<< Continued from "Waitin' for the Cargo" >>
River grabbed hold of Jayne's arm and did her best to erect her shield against the violence she knew was imminent as Mal charged past them and out towards the shuttle. She didn't need her special abilities to work out the cause of his extreme reaction.
Inara!
Mal's SMG spoke and the first of Niska's men was hit, not fatally at first and his emotional onslaught battered at River, but her shield held, just, though her grip on Jayne's arm was very tight and was going to leave a bruise. The SMG spoke again and the onslaught abruptly ceased to be replaced by another. River was better prepared for the second and it washed harmlessly over her and although the man still lived, was still in pain it did not effect her.
River was exhausted and she clung to Jayne, trying hard not to cry, knowing that they were close now. Simon would be there to look after Kaylee and she could sleep, preferably wrapped in Jayne's arms, though she would settle just for her own bunk if she had to.
Unless Mal needed her to fly. That didn't bear thinking about, but they did have cargo to deliver. She tried to remember if Mal or Zoe had mentioned if they were on a timetable. She couldn't, which was unusual, but it did remind her of something else.
River changed her comm to the hailing frequency for the shuttle.
"Inara, this is River. We have Kaylee; she's alive. Niska's dead. Mal's tidying up the loose ends. We will be with you shortly. Could you relay to Serenity please." Simon and Zoe needed to know, sooner rather than later. Her comm unit didn't have the range to communicate with Serenity directly.
River grabbed hold of Jayne's arm and did her best to erect her shield against the violence she knew was imminent as Mal charged past them and out towards the shuttle. She didn't need her special abilities to work out the cause of his extreme reaction.
Inara!
Mal's SMG spoke and the first of Niska's men was hit, not fatally at first and his emotional onslaught battered at River, but her shield held, just, though her grip on Jayne's arm was very tight and was going to leave a bruise. The SMG spoke again and the onslaught abruptly ceased to be replaced by another. River was better prepared for the second and it washed harmlessly over her and although the man still lived, was still in pain it did not effect her.
River was exhausted and she clung to Jayne, trying hard not to cry, knowing that they were close now. Simon would be there to look after Kaylee and she could sleep, preferably wrapped in Jayne's arms, though she would settle just for her own bunk if she had to.
Unless Mal needed her to fly. That didn't bear thinking about, but they did have cargo to deliver. She tried to remember if Mal or Zoe had mentioned if they were on a timetable. She couldn't, which was unusual, but it did remind her of something else.
River changed her comm to the hailing frequency for the shuttle.
"Inara, this is River. We have Kaylee; she's alive. Niska's dead. Mal's tidying up the loose ends. We will be with you shortly. Could you relay to Serenity please." Simon and Zoe needed to know, sooner rather than later. Her comm unit didn't have the range to communicate with Serenity directly.
