“Come on here let’s be adults.” Mal stepped back with his hands up. Mal and Zoë were out numbered and backed against the corner of a small storage room. “See, look I’m being an adult and putting my gun away.” Mal put his gun away in his holster. Mal turned to Zoë. “Zoë, you gonna put your gun away?”

Zoë just looked at him. “I wasn’t planning on it, Sir.”

Mal laughed. “Zoë.” Mal stressed her name. “Put your gun away so we can talk like normal folk.”

“Sir, I don’t think the 5 men pointing guns at us are normal folk.”

“You have a point there.” Mal stepped in closer to the men. “As my first mate has finely pointed out you out number us 5 to two.” Mal gave them a huge smile.

“Mal, Mal, Mal.” An older woman stepped in between the men who were pointing their guns at Mal and Zoë.

“Patience, you want to call off your boys?” Mal asked.

“No.” She replied flatly. “Zoë.”

“Patience.”

“Mal, Mal after all I’ve done for you this is how you repay me? By stealing what’s mine.”

“Won’t yours to steal.”

Patience shrugged. “Schematics.” She walked closer to Mal and Zoë. “You know goodness well, that if it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t even have meet Colby and now your stealing jobs from me and mine.”

“He went with the prettier of folks.” Mal walked up to Patience and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Look because I’m a generous person I’ll give you 3% of our take.”

Patience looked at Mal’s hand as if it was covered in maggots. “Mal you don’t seem to understand what I am saying here. I want what is owe me.” She plucked Mal’s hand off her shoulder.

“5, Patience. We were the ones who put our butts on the line all you did was sit there.”

“After all I’ve done for you. You insult me by offering me 5%? If it weren’t for me you wouldn’t have that rusty piece of niu lashi you call a ship.”

“No need for name calling.” Mal stood beside Zoë. “Did you here what she called our ship?”

“She has a point sir.” Zoë replied.

Mal gave her a sharp look. “Yeah on the top of her head. Zoë, you calling Serenity…”

“Well give you seven.” Zoë