Mal pulled the large crate into the room, grunting at it’s weight, 200kg of sand, their new job detailed that they needed to take one ton of ‘silver sand’ to a small mining colony near the edges of alliance space, high paying, high risk. “Jayne!” he bellowed, pulling on the crate one last time. “Wha?” the surly mercenary replied, mouth full of apple. “Get your gorram ass down here and help me shift this stuff” Mal snapped Jayne grunted an acknowledgement and slowly made his way down the stairs, cutting the apple in his hand into slices, and cramming them into his already overfull mouth. “Today would be nice Jayne” Mal growled, straitening up, trying to intimidate the large man. “Hwin dahn” Jayne muttered as he dropped the apple core onto the cargo bay floor, he slipped the combat knife into his hip holster for it, and jumped the last three stairs. Mal began pulling on the crate again, until Jayne picked it up and carried it to the hidden compartment by the stairs, dropping it with a grunt. Mal was about to snap at him when he heard a rapid knocking at the entrance to the cargo bay. He strode to the door quickly, the urgency of the knocking concerning him slightly. “Captain, captain, you have open this door immediately” Mal paused at the sound of the voice, it was Simon, was he out of his mind, the door was open. Suddenly the door burst open and Simon staggered into the room, one eye swelling, and his nose bleeding heavily, he was also clutching his side. “Captain, they took her” Simon gasped, falling to his knees Mal rushed over and helped him to his feet, “I tried captain, I really did, but there were four of them, I tried, captain we have to help her” Simon rambled, leaning heavily on Mal as he said the final word. “Slow down Doc, who’s been taken?” “Kaylee” he said, staggering slightly into Mal. “RIVER! Get the mule prepped, we’re headin’ into town” Mal yelled out “Over here captain” River said politely in the drivers seat of the Mule, engine beginning to warm up. “Jayne, grab Vera and as many weapons as you can carry, NOW! River, get out of the drivers seat and find Zoë and Inara, tell Zoë to get here now, and tell Inara to stay put with the ship” Mal snapped, dragging Simon towards the ship, “No questions Jayne, NOW!” Mal roared at the stationary mercenary.

Kaylee sobbed hopelessly, her and Simon had been shopping together, talking about what they both enjoyed as children, when a large group of men circled them and grabbed her, the last thing she saw before they blindfolded her was Simon lunging at one of the men, and another behind him with a plank of wood. She continued sobbing as she felt the vehicle she was in lurch to the side as it turned a corner, she started calming herself down, trying to reassure herself that Simon was Ok and he had reached the crew. “Don bodder struglin’ gerl” a heavily slurred voice said. Kaylee jumped, she didn’t know that there was anyone else in here with her, she waited for him to speak again, but all she heard was someone shifting in their seat. She shrunk back, trying to keep away from the voice, worried he could be some kind of psycho. “Don Worry gerl, we are there soon” the voice said, squeezing her knee. Kaylee struggled against the ropes around her wrist, trying to find some kind of weak spot; she pulled tightly, and then squealed when she felt a piercing pain in her ankles. “Ha ha ha, silly gerl, toad you not ta bodder struglin” the voice said, slapping what was most likely his leg. Kaylee was about to try to move her arms when she felt the vehicle lurch forward as it stopped suddenly. “There now” the voice said with glee. Kaylee was suddenly grabbed and pulled forward, out of the vehicle, she felt her feet hit the ground, and she instantly tried to run, when something struck her in the head, causing her to instantly black out.

Mal drove as fast as he, without flipping the mule, “Captain, slow down” Zoë said, clinging tightly to safety bar next to her. Mal replied by speeding up even fast, his face was set in a mask of grim determination, with a hint of fear in his eyes. “Stop Captain, this is where they jumped us” Simon said weakly, trying to sit up, but only slumping further into his seat. Mal swung the mule around and swerved to avoid a person who was trying to cross the road. He stopped the mule in its tracks and kept the engine running “Jayne, get out and try and get a direction” Mal said, Jayne jumped out instantly; he knew this wasn’t a time to make a smart ass remark. He dropped to one knee and seemed almost as if he was talking to himself, he stood up and spun 180 degrees on the spot, index finger pointing to invisible points around him. He looked up, then around his environment. He ran back to the mule and heaved himself in, “South outta town Mal” he said quickly, grabbing onto his seat as Mal charged the mule towards the town exit. Mal gripped the steering tightly, his eyes scanning the area for a sign of life, when suddenly another, smaller town appeared on the horizon, he turned to Jayne quickly and yelled into the wind, “This way?” “Yeah, but from the town I should be able to get another” Jayne replied until he was interrupted by the radio crackling to life. “Captain Malcolm Reynolds” a curt voice said Mal picked up the receiver and slowed the mule down, “Who is this?” he demanded “I have your mechanic, Kaylee” the voice said “Liou coe shuai du biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze where is she” Mal yelled into the receiver hoarsely. “Captain Reynolds, she is in perfect condition, but she will soon not be it you do not meet my demands” The curt voice said, apparently unaffected by Mal’s shouting “Anything, just don’t hurt her” Mal said, almost pleading. “2 million, non traceable” the man said briefly “I want to know that Kaylee is Ok” Mal said, avoiding telling the man he didn’t have that kind of money. “Fine then, let me put her on for you” the man said, sounding slightly amused. There was a shuffling and Mal could hear Kaylee’s voice in the background, she sound as resilient as ever. “Captain?” Kaylee asked “Kaylee, mei mei, your alive” Mal replied, relieved “Yeah Capt’n, tell Niska and Wash I’m doing fine” she said “Well captain, you have two days for 2 million, I will contact you when it is time” the man said, cutting Kaylee off. Mal dropped the receiver and bellowed in rage, slamming his fist into the steering. “Captain, what did she mean by ‘tell Niska and Wash’? Simon asked “It means that they’re torturing her” Mal said grimly.