The captain gripped the intercom in one hand, fighting with the other to maintain control of his ship. His voice echoed through the speakers of the vessel, firmly giving orders to the crew members to brace themselves for impact.
A cloud of dust rose up around the ship as she came down with a less than graceful landing. Mal took the intercom again, "Kaylee!"
The young mechanic rushed onto the bridge, a greasy bandana tying her hair back out of her face, and oil stains splattered across her coveralls.
"Kaylee, give me a status report, what's the damage?"
"Well Cap, the engine was making this terrible grinding sound. I thought she was just askin' for an oil change, but I went to fill her up and she was still makin' that awful noise. Went to change her filter too, but she was still complaining and so…"
"Kaylee," Mal interrupted impatiently, "Just tell me why I had to make an emergency landing on this tiny moon in the middle of a gorram dessert."
"I don't know what's wrong with her Cap," she said, her voice quavering slightly as her eyes sank to the floor, "She always tells me what's wrong, but I haven't been able to decipher what's she's tellin' me."
"Sir," Zoe says making her way onto the bridge, "what seems to be the problem?"
"We're not quite sure yet," he said casting a look at Kaylee, "But you're going to find out right? And get her flyin' again, right quick, right?"
"Yes Captain," she said quietly.
"You just get to it, Badger's got a job waitin' for us back on Ariel and if we don't get there first he'll give it to another crew. Zoe," Mal said, turning his attention to his second-in-command, "You go fetch Jayne and meet me at the cargo door in five minutes. We need to figure out exactly where we are on this little moon."