“Ru!” Wash called on the com.

Smeared in grease, she ran over and hit the button to communicate. “What’s wrong?”

“I just caught the tail end of a conversation off of the com Mal was carrying. Girl we’ve had trouble with in a past is out for vengeance and has everyone. She’s coming back here.”

“Ai-ya. Wo-men wan-le." She swore.

“Tigress.” River breathed as she lay curled up in a ball in the hammock. She was barely conscious, in a trance as she was living the event from ever crewmember’s perspective. It was extremely overwhelming as her brain was absorbed to the point where the only other task it was performing was breathing. Her eyes shut, and she drew in a sharp gasp as she felt Kaylee’s pain, River touched her neck while everyone else’s feelings of too tight handcuffs and Simon’s monstrous headache from being knocked out attacked her nerves. She curled up tighter, as if it would shield her from all of the anger, fear, and pain coming from six people. “Blackness… takes over Serenity… Serenity no more…”

“We gotta do somethin’.” The auburn haired gunhand told the pilot firmly.

“But what?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mal’s blue eyes scanned the faces of his crew.

They were all handcuffed and seated on benches in the back of a cargo truck. There were two men along with Saffron riding with them, and all of their kidnappers had guns of a sort. As the captain paid attention, it was clear Zoe and Jayne would fight, but Gambit was heavily bound and tranquilized while Simon was barely coming to as Kaylee sat next to him fearful as well as wounded with the small slice on the side of her neck. Letting out a deep breath, he vowed vengeance in mandarin under his exhale and he looked up at their sensuous captor.

“So who the gorram hell didja wed this time?” He asked tersely.

She looked down at him, eyes studying his worn yet slow boiling anger. “There were a few actually.”

“Well I’d love ta hear ya gloat. Considerin’ you had ta do a might bit of thinkin’ ta pull all this off.” He shifted his weight a bit and fiddled with his cuffs as they were rubbing his wrists painfully.

Her eyes narrowed, and she gave a little smirk. “I did do my homework, as you know, I don’t go into something half cocked.”

Jayne giggled at the word ‘cocked’.

She ignored him and continued. “And I’m sure you’d like every little detail of my plan, however I’m un-inclined to give all of it away, Pumpkin. I will tell you this though, I want the Lasseter or whatever bounty you got for it, my hubby will be turning in the three little fugitives I told him about.”

Kaylee’s eyes widened in absolute horror as Simon stirred to life.

Mal smirked as he worked up a good con. “Boy did you get the short end of the stick. He’s gonna cut you outta the reward money? Do you know how much…”

Saffron cut him off “One point five million platinum for all three.” She recited in an un-amused tone. “I’m not daft, I’m well aware of the big pile of cash. However that’s pocket change compared to the Lasseter. Besides, I’m the one who informed said husband of the reward.”

“One point five?!” Jayne blurted in disbelief. “Hell we coulda turned all three in fer ONE POINT FIVE in platinum? Well ain’t…”

Zoe elbowed him hard.

“Ow!” He scowled at her.

“Do continue.” Malcolm prompted his vindictive wife.

“Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time to talk on the flight back.”

“You’re gonna leave a perfectly good ship and haul me on yours?” Mal quizzed.

“Oh no, I want the satisfaction of you being a prisoner on your own ship. I came over with my merry gang on a barge ship with the full intention of flying back on yours.” She pressed the muzzle of the gun to his throat and lifted his chin up, relishing him as the victim, sweet revenge for being locked in a dumpster. “One of my other boys is taking your junker hovercraft back, figured Hubby’ll sell it with you ship for scrap metal. Hear they turn Fireflies into cans….”

“You can’t scrap Serenity!” Kaylee was suddenly furious as she lunged at Saffron. However their cuffs were locked to a metal loop between their legs on the bench, and she didn’t get very far. “Ni bu-ren biao-zi! Ni-shi bu yao zhao wu gu-niang!”

“Kaylee!” Malcolm voiced her name sternly to get her to stop. However his little mechanic was infuriated that Serenity was being threatened as she strained on her cuffs and actually looked like she would resort to violence to defend her ship.

Saffron took two steps and smiled. “It’s cute you humanize it. Wish you’d get to see it disassembled and melted down.” Before Kaylee could say anything back, she struck her across the head with the side of her gun. The mechanic slumped against the doctor, and the others that were lucid glowered at her murderously for harming the most innocent member of the crew. “Now where was I?” She went back to Mal and stood in front of him, pressing the barrel against his throat.

He wasn’t fazed with the cool black metal against his throat. “Lotta yer crew died back there.”

“No worries Baby,” She said sweetly. “I got my pilot, mechanic, some muscle and first mate, all those others my hubby was gonna fire anyways.”

Simon moaned as his head throbbed and the knot on the back of his head pulsated. He leaned to one side and found Kaylee’s body that he settled against as his eyes slowly focused. Yet something didn’t feel right, something he could tell was wrong with her. “Kaylee?” Remember what had occurred he swore under his breath and fought to gain lucidness, discovering his hands were confined, Simone became more frantic. “Kaylee… are you…” The blue eyes adjusted as he twisted his head to the side and found her limp frame slumped against his. Horrified, he nudged her gently and studied her breathing pattern. Finally gazing up the doctor saw where they were, and Simon sat back in disbelief, spirits sinking as the sad scene told the entire story. Even their captain was a prisoner. Mind kicking into overdrive, he thought of River, the danger she was in as he nervously bit his lip. Gambit and Kaylee were unconscious, everyone was handcuffed and River was back on the ship. Perfectly helpless aside from Wash and Ru as protection.

“Glad you could join the party, Doctor Simon Tam.” Their adversary told him, watching how the blue eyes riveted to her face she continued. “Trauma surgeon on Osiris, wanted for stealing government property as well as acts of terrorism. You know you’re worth half a million credits?”

Simon dropped his head and kept quiet, mulling the situation over while doing his best not to visibly panic. However his breath shuddered as he looked at Mal with a sideways glance while wondering if it was how everything was going to end.

“How’d you know about them?” Zoe asked firmly, brown eyes narrowed into slits. “The reward?”

“I remember Doctor Tam from my first jaunt with you guys, you know, when you thought I was a pure as the wind driven snow.” The truck slowed to a stop, she went over to Simon and unlocked him from his seat, standing him up and putting the gun to his back. “Saw posters while I was sitting in jail for grand theft on the Lasseter, knew about the Tams, then when I was out I caught wind of the Alliance tracking a Firefly that had the third fugitive.” Pressing the gun to his back she led him to the rear and her goon pushed back the canvas flap so they could go outside. “Don’t mak a move, Doctor, the poster didn’t specify you had to be alive.”

Simon glimpsed to Mal for a go on fighting.

Knowing the doctor was going to be violent on the impulse of saving his little sister, Malcolm’s eyes gave a silent and sobering no as he was unlocked from his seat and marched out. Everyone awake was taken out first, walked into the cargo bay. The captain kept his head held high as he noticed a few things that meant there was a plan about. For starters, the cargo bay door was open like it was welcoming the mule home, secondly, his mei-meis fighter was stowed away via the cables up above. He looked to Zoe and motioned with his head slightly, and she understood, passing the sentiment onto Jayne and Simon. As soon as they were in the middle of the cargo bay, he saw the figure crouched up above on the corner of the catwalk, with a long rifle poised.

Bang.

The shot took the largest thug out, blowing the back of his head out and splattering bone and grey matter all over the floor. With that diversion, they yanked away from their captors as Ru stood up, tossing her rifle to the side and pulling out her forty-caliber M&Ps in her holsters as she had them slung on her hips as Saffron’s crew erupted into gunfire. Jayne slipped behind one and choked him with the handcuff chain while Zoe clasped her hands together into a large knot and swung them into the jaw of Saffron as Simon ducked out of the way and Mal fought one of the men for a gun. Saffron back stepped so Zoe’s hit missed, then swung her leg up and ax-kicked the first mate in the head with a blow that knocked her out and sent her to the ground. Simon raced over and searched the dead man for a key to the handcuffs as the others kept fighting and Ru tried to get a clear shot at Saffron. Yet the gunhand saw the woman pull her own pistol and take point blank aim and her eyes widened as she squeezed her own trigger.

Two shots rang out, one missed.

Mal stepped back, his breathing short gasps as his face paled and the shot to the left side that had put a hole through his chest and back trickled blood from both sides. Coughing, everyone stood still as he looked down at his own wound, then crumpled to the floor.

The man Jayne was choking got out of his hold and grabbed the merc, throwing him to the ground and putting his boot on Jayne’s shoulder to keep him there.

Simon bolted over to Malcolm, dropping to his side, turning him face up and immediately putting pressure to the gunshot wound.

Saffron grabbed Simon by the hair and pressed the muzzle to his temple, glaring at Ru. “Unload, Drop your weapons, come down here or I blow his head off and leave your captain to die.”

Ru solemnly released the magazines from her guns, took out the reamining bullets from the chambers, dropped her guns and put her hands up as the remaining men kept their pieces trained on her while she came down.

“Zeke, cuff her.” Saffron ordered.

“I need to get him to the infirmary.” Simon reminded her, hands warm with slick blood as he was still putting pressure on Malcolm. “He has a sucking chest wound, if I don’t operate his lungs will collapse and he’ll suffocate.”

“Soon as everyone’s secure I’ll let you save his life.”

She motioned for the men to drag them away, and allowed Simon the watch as they went over to the storage lockers and opened the doors. They were enclosed on all sides and the top with chain link to prevent cargo from flying about, and were the prefect size for a captive as the men took out the crates and put the crew inside one a piece with their handcuffs still on, taking locks and shutting the doors securely. They went back to the truck and carried Kaylee and Gambit, tossing the mechanic into the last one and looking to Saffron for answers to the other prisoner since the lockers were filled up. “Chain him between the lockers, one wrist attached to one side each, collar to whatever side you want…”

“He’s human, not a bear.” Simon snapped on defense of his friend.

“You’re wrong.” She told him sharply.

“May I ask how you know?” He probed in a low voice, eyed riveting to Mal who was getting worse.

“Married someone high up.” Saffron pulled his to his feet and signaled for her lackey to carry Malcolm to the infirmary. “Carter, go up to the bridge, get the pilot. Danny, bring the mule in and stow it, park the truck inside, then look for the girl.” She felt the doctor stiffen at the thought of the girl, but ignored it. Once there, she uncuffed Simon as Mal was lay on the exam table. “Zeke’s staying with you,” Watching him swiftly go and get vital sensors, take off Malcolm’s shirt and start up the monitors. Then grab a plastic package and tape it to the chest wound, and carefully lift Malcolm up and tape one to the entry wound to bide more time to prepare a surgical tray “any threatening movements and I hope you believe in some form of afterlife.”

“Simon.. it’s black…”

Simon turned and saw River standing there at the door, her eyes puffy as she looked like she wanted to be held. His mouth dropped open as he had been praying that she had hidden. “River…” it was all he could utter as his heart went into his throat.

“It’s all black.” She whimpered, covering her face with her hands. "Serenity. Black."

He rushed over to her and gathered her in his arms as Zeke trained the gun on him. Not caring, he held her close. “River…”

“I don’t want to sleep.” She clung to his arm as she buried her face in his chest. “Don’t make me sleep...”

He shut his eyes while fighting tears. “I won’t… I won’t.” Pressing his lips to her hair he gave a forced smile. “It’s ok.”

“Stop lying!” She wailed, molding herself to him. “Make us sleep…. Then wake up…Tall and clean, all three inside and waiting for them. To by two… hands of blue.. Two by two, hands of blue.. the Pax…. Thousands… SIMON SAVE ME!”

“I have you!” He held her tighter, not knowing what to say. “I have you xaio mei-mei.”

“Promise you’ll come.” She whimpered.

“I’m here, I’ve already come.” Pushing the hair out of her face to find two round brown eyes gazing at him with utter fear and desperation. It made his heart sick.

“No, later.” Her tiny hands squeezed his arm. “Come later…”

Mal’s pulse dipped dangerously.

Simon looked up and saw he had to operate quickly. Then without warning one of the men took River and ripped her away. Her frightened scream piercing his ears he lunged for her and pulled her back into his embrace protectively. Almost being shot in the process, yet Saffron had waved Zeke off as she knew he wasn’t going to attack. Shielding his family from their enemy, body language telling them he would fight them for River. “No!” He snapped while he felt her small body tremble against him. “You can handcuff her, but she stays with me.”

*****

*****

***** TRANSLATION

*Ai-ya. Wo-men wan-le: We're in big trouble.

*Ni bu-ren biao-zi! Ni-shi bu yao zhao wu gu-niang!: you heartless whore! You are not going to touch my girl!