“What in the sphincter hell is the Alliance doing taggin’ my boat?” Mal growled as he came to stand besides Wash. It was certainly there, and was a loaming presence that unsettled Mal. Wash turned to give Mal an incredulous look. “Don’t ya maybe think it might have a teeny tiny bit to do with the three gorram Alliance intelligence officers on our boat?” Wash spit out. “Oh, and maybe the two Alliance fugitives that we’ve been carryin’?” Mal snorted and didn’t answer. He knew quite well that he was giving the Alliance more than one reason to tag his boat. But he never quite believed that it would have happened. “Calm down honey,” Zoe said coming up and resting a hand on Wash’s shoulder. “We’ll work a way out of this.” She gave Mal a hard look, reminding him of his duties. Mal stood up straight, crossing his arms across his chest. “Find those two henchmen of Asha’s, and gorram tell them to come work this out.” Zoe curtly nodded and turned around, but before she could get anywhere, she slowly raised her hands up in the air. “Found one,” she calmly said. Mal whirled around, with Wash craning his neck trying to see from behind Mal. The taller of the two men, the one Inara discovered as Lt. Phil Guliv had his gun out and pointed straight at them. “I’m afraid Captain Reynolds that there won’t be any negotiating this time. This is the kind of scene we were hoping to avoid, but it seems that we didn’t quite pick the right ship for the job.” Mal’s anger was about to its limit. He had had about enough of everything. “Look here, I’s ain’t the one that asked to be flown all over the ‘verse, and then kept on changing plans. If’n we had been allowed to keep the original route this might’ve not have ‘appened. We’d had it all planned out nice like. This ain’t my fault or my crews. You get your gorram self on this com and tell them that everything is hunky dory.” “I do not quite understand why I must repeat myself, Captain. As I said, there will be no negotiating or discussion with that vessel. Do what you must, but we will not be searched.” His eyes were steady and his voice unwavering. Wash suddenly spoke up, “Wait, I’m slightly confused. Ain’t this the perfect way for your scary leader lady to get patched up? Alliance ship that fancy oughten have plenty of med stuff.” He wrinkled his forehead in confusion as to why Alliance weren’t jumping at the chance to be with Alliance. Lt. Guliv rolled his eyes this time. “Open a patch to your engineering, please.” Mal’s face went icy cold as he immediately understood what was going to happen. Wash leaned over flipped a switch and there was a slight crackle in the system. “Mac you there?” Lt. Guliv barked. “Ya, I’m here. Got my eye on the fine mechanic. Making sure nothing don’t go wrong with this here fine vessel.” Zoe glanced at Mal and could tell that something was going to have to happen soon. She had quickly learned how to read his face, and the set of his jaw indicated that he was going to blow soon. “Kaylee you all right?” Mal quickly asked. His heart skipping a beat. There was something about Kaylee that drew Mal towards her. She was so sweet and innocent that Mal wanted nothing more than to protect her and keep her happy. Plus the fact that she was gorram good with machines. “You leave my little Kaylee alone, she ain’t got nothin’ ta do with it,” Mal growled. “Well, you see Captain it works like this. You don’t tell the Alliance vessel anything about having us on your ship and we don’t do anything to your mechanic. Simple.” He cocked his gun, and pointed it straight at Mal. “Your choice.” “You?” Wash said, butting in again. “Why would you care, they are Alliance…” he slowly quite speaking as it suddenly dawned on him what was going on. Zoe quietly spoke watching the man carefully. “It ain’t anybody else on Serenity they are looking for, but you. You, Asha, and the other man. You’re the fugitives.” “Partly right. Me and Mac aren’t known anymore by the Alliance, but Ashlina is and Mac and I have sworn to do all that is within our power to make sure she is kept safe.” His eyes glinted with a deadly resolve. “Captain?” The intercom system crackled as Simon’s voice came over it. “You have better get down to the infirmary. I’ve done all I can do.” Wash swiveled back to face the controls. “Mal, we’ve got another wave coming in. They want a reply.”