The shuttle had crashed in a huge dense forest on Shadow. The two guards and the pilot were dead. Mal and his mother were the only survivors. All Mal could see was a shower of sparks above him. The cover of an electronic panel had broken off cutting the wires beneath. Mal could smell fuel, as he saw a puddle in front of him. The fuel line had been damaged causing the liquid to spill out. The puddle was growing bigger and closer to the sparks. Mal grabbed his Mother and ran out of the ship as it exploded.

"Ma? You ok?" Mal asked as his Mother opened her eyes.

"I'd be better if I wasn't handcuffed to your gorram ass."

"Well believe me It's not the place I wanna be." Mal said as he began to lead Lo away from the crash site.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Away from here." Mal said.

"But you don't even know where we are."

"What I do know is Niska's men are going to find us if we stay here."

"I'm sure we can work something out with Niska."

"This ain't like selling cattle. He doesn't compromise." Mal said with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Why does he scare you so much? What he do to you anyways?"

"He killed me."

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Nosk and Menske led their three prisoners to their cells. Menske had heard one prisoner call out the name River. That name sounded very familiar to him. Simon, Book, River and Kaylee joined Jayne and Inara in the cell.

"What's going on? Why is Niska here?" Simon asked.

"Looking for what he hired the Captain's mother to find." Inara said.

"Don't suppose one of you has an escape plan? Shepard?" Jayne asked.

"I plan to pray on the matter."

"The good it will do." Jayne muttered.

"Where are the others?" Kaylee asked.

"Mal and his Mom were being taken to Niska's ship. Zoe and Wash are being interrogated now."

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"You fought in the war?" Niska asked Zoe. She did not respond.

"Don't feel like talking well I do most of it for you. A man named Badger hired you to steal a small crate from the Post Office. It contained a cat statue with two red eyes. The house you were in has been searched and destroyed. One of you has the eyes."

"We don't have them?"

"She speaks. Now when you were in the war you saw a lot of you comrades in danger yes? I know how this is. Would you say you would do anything for your crew? How about your husband?" Niska said as Wash was brought into the room and slammed down onto the table.

Nosk took out a knife and held it under Wash's eye.

"Don't let him take my eyes, baby, not my eyes." Wash said as Zoe still did not say anything.

"Perhaps his death will make you smarter, heh?" The guard then pressed the knife against Wash's throat and slowly moved it forward.

"Stop! I told you we don't know anything."

"Unfortunately I believe you."

"Take them back to their cell."

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"You Ok?" Zoe asked her husband after they were led back to the cell.

"You were going to let them take my eyes before killing me?"

"Thought you might not like being dead."

"I'd rather be dead then without my eyes. Life wouldn't be worth living if I couldn't see my autumn flower." Wash said as they both leaned in for a kiss. At the last minute Zoe pulled back.

"What's wrong?"

"Just thinking about the captain."

"And again the mood is dead." Wash said as he threw his arms up in the air.

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Back in the interrogation room Nosk looked confused.

"Sir, why do you believe her?"

"Are you questioning me Nosk?"

"No sir I just don't understand."

"Love is a powerful emotion makes you risk everything, even if that means betraying certain captains. She knows nothing."

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Menske made it look to the other guards that he was repairing a communication terminal. He punched in a number on the keypad and waited a few beats for a response.

"This is the Alliance vessel Lowrunner, how may we be of assistance?" The commanding officer asked.

"I have found two wanted fugitives, Simon and River Tam." Menske said as the officer paused for a moment.

"Are you positive?"

"Yes, this is a security feed from ten minutes ago from an abandoned prison on Shadow. I'm sending it as we speak."

Upon seeing the recorded video the officer had only one response: "We're on our way."