The din in the galley had reached a painful level before the captain showed up. In the half hour between escaping their unexpected welcome to Persephone and actually landing at the Eavesdown spaceport the crew had assembled in the galley seeking some answers to their many questions. Inara was tending Kaylee's rope burns while the engineer explained how her predicament evolved. Jayne was eating while Zoe berated him over his ability to sleep through the apocalypse, and the doctor was just trying to get someone - anyone to explain what had happened.
Mal was not in the mood to humor any of them as he entered. All he'd wanted from life was to drop off his cargo, in this case Badger's Colter Drive Couplings, and get paid. He didn't think that was a lot to ask. Now he had a bigger problem, a seemingly random attack, and no clue as to why. What he was looking for now was some solid ground to stand on.
"Nimem de bizui!" The words snapped out of the captain's mouth with an authority that quieted the rest of them instantly. "As you all seem to already know, someone attacked the ship on our way in to port today."
All of them seemed to chime in as if given a cue. Mal could not keep the 'hows' from the 'whys' and 'what fors'. He quickly lost patience.
"Bizui! Ok then – some of you didn't know," Mal interrupted. "Now I don't rightly know why someone felt we needed to be blasted from the sky, but I aim to find out. G8 gunship don't get out all that way by its lonesome, so someone went through a lot of trouble to put it there and I'm hoping it was not on our account."
"So whad'a we gonna do Cap'n?" Kaylee smiled sweetly as Inara rubbed a moisturizing cover onto the nasty abrasion on the young engineer's forearm.
"Kaylee, you go pick up that new thing you need…"
"Asperator Cap'n."
"Asperator. Then you get back here and do what you do. I don't know how long we can stay."
Inara perked up at those words, but Mal was quick to mollify her. "No longer than needed for Inara to complete her business."
While the others talked River drifted into the room like a wisp of air, quiet and small.
"Zoe and I will complete our business with Badger. He may know what's going on here. Jayne will do the drop, warehouse 5. Then you go to the market."
"Now that's what I wanta hear." Jayne rubbed his hands together eagerly as he growled his words around the stub of a cigar in his mouth. Going to market had a specific meaning when it was Jayne that was going. It usually involved high caliber ordinance, a new handgun or two, a dozen or so grenades and maybe if he was real lucky a finely crafted new knife.
"I don't like not knowin what we're up against." The Captain finished.
"You got any kind of budget for me?"
Mal interrupted the thought with a bag of coins tossed in the big man's lap.
"It's just like Christmas all over again." Jayne counted the platinum gleefully chewing the stub.
"Kaylee. Make sure she's all fueled up and ready to go as soon as Inara is back."
"Yes Cap'n." she replied sweetly.
"Captain? I'll be needing some supplies to replace …" Simon started.
"Go with Jayne. Jayne, share with the good doctor – and play nice."
"Aww."
River settled into the corner couch, attracting as much attention as the settling dust. She seemed to be counting the particles in the air.
"Will she be OK here on her own?" the captain looked directly at her brother. "Don't get me wrong – she's made lots of progress, but she's still boo-tai jung-tzahng duh."
"I won't be long." Simon assured with a glare. He didn't like the idea of leaving his sister unattended for long either. Nor did he like the implication that she was still crazy.
"They didn't want to be sad. They wanted to stay fuzzy." River pet the walls of Serenity and smiled. "Fuzzy."
The others just stared at the girl, wondering what on earth she was talking about, except for Jayne. Jayne rolled his eyes, cut himself another piece of bread and moved to the other side of the table just the same. He liked to keep the girl in plane view when ever possible.
"Oh, and the proximity alarm needs replacing." She added, lucidly.
"She can come with me Cap'n." The engineer offered. Kaylee was always willing to bring River shopping, even if it was for engine parts. "We can pick up that alarm at Gunter's as well. Only take us an hour or so."
"Shiny." Mal replied. "Still, don't be long. I don't like leaving Serenity alone."
"I can delay my appointment for an hour." Inara offered.
"No." Mal replied. "Don't want to interfere with your business. Sun will be up soon. Imagine she'll be alright."
Mal took Zoe aside, as the others drifted off into the ship around them, preparing for the day ahead.
"Zoe, have I given anyone reason to kill us?"
"Lately Sir?" She replied.
"Everyone's a comedian."
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