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C H A P T E R 1

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Wash watched mesmerized as the Alliance cruiser sailed soundlessy past the Serenity. It wasn't the fact that a cruiser nearly brushed the tips of Serenity's athmospheric jet intakes - that had be done more than once. What really caught the attention of Wash and the remaining crew was the fact this cruiser wasn't alone. The cruiser was following suit two Alliance battleships and a couple Transports. One could think the War had resumed Zoe had breathed, and Mal had nodded.

If not for a break in the stabilizer exchange, requesting to shut down of the whole engine room, the Firefly would have been sensed by scanner logs. As it was, the four hours repair time had cooled the thermal signature way below scanner alarms. For the Alliance crews the Serenity was nothing more than one more lifeless asteroid between which Wash had parked the Firefly.

"Captain" a hushed voice came from the cockpit hatch. Mal turned around and saw a sweating Kaylee standing in the doorway. A grease stripe across her face showed where she had rubbed her arm across her forehead. Her eyes darted to the window, noticing the last Cruiser passing by, before settling on Mal again.

-"She's good as she will be."

-"I thought you had no transversal spare aboard."

Kaylee made a face while cleaning her hands on a tainted rag.

-"I didn't. I had to dissassemble the mule and because I had to do some welding, we won't be able to use the mule again."

-"And how are we to drag the boxes through the spaceport ?" Jayne scoffed

-"Do we perchance strap them on your back? Or mine, huh?!"

-"Jayne, that's enough" Mal said.

"We will look for various spare parts right after we get our Money at Port Payan. Wash, are the Alliance ships out of scanner range?"

-"Out of active range, yes. But they can still get us on passive and.."

-"No need to worry. The flew right past us