War Stories
Jayne buys the crate of apples to make her smile. She’s adapted to the ‘Verse well. But she occasionally doesn’t do very well hiding how much she misses the ready availability of real food. It’s a good start to a horrific day.
“This is suicide, you know,” Jayne observes from the galley doorway. “You really think you can mount a two-man frontal assault on Niska’s skyplex and live?”
“While I appreciate that your self-serving attitude has kept you alive, luv,” Harri muses, shouldering past Jayne with Vera in hand, “it gets old sometimes. Make it three.”
“Technically it’s a one-man, two-woman assault. Unisex,” Wash quips before turning back to Zoë. “Grenades?”
“Oh,yes,” Zoë takes them. “Thank you, dear. They won’t be expecting it.”
“Right,” Jayne agrees. “‘Cause they ain’t insane.”
“Uh, I just got a wave from Inara,” Kaylee announces coming up the hall. “No luck with the counselor. What are they doing?”
“Fixing to get themselves killed,” Jayne mutters.
“We’re gonna go get the captain,” Zoë says.
“Oh,” Kaylee nods hesitantly. “Good.” She turns back to Jayne. “Can they do that?”
“No,” Jayne says decisively.
“You know,” Wash turns around, “there’s a certain motto. A creed, among folks like us. Leave no man behind.”
“Suicide,” Jayne repeats. He shows up, armed to the teeth, anyway. Just in time for Harri to gasp and nearly collapse.
Jayne bounds down the stairs to lift her back to her feet. “What happened?”
Harri shakes her head and squeezes her eyes shut, dropping her forehead to rest against his chest.
He rubs her back in gentle circles. “What’s goin’ on?”
The pressure on her chest lifts and she lifts her head hesitantly. “I think he died,” Harri whispers up to Jayne. “For a minute there… I can’t find his soul now, but I felt it…”
Jayne squeezes her shoulder gently. “Let’s go get ‘im then.”
Harri catches Niska by the throat as he attempts to flee, and lets the Reaper rise - eyes going distant and stormy.
“What are you?” Niska asks, fear in his voice.
Harri smirks. “I am what you try so hard to be, Adeli Niska. You have sent many to their deaths before their time. Your turn.” She rips his soul from his body, and lets the husk of his body fall as the rest of their little boarding party comes back out of Niska’s torture chamber, Mal in tow.
“He dead?” Zoë asks.
“Very,” Harri confirms.
“Zoë says you were the first to volunteer to come for me,” Mal says, late that night, just the two of them in the infirmary.
Harri shrugs. “Wasn’t your time yet.”
“Didn’t think you liked me much.”
“I don’t particularly like or dislike you, Captain.”
“Then why?”
“You can just say thank you, you know.”