Jansen Locherbie marched through the lushly carpeted halls of the Parliament building. Of average height and middle age, he was just starting to get a little softness around his abdomen from the lack of activity being in Parliament afforded him. Otherwise, he was a powerfully built character, muscles bulging beneath his well-tailored suit. He could have been mistaken for a high-end bouncer or security guard rather than a planetary bureaucrat. In earlier times, that would not have been wrong. Now he stormed down the hall, eyes flickering beneath his black hair, and his mouth, framed by a neat goatee, curled down in a frown. The endless corridors of the building were lined with equally endless numbers of doors. Each led to the office of a representative from the myriad worlds in the Alliance. Locherbie was looking for one in particular. He stopped in front of the door when he found it. Hon. Representative Soong Chu-yu - Sihnon, the placard on it displayed. He swung it open. He bypassed the secretary who bolted from her seat, trying in vain to stop him, and made directly for the inner chamber. He threw open the door without knocking. Soong Chu-yu’s olive-skinned face looked up, took him in, and returned to the tablet he was writing on. “M hao yi si, xian xian,” the secretary tried to apologize. “Mei wen ti. Jin lai,” Chu-yu said. She nodded, with an apprehensive glance over Locherbie, and shut the door behind her. “Jansen. No hearings today?” Chu-yu greeted without looking up. “Why didn’t you tell me that Serenity was captured today?” Locherbie demanded. Chu-yu raised his head deliberately slow, resting his stylus on the tablet. His dark eyes flicked distastefully over the other man, though his expression remained neutral. “That information is not ready for public release yet. We have not accounted for all of the wanted who were on board, and we did not want to alert those still at large.” “But you have most of the crew in custody?” “Yes.” “I want to speak to them.” Chu-yu smiled like a parent humoring a child who did not understand. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.” “You can’t keep them from me.” “Actually, I can,” Chu-yu stood up behind his desk. “Your hearings are a purely political investigation. Meanwhile, I am charged with ensuring the security of the government and its citizens. This is a criminal matter and that takes precedence. You’ll be free to talk to them all you like after their trials are complete.” “My committee can bring criminal charges as well.” “Yes, but first you need the evidence,” Chu-yu challenged. Locherbie’s cheeks darkened with anger. “You’re blocking my investigation, Soong. I know it. There’s something you don’t want me to find. Rest assured I’ll find it, though. I ain’t backin’ down.” A hint of his Border accent crept into the last of his words. He twisted and stomped from the chamber, slamming the door behind him. “Lie huo pi!” Chu-yu spat under his breath and dropped into his chair. How had Locherbie found out about Serenity? No one besides those directly involved were supposed to know. He would just have to distract the man until everything was settled. That would not be too terribly difficult, just another annoyance on his already overfilled plate. He detested men like Locherbie. They believed in absolute honesty and justice. They had no clue how quickly those qualities could overturn a complex government like the Parliament. Their self-righteousness had no place in a system where backroom dealings were just as important as open floor debates to getting things done. There was a significant cadre politicians like him, mostly from the Independent-leaning Border worlds, full of their own moral superiority as they were elected to go clean up the “corruption” in the Core. Locherbie would not even be a committee chair if it was not for Boros’ strategic importance to the Alliance. Otherwise he would just be another backwater carpetbagger from a backwater planet. Chu-yu sighed. Sometimes he wondered why the Unification War was even fought. Let the Border have their precious independence and all that went with it. Good riddance. He leaned back in his chair, imagining how much easier his life would be once this was all resolved, one way or another. He looked forward to that. Maybe he would take a vacation, speed a few weeks at his estate on Bellerophon to cleanse his mind of this business. A faint smile crept onto his face. He liked that notion. He paged his secretary to inform her of his plans and to start rearranging his schedule. Then he closed his eyes and imagined lounging in a deck chair with nothing but an endless stream of martinis and the ocean breeze to occupy his time. Two Alliance military transports skidded to a halt in front of the Capital City Library. Startled citizens scurried out of the way as two full Fed squads poured out. Kriegel exited last, the only one not wearing body armor or carrying a rifle. The squads line up on either side of him. “The target should be inside,” he shouted. “However, I want one squad to establish a perimeter. Cover all possible exits and entrances. The other squad will come with me to make the arrest. The target has indicated she will surrender peacefully, however she should still be considered extremely dangerous. Are we clear?” “Yes, sir!” a chorus of confident voices chanted. “Move out!” commanded Kriegel. One group of soldiers fanned out around the building while Kriegel took up the rear of the squad thundering up the stairs and into the library. Surprised and frightened patrons cleared out of the column’s way. They spread out in formation in the lobby, covering all angles. Kriegel marched up to the main desk, several frightened librarians cringing behind it. “I’m Major General Kriegel with the Fugitive Task Force. There is a dangerous fugitive in this building. Where are your public Cortex terminals?” One librarian pointed a trembling finger to her right, down a wide main aisle separating the stacks. “Thank you,” he gave a curt nod. “Go!” His men hustled down the aisle, patrons leaping out of their way with cries of astonishment and fright. River heard the clomping boots and the frightened voices approaching. She closed her eyes. A silent tear slid down one cheek. She wiped it away, opening her lids and willing the steel resolve of earlier into her posture. The gray and purple armored wall hurtled towards her and surrounded her. For the other patrons, it was an odd sight to see twenty soldiers train their rifles on one quiet young woman sitting at her Cortex terminal. For River, the soldiers’ singular attention pounded into her mind, making her want to shrink away. Ariel twitched beneath the surface, almost instinctively preparing for a battle. She forced herself to remain still. An officer who she recognized as the one she had spoken two not a half hour ago approached. “River Tam, you are hereby bound by law and ordered to…” “I know.” Somehow her soft interruption had enough power cut him off. She did not wait for him to order her but stood up on her own, slowly, hands raised. Moving with exaggerated care, she took a step away from her chair. She placed one leg on it and slid the hem of her dress up. Every rifle lurched a little closer when they saw the holster strapped to her thigh. Even Kriegel drew his sidearm. She only offered them a glance from the corners of her eyes as she unstrapped it. She tried to control the trembling in her fingers, but the extreme tension of the bodies around her made it difficult. She held the holster loosely by one strap and let it fall to the ground. “Place your hands behind your back,” Kriegel ordered, an almost tangible relief in him. River complied. A soldier produced a pair of cuffs and latched them onto her wrists. The rifles finally relaxed and Kriegel came forward through his men. He looked down at her, and she met his gaze unflinchingly. She found in him relief, a bit of anxiety, annoyance, and just a little triumph, though none of it showed on his face. “Let’s go,” he jerked his head back through the stacks. He took the lead, two soldiers propelling River forward between them, and the rest bringing up the rear. Confused stares and whispers seeped through the library and into her mind. People were wondering what she had done to merit the escort of a full Fed squad. She ignored them, marching on with her chin thrust out in defiance and eyes locked ahead. They loaded her into one of the transports and took off through the streets of Capital City. Without windows, River could not see where they were going, but she kept track of the turns and the time, and from that calculated the general vicinity. The soldiers piled out, she being drawn out last with Kriegel behind her. She was on the parade grounds of a massive military base, the electrified razor wire of the perimeter stretching as far as she could see in either direction. The stark granite of the main building loomed ahead. The squad escorted her inside, her sharpened senses taking in every detail along the way- how the entryway echoed as the armor-clad soldiers marched through, the number of doors and corridors they passed, the color of the walls. She also swept her mental awareness over the minds of her captors. The soldiers proved uninteresting. They were disciplined, focused on the mission with very little else on their minds. However, Kriegel had a myriad of distracting thoughts. She could see him plotting her interrogation, getting a clear visual image of her in a room with him sitting across. She also picked up his urgent desire to contact someone named Chu-yu. She did not know who that was, but he was clearly the officer’s superior given the responsibility he felt for notifying him. They came to an even more stark area of the complex with a guard booth manned by two military police. Kriegel ducked inside while the soldiers led her to a stop before the massive security door. Kriegel came back out, a set of chains clanking in his hands. He handed them to the squad leader. “I have to make my report. Make sure Miss Tam is comfortable, but well secured,” he raised his eyebrows in emphasis. “I’ll be in shortly.” “Yes sir.” Kriegel spun and returned the way they had come. The squad leader gave a signal to the control booth and the security door slid open. River was guided down a long hall with many identical doors lining it. She gasped very quietly as she felt the touch of familiar minds somewhere behind those doors. The crew was being held here as well. She sorted through each of their consciousnesses, never so glad of her psychic ability as now. There was the captain. He was feeling angry and helpless, and his thoughts dwelt on Inara. She went cold as she saw the Companion lying bleeding on the floor of Serenity, but she took heart realizing that Mal thought she was alive. Kaylee’s mind was awash in fear. Her heart broke for the sweet young woman who was very alone and especially worried about Inara as well. Simon’s worries were all about his sister, wondering where she was and if she was all right. His fear was controlled, but she desperately wanted to call out to him and let him know she was near. Zoe’s thoughts turned to Wash. She was concerned about their predicament and the fate of her crewmates, but in her isolation, she was thinking mostly about her late husband and how much she wanted him there with her. Boredom and frustration filled Jayne’s head. He wondered about his fellow prisoners, but mostly he wanted to be doing something that particularly involved breaking out of his cell and smashing a few Alliance soldiers’ heads together with his bare hands. It was a wish she would have gladly granted him if she could. Inara’s presence was the only one missing. Her escort halted in front of one of the doors, disrupting her scanning. The squad leader guided her inside and sat her in one of the two chairs in the room. He knelt down and shackled her ankles to the chair legs, then removed her handcuffs and replaced them with the manacles which were chained to the leg irons. She endured it with silent dignity, not making a sound or even looking at the soldiers. Once secured, the squad leader stood back. He expected some kind of reaction from her, even if it was just a defeated slumping of her shoulders. She refused to acquiesce. He shrugged to himself and motioned for his team to leave. The door slammed behind him. River’s thoughts went back to the crew. They were here. She would get them out, make sure they were safe. And then she would go back. She counted the minutes while she waited in the room. It was a simple, rational act that calmed her fears and kept her mind under control. After fourteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds, Major General Kriegel made an appearance. She sensed he had received some kind of admonishment from his boss rather than the praise he expected, and was a bit sour about it. Her most immediate concern, though, was Inara, and that was her first question to him. “Miss Serra was injured in the fight with your friends onboard Serenity. She’s recovering at Captial City Hospital,” Kriegel said as he sat down. “I must say, River, we’re very glad to have you back. You’ve been missed at the Academy.” River offered no response of any kind to his comment, just staring straight at him. He gave her a fake smile, and she wondered why he thought to treat her like a child. Then she realized he did it to convince himself she was not that dangerous, as if believing it would make it true. She flicked her eyes to the armed guard posted inside the door. They were afraid of her. Ariel twitched an almost proud, yet disdainful smile inside. Kriegel grew a little uncomfortable beneath her penetrating gaze. He cleared his throat. “I know that you turned yourself in without incident, as you promised, but I’m not so sure we’ll be able to just let your friends go. They’ve all committed some very serious crimes of their own.” “They don’t have any value to you. Only I do,” she stated with cool rationality. “Why do you say that?” “Because without me, they have no proof. No one will believe them.” Kriegel wondered if she deduced that herself, or if she had read it from his mind. He tried his best to remain calm and not reveal his thoughts before he spoke. “Maybe. But Captain Reynolds was a volunteer for the Independents, and a decorated veteran of the bloodiest battle in the war. That carries some weight, together with his involvement in the Miranda incident.” “The captain doesn’t want to start the war again. He just wants to keep his family safe.” Kriegel frowned at the word “family.” “You mean his crew,” he clarified. “Yes,” River concurred quietly. She dropped her gaze and he saw the first flicker of emotion cross her face since he sat down. “Does this family include you?” Kriegel followed his instincts with the question. “No. I don’t belong.” Her answer was muted though, head still down so a few strands of hair hung in her face. “Where do you belong, then?” “The Academy.” “Are you sure?” She raised her head, the blank expression returning. “No doubt, of course,” Kriegel answered for her. “Well, we should get you back to there as soon as possible then. Dr. Qin is in charge now, did you know that?” He stood up. “You’re not going to release them.” It was not a question. “No,” he confirmed. “I think they need to accept the consequences of their actions, just as you did.” He gave her his fake-sympathetic smile again and turned for the door. “Then you will have to kill me.” Kriegel froze for a second, before turning to face her again. “What did you say?” “If you won’t release them, you will have to kill me.” She was not looking at him. As near he could tell she was staring at the wall behind his chair, face devoid of expression. He leaned on the table to put his head in her field of vision. “Now why would we have to do that?” “Because until they’re released, I will fight you until either you’re dead, or I am.” Kriegel’s face hardened. He was about to admonish her rashness, but suddenly she locked eyes. Before him now was a ruthless killer instead of the withdrawn young woman. He had only seen eyes like that in the heads of the most remorseless and brutal men, serial murderers and violent psychotics. The transformation was disturbingly rapid and complete. “I don’t think that will be necessary,” he rose, mostly so he would not have to look into those eyes anymore. She returned her gaze to the wall. Kriegel regarded her, concerned, but not ready to give in to her threat by any means. He turned to the guard. “Prepare her for transfer. I’ll be taking her right away. No less than three guards on her at all times,” he flicked an eye at her. “Yes sir.” Kriegel left along with the guard, who presumably went to fetch two of his comrades, leaving River alone. She sunk forward in her chair, not from dread but from the burden of what she knew she had to do. She had hoped, even though it was very faint, that Kriegel would take her seriously, and that the Alliance would be reasonable and let Serenity go. But they only understood one thing. She would give it to them, then. She did not have a choice. Her escort returned shortly, all three armed with their sonic rifles. They were not soldiers, but the regular military police like she had seen in the control room. Two stood behind her while the third knelt down to undo the shackles from the chair. She stood up obediently after they were unlocked and two of the guards each put a hand beneath her arms to hold her while the other went to refasten her legs. When his face was closest to her feet, she struck. Leveraging her upper body against the grip of the guards, she snapped her legs up like a whip, catching the third in the jaw with both feet, flinging him back and cracking his head on the table behind him. Thrown off balance, the two holding her collapsed into a pile of limbs, dragging her down with them. She hit the floor hard enough to see stars, but did not stop moving. She rolled over top one of the guards, ripping the rifle from his grasp. Just barely able to maneuver it with her still-shackled hands, she came up on one knee and fired two quick shots, one to take down each of them. All three were unconscious now. Taking a few quick breaths to steady herself, she got up and quietly shut the door. Kriegel pushed into the interrogation room, wondering what was taking the guards so long. He saw why as soon as he entered. Two of them were bound together, one leg each in the shackles. The third had one wrist in a cuff, and the other cuff secured to the table leg. He saw blood crusting on the hair of that one. Alarm screaming through him, he reached for his sidearm, but it was not there. Instead, he felt the faint pressure of it against the back of his skull. “I warned you, Major General.” The soft words were close to his ear, though River was too short to actually whisper directly into it. He could not believe this was happening. How could she have disabled three guards when she was shackled and bound? “Walk,” she commanded, drawing him backwards through the door. He was still too stunned to resist. His mind finally started to work again while she pushed him towards the main door. “Tell them to open it,” she ordered. He furiously tried to think of a way to at least stall her. “Don’t think about it, Major General,” she jammed the pistol harder against his head. “Do it.” He realized with a sinking sensation in his stomach that she could hear every thought in his mind. There was no way to out-maneuver her. Licking his dry lips, Kriegel pressed the call button on the intercom. “It’s Kriegel. Open the door.” “Yes sir,” the dutiful guard in the control room answered. River kept her small frame pressed close to Kriegel’s back, hiding behind his larger bulk as she forced him through the door. The guard in the control room frowned when he noticed the Major General’s anxious look and odd, jerky walk. “Is everything okay, sir?” he asked, taking a step outside his booth. “Get back!” Kriegel shouted. “Stay there!” River countermanded, peering out from behind her captive, making sure the pistol she held to his head was clearly visible now. The guard froze. “Get into the control room,” she told him. He did not move. “Go,” she growled, cocking the hammer for emphasis. Kriegel flinched. The guard blinked, finally coming to his senses. He raised his hands a little and backed into the room. She shoved Kriegel in after him and slammed the security door shut, locking it. Still holding Kriegel at gunpoint, she turned to the guard. “Get in the corner and shackle yourself.” The guard nodded obediently, grabbing a set of shackles from the wall and settling on the floor. River watched until he was safely secured. “Sit,” she pushed Kriegel into the control room’s chair. “River, whatever you’re doing, it won’t work,” he tried to open a dialog with her. “You can’t escape from here.” The pistol flashed from his head and blew a hole in the chair five centimeters from his crotch. “Okay, okay!!” he cried, red-faced with instant panic. “What do you want me to do?” “I want you to call your superior.” Fighting to calm his rattled nerves, Kriegel opened up the wave channel and dialed the code. Chu-yu’s head appeared after a few seconds wait. “Yes, Major General, what do you need now?” “Representative, we have a problem.” “What kind of prob…” Chu-yu finally looked into his com screen and was struck mute when he saw the major general with a gun pressed to his temple by River Tam. A vague sense of recognition overtook River. She could not precisely identify the man, but he seemed distantly familiar. She disregarded the sensation and spoke to the screen. “Representative Chu-yu, you will arrange the release of Captain Reynolds and the rest of the crew of Serenity. In exchange for that, I will return to the Academy willingly. I have a guard and Major General Kriegel as hostages. You have ten minutes to wave me back with your answer. After that, I will kill guard first, and then Major General Kriegel.” She saw Chu-yu’s mouth work as he strained to gather his composure. “Well… I…. Miss Tam, that is going to be very difficult to do. I don’t think…” Without taking her eyes off of the screen, she swung the pistol towards the shackled guard. The man shrieked as the bullet tore his knee to a bloody mess. “That man has a wife and two children. He’s thinking about how much he would miss them, and what they would do without him if something happened. Do you want to be responsible for his death?” Chu-yu had the most extraordinary expression of shock on his face. “Ten minutes,” River repeated and cut off the wave. Chu-yu’s mouth gaped at the now blank screen. Incomprehension overwhelmed his brain for a few more seconds. He could not believe the audacity of the girl, or the incompetence of Kriegel. Anger simmered up, replacing his shock. He was not someone who took kindly to threats, especially those made by a psychotic freak experiment like River Tam. He slammed the page button on his com. “Get me the commander of Abydos base immediately!” he shouted to his secretary. At the same time, he entered the wave code for Dr. Qin. His com station beeped for along time, but the Academy head administrator did not answer. Chu-yu punched the cancel button on the screen. “Xian xian. I have Brigadier General Knowlton for you from Abydos base,” his secretary said through the intercom. “Put him through!” he almost snarled to her. His screen lit up with the moustached face of the Brigadier General. “Nin hao, Representative Chu-yu. How can I be of service…” “Zhu zui! ” Knowlton was shocked into silence by Chu-yu’s viciousness. “Brigadier General, you have a serious su zhou shi on your base. River Tam has taken control of your brig and is holding Major General Kriegel and at least one of your guards hostage. She’s made some demands that will result in your guard and Kriegel getting killed if they are not met. I have no intention of capitulating to her. You get your men down to that brig and subdue her! However, she is not to be killed under any circumstances. Am I very, very clear?” The shock kept rolling across Knowlton’s face. “Yes… yes sir. Right away!” he stammered. Chu-yu ended the wave and quickly re-dialed the code from which Kriegel had called him. He wanted to see what that cu ye chang fu looked like when an entire military base of Federal troops descended on her. There were a little less than three minutes remaining on her deadline when klaxon alarms started going off all around. River expected as much. Whoever came after her was not her concern. She knew the control room would be nearly impenetrable to anything less than demolition charges. It was built to survive this exact kind of situation. She was more concerned about whether the representative would accede to her demand. She had resolved herself to this choice, knowing she would not be able to bluff her way out of it. She was prepared to do what was necessary. The ends justified the means at this point. However, the most frightening part of it was that she could no longer tell whether it was her or Ariel in charge. She felt no distinction between her two personalities anymore. Ariel’s ruthlessness mixed equally with her reluctant acceptance of the plan. -They finally succeeded,- she thought, momentarily overwhelmed by a surge of disgust and self-loathing. She shut off those feelings as the com station alerted her to an incoming wave. She made Kriegel switch it on. Representative Chu-yu’s face appeared. “Miss Tam,” Chu-yu’s voice dripped sarcasm. “I think you will find your demands rather untenable in your current situation. I have alerted the base commander to your actions, and he should be arriving shortly with a significant force to take you down. Would you like to reconsider your options?” “We’re sealed in the brig control room, Soong!” Kriegel yelled. “It’s a gorram security vault!” Chu-yu’s confidence suddenly wavered. The representative had not counted on that little fact. “One minute, Representative.” “Now, Miss Tam. I’m sure we can work out some kind of other arrangement that will be suitable,” Chu-yu pressed for time. “No. The arrangement is what I said. Release the crew of Serenity. You have thirty seconds before an innocent man loses his life to your indecision.” “Miss Tam, we both know you will not harm anyone. You’re not a murderer.” -Yes I am. You made me into one.- She pointedly did not look at the guard as she raised her pistol. “No! No…” his cries were cut off by its roar. Blood and gray matter splattered the wall behind him and he slumped to one side. Kriegel and Chu-yu shared looks of complete astonishment. River never took her eyes off the screen. “Ten minutes, Representative,” she said levelly, and cut the wave off. Chu-yu did not recognize the sensation churning in his gut as he slumped back in his chair. It was helplessness. The parliamentarian had not experienced that feeling in such a long time. He was always in charge, always the one calling the shots and giving orders. He could barely fathom that someone else might be able to coerce him into doing something. He reacted in the only way he new how. He grew enraged. His dark face darkened even more as crimson blotches dotted his cheeks. “Get me Knowlton again!” he practically screamed to his secretary. This was intolerable. An act of terrorism on the highest level. She had killed an innocent man, a soldier just doing his duty. He vowed he would see her brought down for this. “Knowlton,” the brigadier general answered. His image bounced around the screen, so he must have been on a portable unit. “It’s Chu-yu. Are you in position yet?” “Almost there.” Chu-yu listened to the panting of the officer and the thunderous rattle of armored and booted feet tromping down the corridors of the base. “Okay, we’re here.” He waited while Knowlton issued orders to his men. “Report to me,” he demanded after a few moments. “Looks like there’s… three people inside. The guard is wounded in the head. Probably dead. Then there’s the girl and Major General Kriegel.” “You have to get in there and disable her.” “I’m sorry, sir,” Knowlton’s face was apologetic. “It’s not that easy. The control room was designed to withstand the worst prison riot we could imagine, and then some. The windows are bullet-proof and rated against the shock of a standard grenade. The walls are reinforced concrete and steel. It’s even got its own independent power supply, so we can’t cut it from the outside.” “Kriegel’s got less than ten minutes! What can you do?” “I… I’m sorry, sir. It’s going to take us a lot longer than that to figure out a way to get inside.” That so unfamiliar sense of helplessness descended on Chu-yu again. “Well, get working on it. I’ll try and stall her longer.” “Yes sir.” River watched as troops surrounded the control room. They took positions all around, but no one moved. There was obviously very little they could do. Five minutes remained on her most recent deadline. She glanced at Kriegel. He was trying not to show fear, but she could feel it leaking out around his control. She would have to play this part very carefully. Kriegel was her leverage. Chu-yu may have had no qualms about sacrificing a lowly prison guard, but she estimated he would be much more reluctant to do the same with Kriegel. For his part, she sensed Kreigel hoped so as well. The com blinked and Kriegel accepted the wave. She stared hard at the face of Chu-yu who stared back at her with hatred and anger. She waited. “The answer is still no, Miss Tam,” Chu-yu announced. River felt a surge of panic wash over her from Kriegel. Without a response, she shifted the pistol. “No!” Kriegel cried, real fear in his eyes. She shot him in the right calf. “Ahhh! You feng wu quing shui xing yang hua …” he shrieked, falling out of his chair and clutching both hands to the wound. The soldiers outside tensed and shifted nervously at hearing the gunshot, but were unable to do anything. “Four more minutes,” she told the representative. Beneath his anger, she saw distress in his eyes. “Perhaps you would like to reconsider your options?” she added with a twist of sarcasm. Chu-yu rounded on her. “You will pay for this! Murder of an innocent man. Murder of an Alliance military officer. Kidnapping and taking hostages. Terrorism and extortion. The High Court will have your head and toss it back to you!” Foamy flecks of spittle hit the camera as he shouted at her. “Three minutes, Representative.” Chu-yu slumped back in his chair, emotions spent for the moment. He looked scared, uncertain. “Soong,” urged Kriegel, still clutching his bleeding leg. “Just do it. Let them go.” “What am I supposed to do when it gets out I just released the biggest fugitives in the ‘verse?” “Make something up. Say there wasn’t enough evidence. Or they were just lackeys, and we cut them a deal because they gave us information on who the real culprits were. Just let them go!” Chu-yu’s face darkened again with anger, but it was less intense this time, and more based on frustration. He ended the wave, and Kriegel’s face blanched. “Where are you at, Knowlton?” Chu-yu waved the base commander one more time. “I’m trying to get a demolition squad here, but it will take time.” “You have to do something!” “I’m sorry, sir. What I can do would probably end up killing both of them, and a number of my men as well.” Chu-yu sunk deep into his chair looking like he was about to explode. He did not, though. With the utmost of forced calm he said to Knowlton, “Very well. Keep this channel open. I will call her and tell her we will release the prisoners.” With forty-five seconds left, the com console signaled another incoming wave. Chu-yu glared at River through the screen, no attempt made to hide his hatred and spite. “We will release the prisoners,” he finally spoke after a few seconds of glaring. Kriegel hissed an audible sigh of relief. “I want to see them. We have to discuss terms,” River said in response. “Terms? Terms!? What…” Chu-yu composed himself. “Very well. I will have Knowlton bring them out.” Mal heard the pounding of many booted feet muffled through his cell door. He raised his head. A set of the boots stopped in front of his door, and he heard the lock disengage. The door slid into its pocket in the wall, and three soldiers peered in at him. “You’re coming with us,” one told him. “Where we goin’?” he asked, refusing to move both out of surprise and a desire to spite them. He did not get an answer, but instead was bodily hauled out of his cell. “Hey! Let go of me! I ain’t goin’ nowhere!” he protested as he was thrust into the main corridor. “Sir!” Zoe called out to him. “Zoe! You all right? Where the hell they takin’ us?” “Not sure, sir,” Zoe answered gruffly as she also resisted the soldiers sent for her. “Cap’n!” Kaylee cried. “Kaylee!” “Kaylee!” Simon shouted at almost the same time as Mal. “Simon! Oh, thank god!” Her voice broke with relief. “Rrgh! Get your ruttin’ hands off ‘a me!” Jayne was none too pleasant in dealing with the soldiers around him. He was forced into a group with the others and surrounded. They all were corralled through the main door and into the much larger sea of troops gathered around the control room. Everyone looked around in silent anxiety. “Uh, Mal. This don’t look good,” Jayne said softly. Mal only nodded. “River!” Simon startled them all. River saw her brother cry out as he spotted her behind the control room window. She almost leaped forward and cried out as well, but she disciplined her will and stayed her emotions. “The prisoners are coming out now,” she heard Knowlton’s voice through Chu-yu’s wave. “There. Are you happy, Miss Tam?” Chu you asked sardonically. “Now, what are these terms?” River flicked on the intercom. “General Knowlton, give Captain Reynolds your Cortex unit.” Knowlton looked at her with distrust, then glanced at his screen. Chu-yu nodded. Knowlton handed Mal the unit. “Captain, please signal this wave code.” She gave him the code for the control room. Mal stared at her with an almost absurd look of confusion, but shook himself awake and entered the code. She accepted the second wave, splitting her screen between Chu-yu and the captain. “They will get an escort out of this prison and back to Serenity, which will be waiting for them fully fueled and with no bugs or tracking devices on board. They will get as much time as they need to thoroughly inspect the ship for any such devices. If the captain tells me he’s found one, Major General Kriegel will suffer the consequences.” She saw the stunned disbelief on Mal’s face and kept her eyes on the screen so she would not look at the others and potentially see the same look. “Inara Serra will also be transferred to Serenity.” “That could be dangerous for her. She needs…” “Simon will be able to take care of her. Just make sure she arrives on the ship. Once everyone is on board, Serenity will be allowed to leave on whatever course she wishes without fear of pursuit. When I am sure they are safe, I will surrender.” “Is that all?” bitterness oozed from Chu-yu. “Yes.” “Then I have some terms of my own. I don’t trust that your friends won’t try to aid in your escape again. So, Serenity will be forbidden from entering Osiris space. If she is caught anywhere near the planet, she will be fired upon immediately and any captured will have to face all that they have been charged with so far, plus whatever new charges may apply.” “Agreed,” River said without hesitation, even though she knew she was sealing her fate. No one would be coming to rescue her now. “No! River! Don’t do this!” she heard Simon’s shouts through Mal’s screen. The image shook and Simon was staring at her now, wide-eyed and desperate. “You can’t let them take you back!” he cried to her. She smiled gently at him, but it was filled with sorrow. “Take good care of Inara. And Kaylee, too,” was all she said. She saw his heart breaking in his eyes and she had to look away. When she looked back, Mal had taken over the screen again. “You don’t have to do this, lil albatross.” His use of her nickname nearly overwhelmed her. “Yes I do,” she told him. “Don’t have a choice. You have to protect your family, no matter what.” She saw in his face he understood, but that did not stop it from hurting. “Take good care of them.” Mal nodded soberly. “Go.” “River, no!” Simon struggled with the troops, trying to fight his way to her. “No, Simon!” Her words rang with an authority that was almost militaristic and stopped everyone. It was an order, and even the captain knew to obey it. “C’mon, Doc,” he said gently. Her brother could not tear his eyes away from her as the soldiers led him and the rest of the crew out. She watched them file past, even Jayne’s face full of complex emotions. When they were out of sight, she closed her eyes and bit back the tears that started to flow. Mal paced through the cargo hold, only half his attention on searching for any hidden tracking devices. Everyone else was going over the ship stem to stern, except Simon. River’s brother sat on the stairs to the catwalk, dazed and silent. Even Kaylee’s pleadings could not drag him from that spot. Mal let him be, knowing he would be no use searching for anything in that state. He heard a rumble shudder through the hull. “Sir, ship is docked. Airlock sealed,” Zoe called to him over the com. He jogged to the controls and opened the airlock. He waited impatiently until the other ship’s airlock finally opened. Two orderlies in paramedic uniforms appeared, pushing a stretcher upon which lay Inara. Even expecting it, he was not prepared for the wash of emotions that came over him when he saw her. Her usually glowing bronzed skin was unnaturally pale. An oxygen tube ringed her cheeks, and several drip bags slowly fed into the IV in her arm. Her dark hair was a mess, and she looked extremely fragile in only the thin hospital gown beneath the sheet over her. He ran to her side, grasping one hand and rubbing it between his palms. “Inara,” he called her name. Her eyelids fluttered and opened, finally resting on him. “Mal?” she asked, her voice weak and barely a whisper. “Yeah, it’s me,” he smiled. She managed a small smile in return. “Good to see you.” “Likewise.” The orderlies paused, looking at Mal expectantly. “Oh, uh, the doctor will help you get her to the infirmary. Doc,” he called to Simon. Simon did not move. “Simon,” he said with a little more emphasis. “Huh?” Simon finally glanced up. “Why don’t you give us a hand here?” It was a gentle order, but still an order. “Oh. Right.” Simon moved automatically to her side and helped Mal and the orderlies maneuver the stretcher to the infirmary. The four of them lifted her onto the exam chair. She made a soft sound of pain as they eased her down. “You okay?” Mal asked, hyper-attentive. “Yes,” she nodded slightly. “Thank you.” “Okay. Doc’s gonna take good care of you, so you just rest easy now. I’m gonna go see these two gentlemen out.” She nodded and gave his hand a squeeze. A small smile danced on her lips and it did wonders to lighten his heart for a moment. He turned to Simon who was still moving in a trance. “Simon,” he took him by the shoulders, looking directly into his eyes. “Inara needs you right now, so I need you here. Okay?” Simon blinked a few times. He was still broken and distant, but Mal saw some of his professional demeanor return. He patted the doctor on the shoulder and followed the orderlies out. Once they were away and the airlock sealed, he hustled upstairs. Kaylee and Jayne were rifling through the mess and galley in their search as he paused in the doorway. “Find anything?” “Nothin’” Jayne said, and Kaylee shook her head negative as well. “Good. Looks like the Alliance might be true to their word this time.” Jayne grunted with a half-mocking scowl. “Inara’s on board.” Kaylee turned her face to Mal and he saw she was almost shaking with the desire to run down and see her friend. “She’s awake. Simon’s lookin’ after her. Not to worry,” he soothed. “As soon as we’re outta here, you can go see her.” Kaylee nodded vigorously and took off for the engine room. Mal headed the opposite way for the bridge. “How are we Zoe?” he asked as he took the helm. “Medical transport’s clear. No bugs or sensors on board that I can tell. Jayne and Kaylee come up with anything?” “No.” “So… we ready then?” The question sounded casual, but her look was heavy, full of unexpressed thoughts. Mal returned it equally and only nodded his head. He locked down the helm and switched control to the nav computer. “Kaylee, get ready for full burn,” he called through the com. The he pulled the Cortex unit out of his pocket. River’s dark eyes were waiting for him. “We’re all clear,” he said, but his tongue felt thick as he spoke, slurring his words a bit. River only nodded. There was nothing more either of them could say, so Mal nodded back as well. They both understood. Reluctantly, he hit the button to close the wave, and she was gone. He set the Cortex down gently, eyes distant for only a moment. He activated the com again. “Kaylee, full burn… now.” River’s eyes lingered on the now empty half of the screen where Mal had been. She was not seeing the blackness. She was seeing his face still. She was seeing all of their faces. She did not want to forget. It was for them that she had done this. “Are you satisfied?” Chu-yu’s hard tone captured her attention away from her internal vision. “Yes,” she answered, the one word so laden that it almost did not make it out of her throat. “Good. Will you stand down now?” In response, she raised the pistol, ejecting the magazine and chambered round, and dropped it on the floor. She pressed the button to unlock the control room door. A half a dozen soldiers piled in and let loose with bursts from their sonic rifles. She felt only the briefest moment of the impacts before everything went dark.

M hao yi si, xian xian- "I'm sorry, sir." Mei wen ti. Jin lai- "It's not a problem. Come in." lie huo pi- bastard scoundrel xian xian- sir zhu zui- shut up su zhou shi- a mess that needs to be dealt with cu ye chang fu- insolent bitch feng wu quing shui xing yang hua- crazy remorseless bitch