Pre-Battle Speech.

[badinlatin]

Mal's a strong guy. May not be built like Jayne, but he could hold his own. With that said, he is straining under the weight of every emotion possible that is filling the cargo bay.

Everyone is there. His crew is there, minus Wash and Kaylee, who have already claimed their positions in Serenity. Susan has taken up her spot with Kaylee in the engine room, leaving Roland and his tet crew in the cargo bay. Friends of Mal's crew, of Roland's crew, of River, have all gathered; those that know, that understand what needs to be done. No matter what.

Mal's eyes last rest on the beaded chain and cross Inara is wearing before hitting the comm speaker and addressing everyone in front of him.

"I ain't one for too many words, and we all know we ain't got the time for 'em. And for all our planning, I can't tell you exact what's gonna happen once we hit the Academy. Can't speak for all o' you; can only speak for myself - I ain't gonna lie and say I don't got worries."

Mal again casts a glance in the direction of his crew, attempting to guage their reactions and failing.

"But I don't have worries about us.

I worry about them. 'Cause they will never expect this."

Mal cuts himself off then. No more needs to be said, at least to his crew. They know him. For all that he ever hid from them - they know.

He walks through the others standing around him in the bay. Some stand silent, others react and connect with Mal somehow - eyes, a touch of an arm or a nod to affirm their readiness. Mal stops in front of Roland. The gunslinger and the sergeant. Browncoats.

Mal matches Roland's gaze. Not sizing him up, not forming a witty remark. Mal extends his right arm to the other dinh. A soldier's greeting. Equals.

"Let's go."

Comments

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

*Inara stands stiffly, feeling the tensions of the various people around her washing around the room. Her heart beats harder as Mal finishes his speech and glances around.

As he passes her, she reaches out and lightly touches his arm, meeting his eyes for a moment, then letting him go.

She glances around the group, reading faces, feeling the fears and exhilaration around her. She breathes deeply, steeling herself for what's to come.*

[simon_doctor]

As rallying speeches go, it isn't much. But it doesn't need to be; the whipcrack energy in the man is a rallying cry in itself, his entire bearing a war-banner.
The Eagle, the Eagle to the Lion at bay!
Simon's read historical and classical rallying speeches before, and never been moved, never understood

(we few, we happy few, we band of brothers)

why anyone hearing them would be moved to follow. It's just possible he understands it now. It isn't the speech.

(we've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty)

It's the man giving it. The dinh.

As Mal passes him, Simon looks him in the eye, and nods.

[swinging-cod.livejournal.com]

*Jayne ain't one for speeches and flowery poetry.

Mal ain't either, though. So, that works out all right most times.

As Mal speaks, Jayne fixes his gaze on Vera, checking her over again and again.

(See Vera? Dress yourself up, you get taken out somewhere fun.)

The speech is over, and Jayne can sense Mal moving among them. As he comes up alongside him, Jayne lifts his head from Vera and looks Mal in the eye.

Calm.

Cold.

Steady.

(big coffin-hunter)

He'd fucked up with these guys once. Almost got 'em all killed by being greedy.

Would probably do it again, given a different situation. Different people fronting the coin.

But not this time.

Not these

(two by two hands of blue)

people.

Mal knows that.*

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

Faith's wearing a cross too.

Simple, silver, gleaming against her skin.

She's not religious, but they're going up against vampires, she's told, and for a Slayer, old habits die hard. Vampires mean stakes, crosses, and holy water.

Call her a traditionalist.

She meets Mal's eyes calmly, her expression trusting.

The cross is a habit, but she's not counting on it. All her faith - pardon the pun - is with him and the gunslingers.

She's far less likely, she thinks, to be disappointed that way.

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

Cuthbert's used to hearing whatever kind of pre-battle speech there is from Roland or another gunslinger.

But this is Serenity, and while Malcolm Reynolds isn't Cuthbert's dinh, he's dinh here, all the same.

Besides, he's not half bad at the speech thing.

There's a small, cold smile, and a brief, tight nod as Mal's eyes meet his briefly.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Their years together after the war have not been without the occasional bit of speechifying.

But there's something here that Zoe hasn't felt since a day seven years ago

(we have done the impossible)

and didn't ever think to feel again.

(and that makes us mighty)

When Mal glances at the crew, a glance passes between the two of them that say a lot.

And then Zoe straightens her shoulders and glances to Roland, waiting.

[young_tmriddle]

*Tom listens, his eyes on the floor. He's cast the one bullet protection charm on everyone who wanted it. He's rested and ready, and he's said goodbye in the best way to those he loves by not saying goodbye at all.

He'll do what needs to be done.*

We few, we happy few.

[prydeful]

Kitty says nothing, thinks nothing about the speech in particular, and just finishes pulling her hair back tightly.

It's a mission.

It sucks, it's dangerous, it's probably suicide, and it's probably gonna be a hell of a lot of fun and pain.

Same as any other mission.

Shadowcat doesn't see much of a difference in the end. Save the world, save some insane kids, blow up a station, defuse a bomb in a post office.

It's just getting the job done, and after taking off her necklace and tucking it into a pocket, she's ready to get to work.

[book-moshi.livejournal.com]

The speech gets him. Not because it's stirring--it is--but because it's true. They'll never in a million years expect anything like this. It's audacious, and it's very impossibility is its strength.

It's maybe the only thing that will work, and if this is the work that must be done, then he'll do it this way, and let his conscience deal with it later.

[shadowsusannah.livejournal.com]

Susannah's not watching Mal. She's watching Zoe.

Twins, all kind of twins, and fierce and beautiful Zoe, with her silly laughing man with his own steel core--

But in the end, it's this grim man of war she followed and follows, and Susannah understands that, and now she sees why. Sees it very well.

[lastgunslinger]

Roland clasps Mal's forearm briefly. Dinh to dinh.

He's got four inches or so on Mal. Right now you can't tell.

And as Mal steps back, Roland steps forward.

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

Ace, though seemingly still and composed, is barely keeping herself from pacing. She hates these last moments. It's too late to turn back now, they aren't moving forward yet, and they're waiting.

She decidedly approves of Mal's attitude, however.

As he passes, she grins, fire-bright.

[river_meimei]

River is silent. Looking down, or looking inward.

Waiting.

But her eyes flick up to Mal as he passes, and for a brief instant she might be smiling, a little.

Then he's past, and it's gone.

[honest-johns.livejournal.com]

A faint, sharp smile, and a slight nod.

They go to war, today.

Malcolm Reynolds understands that.

It is well.