Chapter 1

A deep breath. In and out. A gulp of air. In and out. Ishta sighed and unfurled her clenched hands. Her eyes remained closed as she placed her hands on the dusty ground. Ishta took another deep breath and slowly let it out as she opened her eyes. From her kneeling position on the hill, she surveyed the devastation in front of her.

The ground was littered with bodies. Each one was still, with no signs of life. The wooden buildings lining the dirt-packed street where the bodies lay were empty. It was quiet, too quiet. Not even a whisper of a breeze to stir the dirt. Moments earlier the noise had been deafening, but now silence reigned.

There were marks on the ground where the ship had been. It was gone now with no other evidence of its being there.

Ishta used her hands, pushing them into the ground to help her rise. She straightened up and stepped away from the bush that had hidden her. Taking one last look, she turned around and headed northeast. The nearest settlement was a two-day walk from her position. She had no supplies on her, but her best option was to head for the closest town. The town behind her, if it could be called that, had been returned to its ghost-like state.

/\\\/\\\

"Kaylee!" Mal shouted, as he clomped toward the engine room. "Kaylee! What is wrong with my gorram ship?!"

"Everything's shiny, Captain. Nothing to worry about," Kaylee said brightly as she flitted around the engine room. Serenity shuddered. Kaylee dismissed Mal's presence and focused her attention on ensuring that Serenity wouldn't fall out of the sky. The usual turbulence of the ship entering atmo was greater than usual.

Mal left the engine room headed back to the bridge. He kept stumbling on his way there as Serenity rocked and bucked. The ship's hull groaned and screeched. The noise echoed throughout the ship and set everyone on edge. Inara sat at the controls in her shuttle preparing to takeoff. On the bridge, Wash attempted to control Serenity as they approached the planet. It wasn't the worst landing he had piloted, but it was up there. Zoe stood behind him, clutching the back of his seat in order to stay on her feet. The rest of the crew sat in the lounge, holding on and buckled in. They hoped that Serenity wasn't about to crash. After a few more hair-raising moments, Serenity made it through the atmosphere relatively unscathed and settled on the ground. Up on the bridge, Wash let out a deep breath and glanced at Mal and Zoe with a smile. Mal nodded. He left the bridge and let Wash finish the sequence of powering down Serenity.

/\\\/\\\

The cargo bay echoed with the chatter of the crew as they stood together in the middle of the room. Anticipation of completing a job had them in good spirits, and the thought of fresh food and some spending money flitted through most everyone's mind. Mal's footsteps on the stairs near Inara's shuttle quieted the crew and they focused their attention on him.

"Did Inara get off ok?" Kaylee asked. Mal responded with a look and joined his crew.

"Zoe 'n' Jayne, we're meeting our buyer at the market near the square. Let's hope this goes smooth-like. Kaylee and Wash, get what we need for the ship and then get back. You two," Mal looked at River and Simon, "stay here. I don't want no trouble."

River started clapping her hands and throwing them into the air. Then she put her finger to her lips. "Boom! Boom! Shhhhhh." She giggled to herself. She stared at the captain and then giggled again. She spun around and floated out of the cargo bay.

Simon hesitated for a moment and looked at the rest of the crew. He then took off after River.

The crew glanced at each other wondering what cryptic message River was trying to send. Mal cleared his throat and everyone else returned their focus to the work that needed doing. With Mal's signal, Wash opened the cargo bay's door and lowered the ramp. The crew headed out to do their work, while Shepard Book remained behind to help keep an eye on the Tams.

/\\\/\\\

Ishta made it to town. She was tired and dirty, looking for some water and food. A rain barrel behind a building caught her attention. She looked around her, but no one was paying attention. She slipped quietly behind the building and slaked her thirst. The water was stale and gritty, but to Ishta it was sweeter than honey. The sound of voices caught her attention.

"Jayne, what did I tell you about keeping your mouth shut?"

"Aw, come on Mal. He was asking for it."

"At least we managed to get the payment, sir."

"For once, I would like things to go smooth-like."

The thud and scuffle of footsteps accompanied the voices. Ishta peered into the ally were the noises were coming from. Three people held weapons as they crouched and moved backward. Shouting could be heard from a distance and coming nearer. It was indistinct but angry. The three looked towards the shouting. They then turned and jogged toward the back of the ally and to the street running behind the buildings.

A man with brown hair and a brown coat pulled out a radio. "Wash, Kaylee, head back to the ship. Get her prepped to leave. We need a quick exit." Some muttering and complaints came through on the other end, but ultimately acknowledgement of the situation was given.

Ishta's head snapped up. A ship. That's what she needed to get off this forsaken planet. And a ship that knew trouble. It would know how to run and hide. Decision made, she ran swiftly and quietly after the three. She kept to the shadows and called no attention to herself. The trick would be to get onboard without being seen.