Editing In The Moments Before ...

<br>

“You are seriously gonna buzz a Reaver ship?!!”<br><br>

Poco's incredulous shout repeated in her mind as Rachel watched the Reaver ship close in on the Captain's.<br><br>

''Yes, honey'', came her silent answer as her finger tightened on the controls. ''I don't know what else to do''.<br><br>

At her side, Tian looked at her as if she had gone mad, her mouth moving with words Rachel wouldn't hear anymore. She couldn't spare the moment to answer the arguments that the doctor was firing at her, her mind automatically blocking out anything that wasn't the ship and how it felt beneath her. Faintly, she could hear the static as Val tried to re-assure his crew and sent them away.<br><br>

"Children!" Tian's voice slipped through her concentration.  Rachel could only nod.<br><br>

''Yes, it's about the children. The child I left to die alone because of a bunch of strangers on Delilah needed saving. That child out there in that tiny ship who is going to die because a bunch of strangers on Delilah need saving. I'm tired of saving damn strangers and watching the people I care for die''. <br><br>

She watched the Reaver ship begin to gain on the shuttle, rolled Delilah after them to intercept. The old ship groaned but answered her request.<br><br>

''Lazarus would never forgive me if I didn't try. My daugher would never forgive me if she ever found out. That boy doesn't even know he has family out there beyond his mama. At least my girl has my brothers and her cousins''. <br><br> 

She blinked the water out of her eyes. ''I can't let Val die. No matter how much I hate her, I can't face Delilah and tell her that her only child is dead''.<br><br>

She whispered a little bit of the truth, hoping to quiet the tumult of voices coming from beside her and the comm. “I cannot leave a man behind. I left Freddie ... I can’t do it again.”<br><br>

The admission brought a blessed silence and then the stick shifted hard as the engines engaged with a roar, taking her by surprise.<br><br>

<br><br><br>
----
Return to [[Delilah Episodes|'''Episodes''']] | [[Last Voyage of Delilah, Season Two|'''Season Two''']] | [[Firefly-RPG|'''Firefly-RPG Homepage''']] | [[Delilah_Crew|'''Crew Page''']] | <br>