In Space, No One Knows you're an Alien

Chapter 9

What a time for a Reaver attack, Captain Malcolm Reynolds thought to himself.

Of course, his luck had been better lately so that probably had something to do with it…

Can't seem to catch a break, no matter what I do…

The last job, on Haven, had paid well enough. But no one had any idea the Reavers were beginning to range that far.

Now, Serenity's crew was just…a little scattered.

Because Mal's contact had paid up so promptly, Mal had sent Drew Todd and Zoe Washburne back to the ship, Zoe carrying the cash, with Todd her bodyguard.

Which now left Mal in a bit of a bind, running for his life, hoping there were enough miles between him, and the horror that was occurring back at Deadwood…

Dru Zod heard about the Reavers when Zoe Washburne did.

Reavers… What in the Prime Ascendant would cause men and woman to go feral like this?

The tales he had heard about these Reavers horrified him.

Zoe's first thought was of her Captain, still on the planet, in the main settlement, Deadwood.

She was already loading the Mule and setting out, although Zod wasn't sure she would be able to do much if Mal were truly in danger.

I could save him…

But, if he did, his secret would be out, and Zod wasn't sure he trusted Captain Reynold not to react badly to that…

"Mal's bad in the Latin," River's voice almost made him jump out of his skin.

Feeling a touch rueful, he turned to face the girl. She still had her bad times, but even the worst spells weren't quite as bad as they used to be, and the girl was learning to move silently; silently enough to sneak up on a Kryptonian…

"Mal's bad in the Latin," the eerie girl repeated. "But good in his heart. We should trust our Captain Daddy."

Zod nodded at that.

She was telling him…what?

That it's safe to rescue him?

Well…

Yes…

Now Zod knew what to do.

He nodded to her again, then went to join Zoe Washburne.

"You want me to wait?" Washburne was dubious.

"I can find the Captain easier on my own," Zod explained.

"I'm going out to get the Captain!" Zoe snapped. "And I don't want-"

"I know," Zod interrupted. "Believe me, I'm the best for this job."

I can fly…

"Believe me, Zoe," he insisted. "I will find him and bring him back, safe. Give me fifteen minutes."

"I'll give you ten, Drew," Zoe nodded. "Then, we're coming out."

Better than what I was hoping for…

Zod turned and left Serenity. As soon as he was out of sight of the ship, he abandoned all pretense at humanity and hurled himself skyward.

Mere minutes later, he located Mal, running like there was no tomorrow, Reaver ship gaining, and a cliff dead ahead.

Zod's Kryptonian-sharp eyes clearly saw the look on Reynold's face as he saw the cliff; the sense of weary resignation of his luck screwing him over; one more time, a final time…

And Zod just knew what the Captain was going to do.

Well, it's cleaner than dying by Reaver…

Zod got ready to power-dive to the rescue…

Captain Mal Reynolds looked down from his position at the edge of the cliff, a little bit of doggerel playing through his mind.

Oh, Mother dear, pray what is that which looks like strawberry jam?

Hush hush, my dear, 'tis your Papa, run over by a tram…

It looked like that kind of fall. But no way in hell was he going to let Reavers get him…

"Sorry, Zoe…" he muttered softly. Then, closing his eyes, he stepped off, into nothing…

And was caught, by strong arms clutching him close.

Reavers!

He tried to struggle free.

"It's all right, Captain," Drew Todd's voice was in his ear. "I've got you."

"You've got me?" now Mal was completely disoriented. "Who's got you?"

Zoe Washburne would never forget the sight; not for as long as she lived; Mal standing on the edge of the cliff, looking back briefly, the set of his shoulders telling her he was abandoning all hope.

The Reavers must be right there…

She saw it, the moment her Captain decided to die, to step off the cliff…

And she couldn't stop the frightful wail that erupted out of her.

We're not gonna die. We can't die, Bendis. You know why? Because we are so very pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die…

Zoe stared up at her Captain, the man who had seen her safely through the War, and back to Serenity…

No…Mal…Please, no…

He stepped off the cliff…

And something swooped down, like a hawk on prey, snatching the tumbling body right out of mid-air…

Whatever it was, it righted itself in mid-flight, paused, floating briefly, then headed for Zoe's Mule, and that was when she recognized the flying man, and her mare's leg slid from suddenly nerveless fingers.

Drew Todd…

He was flying over to her, the Captain's body slung over one shoulder.

He landed gently, set Mal firmly on his feet. The Captain promptly slid to all fours, breathing in deep gasps of air.

Zoe could hear the engine rumble of Serenity as the Firefly hove into view and settled down right behind the Mule.

She came back to her senses.

"Everyone inside now!" she commanded.

She turned to Todd.

"Carry him in if you have to," she said.

Todd nodded, and picked Mal up again, over a shoulder, as if he weighed less than a five pound bag of sugar…

Zoe turned the Mule around, drove it back into Serenity's Main Hold.

"All aboard?" that was her husband.

"Yes, dear," Zoe replied over the Comm. "Get us the hell out of here."

Dru Zod was standing in the Dining Room/Council Room, just off the Kitchen. Everyone else was there too, Shepherd Book, Inara Serra, the Tams, Wash and Zoe, and the Captain; and Zod had to admit that the cat was well and truly out of the bag…

Captain Reynolds' hands were only shaking a very little as he took a sip of the ersatz stuff that passed for coffee here.

"You've got some explaining to do," was all he said; and Zod had to hand it to him. Only an hour or so before, Reynolds had been staring certain death in the face.

Only to be rescued by said certain death by someone was was-by any definition-an alien of non-Terran ancestry.

Yes. Dru Zod did have some explaining to do. But he had no idea what to say; except for this…

"You are not alone."

"Besides," River suddenly spoke. "We're all aliens out in the Black."

"Might be true, 'Tross," Reynolds sighed. Then he turned back to Zod. "What's your story? How did you come here?"

So…Zod told him. Everything; his origins, the loss of his home planet, the hope he had that Jor El had found a new home for Krypton.

It took a while, and he found he was trembling, almost on the verge of tears when he finished.

"Catharsis…"River Tam had murmured.

Reynolds remained silent for a minute after Zod stopped talking; looking up at his face with a quiet intensity. Then the man sighed.

"Okay," he sighed again, hauling himself to his feet. "We all got chores to see to out in the Black. Best be seeing to them."

"Captain?" Zod cleared his throat

Reynolds turned back to him.

"Yes, Zod?"

"You just found out I'm an alien," Zod looked down at the man. "Aren't you going to do anything about that?"

"You're crew," Reynolds turned away, as if what he had just said explained everything; and, maybe it really did.