Firefly is Joss Whedon's creation. Is there no end to that man's genius?

* * * * *

CHECK MATE: Pinned.

* * * * *

Zoe takes a deep breath and straightens up. “Monty's ship is a Magpie.”

“Monty?” Kaylee frowns, bewildered. “Monty from the war?”

“The very same. Without whom Cap'n'd be short of more'n a few teeth. Yeah. Monty,” Zoe replies grimly.

Wash takes her hand. “Magpie's are crappy old boats, bao bei. Poor manoeuvrability. Which makes them cheap. Very cheap. Not impossible others might buy 'em.”

Zoe looks him steadily in the eye, her expression deep and unfathomable. “Not impossible,” she echoes, but the words carry no conviction.

Kaylee raises a tentative hand. “Shou'n't we be tellin' the Cap'n about this?”

Zoe is just about to suggest a delay whilst she tries to work out the implications of their discovery when Mal's head pops up above the top of the ladder.

“Tell the Captain what?” he asks expectantly.

“'Fraid I may have oversold my husband's abilities, Sir,” Zoe improvises swiftly, ignoring Wash who's doing a melodramatic mime of being offended. “We got somethin' but he's findin' it hard to distinguish between a couple of models.”

“OK,” Mal says. “Jus' let me know when you got somethin' useful.” And he disappears back down the ladder. Zoe feels the same kind of relief she did in the war when an incoming seeker fell wide of her position. Meanwhile Kaylee chews her bottom lip and wonders why they're lyin' to the Cap'n.

* * * * *

Mal hasn't eaten a meal with his crew since Inara died. Kaylee ain't sure he's eaten much of anything. So it's a surprise to everyone when at 20:00 hours, he appears in the kitchen. Mealtimes haven't felt the same without him at the head of the table and most of the crew have been living off snacks, snatching a bowl of protein here or a hot drink there as the fancy takes them. Refuelling rather than dining together.

Mal looks disappointed and disoriented to see his people scattered around the kitchen and commons area. He'd been ho