Not mine, but only Joss's and Mutant Enemies. No harm, no foul, no cashy money changing hands.

***********

Serenity waited out at the edge of Persephone’s orbit, and the second shuttle dropped down towards the uninhabited outskirts of the city at dusk the day before the appointed meeting. The plan was that Serenity would not arrive until after Mal and Atherton Wing had their conversation and the shuttle had rejoined Serenity. Mal had sent Lord Warrick a wave saying he would arrive in four days’ time to deliver Isabel’s beef; which they hoped would be enough to establish a time when they were not on Persephone.

Mal, Zoe and Jayne parked the shuttle in as secluded a place as they could find and started walking. They had twelve hours to make their rendezvous. They each carried a large duffle, Jayne’s full of weaponry, Zoe and Mal’s full of blankets with which to construct a simulacrum of Inara. Four hours of brisk walking brought the trio to the parade grounds, an empty field just outside the city, used by the local social clubs for fetes, carnivals and polo matches. It was the traditional spot for duels, and as such was studiously avoided by any local law enforcement. People who fought duels were not of a class to brook interference in their pleasures by a mere government employee.

Taking turns at watch, Mal, Zoe and Jayne passed the rest of the night. Well before dawn Mal and Zoe walked into the middle of the field and created something that might be a lying down woman; Mal spread a groundsheet and lay down on it next to the might-be-Inara, hands folded calmly on his belly, gun close under his coat.

“Okay, Mal, perimeter’s still clean. I’m taking my position,” Jayne’s voice spoke into Mal’s comm link.

“Shiny. Zoe’s just on her way, too. I think we’re good to go. Don’t shoot unless I tell you to, dong ma?” Mal said to Jayne on the comm and to Zoe as she stood above him.

“Got it, sir,” Zoe said. “But I’m not planning to let him kill you, sir. Just so you know.”

“I’m not planning on it, neither. Co