Chapter 1

Despite what a good day Mal told Simon it had been, he slept like a rock the night after they left Whitefall. A rough, large, heavy rock, the sort that annoyed farmers and builders when they had a hard time removing it from the land they thought they controlled. And, of course, a rock that snored. It was a good thing that Serenity’s crew quarters were at a good distance from each other.

But now the day had come, as time was reckoned in the black of space, and Mal drifted to the kitchen where most of the rest of his crew could be found lounging around. A lazy bunch, they were.

Mal grabbed a protein cake from the pile that Kaylee had prettily laid, and looked around before saying: “Anyone seen the doc? Bit late to be in bed for someone as orderly as that.”

“No, he hasn’t shown yet,” said Wash. “But I wouldn’t be surprised after the way you all treated him yesterday if he stays out of sight until we drop him off. Which, where exactly is that now that Whitefall is out?”

“What’s wrong with that plan?” asked Jayne, stabbing at his protein cake until it crumbled into dust. Mal wondered if it tasted better that way, or if it was just his instinct to destroy anything no matter how helpless. “Patience’d look after him and little crazy sis.”

“What are you thinking?” countered Kaylee, indignant. “They wouldn’t last a day without gettin’ killed, and you know it. I think you just hate Simon ‘cause he can outtalk you.”

“Fancy words don’ scare me none,” protested Jayne. “Jus’ don’t like folks who almost get us all killed, that’s all. And he got you shot.”

“Now, that ain’t fair,” defended Kaylee. “He didn’t mean to, and he apologized and fixed me up real pretty, and you woulda hated him more if he had let the Captain sell him and his sister to the purple bellies.”

“Hey, there,” broke in Mal with furrowed brow. “I didn’t know a speck of dust about any sister then.”

“Yeah, well, it don’t make no difference now,” finished Jayne, shoveling a mouthful of his newly made protein dust. “We’re all p