Ever wonder what happened in the 2 edits near the end of the BDM between the order to stand down and the funeral, and the funeral and the confrontation between Mal and the operative?

INTERLUDE I

He completed his katas, resheathed his katana and smiled. His dislocated shoulders were healing, he was at about 80%, soon he would complete his mission. He knew she was there watching. "What are you doing, little girl?"

"You can't beat me. You won't live to see those better worlds you're building." She dropped from the top of the reaver ship she used to watch him. The katas fascinated her, the motions, the effect they had on his mind, the way he got calm and focused. She felt that twice before, once in the bar on Beaumonde, and just recently on Mr.Universe's moon when she took on the reavers.

He watched her as she danced away, her light dress barely covering her and swaying almost seductively to her movements. *Soon, little girl, soon. Nobody's leaving this moon for a while. not until a repair ship can get here.* He worked his shoulders through the range of motion still not believing that browncoat sergeant could actually best him. "I have always known that, Little Girl."

River Tam, she was a prodigy, truely amazing. She managed to kill 50 armed reavers starting with nothing but her bare hands. Yes ... she could be a formidable opponent, too bad he would merely say the safe word and shut her down. Now how fair is that, taking her when she could not fight back. *I'm building a better world ... better worlds.* He just shrugged and walked away

She was back the next morning ... and the next ... and the next... She brought her captured gladius on the second day and asked him to show her the moves. It seemed, after all, just a bit of choreography and how hard could dancing be for River Tam. And as they went through the katas she talked. Her boob of a brother, top 3% of the top 2% as he was, was too concerned with the physiological issues to even consi