Firefly: Tell 'Em I Ain't Comin' Back [Xana + The King in the North]

[The King in the North]

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Every. Gorram. Time. It was supposed to be simple. They found a job, made a plan, and collected the loot. And every time some troublemaker with a gun would come in to foul it all up. This time it had been a simple delivery to some backwater farming town, albeit of highly specialized assault rifles. Turns out they had been stolen by the people who had given Mal the job and their original owners wanted them back. The hulk of a man named Sensa held a shotgun aimed right at his chest, his bald head reflecting from the torches his goons beside him were holding. Five of 'em in total, all armed to the teeth. Now him, Jayne, and River were standing in middle of a crater with their hands in the air and their weapons about three feet too low to be of any damn use.

"Sensa, use that brain of yours for once in your life and think about what you're doin' here. You kill us and you'll never find the rest of that shipment. Now I know you don't want to see two-thirds of your profit just fl away." Mal eyed the barrels of the boomstick baring down on him before returning his gaze towards the man's face.

"No use trying to talk your way out of this one, Reynolds. I've got you dead to rights so I'll let you in on a little secret. This was all a setup, tracking devices in every crate. Those 'freelancers' that sold you these guns? My boys. I just needed to get you somewhere a little more remote so I could kill you easy and take that hunk of junk you call a ship." A sickening grin spread across Sensa's face, revealing a smile that looked like a shooting gallery.

"Oh yeah, well why don't you fight my mano y man-" Jayne started in on the bandits with a tone that sounded like he was the one holding ten pounds of iron in his mitts.

"Jayne, shut your trap." The Captain considered his words for a moment before nodding his head towards the man. "I suppose I underestimated your advanced intellect. That must be why these bright young fellows are so eager to follow your orders. Mal eyed the lip of the crater behind the motley crew in front of him for moment, then a sly grin spread across his face.

"Now you're gonna die knowing your last words were a poor excuse for an insult. Gun 'em down boys." Their laughter echoed off of the dirt slopes surrounding the group as five guns all cocked in unison.

"Zoë, now!" The three of them dropped to the ground as he shouted, scooping up their weapons.

 

[Xanaphia]

BOOM!

The shotgun blast ripped through the air, knocking over one of the thugs in a splatter of blood and dislodged organs.

BOOM!

Another exploded into the next goon before the survivors had a chance to turn and face her. Zoe Washburne strode onto the scene, face set hard in determination. Rolling behind their vehicle before they could lift their guns to her, it was already too late for them. Jayne began spraying Vera, and River even brought up her pistol, hitting one between the eyes with even looking. The rest of the team joined her, while the leader Sensa blasted at their cover with his fully automatic assault rifle and profanity.

“Brilliant plan Mal,” Jayne barked, “Let them surround us and get us dead to rights so they can reveal their master plan! Helluva lot of good it’ll do our dead bodies.”

“Jayne,” Zoe’s voice cut through the machine gun fire, “now is not the time.” She caught River’s eyes, and the two women communicated through glances. The movement of eyes was all Zoe needed to extend her scheme to their probably psychic crew mate. With a nod from each, the plan when into action.

Zoe stepped out from behind cover, unloading her shotgun at the battle mad gunman. First shot missed. The next went wide. Soon his sights were set on her, gunfire following her trail to the next instance of nearby cover. Turning at a 45 degree angle to discharge the rest of his clip at her, he hurled more obscenities.
“You missed you stupid bi---,” A bullet in the brain interrupted the end of his rather predictable insult, shot by the impeccable River Tam, who still wasn’t looking at her Target.

“ ‘Bout time she made herself useful,” Jayne grumbled as he came out of cover, picking over the dead bodies of the dead. Zoe searched Sensa’s corpse, pulling a heavy coin purse off of him and tossing it to the Captain. Jayne couldn’t help but notice the gesture and smirked, “I guess drinks are on Mal tonight.”

Zoe smirked, “I’ll call Wash to come pick us up.”