The next few days blurred together for Mal. It was simple routine on the ship. Inara was worried about him. He could tell the rest of the crew was of the same feeling. The dream had been recurring every night since and it was draining him completely. He was shorter than usual with everyone. Kaylee had taken to completely avoiding his gaze, and more often than not locked herself in the engine room when the captain was making his rounds. Simon was unable to tell him when he'd be able to get back into a regular schedule. This only angered him more. The truth wasn't that he was tired. There had been times that he had gone weeks on only a few hours of sleep. What River had said had really hit home. What if it was his fault Cheek was dead? Why hadn't he grabbed the boy? The kid was new to the military, only six months in and Mal had posted him at the focal point of the fighting. He let his head fall in his hands. He could have grabbed him, saved him. The door to his room hissed open. Inara climbed down the ladder, her sandals sliding a little on each rung. Mal looked up, and saw the concerned look on her face. He wiped the tears from his eyes and shook his head as he stood up. "Yeah? What is it?" he asked shortly. Inara moved forward cautiously. She looked him over and Mal could feel her reading almost like River did. "Mal, this is ridiculous." she whispered. "You're stronger than this. These dreams, they're nothing more than memories. You can't change them. All you can do is move on." "You think I haven't tried? I push it all from my mind and try to do my job, so the crew don't think I'm goin 'round the bend. I have to keep my boat in the air, all the while makin sure that we don't hear Alliance boots outside the doors." Inara let her gaze fall to the floor. Mal moved around her to the ladder, and looked up into the light above. "We should hit atmo soon. Should be a routine trip this run. Sierra Lezine is a drop point between the Core planets and the resort planet of Leighsin. Companions aren't an uncommon sight, but neither are mechanics and the like. We'll be pickin up food, and Kaylee's been buggin me about couslinks or something like that." Inara nodded as she listened to Mal's heavy boots going up the ladder. She followed him up the ladder and listened as he half barked, half coached River through the atmo entry procedures. The ship rocked violently as gravity took hold of the ship. Inara had to brace herself against the wall to keep from falling over. A small smile graced her lips as she heard Jayne shout something and Zoe yell a tense retort. Inara moved quickly around the corner towards her shuttle. Simon came brushing by her, headed towards Mal's shouting voice. Voices clamored on as the ship rocked in the change in pressure. River's voice came over the intercom. "Everyone strap yourselves in. Breaking atmo... now." The ship rocked horribly, throwing people from their feet to the cold metal on the floor. Mal shouted commands from the floor and Jayne's booted footfalls echoed through the hallways.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

The man sat calmly at the table across from the shadowed corner. His blue eyes glinted under the shadow created by his hood. He absentmindedly rolled a toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. "You'll do the job then," came an altered voice from behind the shadow. "Sounded more like you tellin' me than askin', partner. Now I don't much like bein' told what to do. I'd be more like to do what you want if you was to ask all nice like." the young man said, his eyes flashing. An uncomfortable silence rippled from the other side of the room. A bag of coins slid across the table to the man. His hand stopped the bag and gripped it tight. He wavered as he looked down at the burlap bag. His arm seemed to shudder as a smile spread across his face. He bowed his head so that only his smile gleamed in the dim light. "Sure boys. I'll do your dirty work. Though I'm bout sure that you got more fellas out there ready to do my job." His striped green hood shook as he laughed. The door behind him hissed open. His cue to leave. He stood from his chair, listening to the satifying sound of coins jingling in the bag. He grabbed the orders from the pedestal on the way out of the door. He looked them over as he walked down the windowless corridor. It felt cold in the hall, but there was no sun on this moon at this time of year anyway, so it was warmer down here than on the surface. The man smiled as he counted the zeros at the end of the reward on the paper. The amount in the bag was nothing compared to the amount on the paper. He'd get a small fortune for bringing them the man on the paper. He looked down at the picture. The picture of Malcolm Reynolds.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Serenity kicked dust into the air as River put her gently on the ground. The cargo hatch opened with a hiss from the hydraulics. Mal, Jayne, Kaylee, and Simon rode out on the Mule. Mal turned and yelled over the wind to Kaylee and Simon. "Now, this is a simple sit down. No fuss. Just us looking for work. Jonathan said he might have something for us. Might not be on the legal side of things but it'll get us some much needed coin." Kaylee nodded, though her face showed that she really had no clue what Mal had just said. Simon looked a little worried, or maybe that was his expression for motion sickness. That idea was confirmed as he leaned over the side and wretched what had been his lunch to the dirt below. Mal chuckled at Simon's weak stomach. Jayne whipped the Mule into the dirt road that lead into town. Simon still wondered at how Jayne had learned something as complicated as driving a hovering Mule. The man/ape thing that was Jayne had only showed proficiency with firearms and the like. The town came up fast. All too fast for Kaylee. She looked down at the intertwined fingers of her and Simon. The sunlight glinted off the small diamond on her ring finger. Simon had scraped together what he had made in the months after Miranda, and those scrapings had paid for the beautiful ring she now wore wherever she went. "Cap'n! Pub's comin up! Hold on to your britches!" Jayne hollered. The Mule whipped around again and came to a stop at a small pub. The green neon cup flashed above the door. Chinese symbols flashed in time beside the cup in blue and pink. The sound of drunk patrons mixed with the noise of Simon vomiting again put the broadest smile on Jayne's face that Mal had ever seen. Giving Jayne a look, the captain climbed out of the Mule and headed into the establishment. Simon quickly followed, Kaylee at his heels. Jayne latched the vehicle to the post and walked in the pub after the rest of the group. Jayne scanned the room, checking the men near the bar and close to the table where the captain had taken a seat. Four had guns hidden under their jackets, others had knives, and one or two had guns right on their thighs. Jayne felt antsy in here, and he was sure the captain did too. He moved closer, keeping his hand close enough to his own pistol to still be safe. "I don't like this place cap'n. Too many guns and not enough of us." Jayne whispered. "I'm not liken' it very much myself Jayne, but it's been a while since we did any work, honest or other wise. We need this." Simon held Kaylee close as he watched other patrons eye Kaylee lewdly. One man stepped up to the captain and motioned to another table, one secluded in the corner. Always dark corners, Mal heard himself think, but it didn't sound like himself. They all moved into the corner, all eyes shifting towards the main area of the room. The older man shook Mal's hand as they sat down. He also eyed the rest of the group with a wary expression. "So Captain Reynolds. I heard you might be the one to talk to about my little 'job'. My name's Dover, Jonathan Dover. I had hoped someone might come along to help me out. I heard there are others looking into the same job so you might have a little healthy competition." he chuckled at this, some how finding it funny. "I was hoping this would be an easy job, John. Nothing too complicated like competition." Mal replied. "Well, if it'll help settle your ease I'll increase the pay. I'll give you what we agreed on, plus half over it. How's that sound? All you have to do is pick it up for me and take it to my buyer." This caused Mal to arch his brow. What was this man so interested in? So interested in fact, that he was willing to nearly double the agreed on price. Could he use this to maybe double their profit? "We'll do it. But only if you're gonna' double our cut." Dover's brow furrowed. Mal was pushing it, and Dover could see that he knew it too. However, Jonathan wanted the money that the merchandise would bring, and if the bandit wanted a little more for it, well he could afford it. "I'll give it. You can take double. Just don't damage my merchandise." "I take good care of my cargo John. Don't you worry about that. So then I take it we have a deal?" Mal said with a calm exhale of breath. "Deal my friend." A round of drinks got dropped on the table. All the men, with the exception of Simon who looked at the liquor with disdain, picked up their shots and downed the assorted fluids quickly. None saw the man across the room who stared at Malcolm with intent. The man's blue eyes sparkled in the hazy neon light.

(To be continued)