Mal tore apart his room searching for any IOU’s or hidden money, he had to get the money, he just had to. He found a small notebook and opened it quickly, he found a check for $200, not much, but he was getting there. Zoë dropped into his room and stood silently, waiting for him to turn to her. “Just leave Zoë, I need to find the money” Mal growled, throwing his mattress onto the floor. “Captain, we need to be out looking for her” Zoë said, slightly fearful of the Captains response while he was in this enraged state. Mal whirled around and pointed a finger at her, “No Zoë, we need to get the money, if we try and take her back, they ill kill her” “Captain, Jayne, Simon and River have already left to try and find her, they think that with Jayne’s tracking skills, and River’s…abilities, they should be able to find her” Zoë replied, shrinking back slightly at the sudden fury in Mal’s eyes. Zoë turned to leave, when a thought struck her, this isn’t what Mal would usually do, this isn’t how Mal would react. This isn’t Mal. Zoë drew her pistol silently and stepped behind the imposter. “Captain, what planet were you born?” she asked, hoping to catch him out. “Shadow” ‘Mal’ replied, pulling the sheeting off of his fallen mattress. Zoë cocked the gun, now she knew for sure this wasn’t Mal, she had known him for more than a decade, and she knew that in this situation, he would order her to get out, and go find Kaylee. “Alright whoever you are, hands in the air, and turn slowly around” she commanded. The man froze and straightened, he turned to her, smiling. He walked towards her smiling, arms out to his side. He made a lunge for her suddenly, but before he could fully shift his weight forward, Zoë shot him in the knee, causing him to have his leg thrown up from under him, throwing him forward. The imposter howled in pain, clutching the bloody mess that used to be his knee, “Xiong meng de kuang nian” he screamed in a high-pitched voice. Zoë kept her gun on him until Inara came down the ladder quickly, “Zoë, what happened?” she asked, standing away from Mal, who was screaming curses in both Chinese and English. “He’s not Mal Inara” Zoë said, cocking the hammer of her pistol again, aiming for his chest. “Wait!” he screamed, seeing Zoë aim for his heart, “Don’t kill me, I-I know where your captain is” he screamed desperately. “So do I” Zoë said, firing into his other knee, grinning at the man writhing on the floor. “Inara, tie him up with the rope Mal keeps in his cupboard” Zoë said without emotion. Inara walked towards the large brown cupboard in his corner, and opened it, jumping back as the real Malcolm Reynolds fell out, unconscious.

Kaylee hugged her knees tightly to her chest; she sung a small ditty over and over in her head to calm herself down, “A little red engine chugged and churned Until its fuel was gone and burned It dropped out from the black Jumped up into a sack And hummed itself a tune” She was halfway through the third round when the bolt slid in the lock, and the hinges squealed in protest. “Your captain is a persistent man young lady” the man who had grabbed her earlier mused. “What’re you talking about?” Kaylee said, hugging her knee’s tighter to her chest “It seems that he sent a rather large individual to try and find you, I don’t know why he didn’t send more” the man laughed. He raised a hand and snapped his finger sharply and stepped to the side, smirking. Two large men dragged an unconscious shape into the room and dropped it onto the floor in front of her. “I thought you could use some company” the said, smiling at her, he turned and walked out followed by the two large men who brought in the body. Kaylee crawled over towards the shape and rolled it over, “Jayne!” she gasped, shaking his shoulder. “Wha?” he said groggily, his eyes opening slowly. “How did you? What did you? Oh Jayne I’m so glad you’re here” Kaylee gushed, throwing her arms around the groggy mercenaries neck. “Gorram it mei mei, I jus’ woke up” he said, sitting up slowly “Are you alright Jayne, did they hurt you?” Kaylee asked quickly, checking his head and arms “No, just a bump on th’ head, nothin new little” Jayne stopped and saw the swelling over Kaylee’s right eye, the blood that had dried on her forehead, and the deep cuts into her bare feet and ankles. “Mei mei, what happened?” Jayne asked, touching the swelling under her eye gently Kaylee flinched and smiled weakly, “Just a war wound Jayne, we can worry about that later, how’re we gonna get outta here?” Kaylee replied. Jayne grinned evilly, “Don’t worry Kaylee, I got a plan” Jayne replied, pushing himself up off the ground, he offered his hand to Kaylee who shook her head and leaned against the wall and stood up. “Firs’ we have ta get outta this room” Jayne said, stretching out his arms, touching the roof. He grasped the large light fitting and lifted his legs up off the ground, trying to pull it out; Kaylee covered her eyes as sparks began falling out of the fixture, until Jayne and the light hit the ground heavily. “Well, we have an exit” Kaylee said, picking up the light. “Yep, come on Kaylee, I’ll give you a boost” Jayne said, linking his fingers together to form a step.

Mal rubbed his wrist as Zoë tightened the rope around the imposter’s chest, causing him to wince. “Alright now, why don’t you tell me how you got on board my ship” Mal said, lifting the man’s head up, then dropping it. “Qu ni de” he spat angrily “Wrong answer” Mal said, nodding to Zoë who swung a piece of iron bar onto the man’s knee. The man leaned forward, wheezing in pain, “bun tien-shung de ee-duai-ro” he shouted. “I’ll give you another chance fella, tell me where Kaylee is, or we’re going to have to show you what happens to uncooperative prisoners” Mal said, grinning at Zoë. “Yeah, and what’s that” the man retorted. “Zoë, start the engine for me would you” Mal said, waiting for Zoë to leave the room The man’s eyes widened with fear, “What’re, what’re you going to do?” he stammered nervously. Mal picked him up by his shirt front and dragged him through the ship to the cargo bay door, where Zoë was waiting for him, hands on her hips, legs shoulder width apart. “This is what we do” Mal said, forcing the man to his ragged knees. “You tell me where Kaylee is, or you find out what it’s like inside the thruster” Mal added, standing in front of him. The man turned and looked over his shoulder at the thruster, feeling the air being ripped from his lungs, “7 miles west of Hasten town” he whimpered, trying to stand. Mal placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him down, making the man cry out in pain. “Thanks” Mal said as he raised a foot and kicked the man into the thruster. "Captain, shouldn't we have found out who sent him?" Zoe said, wrinkling her nose at the entrails exploding from the thruster. "Nope, i already know" Mal smiled, turning towards the ship. “Oh and Zoe, tell River where Kaylee is, and that we’re coming in on the back-up” Mal said, taking long strides onto the ship.