Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own any of these wonderful characters, or even the setting and world of Firefly. They all belong to Fox/Universal and Joss Whedon.

James Norrington and related belongs to Disney, Gore and Ted and Terry.

Setting: Takes place right after Down the Aisle

Pairings: Kaylee/Simon, Mal/Inara

Can’t Stop the Music

Chapter 12:

-

Beaumonde

-

Cyn bit down on her pen as she leaned back her head and shoulders against the wall, the cheap inn pillow placed behind her skull to act as a barrier. The song was almost finished; once it was completed she would let the others see it, read it over for any misspellings or mistakes, and to offer their input on it. She had a good feeling about the song. It would be one of the few they would perform during the battle of the bands and once they won they would perform the message. She would be able to free Apollo, Sally, and the others; of course she still had to work on the message. The band also needed a Gorram name.

The loud beating of drums in the next room seeped through the paper thin walls. The inn they were staying at was nice and cheap, they were squeezed into two rooms, with one of the guys sleeping on the floor in their own room. Four rooms were per a quad where they shared one bathroom, and lucky for them the fourth room in their quad was still vacant.

Each of the rooms in the inn were small, not small enough to the point where Cyn felt cramped, nor did she consider it cozy either. It was larger than her bunk aboard Serenity and it was large enough for two single beds, perfect for her and Amistance to share a room. Normally, Cyn wouldn’t have minded, except Amistance wasn’t speaking much to her. On a second thought she wasn’t speaking with a lot of other people either.

“Hey,” Amistance stepped into the room. “Are you hungry?”

“A little,” Cyn hadn’t realized how empty her stomach felt until Amistance had asked. “Why?”

“There is this place not too far from here,” Amistance searched through her coin purse. “Participants in the upcoming Battle of the Bands get half off.”

“What kind of food?”

“Alfie told me it was a sandwich place.”

“I haven’t had a sandwich in weeks,” Cyn remembered the last time she sank her teeth into a sandwich. It was roast beef with lettuce, pickles and just a dab of horseradish, it wasn’t her favorite, but it still was delicious. “Anything with turkey.”

Amistance nodded and stood up. The cash was in her pockets.

“Can I ask what is up?” Cyn set her notebook and pen down on the small night stand placed in between the beds.

“Hmmm?” Amistance turned around.

“You haven’t said much since we left the ship.”

“I’m just excited about the contest that is all.”

“Contest,” Cyn stood up. “When did you call the battle a contest? Something is up and I want to know what.”

“Why?” the keyboardist raised her pencil thin eyebrows.

“Cause it will weigh on your mind and affect your performance that is why.”

“Have you said the same to Ray?”

“He has snapped out if it,” she couldn’t exactly pinpoint the moment when Ray got off his funk trip. “I think it was when the ship got attacked by those pirates, now tell me what is going on in your mind? Are you upset that Jayne guy is gone?”

“Yes,” Amistance breathed a sigh of relief. “That is why.”

Cyn could see through the cover. “No it isn’t. You know something and you are not telling me.”

“Okay,” Amistance sighed again. “You want to know? That guy you liked told me something strange. He claimed to be the actual James Norrington that vanished from Earth That Was seven centuries ago.”

That was it? That was what was troubling her? “You know he was joking.”

“He seemed serious, and he does have the exact same name and accent.”

“There are several planets and moons that have the same accent and his folks were just being funny when they named him.”

“He knew stuff. He knew about actual names of places, like being a commodore of the Royal Navy of the Caribbean.”

“Captain Reynolds did call him Commodore,” Cyn chewed her lip.

“James told me Captain Reynolds had this device that traveled through time, sent the ship and the crew back and when they returned they took James with him.”

“You don’t actually believe him do you?”

Amistance shrugged. “It does sound odd, but then the Alliance accidentally killed a planet and made the Reavers and considering what happened to you.” She pointed at the scar on Cyan’s wrist.

“Maybe and that is a big maybe he was truthful,” Cyn raised her hands. “We can’t dwell on that maybe. You do feel better now that you told me?”

“Yeah,” Amistance nodded. “I do.”

“Great, now you can go and get me a turkey sandwich and after we eat we can practice.”

“Be back in a few,” Amistance smiled before she slipped outside.

“Well that is settled,” Cyn sat back down on her bed. That was an odd story, could it have been possible? “Days get stranger and stranger,” she turned to the night stand and stared at her cactus. “Time traveling commodores?” That did not sound right. “The Royal Navy of the Caribbean?” She shouldn’t be asking a plant for its opinion. It wasn’t going to give her an answer.

-

It had been over a day since they had taken off with their new cargo, and it had been over day since the crew actually sat down together for a meal. Mal had remembered seeing only Jayne and Zoë at dinner the night before and both the doctor and Inara had appeared at breakfast. The doc had explained the others were not really hungry at the other times and fended for themselves long after Mal had left the galley.

Mal knew why they were all avoiding him. He himself and felt his soul become a bit dirty when he had agreed to the job. If it had been anything for less he would have said no, but they did need the money. The musicians didn’t pay much for passage and the coffee job was nearly twice the amount. They knew they had to take what job they could take. They had gone months without a job, lived off crumbs and water before work had finally come their way.

Inara had prepared the meal for that night, spicy bean soup, protein packs sculpted and seasoned to taste like actual duck with canned carrots and noodles. Inara’s skills with spices and herbs and preparation had made what would have been a bland dinner into a gourmet meal.

“Now I recon why you all have been giving me the stink eye,” Mal took another spoonful of soup to his mouth. “You all knew what this kind of work entails.”

“They are people,” Kaylee said softly. She had barely touched her food. “They are not animals or objects.”

“And they are worth a good amount of coin,” Jayne said, earning him a smack across the back of his head from Zoë. “What the hell is that for?”

“I can’t believe even you would say something like that,” Inara glared at the mercenary. “You are transporting slaves, actual human beings that are forced into labor. They are beat into submission, several of them have possibly been raped, and all you see them as is money?”

“Is that what you are all pissing and moaning about?” Jayne scooped up another forkful of food. “You don’t get upset when we are hired to steal stuff from people, or ship drugs. I don’t see why this is any different.”

“Jayne,” Mal addressed him in a low tone while Zoë smacked him again.

“Ow,” Jayne rubbed the back of his head. “Why are you keep hitting me for, Zoë? You don’t seem to mind the job. You working around them and all.”

“Because I am following orders,” Zoë answered in a cold tone. She stared at the table. “I hate it as much as the others.”

“Look,” Mal set his spoon down. “I don’t like this as much as you, but we need the money.”

“We got money,” Kaylee set down her glass. “From that Palmer guy, and Cyn and her friends, and the coffee money, oh and from Jonas, we got money from a lot of people.”

“Engine parts are not cheap,” Mal told her. “You told me the grav boot was starting to corrode and you also want a new shock absorber as well as a few new gears. Fuel aint cheap either, neither is food, or medicine.”

“I’ll try not to get sick, Captain,” Kaylee stood up. “And I will stop eating. Excuse me.” She kissed the side of Simon’s head before she left the room.

Mal set his glass down the table hard enough to shake it. “None of you even think of running.”

“Know what all of your problem’s are?” Jayne asked. “You are all getting your minds involved with the work; let your emotions take control, not me. I don’t think of em as what they are and only keep my mind on the money.” He ducked in time to avoid getting slapped from Zoë, only to get slapped by Inara instead.

“The Mudders are people,” Inara reminded him. “They are treated almost like slaves.”

“I didn’t want to help em. It just happened.”

“You cared about them,” River spoke up before Mal could reply. “You cared about them; tears fell because one took your bullet.”

Jayne stood up. “Don’t you bring that up again.”

“Jayne, sit down,” Mal instructed.

“How did this happen?” James asked. “Let me rephrase myself. Why did slavery come back? I may have only read up to the start of the 20^th century as far as history goes, but western civilization had it abolished in the 19^th century. Why was it brought back?”

“We are not certain about the exact source,” Simon answered. He was ready to follow after Kaylee until Mal had ordered him to stay and now he was barely picking through his food. “They believed it started during the exodus from Earth that Was. There were more formed out on the planets. It is illegal on a handful of planets, mostly those in the core, Persephone is a bit of an exception, and then it is not really a core or central planet, somewhere in the middle.”

“Is he done babbling?” Jayne pointed at the doctor.

“Jayne, I am only giving you just one more warning,” Mal pointed at him.

“Fine,” Jayne used his chopsticks to grab at more food. “Less talking means more eating anyway.”

“That was when, but doesn’t explain the how,” James said.

“We try not to think about it,” Zoë told him.

“Again there were several factors,” Simon set his chopsticks down. “We can’t pinpoint an exact source. During the exodus it was believed that prisoners, those who stole, possibly murdered were forced into labor. They had children who also became slaves, some people couldn’t afford to feed their families and felt they were forced to sell one of their children into slavery.”

“No groups of former veterans attacking a new colony and forcing the survivors into slavery?” James asked.

“No,” Inara shook her head. “That would never have happened. Say what you will about the Alliance but they do care about their colonists.”

“If they cared they would have told them about their little experimental drug,” Mal said.

“In most cases,” Inara corrected herself. “If they had thought something had attacked a group of colonists they would have rescued them.”

“What if there was no way to get word out,” James asked. “And when word did get out it was too late?”

Inara shrugged. “There is always that possibility.”

Mal just stared at the former commodore. “Where did you get an idea like that? Have you been watching too many flicks on the cortex?”

“I believe I may have read it in a story once.”

“Crazy words and thoughts,” Jayne mumbled through his meal. “Sounds almost as crazy as the girl, or that one slave.”

“They don’t talk,” Zoë told him. “Unless one of their masters speaks to them.”

“He said something to me. It sounded like he had said apple. I guess he was just hungry, though he said it funny, more like apple oh.”

“Apple oh,” Malcolm repeated the word, first on his lips and then in his mind. “Did they A sound more like an ah?”

“I guess,” Jayne shrugged.

“He said Apollo?” Inara asked.

“Why would he say the name of a Greek God?” James asked.

“It could have also been the name of the early space missions,” Mal added, earning another strange look from Inara. “Doesn’t quite explain why he said it.”

“Cyn’s brother is named Apollo,” River added.

“It still-“Mal was interrupted by the sound of silverware clattering on the table.

“Sorry,” James retrieved his fallen silverware and stood up.

“I thought I ordered you to stay until we are finished,” Mal pointed at him.

“I am quite full,” James held up his hands.

“I’m also finished,” Inara placed her chopsticks on her near empty plate and stood up.

“So am I,” Simon stood up, followed by both River and Zoë.

“Guess we are all done eating,” Mal took one last sip from his drink.

“I’m not,” Jayne said. “I could go for some seconds.”

“Too bad,” Inara told him. “There are none.”

“Doc, you got dishes,” Mal stood up. “The rest of you know where you need to be.”

-

James held the wooden tray, containing the several small glasses of water as he trudged through the cluster of slaves as they sat up and stared at him with their pleading eyes, several of them had held up their hands for the water.

“He doesn’t have to be doing that,” Lila stood next to the captain, right by the staircase to the catwalk. “We can take care of em ourselves.”

“As I have explained before I want to make sure they stay healthy,” The Captain told her. “At least until they are off my ship.”

James lowered the tray and didn’t stand up until those closest to him at each grabbed water, each young man who grabbed a glass he spoke to, but he didn’t ask for their name. He had tried to show the group compassion the day before, but whenever he asked a name he only received a number.

“Cynthia was here,” he whispered and only received blank stares in return.

“Hey captain,” Jayne pointed to a few of the slaves. “Ya gotta do something about em.”

“Not now,” the Captain held up his hand.

“They need to be washed or something,” Cobb did not know when to keep his mouth shut. “They smell funny.”

James cringed at the memory of the last time he had heard similar words ad continued handing out waters.

“You have been making sure they get bathed?” The Captain asked.

“We have showered half of them,” Lila said.

“Then shower the other half.”

“I thought we had agreed to not get involved with each other’s businesses.”

“Yeah, but when they are stinking up my cargo bay then they are my business.”

James tried to drown out the rest as he approached the last group of slaves. There were a few women and a few men; one man appeared to have been not much older than a boy. What little hair he had was the color of chestnut and his eyes, James nearly dropped the tray. His eyes were the same as Cyn’s.

“Cynthia was here,” James whispered to him.

“Cynthia?” The young man blinked before he raised his voice “Cyn-“

“Quiet,” James clasped his hand over the young man’s mouth, his eyes on the captain and the slave master. Both were still engaged in conversation. “I will get you out of this mess, this I promise.”