It was Coles on the comm, of course. Looking grim. Of course.

"It seems that the transaction cannot be completed, after all," he said.

"No," Mal admitted heavily. "No, I don't suppose so." Inara... Mal shoved the thought aside.

Wash was back in the pilot's chair, but he had done no more than to sit hunched over the console, his elbows on the edge and his head buried in his hands. Now, though, the sensors pinged, and he glanced sideways at them. "'Nother ship," he said. "Coming up fast."

Mal frowned at the readout. He'd been hoping to see Eusabian's yacht, by some miracle spared, but this was some sort of transport. Old transport. None of Eusabian's, certainly. Now what? On the screen, Coles appeared to be frowning at his own displays.

"They're hailing," Wash said, sounding mildly dazed.

"Bring it up on the other screen," Mal ordered, and the pilot complied.

River's face appeared, and Mal blinked. He barely recovered himself in time to not say her name aloud, with Coles still listening in.

"Well," he drawled, covering. "If it ain't my little albatross."

"Hello, Captain," River said. "I need your help."

Mal laughed out loud. As if he were in any kind of position to be of any use to anyone! And how in blazes had River got herself a ship, anyway?

"Captain, this ship is full of colonists. Or anyway, people who thought they were going to be colonists. But they were betrayed -- the crew were bringing them to Nassau Point to be sold as slaves. I took care of that. But, now I don't know what to do with them all."

On the other screen, Coles perked up. "Colonists?" he said.

Mal had momentarily forgotten Coles was still listening. "Seems to be what she said, yes," he replied, perplexed by Coles's sudden hungry expression. Was Coles going to take up slaving now, since industrial espionage hadn't worked out for him? And could Mal stop him? Or River, who at least had an intact ship to fly. Could River stop him?

"Captain," Coles said, his voice tight, his eyes glea