Disclaimer: I don't know how I got trapped in this 'verse. I blame, and yet somehow worship, Joss Whedon.

* * * * *

CHECK MATE: White knight blocks black queen's attack.

* * * * *

Mal runs a hand through his hair as he paces the kitchen floor, trying to formulate a plan, keenly aware that, as usual in times of trouble, all eyes are on him. “OK,” he says at last. “Jayne. I need you to track that shuttle down.”

Jayne snorts. “Can't track a thing through the black, Mal. Trackin's a planetside thing. Shuttles don't leave tracks....”

“Actually they do,” Wash interrupts, surprising everyone, even himself.

Mal looks at him with interest. “What you sayin', Wash?”

“Spacecraft can be tracked using a combination of thermal profiling, void-to-solid ratios and nav sat echo. It's standard military aircraft recognition procedure. And if she hasn't broken atmo, planet way stations will have logged her flight path.”

“Really? Well ain't that interestin'.”

“Ain't it just, sir.” Zoe agrees, scrutinizing her husband's face which suddenly seems a mite unfamiliar. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices a slight shift in the way Inara is looking at him too. “But we don't have a thermal profile of the shuttle..”

“Yeah! Yeah, we do. I just ran one.” Wash grins, embarassed to be taking the lead. “There was a bulletin on the Cortex that the Feds were doin' spot checks on ships with autonomous shuttles. Mention of a hefty fine if you couldn't identify your own shuttle. Seems there's been a lot of petty thieves stealing ....”

“Really?” Book asks. “Petty thieves? In this quadrant? Surely not.” And he gives Mal one of those looks that might earn anyone else a punch.

The Captain ignores him and turns to Kaylee. “You think you can hack into the way station network? Good girl,” he says as she gives him a confident nod. “OK then, let's find out where River's headin'.”

* * * * *

It's been a good few years since Lian Noe's been on a horse. He can't find his seat and his back is aching, so he's real please