Boros was a small planet, uniquely terra-formed to provide the maximum homesteading capacity in an easily administrated package. Wasn't much more than a moon compared to most planets. The joke was that a good horse could ride around Boros in three days. It wasn't far off the mark, though three week was more accurate. The planet was small, the towns were small and the jobs were small.
Except for the lakes and geysers to the south, Boros was entirely covered with lush fertile land. Large pumps tapped into the expansive subterranean aquifer to provide irrigation to the many farms that covered the planet's surface. This made Boros extremely dependent on the Alliance for just about everything, but food, which was why Boros was such a strong supporter of the Alliance. Normally this would have irked Mal to no end, having fought against the Alliance in the war, but Serenity needed work and Boros had work.
Zoe headed into the Alliance Post Office alone while the rest of the group stayed outside, a habit they gotten into from their thieving days. It turns out to be statistically harder to identify individuals off of wanted posters than it is to identify groups. Though the captain was pretty sure that they weren't on any current posters, on a small out of the way planet like Boros there was no telling how old they might be.
"What exactly are we doing on this Podunk backwater of a pit hole?" Jayne asked.
"Jayne." Mal scolded. "Such language. You'll offend the women."
"What? Inara ain't here."
"Hey!" Kaylee complained. "Stop being such a houzi de pigu."
"That won't make this pit hole any bigger."
"We've all had to make some adjustments to the jobs we can take, so let's just get this one done and look for better on Dyton." Mal's tone was upbeat and jovial, well as jovial as Mal got."
"We need to be getting back to Persephone is what I'm thinking." Jayne spouted.
"Duly noted." Mal responded. "Kaylee – don't let me forget. Jayne's been thinking again."
"It ain't funny Mal. Some folks been forgettin that this here is a money makin venture" Jayne grumbled. "Not a gorram homestead."
"I'll try not to take that all personal like." Mal replied lightly. "Me and Zoe will go close the deal. We'll drop the shipments off at Dyton. Then we'll look to putting Persephone back on the horizon."
"I'm just sayin." Jayne grumbled.
"Kaylee – You need anything?"
"Nope. Just the fuelin Depot, Cap'n."
"Well I need stuff." Jayne piped up. "Replace what we used up in Verbena."
"No poppers." Mal said, rolling his eyes. "They ain't worth the trouble."
"No." Jayne agreed. "Just the borin stuff. We're running low."
"Ok." Mal tossed as small bag of coins to the placated mercenary. "but take it easy. This is a nice planet. I want to be able to come back."
"Yup, me and the doctor here is going to see if we can save any of the locals."
"Well, as much as I would love to extend the legend that is Jayne Cobb," Simon countered drolly. "I have other plans."
Kaylee hugged the doctor's arm and smiled sweetly.
"Dang, and I thought we could have another one of them adventures." Jayne replied sarcastically.
"I'll go with you." River offered.
"Will you keep him from getting anything that explodes?" Mal asked.
"Yes Captain." River agreed.
"Wait a minute Mal." Jayne complained. "I ain't no babysitter."
"Good – I ain't no baby." River retorted, standing tiptoe on the curb to go nose to nose with the big man. Then she whispered in his ear. "And I can melt your brain."
"Shiny." Jayne grumbled. "Come on little girl. Uncle Jayne's gonna teach you all about hiring a whore."
"Get back to the ship by noon Jayne." The captain called as the big man left.
"Got it." He called back.
Kaylee took Simon by the arm and headed off to the fuel depot as River skipped off after Jayne. Zoe returned with a hand full of mail a minute later.
"Where'd everybody go?" She asked.
"Off to do their daily chores. Don't you just love it when they're all so happy."
"Mail Sir." She replied drily.
"How is it that bills always find a way to getting delivered?" Mal observed philosophically, as the two made there way down the dusty street. "Oh – there's one here for the doctor."
Mal shook it.
"What are you doing, Sir?"
"Just checking for loose change." Mal quipped, then he looked at her seriously. "Are you ready for this?"
"Ready, Sir."
He stuffed the mail into his coat pocket as they entered the specified meeting place. The client, a Bartholomew Abernathy, represented a crop co-op that needed produce shipped to Dyton. Abernathy sat at a sturdy wood table ruffling through a stack of papers and talking to the waitress. He waved them over as soon as they entered and after exchanging pleasantries and a few cordial beers the got down to business. As usual, things could have gone smoother.
"I don't know Mal, a void run seems a bit risky."
"Come on Bart, You don't want nobody knowing, right?" Mal replied. "And I've done a hundred of them and not gotten stuck…"
"But once, Sir." Zoe interrupted.
"…but once." Mal agreed, shooting Zoe a dirty look.
"You know once is all it would take to break me." The man countered. "Mas Corp is dying to move in here."
"Bart, I can move your load in near same time for half the fee. You gotta move your crop soon or you'll get nothing at all."
"Don't think I don't know that, Son, but that ship of yours is pretty small, you can't move a big lot – and the risk."
"Big lot? You ain't got a big lot, as I see it. What you got would barely fill my hold – well…"
"Twice, Sir."
"Twice." Mal agreed, shooting Zoe another dirty look. "And like I said, I'll deliver the lot in same the time – and with no gate fees or inspection delays. That's all straight profit for you – and – you'll be undercutting Mas Corp in the process."
"And we can come back for the second lot next week." Zoe offered.
"Next Week!?" Mal cried, then he agreed. "Yeah, next week."
"What about the risk?" Abernathy persisted.
"That one time," Mal laughed it off. "That was a fluke. Serenity was more - rustic back then. She's been completely rebuilt since. She's Tip Top. Ask Zoe here, she wouldn't lie."
"Tip Top." She replied.
The two men shook on the deal and signed off on the details over another beer. It wasn't long before Mal and Zoe were headed to the dock where Serenity was waiting. Within an hour Mal was supervising the cargo load and Zoe was laying in a flight plan. Kaylee and the doctor returned shortly after, stumbling up the ramp laughing as they entered.
"Nooo, I'm telling you, I really didn't know…"
"Had a good time, I trust?" Mal interupted.
"Mmhm." Kaylee affirmed.
"Good. Now it's time for workin."
"You get the goods, Cap'n?" Kaylee asked playfully, hanging on the doctor arm.
"Yup." He answered proudly.
"Both runs?" The mechanic pressed hum.
"I surely did." He beamed this time. "Went down just like I said."
"Good crook, bad crook?" The doctor quipped.
"Yup. Good crook, bad crook."