Chapter One: Serenity
In Serenity Valley, soldier yell and run as they dodge gunfire and explosions.
Mal hits the dirt as he runs for cover, face dirty and breathing heavily. He rejoins his company in a makeshift foxhole.
"Sergeant, Command says air support is holding till they can assess our status." A soldier tells him.
"Our status is that we need some gorram air support. Now get back on line and tell 'em to get in here." He says.
"That skiff is shredding us, sir." Zoe says.
The soldier looks up from the radio. "They won't move without a lieutenant's authorization code, sir."
Angry, Mal walks over and rips off the badge from a dead Lieutenant's uniform and gives it to the soldier. "Here, here's your code. You're Lieutenant Baker. Congratulations on your promotion. Now get me some air support!" He turns to Zoe. "Pull back, just enough to wedge 'em in here. Get your squad to high ground, start picking 'em off."
"High ground is death with that skiff in the air." She says.
"That's our problem. Thanks for volunteering." He turns to another soldier. "Bendis, give us some cover fire. We're going duck hunting." Just then, the foxhole is rocked by a huge explosion. Mal's group of soldiers look ahead fearfully. "Just focus!" He tells them, seeing the looks on their faces. "The Alliance said they were gonna waltz through Serenity Valley and we choked 'em with those words. We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty. Just a little while longer, our angels are gonna be soaring overhead raining fire on those arrogant cod, so you hold!" He yells. "You hold! Go!" His soldiers take up their positions to lay down cover fire while Mal and Zoe prepare to take down the skiff.
"His soldiers take up their positions to lay down cover fire while Mal and Zoe prepare to take down the skiff." She asks.
"Do you even need to ask?" Mal pulls a necklace out from under his shirt and kisses the cross. "Ready?"
"Always." She watches Mal take off and prepares to follow but sees that no one's covering him. "Bendis? Bendis!" She sees Bendis huddled across from her, scared stiff. "Rut it." She grunts angrily and stands up, laying cover fire for Mal as he moves down the hill. After a moment, she follows Mal down the hill, taking cover with him behind some boulders. Mal fires into the bushes, causing the soldier guarding a large gun to move out of his cover and return fire. Mal shoots him dead. He activates the gun's targeting system while Zoe covers him. Mal locks a target on the skiff that's been killing them in the battle and fires.
He makes a direct hit and stands from the gun. "Yeah!" He shouts only to realize that the skiff is out of control and heading straight for him. "Zoe!" He calls and they run as the skiff hits the ground and plows past them, exploding. They hit the ground, flat on their backs. Mal starts laughing.
Zoe sighs as they enter the foxhole. "Nice cover fire." She tells Bendis, sarcastically.
"Did you see that? Green, what's our status on…" Mal trails of when he sees that the soldier operation the radio is badly wounded. "Zoe." She looks up and he points to the soldier. She moves to check on him. Mal sits near Bendis. "Hey, listen to me. Bendis, look at me! Listen, we're holding this valley no matter what."
"We're gonna die." He says, devoid of hope.
"We're not gonna die. We can't die, Bendis. You know why?" He asks. "Because we are so very pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die. Huh? Look at that chiseled jaw. Huh? C'mon." The foxhole roars from the sound of battle. Zoe is listening to the radio. "If you won't listen to me, listen to that. Those are our angels coming to blow the Alliance to the hot place." He turns to Zoe. "Zoe, tell the 82nd-"
"They're not coming." She says, stunned. "Command says it's too hot. They're pulling out. We're to lay down arms."
Mal looks at her, eyes wide. He looks at Bendis. "But what's…" Slowly, he stands and peeks over the top of the foxhole. His face is lit from their air support rising and retreating. Bendis stands next to him. Mal's in shock, watching his last hope pull out of the fight.
Beside him, Bendis is hit by enemy fire and falls. Mal doesn't notice, still watching in disbelief.
Six Years Later
In a burnt out wreck, Mal floats upside-down in a spacesuit. He looks at the stars through the hole. "The vault's sealed." He says into his com. "Okay. I'm gonna boil it. Jayne, give me the sticky."
Zoe and Jayne are also in spacesuits, floating by a big iron door.
Jayne hands Mal a gun-like object. Mal squeezes the trigger and clear gel comes out with a line running through it. He paints a line around the outside of the door. The gel begins to eat through the metal.
"Okay. We get the goods; we're off this wreck and back on the ship. No worries." Mal says.
Wash sits in the pilot seat, concentrating intensely. "Everything looks good from here." He says. "Yes. Yes, this is a fertile land, and we will thrive." He holds up a toy Stegosaurus and a T-Rex. "We will rule over all this land, and we will call it…'This Land' I think we should call it 'your grave!' I think we should call it Ah, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal! Ha ha HA! Mine is an evil laugh! Now die!" He clashes them together, making them fight. "Oh, no, God! Oh, dear God in heaven!"
He looks up when a light near him flashes red. He stops and looks towards the radar screen. He sweeps other dinosaur toys off of it as a blip appears in the upper right quadrant, closing in fast. "Oh, motherless son of a b-"
A piece of metal goes flying past Jayne.
"Full pressure. The goods must be intact." Zoe says, looking at the three crates.
"Okay. Looking good." Mal says.
"Captain, we got incoming!" Wash's voice rings over the com's. "Alliance cruiser, bearing right down on us!"
"Ta ma de." Mal curses. "Have they spotted us?"
"I can't tell if-"
"Have they hailed us?"
"If they're here for the salvage, we're humped." Jayne grunts.
"If they find us at all, we're humped." Zoe tells him. "Thievin' ain't exactly-"
"I don't like this."
"Bizui." Mal orders. "Wash, shut it down, Wash. Everything but the air."
"Shutting down." Wash says and begins flipping switches. The lights go off and he hits the com. "Kaylee! KAYLEE!"
Kaylee runs towards the engine room, grabbing Trinity on her way. "Shi. Going dark." She and Trinity begin flipping switches. She climbs onto the engine and hits the last switch, making everything sending the ship into darkness. "Okay. Now I can't get down."
"I'm right here." Trinity cautiously moves towards her and carefully helps her down.
In the Alliance cruiser, the captain looks over and ensign's shoulder. "So what am I looking at?"
"It's a carrier, blew out a few months back. Lost all hands, but it was only run by a skeleton crew anyway."
"Damn shame. No point in checking for survivors."
"Wash, they slowing down?" Mal asks, still floating in the damaged ship.
"That's a neg. Don't think they're interested in us. We should be eating wake in a minute or two."
An extremely large ship passes right behind Mal. He stays silent as he turns his body slowly turns around.
"Sir, there is a reading on that thing. Some residual heat." The ensign says.
"Do a sweep." The captain orders.
On Serenity, the alarms sounds as lights blink. "Aiya! Hwaile!" Wash curses. "Captain! We're humped!"
"Prep the ship now." Mal orders and turn to the others. "We move these in, double-time." They float to the crates and start dragging them.
"Kaylee, fire it up." Wash says, turning the power back on.
The captain watches the screen.
"It's a transport ship. Firefly class." A man says.
"They still make those?" The ensign asks.
"Illegal salvage." The captain says. "Lowlife vultures picking the flesh off the dead."
"Should we deploy gunships and bring her in?"
"Do it."
Mal, Zoe and Jayne all float their crates past the twisted wreckage.
"Cry, Baby, Cry." Mal says.
"Make your mother sigh." Wash finishes. "Engaging the crybaby."
A beacon jets through space, sending a distress signal. It's marked 'Crybaby #6'.
"Captain, I am picking up a distress signal thirteen clicks ahead from a…it sounds like a personnel carrier." An ensign says.
Mal, Zoe and Jayne all float their crates past the twisted wreckage and into the airlock.
"Definitely a big ship, sir, and she is without power." The ensign continues.
Mal hits the button and the airlock door shuts. Hits another and gravity hits, the three of them landing on their feet and crates dropping as air rushes in. Mal hits the com. "Wash! We're on. Go!"
Serenity begins to disengage from the wreck, rear end flaring.
"Hang on, travelers." Wash says.
Everyone grabs something, as Jayne pulls off his helmet. "Let's moon 'em."
As the ship turns away, the back lights up, glowing beneath a metal grid and fires away.
"They're rabbiting, sir. Should we continue deployment?" The ensign asks.
The captain's brows furrow in thought. "Our gunships'd never get back to us in time. All right, let's go help these people. But put out a bulletin on the Cortex, and flag Interpol: a Firefly with possibly stolen goods onboard. Maybe somebody'll step on those roaches."
"We look shiny, Captain." Wash's voice rings through the ship. "They are not repeat not coming about."
"Close one." Zoe says.
"Any one you walk away from, right? Long as we got the goods, I call this a win." Jayne grins.
"Right." Mal looks away. "We win."
Jayne jimmies a crate open with a crowbar and Mal pulls off the top, looking in. Trinity, Wash, Zoe, and Kaylee look on. The crate is full of golden bars.
"Well that sure enough don't hurt to see." Mal says.
Kaylee smiles. "They're awfully pretty."
Trinity looks at the bars and her brows furrow, a question forms on her lips but she stays silent. I hope those aren't what I think they are. She thinks.
"I'd say worth a little risk." Wash says.
Jayne scoffs. "Yeah, that was some pretty risky sittin' you did there."
"That's right, of course, 'cause they wouldn't arrest me if we got boarded, I'm just the pilot. I can always say I was flying the ship by accident. You know, that pretty-"
"Bizui." Mal says, looking at the bar in his hand.
"Problem, sir?" Zoe asks.
Mal stays quiet for a moment. "Couldn't say." He tosses the bar back. "But we'd best be gettin' rid of these before we run into another Alliance patrol." He shares a look with Trinity.
"What the hell they doin' out this far, anyhow?" Jayne asks.
Trinity rolls her eyes. "Shining the light of civilization."
"Doesn't do us any good."
"Well, we're uncivilized." Kaylee says.
As they talk, Mal approaches Wash. "How long 'til we reach Persephone?"
"Three or four hours."
"Can we shave that?"
Wash shakes his head. "We're down to the wire on fuel cells. We're down to the wire on fuel cells."
Mall nods. "Okay. Play it as close as you can. This catch is burning a hole in my hull."
"Think that cruiser could've I.D.'d us?" Zoe asks.
Mal looks at her. "Let's hope not. Contact Badger, tell him the job's done. Don't go to mentioning the cruiser, though. Keep it simple."
"Sir, we're sure there's nothing wrong with the carg-"
"It's fine. I just wanna get paid." They head up the stairs. "All right, let's get these crates stowed. I don't want any tourists stumbling over them."
"We're taking on passengers at Persephone?" Kaylee asks.
"Yeah, that's the notion. We could use a little respectability on the way to Boros. Not to mention the money." He says. "Trinity, it looks like you'll be a bit more busy."
"Pain in the ass." Jayne grunts.
Kaylee shakes her head. "No, it's shiny! I like to meet new people. They've all got stories."
"Captain, can you stop her from bein' cheerful, please?"
"I don't believe there is a power in the 'verse that can stop Kaylee from being cheerful." He smiles at her. "Sometimes you just wanna duct tape her mouth and dump her in the hold for a month."
She grins and kisses his cheek. "I love my captain."
Wash and Zoe walk up the stairs, talking. "I know something ain't right." She says.
He sighs. "Sweetie, we're crooks. If everything were right, we'd be in jail."
"It's just that the Captain's so tense…"
"The man needs a break. In fact, we could all use a couple days' leave."
"We still gotta drop the goods."
"And when we do, we fly off to Boros rich and prosperous. Well, less poor. But with enough to find some sweet little getaway." They enter the bridge and he moves closer, wrapping her in his arms.
She smiles. "Oh, wouldn't mind a real bath."
"Yeah, and a meal that included some sort of food."
"Ooh."
"Just a couple of days lying around, you with the bathing. Me with the watching you bathe."
"If the captain says it's all right…"
Wash shuts his eyes for a moment and rests his head on hers, quietly pissed. He breaks apart. "What if we just told Mal we needed a few days, 'stead of asking him?"
"He's the captain, Wash."
"Right. I'm just the husband."
"Look, I'll ask him."
He sits down. "Don't forget to call him 'sir'. He likes that."
Mal walks in. "Who likes what?"
Instinctively, Zoe's demeanor changes, her bearing more erect, military. "It's nothing, Sir."
"Has the Ambassador checked in yet?"
Wash shakes his head. "Has the Ambassador checked in yet?"
Mal turns to Zoe. "Well, after you talk to Badger, let her know we may be leaving Persephone in a hurry."
"Inara knows our timetable." She says. "I'm sure she'll be checking in soon."
"Well, I can tell her to cut it short, meet us at the docks." Wash offers.
Mal shakes his head. "No, no. Don't want to get in her way if we don't have to." He leaves. "Somebody on this boat has to make an honest living."
Inara is being made love to by an eager young man. She is beneath him, his face buried in her neck. "Oh…oh…oh my god…oh…" She moans. He stiffens, relaxes, and becomes still. She runs her hand through is hair and he pulls from her neck, looks at her with sweaty insecurity. She smiles.
Inara wears a robe as they sit on cushions sipping tea. "Sihnon isn't that different from this planet. More crowded, obviously, and I guess more complicated. The great city itself is…pictures can't capture it. It's like an ocean of light."
"Is that where you studied?" The young man asks. "To be a Companion?"
"I was born there."
"I can't imagine ever leaving."
Inara stare off, pensively. "Well, I wanted to see the universe."
He looks down at his cup a moment. "Do you really have to leave? I mean…I, my father is very influential, we could… I could arrange for you to be…"
She smiles sweetly and looks down. He doesn't continue.
Trinity is cleaning up the kitchen when Mal walks in.
"What are they?" He asks.
"They look like meal bars." She says, taking a dangerous looking knife out and dancing it between her fingers. "They carry protein, vitamins, and immunization supplements. One can feed a family for a month. Good thing to have in supply if you plan to stay in the black for long."
"Real answer."
"They're trouble." She tells him. "Alliance written all over it since they're too greedy to share with the border planets that actually need it."
"How much are they worth?"
"If you got someone dumb enough to buy it? At least two hundred platinum."
"Hmm." He pauses in thought. "We'll be planet side soon."
"So I'll be grocery shopping." She finishes.
He nods and turns to leave but stops and looks back. "That right there." He points to the knife twirling in her hand. "Don't do that in front of the guests."
In Inara's chamber, the young man is dressed and on his way out.
"Experience has been more than…it was very good. Thank you." He tells her.
"The time went too quickly." She smiles.
"Your clock's probably rigged to speed up and cheat us out of our fun."
The smile vanishes from her face. He looks guilty, and then ducks out of the chamber. Inara takes a moment before moving across the room, pulling aside a tapestry that conceals the cockpit. She gets in the pilot's seat and hits a switch and continues hitting them as she speaks. "Serenity, this is Shuttle One, what's your ETA?"
"Inara, hey. We're touching down at the Eavesdown docks in about ten minutes." Wash tells her.
"I'll join you there, thanks."
"Looking forward to it. We missed you out here."
"Yeah." She says softly. "Me too." She hits a few more buttons before grabbing the joystick, the shuttle shakes as it slowly rises into the air. She exits the skyscraper, joining the heavy air traffic.
Serenity touches down at the Eavesdown docks. Other ships are line up next to each other, each one advertising passage or selling goods. The airlock opens and the ramp comes down. The Serenity crew piles out.
"This shouldn't take long." Mal tells Kaylee. "Put us down for departure in about three hours." He turns to Trinity. "Be quick with you shopping, we don't got all day." He looks at Wash. "Grab any supplies we're low on. Fuel her up."
Kaylee moves to a computerized placard in front of their 'parking space', starts entering data. "I'd sure love to find a brand new compression coil for the steamer."
"And I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat." Mal shoots back. "Just get us some passengers. Them as can pay, all right?"
"Compression coil busts, we're drifting…"
"Best not bust, then."
Wash comes down the ramp driving the mule. Zoe, Jayne and Mal start off. Wash stops the mule. "Zoe." He calls. She looks back at him. "Zhu tamin ya min. Zhu yi."
"We will." She nods.
Shepherd Book passes by the merchants, dragging a few boxes and suitcases on his cart, carrying another suitcase in his hand.
A man walks up to him. "You going on a trip, grandpa? Need safe passage? We're cheap. We're cheap. We're clean." He points to a ship. "The BRUTUS, the best ship in the 'verse. What's your des, grandpa? We're hitting the outer rings."
"I never married." Book says.
The man looks at him, confused. "What?"
"I'm not a grandpa."
Mal, Jayne, and Zoe walk down a dim alley when they are halted by a thug. They are led to a dim and dingy office with a grated ceiling; the muffled noise from the town fills the room, the flashing light of a vehicle passing by every now and then. On one side of the room are stairs leading up to ground level and a door beside, at the other end an oversized, beat up desk and a way into the back through a curtain.
A man; Badger is busy inspecting a young woman. "Let me see your teeth." He says gruffly with heavy cockney accent. The woman gives him a big smiles and he pulls her lip up. "Yes."A thug shoves her behind the curtain just as another leads Mal, Zoe, and Jayne down the stairs. Badger doesn't look at them, heading for his desk and sitting down. "You're late."
"You're lying." Mal says.
"What did you just say to me?"
"You're well aware we landed two hours 'fore we planned to, with all the goods you sent us after intact, ready to roll. So your decision to get tetchy, say we're late, means you're looking to put us on the defensive right up front. Which means something's gone wrong. It didn't go wrong on our end, so why don't we start again with you tellin' us what's up?"
Badger looks at him, smirking. "You're later than I'd like."
"Well I am sorry to hear that."
Badger holds up a clear, pliable piece of plastic with words and images running across it, constantly changing. "If you'd gotten here sooner, you might've beaten the bulletin that came up sayin' a rogue vessel, classification 'Firefly', was spotted pulling illegal salvage on a derelict transport."
"Didn't ID us. Doesn't lead to you."
"No, it doesn't. But a government stamp on every molecule of the cargo just maybe might." He says. Zoe looks at Mal, realizing why he was tense when he examined the bars. "Oh, you noticed that. You were gonna hand over imprinted goods and just let me twist, is that the case?"
"We didn't pick the cargo."
"And I didn't flash my ass at the gorram law. There's no deal."
"That ain't fair." Zoe says.
Badger shrugs. "Crime and politics, little girl; the situation is always…fluid."
Jayne glares at the man. "Only fluid I see here is the puddle of piss refusing to pay us our wage." He says, taking out his gun.
Badger stands up angrily and all his thugs draw their weapons.
Mal glares at Jayne until he puts his gun back in his holster, then Mal steps forward, smiling. "It doesn't have to go this way. You know you can still unload those goods. So I can't help thinking there's something else at work here."
"What were you in the war, that big war you failed to win?" Badger asks. "You were a Sergeant, yeah? Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds, Balls and Bayonets Brigade. Big tough veteran. Now you got yourself a ship and you're a captain. Only I think you're still a Sergeant, see. Still a soldier, man of honor in a den of thieves." He walks closer, getting in his face. "Well this is my gorram den, and I don't like the way you look down on me. I'm above you. Better than. I'm a businessman, see? Roots in the community. You're just a scavenger."
"Well, maybe I'm not a fancy gentleman like you with your…very fine hat…but I do business. We're here for business."
"Try one of the border planets, they're a lot more desperate there. Of course, they might kill you, but you stay here and I just know the Alliance'll track you down. I have that feeling."
Mal glares at him and Jayne lightly bounces on his feet, ready for a fight. Mal turns to leave. "Wheel never stops turning, Badger." He says, walking out of the room.
"That only matter to the people on the rim."
Trinity pulls a cart up to the ship.
"Back already?" Kaylee ask from her seat in a lawn chair.
"Just needed a quick refill of the regular." She says.
Kaylee spots a long black case on top of the cart. "What's that?"
Trinity lightly runs her fingers down the case. "This is a lot of jobs saved up." She smiles. "I'll show it to you later." She says, pulling the cart into the ship.
Kaylee twirls her rainbow striped parasol. She smiles at Book, who looks at the ship. "You're gonna come with us."
He stops, looking at her. "Excuse me?"
"You like ships. You don't seem to be looking at the destinations. What you care about is the ships, and mine's the nicest."
He gives the ship a look-over. "She don't look like much."
"Well, she'll fool ya'. You ever sail in a Firefly?"
"Long before you were crawling. Not an aught three, though. Didn't have the extenders, tended to shake."
Kaylee gets up from her lawn chair, walks over to Book, twirling her parasol. "So, uh, how come you don't care where you're going?"
"'Cause how you get there is the worthier part."
"Are you a missionary?"
"I guess…I'm a Shepherd, from the Southdown Abbey. Book, I'm called Book. Been out of the world for a spell. Like to walk it a while, maybe bring the word to them as need it told."
"Well, I'm Kaylee. This is Serenity, and she's the smoothest ride from here to Boros for anyone who can pay." She looks worried. "Can you pay, or…?"
"Well, I've got a little cash, and, uh…" He picks up a small wooden box from his luggage and shows her the contents.
Her eyes widen. "Oh, grandpa."
"I never married."
Trinity finishes putting the groceries away and carries the black box to her bunk. She carefully makes her way down the ladder. She sets the box on her bed and opens it. She smiles looking at the swords, the daisho. She picks up the biggest blade and stares in awe. She sheathes it and sets it down. She walks across the room and opens a cabinet, revealing many other knives, blades, and throwing stars. She picks the swords up and sets them among the other weapons.
Jayne, Mal, and Zoe walk along the docks, heading back to Serenity. "I don't understand why we didn't leave that sumbitch in a pool of his own blood." Jayne grunts.
"We'd be dead." Mal tells him. "Can't get paid if you're dead."
"Can't get paid if you crawl away like a bitty little bug, neither. We gotta share this job. Ten percent of nothing is…let me do the math here…nothing into nothing, carry the-"
"So we'll find a buyer on Boros." Zoe interrupts him. "There's gotta be a-"
"Boros is too big." Mal says. "It's crawling with Alliance, they could just be waiting for us."
"You really think Badger'll sell us out to the Feds?"
"If he hasn't already." He spots a couple of Alliance soldiers standing in the street watching them.
"Alliance catches us with government goods, we'll lose the ship." She says.
"That's never gonna happen."
"Sir, we could just dump the cargo."
"No ruttin' way." Jayne says. "We ain't had a job in weeks. I didn't sign on with this crew to take in the sights. We need coin."
"Jayne, your mouth is talking. You might wanna look to that." Mal says.
"Oh, I'm ready to stop talkin'-"
"You're right, though. The last two jobs we had were weak tea. We got nothing saved, takin' on passengers won't help near enough." He sighs. "We don't get paid for this cargo, we don't have enough money to fuel the ship, let alone keep her in repair. She'll be dead in the water."
"So we do like Badger said? The border planets?" Zoe asks.
"I'm thinkin' Whitefall, maybe talk to Patience."
Zoe frowns. "Sir, we don't want to deal with Patience again."
"Why?"
"She shot you."
"Well, yeah, she did a bit…still-"
"So we find somebody else. Horowitz."
Mal shakes his head. "He can't afford it."
"Holden boys."
"They wouldn't touch it. Do you want me to go through the list? Capshaw's are brain-blown. Gruvick's dead-"
"He's dead?"
"Town got hit by Reavers. Burned it right down."
"I ain't goin' nowhere near Reaver territory. Them people ain't human." Jayne says.
"Whitefall is the safest and the closest." Mal tells them. "Been a long time since Patience shot me and that was due to a perfectly legitimate conflict of interest. I got no grudge. She owns half that damn moon now. She can afford what we got and she just might need it."
"I still don't think the old lady's the way." Zoe argues as they see Wash on the mule, about to pull a big blue box up the ramp into Serenity's cargo hold.
"I'm not sayin' it won't be tricky, but we got no kind of choice."
Mal sees Kaylee welcoming another passenger.
"Welcome aboard, Mr…" She trails off.
"Dobson." He says.
"Dobson!" She smiles.
"Thank you."
Mal, Zoe, and Jayne walk up to the ship. "We just gotta keep our heads down, do the job, pray there ain't no more surprises." Mal says. He sees a young man dressed in a dark suit wearing round shades, clearly an affluent man.
The young man look at Mal before looking back at Wash. "Please be careful with that." He says, watching Wash move the metal crate into the ship.
"Mal, this is Simon." Kaylee introduces them. "Simon, this is our captain."
Both men size each other up. "Captain Reynolds." Simon nods.
"Welcome aboard." Mal turns to Kaylee. "This all we got?"
Zoe and Mal talk in the cargo bay as the rest of the passengers load up their luggage. "Now we have a boatful of citizens right on top of our…stolen cargo." She says. "That's a fun mix."
"Ain't no way in the 'verse they could find that compartment, even-" He stops talking as Dobson walks by. "Even if they were lookin' for it."
"Why not?"
Mal is thrown by the question. "'Cause…?"
"Oh yeah, this is gonna go great."
"If anyone gets nosy, just, you know…shoot 'em."
"Shoot 'em?"
"Politely."
Inara nears Serenity in her shuttle.
"Inara. You're just in time." Wash says.
She sighs. "Let me guess. We're in a hurry."
"Looks like. Port hatch green for docking."
"Locked in five. Four." She continues as she flies the shuttle and feels the lurch of the lock as it connects to Serenity.
"The Ambassador has returned!" Wash tells Zoe.
"We got a full house, Captain." She calls.
Mal turns to the airlock. "Kaylee, I'm locking it up!"
Kaylee looks around once. "All aboard." She says softly and hits the automatic door lock, grabs her lawn chair, and slips in as the door closes on the hold.
Simon looks around the cargo hold.
Trinity walks onto the bridge above and looks at the passengers.
Later, Serenity moves silently through space.
In the dining area, the crew and passengers are looking towards Mal. "Meals are taken up here in the dining area, the kitchen is pretty much self-explanatory, you're welcome to eat what there is any time, what there is, is pretty standard fare, I guess, protein in all the colors of the rainbow. We do have sit-down meals cooked by the pretty lady standing by the door." He motions towards Trinity. "The next one being at about 1800."
"I think Shepherd Book has offered to help prepare something." Kaylee speaks up. Mal and Trinity look at the man.
"You're a Shepherd?" Mal asks.
"Thought the outfit gave it away. Is it a problem?" Book asks.
"Of course not!" Kaylee says. "It's no problem, 'cause it's not."
"No." Mal turns to the group. "As I said, you're welcome to visit the dining area any time. Apart from that, I have to ask you to stay in the passenger dorm while we're in the air. The bridge, the engine room, cargo bay…they're all off limits without an escort."
"Some of my personal effects are in the cargo bay." Simon says.
"I figure you all got luggage you're gonna need to get into. Soon as we're done here we'll be happy to fetch 'em with you. Now I have to tell you all one other thing and I apologize in advance for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, we've been ordered by the Alliance to drop some medical supplies off on Whitefall. It's the fourth moon on Athens, a little out of our way, but we should have you on Boros no more than a day off schedule."
"What medical supplies?" Simon asks.
"I honestly didn't ask."
"Probably plasma, insulin, whatever they ain't got enough of on the border moons." Zoe says.
"Alliance says jump…" Mal trails off.
Simon nods. "All right."
"Zoe, you wanna take 'em to the cargo bay?"
"Yes, Sir." She nods.
"Anything else you need, just…ask. We, uh, we're here to serve." He finishes. The crew and passengers exit the dining error through one door, while Mal and Wash turn around and walk toward the other door leading to the bridge. "Did you send word to Patience?"
"Ain't heard back yet. Didn't she shoot you one time?" Wash asks.
Mal looks baffled. "Everybody's makin' a fuss."
In the cargo bay, people are getting the luggage they need. Simon is placing things into an elegant little valise, eyeing his metal crate.
Dobson walks up behind Simon and stumbles into him. "Oops! I'm sorry."
Zoe walks down the steps and nods at Book, who walks past her with a bag and a small box. Book climbs up the stairs to where Mal and Kaylee are standing on the catwalk. Book hands his bag and box to Kaylee, who beams at him. Trinity watches the passengers.
A shuttle hatch opens and Inara steps out in a simple yet elegant dress. She descends stairs as the group notices her.
"Ah, the Ambassador graces us with her presence." Mal says, making Book look up.
Inara smiles. "Hello, Mal. I see we have some new faces."
"Hey you." Kaylee greets.
"Hey you."
Trinity walks up to them. "Welcome back."
"Ambassador, this is Shepherd Book." Mal introduces them.
Inara turns to the man. "I'd have to say this is the first time we've had a preacher on board."
"Well, I wasn't expecting to see a state official, either." He takes her hand and gives a small bow. "Ambassador." Mal laughs and Inara glowers at him. He looks at him. "I'm missing something funny."
Kaylee glares at Mal. "Not so funny."
"'Ambassador' is Mal's way of-" Inara starts but Mal interrupts.
"She's a whore, Shepherd."
Book looks thrown. "The term is 'Companion'." Trinity says.
"Yeah, I always get those mixed up." He turns to Inara. "How's business?"
"None of yours." She says smoothly.
He turns back to Book. "She is pretty much our ambassador. There's plenty of planets won't even let you dock without a decent Companion on board. This…this isn't a problem for you, is it, Shepherd?"
"Well, I… I certainly."
Inara turns to leave. "It's all right. I mostly keep to myself." She passes Mal. "When I'm not whoring."
"Don't you wanna meet the rest of the bunch?"
"Why don't you make sure they want to meet me first?" She and Kaylee head out together.
"So how many fell madly in love with you and wanted to take you away from all this?" Kaylee asks.
Trinity turns to Mal. "I'm gonna start dinner." She looks at Book. "You wanted to help?"
"Yes." He nods and they walk away.
In her bunk, Kaylee opens the box Book gave her and pulls out a strawberry. She smells the fresh scent before taking a bite, closing her eyes as the flavor hits her tongue.
Trinity and Book prepare dinner. "So." He says, cutting up vegetables. "How did someone so young end up on this ship?"
"They needed a cook and found one." Trinity answers shortly. "And I'm 19."
"My apologies." He says.
"Hmm." She hums, sending them into silence.
After a moment, Book speaks again. "Have I done something to offend you?"
"I'm not fond of preachers."
"You don't believe in God?"
"I believe in him plenty, I just don't like preachers."
"May I ask why?"
"Because they don't like me."
His face curls in confusion. "What reason could one have to not-"
"I rather not have someone talk my ear off about me going to hell because I happen to like women." She says. "So how about we just continue this in silence."
Book looks at her and goes back to chopping vegetables. "Love is love." He says. "God would never punish you for that."
Trinity looks at his back for a moment before continuing her cooking.
People gather in the dining room, helping themselves to the meal as they converse. Everyone is there except for Wash and Inara.
Zoe looks at her plate. "Oh, this is incredible." She says, seeing the fresh food.
"It's not much. I had a garden at the Abbey, thought I should bring what I could." Book tells her.
"It's very kind of you to share with all of us." Simon says.
"I'm gonna make a plate for Wash." Zoe says about to get up but Trinity speaks.
"I already did. Set his and Inara's aside." She says. Zoe sends her a grateful look.
Book continues speaking to Simon. "Well, it won't last, and they're never the same when they're frozen. The important thing is the spices. A man can live on packaged food from here 'til Judgment Day if he's got enough rosemary."
"Can you pass me the tomatoes?" Dobson asks Jayne. He does, after taking several slices. Everyone is settled in their seat.
"Captain, you mind if I say grace?" Book asks.
"Only if you say it out loud." Mal says, sending the table into a brief awkward silence. He begins to eat, the others soon following.
"So, does it happen a lot?" Simon asks. "Government commandeering your ship, telling you where to go?"
"That's what governments are for, get in a man's way."
"Well, it's good, if the supplies are needed." Dobson says.
"We're just happy to be doing good works." Jayne says, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"I hear a lot of the border moons are in bad shape. Plagues, and famine…"
"Well, some of that's exaggerated, and some of it ain't." Trinity says.
Zoe nods. "All those moons, just like the central planets, they're as close to Earth-That-Was as we could make 'em; gravity, atmosphere, and such, but…"
"Once they're terraformed, they'll dump settlers on there with nothing but blankets, hatchets, maybe a herd." Mal says. "Some of them make it, some of them…"
"Then I guess it's good we're helping." Simon says.
Kaylee looks at him. "You're a Doctor, right?"
"Oh. Uh, yes. Yes, I was a trauma surgeon on Osiris, in Capital City."
"Long way from here." Mal comments.
"You seem so young." Kaylee says. "To be a doctor."
"Yeah. You're pretty young to be a ship's mechanic." He says, changing the subject.
"No how. Machines just got workings, and they talk to me."
"That's a rare gift." Book says
"Oh, not like being a doctor." She smiles at Simon. "Helping fix people, that's important."
"Little Kaylee here just wishes you was a gynecologist." Jayne laughs. Kaylee looks down, humiliated.
Mal glares at him. "Jayne. You'll keep a civil tongue in that mouth or I will sew it shut, is there an understanding between us?" Mal asks in a hard tone.
"You don't pay me to talk pretty. Just because Kaylee gets lubed-up over some big city dandy-"
"Walk away from this table. Right now." Mal orders, a stony expression on his face.
After a moment, Jayne gets up, grabbing a bunch of food as her does before walking away.
Simon looks after him before turning to Mal. "What do you pay him for?"
"What?" Mal asks.
"I was just wondering what his job is. On the ship."
Mal stares at him for a moment. "Public relations."
Inara kneels on the floor, giving herself a sponge bath when she hears a knock on the door. "Ging jin." She says.
Book enters, carrying a tray of food and sees Inara's naked back. "If I'm intruding…"
"Not at all. I expected you." She pulls her robe up and turns to him.
"She pulls her robe up."
"So, would you like to lecture me the wickedness of my ways?"
"I brought you some supper, but if you'd prefer a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepped. Sin and hellfire…one has lepers."
"I think I'll pass." She takes the tray. "I thank you for this."
"The Captain said you might like it. I was surprised at his concern."
"For a lowly whore?"
"It was unjust of him to say that."
"Believe me, I've called him worse. Anyway, I suspect he has more interest in making you uncomfortable than me."
"He's not wildly interested in ingratiating himself with anyone, yet he seems very protective of his crew." He pauses. "It's odd."
"Why are you so fascinated by him?"
"Because he's something of a mystery." He looks at her. "Why are you?"
Inara smiles softly. "Because so few men are."
Mal finishes using the bathroom and opens a metal drawer, pulling out a small sink. He washes his hands before splashing his face when the com sounds.
"Mal, you might wanna get up here." Wash says.
Mal rushes up the ladder and moves through the hall.
Wash is in the bridge, looking at the screen.
Mal walks in. "What is it?"
"Signal. Somebody went on the Cortex, hailed the nearest Alliance Cruiser." He says.
"Tell me you scrambled it."
"All to hell, but I don't know how much got through. Alliance got a pin in us for sure."
"Ni ta ma de. Tianxia suoyoude ren. Dou gaisi." He curses.
"We got a mole on board."
Mal's face hardens.
In the cargo bay, Simon is checking on his crate. He turns around and sees Mal standing behind him.
"Forget your toothpaste?" Mal asks before punching him in the face, sending him sprawling to the floor.
Simon cradles his jaw. "Are you out of your mind?"
"Yeah, just about. What'd you tell them?"
Simon stands up. "Tell who?"
Mal draws his gun and aims it at Simon's face. "I have exactly no time for games. What do they know?"
"You're a lunatic."
"And you're a gorram fed."
"Hate to say it, Captain, but you've got the wrong man." Book says, looking past them.
Both men turn to Book before slowly following his gaze. Dobson holds a gun on Mal.
"Son of a bitch." Mal mutters.
"Drop that firearm, Captain Reynolds." Dobson orders.
After a moment, Mal does. "This is not my best day ever."
Dobson moves the gun to point it at Simon. "Simon Tam, you are bound by law to stand down."
Mal takes a moment to realize the man is after Simon. "What, the doctor?" He asks. "Oh. Hey! Is there-is there a reward?" He asks hopefully.
Dobson ignores Mal. "Get on the ground. Get on the ground!"
"Lawman, you are making a mistake." Simon says.
"I think you best get on the ground, son. The man seems a mite twitchy." Mal tells him.
"I think everybody could stand to calm down a bit." Book says, slowly moving towards Dobson.
Dobson looks at him. "This isn't your business, Shepherd."
"The boy's not going anywhere, lawman. As I understand it, it's pretty cold outside."
Mal casually moves for his gun. "Not to worry. Put Lord Fauntleroy here in a passenger cell, won't make a peep 'til you hand him over to-"
Dobson points the gun at Mal. "Get the hell away from that weapon! You think I'm a complete backbirth? You're carrying a fugitive across interplanetary borders, and you think I actually believe you're bringing medical supplies to Whitefall? As far as I care, everyone on this ship is culpable."
"Well now. That has an effect on the landscape."
"Please, we're very close to true stupidity here-" Book says but Dobson interrupts him.
"I got a cruiser en route for intercept, so talk all you want. You got about twenty minutes."
"Might have less than that." Mal says.
"Yeah, threaten me." Dobson scoffs.
Book continues taking slow steps. "For God's sake-"
"You think I wouldn't shoot a Shepherd? Back off!" He shouts.
Mal grabs Simon. "Just take the kid!"
"Get your hands off me!" Simon says, struggling in his grip.
"Stand the hell down!" Dobson yells.
"Everybody just stop it! Stop it!" Book stops.
Kaylee walks in. "Why's everybody-"
Dobson spins around and fires the gun.
Kaylee stumbles backwards, slamming into the wall. "What…" She puts her hands to her belly, feeling blood cover them. She slumps to the ground.
Simon rushes over to her as Mal dives for his weapon and Jayne draws his. Dobson swings to fire at Mal but Book jabs him and the throat, grabbing his gun hand and twisting it, pulling the gun out. He hits Dobson across the face in the same motion, sending the man to the floor.
Trinity and Inara walk out from the upper level and see their friend. "Kaylee!"
Simon lays Kaylee back as Mal scrambles to her other side. "How do you feel?"
"A little odd…" Kaylee says.
Jayne comes toward Dobson with a purpose, gun in hand, and Book stands in front of him.
"Outta the way." Jayne growls.
"You're not killing this man." Book tells him.
"Not right away…"
"He's no threat."
"Why did he…?" Kaylee whimpers. Simon opens her jumpsuit and examines the wound.
"Oh, well, that ain't hardly a mosquito bite." Mal lies.
"Big mosquito." Kaylee says, growing weak.
Trinity and Inara rash over. Inara pulls of her robe and bunches it under Kaylee's head as a makeshift pillow.
"Move." Jayne grunts.
Book shakes his head. "Not gonna happen."
Jayne raises his gun. "I ain't joking with you, Preacher."
"Jayne!" Zoe calls, her gun drawn on him. "Just tie him up. Do it."
After a moment Jayne puts his gun away and moves to get some duct take.
"Can you move your feet? Kaylee. Stay with me. Can you move your feet?" Simons asks.
"Are you asking me to dance…?" Her eyes start to roll back.
"She's going into shock." Trinity says.
"Kaylee, mei-mei you have to focus." Inara pleads.
Zoe walks over to Book. "The gun, Shepherd. Please." He hands her Donbson's gun.
Simon puts pressure on Kaylee's stomach, making her scream. He looks at Mal. "The infirmary working?"
"Yeah, we got it stocked." They move to pick her up.
"Captain, we've been hailed by a Cruiser. Ordered to stay on course and dock for prisoner transfer." Wash's voice rings through the ship.
Simon looks at Mal and stands up, backing away from Kaylee. He stays calm despite his tense demeanor. "Change course. Run."
Mal scoffs. "Hell with you. You brought this down on us; I'm dumping you with the law."
"Mal." Inara says.
"She's dying." Simon tells her.
"You're not gonna let her." Mal growls.
"Yes, I am."
"No, you can't."
"No way the Feds'll let us walk." Zoe says.
"Then we dump him in the shuttle and leave him for them." Mal says.
"Everybody's so mad." Kaylee says, delirious.
"It's okay, baby." Inara says, brushing the hair away from her face.
"Do you know what a stomach wound does to a person?" Simon asks.
"I surely do." Mal says.
"Then you know how crucial the next few minutes are."
"You let her die; you'll never make it to the Feds." Zoe tells him.
"She'll still be dead."
"You rich kids, you think your lives are the only thing that matters. What'd you do? Kill your folks for the family fortune?" Mal asks.
Simon looks at him. "I don't kill people!"
"Then do your job!"
"Turn the ship around!"
"Enough!" Inara shouts. "Mal, do it."
He looks at her. "Don't ever tell me what to do on my-" He is interrupted by Kaylee's scream. He looks back to Simon. "Zoe. Change course."
"Help me get her up." Simon says. Mal and Trinity help him pick Kaylee up and rush away, Inara following behind them.
Zoe hits the com. "Wash, change course and go for hard burn. We're runnin'."
The group burst into the small infirmary and lay Kaylee on the table.
"You have an extractor?" Simon asks.
"Got a laser law." Mal says.
Simon sighs. "That's not good enough." He turns to Inara. "Uh, my room, red bag." She nods and leaves. Simon raids the cupboards, finds a hypo-gun and vials.
"This is over, you and me are gonna have a personal chat."
"Won't that be fun." He tosses Mal the hypo. "Dope her."
Simon and Mal work on Kaylee. Inara keeps a breathing mask over Kaylee's face while Trinity watches her vitals. Jayne is crouched outside the infirmary, peering in through a window, worried, almost hugging himself.
Simon washes off his hands. He turns to Mal, pulling off his apron. "I can't do anything more until she stabilizes."
"Will she?" Mal asks.
"I can't say yet."
"I want know what's going on here." Inara asks.
Mal looks at Simon. "Well then why don't we find out?" He quickly leaves the room.
"What are you…?" Simon realizes where he's headed. "No! No!" He yells following after him. Inara and Trinity share a look before following as well. They run into the cargo bay. "Stay away from that!" He moves towards Mal but is grabbed by Jayne. "Aah!"
Mal looks at Jayne. "Where's the Fed?" He asks calmly.
"Secure. Shepherd's with him. Seems to think he's not safe alone with me." Jayne tells him.
"Don't!" Simon yells.
Mal turns some dials on the medal crate and pulls the release lever. The top comes slightly up with a hydraulic whoosh, dry ice pouring out the sides. Wash, Zoe, Trinity, and Inara enter. "Well, let's see what a man like you would kill for."
"No, don't!"
Mal kicks off the top of the crate off, it clatter loudly to the floor. He steps forward, looking inside the crate. Curled inside is a naked, unconscious teenage girl. The crate was a cryo-chamber, perfectly conformed to her body, a sleep metallic womb. Mal looks between Simon and the girl. "Huh."