The Phoenix on Firefly

Serenity

"Kaylee! Ash!" Wash's voice called out over the comms.

Kaylee and Ash were already running toward the engine room; once inside Kaylee hit the comm.

"Go to black out!" Wash ordered the duo "We're being buzzed!"

"Shi" Kaylee replied as she looked back at Ash. "Going dark,"

The duo began hitting switches.

Ash climbed up on the engine to flip the last switch, causing everything to get pretty dark. "Kaylee!" She called out.

"Yeah?" Kaylee asked.

"I can't get down," Ash admitted as she couldn't see a damn thing in the darkness.

An alarm sounded.

"Kaylee, Ash, fire it up!"

"Make up your mind, Wash!" Ash growled, frustrated, as she and Kaylee worked again to turn Serenity back on.

"Wash! We're on. Go!" Captain Mal ordered the pilot.

Ash sighed in relief, knowing that her father had made it back on the ship in one piece.

"Hang on, travelers..." Wash told the crew.

Ash thought she was safe until she fell from where she was on top of the engine, but found her landing a bit softer.

"Ow," Kaylee muttered from Ash.

"I'm not that heavy," Ash huffed as she moved off her friend, and the duo headed to the Cargo hold.

"We look shiny, Captain." Wash said over the comms, "They are not, repeat, not coming about,"

"Close one," Zoe spoke up.

"Any one you walk away from, right?" Jayne asked. "Long as we got the goods, I call this a win,"

"Right." Mal looked towards where Ash and Kaylee had walked in. "We win,"

Jayne jimmied the crate open with a crowbar.

Mal pulled the top off and looked inside. "Well, that sure enough doesn't hurt to see,"

Ash walked closer to see the crate was filled with bars of gold. "They're awfully pretty..."

"I'd say worth a little risk," Wash reasoned as he joined the crew in the cargo hold.

"Yeah, that was some pretty risky sittin' you did there," Jayne teased.

"That's right, of course, 'cause they wouldn't arrest me if we got boarded; I'm just the pilot. I can always say I was flying the ship by accident. You know, that pretty..."

"Bizui," Mal said harshly as he inspected a bar up close.

Ash eyed her father "Problem, dad?"

"Couldn't say." Mal tossed the bar back. "But we'd best be gettin' rid of these before we run into another Alliance patrol,"

"What the hell they doin' out this far, anyhow?" Jayne wondered.

"Shining the light of civilization," Kaylee claimed sarcastically.

"Doesn't do us any good..."

"Well, we're uncivilized,"

"All right. Let's get these crates stowed. I don't want any tourists stumblin' over 'em," Mal told the crew.

Ash quirked an eyebrow. "We're taking on passengers at Persephone?"

"That's the notion. Could use a little respectability on the way to Boros. Not to mention the money," Mal explained as he removed the siding for where the crew hid their goods.

"Pain in the ass," Jayne muttered.

"No, it's shiny," Kaylee smiled. "I like to meet new people. They've all got stories,"

"Captian, can you stop her from bein' cheerful, please?"

"That would just piss off Ash," Mal noted as he helped Jayne lift the containers into the hidey hole.

Ash kissed Mal's cheek. "Love you, dad,"

***

"This shouldn't take too long," Mal said once the ship had docked. Put us down for departure in about three hours. Grab any supplies we're low on, fuel her up,"

"I'd love to find a brand-new compression coil for the steamer," Kaylee told Mal.

"I'd like to be the king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat." Mal said, "Just get us some passengers and watch over Ash. All right?"

"The compression coil busts; we're drifting,"

"Best not bust then,"

Ash brought out two chairs and took a seat as Kaylee joined her. "He told you to watch over me, didn't he?"

"Yep,"

"Said no to the compression coil,"

"Uh-huh,"

Ash shook her head "Juéjiàng de lǎo niú [stubborn old cow]"

***

Ash tilted her head to the side as she noted an elderly man walking along the port. "You're gonna be coming with us,"

The man turned towards her. "Excuse me?"

Ash smiled. "You like ships. You don't seem to be looking at the destinations. What you care about is the ships, and ours is the nicest,"

"She don't look like much,"

Ash frowned.

"Oh, she'll fool you," Kaylee claimed as she twirled her umbrella. "You ever sail in a Firefly?"

"Long before you were crawling," The man nodded. "Not an aught-three though. Didn't have the extenders. Tended to shake,"

"So, how come you don't care where you're goin'?" Ash wondered, earning a nudge from Kaylee.

"'Cause how you get there, is the worthier part,"

"Are you a missionary?"

"I guess. I'm a shepherd from Southdown Abbey. Book. I'm called Book," Book shook Kaylee's hand. "Been out of the world for a spell...like to walk it a while. Maybe bring the word to them as need it told,"

"Well, I'm Kaylee. This is Ash." Kaylee introduced, "And this here's Serenity...and she's the smoothest ride from here to Boros for anyone can pay,"

"Can you pay or..." Ash questioned.

"Well, I got a little cash and, uh..." Book explained as he took out a small box and showed the contents to Ash and Kaylee.

"Ooh. Grandpa," Kaylee mused.

"I never married,"

***

"Welcome aboard, Mr. Dobson," Kaylee greeted as she waved passengers on board.

Ash walked up to a box that one of the passengers was carrying.

"Please be careful with that," The man who owned the box said.

"Mal," Kaylee greeted Ash's father, "this is Simon. Simon, this is our captain,"

"Captain Reynolds," Simon nodded.

"Welcome aboard," Mal said. He looked at his daughter. "This all we got?"

"You told us to get passengers," Ash shrugged.

"Pretty sure I said not the pretty ones,"

Ash glanced back at Simon. "You think he's pretty?"

Zoe looked over the passengers. "Now we have a boat full of citizens right on top of our...stolen cargo,"

"Told you should have taken me to see Badger," Ash noted.

"Ain't no way in the 'verse I'm letting him touch you," Mal huffed.

"Who said he had to touch?" Ash smirked.

"No more Inara time," Mal said as he walked up the steps. "Kaylee, I'm locking it up!"

Ash sighed as she watched the doors to Serenity close. "All aboard,"