All standard disclaimers apply. I don't own these characters, Joss does.

Routine “Health and Safety” inspections of cargo vessels were rarely routine. Which is only fair because they were rarely about health nor safety of the vessle being inspected. It was all a game, a dance that the Alliance and the various cargo ships, smugglers and the like performed with each other.

Serenity had been ordered to heave to 3 days out of Borus. The faster patrol ship popped out of nowhere, demanded permission to board, and warned of the destruction that awaited if they should flee.

River and Simon hurriedly moved to Inara’s shuttle, before Mal could ask. As a professional companion, and a beautiful lady, it was hoped at least the inspectors would not check her private shuttle too carefully. Besides, companions had friends, and no one wanted to wreck their carreer for making a friend of the powerful too uncomfortable.

Now Mal was seated at the dining room table of his own ship, across from the Alliance captain. Ship’s papers spread all over. Next to a computer laptop used by the Alliance officer.

“From your logs, I see you get around a lot. How long have you been Master of this vessle, Captain Reynolds?”

“It says right there, 4 years and some change.” Mal replied over his crossed arms. Polite, but not friendly, far from friendly.

“And before that?”

“I, uh, bummed around a lot, since the war.”

Looking up over his computer screen,“You were in the war? You are that Malcolm Reynolds?”

“Well I am not sure which one you are looking for. But my service record is no secret.”

“You were at the battle of Serenity Valley? One of the Independence Survivors?”

Mal looked deep into the eyes of the older man across from him, not at all sure what this was about. “Umm. War has been over a long time now.”

“Just answer the question.”

I am, er, was, Sergeant Reynolds. I was at Serenity Valley.”

“Served under Lietenant Andrew Baker?”

“Yes.”

The man across from Mal aged 20 years in the blink of an eye.