This is my first work of fiction to actually leave my house. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you'll point out where it needs help.

Disclaimer: Serenity and her crew and their ‘verse are Joss Whedon’s babies. This takes place after Objects in Space, before the comics.

Chinese translation: Wo de tien ah = Old sky father. Used as "OMG"

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He’d been warned about the heat, had been told it would be “a might warm” as it were, but as the hatch began to open and the first breath of fresh air ebbed around him, he suddenly realized that he’d had no idea what “hot” really was.

This is gonna be unpleasant, he thought.

The hatch slowly lowered and more air rushed in, seeking a way into the ship and not finding it. It brushed across his face and neck like a caress—one that burned. Sweat sprang up on his brow and began to roll toward his right eye. The heat was so intense he could barely suppress a moan.

Great, he thought. Another gorram dry hellhole of a planet. Why couldn’t these terraformed moons be nicer—greener? Oh, yeah. The nice ones had Alliance all over them. “Just another reason to get rid of ‘em,” he muttered.

“What’s that, Jayne?” Mal was standing just in front of him, sweat beading his forehead and jaw. Jayne thought he looked a bit twitchy.

“Huh? Nothin’.” How much did I say aloud, he wondered. Gotta watch that.

It had been an especially unpleasant trip. They’d picked up cargo on Persephone that had required five stops to deliver. They’d also picked up a passenger on Persephone, which was just askin’ for trouble as far as Jayne was concerned. Persephone meant Alliance, and they still had the doc and his nutcase sister on board. Their passenger could be almost anyone. And now they were on this miserable, difficult to get to, hot little moon to drop of the passenger.

Jayne looked over at the man waiting to disembark. He wasn’t much to look at: mediumish height, a little round in the belly, dull clothes, dull hair. Actually, dull pretty wel