MÜNCHEN, June 2525:

River stepped out onto the dockyard of München racked with nervous emotions and a hunger to see everyone again. She arrived on a passenger vessel from Boros, having hopped on various transports and docks all the way from Londinium. It felt really good to be back - more than good, River felt delirious with happy feelings. She was used to blocking out peoples’ thoughts in busy places, but now she wanted to know if there was anyone familiar in the busy port that she might hitch a lift home with. She dumped her kit bag at a diner table and sat down, calling for a beer. When it arrived she sipped it, revelling in it’s malty taste and appreciating the excellent quality, having been schooled by Don Bay in the delights and pitfalls of serious alcohol consumption. She then closed her eyes and sought out any one of Serenity’s former crew who might be around.

It took some time as there were a lot of people around to filter through, like looking through lots of pictures trying to see if you recognised someone. She located Ishmael and then Hans’ son, Lukas, both at school, but not going home until the end of the week. Hans was not in München. Bane! Bane was here – shopping for parts with someone familiar to her, but not to River. She downed the rest of her beer and hitched up her kit bag, setting off to the junk yard to find Bane. River couldn’t help smiling as she headed there and as a result she was turning heads, even with her cap pulled down. She saw none of the appreciative glances however, but concentrated on Bane’s mind to give her direction.

Bane was going through the list in her head of what she had already and what she needed. Once she was in the Black that would be it, and if she didn’t get the right stuff, it wouldn’t get done. Her cousin, Wang Pye, Captain of the Antonia, wanted an EMP defence system like she had fitted on the Rosalyn all those years ago. Only because it was highly illegal, it had to be created in a way that was intrinsic to the ship. Bane’s w