“SIMON!”

Freezing at the sound of hurried footsteps towards the infirmary, Simon’s blood went cold with dread. Something had happened. There was no other reason for Kaylee to have returned so early from the marketplace and to be screaming his name with such a frightened tone of voice.

“Kaylee?” Putting down the tools he’d been cleaning, Simon hurried out of the infirmary and met his sweetheart in the hallway. She looked big-eyed and terrified. “What is it?” He asked, placing his hands on her trembling shoulders. “Where’s Shazza? What happened?”

“Alliance…officials!” She panted out, bending over, clearly out of breath. “In the marketplace! They had images of River!”

Cursing fluently in Chinese, Simon hated the Alliance more now than he ever had. Why wouldn’t they leave his sister alone? Why couldn’t they just let her try and live her life?

“Shazza went to warn Mal and the others.” Kaylee straightened once more. “I’m going to warm up the engines so we can take off the moment they come here. Get the infirmary ready in case they need it!”

Simon nodded, giving Kaylee’s shoulders a squeeze and hurrying to the infirmary once more as she took off towards the engine room as fast as a bullet.

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It all seemed to happen in slow-motion.

One second they’d been trying to leave the bar, the next the officers had entered and seen them, drawing their weapons as they realized that their prey was inside---and the next all hell broke loose.

Dodging the tranquilizer darts whizzing past her, River grabbed the nose of the still warm gun and jerked it out of the officer’s hands. With a quick maneuver she’d brought the metal hard against his head, sending him falling to the ground, his own blood staining his weapon.

He was unconscious yet not dead. She didn’t want to kill anymore, didn’t want to feel the rush of satisfaction and pleasure she