Chapter Two

River rode along in the back of the new mule and watched the dirty side of Khonsu City roll by beside her. This was not the average Core planet. Or maybe it was, and River didn't know it. Maybe every shiny place was hiding a corner that looked just like this, the corner of the closet where you shoved things to forget about them. They had passed the chemical plant, but the smell had actually gotten worse. Instead of chemicals, River now smelled people. Sweat and sewage, and as the passed one alley in particular, sex.

"When we get there, let me do the talking. Remember what I said about new people," Mal was saying.

He was worried the Browncoats would be scared of River. It was always hard to judge how people would react to an honest to God mind reading psychic. And the one who basically started the second war. Not that any of them blamed her. Much.

"You hearin' me, River?"

When was she not hearing him?

"Yes, Captain. Don't scare the Browncoat Underground by letting them know I know all their deepest darkest secrets. I got it." River turned her attention to all the different people suddenly in the street as the Captain finally steered them onto a main road. She caught glimpses of their thoughts as they drove past. It always amazed her what random people on the street were thinking of. How some of them didn't even know big things were happening in the universe. They just wanted to get to work on time, or get real food at the store for once. River sat back for a few moments, closed her eyes, and listened.

"Damn new recruits are gonna eat us outta base."

"Where did I put that gorram key?"

"Pieces of shit Browncoats got no long term plan. I don't care if they are better than the gorram Alliance. They gotta get their shit together and get this gorram war over with."

"Can't forget to pick up that new converter on the way home. Can't forget. Can't forget."

"This can't be right. Mamma's gotta be losing her gorram mind. No way Jayne would go back to Achilles. Not for nothing."

River snapped up in her seat, looking around for him, but she couldn't find Jayne's brother in the crowd.

"You all right, Little One?" Zoe asked.

"Fine," River said, letting the subject drop.

"Keep your ears open, little Albatross. I don't know what this Heller woman wants with us, and that doesn't quite sit right with me."

"Geller."

"What's that?"

"Her name is Sonja Geller."

"Whatever. I've never heard of her before today."

"That's why I'm still alive, Captain Reynolds," a woman said, coming up beside the mule as Mal slowed to let a truck go through an intersection. "You, however, have quite a reputation. Such a reputation as to make us all think you'd be a fantastic party guest."

River looked at Sonja, tilted her head, and tried to get a read on her. It was going to be difficult. Sonja had a lot on her mind. She was prioritizing all her thoughts, taking things one step of a time. River couldn't quite see the endgame yet.

"If you would follow me," Sonja said, motioning behind her. "Anton over yonder will watch out for your – er – whatever this thing is."

Mal tensed ever so slightly. River knew why, though she didn't actually understand it. Mal knew the new mule was a piece of crap. Why was he offended when someone else alluded to the fact? Oh, right. Because it was his piece of crap.

River followed Mal and Zoe, who followed Sonja into an office building. They were in a slightly better part of town now, though just slightly. On the way in, River realized everyone they passed was a Browncoat. It was true, then, that the Underground of Khonsu City had more power than anyone thought.

Sonja led them to an elevator, which took them to the top floor. The floor was mostly comprised of cubicles, with a few private offices along the outer edges. As Sonja led them further on, office workers stood up and openly gawked at River and Mal. River was impressed with the war room. To anyone who wasn't psychic it would look just like the Browncoats wanted it to look.

"What is it you are supposed to be doing here exactly?" Mal asked. His distaste for the Browncoat Underground's spy games was beginning to show in his voice.

"Publishing. Comic books," River stated.

Sonja glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow. "That's right. We look like a publishing house."

"Comic books?" Zoe asked.

Sonja shrugged. "Graphic novels are always awesome."

River stifled a laugh. Mal glanced behind him to glare at her.

Sonja led them to a private conference room. "Beauty of Khonsu. No one looks too close. Not even our friends on Thoth."

For two months every year, the unusual orbit of Khonsu brought the planet so close to Thoth that some people still claimed Khonsu was actually a moon of the core planet. The other ten months, however, Khonsu was so far from Thoth that most people said it had to be its own planet. River actually didn't care which was correct.

Sonja took a seat at the head of the table. Mal and Zoe sat to her left. River remained standing behind them. She already didn't like this place. Too many secrets to eat away at her brain.

A man entered the room and took a seat opposite Mal. River decided right away she didn't like this man. He was tall and built. He was rough. Rougher than Jayne. He had a scar on his neck from a bullet wound some years back. He was dark, too dark. Had seen too many dark things. He'd fought in the first war.

"Who are you, then? A writer?" Mal asked.

"Geming Smith. Second in Command. Welcome to the Browncoat Underground of Khonsu City."

"Not very underground," she stated, looking out at the view of the city. She was looking at the shiny side of the city now. It looked more like the core she knew.

Mal shot her a look. River shrugged. Then she almost laughed. Maybe the Captain was right. Maybe Jayne's attitude was starting to rub off on River.

"It's a building," Geming said. "It serves its purpose. We could have done worse."

"How many people you got here, anyhow?" Mal asked.

"We don't rightly know," Sonja admitted. "Not like we keep a ledger of everyone's names. Best we can figure, the slums are with us. Get deeper into the better part of the city, more like you'll find about half and half Alliance to Browncoats."

"Harder to see the dark in all the shiny lights," River said, looking out at the city again. That was when River got her first glance of it. She saw it in Sonja's mind just as she spotted it in the city itself. A tower of glass. Their reason for being secret. A doctor who couldn't do it any more.

"We plan to take over the planet before we pass Thoth's orbit."

"You only have nine months. Are you really ready for that?" River asked. Mal was now getting angry with her.

"In nine months, we'll be just a skip away from Thoth. Perfect time to launch the Underground at them."

"Using gravity to your advantage," River said, nodding. Mal sighed. He was deciding to give up glaring at her, as his disapproving looks had not stopped her from talking.

"We're likely to use anything to our advantage, little girl. Or did you miss the fact we're at war?" Geming asked.

"Did you forget that little discussion we had earlier about respect, Smith?" Sonja asked, glaring at him. Smith scowled in response.

"Sounds like a fine plan. Surely it does. Don't see how we can make it any better," Mal stated.

Sonja slid a few data cards to Mal. Blueprints and other intelligence describing what the locals simply called The Tower.

"Alliance stronghold of some kind?" Zoe asked, looking over Mal's shoulder at the cards.

Sonja was concentrating awfully hard on not looking at River. Like River had to look at her to know what she was thinking.

"An Academy of some kind," River stated, making Mal look up at her again. She held his gaze. She wasn't going to hold anything inside. Not in this place where secrets multiplied like rabbits.

"So what?" Mal asked, deliberately playing the fool. "I hear all the smart ones are joining our side."

Geming snorted. "Not that kind of Academy, Captain. The kind of Academy that experiments on people's brains and turns 'em into weapons of mass destruction and chaos. Or worse, turns 'em into witches and mind readers."

Sonja glared at him, wanting to smack him in the head. River did not blame her. She wanted to hit Geming Smith, too. "We've got word from a doctor on the inside. They've got about twenty-five high profile students in there, plus operatives and personnel running security in the place. It's a fortress."

"Would appear you've got a little snag in your original plan," Mal offered.

"Just a little one," Sonja said, taking the cards back.

"Still don't see what you want us to do about it," Mal said. It wasn't real until she asked. It was just a hunch until she actually said it. And Mal was going to make her say it.

"We need your crew's help liberating the students the Alliance ahs hidden away in the Tower of Khonsu," Sonja said calmly.

"Unless, of course, the great and legendary crew of the Serenity isn't up for the challenge," Geming said.

"It's just Serenity," River pointed out.

"Who says we would be interested? Seems to me, we've already had our share of liberating Alliance Academy students."

"Come on, Captain," Sonja said. "No one else has ever successfully gotten a student out, much less turned one back into a normal human being."

River supposed she should take that as a compliment.

"Not only did Simon Tam get his sister out, but then you kept her safe from Blue Hands and Alliance Bounty Hunters, your own untrustworthy contacts on various shady planets, and one bad ass and insanely loyal Alliance Operative."

Geming held up a finger as he made his own point, "And, in the meantime, you ripped off an Alliance hospital. Not to mention the whole Niska thing."

"We really are legendary."

"Captain, there are poems and songs," Sonja said. "So you see why we chose you to help."

"You're lying," River stated.

"River," Mal started, in his best warning voice.

"It's okay," Sonja said. "We did leave one qualifier out of your long list of skills that make you ideal for this job." Sonja paused. "You've got River Tam. Who better to free other students than then Alliance's former star pupil?"

So that was it then. Mal had River. Mal had a not-so-secret weapon.

"I'll have to talk to my crew," Mal said. He was thinking of Kaylee. And Inara. He didn't think now was the time for thrilling heroics. But he would have said yes. Right then. Right there. If Kaylee and Inara would be guaranteed safe, he would have signed them all up for it.

"What's there to talk about? You're the Captain, ain't ya?" Geming asked angrily.

"I understand," Sonja said after swiftly kicking her second in command under the table. "It's risky. Reopens old wounds and doors perhaps better left closed. We've got a place set up for your ship, a real hanger, not a spot by a dump." Sonja handed Mal a disc. "Heard one of your crew can't abide the chem. plant smell. Can't blame her there. Take a day or two, think it over. I think we'll be able to come to an arrangement. You do have a reputation for doing the right thing, Captain Reynolds." Sonja rose from her chair. "Yet another reason we thought you'd be perfect for this job."

Mal, Zoe, and River saw themselves out. Mal pushed the emergency stop button in the elevator on the way back down. Zoe turned on a jamming device so they knew no one was listening in. "Reason you couldn't wait until we were back on the ship, sir?" Zoe asked, annoyed she had to use her new toy for a conversation that would no doubt be repeated.

"What happened to just listening?" Mal asked River. She shrugged. "When I give an order, I expect it to be followed."

"If you honestly think you can make me do anything I don't want to do, Captain, you are sorely mistaken," River said angrily. He would have done it. Without even asking her. Without asking any of the crew. He thought he had a right to risk all their lives.

"You never used to act like this," Mal said, shaking his head.

"You are seriously going to blame Jayne?" River asked.

Mal mumbled something about split loyalties.

River cursed at him in Chinese and said, "We wouldn't even be here if it weren't for me. I'm the one they really want. I'm the one they think they need."

"You just don't call a gorram General a liar like that!"

"No more secrets," River said.

"Fine, but you could have waited. Told me later. Give me a little leverage on her."

River shook her head angrily and punched the elevator button. As they started moving again, she said, "You already have leverage on her, Captain. You have me."

"Do I?" Mal asked. The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and Mal stomped ahead, leaving River glaring at his back for a few minutes, wishing she really could kill him with her brain.