"Ain't that a pretty bit to know." Mal grumbled. "Ya figure Ol' Carrion's playin' both sides?" He raised an eyebrow in Zoe's direction.

She nodded slightly. "Seems it could be so, sir. Can't see as he'd gain all that much. Maybe just playin' us for fools."

"Seems we could turn that count about." Jayne put in raising his weapon suggestively.

Wash resignedly hung his head. "I'll leave it to you guys to do the scheming." He tried, but couldn’t keep the whine from his words.

"Don't whinge, Wash." Mal gave one of his most brilliant smiles. "'Thout you we'da never known the 'Liance was even there." He patted Wash on the shoulder in a show of camaraderie. Not gently.

"So what's the plan, Mal?" Jayne peeked back over the rock. "We go for the job, or turn tail?" It was a legitimate question, but there was defiantly a longing for destruction in the mercenary's stance.

"I say we jump the hwoon dahn." Mal's grin joined Jayne's.

"Twenty Feds?" Zoe was being the voice of reason as usual. "Three against twenty?" She glanced significantly at her wounded husband. Wash grinned impishly.

Jayne scoffed. "That ain't so bad odds. Better if Wash'd hoist a piece." He winked knowingly in Wash's direction. Wash allowed himself a roll of the eyes.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Wash poured in all the sarcasm he could muster, "How 'bout you all go down there in flaming glory and leave me high and dry right here?" He knew that it was on their minds. Zoe immediately put her hand on his arm and gave him a stern look.

"Well, now, that ain't a bad one," Jayne began, but was quelled by Mal's look.

"I've got no notion to a direct assault on them Feds. We don't need that sorta trouble. However, we do need the job. So here's the plan."

Wash noted how quickly his not so humorous suggestion had been glossed over. Then he began to actually pay attention to the captain.

"…and Wash'll trot on back to Serenity and bring her about to cut off the skiff."

"Whoah!" Wash held up his hands. "You want to show th