CHAPTER 3

Mal checked that Zoë and Inara were armed and ready behind him, Cappy on the catwalk, sniper rifle ready. As soon as he tipped open the door, he was blown backwards by a blast of air – they’d over pressurized their airlock! By the time his head was up, there were ten of them, mostly young, strong, carrying weapons and egos that were bigger than they could handle. Clearly, they went for quantity of bullets, not quality of shot, and that was a tactic Mal could not respect.

“There’s a tax for traveling our territory,” the leader sneered as Mal came slowly to his feet. He was a punk kid and even if he weren’t, he surely behaved as one. His sleeveless shirt showed off a fire-breathing dragon tattoo – the mark of the Tao Wu.

“You didn’t post a sign.”

“I’m telling you now, old man.”

“You come here to talk me to death, boy.”

“I came to find out why you’re encroaching on my territory. You some Parliament spy?”

“I ain’t never worked for the Alliance,” Mal assured, adjusting the sit of his brown coat on his shoulders.

“Yeah, well we fought long and hard to be free from them. I bet they put their spy gadgets on here and you don’t even know it.”

Mal’s blood boiled at the gall of this kid who’d been naught but a sapling when Mal was fighting with the Independents. Kid probably didn’t even know there was a war. Didn’t know of any time outside of Alliance rule. He was an opportunist, using Miranda to turn Independence into something it never should have been. Mal clenched his fists, tightened his jaw, and held his tongue.

The kid circled haughtily, edging his way deeper into the hold. Mal held his ground.

“I bet this fei wu ain’t even worth the fuel we spent to chase her. I’m afraid you’ll owe me for that too.”

“Let me on my merry so I can earn my keep. Can’t take taxes from the destitute?”

“Oh, so you do have cargo hidden in here. Let’s see it.”

Mal brushed back the side of his jacket and laid a hand on his pistol. “We ain’t what stands between you and your next conquest. Tell me, how man