Chapter Two

The Problem With Book

Serenity floated silently in the void of space. Inside, however, the volume levels were anything but quiet.

"What do you mean, the Alliance has psychics?"

"Jayne, seriously, have you even been paying some attention lately?"

"I don't like any of this…"

"I thought we'd dealt with the gorram Alliance?"

"Apparently not…"

"Why do you have to look down on everything I say, Doc?"

"Oh no…"

"Perhaps it's because you need an intellec…"

"Bi-zui!" River slammed her hands on the table. "I hate it when people argue!"

Mal looked sympathetic. "So do I… unless there's a gun in my face. Then I love to argue."

"You're such a man, aren't you, Mal?" said Inara.

"Look, that's not the issue here." Mal stood. "The issue is what we're gonna do about the Alliance now. Obviously we can't have them doing what they're doing to River, not after the Miranda incident."

Simon shifted his gaze to focus on River. "Captain," he said, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"We're gonna solve this problem with River. I don't care if I have to start another war, either."

Jayne snorted. "Damn girl, still getting us in trouble…"

"My ship, Jayne. You don't like it; you can get the hell off."

"I hear space looks good when you're running out of oxygen," said Zoe.

Mal grinned. "You heard that too?"

"Alright, I'm in…gorram hun-dan…"

River looked at Simon, and sighed. "I like these people," she said, and Simon smiled. Every time River said something like this, something halfway normal, he had one more small handle of hope to cling to. But this new development scared Simon. He wanted to be rid of the Alliance now more than ever – a thought that sometimes led to River. His thoughts cast back, to a few nights previous, when he and Kaylee had been talking. Sometimes, he confessed, the thought of getting rid if the Alliance made him want to get rid of River. That thought scared him most of all.

- - - -

Inara lit an incense stick and relaxed her body as the thin tendrils of scented smoke wafted over her. Peace. Inara loved it. It was times like this, when something big had just happened on the ship, that Inara really appreciated having the shuttle all to herself. Yet, despite how much she loved this little piece of Serenity, and indeed the ship as a whole, a part of her still wanted to go back the Academy and…

"Inara?"

Inara startled, and then steadied herself. "Kaylee, hi."

"Captain said you wanted to see me?"

"Oh, yes. Please, sit." Inara gestured towards the chair. "It was nothing, really just girl talk."

"It's been a while."

Inara smiled. "It has."

"I'm sorry, Inara, it's just that between Serenity and Simon, I've had very little time to see you."

"It's OK, really." Inara smiled again. "I understand what it's like to be in love." Inara bowed her head. "So, tell me. Has the Captain said anything to you about me lately?"

"Oh, we had a little chat this morning, right before River got the crazies. Another not-quite-confession of his feelings."

"No, that's not what I meant. I mean, about my tenure here…"

"Nothing."

Inara sighed. She lifted her head and looked Kaylee square in the eye. Then, she laughed.

"What's funny?"

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just, the way you think I'm instantly talking about Mal's feelings for me…"

"Inara." Kaylee was not laughing. "You two are almost pathetic."

The comment was so unlike Kaylee that Inara was momentarily stunned. "What?" she stammered.

"Come on, Inara, pull yourself together. Used to be men were all we talked about. Now, one mention of Mal and you try to cover things up. You're not being true to yourself." With that, Kaylee stood up, and went to walk out of the shuttle.

"Kaylee, wait!" Inara said. When Kaylee turned to look at her, Inara said, "I'm sorry. It's just that things have sort of changed between us."

"Changed?"

"Yes. After Miranda, we had a small talk. I said that I wanted to stay on board. Things were going well, we were talking more, and my feelings grew deeper… and then, he just grew all distant."

Kaylee considered. "And this changes the way we discuss things because…"

"Because now I'm confused about my feelings for him, Kaylee, and I'm trying to sort it out for myself."

Kaylee nodded. "OK," she said. "I understand." Kaylee turned to walk out the door again. "I'm sorry, Inara, really I am. When you want to talk, I'm here."

- - - -

Zoe sat in her quarters, on the floor, knees huddled together. Tears ran down her face as she watched the holographic projections of Wash, playing with his dinosaurs. It never used to be this bad, she thought. I've had friends die in front of me before. Why is this so different?

Holographic Wash smashed two dinosaurs together. He was so much fun, she thought. How can someone so happy, so adorable, simply die in a nanosecond? What was wrong with the verse that these things happened in the first place?

She stared at the image of her late husband. "Hoban, my love, why did you have to leave me? Why did you have to leave me here all on my own? I need you, babe…I need you here with me."

Zoe cried.

- - - -

"Land over there." Mal pointed at a flat piece of terrain, about half a kilometre wide. "That's good, lots of shelter and close to the base."

River gently pulled on the controls and then pressed a few buttons. Serenity made her way down, slowly, carefully navigating the buffeting wind currents. The Firefly class spacecraft landed right in the middle of the plateau, and River stared at the dust-storm whipping over the top the craft. She shook her head. "I'm glad you could see this spot," she said to Mal.

"Sometimes experience counts, kid." Mal unbuckled his belt, and stood. Then, he did a double take. "Wait, you mean you couldn't see it?"

"I wasn't paying attention. I was trying to count the dust particles."

Mal stood in place, stunned. He shook his head. "I sure hope you're just joking, girl, else you'll owe me a new set of nerves." He opened the bridge door and stepped into the corridor, moving towards the intercom. "Everyone, dinning hall, now." Mal turned off the panel and then kept walking. River's light footsteps sounded behind him, just as the door to Kaylee's room opened.

"What's the job, Cap'n?" said Jayne as he entered from the cargo hold. Simon followed him in.

"Nothing much, just a simple delivery. A last service to Mr Universe, we're taking his wave screens and equipment to the Sleipnir."

Jayne's face lit up. "We're going to see Zeke?" When Mal nodded, Jayne pumped his fist. "Yes, I'm gonna have me some fun!"

"No fighting, Jayne," said Mal. When Jayne's expression didn't change, he continued, "And no whoring, either, we're only here for a short stop. Simon, you want to come along, meet Zeke and his crew?"

Simon tried hard not to look at Kaylee. "No, I'm going to stay here, check my inventory."

Mal shrugged. "Fine, Kaylee, you're coming. River, you too. With me and Jayne that's four and we'll take the Mule. Jayne, I want you to get started on loading as much as you can without us getting too heavy."

Jayne thought for a second. "Might have to do two loads."

"The thought crossed my mind. Kaylee, go with his, make sure he doesn't get himself electrocuted. I want to be gone in an hour, alright?"

"Yes, Captain," said Kaylee, already heading for the cargo hold.

Simon looked around. "Where's Zoe?" he asked.

Mal paused. "She's going to need some time for herself, right now. Wash was born here; his folks don't know anything yet."

- - - -

The Sleipnir's glowing interior seemed to dazzle River. "It's beautiful," she said to Kaylee.

Kaylee smiled. "Most Pegasus class ships are. This one's had some pretty neat modifications done, though. The first is the landing mechanisms; Zeke got another four legs installed."

River looked puzzled. "Why?" she asked.

Mal laughed, "Last pilot landed wrong, broke two of the old four. So Zeke got another set of four installed and called them 'training legs'. That pilot became the best I've ever seen."

"What happened to him?" asked River.

Silence met the question. "You'll find out," said Kaylee.

A door opened in front of them. Zeke, captain of the Sleipnir, stood there. "Mal, welcome back!" He held out his hand and Mal shook it, a grin on his face.

"Hey there, Zeke, got some presents for you." Mal gestured behind him.

"You mean the girls?"

"No, the crates. No way you're getting you're hands on my crew."

"At the very least, introduce me!" Zeke stepped past Mal and made to shake Kaylee's hand. Mal sighed.

"Kaylee, this is Zeke, captain of this ship. Zeke, that there next to Kaylee is River. No you all know one another, let's do this."

"Ah yes, money. Follow me."

The four members of Serenity's crew followed Zeke through the corridors of the Sleipnir. The walk gave River time to observe this new person. Zeke was, perhaps, only five foot eight tall, with blonde hair that came down to his shoulders and a strong, muscular build that made River think of a brawler. The man seemed friendly enough, not at all like some of the other people Mal had dealt with. River stopped her musings as they neared a door that said, "Captain Zeke".

"Please, come in, take a load off." Zeke himself sat behind a large desk covered in papers. "Don't mind the mess, I'm a busy man."

Mal smiled. "You're never busy." He sat on a large, comfortable chair. "How much you offering, Zeke?"

"I'll give you twenty thousand, there's a lot there."

Mal sat up a little. "That's a fair amount, Zeke, you come into a bit of money?"

Zeke laughed. "The illicit trades are expanding. I have another ship now, demand was that great. Much of the credit lies in the man next to you, actually, so I'm giving him some cash as thanks." Zeke tossed a sizeable package to Mal, then a smaller one to Jayne. "Here you go, man, have ten grand."

Jayne looked as if he had just robbed a bank, successfully. "Gee, Zeke, I think I'll be telling more folk about you're little trade."

Zeke grinned. "Don't expect cash again, though," he said.

Mal said, "We've got some more crates that we'll bring around, about the same amount. You just make sure you put it all to good use, now."

Zeke considered. "I'll double your money when you deliver the next load. Another twenty grand. Where'd you get it all from, anyway?"

Mal looked Zeke in the eye. "A good friend. We're just making sure his legacy continues."

"I won't pry." Zeke glanced at a paper on his desk. "By the way, Mal, why was the Alliance hunting you like dogs for? Few weeks ago, I had to evade a small Alliance force that came looking for us. Said they needed to stop you going to ground."

Mal grinned. "You didn't get that transmission about the Miranda incident?"

Zeke laughed. "That was you? Oh, man, that was great! I didn't know you were into hacking waves!"

Jayne grinned. "Not anything like you, Zeke."

"Hey, I can't help it. Every time I try to stop, people keep bringing me equipment I can use." Zeke gestured towards Mal, grinning. "Can't kick a habit if the people you love support it."

"You don't want the equipment, I can always take it to Whitefall, get a good price…"

"Don't be silly." Zeke's expression grew serious. "By the way, I heard about Hoban. I'm sorry, Mal, he was a damn good man."

"Thanks, Zeke. But if it weren't for you he wouldn't have been such a good pilot. You didn't tell his folks?"

"No, no one has. Thought it was best Zoe did it." Zeke looked at his clock. "By the way, Mal, when I heard about Wash, I was hacking. I found this little piece of information, thought you might be interested."

"What's it about?" asked Mal.

"It's about your friend Book. Can I ask, what's he doing on Haven?"

Mal paused. "Nothing. He died when the Alliance burned up his home."

Zeke shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mal, I really am."

"Don't be. It happened, it's done. What's the info?"

"Well, Mal, you're not going to like it."

Jayne tapped his fingers on his chair. "Tell the man the information, Zeke."

Zeke hesitated. "Mal," he said, "It seems Shepherd Derria Book was working for the Alliance before he died."