Round 5, Challenge 1, Zoe

[vae]

Title: Love and death
Author: woodsong_1978
Character: Zoe Alleyne
Rating: PG-13
Question: #1) Would you be able to kill someone to save your own life? To save someone you loved?
Disclaimer: Zoe doesn't belong to me. She belongs to Wash, and then to Joss. Just so you know.
Author's Notes: Slightly different approach to my previous posts for this comm...short fic.

Zoe hadn't expected this. Everyone knew the war was still only beginning, and the Independents needed every man they could get. She'd expected to be snatched up, forced into a platoon, sent straight out into action somewhere out on the Rim as the battles began to move inwards. Not...this. Not some snotty recruiting officer trying to look down his nose at her. She took some satisfaction from the fact she was taller than he was made that difficult.

"Can you shoot, Miss Alleyne?"

"Yes, sir." She nodded. If there was one thing she could do, it was shoot.

"Can you kill, Miss Alleyne?"

"What?"

He sighed and laid down his pen. "This isn't a game, Miss Alleyne. This is war. People die. If you're to be a soldier, you have to kill. Would you be able to kill someone to save your own life?"

She considered. "Depends who's trying to taking it from me."

The officer's eyes narrowed. "Would you be able to kill to save someone you loved?"

"Yes, sir." No hesitation there. No doubt at all. If she'd only had her rifle the day those chou wang ba dan had boarded her daddy's ship, she wouldn't be here today. Signing up.

"Sign here." He pushed a piece of paper across the desk. She made her mark, then returned it. "Now, best you start learning to love your sergeant, if that the only way you're going to be able to kill. Reynolds?"

A tall man across the yard raised his head. "Busy right now, sir."

"Get unbusy."

There was the sound of muffled swearing then the tall man loped over to them, an easy grin spread across his face. Zoe stiffened. Loving this man was not in her plan. Loving anyone was not in her plan. "Sir?" the man said.

"New recruit, Sergeant Reynolds. Private Alleyne, Sergeant Reynolds. Get her kitted out, Reynolds. She's your responsibility."

"New recruit, huh? Fightin' for the cause, Private?"

Zoe met his eyes unflinchingly. "No, sir."

"Well, can't all be idealists, right, Captain?"

The recruiting officer stiffened, folded up his desk and walked away without answering. Zoe took a second look at her new sergeant. No. She wasn't going to love him.

"Can you shoot, Private?"

Zoe groaned inwardly. Not again. "Yes, sir."

"Good enough for me. C'mon, let's get you kitted up." Reynolds strode away, turning to look back when she didn't move. "Ain't a suggestion, Private."

She stared at him. He stared back, harder. She smiled. He looked shocked. "Didn't realize that was somethin' you did, Alleyne."

"Zoe," she corrected him, quietly.

"Huh?"

"My name is Zoe."

"Right. Still gotta get you kitted up." He paused. "Zoe."

"Yes, sir." She followed him across the yard to get her rifle registered. She wouldn't be loving this man. But she'd kill for him.