Firefly, Serenity, and all related proprietary characters are the intellectual property of Joss Whedon and corporations with whom I have no affiliation. Said property does not belong to me, and the fictional story below is of my own creation. (I don’t own ‘em, just like to play with ‘em!)

**********************

Patience seemed almost amused as she cast her eyes over the mule. “Welcome back, Reynolds. Not that you’ll be leavin’ again, but nice to see you all the same. I see you brought your daughter this time… something happen in the last little bit to whatever fēng kuáng dì whore you knocked up to create such spawn?”

Mal pushed down the anger boiling in his blood as he stepped off the mule. “Same old cretin as the last time I left you for dead. I’m not sure why I’m surprised. Now why don’t you let these nice people go? Then you an’ I can have our thing out, an’ maybe if everyone’s real lucky, nobody ends up dead.” Zoë and River got off behind him, but stayed a step back to either side.

Patience laughed aloud. “Seems I’m not the only one who hasn’t changed. It’s too bad really, when Badger told me some off-worlders were coming down, doing some business behind my back, I was thinkin’ I could just shoot someone as an example, shake both sides down for most of the loot, be on my merry way. But then your contact said the seller was Lord Harrow of Persephone, so I thought I’d see who was carryin’ for that almighty jackass and re-evaluate. Man has some power behind him. This is turnin’ out to be a lot like actual work.”

“Much as I love this palaver, me an’ mine got places to be… so why don’t you just tell me what it is you want me to relay to Lord Harrow, and leave us the gorram alone?” Mal’s temper was beginning to get the better of him.

Patience only smiled in response, then motioned something to one of her escort. A second later, one of the six buyers had a bullet through his leg. “What were you saying, Reynolds? I thought you just said to kill your contacts, but I could have mish