Simon circled and backed away from Dobson warily. He had assumed a fighting stance, but he didn’t have enough faith in himself to believe he could actually beat this man. He didn’t get to back away far, as Sepia shoved him roughly, just in time for him to take one in the face from Lawrence Sr.

“Bet that smarts, don’t it Doc!” said Dobson “You know, it doesn’t hurt as much as Lawrence’s wife did. Or my two grandchildren. They wept for their father. I couldn’t make them feel any better about it, because it took us so long to find Lawrence’s body. My Junior wasn’t the brightest, but he tried hard. I was proud of him the day he got his undercover job as a fed. I worried for him, but he seemed to be doing all right for himself. Then, he got on that damn Firefly. I never saw him again! No one did!”

He punctuated this last with a wild flurry of punches. Some missed…most didn’t. Simon was shocked to think that anyone chasing him and River had any kind of family. But, that didn’t make sense, did it. Of course they did. They were flesh and blood just like him, and his sister, and their parents. In his shock, he let his guard down, and Dobson rang his bell for him, so loudly that Simon was sure he’d pass out.

He stood slowly after being knocked down twice. He was taking such a savage beating that he began to give up hope. Dobson advanced, and Simon quickly ducked the next punch, and put everything he had into punching Dobson’s knee. The man grunted and dropped. Simon backed away, knowing he was going to pay for that, and he did, as Sepia kicked him in the back, sending him sprawling in the dirt.

Outside the mouth of the cave, some jet noise kicked up.

“Sounds like a shuttle…standard short, if I’m not mistaken.” Dobson looked at Simon “Same kind of shuttle that a Firefly carries, right Doc? Sepia, would you mind?”

Sepia drew her small laser pistol, and moved for the mouth of the cave. Dobson advanced on Simon again. He feinted, feinted again, and punched Simon in