Author's Note - sorry this is so long coming. Had some illness and a real money paying project to finish. Thanks for sticking with the story.

River’s Run – Part 7

“Yes, sir, we found a cyro-chamber on board the Rose,” Flying Officer Janice Flowers reported to the captain of the Saratoga. She was seated in his bridge office, along with the commander of the ground force. Both men were much older than her, in their forties at least, and were career officers, unlike her, just trying to earn the money for university, like a lot of those her age. Janice had no love for the Alliance but didn’t hate it either. It was just there.

“You followed protocol and opened it?” the commander asked and Janice knew they knew something by the way he asked the question, with a grim look on his face. As soon as she was summoned to the captain’s bridge office she knew something wasn’t quite right and at the first mention of the Rose she knew what it was. But Janice was good at hiding her feelings, had lots of practice at it over the years as she hid her sexuality from her parents, her friends, and the military. She remained calm and answered their questions.

“Yes, sir, it was a dog like the Shepherd said. He had all the proper documents.”

“What kind of dog?” the captain asked.

“I…I don’t know,” Janice said, not expecting this question. “I only saw a paw.”

“What color was it?” the commander asked quickly and she knew they knew that River was in that box. She had to keep lying.

“Brownish, maybe with some black. I only had a quick look. The Shepherd was afraid his dog was going to die.”

“Flowers, would it surprise you to know that that Shepherd was not a real Shepherd, but a mercenary who sells his services to the highest bidder?” said the captain and now Janice was truly surprised. She knew they had to be friends of River’s but she didn’t know the Shepherd was a fake.

“No, sir, I didn’t know that.”

“He is a friend of River Tam’s. As are the other three passengers on the Rose,” the commander said. “We believe they are trying to smuggle her off the planet in that cyro-chamber.”

“There was no human in that chamber, sir. Just a dog.”

“Unfortunately, none of the men with you looked inside,” said the commander.

“Sir, are you accusing me of something?” Flowers suddenly asked.

“No,” said the captain in haste. “We are just trying to get to the bottom of this. Why would a man disguise himself as a Shepherd? And why were all four of them on that ship? We know you weren’t given their names in time to stop them. We thought they were still on Paquin. Flowers, we know you spent a harrowing time as a prisoner of Tam. Is there the possibility that you made some kind of…connection…with her?”

“I don’t understand. A connection, sir?”

“Sympathy for your captor,” said the commander. “It has been known to happen in hostage situations. The prisoner believes the captor is being unjustly harmed in some way and feels that the captor is the good person in the scenario.”

Janice took it all in and knew it was true. She had felt sorrow for River and felt a much deeper connection, a passionate one, from their lovemaking. But she had also seen River kill, at close range, and focused on her feelings about that.

“River Tam is a ruthless killer and nothing more, sir. She blew the brains out of that civilian in Port Williams without blinking an eye.”

The captain leaned back in his chair and looked to the ground force commander. He nodded.

“Flying Officer Flowers, your flight status has been revoke for the time being,” the captain said. “You will be restricted to duties outside of sensitive areas of the ship. I think some time in an administrative role will do you some good. Dismissed.”

Janice expected it but pretended to be upset, knew she had to be. “But sir, what have I done wrong?”

“Nothing that we know of,” said the commander. “But once we stop the Rose and check that cyro-chamber, we will have a better picture of things.”

He smiled and for a brief instance Janice let her guard down and actually felt a wave of panic begin to rise from the pit of her stomach. She forced herself to calm down and then looked at the captain directly in the eye. “Sir, I understand your concern, and will obey but I must insist I did nothing wrong.”

“Very well, Flowers. When we find that ship and check it, I’m sure you will be back on flight status right away. Now, dismissed.”

Janice saluted and then turned and left the bridge, her mind a whirl. She didn’t remember how she got to her quarters that she shared with three other female officers. She took off her duty uniform and put on her more causal uniform which was worn when off duty. It was lunch time but she didn’t feel like eating. She lay down and rested for a long hour, but couldn’t sleep, thinking on River and what lay ahead for both of them if that ship was found.

****************************************************************

“Run!” Mal shouted to the captain of the freighter.

“I can’t, they have missiles!” he shouted back. They were on the small bridge, the female pilot at the only set of controls, Mal and Wash standing in the cramped space directly behind, face to face with the captain.

It all started a few minutes earlier. It was late. Everyone was turning in for the night, the two other crew already in their bunks, still a few days from Sihnon, when the ship’s long range radar picked up an approaching vessel. There had been a few such ships in recent days but none had come near and they passed without incident. This time it was different. The ghostly image on the radar screen turned and headed for them. The pilot had been half asleep, setting the controls for night time cruising, and hadn’t noticed the image approaching them for a few moments. By the time she did and the captain and the others had scrambled to the bridge, they were being hailed by an Alliance gunship.

“Rose, Rose, this is Alliance gunship TS-3456. You are ordered to stop all engines and prepare to be boarded for inspection,” came a gruff male voice from the comms.

Mal had heard it just as he got to the bridge and yelled at the captain to run.

“Missile lock!’ said the pilot as they argued behind her.

“Gorramit!” Mal and the captain said at the same time.

“We can’t run!’” the captain said again. “What the hell is in the cyro-chamber got them so fired up to find you?”

Mal felt a little bad for the guy having put him in a spot like this. He knew all about the man’s worries, what it was like, putting together a crew, finding work, getting by day to day. Now Mal had brought a heap of trouble down on him and his.

“Something they want back and we ain’t letting them,” Mal said. “All I can tell you. Less you know, less you can tell them.”

“Captain,” the pilot said. “What do I tell them?”

“Nothing,’ Mal said first. “Wash here can out fly any old gunship rookie just out of flight school, ain’t that right Wash?”

Wash had been waiting in silent dread, imagining all kinds of terrible ways to die in space, and just looked at Mal.

“Ah, sure Mal, you know I can…but….they have missiles locked and there isn’t a moon or planet nearby where we can dodge them. It’d be suicide to run.”

“Suicide to stay,” Mal grumbled but knew Wash was right.

“Rose, reply at once or we will fire,” came the same voice from the comms.

“Answer them,’ the captain said to his pilot.

The pilot picked up the mic and answered back, everyone looking at her. “Gunship, this is the Rose. Sorry, we had just shutdown for a rest. Give us a few moments to prepare for the boarding party. Over.”

“Roger that,” came the reply. “You have ten minutes.”

Ten minutes to make a plan or ten minutes left of freedom. What to do, what to do? Mal thought as he saw Jayne and Zoe standing just outside the bridge area, looking at him, waiting for him to make a choice. Then the choice was made for him, not by the Alliance or the Rose’s crew, but by the faces of those people he cared about more than anything in the verse. They had been through a lot, most of it his doing and some of it not, but still the same, they had stuck with him through it all, even on this last piece of madness to rescue River. Jayne had complained and bitched as usual but his gun and his fists were always there when the chips came down. Zoe never wavered an inch, even though he knew she had doubts about things a lot of the time. And Wash would follow Zoe who followed Mal even though the crazy pilot would rather be sitting on the bridge of a luxury cruiser making ten times what Mal could ever pay him, plus lots of perks and vacation time to boot.

The faces of Simon and Kaylee were there also, faces that would be filled with tears and sorrow if he let River be taken or if anymore of them got killed in the process of protecting her. The dilemma at the core of all their problems was to let River die or to die trying to save her. Finally, came the face of Inara and that was what decided everything for him. He wanted to live. All those years of fighting and feuding with the Alliance and anyone who crossed his path, Mal had a sort of death wish, survivors’ guilt for coming through Serenity Valley when so many had not. Putting together this crew was part of his salvation. Visiting Serenity Valley again and confessing to Inara what haunted his nightmares was the next step. Now he had one more step to take. He had to save River, an innocent caught in the madness of human power plays, she who had saved them so many times, now needed saving.

Mal looked at the captain. “You all got those ‘special places” for hiding things you don’t want anyone to lay eyes on?”

“Could be,” he replied evasively. “What you intend on hiding there?”

“A girl,” as Mal said this last he was looking at Zoe standing in the entrance to the bridge.

“A girl?” the captain said in genuine surprise.

“Time to wake up River,” Mal said to Zoe, ignoring the captain, and without a word she turned and left and headed straight for the cargo bay. “Wash give her a hand.” As Wash left, Mal noticed Jayne still is his Shepherd’s garb.

“Chances are they know you ain’t a real Shepherd,” Mal said. “Time to take off the collar. Hope that hiding place is big enough for two.”

“Thank the verse,” Jayne said as he ripped off the Shepherd’s collar and then turned to go change his clothing, not quite getting what Mal meant by “two”.

The captain was boring a hole through Mal. “You all mind telling me what the hell is happening on my boat?”

“Long story,” Mal said as he started looking for the nav panel on the bridge screens. “And if we get outta this mess I’ll let you know it all and pay you double what I already gave. Right now I need to find anyplace we passed close by in the last two days.”

“What for?” asked the pilot.

“Cause I need a place a Shepherd and his dead dog could have gotten off on.”

*****************************************

“God, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing,” Zoe said in exasperation as she looked over the cyro-chamber in the cargo bay. Wash was kneeling beside her as they examined the control panel.

“Didn’t Mal just kick it open last time?” Wash said as he eyed the controls, as confused as his wife.

“I got the feeling Simon didn’t want that to happen. Said something about the shock killing her, if I recall the story they told us. River was lucky to survive that,” Zoe answered.

“Well, let’s just look at those instructions the vet gave Jayne,” Wash replied and Zoe pulled out the papers and they both scanned them quickly. As they were doing so Mal, the captain, and the other two crewmen came in and started opening a panel in the back of the cargo bay.

“Hurry that up,” Mal said to Zoe.

“Don’t want to kill her, sir,” Zoe replied impatiently as she started to hit buttons on the side of the chamber.

“Kill who?” said the Chinese crewman, a bit groggy, having been woken from his sleep. Mal just ignored him as he examined the smuggling space.

“Tight fit but will have to do,” Mal said. “Jayne!”

The big merc had just appeared with Vera and his pistol. “Ready for battle,” Jayne said.

“Ain’t no fighting to do, Jayne,” Mal said in exasperation. “Get rid of them.”

“Gorramit!’ Jayne said. “Was hoping to kill me some Alliance types.”

The second crewman, the black fellow, also sleepy eyed, was now totally confused. “Hold on. Ain’t he a Shepherd?”

“Appears not,’ said the captain. As Jayne looked around for a place to hide his weapons, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom.

“Captain, they’re moving in for latching onto our airlock. What should I do?”

“Stall ‘em,” Mal said as if he was on his own ship. The captain gave him a look. “Please,” Mal added.

The captain went to a wall intercom. “Stall them somehow…mess up the lock, something.”

“Roger,” she replied.

“Ain’t first time we been boarded,” said the captain. “Nor the last I reckon. She knows what to do.”

Before Mal could reply there was a loud hiss from the cyro-chamber. The top lid slid open and clouds of foggy steam came out. Curiosity gripped the Rose’s crew and they all moved in for a look. River lay in a fetal position, naked as the day she came into the world.

“God lord, it’s a person!” said the Chinese fellow, in Chinese. “They’re human smugglers!”

“Now, now, we ain’t no such thing,” Mal said quickly. “She’s our friend and crewmate. Wanted by the Alliance for treason.”

The captain glared at Mal. “That’s the death penalty. For all of us!”

“Surely is,” Mal said. “Now you all on the same page with me ready to lie or we gonna have to kill that gunship crew and become fugees? Cause I ain’t going to no penal colony or gallows.”

“Can’t disagree with that,” said the black crewman.

After a second the captain just nodded. “So what’s the story?”

*****************************************************************

“The dog died and the Shepherd didn’t want to go to Sihnon, since he was suppose to deliver that dog to someone, which was the main reason for his trip,” lied the captain to the gruff voiced Alliance lieutenant and six of his crewmen. “So he got off on Darkwon Moon, said he’d get another ride back to Paquin. Blames you guys for the dog’s death and said he’d be making a formal complaint when he gets back to Paquin. I gave him back most of his fare.”

The lieutenant was standing over the empty cyro-chamber. “Why didn’t he take the chamber?”

“Had no use for it,” the captain replied. “I paid him for it, might come in handy someday.”

Everyone was standing there, all the Alliance guns on them. “Did you know he wasn’t a Shepherd?” the lieutenant said as he stared at Mal. The lieutenant was tall and as big as Jayne, dark haired and dark eyed. No pushover here, Mal thought.

“What are you talking about?” said the captain. “He gave us a Sunday service, heard my confession. Sure he was a Shepherd.”

“No, he isn’t,” said the lieutenant as he walked down the row of them, eyeing Wash and Zoe. “He is a mercenary named Jayne Cobb. And these three are his friends.”

“Guess you ain’t up on current events Lieutenant,” Mal said. “Yes, he is our friend and he is a real preacher. Cobb took orders at Southdown Abbey on Persephone about a month ago.”

“I think I’ll wave the Southdown Abbey just to make sure of that,” said the lieutenant. “Search the ship while I am gone,” he said to his men and they began to look. Mal just prayed they didn’t find the secret compartment.

*********************************************

Jayne had been in close proximity to lots of naked women in his life but this time he wasn’t feeling any sexual attraction at all. Not that a naked River wasn’t beautiful, cause she surely was, but he could barely breathe, his back hurt, and sweat poured down his body as the small compartment they were in heated up. River wasn’t exactly naked, Zoe having the presence of mind and sense of decency to cover her up with a blanket, but said blanket barely covered her. Jayne had so little room he had to wrap his arms around her as she lay with her head on his chest in their tight quarters, Jayne’s back to the cover over the compartment.

She was still unconscious, her breathing was shallow and Jayne just prayed like hell she didn’t wake up before the Alliance soldiers left the ship. He remembered how she woke last time, with a scream that unnerved them all. And then she started babbling and if Simon hadn’t been there she would have sent them all around the crazy bend.

River was far away, dreaming peacefully, her body just beginning to wake up from cyro-sleep, slowly turning on different functions to minimize the effects of wakening after more than two days in deep sleep. The drugs were supposed to last for one week, but once her body was exposed to air and heat, it would begin to wake up. And the compartment was getting hot.

In her mind she was sitting at the dining table on Serenity, all of them there, Book, too, and those had always been her favorite times on the ship. They were eating and laughing, telling stories. It was Simon’s birthday. She had forgotten to get him a gift. Then the ship shook, and there was a fire coming from the engine room and they were flying across the room in a jumble of chairs and broken dishes. Now she had a gun in her hand, and Kaylee was hiding behind a wall. She fired three shots and killed three men. Now she was falling toward Serenity, letting its artificial gravity carry her to Mal’s arms as Jubal Early spun off into space behind her.

Now they were on the moon, Earth’s moon, and she was on an examining table, with Jackson asking her all those questions. She beat up a guard, shot someone, and fought others. Then there was a dance and she was with Dr. Phillips, in a dark corner of the building, kissing him, feeling his gentle hands on her body. Four years missing, then more fighting, Maston Forbes in a narrow street on Persephone, more bloodshed, Serenity Valley spied though the bridge windows, then Reavers screaming, Kaylee in danger, a fight in a stadium. Book dieing, now a prisoner, an escape, a rainy world, a pilot, Janice, another escape. And then…bliss…in the arms of a woman, Janice. Four boys in a park, falling into Mal’s arms, strong arms holding her….holding her…now. A scent, heat, a muscular chest and arms, the smell of tobacco. Jayne.

River’s eyes flew open and it was dark, she could see nothing. Was this death? And just as she was going to scream, a hand clamped over her mouth, a strong rough hand.

“Sssshhhhh,” Jayne said as gently and as quietly as he could. “We’s hiding and Alliance is looking for us.”

River didn’t move, took it all in, let her mind go from dream state to wakefulness, and then slowly nodded. Jayne slowly pulled his hand away.

“Where?” whispered River. She was hot, and cramped and she felt groggy and disoriented, her ability to mind read not functioning at optimal power.

“Secret compartment, the freighter. Two days from Paquin.”

“Two days,” River whispered and then said nothing. Suddenly, they could hear a noise outside. Someone was pounding on the cargo bay walls. Jayne knew what they were doing, had done it himself many times, looking for hollow spots where something could be hidden. He pushed his broad back up against the compartment covering, hoping like hell their combined weight and presence would make the hole seem solid.

The pounding came closer, hit where they were, then a pause…hit again…another pause…and then it moved on away from them.

“Too close,” Jayne whispered.

River said nothing, feeling her nakedness under the thin blanket, feeling the sweat forming on her body, could smell the musky scent of Jayne. She also felt something else, a sensation she never thought she’d associate with the big merc. He was a raw, uncultured brute, but he was also handsome and muscular and she was a woman and her body began to feel those sensations she had felt with Janice. She was still groggy and disoriented but she knew those feelings for what they were. It was pleasant to be in the arms of Jayne Cobb.

**********************************************

“Abbot Parsons of the Southdown Abbey has confirmed that Mr. Cobb is a newly ordained Shepherd in his order and that he was sent to Paquin to work with the poor,” the lieutenant stated after he returned to the Rose.

“Told you,” Mal said. Mal telling them about the Southdown Abbey was a bluff, which he had hoped the lieutenant would accept on fate. Mal felt relieved and curious when the lieutenant said the Abbot had confirmed Jayne as a Shepherd. I guess a few lies were okay for an Abbot. He’d have to remember to ask Jayne exactly what happened when he had visited the Abbot on Persephone.

“We done here, Lieutenant?” the captain asked as the six soldiers concluded their search and reported nothing unusually to their officer.

Mal and the others had sweated out the search and Mal was all set to reach for his gun that was hidden in a nearby box. They weren’t looking through everything, only something big enough to hide River, and Mal got the feeling they knew she is on the ship. He just hoped that lieutenant was a stickler for the rules. If not he might just blow the Rose and them out of the black.

“Not quite,” the Lieutenant said as he looked at Mal. “The question is, why you were traveling with Cobb to Sihnon?”

“Going to see my lady,” said Mal ready for this question.

“Well, I’m afraid you won’t be seeing her anytime soon, Mr. Reynolds. Take him,” he said to his soldier and two moved toward Mal, one taking out a pair of handcuffs.

Zoe was all set to start killing but Mal gave her a look and a quick shake of the head “What’s the charge?” Mal said, very calm for the situation.

“Bribing a spaceport security guard on Paquin,” said the lieutenant. “Minimum of three years on a penal colony.

“He demanded that bribe,” Wash said quickly before Mal could tell him to shut up. Now Mal had to play along.

“That’s right. Said it was a special tax,” Mal added.

The lieutenant paused for a second then made up his mind. “Cuff him and take him. Not my job to straighten out this mess. I hope you know a good lawyer, Mr. Reynolds.”

Mal smiled as he was handcuffed. “Best in the verse. Zoe, give my lawyer a wave will you.”

“Your lawyer, sir?” Zoe asked, wanting to start smacking heads but keeping her cool.

“Sure. Remember him? From Londinium, nice guy, helped marry Simon and Kaylee. Oh, that’s right. You weren’t there. Name is Thomas Blakely.”

“Thomas Blakely?” the lieutenant said in surprise. “No gorramn way.”

“Wave him and tell him where I will be held until my trial,” Mal said to Zoe, ignoring the lieutenant. “Oh, and if his wife the Prime Minister answers, be sure to give my regards.”

***********************************************

On Londinium, Prime Minister Blakely was in her office on a wave link with Justin Powers.

“Shin ordered me not to accept,” Powers said. “So I resigned my commission.”

“I guessed he would do as much,” Blakely answered. “I have some concerns about Admiral Shin and his colleagues now that Cutter is gone.”

Powers look slightly surprised. “Concerns about what? Surely you don’t think…they wouldn’t dare. There has always been a civilian administration, even during the war.”

“All empires need an emperor,” Blakely said. “And Shin may think he is fit for the role. Whether the other generals and admirals support him I know not. We are still trying to unlock Cutter’s top secret files he had on everyone, so it is hard to know if a conspiracy is afoot. You are my counterweight to them now that Cutter is gone. But perhaps I may have tipped my hand to Shin too soon about your appointment. He would have found out eventually, but now I’m concerned for your security.”

“I can take care of myself,” Powers said, a little bit too nonchalantly thought Blakely.

“I do not doubt your bravery, Justin. I have to tell you that assassins may already be lurking here, waiting for orders. Cutter ran a program to train them and Shin may have gained access to its members.”

“Assassins? I thought the only ones authorized to do that sort of work were Operatives.”

“These are a little bit more than Operatives. In any case, be on the lookout. And do not take any Alliance military transport from Miranda.”

“I don’t have any choice. There are no civilian ships here.”

“I’ve arraigned for your transportation. It should arrive shortly.”

“A civilian ship? How could a civilian ship get here so quickly?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, it will be there.”

“Serenity.”

“Yes. They will take you directly to Londinium. I will have a detachment of trusted men to meet you at the docks. Have a safe journey.”

Soon after their wave ended another one came through from her husband. “Hello, dear,” Blakely said cheerfully. “How is your day? Better than mind I hope”

“Oh, it’s getting quite interesting,’ her husband replied. “I’ve just had a wave from an Alliance gunship. A lieutenant said one of my clients is his prisoner and of course by law I was notified as soon as possible.”

“That’s impossible. You gave up criminal practice years ago. Who is it, an old client?”

“Well, actually, it’s someone you know.”

Blakely just closed her eyes and sighed. “Reynolds.”

“Yes. Charged with bribing a security guard at a spaceport on Paquin.”

“Give me the wave address Thomas. I’ll handle this.”

“What does he know that makes you run to his aid?”

“Enough to matter, Thomas. Things I can’t tell you. Sorry.”

He nodded. “I understand. Here’s the address.”

Blakely had the latest wave technology installed in her office by the Ministry of the Interior techs. As she waited on the connection she thought on what to say to Reynolds. Bribing a security guard on Paquin? What was he doing there in the first place? Tam. She was reported near Paquin. If he helps her….God, hadn’t she done enough for them? But Reynolds knew things she’d rather keep secret.

After a brief conversation with a bewildered comms tech and then a more enlightening one from the lieutenant in charge, she was face to face with Malcolm Reynolds again.

“Howdy,” Mal said. “Got me a dilemma and you might just be my way out.”

“Captain, this office is not at your beck and call,” Blakely said with irritation. “You bribed a guard, you must pay the penalty.”

Mal just nodded. “Shiny. I was hoping to rely on you pulling rank around here, but I guess you don’t feel inclined to do so. So who should I send the disc to? I mean, I ain’t much for the news, so I’m kinda out of touch with who is the most watched.”

Mal could see her steaming from millions of kilometers away. In barely suppressed anger she spoke. “We need to talk on that “disc”. Time you turned it over to us.”

“Sure. But I think it might do me good to keep a copy.”

“When does this end?” Blakely asked in irritation. “I could have the lieutenant kill all of you or throw you in prison.”

“You know a man like me has already made arraignments in case such a thing happens.”

She just nodded. “What do you want?”

“Tell these boys to let us go on our merry.”

“Is that it?”

“For now. Might need a favor or two down the line.”

“For River Tam perhaps?”

“Could be. Never know. By the by, you all find her yet?”

“No, Captain. Have you?”

Mal put on his mock innocent look. “Me? Not even looking. Just on my way to Sihnon to meet some friends.”

“That lieutenant told me the Rose was suspected of carrying a fugitive.”

“Nope, no fugitives here. Just honest folk.”

“Captain, I’m not going to be in charge here forever. I am an elected official. A year or two from now I will be a private citizen again and someone may occupy this seat who will make sure you and that “disc” never surface. Do you get my meaning?”

“I got it.”

“Captain, someday you will be on your own and no one can help you.”

“Long as I have friends, help is but a call away,” Mal said.

She almost smiled. “I wish I had people as loyal to me as you do to you.”

“There’s good folks everywhere. Just stop telling them how to live their lives and let them be. Then when the time comes and you need help, you’ll know who your friends are.”

***********************************************

“Stop it,” River whispered to Jayne. They were still in the compartment, almost an hour now by Jayne’s reckoning, and he was cramped and pissed off at the verse.

“Stop what?” he growled under his breath.

“Thinking of killing those soldiers,” she whispered back.

“Then stop reading my mind!”

“Can’t help it.”

“Try.”

“I can’t control it much. It just happens.”

“How’s about I think on something more pleasant?”

“Animal.”

“Grrrrrr.”

River almost laughed. “Sorry. You’re not an animal. Just…crude.”

“I tells it like it is. Your brother could learn to do that. Took him more than a year to tell Kaylee how he felt about her. Me, she knew I’d do her the moment I laid eyes on her.”

“He loves her. Love and sex are not the same thing.”

“Hell, they both lead to each other. Sex can lead to love and love always leads to sex,” Jayne said and River got a small shock from this small piece of wisdom coming from the merc. “Course you’d never know since you never…”

“Shut up or I’ll scream,” she interrupted fiercely as she could while keeping quiet.

Jayne smiled in the darkness, knowing he got under her skin. “Say, Little River. What happened twixt you and Flying Officer Flowers?”

River felt as if a bucket of cold water had been suddenly tossed on her. She hadn’t told them the name of the officer she had kidnapped. How did he know? “What…who?”

Jayne knew she was lying. “You know, cute thing, long black hair, Alliance officer, a pilot. Came aboard just off Paquin. Inspecting ships they were, looking for you. Made us open the chamber. She saw your foot. Did nothing. Told Zoe, “Tell River good luck.” Jeeze, what the hell really happened down on Paquin?”

River felt flush and knew she was red in the face and was glad for the darkness. “Ah…ah…we…she…I told her what happened to me. She sympathized.”

Jayne was silent, didn’t really believe her, not much anyways. Maybe that part was true but he felt she left something out. “That academy. They train you guys in anything besides how to kill? You know, like, seduction?”

“We should be quiet,” River said sharply, not wanting to talk anymore and then, suddenly she felt Mal’s mind as he reentered the ship.

“Mal’s back,” she told Jayne.

“Didn’t know he left.”

“Ssshhh.”

A long five minutes later River felt the engine vibrating, increasing speed, felt the ship in motion. Then the compartment panels were being opened and like a balm a draft of fresh air entered the compartment.

“Howdy, folks.” Mal said. “Hope the quarters weren’t to cramp.”

Jayne crawled out and fell to the floor, covered in sweat, smelling a bit dank.

Wash handed him a bottle of water. “Looking a little wore out, Jayne,” he quipped with a grin on, relieved their brush with the Alliance was over.

“You try it next time,” Jayne managed to gasp between gulps of water and then stood when he felt better.

Zoe helped River out. “Okay?” she asked.

“Yes,” River said, blinking in the harsh lights of the cargo bay. Slowly she could see Wash, Mal, Jayne, and other people, strangers. She pulled the blanket tight around her, her eyes closed to the harsh light, still disoriented and feeling embarrassed by her nakedness and the looks they had been giving her. Zoe put a comforting arm around her.

“Let’s get you some clothes and some food and drink,” the warrior said gently as she led the psychic across the floor and up to the bunk area.

“She’s wanted…for treason?” the captain said in mild surprise.

“Ain’t a word of lie,” Jayne said.

The captain looked at Mal. “So, you were talking about doubling my money and some story telling you wanted to do?”

Mal sighed. “Got anything strong to drink?”

*****************************************

“I gotta go, Daddy,” Kaylee said as her father sat down at the kitchen table opposite her, sipping his morning coffee. “They want us to do some sorta mission.”

“Mission. You ain’t no soldier. What’s this all about?”

“Don’t know,” Kaylee said as she finished her scrambled eggs, picked up her plate and put it in the sink. “They want Simon to go, too. Oren just told me.”

“Where’s the Doc?”

“Taking a shower.” Kaylee and Simon were still in her father’s house, the plan to find a new place getting interrupted by work and other things. Just then Simon came downstairs, hair still a bit damp.

“Morning,” he said to Jonathan, saw his look of worry. “I guess she told you.”

“Yeah,” Jonathan said gruffly. “You two going off to rescue Mal and them I understand, even if you did lie to me. But this…this ain’t part of the deal.”

“No, it ain’t,” Kaylee said as she set a plate of eggs in front of Simon and one in front of her father, then turned to cut some bread for them. Mary usually made breakfast but today Kaylee was doing it because Mary had gone off to visit a sick relative in a town ten kilometers away. “But I can’t let them take her without me. And Oren doesn’t trust those engineers, wants me there.”

“How we supposed to get any work done they take the boat anytime the need it for some emergency?” Jonathan said.

“There’s lots to do, Daddy,” Kaylee said. “You can test the larger super inductors we made for the Alliance cruisers.”

“Yeah…just…” but his voice trialed off.

“You don’t want us to go,” Simon said what he couldn’t say.

“Just got you back after four years,’ Jonathan said to Kaylee, his voice quiet. “I barely had time to spend with you.”

Kaylee laid a reassuring hand on his arm. “Don’t fret none, Daddy. We’ll be back before supper. There’ll be lots of soldiers and its just some simple thing. I’m sure it’ll be alright.”

**********************************************

“Where?” Kaylee said in shock to Oren as they stood in the cargo bay of Serenity.

“Miranda,” he whispered. “And the engineers and crew can’t know anything about Miranda so they aren’t going to be told anything. The pilot knows it’s a secret mission so he won’t get in your way. You tell the pilot you’ll put the nav coordinates into the computer before we do the run. When we get there none of the crew gets off, even looks out a window except the pilot.”

“What’s the secret mission?” Simon asked. “And why do you need me?”

“We’re picking someone up,” said Oren. “Someone important. And we need you Doctor Tam because I’ve been briefed on Miranda. I know what is there and I want you here in case we need your services.”

“I thought the Alliance was taking care of…what is there,” Kaylee said, a tremor in her voice, fear obvious at the knowledge they were heading back to Miranda.

“They are, but it’s not over yet,” said Oren in a low voice, his eyes looking past Kaylee and Simon as he was distracted by someone coming on board. “Ah, our two guests have arrived.”

“Guests?” Simon said and he turned and looked and felt a wave of fear. It was Derek Bowen, River’s classmate and fellow psychic. Now he was in an Alliance uniform as was his companion. The second assassin was blond, like Maston Forbes, taller than Bowen but thinner. Both were carrying suitcases. No weapons were visible but Simon knew that didn’t matter. They were the weapon.

“Welcome aboard,” said Oren to the two. “I’ll show you to your quarters.”

Oren took them past Simon and Kaylee without even introducing them. Bowen kept his eyes straight ahead and didn’t even look at Simon as they headed toward the passenger rooms

Kaylee wasn’t even fazed. “More Alliance. Guess it’s their ship after all. Still don’t like it. Why the passenger rooms? We ain’t gonna be long. Maybe they don’t know the ship’s secret. Hell everyone knows its secret by now. Right? Simon?”

Simon was barely listening to her, staring off where they had gone.

“Simon, what’s wrong?”

“That was Derek Bowen, River’s classmate who asked for my help.”

“Oh gosh! Which one?”

“Dark hair. What are they doing here?”

Now Kaylee worried more. “Can’t be good. Least you know he’s on our side.”

“I don’t know whose side he’s on, Kaylee. Something isn’t right.”

In other days and situations Kaylee had lots of people around her to help her. Now there was just her and Simon. “What we gonna do? We’re all alone”

“No, were not. I’m going to tell Oren everything.”

“Everything? How much of everything?”

“As much as he needs to know to understand that he has two killers on board.”

*******************************************

“She has interfered again!” Shin said in seething anger to Admiral Byrd as he spoke to Byrd on long distance secure Cortex connection. Shin had just finished giving Byrd the details of the report of the gunship lieutenant that had stopped the Rose. Shin had vented his anger at the lieutenant, but knew he had done the right thing. Reynolds knew too much about Miranda and had that evidence. Shin had really wished the gunship had just fired and blown up the Rose. Wouldn't be the first time a ship just disappeared.

Byrd grunted his agreement. “Women politicians,” he said in disgust as he sipped some scotch from a finely cut glass in his bridge office on his flagship near Miranda. “Reynolds clearly broke the law yet she let him go. What the hell is going on, Cho Hung? What’s with this fugitive from Paquin? Bit of small league stuff for men of our position, isn’t it?”

Shin stared at Byrd, feeling slightly irritated at his subordinate using his given names. They had been at the officer academy in the same class, became pilots together, and had risen through the ranks, Shin higher than Byrd. Now Shin pondered how much to tell him. “There are some small matters left over from the Miranda mission. This fugitive leaked the Frye drive plans on the Cortex.”

“Ah, right, the Tam girl, her and her brother are friends of Reynolds. Well, then she deserves hanging. Reynolds too if he’s helping her escape.”

“You hate Reynolds as much as me I can see. How about Justin Powers?”

Byrd turned slightly reddish as his blood pressure rose. “That man deserves to be flogged! He’s down on Miranda, sends me no reports. I have to ask him, kindly, what is going on in my own command! It’s an outrage.”

“He’s resigned his commission.”

“What? I wasn’t told,” Byrd said and Shin sensed Byrd looked slightly worried for a second, then recovered. “About time. Good riddance.”

“He’s taking over Cutter’s office.”

Byrd had been about to sip his drink and stopped with glass in mid stride. “What the hell is going on?”

“Blakely pushed his name through the cabinet. No one objected. Now it’s being ratified by Parliament but I doubt that will fail. He will become the next Cutter.”

“He’s no Cutter. We can handle him,” Byrd said with smug assurance.

“Are you handling him now?”

Byrd felt the sting of that remark and the sting of Shin’s superior position. “You know I’m not. But he’s doing his job, that’s what counts. He’s making progress. Another few months this Reaver problem will be a memory.”

“Good. But someone else will do the job.”

“Of course, Powers will be in Londinium. I know just the person to…”

“No. You can’t let Powers reach Londinium.”

“What are you saying?”

Shin stared at him “He is not to leave Miranda.”

Understanding dawned on Byrd. “No one will do the job. He’s a hell of a commander. They all love him. I can’t arrest him, not with Blakely supporting him. I’d have a mutiny in the fleet if I even tried.”

“I’ve taken care of it. Two men are coming with Serenity, which is supposed to whisk Powers to Londinium. They are supposedly on the way to Miranda to work on the Reaver problem. They will do the job. You are not to interfere until the matter is settled.”

“Serenity again. Cursed ship. How do you know all this?”

“I have a source,” Shin said no more and waited as Byrd pondered and drained his glass of scotch.

“Agreed. What should I do with the two men?”

“When the job is done, deal with them as they deal with Powers.”

****************************************************************

Paulo Chase’s intelligence gatherer was in a spot of trouble, but he was prepared. The man was calm, despite his predicament, like he had been in such situations before. His briefcase sat on the desk of the Head Mistress.

“I can have your head for this,” said the Head Mistress sternly to the man. “Espionage is a capital offense and I have friends in high places.”

They were in the head office of the Sihnon Companion Guild, sitting down, with two large men in suits standing by the door, carrying guns. Just thirty minutes ago, the Companion security system detected a sophisticated wireless signal scanning their Cortex signals. The Guild was used to being probed, had many secrets and dealt with people who carried many more secrets. The signal had been traced, a team sent, and this man captured at a nearby hotel without a struggle after he had mostly destroyed a laptop computer with an internal self destruct. The tech team had it now trying to get something from it. The man remained silent while he was brought to the Guild and had said nothing since he arrived.

“Who do you work for?” the Head Mistress asked.

Finally he spoke. “If you open my briefcase, all necessary documents are inside.”

“We tried to open it Madam, but were unable,” said one of the guards.

She looked at the man. “Open it. Any tricks, you’ll be dead in a second.” At a signal the two guards approached and put their guns in a position to shoot him dead.

The man reached forward and turned the briefcase around. He touched the left side and a small panel slide open. There was an LCD display screen. He placed his right thumb on it; there was a brief hum as the thumb was scanned, and the briefcase locks snapped opened. He took a file out and handed it to the Head Mistress. With a puzzled look she opened it and started examining its contents. After a few minutes she just glared at him.

“Those are just copies of course,” the man said.

“Of course. What do you want?”

“Nothing.”

“Let him go,” she said to the guards. The man just closed his briefcase and then stood and walked out of the room.

“Leave me,” she said to the guards and they left also. She looked through the file again and knew someone had been careless. The file contained a detailed history of every Companion on Sihnon, on what they’re real names were, on their families, on their client list, on the sexual perversions of many famous and powerful people, on the finances of the Guild House, including a few irregularities. She didn’t know how much was true but she did know enough was fact to matter. The Companion Guild was powerful but not above the law and it was better to let this man go than bother with prosecuting him. Killing him had crossed her mind but men like him always had a contingency for such a case.

Her desk phone buzzed, she hit a button and spoke briefly. After a few moments she contacted Inara’s room and asked her to join her. After brief chit-chat she got to the point.

“Someone has been intercepting waves from the Guild House. Yours specifically. Our tech team just recovered a conversation you had with Mr. Reynolds from a destroyed laptop we took off a spy.”

“Paulo,” Inara said in burning anger. “He knows what Mal and I said to each other. Now he has proof I have been unfaithful with a man I love. Now he can force the duel.”

“Yes. Reynolds cannot escape this faith now. Paulo had his suspicion and now he has proof. You are still his wife. He has the right to duel your lover.”

Inara finally made up her mind about something she had been contemplating for sometime now. She knew one rule about this thing and it was never tell anyone you were going to do it or that you had done it. That much she had learned from living with a band of rogues.

“Thank you for telling me Head Mistress. If you’ll excuse me, I’m tired, it is late and I wish to retire.”

“Yes, dear. Things will look better in the morning. Sleep well.”

As Inara left and climbed the beautiful ornate stairs to the upper levels, sleep was the farthest thing from her mind. She had only one thought.

How to kill Paulo Chase.