there when it happened. He tried to help me, but I shut him out just the same as everyone else. It took him years to get me to open up about it and I learned to trust him. Rahma knows about it now, but there's not much he can do about it and I don't want him to either. He has his own life to deal with." She took a long breath and carefully sealed the wound closed.

"I guess maybe I'm just trying to say sorry for being like I was with you." She continued as she covered the healing flesh with gauze. "It's not your fault what happened to me, but I took it out on you anyway. You got too close and I panicked. And it's not that I don't like you either. That's the other weird thing." She washed her hands again and then washed down his chest, neck and face before covering him again with a clean sheet. She tucked it in under his arms and then sat down next to the bed. Carefully, her fingers traced some of the old scars and she felt herself softening further towards her rival/friend. "Those other women must have been mad to play around." She whispered suddenly. "Pirate or not. If you were mine, I'd never want or need anything else in my life. I can say that now because I know you haven't heard a word of what I've said and you can't answer back." She smiled and smoothed away a strand of hair from his face. However, Krell would still have heard everything. The drugs would have made him unconscious, but not so deeply that he didn't know what was going on around him..........

[Guest]

Krell could feel himself being dragged basicly trought the ship and lifted up onto a table. He could hear Serenity's and Slyder's voices, though they seemed far away. He didn't feel the needles going into his arms but he felt the effects. The pain subsided to a dull ache and he felt himself sliding into darkness. But his sturberness forced himself to remain conscience, even though it was as if he was in a fog.

He heard Kai's voice and it sounded so distant and muffled, but he could make out the words. A heavy cruiser! His command instincts screamed at him to get up and take command of the situation. A heavy cruiser was a flag ship of a task force and that meant an Admiral was in command. An experienced officer that could give any a run for their money. But the drugs now coursing through him made it impossible to move the way he wanted to.

Then he heard the plan to enter the Hydro Nebula. Good plan he thought to himself. She has a good head on her shoulders, he thought to himself. There was the signularity in the Nebula, hidden amongest the gasses and elements that made up the Nebula. The Jessebell could get close to it, easily manuver around it. But the heavy cruiser being so large and slower would be caught in its gravity and be pulled in and crushed. If he could only tell her, but the drugs seemed to have effected his voice for the time being.

He could faintly feel her moving over his body as she worked on his would and then he heard her talking. Again it seemed like she was at the end of a tunnel somewhere at a distance but he could hear her. He got an ear full. When she had finished patching him up more drugs were pumped into him to counter some of the others. Her voice became more clear and his sences were returning to normal, except for the feeling of pain.

"You make it a habit to talk to people that are not suppose to be able to hear you? he managed to get out in a raspy voice. He opened his eyes and it took a few seconds for them to focus.

[LadyRaven]

The first time Serenity had felt safe around this man and it had all been false. In an instant, she was on her feet and ready to swing for him! "Why you conniving..... sly....... deceitful..... Nerf herder!" She cried, "You laid there and let me pour my soul out like that knowing full well I would never dare otherwise! If you weren't so.... wounded, I'd.... I'd.... I'd slam your face through the bulkhead!" For just a split second, Serenity had never felt so betrayed. "Next time, I'll let Rat patch you up and you can go whistle for proper care!"

Serenity moved quickly across the med bay and opened up a large cupboard on the far wall. It contained a small bottle of alcohol that she quickly opened and upended down her throat. "Men!" She cursed quietly, "Sneaky bastards, the lot of them." Thankfully, Kai's voice came over the comm a second later.
"Boss, you busy?"
She moved to the wall and punched the keypad, "Not anymore. What is it?" She snapped.
"Uh, OK. Just to let you know. I've put us about 500 miles from the singularity in the nebulae in a low orbit." Kai said carefully, "The cruiser won't be able to make it anywhere near us and their weapons will be useless in the Hydro field."
"Good job." Serenity answered, but much more politely this time, "How long can we stay here?"
"A good week at least with a few adjustments, if we need to." Kai told her.
"Excellent. Can we bounce a signal past the Siem Probe back to Haven?" Serenity asked, "Let them know what's happening."
"I'll give it a go, but it'll be patchy at best with the gravity and the Hydro field is pretty strong." Kai replied.
"OK." Serenity said, "Do what you can and have the professor set up in some quarters. See if you can go over some of his findings with him, see what sense you can get before we leave."
"Done deal." Kai responded, "How's Krell?"
Serenity growled low in her throat, "Lucky to be alive." She snapped again, "Med bay out."

Serenity took another drink of the alcohol and then looked to Krell again on the bed, "And I mean that." She said to him, "You breathe a word to anyone and that luck'll run out pretty quick.".........

[Guest]

Krell moved his from side to side which made it spin some. "Your own fault." he told her. "Meds did a number to me and made it impossible for me to move or talk. He tried to sit up but fell back onto the table. "If I could have I would have spoken earlier. " he told her still in a raspy voice. He looked over at her sincerety in his eyes. He was not going to tell her that he knew all about what had happened to her when she was younger. That would be up to her to do later, if she felt like it.

"You don't have to worry about me telling anyone what you said, but I would like to know if what you said there towards the end was true. " She had virtually opened up and let her feelings be known, even if she thought he was out cold. She did like him and from what he gathered might not mind starting something with him. It gave him a glimmer of hope

[LadyRaven]

As Krell tried to move, some of the tenderness came back to Serenity and she moved quickly to stop him moving too much. "Try not to move so much." She offered, "Give the meds time to work through your system. You'll be off balance for a while." She opened up a cupboard above his head and pulled a rounded bolster pillow to support him better. She then brought him a small tumbler of water to help with his throat. She offered out the glass and then helped him take some before putting it on the table next to them.

"Yes it was true." She admitted, adding, "Unfortunately on my part. Those other women really must have been insane to mess you around. I mean, you're a handsome guy with a lot about you and you've got some real killer scars. That would impress anyone." She gave a small shrug as though to pass it off as unimportant. "And, as I'm learning now, you've got a heart too. That makes you a real catch for any woman."..........

[Guest]

Krell leaned back on the pillow and tried to relax. His instincts still screamed at him to take action, take command. But it was her ship not his, and it seemed that Kai had things well in hand for the time being. He took one of her hands in his and gave it a slight squeeze. "The offer is still there if you want it. But I know that you might still not want to have any kind of personal relationship at the moment."

He hoped that she would at least think about it. It was not something that he expected a definate answer to right away.

"The ship has moved into the Nebula. Sensors are almost useless. We can not deffinately pinpoint their location and our weapons systems will not work in the Nebula. We have plotted a course that corresponded with theirs as they entered the nebula." One of the officer's reported to the Admiral.

"Then send out probes with the ships energy signature. One should find it and then send a message back here and then we will go and do what ever is necessary to retrieve the Professor and destroy that Bitch of a Pirate and her crew once and for all!"

"Yes sir. Right away." the officer said and turned, "Program the probes with the enemy ships energy signature and launch them in every direction."

A number of probes were launched and they moved into the nebula. One indeed did find the Jessebell and send the message back to the Heavy Cruiser. "Now I got you. You will not escape men now! FLANK SPEED! he called out, "I don't want them slipping away this time!"

[LadyRaven]

Serenity stared down at Krell's hand as it covered her own and she listened to what he said, but then carefully pulled her hand away. "Personal stuff gets in the way." She told him quietly, "And I've already told you. The distraction would probably get us both killed. If we ever get that far, I'll let you know. In the meantime, let's just keep things as they are, OK?" A far cry from the tirade of before and not a single hint of sarcasm either. She was being truly honest this time.

On the bridge, Kai was busy trying to get a message back to Haven. As expected, the signal was patchy at best, but he managed to get the majority of information needed through to the relative people. He was just waiting now on the confirmation. All the while, he was checking the sensors for the cruiser. He was sure they wouldn't be stupid enough to come into this soup after them, but he'd been wrong before. And it seemed that he was wrong again this time. Through the thick hydrogen mixed gasses, the sensor's picked up several probes that then matched the Jezabell's engine signature. They then disappeared, probably crushed by the singularity they were orbiting, but soon after, he saw something much bigger. It was the cruiser. "Oh, they're not!" He hissed, punching all manner of buttons on his consol, then finally the comm. "They bloody are!"
"Excuse me?" It was Serenity's voice from the med bay.
"The cruiser." Kai said, "It's actually coming in here after us!"
"You're joking!" Serenity quipped, "They'll be crushed in minutes!"
"They must want us pretty damned bad, Boss. What do you wanna do?" He asked.
Silence for a moment, then, "We're gonna have to make a run for it." She said, "Wait long enough for the gas to get to their engines, slow them down, then make a break for it on the far side of the singularity. Keep it between us and them for as long as you can."
"Done and done Boss." Kai said, then hit the comm again, "Slyder, I need you up here. And bring Rat with you just in case."
"Understood." Slyder responded.

A few minutes later, the Jezabell jarred away from the singularity's orbit and made a powerful run for the other side. It took a lot out of the engines and Mac had to work hard to keep the system from overloading. The cruiser wouldn't have a chance of escaping if they got any closer. They would surely be killed........

[Guest]

Admiral Montrose stared at the screen and the small blip that appeared on it. "You cant hide from me." he muttered and then gave commands, "Prepare the grapples. As soon as we are close enough I want that ship snared!" The Heavy Cruiser continued on course for the Jessebell.

"Sir the sigularity! We will not be able to escape its gravatational pull if we get to close." one of the bridge crew called out.

Montrose knew what he was doing. That was one reason he had them move into the Nebula at flank speed. He knew that the engines on the Heavy Cruiser would lose some power in the Nebula. When the probe reported their position, he knew that he would have to have the speed built up to escape the pull of the singularity. As the Jessebell moved around the singularity the heavy cruiser hit the edge of it and and begun to swing around after the Serenity's ship.

The singularity did not get a real grip on the Heavy Cruiser. It was able to slingshot around the singularity and pursue the Jessebell.

"Pirate Ship Jessebell, this is Admiral Montrose. You will power down your engines immediately and prepare to be boarded. You have no hope of escape now. Surrender now and I will be merciful, do not and I will destroy your ship and crew!" came the staticy voice of Montrose over the ship's radio.

[LadyRaven]

By the time the Jezabell had moved around the singularity, Serenity had decided to leave Krell to sleep off the drugs in the med bay. She arrived on the bridge in time to see the heavy cruiser actually come into view off their port side. Kai, Slyder and Rat were already hard at work navigating the nebulae and getting the weapons ready to return fire. As she took her seat, Admiral Montrose's voice came over the comm, full of static from the Hydro field and full of fury for them. The cruiser was moving much more easily than it should have been and it made Serenity angry. Still, when she replied to the hail, she was incredibly polite and jovial.

"Admiral Montrose." She said courteously, "My, my, I am honoured with such an appearance. The last time we crossed paths, I do believe you were still a General. Congratulations on your promotion. I'm sure the man you killed for it was worth your time." While she spoke, she was quickly taking the controls and firing up the ion drives for hyperspace. "I'm sure it may appear that we have no escape, but as you are no doubt well aware Admiral, I've always had the uncanny ability to defy you and the Empire. I think I'll take my chances again, if you don't mind. As merciful as you are, you're just as full of shite. Happy hunting Admiral." She then killed the uplink and half turned her head to Kai. "Drop the babies as soon as we hit hyperspace." She ordered.

The babies as she called them were a dozen or so ion powered nodules that mimicked the Jezabell's energy signature. As they were released, they shot off in every direction as a counter measure to being followed. If dropped at the point of hyperspace, they traveled at the same speed long enough to give the impression that not one Jezabell had disappeared, but a dozen or more.

The ion drive engaged almost immediately and just as the babies were being dropped for the Admiral, the Jezabell shot into hyperspace. It didn't matter what direction they took for now, just as long as it was away from the cruiser.........

[Guest]

"Prepare to deploy the grapples!" the admiral commanded. The bridge crew looked nervous. They knew the reputation of the Admiral and did not want to cross him or make him angry at them. One of the bridge officers knew that they were still to far from the Jessebell to successfully sink their graples on to. But he had an idea that might save his neck. Even in the Nebula a hard launced object would travel straight and true. He prepared a tracking device and fired it off. It hit the Jessibell with just a slight ping inside.

When the Jessebell jumped into hyperspace the Admiral was furious. Then from the sensors came a dozen signals that could be the Jesselbell. His face was livid and if a look could kill his would. "Ah sir. I do not mean to intrude or anything, but we can track the real ship. I launced a tracking becon that attached itself to the ship's hull."

The Admiral looked at the officer. "Finally! An officer with some brains. He drew his blaster and shot the ship's captain. "You are now the Captain of the Inquisitor." The new Captain's eyes widened and he stood straighter and came to attention. "Yes sir." He turned to the bridge crew a satisfied look on his face. "Prepare for hyper drive. All weapons powered up. Comm you should be receiveing a signal from the tracking becon. Relay it to helm. Helm lay in a course to follow it!"

The Admiral watched the new Captain take command and begin giving orders. He nodded and thought to himself. 'Now there is one that will go far. I will keep my eye on him for further promotions.'

The Inquisitor leaped into hyperspace in pursuit of the Jessebell.

Krell could not just lay there. With everything going on he wanted to be up on the bridge. He slowly sat up and after his head stoped spinning, slid off the table and stood on his feet. He took a deep breath and took the few steps to the door and grabbed onto the frame. From there he managed to get to his quarters and put on another shirt. Then half stumbling, half walking, he made it to the bridge. They were in hyperspace. "You have the luck of true gambler Serenity." he got out before sinking into one of the station's chairs.

Though Serenity had nixed the idea of them getting to gether at the moment, she had left it open for another time. He could only hope that perhaps it would be sooner then she thought it would be. He would keep the relationship a working one for the time being. Though it hurt to have her close and not be able to say or do anything that he really wanted to. He still could not understand why though. Both knew the risks and he was willing to take them. Those on his crew that were married knew the risks but that still did not stop them or ther wives or lovers from doing what made them happy. They lived their lives to the fullest, knowing that it could end at any time.

[LadyRaven]

The ping on the hull went unnoticed by almost everyone. Where the beacon had attached, the sound was able to carry through the bulkhead and to a certain small set of ears that rarely missed anything worth its juice. For the time being however, Rat had other things on his mind. Mac was working hard to get the most from the engines and it was left to him to make sure nothing overloaded for the old man. Not to mention the rather revealing picture of his new girlfriend he kept peeking at in his pocket. A promise for when he got back apparently and Rat could barely contain himself. All that going through his mind, he decided the ping wasn't something to take too serious a note of for the moment, but he would bring it up with the captain as soon as they stopped.

Up on the bridge, Serenity smiled openly and leaned back in her chair. "I hardly gamble." She replied to Krell, "Not unless I know the odds are in my favour, but thank you for the compliment nonetheless." She looked him up and down briefly and then pursed her lips. "You know, you really should be in the med bay resting, or better yet, in your quarters." She knew though that he wouldn't move without some serious prodding and perhaps a little more than simple force. That being the case, she got out of her chair and looked to Kai. "Kai, if you'll take the bridge for a while." She said, "I'm gonna get this moron to his bed before he ups and dies on us."
"Sure thing." Kai laughed as he transferred the control back to his consol.
Serenity then looked back to Krell and put her hands on her hips. "I will carry you there if I have to." She told him with a smile, "Or you can save yourself some dignity and walk."

[Guest]

Krell nodded and slowly stood up. Between the meds and the effects of the blaster hit, he was still a bit wobblely. But he managed to stay on his feet and make for the door. It would be a while before they came out of hyperspace and be near the entrance point in the asteroid field. He probably could use the rest though he doubted he would get much. He needed to find out what the professor had found that had him so excited.

"Might as well have the professor come to my quarters so we can find out what he has found. He was all excited back there when we picked him up." The walk to his quarters was a slow one. He had to stop a few times to let his head stop spinning. He looked at Serenity and still hoped she would change her mind. They could have a good thing going if she would only accept it. It was not often that people like them crossed paths.

Back on the Inquisitor, the Admiral adjourned to his spacious quarters. He was looking forward to the next encounter with the Jessibell. He turned over in his mind whether to go ahead and take her Serenity prisoner or not. He knew the Emperor wanted her. Why he did was a mystery. He seemed to have come across some information that made him determined to find and bring her to him. He had just received the 'Orders' before the Inquisitor picked up the signal of the Jessibell.

"Now what is so special about you." he said to no one as he poured himself some brandy. "What has the Emperor in such a fuss about bringing you in unharmed?"

[LadyRaven]

Serenity followed Krell closely and once or twice, nearly reached out to support him while he walked, or rather wobbled down the corridor. "The professor can wait." She told him firmly as they went, "Slyder will keep an eye on him until you're fit and it'll only get repeated and all once we get back to Haven. Your main concern right now should be getting some shut-eye so those drugs can wear off proper and you can heal, OK?" After another near stumble near the wall, Serenity lost her patience and carefully placed herself under his good shoulder. "That does it!" She scorned quietly, "You're wasting time and my patience is wearing thin."

Keeping his arm locked around the back of her neck, Serenity began maneuvering him down to his room. She kept a tight grip around his back with her other arm and placed her feet so they wouldn't trip on each other as they walked. She managed to kick his door open a few minutes later and carefully led him inside. "Now, can you make it to the bed, or do I have to do that for you too?" She asked.........

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