Disclaimer: None of these are my characters. Joss Whedon is the man (a.k.a. 'Joss is boss.')

A/N: I've discovered that writing a Cockney accent is even more difficult that writing a Western accent, and alternating the two in dialogue is nigh impossible. Instead, I've neglected some of the apostrophes and broken words in favor of an understandable story. Just use your imagination in the key of Badger.

Chapter 3

"Aye, Cap'n," the contact said. "I do recollect a bloke name o' Badger growin' up among these parts. You say the two'a you were friends?" The contact was a short, skinny man who went by the unusual name of Neck. When Mal had asked about the unique moniker, his answer had been, "Me friends call me Neck cuz I got a habit o' wringin' 'em if things don't go just so." Mal liked his own neck just the way it was, and so intended this job to go as smoothly as possible. Not that he was overly worried, he thought, as he snuck a glance at the lithe navigator seated next to him.

"Oh, I don't know if I'd go that far," Mal laughed. "Grudging business associates, at best. We worked together when we knew it was the most profitable road to take, and not much more often than that." Mal briefly reviewed his history with Badger, ending with the view of bloody bodies they'd all seen through the Cortex screen after the Operative's teams had wiped out all their contacts. Well, at least that part of their lives was past, and they'd rebuilt their contact base respectably since then.

The wiry man smiled thinly at the Captain's attempt at levity. "Well, he did have a way o' gratin' at the nerves, he did. Not well liked around here either, if I recollect. Fancied himself a proper businessman, he did. Thought he was too good for us. 'I'm above you. Better than'," Neck quoted, rolling his eyes as he did. Apparently this man had done some dealing with Badger in person, in years gone past.

"Aah, yes," Mal said in mocking fondness. "I do miss Badger's fine diplomatic skills from time to time." Mal shot the smaller man a smile and continued, "So, everything looks shiny from our end. Cal we do business?"

"I do believe some more livestock is just what this little moon could use," Neck answered. "At a profit to us, o' course. What say we meet tomorrow, at about noon?" At Mal's nod, Neck slid a small data chip across the table. "This here's coordinates for a drop point. Shouldn't take you more'n ten minutes by ship, and it's outta the eye of certain ... unsavory characters."

Mal nodded and palmed the data chip. They agreed on a price and were about to leave, when Neck piped up one more time. "Incidentally, Cap'n," he asked almost indifferently, "what type o' ship did you say you fly?"

Mal smiled again and responded, "Best type'a ship in the 'Verse, Neck. A Firefly." The small man nodded.

As Mal and River walked away, the young pilot thought she heard a mumble from behind her. "That's what I thought," the low voice said menacingly.

XXXXX

"So, lil' one," Mal said to River once they were safely away from the bar they had met Neck and his crew at. "We're lookin' at trouble from that one, huh?" The Captain never failed to surprise his pilot with his astute observations. As a Reader, River was used to learning peoples' intentions quickly, but Mal was very good at gleaning information from sources other than the mind.

Giving Mal an appreciative glance, River said simply, "Cousin." At the Captain's confused look, the young woman elaborated. "Badger was his cousin. I believe he blames you for his kin's untimely demise. He wants revenge, Mal. We should walk away, now."

"Now look here, my lil' tiancai." Mal was stunned at her lack of faith in his ability to handle dangerous situations. "If that hundan thinks he's gonna give us trouble over somethin' we had no part in, I'd rather end it here and now and get on with our lives. If we can make the man see reason, we may even manage a long-term contact out of it."

"No part in?" River scoffed. "They were killed because they helped you, and because you harbored me. How can you say we had no part in it? And how do you know he won't just bide his time until you're unprepared?" The folly of the Captain's reasoning still astounded River on occasion. Like his ability to read people on an instinctive level, this stubborn belief, whether in the better side of human nature or his own ability to deal with the darker side, was unfathomable to the young woman.

"You just stick by me, lil' one," Mal said, "and let me know what's goin' on, and we'll pull through this just fine. Don't we always?" With a crooked smile, Mal draped an arm lazily across River's shoulder. Captain and pilot made their way home slowly, enjoying the fresh air and good company.

Later that evening, plans were laid out for the next day. Jayne would be covering the drop site, which was outside of town, from a convenient hill with his sniper rifle. Zoë would go in with the Captain and River on the Mule, carting the goods along in the hope of a smooth transaction. Simon, Kaylee and Inara would stay on Serenity, ready for a quick rescue if need be. Inara had been learning, over the past few months, to fly the ship in case of just such an occurrence.

When deal time came the next day, Mal, Zoë and River set off with the embryos. Jayne had left earlier that morning to get settled in on his hilltop, and make sure none of Neck's people had the same thought. Simon glared at Mal all through the preparations, occasionally sparing a worried glance for his little sister. 'It'll be fine,' she kept saying to him with her eyes.

The trio reached their goal slightly before noon and settled in to wait. They didn't have to for very long, though. Within minutes of their arrival, the noise of many motors roared in at them from around a hill, and five Mules pulled up to surround the Captain and his crew.

"Well, well," Neck said as he stepped out of the lead vehicle. "Ain't you just got your pick o' the ladies?" the little swindler passed a predatory gaze over River and Zoë, then continued. "Cap'n, why don't you'n the girls unload those goods, so's we can see if they're worth what you're gougin' me for."

"You know," Mal said thoughtfully without moving, "if it weren't for the fact I already knew, I'd have to guess you and Badger were related just on the strength of your bad manners." Neck showed his surprise only in the slight widening of his eyes and the brief pause in his cocky saunter. He masked it well, however, so the Captain went on. "Now I also happen to know you think your cousin's death was somehow my fault, a point on which," Mal chuckled, "I have to disagree. You got a gripe, Neck, you best be takin' it up with the Alliance. Those purple-bellies don't play fair. I, on the other hand, do. Which is why I want to see some hard currency before I show you any goods."

"Badger was right, Reynolds," Neck chortled. "You really do act like you got a stick up your pigu. 'Better than,' indeed. I'm sure you can do the math, Cap'n. We've got you outnumbered, out gunned, and surrounded. Just pull out the goods nice-like, and we can all go about our day. Unless, of course, you'd like to make a gift of the little one." At this last, more than a few of the roughs surrounding the trio laughed or made crude gestures.

Guessing her intent, Zoë laid a hand on River's arm. "I don't reckon that little joke will play out the same this time, girl," she said softly to the Reader. River sent a reassuring glance at the older woman, and locked eyes with Mal, willing him to understand without a word. Then, full of a dancer's grace, River dismounted the Mule and approached Neck with a sultry walk.

"You want her so bad?" she asked. "What are you willing to do? This little one isn't a gift, to be given away by any man, or to any. You may have us outnumbered, but are you so sure about the other two? Before you make assumptions about a hardened crew of smugglers and criminals, why don't you find out if you can take care of just the smallest one among them?" River began to circle Neck, who was almost afraid to move. "You talk a big game for a petty thief, just like your cousin did. He was full of lies and deceit, never willing to deal square with his peers. Badger thought he was better than everyone else, and look where it got him? Do you really want to be that much like him? Would you be willing to lie in the dirt, watching your lifeblood spill out of you, if it made you more like your hero? Think very carefully about that before you try to cheat me, Nicholas. You don't really want to know what happens to cheaters in this game." The little Reader stopped directly in front of the gang leader, meeting his eyes directly in challenge.

River's short monologue had confused and scared Neck, and some of his crew were grumbling. Others were shifting uncomfortably in fear, whether of losing life or money Mal couldn't tell. River's 'crazy' speeches always gave him an uncomfortableness in his gut, but they were singularly effective in situations like this, so he trusted her and sat at ease in the driver's seat.

"Well," Neck said, trying to regain some of the face he had just lost in front of his crew. "Seems to me you got some knowledge you shouldn't. How do I know you're not Feds?"

"You know our reputation, Nicholas," River answered before the Captain could come up with anything. "And you know the Feds don't play this bait-and-hook game. What they want, they take. Like you. Except they imagine themselves professionals, which only makes them look worse. You don't want to look bad, do you Nicholas? You don't want people thinking you're like the Feds?"

"We ain't like them ruttin' purple-bellies!" Neck exploded. "An' stop callin' me that name afore I rip that pretty silver tongue outta your dirty little mouth!" Neck turned to one of his men and said, "Show 'im the gorram money," pointing in disgust toward Mal.

While the man brought a pouch over to Mal, another of Neck's lackey's tried surreptitiously to draw his gun. As he raised it toward River, a loud report issued over the quiet area, and the gun was thrown from the man's hand. With a loud cry, the man brought his hand in toward his chest while the rest of the men drew their guns and looked around in bewilderment.

Smiling at neck, River said, "Are you sure we're surrounded? Could it be the other way around? How badly do you want to find out?" She looked around at the other Mules, meeting the eyes of each man on Neck's crew in turn. One by one, the men's gazes wavered, then their gun hands dropped slowly to their sides.

With a disgusted snort, Neck stared at his men. "Fine! Let's end this deal then, so's I can go on with my life and have you out of it, you little bitch. I've showed you the cash, now you show me the goods."

The rest of the transaction ran smoothly. Neck cursed in languages Mal had never heard before, but River kept snickering, so he assumed she knew what the angry man was mumbling. Once Mal had the money and Neck had the frozen embryos, the irate gangster turned back to the crew in the Mule. The bandit's other crews had already departed, three Mules laden with goods, and the headman's vehicle poised to depart.

"Watch your neck, mate."

"Should I assume that means you're not interested in future business?" Mal called to the retreating form, scorn and mockery evident in his tone.

XXXXX

Back at the ship, Zoë and Jayne rehung the Mule while Mal and River made their way to the bridge. "That was pretty impressive back there, sweetheart," Mal drawled. "But that don't mean I want you pullin' that kinda go se ever again. Dong ma?"

"You're just jealous Neck got such a show," River laughed as she took them out of the world. "Where to, Captain?"

Mal looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Actually, I been meanin' to talk to you about that . . ."

tiancai – genius

hundan – bastard

pigu – butt

go se – crap

Dong ma? - Understand?