James T. Kirk had been the one to suggest they move the cryogenic pods with Khan and his people off world for safety. Of course, he wouldn't let anyone else do it. Three months earlier, Khan had been responsible for his death (and subsequent return). He had killed many men, including a man who'd given Kirk the push and chances he needed to claim his destiny. In truth Kirk would have been quite happy if something had happened to Khan's pod, but the fact that it would have only woken him up stopped him from doing anything.
They'd been in the process of transporting sed dangerous cargo when they intercepted a shuttle they thought was in danger. It had turned out to be a smugglers trick, and the girl on board had done more then steal Scotty's heart. She'd teleported all 73 pods out of their cargo bay and into a smuggler's craft. Where it sounded like one of the crew members was thinking of letting them all out. Needless to say, Kirk was unsettled.
After far too long, Malcolm Reynolds finally reappeared on the monitor, covering his eyes slightly.
"Wow, you've got a shiny command deck. My mechanic all right?" He demanded.
"She's in a holding cell, safe and sound." Kirk replied. "And the cargo?" He added.
Malcolm's body language did not set him at ease. The man shifted, rubbing his hands together before looking down.
"Good news. Our girl did not pry open all of the pods." He stated with a strained smile.
"And the bad news, Captain Reynolds?" Kirk demanded, leaning on his arm.
"Well she did open one of pulled it apart partially so we can't reinstate it." Malcolm stated. "The data read him as...Khan Noonein Singh, I think the Doc said? Simon's checking him out now, but we don't think River hurt him too bad..."
"Khan?!" Kirk's entire body went rigid. "73 Pods to pick from and your crew member unleashes the most dangerous of the people within?"
"Did you just say you don't think she hurt him too bad?"
Bones's voice interrupted from the side, the science tech in his blue shirt to the side of the room.
"Yeah, River took him out before any of us even realized he was looking funny." Mal raised a brow. "Why, something I'm missing, Captain Kirk?"
"What did she use to do it?" Kirk snorted. "I'm hoping something sharp."
"Ah, girl was bare handed. I'm getting the feeling you don't much like this fellow." Mal raised a brow.
"You could say that." Kirk stopped. "...River is that tiny thing who slunk away before, right?"
"Ninety pounds of fun." The gorilla called Jayne rang from off screen.
"That is correct." Mal replied.
"And this ninety pound twig of a girl knocked out Khan Noonein Singh?!" Kirk exclaimed in disbelief.
"I did. He would have hurt people I cared about."
River Tam appeared again and this time Kirk took a good look, trying to assess the woman who'd taken out Khan. What he saw was a girl, maybe in her late teens. She was petite with dark hair, dressed in a dark blue dress with that clung to her lithe form. She was barefoot this time, and Kirk couldn't imagine how a girl with such skinny arms had successfully knocked out Khan.
"I cut off airflow long enough to render him unconscious." River answered as if reading his mind. "Jumped on his back and pressed my arm to his neck. He is presently asleep, though not in cryo. It occurs to me 73 additional people on board is quite the burden to any ship, so his crew will remain dormant until we reach Miranda."
Mal knew from River's tone she'd already made the decision, but he groaned.
"River, honey, we can't go to Miranda. Not again. Zoe is pregnant and we don't have any sort of weapons on the ship. Besides..."
"You're returning that stolen cargo!" Kirk exclaimed. "Or I am fully authorized to have you and your crew arrested!"
"No. I am not." River's face was on the monitor and it was as if she was looking dead at Kirk. Her face was calm, cool, collect, and terrifying. Her expression reminded him far too much of Kahn to leave him comfortable.
"You are not my Captain, James Tiberius Kirk." The girl replied. "I do not follow your lead. I have made a decision. If you wish to escort the Serenity out to Miranda, it would greatly be of assist. I glimpsed inside Kahn's mind and I understand why you are uneasy. But Miranda is cut off from most of man kind, on the outskirts of Reaver space. Normally I'd say the planet is not wise to settle, but given their nature I dare say any Reavers who stray won't be a problem, and I'd wager they're immune to any pax that may still be in the air. Miranda has no human population any more, nor operational space craft. Kahn and his crew will be safe, secure, and perhaps rehabilitate. The land is terraformed, there is already vegetation. There's any number of places between here and there where seed for farming or livestock could be acquired."
"Rather altruistic." Mal sighed. "And I suppose neither Kirk nor I,"
"The captain of this ship!" Kirk cried out.
"What he pointed out astutely, the captains of this ship have anything to say about it?" Mal added, facing River carefully.
River Tam exhaled and faced Mal, more or less ignoring Kirk now.
"I have decided I am going to help seventy-three people find a place in the Universe. People who will otherwise be trapped in cryogenic sleep until god knows when. Like I would have been if you had not woken me that day two years ago."
Malcolm had to pause when he realized she was right, it had been about two years since he took the Tams into his crew now. They hadn't been easy or smooth years, either. Admittedly if he forced River to find alternative means of transport with this Khan fellow, she might be out of his hair. In truth, he'd be sad to see her go. But it also wouldn't have shocked him in the least if her response was to somehow teleport him and his crew onto the Enterprise so she could take the Serenity on her own. Or even Visa Versa, god help him.
So instead Malcolm turned back to the monitor where the hot headed Captain Kirk seemed to be growing more frustrated by River's actions every passing moment.
"So think you can give us security and support or not, Captain? Our little Albatross has made a decision and shooting her down tends not to be wise..."