CHAPTER 1

The Alliance had just near covered the calendar with holidays to celebrate their great selves and Mal had no shame in using each and every one to start a brawl. He sat in a quiet corner of a bar on Persephone, having a drink with Jayne and Zoë, surveying the crowd for opportunities while losing miserably at a game of Mahjong. At the moment, the bar seemed disappointingly tame and under-enthusiastic about the holiday. He’d give it another twenty minutes and hop over to the next one. They needed to be off world within the hour and Mal wanted to get a decent fist fight in beforehand.

“Another round?” he asked, gathering the circle of empty mugs and heading for the bar. Zoë merely nodded and Jayne reclined, gnawing on an unlit cigar, complaining about the new policy against lighting up inside public establishments. A belly-dancer shimmied past Mal as he stood and wove his way through the sea of people. The bar was crowded, but not so much that the bartender didn’t recognize a paying customer when he saw one. He refilled Mal’s three empty mugs immediately, appreciating the cash upfront. Mal had learned long ago never to open a tab if one intends to leave quickly. He nearly dropped the third mug as a sweet, weary voice beckoned the barkeep.

“Excuse me. I’m looking for a Mr. Jayne Cobb. I was told he might be drinking in here.”

Mal’s head whirled around in time to see the bartender shrug and the girl turn around to face the crowd. She couldn’t have been much older than Simon or much taller than Inara. Her dark hair fell in coarse waves down to her shoulders and her olive-drab coat hung loosely on her frame. She was a mixture of exotic features and well-kept clothing, but with the drooping demeanor of someone who’s been on a long journey. Her face was plain and her eyes clear as the sea, scanning the room for her quarry.

Quickly, Mal ducked toward the back table to warn the others, wishing they’d chosen a spot closer to the exit. Unfortunately, the girl had noticed him and was half a step behind him