Mal stood there, Zoe was to his left, while Simon was caught at the tip of the Strangers' blade. Mal could easily just unload two shots from his pistol into this guy and be done with it. But, this guy seemed different. He was an Alliance lacky, and yet, he wasn't. Mal couldn't piece it together just yet; but he knew he had to do something, and quick.

"Operative." Voiced Mal in an attempt to gain the stranger's attention.

The oriental man turned his cold gaze towards Mal. "Operative, me? Please. I am not some *lui quan* who just recieved a promotion for butt-kisser of the year, Captain."

Simon took the oppertunity to make a dash away from the man and back to Mal and Zoe. Sad to say, but the Doc wasn't as fast in his step as he should've been. Without even looking the assailent extended his left arm foward, and jolted his wrist, causing the tip of his thirty-seven inch katana to stab into Simon's right shoulder. Simon jerked with pain and dropped to his knees.

"Son of a!" Mal shouted as he removed his side-arm and shot out two rounds towards the man's chest. He took both rounds and stumbled back a bit; but his body armor prevented any further penetration.

"wwwwhhheewwwww. You're a mighty quick one there Capn' Reynolds. Why, I's bet your the fastest gun this side of this here rim." The man mockingly said to Mal, in a very bad southern draw. Mal aimed his weapon dead for the stranger's head. "See, you done and did it. I don't know who you are, but you will burn in a gorram *diyu* for this."

"Is that so? Well, take..."

The man's words were cut short as Mal opened fire with two more rounds.

"Shenme?!?" Zoe said with utter suprise in her voice. The man had managed to avoid both rounds.

"Captain. You have no idea... You know, I'm tired of that line. It's something the bad guy always says, and I am not the bad guy here. I am mearly........No...wait. hehe, I am the bad guy."

With that said the man dashed towards Mal and Zoe, his blade at the ready, his long brown trench-coat blowing in the self made breeze. Mal was out of bullets, and Zoe was unarmed. The two of them would have to take this guy out; or die tryin'.

********* Back on Serenity, a small band of seven Alliance soilder's had boarded the boat. They had taken Inara and Kaylee prisoner, but River was missing. The soilder's had tied Inara and Kayle to a pole shaft in the hanger, where they could, and would, question them.

"Where is the other girl?" One of the soilder's asked Inara.

"There is no other girl you *xiaoping*." Inara's response did not sit well with the soilder. He back handed her with his right gloved hand. "The crew manifest reads as seven member's bein' assigned to this here boat. Now, I'll ask you again. Where is the other girl?"

The soilder's calm had just been damaged. He was under strick orders to obtain the boat and all her crew. He and the other soilder's had been hand selected, not by the Alliance, but by another agency. One led by the men who have hands of blue.

Inara trugged her face back to look up at the tall soilder. Her red lupshish bottom lip had begun to split. "*quanshi pu-chin*. There is no one else."

The soilder grunted and raised his hand. Luckily, for Inara, he was interrupted by the sound of the main hanger doors opening. The other five soilder's quickly stood at attention, salutes and all as a tall man entered the hanger of the boat; the dim evening sunlight beaming in behind him. He was very broad and muscular in his build. He was around seven-feet five inches in height. He was adorned in a sleevless black body armor with a grey leather bomber jacket over that. Grey combat pants and black steel toed comabt boots finished off his attire. He was bald with a black bar-code and UPC-number tattoed on the left side of his head just above his ear. Inara and Kaylee's eyes widened as they saw him come into complete light and saw what he was carrying over his right shoulder. It was Jayne.

"Jayne!" Shouted Kaylee.

"What have you done to him?" Inrara chimmed in. The man dropped Jayne like a bag of rocks. "Your friend shot me. He had to be punished." The deep Russian accent seemed to pierce through all in the room.

Jayne was bloodied, his right arm bone was slightly sticking out of his arm. He opened his eyes for a mear moment and muttered incoherently then fell back to unconsiouness. The large russian man looked around for a quick spell. "There are Seven soilder's. Yet, I see only six. Where is other Soilder?" He asked in his broken english.

"Lt.Gregor went to look for the other passenger. Th..t...the one named River. Sir." The soilder studdered a bit as he answered the Russian.

"Aeru`Khai!" A soft male voice called out the Russian's name. "River Tam is the only objective that matter's here. Find her. Now!" The voice ordered from behind the large man.

The large Russian mumbeled to himself. "*Piyu-pai sho zouxiao* Captain Hitori has other plans. He sees River Tam as obstacle. Girl is not threat. He wants Captain Reynolds and crew. The much smaller man straightened his black-white laced tie and put on a pair of blue latex gloves. "River Tam, Aeru`Khai. *dong ma*?" The man's voice was soft and elegant yet spoke with order as he looked up at Aeru`Khai.

"Of course. Your word.......is law." Aeru`Khai smirked as he answered. He picked Jayne back up, and flung him over his shoulder like a rag doll. His heavy footsteps thundered as he made his way to Inara and Kaylee.

"Ladies. You'll speak answers. Or you will join friend, no?" *********** "Gorram DIYU!" Mal shouted as he tried to leap out of the way of the stranger's attack.

The man flipped his blade behind him, digging the bottom of the handle of the man's katana into Mal's left rib cage. Zoe had not been sparred either. She was swept off her feet by the stranger's right foot as he slid during his attack. He then side rolled in mid air and landed on his left foot.

"pfftt. Captain, I expected a hell of a lot more from you."

Mal slowly stood to his feet. "I aim to please." "Capn'." Zoe said as she looked behind Mal. She could see Simon. He had gotten back up and retrieved Zoe's saude-off shot gun. He cocked it and aimed it.

"*WEI*! Get away from them, now." Shouted Simon. He held the gun low with his left hand.

Zoe and Mal made there way to Simon's side. The man dropped his blade and placed his hands in the air. He watched the three, his cold black eyes seem to turning an odd burgendy.

"Go on, shoot. C'mon. Show me what a brown coat is made of." He egged and played on Mal and Zoe, he didn't seem to care about Simon, or the gun he was holding."

Mal swiped the gun from Simon's hand. "See you in......arhhhrahhh!" The three were cut short as they fell to their knees, holding their ears. An incredibly high pitched sound was emitting from inside the second car of the train. Blood slowly began to trickle from their noses. The stranger seemed to close his eyes, as if he was tuning out the sound.

"Hitori. You have forgotten your objective. These three should've been killed an hour ago. You're playing around; enough!" A pair of very well kept black dress shoes stepped out onto the stairs of the second car.

"Turn that damned thing off." Hitori spoke out.

The man reached inside his left jacket pocket and the sound stopped. Mal, Zoe, and Simon were all unconsious. Blood drying along their noses and ears.

The well dressed man walked up to Hitori. "Go back to the meet site. You and Aeru`Khai will be debriefed there. You two have to be punished for your lack of following order's from your supieriors."

"heh. If you say so, blue boy." Hitori sarcastically spoke as he leaned down, looking up at his supierior, picking up his blade, twirled it infront of the man, as if to intimidate him. He flipped back the right side of his long brown trench-coat exposing a black iron sheath. He elegantly and gracefully resheathed his weapon, and began to tap his ear piece and com-over to a soilder for a pick up.

"Well well well, Captain Reynolds. Did you think that your little stunt with the signal would stop us from taking River?" The man said as he kneeled down next to the unconsious Captain. "You were wrong. Very wrong." He stood back up, and looked back toward the misty mountains that layed along the grassy and forested holler. A wicked smile came across his pale face. "Men of two......Hands in blue..."