Serenity Arrival

The *Firefly* came out of the Briar patch into open space once more. It had been a long four days for the small crew and the metaphasic radiation in the patch hadn’t been kind to the small cargo vessel, especially the impulse engines.

“Welcome to the far side of the Briar patch.” Captain Stryker announced. “Next stop the New Canada system.”

For the crew of the *Firefly*, this was their first view of the new Federation frontier. The reason for coming so far was the chance of a job, possibly a big score. Their contact hadn’t been very forthcoming about what the actual job was, but the price was right for Captain Stryker and they needed the cash.

The previous few years had been spent hauling cargo around what was the DMZ between Federation and Cardassian space. Most of the cargo they had hauled was to the former Federation colonies which with the Dominion war over, those who had stayed were trying to rebuild. Some of the jobs they had undertaken were not exactly legal, but so far they hadn’t been caught. Now a whole new experience lay before them, a new frontier to explore and exploit.

“Set a course for Serenity, maximum speed.” Stryker ordered from the command chair.

“We’ll only be able to maintain warp four, Boss.” Harper, the *Firefly*’s engineer and resident genius reported from the station to Jack’s right. “I need to flush the impulse manifolds and re-align the warp coil compensators before I can give you maximum power. I just hope coming all this way will be worth it.”

“How long will you need ?” Captain Stryker enquired, turning to his Engineer.

“About a week…..Maybe two.” Harper replied.

“You’ll have about a day.” Jack stated. “We’ll need to be ready to move off again and most likely head back through the patch.”

Seamus sighed. “OK boss, I’ll see what I can do. Maybe I can make some modification to the impulse engines, at least prevent them from cutting out all together.”

“I’d hate to be stuck adrift again.” Beka Valentine, the *Firefly*’s first officer announced as she entered the Command deck. “There wasn’t a lot to see out there for six hours.”

“Hey, I got the impulse engines working again didn’t I.” Harper protested.

“Six hours it took you…..I’ve seen you do better.” Beka remarked.

“If no-one is in need of my services, I’ll be in Engineering.” Harper stated, storming off the Command deck.

“You know you shouldn’t tease Harper so much.” Stryker suggested. “He’s the best Engineer we’re ever likely to see around here and he keeps this old lady running.”

“I know Jack.” Beka replied. “But I just love doing it…..”

Engineering

“Harper….” t’Pek announced. “Are you in here ?”

There was no reply to the *Firefly*’s resident science and medical officer, but she knew that he was in Engineering. Then she heard the familiar sound of Harper at work. Or rather Harper swearing at the ship, from the sounds of it the warp engines.

The *Firefly* was not your typical cargo vessel, but a converted Klingon Raptor. The vessel had seen action as the Klingon scout, before being lost and found by Orion pirates who used first as a raider and later as an ore carrier. The vessel was again lost during a fight with Cardassians and found once more by the Ferengi, who had then patched it up as cheaply as possible and then sold it on for a huge profit to a former Federation officer, James Billard.

Captain Jack Stryker had become the current Captain and owner of the *Firefly* when Captain Billard and the rest of the crew had been ambushed and killed. In fact the entire crew had been sold out by the first officer and Stryker almost fell the same way, were it not for one last action by Captain Billard before dying of his injuries. Jack found himself alone and now the proud new owner of the *Firefly*.

Stryker had then set about accumulating a new crew, starting with Beka Valentine the first officer an old aquatence from his days working for Captain Billard. Harper had come next, looking for passage back to Earth after serving time in a Federation prison. Instead, Harper had found working on the *Firefly* the ultimate challenge and Stryker was more than willing to let him stay. Dylan Anasazi ship’s helm officer had come next, followed soon after by t’Pek herself.

Half Vulcan and half Human, t’Pek was by far the oldest member of the crew, and at first had found it hard to adjust. Having been brought up away from most things Vulcan, t’Pek was not a typical Vulcan. If it weren’t for her pointed ears, many would mistake her for human, with her long flowing golden locks of hair and alluring dress sense.

t'Pek headed towards the sounds and found Harper with the casing for the plasma injectors open and his head stuck inside.

“Isn’t that rather dangerous ?” t’Pek enquired.

“Yes.” Harper replied sounding a little annoyed.

“Would you like some help ?” t’Pek asked.

“No I’m doing just fine.” Harper stated.

“Ok then, I’ll just wait here until you hurt yourself.” t’Pek said firmly, moving across the small room to a workbench and stool. “Knowing you that won’t be too long.”

Harper appeared moments later from inside the plasma injector casings and replaced the cover. He then proceeded to secure the cover and re-initialise the injectors. The sound of the injectors quietly humming away was music to Harper’s ears.

“Another triumph for Seamus Harper.” He announced to himself, turning and seeing t’Pek sat there smiling at him and silently applauding his work.

Harper smiled back briefly before walking over to a console and checking the impulse injectors.

[Attention crew, this is the Captain speaking.] Captain Stryker announced. [We’ll be landing on Serenity in about three hours, get some rest, we have a busy day ahead. Stryker out.]

Command Deck

“We’re entering the New Canada system.” Anasazi announced from the Helm. “We should be touching down on Serenity in thirty minutes.”

“Good.” Captain Stryker replied. “There’s a small space port on the main northern continent, Lake Town I believe it’s called. Our contact has arranged a twenty-six hour landing permit. That should be more than enough time for me to travel to Serenity City and meet the contact.”

“Tell me again just why we’re here.” Beka asked.

“Because the man I will be meeting is willing to pay top price for a small job, or so he says.” Jack answered. “This job could get us enough gold-pressed latinum to keep the ship running for a year.”

“And you don’t think that there’s something dodgy about all of this.” Beka continued to protest. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, landing on a planet we know nothing about and meeting some ‘man’ in a bar, again who we know nothing about.”

“I agree.” A female voice announced from the doorway. Trance, the ship’s Tactical and Security officer stepped onto the Command deck. “And I don’t like the idea of you going alone, I’d feel much safer if you’d let me tag along, remember the last time you went out alone.”

Stryker remembered all too well and it had only been the fact that Trance had disobeyed his orders and followed him, that Jack was still alive and walking. Trance was very suspicious of everything, seeing plots and ambushes around every corner.

“Not this time.” Stryker stated firmly. “I need this ship ready to go almost as soon as we land. That’s going to take the rest of you all day to achieve.”

Trance looked at the Captain and sat down at the Tactical station.

“We have a vessel approaching us, ten thousand kilometre’s and closing.” Trance announced.

“On screen.” Stryker ordered.

The image of the small vessel approaching them appeared on the screen.

“The vessel is of Federation design and well armed, I don’t recognise the class, but I would guess its some kind of patrol vessel.” Trance reported. “They’re hailing us.”

“Open a channel.” Stryker requested.

[This is the *Crossfire*, to unidentified Klingon vessel.] A male voice announced. [Please state your business in New Canada.]

“This is the cargo vessel *Firefly* to *Crossfire*.” Stryker replied. “We are heading for Serenity to pick up a cargo from Lake Town. Transmitting our flight plans and landing permit now.”

“They’re scanning us.” Trance reported. “Low level only. Transmitting data.”

[*Firefly* you have clearance to continue to Serenity.] The male voice replied. [Welcome to the New Canada system.]

“Nice welcoming committee.” Beka remarked. “They must have detected our approach pretty fast.”

“Actually there’s a sensor net across the Briar patch, they probably knew we were coming even before we left the patch.” Stryker stated. “They’ve had more than enough time to intercept us. Dylan, set a course for Serenity.”