Shepherd Book approached the shuttle with what he felt to be an appropriate amount of caution. He heard voices, low and intense, but not the screaming and shouting he had expected. Quite a surprise, that. He was just a few feet from the door when the captain came striding out, saw him, and came to an abrupt halt.

"Shepherd," the captain hooked his thumbs under his suspenders and waited for the man of God to draw even with him. His voice was soft as he spoke, as though he didn't want to be overheard, "I'd be obliged if you could talk some sense into that hwoon dahn in there. He seems to think he can disobey a direct order and stay on my ship, which ain't likely to happen."

Book stared pointedly at the captain's bruised and bloody knuckles. "It appears as though you've already tried getting him to - see things your way, Captain. Don't know how much better I'd be at persuading him any different. I'm not real sure I want to try, if it comes to that."

"And why is that, preacher?" Mal raised his eyebrows enquiringly.

"I don't know that I think he's done anything wrong - other than disobeying you, that is."

The captain smiled tightly, “Well, then, maybe you'll be wanting to keep him company when I toss him off this boat. We're due on Athos in a few days. Should give you plenty of time to think about it."

Book allowed a faint smile to turn up the corners of his mouth as the captain brushed past him and stalked off toward the infirmary, muttering about complications and ungrateful passengers and the like. Somehow, he didn't think Mal would follow through on his threat to throw the mercenary off Serenity. Not unless he wanted to risk losing his mechanic as well.

He went inside the shuttle to find Jayne already hard at work, scrubbing a small amount of rust and corrosion off the control panels as he sat in the pilot seat, his back to the door.

"Jayne. What can I do to help you- oh, my Lord!" he drew in a shocked breath when Jayne turned to face him. The man's face was a bloody mess, and his