Title: Crusader Episode 03 Authors: Sovereign and Elizafan568 Rating: R - Things will get nasty with guns waving about. Notes: This fic began as a side project for "Manifest Darkness" then erupted into its own serious fic, and finally something publishable. We hope its respectable, it is a crossover after all. Summary: Hope for the future is found in the forgotten remnants of the past. Feedback: Sovereign - xsovereignx@yahoo.com and Elizafan - elizfan568@yahoo.com The shot rang out loud in the hanger as the bullet hit Draco in the shoulder from behind. He and Tren froze in place, mid-battle and the seconds that followed seemed to last forever when suddenly, Draco broke the silence. "You bitch. No one shoots me...no one!" he yelled as he turned and charged her, knocking the gun from her hand before she could fire another shot. He pinned her to the wall, his hand around her throat. "If you weren't worth so much and if I didn't fear my employers, I'd kill you right now." he said, his face inches from her. "Doesn't mean I can't really mess you up though. They said alive....nothing about well." Raising his sword, Draco prepared to severely wound Faith.
"Get away from my mother you freak!" Tren yelled as he charged, ramming into Draco with his shoulder and knocking both of them off balance. Draco released his grip on Faith as stepped backwards. Tren now stood between him and the prone Faith. "Don't you ever come near her again." Tren said, with sword at the ready, jaw set, and a glare in his eye.
As the battle had raged upstairs, the crew of Serenity had mercilessly forced the troopers trapped inside to a point of pinned down and under a relentless assault. Vince and the four remaining troops could scarcely think of sticking their heads up much less actually do it. The last guy who tried had his brain pan emptied onto the ship's cargo door. "You bout ready to give it up, or do we toss a grenade in at you and get a lot of laughs you sick bastards." Jayne yelled, just about ready to shoot at an exposed foot that was hanging outside of cover.
Vince knew when he was beat, at right now, they were but he also knew that Draco would never surrender, no matter what. To stay alive, Vince knew it was the best thing to do. He ordered his remaining men to toss out their weapons and then go out with hands raised. "Alright, we surrender. The commander never will, though, so don't even try." he said snidely.
"You just toss all those pretty hand guns out here where we can see them." Mal replied giving a look over at the situation on the catwalk and seeing it was not as well as he'd like it to be. He'd taken a liking to the Earth girl Faith, she had spirit, plus, he really didn't like the Blue Sun people. He took an aim at the commander, but got no clean angle. He'd keep his gun trained, and if he got a shot he'd take it. "Jayne, keep them covered while they stand up with their hands raised."
**
Meanwhile, again Faith cleared her vision to see Tren standing in front of her, shielding her from the assault of the freaky mutant man. It did make her realize something, and that was she was going to need some bed time and some good food before she was gonna be making any spectacular shows of strength. She slowly scooped herself off the floor as the two men continued to battle a few feet away.
Tren attacked Draco with a vicious assault that took all who saw it by surprise, the whole time shouting. "You will not take my mother from me...never again...NEVER!!!" he repeated over and over, catching Draco completely off guarding and backing him up against the wall. "I don't care about the goals of the Remembrance or why I was cloned over and over again. None of that matters now. All that matters to me is I finally have my mother and I'll kill anyone who tries to take her from me. She is all that matters to me now." he continued, striking at Draco, who was barely able to block it. The two swords just inches from his face.
"Well, I have to say. You really impress me. Very well done, but I don't have time for this!" Draco exclaimed, pushing Tren back, causing him to stumble. Draco capitalized on his opponents loss of balance and knocked the sword from his hand. Tren landed flat on his back with Draco standing over him, sword pointed at his throat. "Die, traitor!" he yelled, as he raised his sword to strike Tren's neck.
The sword had begun its arc when it came to an about stop. The sudden halt taking Draco by complete surprise. The sword, buried about an inch into the forearm of Faith, moved not at all, the blood flowing freely from the arm. Faith gave the cyborg no time to react as he jammed the barrel of the ancient .45 auto loader in his left nostril and pulling the trigger, the smell of blood, brain and cordite filling the room. The blood soaked Slayer watched as the body teetered, then fell over the rail and onto the floor with a wet thick noise on impact. Faith looked over and hawked a spit at the quickly cooling corpse. Then turned her eyes toward the remaining members of Draco's team as they kneeled on the floor in front of Jayne.
Faith gave Tren only a cursory glance, a slight nod, then walked her way toward the others dealing with the prisoners.
"What do you want done with them Mal? These are Blue Sun soldiers. They don't tend to leave you alone and ain't real famous for being honest either." Jayne kept his eyes and guns trained on the four survivors.
"We can't just kill them in cold blood." Book interjected. "We're better than that, aren't we?"
"We let them live, they'll just shoot at us from their ship." Zoe countered. "Ain't likely to give up their precious cargo are they?"
"I don't fancy letting them go anymore than the rest of you, but we can't kill them either. Just wouldn't feel right, even if they are scum. I'll send Kaylee over to disable their ship and its weapons. We'll tie them up and leave them here. Send a bit of a message to Blue Sun that we won't be taken so easily." Mal said, looking over his crew with his eyes finally coming to rest on Faith. "Is that alright with you, Miss Faith?" he asked honestly.
"No." she said. She hurled a knife straight into the chest of the one they called Vince. As he fell back, kicking out the last of his life on the deck plates, she quickly set about shooting the other three. "They were trying to kill me, and people who tried to help me. They failed and they paid the price." she sheathed the large bore handgun and quickly set about going to looting the dead soldiers.
Everyone watched the scene in utter shock. Sure, they all understood her feelings and motivations for doing such a thing, but to see it so plainly carried out was another matter entirely. "Faith, do you realize what you've just done? You murdered unarmed men in cold blood." Shepard Book said in utter shock and pain.
"They got beat to the punch." she said kicking over one corpse, his blue eyes staring sightlessly into the next life. Faith looked him over, then moved to the next guy.
"Although it didn't matter." she took the pants off one of the smaller guys, and a uniform top from another. "Evil's evil, and that's that."
Everyone looked shocked at the discovery that Faith seemed to not even blink at her actions. They were about to ask how she why she had done such a thing, but she beat them to the punch. "Any person here is capable of being the most evil, vilest human in history, most people just like to lie to themselves about it.. well except Jayne. He's kinda honest about it."
Everyone was quiet because, deep down, they all knew it was true. Every human being, no matter when they were born and were they came from, had the ability to be an evil SOB, just like they could be a saint. Thus was the way of the human race. "Jayne, get these bodies out of here. Kaylee, get down to the engine room and see how much time until we are ready to get mobile again." Mal commanded as the crew slowly started to disperse. He walked over to Faith, who turned to face him. "Faith, I understand why you did it and I agree with it, and you can tell Jayne does too, but you gotta understand that some people on this ship still are bothered by such things. Acts of violence, needed or no, still don't set well with them. Don't pay it no mind. We all understand." With that, he went to leave the hold.
Shepard Book, was in utter shock at the act he had just seen committed before his eyes. It was something he could not let go without the necessary being said. "Faith, my child, what have you done? Why? Do you realize the severity of this act of hate?" he said, looking at Faith with utter conviction.
Faith nodded. It was not the affirming nod of someone who was agreeing in the positive with a statement, or admitting one knew the answer to a question. It was the nod of someone who had been here before, and had this question asked before, and knew the person asking it. "It wasn't hate. Only Survival. Blue Sun will be hunting our asses a little harder. I think they might be a bit pissed about losing their little assassin. They may even sue."
Book sighed hard before continuing. "That's not what I mean. You killed kneeling, unarmed men who had already surrendered. There was no point to it. Killing in self defense is one thing, but this....its purely out of hate. Acts such as these can kill your soul, Faith. I don't want to see that."
The crew had stopped, they wanted to see how she would respond to the good Shepard Book's point. It hadn't set well with any of them that she had gone off and killed the unarmed soldiers the way she did. However, Faith was about to show them a different angle on the whole thing.
"I don't want that either Preacher. I want to be with my friends. I want to be 500 years history and be floating on a cloud or whatever. Ain't gonna happen, and I gotta deal." she pointed at where the men were at. "What I did was an act of kindness. You can feel as sorry as you want for a rabid animal. You can cry, sniffle, yell, scream, even pray, but I guarantee one thing you sure as hell won't do is try to pet it."
Faith grew a sad and repentant look on her face as she met the holy man's eyes. "You don't try to cure a rabid animal preacher. For the sake of yourself, your friends, and everyone else in general, you kill it. This time and place is about the bigger dog eating the littler dog and the only difference between today and probably a thousand other days for those guys I killed was that today.. today.. they weren't the bigger dog."
Book's expression grew equal to Faith's in severity and demeanor. "I know you believe that, Faith, and sadly in this verse, it's the way things seem to work, but it's not our place to judge people like that. It's no human's place. It is for God to judge all and decide our fate. Resorting to the methods of those you hate will make you be just as bad as them or, at the very least, taint your soul forever."
Faith favored him with a warm and grateful smile. "500 years too late for that advice Padre." she turned and gave the crew a weary look, then carried herself down the hall.
**
Tren, meanwhile, was still sitting on the floor in the same spot, staring almost blankly at Faith as she moved about. "She acknowledged me. It was short, subtle, and quick, but it was there. I saw it...I felt it, I know I did." he said to himself as he tried to get up but couldn't. He was an absolute wreck and just didn't know what to do next. He just knew he loved his mother and wanted to be with her no matter what, even though she still seemed to want nothing to do with him.
Faith glanced up at the odd fidgeting figure, then snagged Simon by the shoulder as he came in to see if he could help any, and he directed him to head up and look after Tren. Then she walked away, still bleeding profusely from her arm, but with a new stash of Blue Sun clothes.
Faith went straight into the infirmary, and there began to process of stitching and cleaning herself up. Although really, all she wanted to do was curl up and cry the next five hundred years away. She wanted to go back home, but there was no home. No friends, no anything. She was the last soldier of a forgotten war, and she didn't think anyone knew what that was about. Alas, she had to carry on. She washed her forearm wound, then cleaned it up with a few bandages, then began sewing it shut, unable to find any anesthesia to help.
"This sucks." she muttered as she cinched at the third stitch.
**
Simon knelt next to Tren, who had curled up into a near fetal position and was crying quietly. "Tren...come on, you need to get some rest." He said as he tried to help him up. Reluctantly, he did so and got to his feet, doing his best to hide his face from the others. "Come on, I'll take you to your quarters." Simon said as he helped him from the hanger. Things had gone from bad to worse and the crews next move was unknown. One thing was for sure, things were never going to be the same.
As Simon walked Tren to his room, he thought of how Tren's relationship with Faith...his mother, and reflected his own with his sister. He quietly promised himself to try and help the two of them get along and come to some sort of understanding. Even if he was a clone, in essence he as still her son and families should always be together. That's what he believed, and if he could help them, he would.
**
"So what do you think of Faith?" Kaylee asked as Wash aided in installing several 'borrowed' items from the blue sun ship into Serenity. "She's a whole different person then we are used to huh?"
"You can say that again....and again...and again. It's really tough to get a read on her. To be honest, I don't know what to think. She seems up front and blunt enough but who knows. Ouch." Wash said as the board he was messing with gave him a bit of a shock. "How come that never happens to you?"
"Serenity and I have become very close." she smiled sweetly. "Plus I don't grab live boards." she let loose a small laugh. "I think she should be part of the crew. We could use the extra hands plus, she's gotta have great stories. She actually saw Earth that was before it became a wasteland."
"Well, that's up to her and the captain. I will say this, though. I sure wouldn't mind her sticking around. She seems to be pretty strong and a good fighter and much nicer than Jayne. If she stays, we can dump him. It's good all around." Wash said sarcastically.
"Be nice to Jayne. He tries." she said. "And he has been helpful in saving lives sometimes." she was always good at finding the good in everyone.
**
The next day, Tren put down his radio somberly and just stared at Faith as she continued to rummage through her things. It was as if she had nothing else to do. They were the only mementos she had of her world...her time and she seemed determined to keep track of them all. She hadn't so much as said one word to Tren the entire time he had been with here. The only recognition of his presence she would give him was the occasionally slight glance.
As Tren racked his brain for a plan of what to do next and how to make things better with his mother, Malcolm Reynolds walked into the room. Faith turned and gave him a nod before returning to her rummaging.
Mal returned the nod, then stood next to Tren as he watched Faith rummage through her stuff. He realized that no matter how many times she went through it, she wasn't actually unloading very much, nor was she really disturbing the contents of the crates that much, and she had not even opened the crate marked 'one'.
"Now, how long do you figure she can keep doing that? Cuz I'm thinking if it's pent up energy, from the last five hundred years I mean, well then next time we land maybe I can pay her to remodel the ship?" he let loose a small gesturing laugh, showing he meant no harm by the joke.
Tren simply looked up at the captain with the same somber expression he had worn since Faith had been released. "Do you need something, captain? Not sure there's much else I can do for you. I feel pretty worthless right now." he said with a sigh, turning his gaze back to the brunette.
"Yeah, actually, before you either kill yourself or she gets tired of you stalking her and does it for you, I need to know where that long range freighter of yours is going to meet us." He released a breath he had been holding. "No way Serenity can get back to any of the rim planets on her own."
"Actually, I just got off the radio with it a minute ago. Apparently they ran into some trouble of their own and are running behind. Not to worry though, they should be here within the next few hours." Tren said as he then finally stood up, stretching and dusting himself in a manner that lacked any real need for the act. Just doing it an effort to be doing something other than nothing. "I feel so lost right now, captain. I'm nothing to her, except maybe a disgrace or an abomination. She never will acknowledge me, will she? Much less love me like I do her?" Tren asked almost offhandedly.
Malcolm Reynolds had never been one to think of himself as a man with any answers, but in truth, he was wise beyond his years, and he proved it often and well with many people. He would do so again here, and never know it. "Truth is son, no one loves anyone just because they see them and get told a story. If that were true, then we'd all be humping like prairie rabbits and every planet would be filled to the brim with screaming squalling ankle biters."
Mal put his hand on the young man's shoulder. "You're thinking about you right now, but maybe you should think about her not as your mother, or what have you, but maybe as a woman who just found out everything she fought for, all the friends and kin she knew, her world and her way of life has long since turned to dust on a planet that has done did the same. Approach her like that, and maybe, just maybe, you can strike up an understanding, and from there, who knows?"
Tren stood for a moment, taking in Mal's words. They carried weight...a lot of it and Tren could see the wisdom in them. He was being quite selfish right now and he knew it, but just didn't want to admit it. It was obvious to everyone they he couldn't continue this way. He had to regain his composure, get his head on straight, and start dealing with things differently. It was the only chance either of them had to get by at this point. "Thank you, captain...really."
"Of course. Advise is free on Serenity. Outside the ship, then it costs platinum." he smiled and walked off leaving the young man to figure out what he should do next.
Tren took another deep breath and did his best to keep his resolve as he slowly approached Faith, his demeanor and manner much different than before. "Faith...First, I just want to say how sorry I am about putting you in this predicament. You don't deserve it but I can't change it. We're here now and have to make the best of it. As there anything I can do for you? Anything you want to know?" Tren asked his tone and features soft and caring, which he truly did feel, but unselfish, unlike before.
Faith stopped rummaging, holding a box in her hand that she was readying to put in a small bag Jayne had more then willingly lent her. Her expression came neutral as she took in the sight of the young man, his glasses perched on his face. "Your eyes, why are they like that?" she asked, opening the bag and putting the box carefully inside.
"It's a side effect of the cloning process. It has something to do with your Slayer DNA in my blood. It reacts in a strange way and causes the eyes to be red like mine. It also gives me extraordinary eyesight...almost night vision." Tren said with a slight laugh and smile.
Faith nodded. "Thought you were a demon. Just didn't get the vibes." her voice cracked a little. "But they're gone aren't they? All gone." she turned around and began digging in the crate again. "Why keep anything from then around though? Especially a person, from a time and war that means zip now?"
Tren swallowed hard and continued. "Because the Remembrance felt that it was important to the history of the human race that such things be remembered and honored just like other parts of history. The demons that caused many a catastrophe and the brave and noble warriors that fought against them time and again and saved humanity need to be remembered...deserve to be remembered. People like you deserve that."
"Then you guys have bad records." she replied, as he grabbed her full attention. "There were a lot of people who deserved to be remembered, hundreds that were much better people then the one you guys picked." she stopped, and for the first time since being awoke, gentled her expression toward him. "You aren't responsible, not all by yourself anyway. It just turned out bad, for both of us I guess." she looked at him a moment, then went back to rummaging.
"Still, I'm sorry..I really am. I hate that your going through this right now and if there's anything I can do to make it better or less painful, please let me know, although I'm sure nothing in the verse can really do that for you now. Still, I'd like to do what I can. It's the least I can do." Tren thought for a moment and then continued, "And your right, they all need to be remembered and they will be if you choose to help the Remembrance. If you don't, that's fine too. I will accept and back whatever decision you make."
"Thank you." she said, giving him a nod. "Still not big on the trusting here, but, thank you." and she smiled at him, before picking up the bag she had loaded and carried it to the bunk Mal had given her.
"Um, I guess I'll leave you be for now. Let you get some rest. It's been a long day and I'm sure you'd like some time alone. If you need me, you know where to find me." Tren said with another soft smile before making his way toward his own bunk, happy that at last, some progress had been made, for both their sakes.
"Crew, this is the Captain. We are within range of our rendezvous. Prepare for ship to ship landing." Mal's voice came over the speaker, and Faith just felt a whole lot more pinned. She had to concede that fate had made the horrific decision to leave her behind. Destiny was a absurd joke now, friendship was only a memory, and she was just a displaced cork, whose bottle had been lost.
She dropped her stuff off at her bunk, then went to one of the windows, staring out into the black. Everything she was, both good and bad, was now evened out to a big, fat, zero. It did occur to her that was not completely bad, as maybe there was a new beginning out here somewhere for a half millennia old girl. With a single tear coming from one eye, and a half smile creasing her lips, she pondered the ideas and future.
"I know you're there." she suddenly spoke, feeling the presence behind her.
"Sorry, didn't mean to intrude but thought you might want me to check you out. Being cyrofrozen for that long, there is no telling what delayed effects it may have." Simon said as he entered the room, his doctor's bag in hand.
Faith nodded, giving him a slight smile. He kept the same expression he always seemed to have since she had awaken. The poor boy wasn't lusting, he was amazed with a child's like curiosity, at least, as far as Faith could tell. She kept it simple. "I heard them call you Simon right? Little sister River?" She sat down what looked to be a shipping cart that had seen better days so he could do what he needed to.
"Yes, that's right." Simon responded as he sat down his bag on a nearby desk and opened it up, taking out a small device with a couple of wires extended from it with pads on the ends. "Do you mind? I need to attach these to your chest and head."
Faith stared him in the eyes for a moment, as if scanning him for vile intentions, then relaxed. "Go ahead." she let out a laugh. "It's not everyday I'm thinking, that you get to eval a real life fossil huh?" she graced him with a full smile, a rarity much like herself.
"Can't say I ever have." Simon said, attaching the nodes to Faith's body then hitting several buttons on the device, staring at the readings very intently. "This is amazing. Your vitals are perfect, even by normal standards. The pinnacle of health but even more so." Simon then looked up at Faith with amazement. "You're full of surprises just like my sister it seems."
"I'm built Ford tough." she chuckled, then realized no one was going to get that joke. She watched as he flipped through more dials and buttons. "Its part of what I am...or was. Either way, I'm built to heal faster, fight longer, and be stronger than an average human. If you'd like to run tests on that, just let me know when." she paused. "Hey, do they still have McDonalds here in space?"
Simon gave her a questioning look. "A Mc-what? No, I don't think so but there are plenty of things for you to discover, I can guarantee that. If the captain ever decided to let us land anywhere decent anyways." Simon pulled off the nodes and stuffed the device back into his bag. "Well, you are perfectly healthy, no doubt about that but if you don't mind, I'd like to keep doing periodic checkups, just in case."
"Simon.. " She paused, stopping, then spitting out something that normally she wouldn't have. "Enjoy.. your friends I mean, the people on this ship.. you should enjoy them." she shook her head, as if shaking loose interference in her mind. "Check ups, got it. Just let me know."
"I do....and I will." Simon said, somewhat confused. "Anyway, also came in here to let you know we'll be docking with the Remembrance long-range ship soon. You don't have to leave the Serenity if you don't want to, but the rest of us will spend to trip back to the rims on it. Its not often we get to travel in luxury."
"I'm getting that." as she stood up and removed a nice sized wood shard stuck in her butt. She smiled as he left, then returned to her bunk. The small room was bare, and obviously was neglected and out of the way. Suited her fine, as she began to unpack her things awaiting her arrival on the Remembrance ship, and the total pain this whole being alive was getting to be.
**
"Docking procedures complete. All locks in place. Now, I say we get off this ship and go get ourselves something good to eat." Wash said as he spun around in his chair and gave his wife, Zoe a knowing look.
"I'm all for that, baby." she said, planting a kiss on his cheek and smiling wide. A happy couple, they were indeed.
"I can't wait to be on the ship again. These people are really nice and they have the best food I have ever tasted." Kaylee chirped. "Plus, they gave me a complete refitting kit for Serenity just for helping fix their little fuel consumption problem." she took off toward the back, where Jayne was already waiting.
"So, guess we made out alright." Mal came up behind the couple as they walked towards the back. "Hope we still get paid the other half of the fee for getting their cargo here, even though it was a living person and there was a slight problem of her being awake now."
"Not to worry, captain. You will be fully compensated, I guarantee that. I actually think things will turn out better this way." Tren said as he entered the hold from another direction. "I'll see if I can throw in a bonus to, what with you fighting off those Blue Sun mercenaries and all."
Jayne wrapped his big arm around Tren's neck and gave him a tug. "See? What've I been telling you guys? This guy is great."
"Creepy and great are the same thing? Oh how my language skills have suffered out here in the black." Inara quipped happily.
"Business going pretty good huh Inara?" Simon asked as he escorted his sister through the hold.
"Quite. Thank you." the companion replied. "Seems that every one of these Remembrance folks are very nice and hospitable. With a few that are exceptional and enjoy a companion's company strictly for that purpose. Its very easy."
"Anyone seen Faith?" Kaylee asked, looking around the hold. Then looking surprised at everyone. "Didn't anyone invite her? I mean, being as she is the reason for this trip and everything.."
"Well, I did tell her we were docking and that we'd be spending the trip on board the Remembrance ship but she didn't seem to interested. I think she just wants to be alone and think right now." Simon said as he lead his sister toward the hold's door.
"I'll go check on her and see if she's going to be joining us. The rest of you guys go ahead without us." Tren said with a demeanor that let them all know his walls were down and he had his head on straight at last.
"Right. Come on guys." Mal lead his crew into the welcome landing bay of the Remembrance ship.
Faith meanwhile had gone about setting her room to look much like a room should look, if they were living in the world about 500 years ago. Whoever had packed her crates for her had seriously taken some painfully large amount of time to learn about her. Posters, clothes, bedding, and other novelties and necessities a young woman like Faith would need. It was when she hit the play button on her stereo, complete with batteries and two hundred CD's and the tunes of Ozzy Ozbourne's Crazy Train began flowing freely and loudly that a little of the loneliness left her mind.
Tren knocked lightly on the door and then slowly entered the room. "Faith? Mind if I come in?" he said, taking note of the now pleasant room and the music playing.
"Sorry, didn't hear you." she turned the music off and turned on her bunk. "You want to know if I want to go on that ship, and you're going to tell me how a lot of people have waited a long time to see me, and you're also going to say if I'm not ready I don't have to." she said with a slightly concerned look. "Right?"
Tren, taken slightly aback, gave her a stunned look that he quickly shook off. "Um, yeah, pretty much. I shouldn't be surprised though. You've always been good at reading people and their intentions. So, what do you want to do?"
"I'll go, but I go loaded for bear. I'm guessing stakes and crossbows are pretty much out dated, but so am I." she smiled. "They want to see their beloved Slaying legend, they'll get her. I'm also taking a couple of guns too. It's the future, and one don't live 500 years cuz I'm dumb." she replied. "I got the whole set here, but only if you agree."
"I'm sure there are some that will protest to such but its fine with me. However you feel comfortable." Tren then opened the door once more. "So then, shall we go? Start introducing you to the here and now and make a go of things as you see fit?" he asked with a smile.
"Let me get ready. Wait outside." She replied, then let him go. Fifteen minutes later she emerged. Her face was made up the way it had always been, with the dark make up and thick lipstick. Her leather clad legs with the heavy black boots. She wore a low cut shirt and the letters TGIF on the front, and of course she was armed as she was expected to be.
"Alright. Take me to your leader." she chuckled.
T...B...C...
