POI Firefly fusion #1: This Is Who We Are
TITLE: POI Firefly fusion #1: This is who we are
AUTHOR: whomii2
DISCLAIMER: do not own
REESE&CARTER
There was a time John Reese had dreams. A dream of a home. A dream of a family. He and Jessica would marry, buy a little plot of land and build a house with a white picket fence. Maybe get a dog. Maybe have some kids.
Then the war came, and Reese took up arms to ensure the freedom to live his dreams in peace. To ensure that the Alliance didn't strangle the Outer Planets in too tight a grip. Jessica swore to wait for him until they won and he returned.
But the Browncoats didn't win. And while John was a prisoner of war following the battle of Serenity Valley, Jessica was killed in a skirmish back on their home world, collateral damage in a war that was already over.
So John returned from the war to find his dreams in ashes. Jessica gone. His home planet scarred from the fighting. He might have sought oblivion at the end of a gun or the bottom of a bottle if it wasn't for Carter.
Carter had been with him through all the fighting. Watching his back. Hoping to secure a future for her son free from the iron grip of the Alliance.
Jessica might be gone, but Taylor was still alive. Reese might have lost his dreams, but he could still help Carter with hers. There wasn't much call for ex-Militia on the outer planets now, so they would need to find another way to make a living in a 'verse that had grown a little colder.
The Alliance had won, but the Resistance had hurt them enough that their control on the Outer Planets had loosened. Since those planets no longer had a militia, Reese and Carter would need to find some other way to make a living. Life on the Outer Planets post-war was different. People were less willing to help their neighbors. Instead, it was every man for himself as everyone tried to recover from the damage of the fighting. There were fewer resources, fewer opportunities.
Traveling would expand their options, so Reese bought an old model Firefly and Carter came with him as crew. They would take what jobs they could find to keep the ship flying and pay for Taylor's education. Although Taylor had traveled with them for a while, Carter had found a school where he could board and learn a trade that would help him forge his own way when he came of age.
But the Firefly was an awful big ship for just the two of them, and circumstances demanded that they add to their little group to stay flying.
ZOE
Zoe Morgan was a Companion. Companions weren't like the prostitutes that could be found plying their trade at every seedy space port. Companions were more like the Geisha's of Old Japan back on Earth-That-Was. They were a status symbol for the wealthy who could afford them, but the “companionship” their customers bought didn't necessarily include sex. Companions had the ears of the rich and powerful on the various worlds, and pillow talk gave them access to a lot of secrets. The Companions had risen to be the unofficial arbiters of many back-room deals. They traveled from world to world meeting with those with power and influence and facilitating things for their customers-for a price. While the Companions Guild certainly benefited from the status quo, and had many clients among the elite of the Alliance, some companions had still retained sympathy for the Rebellion. It was rumored that a few had even given aid, whispering secrets of troop movements or weapons caches in Rebel ears. The fact that the Alliance hadn't disbanded the Companions Guild over the actions of a few members was testament to the power the Guild wielded and the secrets they kept. They knew where the bodies were buried. Reese saw Zoe plying her trade among the hurting Outer Planets when she could have earned so much more in the luxurious Core worlds and wondered. Wondered, but never asked. Still, the payment Zoe Morgan gave toward the use of one of their shuttles, no questions asked, went a long way toward getting them off the ground and keeping them in the air.
FUSCO
It was a truth generally agreed upon-never trust a mercenary. You never knew when someone might come along with more money or a better offer. Fusco was living proof of that. He had turned against his former partners in crime when Reese had offered him a bunk on the Firefly and a better cut of any profits.
Fusco was rather pleased with the deal he had made. He had room to himself, and considering the habits of some of his bunkmates that was a definite plus. Lionel didn't completely trust anyone, but he did get the feeling he might not need to lock up his possessions quite so securely on this new ship, and he could have Vera hung on his wall without fear she might disappear. The jobs might not be as steady as with his previous crew, but on this ship he got a bigger cut. And he didn't have to worry about someone stabbing him in the back for his share. When they did have a bigger score he sent what he could of his cut back to his ex for his son's upkeep Not that he saw the boy all that often, his 5 hulking ex-brothers-in-law tended to discourage Fusco from coming around.
ELIAS
They had picked up Brother Elias as a somewhat permanent passenger when he had booked open-ended passage for some sort of “pilgramage” to re-familiarize himself with the world after a long time cloistered away. Reese wasn't sure why a man would imprison himself in a monastery, but he could well believe that after a time he might feel the itch to be free. To see the worlds and look for souls to convert.
Brother Elias in many ways was what you would expect of a man of the cloth: balding, even-tempered, with a perpetual smile and a tendency to lecture that might be a leftover from when he said he used to be a teacher. Yet he seemed remarkably familiar with some subjects not usually associated with holy orders. When questioned he just smiled serenely and remarked that he had not always been a man of the cloth. And there was from time to time a certain darkness in Brother Elias' eyes, a hint that this Shepherd might be something of a wolf in sheep's clothing.
FINCH&ROOT
The lack of consistent maintenance on the older ship was beginning to be a problem. Of course most everyone working on a ship was familiar with the basics of keeping a ship running and atmosphere working, but wear and tear meant that there was a need for more fine tuning and expert repair that went beyond the crews expertise. And without a thorough knowledge of the ship's workings it was hard to tell if they were being cheated, or if repairs were being done right when they had to layover at space port to fix what had broken. Reese was willing to set aside a fair portion of their profits as payment for someone to come aboard and keep them in flying trim, figuring it was more than worth it to avoid the expensive downtime and costly repairs they currently faced. But where to find a good mechanic? Most of the good ones already had cushy positions and didn't need to hire aboard an old ship with uncertain destinations.
Matters came to a head on Cooper's World. Most space facilities planetside were for the large agro transporters. A few corporate ships made scheduled stops in a circuit of the stations and habitable planets in the system, to drop of mail and take on what few travelers had business off-planet. There wasn't much call on this world for a small independent like their Firefly, but necessity had demanded that they land when a number of warning lights had started to flash on the control panels. Now they were grounded on a world where it would be tough to find someone to work on their ship.
Most anyone with real knowledge were signed onto the larger cargo ships which paid a premium for the long hauls. They had bigger crew quarters and more amenities. Not to mention good bonuses when the goods were delivered. The few applicants they had were young buckaroos bored with farming and trying to get off planet. Tinkering with farm equipment was not an appropriate resume for keeping a ship running.
Reese had gotten so desperate and frustrated that he had gone down to the engine room to see about fixing the problem-by hitting a large piece of equipment with a wrench. It didn't affect the machine, but it did help his mood a bit. He was rubbing his bruised knuckles and wondering if a hammer would have been a better choice when Carter brought a potential passenger down to see him. The man was certainly no young farmboy, being older than Reese and dressed in a rather nice suit. His clothes and manners indicated he probably came from a Core world. If it wasn't trouble that had caused the man to come to the Outer Planets, no doubt it was trouble that was causing him to seek passage on a scruffy Firefly instead of on a more comfortable corporate passenger ship. Finch wanted passage for himself and his ….sister. Reese found the hesitation interesting, but didn't ask why the other man wasn't booking passage on one of the corporate ships that left regularly to the other planets. Finch could certainly afford it based on the price he was offering for passage for him and his “sister”. Although the funds might still not be enough to see the Firefly repaired and refueled.
Finch frowned when told that the ship was down in need of repairs. He offered to take a look-as he had some talent with machines. Reese thought it more likely experience telling crew what to do, but remembering the calluses on the man's hand when they shook thought he would take a chance. Not like they had much to lose at the moment. The cost of the ship's berth increased every day they were grounded. And there were not too many jobs available on this planet to help pull them out of the hole.
Finch got a pinched look on his face as he looked at the piece of equipment Reese had been trying to “tune up.” He took off his jacket, folded it neatly and hung it over the nearby railing and began to grill Reese about warning lights, recent activity, and any suspicious jolts or noises the ship might have made before the main problems began. Then he set to work.
Reese might not be able to follow everything the other man was doing, but he could tell that the man knew his way around a ship. John revised his initial assessment to someone from an Outer Planet who had migrated to one of the Core worlds. John didn't think someone who had grown up with the easy availability of tech on the core planets would be quite so good at improvisation. But back before the war there had often been a movement to recruit the best and brightest from the Outer Planets to spur innovation on the Core worlds. Reese's observation of the repairs quickly morphed into active participation as the man asked him to fetch various tools or spare parts from their storage. At one point Reese crawled under the large generator to swap out a part under the man's careful direction. John didn't mind, as with a limp and the somewhat awkward way he moved at times it would have been difficult for Finch to shimmy under there to make the adjustment. At one point Carter had returned from scouting for a mechanic, surprised to see Reese and their prospective passenger elbow deep in the repairs. John quietly told her to make arrangements for refueling and have Fusco get some additional provisions - they were going to have some additional passengers who might just become crew if Reese could talk them into staying.
Finch's sister “Root” turned out to be a tall skinny thing with long brown hair and a slightly creepy smile. She didn't say anything when introduced, merely looking around at the ship humming off-key to herself and ignoring the crew. Finch apologized for her manners and whisked her away to the pair of cabins allotted to them. Fusco commented that he didn't think that girl was quite right in the head. John privately agreed, but thought that Finch's expertise was more than useful enough to put up with a little side helping of crazy. And it was, because Finch wasn't just a brilliant mechanic but also a talented pilot. (Which was a good thing as his “sister” turned out to be more than twice as crazy as everyone thought.) John would have never guessed at their first meeting that the polite man in a nice suit was a bigger trouble magnet than anyone Reese had ever known.
In the end John didn't get the house with the picket fence, instead he had an old ship that took him wherever he wanted to go amongst the stars. He had the dog, but no kids other than some crew members that acted like children from time to time. No family but the dysfunctional fellow travelers who seemed bound and determined to drive him crazy. It wasn't the dream he had back before the war, but what had risen from the ashes of that old dream was still pretty good.
AUTHOR: whomii2
DISCLAIMER: do not own
REESE&CARTER
There was a time John Reese had dreams. A dream of a home. A dream of a family. He and Jessica would marry, buy a little plot of land and build a house with a white picket fence. Maybe get a dog. Maybe have some kids.
Then the war came, and Reese took up arms to ensure the freedom to live his dreams in peace. To ensure that the Alliance didn't strangle the Outer Planets in too tight a grip. Jessica swore to wait for him until they won and he returned.
But the Browncoats didn't win. And while John was a prisoner of war following the battle of Serenity Valley, Jessica was killed in a skirmish back on their home world, collateral damage in a war that was already over.
So John returned from the war to find his dreams in ashes. Jessica gone. His home planet scarred from the fighting. He might have sought oblivion at the end of a gun or the bottom of a bottle if it wasn't for Carter.
Carter had been with him through all the fighting. Watching his back. Hoping to secure a future for her son free from the iron grip of the Alliance.
Jessica might be gone, but Taylor was still alive. Reese might have lost his dreams, but he could still help Carter with hers. There wasn't much call for ex-Militia on the outer planets now, so they would need to find another way to make a living in a 'verse that had grown a little colder.
The Alliance had won, but the Resistance had hurt them enough that their control on the Outer Planets had loosened. Since those planets no longer had a militia, Reese and Carter would need to find some other way to make a living. Life on the Outer Planets post-war was different. People were less willing to help their neighbors. Instead, it was every man for himself as everyone tried to recover from the damage of the fighting. There were fewer resources, fewer opportunities.
Traveling would expand their options, so Reese bought an old model Firefly and Carter came with him as crew. They would take what jobs they could find to keep the ship flying and pay for Taylor's education. Although Taylor had traveled with them for a while, Carter had found a school where he could board and learn a trade that would help him forge his own way when he came of age.
But the Firefly was an awful big ship for just the two of them, and circumstances demanded that they add to their little group to stay flying.
ZOE
Zoe Morgan was a Companion. Companions weren't like the prostitutes that could be found plying their trade at every seedy space port. Companions were more like the Geisha's of Old Japan back on Earth-That-Was. They were a status symbol for the wealthy who could afford them, but the “companionship” their customers bought didn't necessarily include sex. Companions had the ears of the rich and powerful on the various worlds, and pillow talk gave them access to a lot of secrets. The Companions had risen to be the unofficial arbiters of many back-room deals. They traveled from world to world meeting with those with power and influence and facilitating things for their customers-for a price. While the Companions Guild certainly benefited from the status quo, and had many clients among the elite of the Alliance, some companions had still retained sympathy for the Rebellion. It was rumored that a few had even given aid, whispering secrets of troop movements or weapons caches in Rebel ears. The fact that the Alliance hadn't disbanded the Companions Guild over the actions of a few members was testament to the power the Guild wielded and the secrets they kept. They knew where the bodies were buried. Reese saw Zoe plying her trade among the hurting Outer Planets when she could have earned so much more in the luxurious Core worlds and wondered. Wondered, but never asked. Still, the payment Zoe Morgan gave toward the use of one of their shuttles, no questions asked, went a long way toward getting them off the ground and keeping them in the air.
FUSCO
It was a truth generally agreed upon-never trust a mercenary. You never knew when someone might come along with more money or a better offer. Fusco was living proof of that. He had turned against his former partners in crime when Reese had offered him a bunk on the Firefly and a better cut of any profits.
Fusco was rather pleased with the deal he had made. He had room to himself, and considering the habits of some of his bunkmates that was a definite plus. Lionel didn't completely trust anyone, but he did get the feeling he might not need to lock up his possessions quite so securely on this new ship, and he could have Vera hung on his wall without fear she might disappear. The jobs might not be as steady as with his previous crew, but on this ship he got a bigger cut. And he didn't have to worry about someone stabbing him in the back for his share. When they did have a bigger score he sent what he could of his cut back to his ex for his son's upkeep Not that he saw the boy all that often, his 5 hulking ex-brothers-in-law tended to discourage Fusco from coming around.
ELIAS
They had picked up Brother Elias as a somewhat permanent passenger when he had booked open-ended passage for some sort of “pilgramage” to re-familiarize himself with the world after a long time cloistered away. Reese wasn't sure why a man would imprison himself in a monastery, but he could well believe that after a time he might feel the itch to be free. To see the worlds and look for souls to convert.
Brother Elias in many ways was what you would expect of a man of the cloth: balding, even-tempered, with a perpetual smile and a tendency to lecture that might be a leftover from when he said he used to be a teacher. Yet he seemed remarkably familiar with some subjects not usually associated with holy orders. When questioned he just smiled serenely and remarked that he had not always been a man of the cloth. And there was from time to time a certain darkness in Brother Elias' eyes, a hint that this Shepherd might be something of a wolf in sheep's clothing.
FINCH&ROOT
The lack of consistent maintenance on the older ship was beginning to be a problem. Of course most everyone working on a ship was familiar with the basics of keeping a ship running and atmosphere working, but wear and tear meant that there was a need for more fine tuning and expert repair that went beyond the crews expertise. And without a thorough knowledge of the ship's workings it was hard to tell if they were being cheated, or if repairs were being done right when they had to layover at space port to fix what had broken. Reese was willing to set aside a fair portion of their profits as payment for someone to come aboard and keep them in flying trim, figuring it was more than worth it to avoid the expensive downtime and costly repairs they currently faced. But where to find a good mechanic? Most of the good ones already had cushy positions and didn't need to hire aboard an old ship with uncertain destinations.
Matters came to a head on Cooper's World. Most space facilities planetside were for the large agro transporters. A few corporate ships made scheduled stops in a circuit of the stations and habitable planets in the system, to drop of mail and take on what few travelers had business off-planet. There wasn't much call on this world for a small independent like their Firefly, but necessity had demanded that they land when a number of warning lights had started to flash on the control panels. Now they were grounded on a world where it would be tough to find someone to work on their ship.
Most anyone with real knowledge were signed onto the larger cargo ships which paid a premium for the long hauls. They had bigger crew quarters and more amenities. Not to mention good bonuses when the goods were delivered. The few applicants they had were young buckaroos bored with farming and trying to get off planet. Tinkering with farm equipment was not an appropriate resume for keeping a ship running.
Reese had gotten so desperate and frustrated that he had gone down to the engine room to see about fixing the problem-by hitting a large piece of equipment with a wrench. It didn't affect the machine, but it did help his mood a bit. He was rubbing his bruised knuckles and wondering if a hammer would have been a better choice when Carter brought a potential passenger down to see him. The man was certainly no young farmboy, being older than Reese and dressed in a rather nice suit. His clothes and manners indicated he probably came from a Core world. If it wasn't trouble that had caused the man to come to the Outer Planets, no doubt it was trouble that was causing him to seek passage on a scruffy Firefly instead of on a more comfortable corporate passenger ship. Finch wanted passage for himself and his ….sister. Reese found the hesitation interesting, but didn't ask why the other man wasn't booking passage on one of the corporate ships that left regularly to the other planets. Finch could certainly afford it based on the price he was offering for passage for him and his “sister”. Although the funds might still not be enough to see the Firefly repaired and refueled.
Finch frowned when told that the ship was down in need of repairs. He offered to take a look-as he had some talent with machines. Reese thought it more likely experience telling crew what to do, but remembering the calluses on the man's hand when they shook thought he would take a chance. Not like they had much to lose at the moment. The cost of the ship's berth increased every day they were grounded. And there were not too many jobs available on this planet to help pull them out of the hole.
Finch got a pinched look on his face as he looked at the piece of equipment Reese had been trying to “tune up.” He took off his jacket, folded it neatly and hung it over the nearby railing and began to grill Reese about warning lights, recent activity, and any suspicious jolts or noises the ship might have made before the main problems began. Then he set to work.
Reese might not be able to follow everything the other man was doing, but he could tell that the man knew his way around a ship. John revised his initial assessment to someone from an Outer Planet who had migrated to one of the Core worlds. John didn't think someone who had grown up with the easy availability of tech on the core planets would be quite so good at improvisation. But back before the war there had often been a movement to recruit the best and brightest from the Outer Planets to spur innovation on the Core worlds. Reese's observation of the repairs quickly morphed into active participation as the man asked him to fetch various tools or spare parts from their storage. At one point Reese crawled under the large generator to swap out a part under the man's careful direction. John didn't mind, as with a limp and the somewhat awkward way he moved at times it would have been difficult for Finch to shimmy under there to make the adjustment. At one point Carter had returned from scouting for a mechanic, surprised to see Reese and their prospective passenger elbow deep in the repairs. John quietly told her to make arrangements for refueling and have Fusco get some additional provisions - they were going to have some additional passengers who might just become crew if Reese could talk them into staying.
Finch's sister “Root” turned out to be a tall skinny thing with long brown hair and a slightly creepy smile. She didn't say anything when introduced, merely looking around at the ship humming off-key to herself and ignoring the crew. Finch apologized for her manners and whisked her away to the pair of cabins allotted to them. Fusco commented that he didn't think that girl was quite right in the head. John privately agreed, but thought that Finch's expertise was more than useful enough to put up with a little side helping of crazy. And it was, because Finch wasn't just a brilliant mechanic but also a talented pilot. (Which was a good thing as his “sister” turned out to be more than twice as crazy as everyone thought.) John would have never guessed at their first meeting that the polite man in a nice suit was a bigger trouble magnet than anyone Reese had ever known.
In the end John didn't get the house with the picket fence, instead he had an old ship that took him wherever he wanted to go amongst the stars. He had the dog, but no kids other than some crew members that acted like children from time to time. No family but the dysfunctional fellow travelers who seemed bound and determined to drive him crazy. It wasn't the dream he had back before the war, but what had risen from the ashes of that old dream was still pretty good.