The story continues. Sorry if this chapter seems to be a lot shorter than the others, sadly this was unavoidable for reasons thai won't bore you with. Iv'e kept in everything of importance and i hope that you enjoy this.

Special thanks go out to all those who commented on my last piece, more of the same please! Same deal as last time, all comments welcome even critiscm so long as its constructive.

Obviously I don’t own Firefly or Serenity…blah blah blah… Joss Whedon rules the world…blah blah blah… Hope that you like it. Yay fanfic!

Chapter One.

Mal gazed around the common area, his eyes alighting briefly on each grief stricken face. Each member of the crew had responded differently to the news of Monty’s death; from Kaylee who was even now weeping softly in Simons arms, to River who had sat stock still an head bowed throughout the entire tale muttering to herself in a quiet sing song voice and casting the occasional veiled looks at Jayne or Zoë. But the time for weeping was long past and now there were questions that needed to be answered.

“Do we actually know what it is he wants?”, asked Inara, her usually smooth and silken voice made rough by repressed tears.

“You mean besides wanting us all dead?”, answered Mal. “Don’t truly know and I don’t truly care. He means harm to me and mine and that’s all that matters”.

“But wasn’t there some sort of amnesty?”, queried Simon, his brow furrowed from concern. “I mean didn’t the Operative say that he’d tell the Alliance that we were no longer a threat?”

“Yeah well apparently they weren’t listening--”, began Mal, but he stopped short as River’s head shot up, wide eyed and fearful.

“They don’t stop”, her voice blank and unemotional. “They never stop. Knock one down and another takes it’s place. They can’t stop, too much faith not enough sense. They don‘t think, just obey. Kill, maim, steal. No questions asked”.

“Well whatever the hell it is that he’ after I don’t intend to let him waltz in here and take it”, replied Mal his hands clenching in determin