Serenity slowly pulled out of the Space Station England, the crew spread throughout the ship.
Wash was on the Bridge with Zoe, his new limited edition triceratops placed proudly on the dashboard. Zoe leaned against his chair, spinning the gold watch absentmindedly around her wrist.
Mal was pacing in his bunk, running his fingers through his hair every so often. He mumbled, weighing consequences with actions, his hand constantly returning to the gun strapped to his hip.
Jayne sat at the kitchen table sorting through his new knives.
"Ooh, that's a nice one. Wow, ain't she a beauty. Hey, I might use this now."
Shepard was in his bunk slowly filling the blank pages of his new notebook. It had a leather cover with intricate patterns swirling across. At first glance it appeared to be a solar system. Look at it another way and it was a bouquet of flowers. He smiled, enjoying the paper's texture as he ran his fingers over the fine pages. Thoughts, ideas, dreams, and images all flowed through his hand with the satisfying scratch of pen on paper.
Inara placed the incense in a cabinet with the others, ready to be used when needed.
Simon sat on the couch across from the medical center Kaylee sat next to him, leaning on his shoulder with her legs pulled up under her, reading along with him. Her blanket was draped over their shoulders.
River sat across from Jayne in the kitchen, bending and reshaping the giant paperclip into a large circle. She had asked for one the size of her forearm and she had gotten it. When they handed it to her Zoe could have sworn Wash's heart skipped a beat. He looked on the verge of demanding a trade, but had stayed loyal to the dinosaur.
Sherlock and John sat in chairs between Jayne and River, tied to them. Mal had opted for the closets again, but the rest of the crew thought it unnecessary. So there they sat, watching Jayne lay out all his knives and River play with a paperclip.
They sat there for a while, the only sound knives hitting the table and the occasional grind of metal against wood when River used the chair to bend the paperclip.
John sat there, rotating his wrists under the ropes, adjusting his position, glancing warily at the growing number of weapons on the table.
Sherlock stared off into space, lost deep within his Mind Palace.
John glanced over at River who was currently folding the ends of the clip into complicated braids. He watched her, fascinated.
"Wh- What, exactly, are you making? If you don't mind me asking."
She did not look up. "A belt."
He was taken off-guard at the emotionless delivery. He was used to Sherlock being… robotic. But he did not dream there was anyone else in the universe so much like Sherlock.
"So, um, what was the Academy Sherlock referred to earlier?" He asked uncertainly, testing the waters so to speak.
She remained focused on her project. "They played with my brain, made me different."
"How- how so?"
The sudden deep sound of Sherlock's voice startled him. "They wanted to unlock nervous centers of her brain, make her more in tuned with the world around her. They believed that they could create a psychic or something close to it, and they succeeded."
"Not entirely," River folded the thin metal around her fingers, creating small loops.
"How so?" Sherlock asked.
"They wanted someone who could tell them secrets they would understand. They almost made me mute." She looked up now, "I can see everything, but I say nothing."
"You say a great deal if you ask me," Jayne spoke up.
"We weren't," Sherlock responded curtly.
"You seem fairly articulate to me," John said, glancing between Jayne and River. Jayne had an annoyed glint in his eye, which worried John. He glanced at the knives again.
"It requires an immense amount of effort," she stated, an almost angry edge to her reply.
With that final statement she stood, placing the circle around her waist and connecting the clasps she had woven out of the ends. The result was an intricate pattern that was perfectly symmetrical any way you looked at it.
"Party's over," Mal declared, walking into the room. The ship jolted as they passed through the atmosphere. "We're approaching the rendezvous."
The moon was dry and dusty, towering rock formations dotting the landscape. The stone was a deep red, streaked with subtle pinks and rich purples. The sun looked almost brown through the thick atmosphere.
Serenity landed under a cliff overhang not far from the rendezvous, but far enough so that Mal, Zoe, Jayne, and Sherlock would have to take a shuttle.
Once the ship had settled, Zoe walked into the kitchen.
"Come on, Jayne," Mal commanded.
Jayne nodded and reached for a knife with a long thin blade.
"No weapons, we go unarmed," Mal stated.
Jayne looked longingly at the knife but followed Mal towards the shuttle. Zoe untied Sherlock. He stood, rubbing his wrists, and nodded his thanks.
As they were leaving the kitchen John said, "Sherlock."
Sherlock turned.
"Be safe."
Sherlock nodded once then left the room.
Wash suddenly ran through the doorway, across the room, and kissed his wife.
"Don't make him mad, alright?"
Zoe smiled.
"Because he gets kinda mean when he's mad. Believe me, I know. You know he torched me once."
Zoe kissed her husband. "I know, Sweetie. I got you back, remember?" she smiled again and walked into the shuttle.
"Doc!" Mal shouted from the shuttle.
"Yes, Captain?" Simon called, coming up the stairs.
He stuck his head out the door. "Make sure River doesn't do anything loud. Wash! Shut down everything by the air. I'm sure they've got sweepers and I'd rather them not find you."
"Sure thing, Mal."
Mal nodded then disappeared into the shuttle. Zoe climbed in and shut the door.
Kaylee ran the engine room and shut everything off. After that she and Simon went up to the kitchen and sat with John and River. Wash stayed on the bridge.
"Would you mind untying me?" John asked. "My arms are getting stiff."
"Uh, sure. Yeah, okay," Simon jumped up and untied him.
"Thanks," John said, rubbing his wrists.
Zoe drove the shuttle through the thick air. Mal stood behind her, watching monitors and the sky for signs of trouble. Jayne stood next to Sherlock just in case the detective tried anything.
They flew in silence until Mal said, "There."
He pointed to the top of a plateau where a large ship was sitting. They landed next to it, connecting the shuttle so they did not have to face the harsh wind that had kicked up. As Zoe checked over the controls Mal said, "Okay, we get in, explain Magnussen has the goods, get Niska to go get him, and we're good."
"And I will disappear," Sherlock said quietly. He climbed into a hidden cabinet they had installed and the rest of the crew stood before the door.
The door was pushed open, reviling five armed guards.
"We're unarmed," Mal declared as he and the crew held up their hands. They exited the shuttle single file. The biggest one, obviously in charge, looked them over.
"Where are the goods?"
"We need to speak with Niska," Mal replied.
The guard looked at him suspiciously, then into the shuttle.
"Search it," he said curtly.
Two of the guards pushed passed the crew and into the shuttle. The crew refused to even glance at each other, not wanting to give anything away.
"Nothing looks suspicious," one of the guards in the shuttle said after a short search.
The leader nodded once and walked down the hall. The other four followed, pushing the crew forward.
They walked down a wide hall, passing a few doors. Mal thought he heard muffled screaming coming from one, but he continued walking.
They reached the door at the end of the hall and the leader opened it.
"Malcom Reynolds," the heavily accented voice said as the door swung open. "Tell me you do job for me."
They walked into the spacious room. The tile floor was a rich brown with white splotches. Over to the right was a window bordered by cherry wood. A big, green potted plant stood in the corner. Mal thought this odd. Niska was not the kind of person who cared for anything, let alone a plant. Niska was sitting behind a wooden desk looking at a map.
"It's a bit more complicated than that," Mal answered.
"Oh, that is… Unfortunate," Niska replied, folding the map.
"Let us explain."
"Nothing to explain. I tell you, 'bring me cargo' and you no bring me cargo. Your reputation, Malcom Reynolds, is looking not so solid."
"With all due respect, you weren't the only one asking for this particular box," Mal spoke up, eyeing the guards who were looking ready for a fight.
"Really? And who asked for my cargo?"
"A man named Magnussen."
Niska's jaw tightened but he said nothing. Mal took the silence as permission to continue.
"He found us the same way you did, through reputation. Said he wanted a particular box. We said it was already sold. He offered more than you, but decided against backstabbing. We said no deal. Then when we were flying here he attacked us and took the cargo."
"So, you lost it," Niska stated.
"We were robbed. But we're willing to steal it back. We've gotten word that you know where he is. As I've experienced firsthand, you don't like being crossed. I think, if you don't mind me saying, that we should go get him. You can do whatever you like with him, keep the cargo, pay us, and we all get off better. Except for Magnussen."
Niska sighed, "Yes, this is true. I know where he is." He slowly stood and stepped towards them. "However, we have a… difficult relationship. I promise not to interfere with him, he do the same for me."
"Well it sounds like he just went against your deal," Mal brought up.
Niska considered everything Mal said, pacing back and forth. "No," he decided. "I will not go. But you can. I will tell you where he is, you get for me the cargo."
"And you'll still pay us?" Jayne asked.
Mal hissed for him to be silent.
"How about, I let you live?" Niska counteroffered.
"Sounds fair," Mal said quickly. "We'll do it."
"One last thing," Niska continued. "I need assurance you won't take his deal."
Mal hesitated. "What do you want?"
At that moment someone entered the room and walked up to Niska. He whispered in Niska's ear. Niska smiled. Mal got worried.
"I have what I need. You will get for me my cargo, and you will come back."
Mal nodded. "And the coordinates?"
"Already in your ship," Niska smiled.
Mal's throat went dry.
"You've been on my ship?"
Niska nodded. "That is where I get assurance you will come back. Goodbye now."
Niska sat back down and the crew was escorted back to the shuttle. They climbed in and the moment the door shut they scrambled. Zoe rushed to the dash and pulled the shuttle away as quickly as she could. Jayne checked the cabinet where Sherlock was hiding, and Mal radioed Wash.
"Wash, come in. Come in Wash."
He did not answer.
"The guy's gone," Jayne spoke up.
"It's alright, all according to plan," Mal replied absentmindedly. "Wash, answer me!"
Mal muttered in Chinese as Zoe pulled away from Niska's ship. They sped through the air.
"Can't she go any faster?" Mal asked.
"I'm trying, Captain."
Mal clicked the radio button again. "Wash! Someone! Anyone!"
No answer.
They finally got back to Serenity and landed the shuttle. Mal wrenched the door open and ran out. "Hello?"
"Mal?" Came Inara's voice from the cargo bay. Mal looked over the railing, Zoe and Jayne now standing next to him.
Wash's voice from the cargo bay.
Inara was standing In the middle of the cargo bay, her hands tied to a chain suspended from the ceiling. She had a few bruises on her arms but looked otherwise unhurt.
Zoe ran down the stairs, slamming a button on the wall. The chain lowered and Zoe quickly untied her. She sighed in relief and rubbed her arms.
"What happened? Where's everyone else?" Mal demanded.
Inara sighed. "Some men surprised us, Niska's. They came out of nowhere and grabbed everyone. They left me but grabbed everyone else." She hesitated, "They may have left Simon but I'm not sure."
"You're sure they took everyone?"
"Yes, I was right here. They left through that door," Inara pointed.
Mal groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Well, I guess we've got to go get Magnussen."