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Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Ozpin, Ozpin/Ruby Rose, Qrow Branwen/Weiss Schnee, James Ironwood/Yang Xiao Long, James Ironwood/Weiss Schnee, Ozpin/Weiss Schnee, Ozpin/Qrow Branwen/Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee

READ ME!
THIS IS NOT A CHARACTER PORT, THIS IS A CHARACTER MERGER!
With that in mind we've been tweaking things, I'm not going to go into to much detail as you will just have to read and find out but here is the basics.
So
Ozpin and Mal have been put together. He is 33. A further note for Firefly fans, I've been going with the Mal that Whedon originally wanted, not the one that Fox forced him to write. So if he seems a bit colder then in the show, that would be why. Plus Ozpin brings several dozen centuries of baggage with him.
Qrow and Zoe. He is 32
Ruby and Wash. She is 20
James is 33
Yang and Kaylee. She is 22
Inara and Weiss. She is 22

All Firefly characters have stayed as they are in the show. All RWBY characters will have moments where they very much be their Firefly counterparts though. With that in mind chapters titled the same as in the show, it WILL have MANY of the shows lines. Sorry but it's a bit of a necessary evil when there is so much to lay out and world build. I know people who haven't seen Firefly won't care about that, but to those who have sorry, I did try to change things up where I could.

The ship twisted in space, the Huntsmen ship of the Class Firefly, turned slowly with the small wreak. Ozpin studied the vault door the stars reflecting on his helmet, he floated upside down as he glanced over to Jayne who floated at the ready. "Vault's sealed. Looks good I'm gonna boil it. Jayne give me the sticky."

Jayne passed a glue gun like object over, mindful of how force was transferred in zero gravity. Ozpin carefully set the gun to the door and pulled the trigger, a clear gel slowly came out sticking to the metal door. He hit a button on the side of the gun and said. "Mind the door." Qrow and Jayne moved up by Oz and out of the line of fire.

As the gel melted through the door the sudden release of pressure sent the atmosphere that had been sealed away blasting forth and the door out into space. "We get the goods, we're off this wreck and back on the ship. No worries."

Meanwhile Ruby sitting in the pilot's seat of the Serenity, looked over her instruments. "Looking good here Captain." She took her finger off the com key and picked up her dinosaur figurines. "Yes, yes, this a fertile land, and we will thrive." She had her Stegosaurus and T-Rex, she raised her voice for her stegosaurus. "We will rule over all this land, and we will call it… "This Land." As the T-Rex and lowering her voice. "I think we should call it 'your grave!"

"Ah, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!" Stegosaurus said.

"Ha ha, HA! Mine is an evil laugh! Now die!" Said T-Rex

Ruby made the dinosaurs fight as she said in her stegosaurus voice. "Oh, no, Gods! Oh, dear Gods in heaven!" Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a red flashing light on her radar screen. Ruby dropped her dinosaurs, shoving three others that had been on the screen off. "Oh motherless son a b-"

Meanwhile Ozpin, Jayne and Qrow were loading up the goods as Ruby's voice came out over the headsets. "Captain, we got incoming! Alliance cruiser, bearing right down on us."

"Ta me de!" Ozpin cursed loudly. "Have they spotted us?"

"I can't tell if-" Ruby started to panic.

"Have they hailed us?" Ozpin asked in a steely voice that calmed her.

Jayne spoke up. "If they're here for the salvage, we're humped."

"If they find us at all, we're humped." Qrow said pulling a large box out of the hold. "Thievin' ain't exactly-."

Jayne cut him off. "I don't like this."

"Shut up," Oz snapped at the gunner. "Ruby, shut it down. Everything but the air."

Ruby started flipping switches. "Shutting down." She hit the com and started to shout. "Yang! YANG!"

Yang raced into the engine room and hit the com, Ruby's voice came through louder. "Go to black out! We're being buzzed!" Yang cursed. "Shi- Affirmative. Going dark." She raced around the small room, the twisting engine of the Firefly in the middle. She hit several switches then raced to a crank at the front of the engined and pulled it up with a weave. Power cut through the whole ship.

Ozpin looked out at the Alliance ship, the massive vessel had three prongs that glowed green atop an engine platform. "Ruby, they slowing down?" He, Qrow and Jayne all backed away from the hole in the ripped out wall as the ship, impossible huge and dangerously close, passed by.

Ruby looked over her instruments waiting for the long pregnant moments to pass. Then the blip came. "Aiya! Hwaile! Captain! We're humped!"

Ozpin calmly gave his orders. "Prep the ship now." To his companions in space. "We move these in, double time."

Ruby franticly started up the ship and yelled into the com. "Yang, fire it up!" Meanwhile Ozpin and the others floated their stolen crates up behind them toward the Serenity. "Cry, Baby, Cry."

Ruby giggled and said. "Make your mother sigh. Engaging the crybaby." She hit a switch and far off their mark a dummy ship, that was mostly a garbage can with a radio started to send a signal.

Ozpin and crew floated their cargo in the air lock and he hit the big red airlock button, the bay doors closed behind them. Another button and gravity came back online. The three landed on their feet the crates dropped around then as the air rushed in. Oz yelled into his headset. "Ruby! We're on. Go!"

Ruby hit another button and the Serenity began to disengage from the wreck, the rear end flaring. Now she sat in her seat the yoke in her hands. "Hang on, travelers…"

In the airlock everyone grabbed something and Jayne pulled off his helmet. "Let's moon 'em."

Ruby turned away from the wreaked the ship, bulbous and shaped like a torchbug butt light up on a metal grid. She punched the engines and took them soring away from the Alliance cruiser. She watched her rador out of the corner of her eye before comming. "We look shiny, Captain. They are not, repeat, not coming about."

In the cargo hold of the Serenity Qrow said. "Close one." Before glancing around the wide space opened up in a V space with two walkways spanning it.

"Any one you can walk away from, right?" Jayne grabbed a crowbar and started working to get the lid of the crate. "Long as we got the goods, I call this a win."

Ozpin rolled his eyes and said. "Set your suit to rights." He walked away with a sigh. "Right, we win."

The crew gathered around the crate that Jayne had worked the lid off of. Ozpin grabbed the lid and yanked it off. Around him gathered Qrow, Ruby, Yang and James. "Never hurts to see what we were sent after." He grumbled lowly, he hated this type of work. In the box appeared to be gold bars.

Ruby clapped her hands together and bounced back and forth. "I'd say worth a little risk."

Yang was better at hiding her enthusiasm then her half sister. "They're awfully pretty."

Jayne stepped away from the crate. " Yeah, that was some pretty risky sittin' you did there."

Ruby glared at him. "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 -"

Ozpin flipped a bar over and snapped out harshly. "Bizui!" Ruby and Jayne shut up in the same breath.

"Problem, Oz?" Qrow asked walking over but Oz waved him off.

"Couldn't say." He said turned the bar over and putting it back in the crate so no one would see the bottom. "But we'd best be gettin' rid of these before we run into another Alliance patrol."

"What the hell they doin' out this far out anyhow?" Jayne and Qrow started lugging the crates over to a secret panel as Oz yanked the covering off.

Yang shrugged. "Shining the light of civilization?"

"Doesn't do us any good…" Jayne grumbled.

Ozpin walked over to Ruby and asked. "How long 'til we reach Persephone?"

"Three for four hours." Ruby looked up at her captain. She could never get over how big he was, young too, he was only just over a decade older than her. She liked the white streak he had in his long hair, he always had it pulled back. She wondered what it would look like down, was it soft?

"Can we shave that?" Oz asked oblivious to her appraisal of him.

Ruby shook her head. "We're down to the wire on Dust cells. We run hot, we might not even make it."

Ozpin patted her on the back and turned away. "'Kay, Play it as close as you can. This catch is burning a hole in my hull." He helped the other two store the cargo as Qrow asked. "Think that cruiser could've I.D,'d us?"

As they finished Ozpin grabbed the storage cover and set it back into place. " Let's hope not. Contact Badger, tell him the job's done. Don't go to mentioning the cruiser, though. Keep it simple." Ruby nodded at the order and bounced up the steps heading to the bridge.

"Oz, we're sure there's nothing wrong with the cargo-" Qrow reached out to Oz brush his hand along the bigger man's forearm.

Oz struggled him off. "It's fine. I just wanna get paid. I just don't want any tourist stumbling over them."

Yang perked up at the mention of people. "We're taking on passengers at Persephone?"

"Yeah, that's the notion. We could use a little respectability on the way to Boros. Not to mention the money." Ozpin started up the steel wire steps to the rest of the ship.

"Pain in the ass…" Jayne grumbled stretching his arms above his head.

"No, it's shiny! I like to meet new people. They've all got stories…" Yang grinned ear to ear.

"Captain, can you stop her from bein' cheerful, please?" Jayne looked up at Oz who had paused on the steps. "I don't believe there is a power in the 'verse that can stop Yang from being cheerful." He smiled slightly at her. "Sometimes you just wanna duct tape her mouth and dump her in the hold for a month." Yang bounced up the steps above Oz and kissed his cheek with a silly purr. "I love my captain."

Ruby leaned back in her chair staring out a the stars as Ozpin walked into the room. Opening the sliding door with a rattle. "Has Weiss checked in yet?"

"Not yet, but she had a pretty full docket. She's probably busy but I could hail her if you like." Ruby spun in the chair to face him.

"No, it's fine. Someone here has got to make a respectable living." Oz strode into the room, he fiddled with the emerald green ascot he always wore around his neck. The cross pin he wore in it was rusting with age and neglect.

Ruby loved the scarf and wondered why he wore it, did he have scaring he was trying to hide? She got up and walked tentatively over to him. "You okay captain? You seem tense."

Ozpin felt her fingers brush over the back of his hand but didn't look down to her. "Fine just want to off load this cargo." Ruby's fingers wove through his and he sighed. "I don't make a habit of sleeping with my crew Ruby, you know that. I don't care what you all do in your free time but I not interested in it."

"But you sleep with Qrow." Ruby took a deep breath and tightened her grip. She could do this Weiss was teaching her to be brave and honest in her desires.

"Rarely." Ozpin grumbled harshly, but didn't pull his hand away. He could break her hold easily but she was just so small compared to him and didn't want to risk hurting her. Oz cared deeply for his little pilot and never wanted to harm her.

Ruby leaned up on her toes, while moving to face him. She reached up and pulled at the scarf. "But you still do-."

Ozpin grabbed her hand. "No Ruby."

Ruby shrank away from him, letting go of his hand and stepping back. His tone left no room for argument. He let her go as she moved away and hugged herself, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. Ozpin sighed. "Look Ruby, you're pretty and all that. But I don't sleep with my crew and I'm not looking for company."

"And if you were?" Ruby asked with a sniff, she was so tired of watching Yang get company so easily.

Oz stepped towards her and ran a hand down her back trying to comfort her. He was well aware of her insecurities. "If I was, I'd bend you over the console and fuck you till you screamed my name. Till the whole damn ship could hear you." He felt Ruby shudder and knew it wasn't because she was cold, he stepped away. "Get some rest while you have the chance." He spun on his heel and walked out before Ruby had a response.

The room was filled with artful tapestries, curtains of fine silk and satin hid metal walls. The colours were warm red and golds, the dominate sound of the room was heavy panting. Upon the bed Weiss Schnee lay upon her back a young man making love to her with this face buried in her neck. She was looking to the ceiling as her hands held his back, he moaned out. "Oh… oh… oh my god… oh…" He stilled and she ran a hand through his hair as he pulled away from her neck. He smiled at her with sweaty insecurity and she smiled warmly.

Later they sat upon cushions, close to one another, sipping tea from small cups. Weiss wore a light blue silken bathrobe. She said. "Sihnon isn't that different from this planet. More crowded, obviously, and I guess more complicated. The great city itself is... pictures can't capture it. It's like an ocean of light."

"Is that where you studied? To be a Companion?"

Weiss smiled. "I was born there."

"I can't imagine ever leaving."

"Well, I wanted to see the universe." Weiss said, she never told clients she was also trained as a Huntress.

Her client looked down at his cup for a moment. "Do you really have to leave? I mean... I, my father is very influential, we could... I could arrange for you to be…"

She smiles sweetly and looks down. He doesn't continue.

Her client was dressed and on the way out of the door. "Experience has been more than - it was very good. Thank you."

Weiss smiled and said with professional warmth. "The time went too quickly."

"Your clock's probably rigged to speed up and cheat us out of our fun." The boy said then had the decently to look guilty ducking out of the door as the smile fell from Weiss's face.

Weiss took a moment to collect herself then closed the door. She walked through the warm room and pulled aside the curtain that concealed the cockpit. She got into the pilot's seat and hit a few switches activating the com. "Serenity, this is Shuttle One, what's your ETA?"

"Weiss, hey. We're touching down at the Eavesdown docks in about ten minutes." Ruby's voice was chipper through the com.

"I'll join you there, thanks."

"Looking forward to it. We missed you out here." Ruby said her voice softening.

"Yeah. Me too." Weiss said softly and cut the com. She punched a few buttons, rode the joystick, and the cockpit began to shake slightly as she took off. The outside of the shuttle, rose slowly into the air. The shuttle flew off of one of many huge skyscrapers, joining the heavy air traffic.

Serenity was a cargo ship that Ozpin had modified to to a light weight battleship. It had three major guns one located in the middle of the top and two just under each wing on the bow. Under Ruby's perfect handling it landed down in Eavesdown docks. A bustling dusty bazaar, there were other ships lined up next to each other and each advertising passage or selling goods.

The airlock opened and the ramp came down as the crew piled out. Ozpin spoke to Yang. "This shouldn't take long. Put us down for departure in about three hours." To Ruby he said. " Grab any supplies we're low on. Fuel her up."

"You're leaving me behind again? Yang can do that stuff?" For once Ruby was dressed in her Huntress gear. Black corset, skirt, leggings and knee high boots, her spear Moon Beam was in it's closed form on her hip.

Ozpin hated it when she dressed like that, it filled his mind with unwholesome thoughts involving the console of Serenity's bridge. "You don't need to deal with Badger." He then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look just don't hide on the ship. Get some fresh air, go see if you can find some sweets or something."

Ruby perked up at the mention of sweets, even if it meant braving the crowds. While Ozpin and Ruby talked Yang moved over to a computerized placard in front of their 'parking space', started entering data. "I'd sure love to find a brand new compression coil for the steamer."

Ozpin scoffed and shook his head. "And I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat. Just get us some passengers. Them as can pay, all right?" Planetside it was so easy to fall back into the accent he had cultivated over the years.

"Compression coil busts, we're drifting…" Yang looked sad at the mere thought of her baby dying.

"Best not bust, then." Ozpin said as James came down from the ramp and stopped as Qrow and Jayne jumped off. He called out after the three as they started off. "Zhu tamin ya min. Zhu yi."

Qrow smiled slightly and said. "We will."

Ozpin, Qrow and Jayne walked down a dim alley and entered a building. It was cramped and confined, they were stopped outside of a door by a thug. The office was just as dim and dingy as the alley. The ceiling had grates over it an traffic from above could be heard, and every now and then the bright white of a vehicle spilled through the grate. On one side were stairs leading up to ground level and a door beside, at the other end an oversized, beat up desk and a way into the back through a curtain. Badger was busy inspecting a young woman. He was a weasel of a man with ill fitting clothes and a bowler hat.

"Let me see your teeth." Badger ordered and the girl smiled, he upped up her lip and nodded. "Yes." A thug shoved her behind the curtain. As she is, yet another thug leads Mal, Zoe and Jayne down the stairs. Badger doesn't look at them, heading for his desk and sitting down.

"You're late." Badger said.

"You're lying." Ozpin said, he shifted his weight and rested his hands on the belt by his gun. His leather brown long coat accented his frame making him look even bigger then normal.

"What did you just say to me?" Badger hated when he was questioned.

"You're well aware we landed two hours 'fore we planned to, with all the goods you sent us after intact, ready to roll. So your decision to get tetchy, say we're late, means you're looking to put us on the defensive right up front. Which means something's gone wrong. It didn't go wrong on our end, so why don't we start again with you tellin' us what's up?" Ozpin said trying to play this one of casually, he smiled with practiced ease.

A beat later and a mean little smile appeared on Badger's lips. "You're later than I'd like."

"Why is that." Ozpin said some of his deliberate ease fading away.

Badger briefly held up what appeared to be digital paper: a clear, pliable piece of plastic with words and images running across it, constantly changing. "If you'd gotten here sooner, you might've beaten the bulletin that came up sayin' a rogue vessel, classification 'Firefly', was spotted pulling illegal salvage on a derelict transport."

Shit. Ozpin thought, they had really been humped good then. He said flatly. "Didn't ID us. Doesn't lead to you."

"No, it doesn't. But a government stamp on every molecule of the cargo just maybe might."

Qrow looked over to Ozpin, so that was what had been eating him for the last two hours. Badger continued talking, catching Oz's brief pained expression. "Oh, you noticed that. You were gonna hand over imprinted goods and just let me twist, is that the case?"

Oz said firmly. "We didn't pick the cargo."

Badger voice raised though it didn't even make Oz blink. "And I didn't flash my ass at the gorram law. There's no deal."

"That ain't fair." Qrow growled, only just resisting taking a step forward.

"Crime and politics: the situation is always... fluid." He idly played with a bit of apple peel.

Jayne did step forward his hand going for his gun. "Only fluid I see here is the puddle of piss refusing to pay us our wage."

Badger stood up angrily and all his numerous thugs drew their weapons. Ozpin was faster, his cane out of his pocket and extend the tip pressed to Badger's throat. "It doesn't have to go this way. You know you can still unload those goods. So I can't help thinking there's something else at work here."

Badger smiled and asked. "What were you in the war, that big war you failed to win? You were a Captain, yeah? Captain Ozpin Valen, Balls and Bayonets Brigade. Big tough veteran. Now you got yourself a ship and you're a leader. Only I think you're still a captain, see. Still a soldier, man of honor in a den of thieves." He swallowed uncomfortably. "Well this is my gorram den, and I don't like the way you look down on me. I'm above you. Better than. I'm a businessman, see?" He pulled at his coat. "Roots in the community. You're just a scavenger. A nobody Huntsmen, your kind are all the same. All scavengers fighting over Grimm bounties, endlessly wandering."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed and he took a step forward focusing Badger to take two back. He shoved the desk out of the way and sent it crashing into the wall with one combat boot clad foot. "I am not be a fancy gutter rat, pretended to be a gentleman. But I am here to do business." Badger's back hit the wall and Ozpin's cane pressed harder on his windpipe.

"Try one of the border planets - they're a lot more desperate there." Badger gasped out. "Of course, they might kill you, but you stay here and I just know the Alliance'll track you down. I have that feeling."

Ozpin glared and contemplated for a moment then pushed forward breaking Badger's windpipe. The thugs were too slow to shoot him but bullets flew past him as Oz pulled up his Aura. Qrow as a heart beat slower and two bullets hit him, one in the chest and the other in his upper arm before he got his Aura up. "Enough!" Ozpin roared, faster then any of them could see he disarmed all of the thugs. Making free use of his Semblance to slow time and shove Jayne out of the line of fire.

The thugs stood stunned only the gasping of Badger finally got them moving as Ozpin, Qrow and Jayne look their leave.

Yang watched from her lawn chair holding a rainbow-striped parasol as a elderly man walked slowly from ship to ship looking at them never stopping. His skin was brown and his hair a curly grey pulled back tight in a bun. He pulled a suitcase behind him with a brown burlap bag balanced on top. "You're gonna come with us." Yang finally said as the man slowly before her.

"Excuse me?" The man said in a smooth homely voice, stopping and looking at her. The metal arm made him pause, she had painted it yellow but he knew a combat prosthetic when he saw one.

"You like ships. You don't seem to be looking at the destinations. What you care about is the ships, and mine's the nicest." Yang got up and twirled her parasol. She was wearing an orange tank top and cargo shorts, with white sneakers.

The man stopped before her and gave the ship a look-over. "She don't look like much."

"Well, she'll fool ya'. You ever sail in a Firefly?" Yang asked.

"Long before you were crawling. Not an aught three, though. Didn't have the extenders, tended to shake." He pointed at the extenders on the wings.

Yang walked over with a bounce in her step. "So, uh, how come you don't care where you're going?"

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

Yang cocked her head to the side. "Are you a missionary?"

"I guess... I'm a Shepherd, from the Southdown Abbey. Book, I'm called Book. Been out of the world for a spell. Like to walk it a while, maybe bring the word to them as need it told." He spoke slowly, his words calm.

"Well, I'm Yang. This is Serenity, and she's the smoothest ride from here to Boros for anyone who can pay." She paused worried for a second and asked. "Can you pay, or... ?"

"Well, I've got a little cash, and, uh…" He opened up the sack and picked out a small wooden box from his luggage.

Yang's eyes widened when he showed her the contents. "Oh boy, Ruby's gonna be so happy."

Qrow, Ozpin and Jayne walked out of the alley and back to the ship. When Qrow hissed Ozpin looked over and pulled his brown coat off setting it over Qrow's shoulders. While Qrow did have a coat of his own, he hadn't brought it and the grey long sleeved dress shirt did nothing but accent the red blooming through it. Oz's long coat hid the bullet wounds and blood. "You alright till we get back to James?" He asked softly moving his arm down and holding Qrow up with it helping him to walk more smoothly.

"Yeah, Aura's staunching the flow." Qrow leaned into Oz's embrace, the bigger man so rarely showed affection, he'd take what he could.

Jayne oblivious as always said. "I don't understand why we didn't leave that sumbitch in a pool of his own blood."

"He's no use to me dead, if I wanted him dead I would have broke his neck and not just his collapsed his windpipe. If he's got a half decent medic on staff he'll be fine. He's our best contact on Persephone, we can't get paid if we go around killing everyone that cheats us." Ozpin said brashly, he was more concerned about Qrow then explaining his thinking to Jayne.

"Can't get paid if you crawl away like a bitty little bug, neither. We gotta share this job. Ten percent of nothing is - let me do the math here - nothing into nothing, carry the -

"So we'll find a buyer on Boros. There's gotta be a -." Qrow cut in trying to get Jayne to shut up, sweat was collecting on his brow. He was so not looking forward to James digging the bullet out of his chest. Maybe Weiss would be up for a visit after, that would improve this day extremely.

Ozpin spoke quickly. "Boros is too big. It's crawling with Alliance, they could just be waiting for us."

You really think Badger'll sell us out to the Feds?" Qrow asked.

"If he hasn't already." Ozpin saw a few Alliance soldiers dressed in green watching them. He lightened his hold on Qrow forcing him to walk straight and tall on his own.

"Alliance catches us with government goods, we'll lose the ship." Qrow hissed under his breath as the soldier's turned their attention elsewhere.

"That's never gonna happen." Ozpin reached up with his free hand and petted once down the side of Qrows neck.

"So we do like Badger said? The border planets?" Qrow asked.

"I'm thinkin' Whitefall, maybe talk to Patience…"

"Oz, we don't want to deal with Patience again." The red eyed man almost shuddered at the thought.

"Why?" Ozpin asked looking down to Qrow.

"She shot you."

"Well, yeah, but no harm done. I already had my Aura up and the look on her face." Ozpin smiled a rare honest smile.

"So we find somebody else. Horowitz." Qrow offered, having to think of names gave him something other then the pain to think about.

"He can't afford it."

"Holden boys."

"They wouldn't touch it. Do you want me to go through the list? Capshaw's are brain-blown. Gruvick's dead -." Oz started counting off on the fingers of his free hand.

"He's dead?" Qrow asked pulling Oz to a stop in surprise.

"Town got hit by Reavers. Burned it right down." Ozpin pulled Qrow into motion again while Jayne spoke up his voice laced with fear. "I ain't goin' nowhere near Reaver territory. Them people ain't human."

Ozpin spoke flatly. "Whitefall is the safest and the closest. Been a long time since Patience shot me and that was due to a perfectly legitimate conflict of interest. I got no grudge. She owns half that damn moon now. She can afford what we got and she just might need it." They finally came up to Serenity's hold.

"I still don't think the old lady's the way." Qrow said and as if in answer to his prayers, James pulled up on the mule and into the cargo hold. His big black boots hit the floor with a thud and he rushed over. "What have you done to yourself this time?" He reached out and attempted to take Qrow from Oz.

"Just a flesh wound, I don't want to get blood all over your nice white shirt." Qrow stepped away holding his chest. "You made me clean the last one by hand last time."

"Qrow." James growled and stormed over pulling Oz's coat out of the way. He frowned deeply at the bullet hole. "Come on lets squirrel you in the med bay before you scare our passengers."

"Now that sounds like a good idea." Qrow grumbled and leaned on James as the broad man helped him deeper into the ship.

Ozpin walked up the stairs and watched Yang load passengers, Ruby was helping her with their luggage taking over driving the mule, their four by four. First there was Dobson, a blonde, short man, unremarkable. Next was a young man with a large storage box. He caught Ozpin's attention. He wore a dark suit with round glances. His eyes were blue and his hair short and black, his skin was pale but still a healthy tone. Yang signaled him down.

Ozpin walked down to her with heavy steps as the black haired youth stood beside her. "Ozpin, this is Simon. Simon, this is our captain." Oz watched the much smaller man size him up an offered his hand. "Captain Valen. Welcome aboard." They shook hands and Ozpin asked Yang. "This all we got?"

"Yeah Weiss just got back. So we are good to go." Yang hit the button that closed up the ramp.

Later Serenity flew silently through space as it's passengers all gathered in the moderately sized dining area. Ozpin set about giving his welcoming speech. "Meals are taken up here in the dining area, the kitchen is pretty much self explanatory, you're welcome to eat what there is any time, what there is, is pretty standard fare, I guess, protein in all the colors of the rainbow. We do have sit-down meals, the next one being at about 1800."

Yang stepped forward speaking up. "I think Shepherd Book has offered to help me prepare something."

Ozpin turned sharply to look at the plainly dressed man. "You're a Shepherd?"

"Thought the outfit gave it away. Is it a problem?" Book gestured to his clothes.

"Of course not!" Yang turned to her Captain and let some firmness edge into her voice. It's no problem, 'cause it's not."

"No." Ozpin said crisply then addressed the group. "As I said, you're welcome to visit the dining area any time. Apart from that, I have to ask you to stay in the passenger dorm while we're in the air. The bridge, the engine room, cargo bay - they're all off limits without an escort."

Simon spoke up his voice worried. "Some of my personal effects are in the cargo bay."

"I figure you all got luggage you're gonna need to get into. Soon as we're done here we'll be happy to fetch 'em with you. Now I have to tell you all one other thing and I apologize in advance for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, we've been ordered by the Alliance to drop some medical supplies off on Whitefall. It's the fourth moon on Athens, a little out of our way, but we should have you on Boros no more than a day off schedule."

"What medical supplies?" Simon Tam asked, his curiously peaked.

"I honestly didn't ask." Ozpin said without emotion.

Qrow shifted on his spot, his shoulder was all fixed up but still aching. "Probably plasma, insulin, whatever they ain't got enough of on the border moons."

"Alliance says jump…" Ozpin shrugged.

"All right." Simon said warily.

"Qrow, you wanna take 'em to the cargo bay?" Ozpin looked over to his second, his Aura was probably already fixing the holes but he'd be sore for a while.

"Sure thing Oz." Qrow nodded.

"Anything else you need, just… ask. We're here to serve." Ozpin finished and the crew and passengers exited the dining area through the southern door following Qrow while Ruby and Ozpin walked toward the other door leading up to the bridge.

Crew and passengers exit the dining error through one door, while Ozpin and Ruby turn around and walk toward the other door leading to the bridge.

"Did you send word to Patience?" Ozpin wasted no time asking Ruby, choosing not to comment on their earlier interaction.

Ruby nodded. "I haven't heard back yet. Didn't she shoot you one time?"

"Everyone's making a fuss."

Ozpin watched up from on high as the new passengers got their luggage. Simon was placing things into a elegant little valise, though Oz could see the young man's attention was on the large blue crate he had brought on ship. Book walked over to Yang and gave her a little box, she beamed at him and clutched it to her chest.

Weiss stepped out of her shuttle in a simple but elegant blue dress as she descended the stairs the group noticed her. Ozpin plastered a smile on his lips and said with a tone dripping in sarcasm. "Ah, the Ambassador graces us with her presence."

Book looked up as Weiss smiled at Oz, letting the sarcasm go. "Hello, Oz. I see we have some new faces."

Ruby bounced over to Weiss and have her a hug. "Hey you."

"Hey you." Weiss said hugging Ruby back tightly and giving the shorter woman a kiss on the cheek.

Seeing Shepherd Book approach Ozpin said. "Ambassador, this is Shepherd Book." He liked this little game of his.

Weiss looked over to Book, surprised if still polite. "I'd have to say this is the first time we've had a preacher on board."

Book took her hand and bowed slightly. "Well, I wasn't expecting to see a state official, either. Ambassador."

Ozpin couldn't help it he laughed curling in on himself trying to hide it. Weiss's glare was priceless.

"I'm missing something funny?" Book looked between the three confused.

Ruby glared at Ozpin, he was nice under it all. She knew it but where Weiss was concerned he was such a jerk. "Not so funny."

Weiss started to explain. "Ambassador is Oz's way of -."

Ozpin cut her off. " She's a whore, Shepherd." The tall man enjoyed Book's surprise a little bit too much.

Ruby wanted to kick him in the shin, only cause hitting his balls would be hard. "The term is Companion."

"Yeah, I always get those mixed up." Ozpin said with a almost cruel smile and then to Weiss. "How's business?"

"None of yours." Weiss quipped right back at him.

Ozpin addressed Book explaining his little joke. "She is pretty much our ambassador. There's plenty of planets won't even let you dock without a decent Companion on board. This... this isn't a problem for you, is it, Shepherd?"

"Well, I... I certainly…" Book struggled to find words.

Weiss turned to go. "It's all right. I mostly keep to myself." Then glared at Ozpin. "When I'm not whoring."

"Don't want to meet the rest of them?" Ozpin asked.

Why don't you make sure they want to meet me first?" Weiss turned away and Ruby followed on her back to her shuttle asking. "So how many fell madly in love with you and wanted to take you away from all this?"

"Just the one. I think I'm slipping."

Come dinner time Book and Yang having made dinner. People are gathered around the table helping themselves to things. Save for Ruby and Weiss, who were nowhere to be seen.

Qrow shoved a piece of tomato into his mouth and purred. "Oh, this is incredible."

"It's not much - I had a garden at the Abbey, thought I should bring what I could." Book said glad to see his produce being appreciated. He found the raven haired man was very alike his name sake, in walk and barring. He wondered if it was a name he had picked for himself or one given to him.

It's very kind of you to share with all of us." Simon said meaning it honestly.

Qrow finished his food and said. " I'm gonna make a plate for Ruby…" And dashed away back to the stove.

Book spoke to Simon. "Well, it won't last, and they're never the same when they're frozen. The important thing is the spices. A man can live on packaged food from here 'til Judgment Day if he's got enough rosemary." Book looked over to Ozpin who was eating silently and quickly. "Captain, you mind if I say grace?"

Ozpin opened his mouth but James elbowed him in the side, from his place beside him. Oz got up and grabbed his plate. "Do what you like." He walked over and sat in the corner couch.

Simon watched him move and asked. "So, does it happen a lot? Government commandeering your ship, telling you where to go?"

"No, most of us here are Huntsmen. They only bother us if it's a mess they won't lower themselves to cleaning." A hush settled over the new passengers, Yang hadn't mentioned to any of them that most of the crew were Hunters. They had all assumed that the guns were for Reavers and not Grimm.

Simon swallowed thickly. "You hunt Grimm?"

James pulled off his white glove and lifted his metal hand. "Surely you noticed Yang as missing an arm."

"Of course I just didn't think she was a Huntress. She seems so…" Simon didn't know how to finish that sentence.

"We're almost all Huntsmen, even Ruby. Jayne is the only one here that's not." Ozpin said thinking about the young woman alone flying his ship. Tired not to think about her shining silver eyes, or pearl white lips. Silence settled over the group till Dobson broke it. "Well, it's good, if the supplies are needed. The method of transport doesn't really matter."

Jayne spoke with his mouth full. "We're just happy to be doing good works."

"I hear a lot of the border moons are in bad shape. Plagues, and famine…" Grimm and Reaver went unsaid, Dobson wasn't the brave sort.

"Well, some of that's exaggerated, and some of it ain't. All those moons - just like the central planets, they're as close to Remnant-That-Was as we could make 'em: gravity, atmosphere, and such, but…" Qrow shrugged.

"Once they're terraformed, they'll dump settlers on there with nothing but blankets, hatchets, maybe a herd. Some of them make it, some of them…" Ozpin said passionless.

"Then I guess it's good we're helping." Simon's tone was a little forced.

"So you're a Doctor?" Yang asked thinking about her arm.

"Oh. Uh, yes. Yes, I was a trauma surgeon on Osiris, in Capital City." Simon cleaned his lip with a napkin.

Ozpin looked the young man up and down again, he could see Osiris in the kid. "Long way from here." He grumbled finishing his food and moving to wash the dish.

Yang showed her prosthetic arm to Simon stretching it across the table. "Could you look at my arm sometime? James helps me with it and I with his prosthetics, but we haven't seen an actual Doctor in ages. The captain likes to avoid Core worlds and seeing a Doctor costs an awful lot."

Simon warily reached out and touched the arm, he could instantly see it was of good make. Atlas work, it must have cost a fortune to have custom made in the first place. "Sure, I'm finish my meal I could have a look now."

"Yes!" Yang bounced up and around the table hauling the stunned Doctor over to the sitting area Ozpin had vacated.

James rolled his eyes and gathered up his plate with her own. The clink of his metal hand against the earthenware promoted Book to ask as James moved to the sink. "What about you Ironwood? Is it just your hand?"

James visibly flinched, his throat closing. Ozpin stepped up to him and set a hand on his human shoulder. "Easy." He whispered angling his head and body so those at the table couldn't see his lips. "It's just a question, they aren't your fault. It's just something that happened."

Ironwood nodded, thankful that Oz was there, he put a smile on his lips. He gave the dishes to Oz who started to clean them and grabbed a hand towel. "My whole right side is prosthetic. My Semblance is micro telekinesis it proved helpful when I was … hurt."

Simon who was checking over Yang's stump looked up sharpy. "Your whole right side… are you Commander Ironwood?" Now that Simon really looked at him he could see the likeness from the papers he had studied.

The tall blue eyed man winced. "That would be me."

"How did you end up a Huntsmen? It was my understand you were Alliance military." Book said.

"I was a Huntsmen first, out of Atlas. After my accident in the military service with a Grimm attack Ozpin got me to my old Headmaster. He was the one who put me back together. The Alliance didn't have any interest in taking me back so I started working as a Huntsmen and eventually ran into Ozpin again and signed up here." James dried the dishes Ozpin had washed and put them away. It was an unofficial arrangement among the crew that James never washed anything. His prosthetics were watertight, but given how much maintenance cost they all chipped in to make sure as little as possible was needed.

"So you are Alliance as well?" Book asked Ozpin.

Ozpin smiled cruelly. "No."

"Then why did you help him?" Simon was confused if a little relieved.

"Trench warfare, after a point it doesn't matter who's side you are on."

"Hey and your tastes, you probably couldn't help yourself." Jayne cackled obvious as his captain glared him down.

Ozpin strode over and and slammed a hand down right above Jayne's plate causing it to bounce and clatter. His voice was fridged. "Jayne. You'll keep a civil tongue in that mouth or I will sew it shut, is there an understanding between us?"

"You don't pay me to talk pretty. Just because you get all worked up with the tall, dark and bro-." Jayne's words were cut off as Ozpin grabbed his lip and pulled him to his feet by it.

"Walk away from this table. Right now." He let Jayne's lip go and stepped away. Jayne stared him down not believing it for a moment but Ozpin's expression gave no quarter. With a huff he grabbed a bunch of food and stormed out. The silence dragged on till Simon asked. "What do you pay him for?"

Ozpin looked over to Simon. "He's a knack with bullets."

Weiss squeezed out her sponge, she missed showers but to live on Serenity made the loss of them more than worth it. There was a soft knock on the steel bunk head and she turned to find Qrow standing in the eve of her door. He was missing his shirt and had a thick bandage over his left pectoral and over his biceps on the same side. "Bad mission?" She asked as she stood adjusting her sarong over her chest, hiding her breasts from sight.

Qrow reached into his pocket and pulled out a few rumpled credit bills. "Something like that." He dropped them into the bowl she left for the crew by the door. She didn't charge Qrow or James if they needed to talk, but if they wanted the rest of her services. Then they'd put her charge, significantly reduced from her normal into the bowl, it made it clear what the visit was for.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Weiss gestured for him to come, her shuttle was the finest place on the ship.

Qrow strode in favouring his shoulder and stood at the end of the bed. Weiss came to him reaching out and stroking over his abdomen, she did this twice before undoing his belt. Qrow shoved his pants off and reached for her. He traced over the scar under her eye, she usually hid it under makeup but he liked it. "It was just a day where everything went wrong. Ozpin is pissed that we didn't get paid again and that we got humped by a Alliance cruiser."

"Ouch, I guess that means we'll be avoiding core planets for a while." Weiss closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"Yeah, you know Oz. He's probably already looking some smuggling or Grimm attacks. As a backup if Whitefall doesn't work out." He lowered his hand and sat on the edge of the bed. Weiss moved into his lap straddling him, she kissed his lips slowly nipping his bottom lip and pulling slightly. She gently pushed him into his back and Qrow let out a long sigh, Weiss also had the best bed in the ship.

"Well with luck he'll find something that I can help with as well." She dipped down and started to kiss his neck and down his chest. She started to massage the tight pained muscles gently working around the injuries. "Did James fix you up?"

"Yeah." Qrow said his voice. "I got another lecture about always having my Aura up when visiting contacts."

Weiss giggle and trailed a hand down to his swelling member. "Are you wanting anything in particular?"

Qrow sat up using his good arm. "To hold you. Nothing major today, just a distraction. James's got my arm all numbed up and Oz is being… you know Ozy. He's not up for anything that's not on the brutal side."

The Companion winced in sympathy. "I don't understand why you still spend time like that with him." She stroked slowly even as he quickly rose to attention in her hand.

"You don't know the whole story with him. He is good, even if he tries so damn hard to hide it." He moaned softly as she tightened her hand, he leaned back down and asked. "Can you come down here? My arm is busted and I still want to touch you."

Weiss giggled and moved over him pressing a long kiss to his lips. She loved that he always purred with just a kiss. It wasn't that Qrow was easy to please, he had his quirks but he put great value on the connection between lovers. Not just the physical but the emotional as well, she wondered if that was because he was a Switch had had a better understand of both side of the sepectrum then most.

Qrow ran his hand up and down her thigh, palming her butt and massaging it. He slid a finger between her folds and teased her clit. "Ruby disappeared into here for a while."

"She was having a little panic attack. Apparently she tired flirting with Ozpin again, after that she was in dire need of cuddles and comfort." Weiss moaned softly as he added a finger and worked her slowly.

"One of these days you'd think she'd give up that crush." Qrow's chest twisted, Ruby had been flirting with him for almost as long as Ozpin. Pretty much as soon as she learned they slept together.

"Qrow, it's been three years. Ruby's developed well beyond a crush, she knows you both very well, she loves you both as best as you allow her too. I know you keep your loyalty to Ozpin and take his refusal of her as your own but have you really thought about letting Oz go?" Weiss dipped to the side and started to kiss his neck.

"You know I like her, but with my Semblance it's just not worth the risk to her. I still can't sleep sometimes, I'm afraid the engine's gonna die because of me." He moaned softly as Weiss moved his fingers and took him inside of her.

"You're Semblance hasn't messed with the ship in years. If anything Serenity is your one safe place." She rolled and rocked her hips how she knew he liked it.

Qrow reached up wove his hand into her hair and pulled her back into a kiss. They didn't speak again.

Weiss smiled as Qrow snoozed, happy to see the raven haired man finally sleeping peacefully. The young man's head was upon her breasts using them as a pillow. There was a soft knock at the door and Weiss pulled the thin sheet up over Qrow and carefully moved herself making sure to set his head down upon another pillow to not disturb him.

She grabbed her favourite light blue silken house coat and called out softly. "Ging jin."

Shepard Book entered holding a tray of food. His dark soft eyes widened at the sight of Qrow sleeping and he said softly. "If I'm intruding…"

Weiss shook her head and smiled. "Not at all. I have been expecting you."

"Couldn't really say the same." Book said.

"So. Would you like to lecture me the wickedness of my ways?" Weiss smiled like she had some private little joke.

"I brought you some supper, but if you'd prefer a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepped. Sin and hellfire... one has lepers." Book's tone said he wasn't taking himself completely seriously.

Weiss giggled covering her mouth and looking at Qrow. "I think I'll pass." She took the tray from him. "Thank you for this."

"The Captain said you might like it. I was surprised at his concern. Even if he said to delay delivering it for almost two hours." Book was starting to understand that last order.

Weiss followed his gaze and said softly. "Ozpin cares in his own way, he is very fond of Qrow. Even if that concern doesn't extend to a lowly whore."

Book with warmth. "It was unjust of him to say that."

"Believe me, I've called him worse. Anyway, I suspect he has more interest in making you uncomfortable than me." Weiss sat down upon her bench and started fixing her dinner.

"He's not wildly interested in ingratiating himself with anyone, yet he seems very protective of his crew." Book sat down across from her and frowned. "It's odd."

"Why are you so fascinated by him?" Weiss asked.

"Because he's something of a mystery… Why are you?"

Weiss smiled softly. "Because so few men are. From what I have learned of him. He is one I will never fully understand."

Ozpin turned the rusty cross pin over and over in his hand. Then looked up to the mirror in his quarters. His hair was such a dark brown it was near black with a single streak of silver white in it by his right temple. He squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to quell the tears that pricked at them. Qrow was with Weiss, Ruby in the bridge, James and Yang were enjoying having a proper doctor on board. Everyone had someone and they all went on oblivious, which was just what he wanted. His fist closed around the ancient pin reducing it to dust.

He punched the wall into a already well formed crater. Then opened his deep copper eyes looking into the mirror, his shoulder length hair fell in a curtain around his face. He couldn't stand it short, it reminded him to much of an old face he'd worn. Oz held his hand over the sink and forced it open the dust from the cross fell into the sink and he washed the rest off. He splashed some water upon his face as the com sounded.

"Ozpin, you might wanna get up here…" Ruby's voice as unsure.

Ozpin grabbed his leather hair tie and bounded up the ladder in a flash. He raced up the few steps from his room to the bridge and called out to Ruby. "What is it?"

Ruby looked over and was momentarily stunned by her captain having his hair down. She hadn't actually ever seen it down before, it was a good look on him. She shook her head to gather her wits and said. "Signal. Somebody went on the Cortex, hailed the nearest Alliance Cruiser."

"Tell me you scrambled it." Ozpin swept over to loom over Ruby a hand braced on the console and the other on her chair. Oblivious to his trapping of her he studied the monitor.

Ruby hauled her eyes away from his chest, he had a few buttons of the banche shirt undone. The faded grey vest he usually wore was absent altogether. She forced her mind back onto the problem. "All to hell, but I don't know how much got through. Alliance got a pin in us for sure."

"Ni ta ma de. Tianxia suoyoude ren. Dou gaisi!" Ozpin cursed, his fingers bit into the console warping the metal.

Ruby swallowed thickly, she often forgot how scary her captain could be. "We got a mole on board." She watched Ozpin's face turn to stone, she reached up and brushed his chin with a finger, feeling the stubble that was starting to grow in, then he was gone. Charging off to the cargo bay with a look of murder upon his face.

In the cargo bay Simon was checking his large blue box and as he turned Ozpin slugged him in the face sending him sprawling. It was only because Oz wanted Simon able to talk that he didn't break the younger man's jaw. Simon spun holding his bleeding lip. "Are you out of your mind?"

"What'd you tell them?" Ozpin snarled advancing on Simon again.

"Tell who?" He didn't see Ozpin's hand move, suddenly it was wrapped around his neck and he lifted clear off his feet by near two feet. Simon's eyes widened Ozpin didn't even strain to lift him like a twig. Ozpin growled. "I have exactly no time for games. What do they know?"

"You're a lunatic." Simon gasped out clawing at Oz's hand.

Ozpin squeezed and snapped out. "And you're a gorram Fed."

"Hate to say it, Captain, but you've got the wrong man."

Oz turned still not letting Simon go and pulled up his Aura in the same heartbeat. Book was holding his hands up at shoulder height and behind him was Dobson holding a gun on Ozpin.

"Drop him." Dobson ordered in a shaky voice.

Ozpin dropped Simon like a sack of unwanted potatoes. "You're gun Captain Valen, drop it."

"You don't want to do this Dobson, you what what my crew is. You'll be dead faster then if you did a dutchman." Ozpin raised his hands like Book, playing along for now.

Dobson ignored Ozpin and took a few wary steps forward, then pointed his gun at Simon. "Simon Tam, you are bound by law to stand down."

Ozpin blinked in surprise. "What - the doctor? Oh ."

Simon shouted with indignation. "Hey!"

Ozpin's mind was going a million miles a minute. "Is there-is there a reward?"

Dobson ignored Ozpin, focusing on Simon. The bumbling businessman had become a very intense, tightly wound cop. "Get on the ground. Get on the ground!"

Simon slowly lowered himself. "Lawman, you are making a mistake."

Ozpin said more softly. "I think you best get on the ground. The man seems a mite twitchy."

Book tried to calm the situation. "I think everybody could stand to calm down a bit." He took a step slowly towards Dobson.

"This isn't your business, Shepherd." Dobson snapped.

"The boy's not going anywhere, lawman. As I understand it, it's pretty cold outside. And our captain seems to be more the type to space a man first, ask questions later. You know their are people on this ship that can move faster than you can blink." Book said. "Pissing off said captain I don't see good for your long term health."

Ozpin smiled at that, it was a bit too predatory to set anyone at ease. "You can have the kid." He tensed up getting ready to move.

"Stop! You think I'm a complete backbirth? You're carrying a fugitive across interplanetary borders, and you think I actually believe you're bringing medical supplies to Whitefall? As far as I care, everyone on this ship is culpable." Sweat trickled down Dobson's brow, they weren't supposed to be Huntsmen.

Oz's smiled widened, shoving this cop out of the airlock was looking like a more and more appealing prospect.

"Please, we're very close to true stupidity here -" Book saw the look on the captains face and fear laced through him.

"I got a cruiser en route for intercept, so talk all you want. You got about twenty minutes."

Ozpin moved growling. "You've got less then that."

Dobson panicked and squeezed off several shots at Ozpin, they bounced harmlessly off Oz's Aura. In the same instant Yang raced through the door to investigate the shots fired. Dobson spun and fired. Ozpin stopped with a lurch as Yang stumbled back slamming into a wall. "What.." She looked down to her belly as blood ran out of the wound.

As Yang slumped to the ground Simon burst into movement racing for her. Ozpin turned on Dobson only for Book to already be there he had to hold back as the older man brutally jabbed Dobson in the throat as he grabbed the man's gun with a whip-quick, twist pulled the gun away and cracked Dobson across the face with it. The cop fell in an instant and didn't even twitch.

Everyone else, save Ruby burst into the hold from various doors. Weiss caught sight of Yang and raced to her. "Yang!"

Simon was laying Yang back as Ozpin scrambled to her other side. Looking her over, he grabbed her by her chin. "Yang look at me, pull up your Aura."

Yang blinked up at him, confused as Simon asked. "How are you feeling?"

"A little odd…" Her head listed to the side.

Jayne came toward Dobson with a purpose in his stride, gun in hand. Book turns to face him. "Outta the way."

Book said flatly but with authority. "You're not killing this man."

"Not right away…" Jayne said with a growl.

"He's no threat."

Yang whimpered her vision was starting to fill with stars. "Why did he...?" Simon pulled open her jumpsuit and examined the gut wound.

Ozpin forced cheer into his voice as he glanced over the wound. "Oh, well, that ain't hardly a mosquito bite." He stroked over her face, trying to get her to focus on him. "Come on I need you to pull up your Aura."

"Big mosquito." Yang slurred and leaned into Ozpin's touch. She liked it when her captain showed his true colours. Weiss had made it down to cargo hold and pulled off her robe, she was dressed underneath and bunched it under Yang's head.

Meanwhile Jayne snarled. "Move."

"Not gonna happen." Book said raising his chin.

Jayne raised his gun. " I ain't joking with you, Preacher." In the next instant it was gone from his hands and Qrow was standing beside him holding it by the barrel. He was still missing his shirt and his pants were only half done up. "Just tie him up." Jayne looked like he wanted to punch Qrow. "Do it." The red eyed man growled, after a moment Jayne left to find duct tape.

"Can you move your feet?" Simon asked. "Yang. Stay with me. Can you move your feet?"

"Are you asking me to dance…" Yang's eyes started to roll back.

"She's going into shock." Simoan said.

"Yang, you have to focus." Oz stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "Ruby will never forgive you if you give up."

Simon pushed on Yang's stomach trying to stanch the blood flow and she screamed. "The infirmary working?" He asked Oz.

"Yeah, we got it stocked." Ozpin moved scoping Yang up as if she weighed no more than a feather.

Over the com Ruby's voice filled the room. "Captain, we've been hailed by a Cruiser. Ordered to stay on course and dock for prisoner transfer."

Ozpin and Simon looked at each other and Simon stepped away from Yang. He was tense, but surprisingly calm. "Change course. Run."

"To hell with you. You brought this down on us, I'm dumping you with the law." Ozpin tightened his grip on his precious mechanic.

"Oz…" Weiss said almost pleading in her tone.

"She's dying." Simon said factually.

"You're not gonna let her." Ozpin narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, I am." Simon said calmly.

Fear flashed through Oz. "No, you can't." James was good, but he wasn't this good.

Qrow came over and said. "No way the Feds'll let us walk."

"Then we dump him in the shuttle and leave him for them." Ozpin's voice rose with panic.

Yang slurred delirious. "Everybody's so mad…"

Weiss reached out and petted through her curly golden locks. "It's okay, baby."

"Do you know what a stomach wound does to a person?" Simon asked Oz.

"You know I do."

"Then you know how crucial the next few minutes are." Simon said gesturing to Yang.

Qrow snarled at him his own wound forgotten as he moved to attack. "You let her die, you'll never make it to the Feds."

"She'll still be dead."

"You rich kids, you think your lives are the only thing that matters. What'd you do? Kill your folks for the family fortune?" Oz grasped at straws.

"I don't kill people!" Simon lost his cool.

"Then do your job!" Oz shouted back.

"Turn the ship around!"

Weiss intervened with a harsh snap. "Enough! Oz, do it."

"Don't ever tell me what to do on my -." Yang screamed and Ozpin and Simon stared at each other. To Qrow Oz said. "Qrow. Change course." Qrow was out of the hold like lightning, not even bothering to use the steps just leaping clear for the bridge deck. He hit the nearest com panel and said. "Ruby, change course and go for hard burn. We're runnin'."

They call felt the lurch as Ruby turned the ship around and kicked the engine into hard burn.

Ozpin and Simon burst into the small infirmary, it wasn't the best or wildly sterile but it was clearly functional. "You have an extractor?" Simon asked started to rip open drawers looking.

"Got a laser law." Ozpin said setting Yang down on the table, though it was more of an inclined bed crossed with a chair. James, Weiss and Qrow raced through the doorway.

"That's not good enough." Simon said then looked at Weiss. " Uh, my room, red bag." As Weiss ran off Simon found a hypo-gun and several vials.

Ozpin looked up to him as Simon set a vial into the gun. " This is over, you and me are gonna have a personal chat."

"Won't that be fun." Simon tossed Oz the hypo. "Dope her."

Simon was confident and good at his job, Ozpin and James assisted though mostly James as he had the most field experience. Bit by bit Simon put Yang back together, pulled out bullet shards. Ozpin watched the instruments indicating Yang's vitals, spotting for a moment Weiss watching them from the doorway. Jayne was crouched outside the infirmary, peering through a window, worried and almost hugging himself.

When they were down Simon washed off his hands and turned to Ozpin, pulling off his apron. "I can't do anything more until she stabilizes."

"Will she?" Ozpin asked pulling his eyes away from Yang.

"I can't say yet." Simon said.

Weiss spoke up. "I want know what's going on here."

"Well then why don't we find out?" Ozpin swept from the room like a hurricane.

Simon cased after him. "What are you... no! No!"

Ozpin moved to Simon's big box and looked it over. Simon raced into the room. "Stay away from that! Aah!" Jayne grabbed him and easily held him back.

Calmly Ozpin asked Jayne. "Where's the Fed?"

"Secure. Shepherd's with him. Seems to think he's not safe alone with me." Jayne said with a smirk.

"Don't!" Simon shouted as Ozpin turned a few dials on Simon's blue box and pulled the release lever. Lights flashed as the four latches twisted automatically at the corners. The top came off with a hydraulic whoosh, dry ice pouring out the sides. Ruby, Qrow enter as Weiss and James stood off to the side.

"Well, let's see what a man like you would kill for." Oz kicked the top of the box, it clattered to the floor as the smoke cleared Ozpin looked inside. In which was a curled up naked, unconscious teenage girl. The box was a cryo-chamber and perfect conformed to her body. Ozpin looked at the girl, then at Simon, then at the girl again. "Huh."

Simon tried to wrest himself free of Jayne. "I need to check her vitals."

"She's not supposed to wake up for another week! The shock -"

"The shock of what? Waking up? Finding out she's been sold to some borderworld baron? Or, I'm sorry - was this one for you? Is it true love? Because you do seem a little-"

The girl awoke with a scream and lurched out of the box, Ozpin jumped startled himself as he turned back to her. The girl kept screaming, spilling out of the box and crawling backwards, breathing hard and looking around her, wild-eyed.

Simon finally pulled himself free of Jayne, who was now more interested in the naked girl than him - and came to her. Weiss pulled off her robe again, ready to cover her with it.

"River?" Simon asked cautiously but full of love. River screamed at his touch and Weiss instinctively moved forward. Simon continued to hold onto her, tried to get her to look in his eyes. "River. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay, I'm here."

River finally looked at him, trying to focus, still breathing hard. She looked about at everyone then back to him. She whispered starting to really see him. "Simon...?" River realized it was really him and began to cry clinging to him. "Simon... They-they talk to me, they want me-they want me to talk…"

Simon held her tight petting the back of her head. "They're gone... they're gone. We're safe now. We're safe. we're safe, I'm here."

Everyone could tell this was not what Ozpin thought and there is a kind of respect in there silence till Oz broke it. "What the hell is this?"

Simon looked over definitely, with River still clinging to him and crying. "This is my sister."

The whole crew minus Yang and River were gathered in the living area. Ozpin leaning against a doorway with his arms crossed. Ruby was sitting on the couch as closed to him as she could get without being obvious about it. Qrow on her other side with Weiss beside him. James, Jayne and Book were setting at the table. Simon began to tell his story.

"I am very smart. I went to the best Medacad in Osiris, top three percent of my class, finished my internship in eight months. "Gifted" is the term. So when I tell you that my little sister makes me look like an idiot child, I want you to understand my full meaning."

Ruby spoke up. "We're all like that here, you have to be to go through the Huntsmen schools." Her eyes feel, being smart was a curse more often then a gift.

"River was more than gifted. She… she was a gift. Everything she did, music, math, theoretical physics - even-even dance - there was nothing that didn't come as naturally to her as breathing does to us." Simon smiled remembering. "She could be a real... brat about it, too. I mean, she used to -" Simon trailed off for a moment. Jayne stood, going to refill his mug. At his movement, Simon collected himself.

"There was a... a school... a, uh, a government-sponsored academy, we had never even heard of it but it had the most exciting program, the most challenging. We could have sent her anywhere, we had the money, but she wanted to go. She wanted to learn. She was fourteen. I…" He swallowed tightly then pulled himself together. "I got a few letters at first, and then I didn't hear for months. Finally I got a letter that made no sense. She-she talked about things that never happened, jokes we never... it was code. It just said… They're hurting us. Get me out."

Qrow asked softly. "How did you do it?"

"Money. And, and luck. For two years, I couldn't get near her. Then I was contacted by some men, some underground movement. They-they said she was in danger, that-that the government was… playing with her brain. If I funded them they could sneak her out in cryo.

Get her to Persephone, and from there, I could take her... wherever."

Weiss asked. "Will she be all right?"

Simon shrugged and said his words coming more quickly. "I don't know if she'll be all right. I don't know what they did to her, or why. I-I just have to keep her safe."

There was a long moment of silence then Book said. That's... quite a story, son."

"Yeah, it's a tale of woe. Very stirring, but in the meantime, you've heaped a world of trouble on me and mine." Ozpin growled.

"I never thought -." Simon began.

"No, I don't imagine you thought. In consequence of which we got a kidnapped federal officer on board, we got the Alliance hard on our trail, and Yang…" Ozpin breathed deeply to control himself.

Qrow asked Ruby. "How much does the Alliance know?"

Ruby shook her head. "I can't say. I killed the message pretty quick, so they might just have had our position."

"Or they might have personal profiles on each and every one of us. 'Til that fed wakes up, we won't know." Ozpin said moving off of the wall.

Jayne asked. "So what do we do?"

Ozpin thought of a long moment, looking at his crew then Weiss. "The job. We finish the job. I got word from Patience, she's waiting for us. We circle 'round to Whitefall, make the deal, get out. Keep flying."

"What about us?" Simon asked and Oz looked at him for a long moment. "Yang comes through, you and your sister'll get off at Whitefall."

"If she doesn't come through?" Simon dared to ask.

"Then you're gettin' off a mite sooner."

"That'd be murder." Book said a little uneasy with the ease of which Ozpin said it.

"Welcome to the verse Preacher. Boy made a decision." Ozpin said flatly.

Weiss snapped out. "He didn't shoot her."

"No, but somebody on this boat did and I'm scratching my head as to why we ain't dealt with him." Jayne asked and Qrow snapped out. "Kill a Fed? Can you think of a stupider thing to do?"

"He can I.D. us all." Jayne said.

"You wanna throw me out the airlock, fine, but River's not a part of this." Simon said.

Ruby interjected. "Can we maybe vote on the whole murdering people issue?"

Ozpin snapped at her. " We don't vote on my ship because my ship is not the rutting town hall!"

Weiss inverted. "This is insanity. Oz…"

"I happen to think we're a ways beyond that now, sir ." Ruby crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Qrow. "Come on, we're gonna talk this through." When Qrow didn't answer Ruby's expression turned truly pissed.

"I'll not sit by while there's killing here." Book said firmly.

Jayne smiled at him. "Shepherd's got a mean streak. We'd best walk soft."

"Nimen de bizui!" Ozpin yelled and everyone shut up. "Way it is, is the way it is. We got to deal with what's in front of us."

Weiss move her dress swishing around her and pleaded with Oz. "Oz you know those two wouldn't survive a day in Whitefall anyway. You throw them out, I'm leaving too."

Ozpin looked at her angrily, he hated when he was confronted publicly. His gut twisted painfully at the thought of her leaving but he suppressed both feelings. "It might be best you do. You ain't a part of this business." He turned on his heel and exited out toward the passenger dorms. Everyone saw the startled and then resigned look upon Weiss's face.

Simon followed Oz calling out. "What business is that, exactly?" Ozpin turned and gave him a murderous look but Simon didn't back down. "I'm a dead man, I can't know? Is it gold? Drugs? Pirate treasure? What is it that makes you so afraid of the Alliance?"

"You don't wanna go down this road." Ozpin growled.

"Oh, you're not afraid of them? I already know you'd sell me out to them for a pat on the head. Hell, you should probably be working for them. You certainly fit the profile -"

Ozpin decked him again and Simon went tumbling, he looked back at the dining room to see the rest of them looking at him, Jayne nearest the door said. "Saw that comin'."

Jayne and Ozpin were in the room with the tied and gagged cop. Oz pulled the duct tape off and Dobson grunted in pain. Ozpin began speaking. "I'm in a tricky position, I guess you know. Got me a boatload of terribly strange folk making my life a little more interesting than I generally like, chief among them an Alliance mole. Likes to shoot at girls when he's nervous. Now I got to know how close the Alliance is, exactly how much you told them before Ruby scrambled your call. So… I've given Jayne here the job of finding out."

Jayne pulled a big-ass knife off his his belt and said. "He was non-specific as to how."

Ozpin moved to Jayne and very quietly said. "Now you only gotta scare him."

Jayne grinned at Dobson. "Pain is scary…"

Ozpin rolled his eyes. "Just do it right." He left, shutting the door behind him leaving Jayne along with Dobson.

The Fed instantly started to babble. "Do you have any idea how much trouble

you're in?"

Jayne sat down on a chair across from Dobson and said with his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Gee, I never been in trouble with the law before…"

"Not like this you haven't. You think this is just a smuggling rap? The package that boy is carrying -"

"It's a girl. She's cute, too, but I don't think she's all there, y'know?" Jayne gestured to his head with his knife casually with an ugly grin. "'Course, not all of her has to be…"

"That girl is a precious commodity. They'll come after her. Long after you bury me they'll be coming."

"Oh, I'm not gonna kill you, Dobson - what's your first name?" Jayne asked off hand.

Dobson reluctantly said. "Laurence."

"Laurence. No, I'm just gonna cut on ya' 'til you tell me how much they know." Jayne looked a little to eager and it had Dobson spilling his metaphorical guts.

"They know everything. They know every name, every record - they know how many nosehairs you've got."

Jayne deflated genuinely disappointed. " Ah, see - they don't know a damn thing. It's all over your face, I ain't even... Was gonna get me a ear, too. Aren't you an officer of the law? Well, don't they teach you how to withstand interrogation? Can't even tell a damn lie."

Dobson calmed down and evened out his voice. "Okay. I can see you're not an idiot."

"Wish I could say the same, Laurence, but... this is disappointing as hell." Jayne put his knife away.

"Let me speak the language you will understand. Money. This girl is worth a lot of money. I mean a lot. You kill me, there's nothing. But if you help me out, you'll have enough to buy your own ship. A better one than this piece of crap."

"Does helping you out mean turning on the Captain?" Jayne asked for he was a little slow.

"Yes, it does." Dobson said slowly as said as Jayne thought on it.

Ozpin stormed onto the bridge a whirlwind of dark and chaotic energy. Ruby looked up form the screen she had been watching hugging herself wide eyes fearful.

"How the Hell did they find us? I thought you said we could get around 'em." Ozpin looked at her noticing her fear.

"It's not Alliance." Ruby said and drew her legs up and hugged them too, trying to see how small she could make herself.

"You're sure?" Ozpin asked softening his voice.

"It's a smaller vessel." Ruby mumbled and Ozpin asked. "Commercial?"

"Uh, yeah, I read it as an older model Trans-U." Ruby said turning her chair back to the monitor.

"I didn't think Trans-U still operated." Ozpin said the pieces starting to click into place as Ruby said softly. "They don't."

"Get me a visual." Ozpin ordered and Ruby shook her head. "They're still too far out to -"

"Get me something!" Ozpin snapped and when tears collected in Ruby's eyes he had the decency to feel bad.

Ruby reached up and hit a few buttons. "I'm picking up a lot of radiation… they're operating without core containment. Well, that's nuts, that's suicide…" She looked up at Oz.

Ozpin softened and reached out to her bending down and pressing a kiss to her temple. "Reavers." The copper eyed man said softly as Ruby cried softly into his shirt he looked out at the tiny speck that approached them.