Serenity broke atmo more than a mile from Bouthmere Hold but the thick smoke could still be seen. Sooty plumes of acrid blackness snaked their way into the air choking the sunlight that dare to shine upon the orphanage. The clouds of dark, roiling noxiousness were interspersed with flashes of brightness.

Laser fire.

“Better hang back, lil’ albatross.” Mal instructed River as she sat at Serenity’s controls.

River complied and flicked a switch or two, turning a knob here and dial there. It was becoming so that she didn’t merely fly the boat; she communicated with it. River and Serenity were almost like two girlfriends rather than pilot and ship. Mal could have sworn Wash had become part of both the vessel and the girl.

“Firefly class vessel, you will halt your approach.”

The crackling of the harsh voice over the comm brought Mal back to the situation at hand. The captain furrowed his brow and sat in the co-pilot’s chair, bringing the image of a rather impatient Alliance officer up on the vidscreen.

“What seems to be the problem?” Mal asked.

“You are entering restricted air space. Leave at once.”

Mal didn’t like taking orders from anyone, especially Purple Bellies. But something was going on at the orphanage; something bad. Even though he wanted to help, he knew he could ill afford to be captured and boarded, or at worst, shot down.

“This wasn’t restricted space last time we visited. By my recollection, it’s an orphanage, ain’t it?’ Mal inquired cheerfully.

He hoped his façade would lull the officer into telling him what was going on. No such luck.

“You have less than ten minutes to clear this airspace or face destruction.” the Fed hissed. “Your presence here is not required.”

Mal rubbed his hand over his face. If the Feds knew about the orphanage accepting smuggled goods, why wouldn’t they want a cargo ship that was flying toward it? Sure enough, Mal was merely getting food and supplies to the children that the Alliance withheld and aside from that, the orphanage had no untoward dealings; but something just didn’t add up. It was plain for anyone to see that the orphanage was being blasted into nothingness. It pained Mal that he couldn’t do anything, but Serenity wasn’t a battle ship.

“What’s all the commotion?” Jayne asked as he stepped onto the bridge, Zoe close behind him.

“Trouble, Sir?” she asked Mal as she stepped past Jayne.

“More’n a little. Feds have cordoned off Bouthmere Hold.” he told his first mate.

Jayne got closer to the viewport and surveyed the smoke and laser blasts that he could see off in the distance.

“Looks like they’re layin’ waste to it.” he commented, turning to Mal with his nose screwed up. “Don’t they know there’s kids in there?”

Jayne Cobb was many things, but even he couldn’t understand how anyone could kill a child. Mal saw Kaylee come through the door from the corner of his vision. As soon as she caught sight of the destruction taking place, she almost cried right then and there.

“What are they doin’, Cap’n?” she asked, as if his answer would get what she was seeing to make some kind of sense.

“Whatever they want to, lil’ Kaylee. “ Mal replied. “Just like they always do.”

“What about the kids, Cap’n?! We gotta help ‘em!” the pretty mechanic stated, her plea filled with desperation.

“We can’t. We either leave, or the Feds are gonna shoot us down.”

“She’s right, Mal! We gotta get in there and do somethin’!” Jayne agreed.

“Like what, Jayne? ‘Case you ain’t noticed lately, we ain’t no warship. We carry cargo. Alliance ship’d blow us outta the ‘verse quick as a change in the wind.” Mal shot back.

Once again the comm came to life with demands.

“Firefly class vessel, you have been warned. You will be engaged in two minutes.”

“Get us out of here, River.” Mal instructed, knowing full well that he would received a chorus of discourse.

“What? You can’t!” Kaylee shouted.

“They’s kids, Mal!” Jayne bellowed. “Y’can’t just let ‘em die!”

River looked up at Mal and he could tell she was conflicted as he was. He also knew that he was the captain. Sometimes he had to do the sensible thing and that wasn’t always the best thing.

“Turn her around.” he instructed the young girl.

River faltered.

“But I – “

Mal stood firm.

“I need you take us clear of this, River. Either you can do that for me, or you’re gonna get out of that chair and let me do it.” Mal told her, his tone curt.

A single tear trickled down her face as River steered Serenity away from the devastation of Bouthmere Hold. Kaylee rushed toward River and was met by Mal who put himself between his pilot and mechanic.

“Don’t listen to him, River!”

“It’s her job to listen to me.” Mal said darkly. “Just like it is yours. Now head on down to the engine room. Might be that we’re gonna need some extra flow through from the engines to get us outta here.”

He resisted the urge to soften for those big brown puppy dog eyes. He had to keep them safe.

“You’re expectin’ them to give chase, Sir?’ Zoe wanted to know.

“Could do. I ain’t expectin’ ‘em to keep their word.” Mal noticed that Kaylee hadn’t moved. “Kaylee. Engine room. Now.”

“But, Cap’n! You gotta help those kids!” Kaylee pleaded. “Y’can’t just leave ‘em like this!”

Mal put his hands on Kaylee’s shoulders, pushing her toward the engine room where he needed her to be.

“I ain’t got no choice. Wouldn’t do this ifn I did ‘n’ you know it.”

“Don’t leave ‘em, Cap’n! Please!” Kaylee begged in vain. “Don’t do this!”

Mal continued to herd her off the bridge.

“Engine room.” he commanded simply.

“But Cap’n!”

Mal couldn’t keep having this discussion and he knew it.

“Now!” he bellowed, causing her to jump with a start.

The ferocity in his tone is something he didn’t want to show with Kaylee but she left him with little choice.

“I hate you, Cap’n!”

Those words stung like the tail of a scorpion but Mal could not let them get to him. At least not right now.

“You can hate me all you want later on, but you get yourself down to the gorram engine room!” he ordered then turned to everyone else. “The rest of you listen good. I ain’t lookin’ for debate. I intend gettin’ us clear of the Feds. Once they up and leave, we’ll see what we can do t’help.”

“You mean mop up the blood ‘n’ bones they leave behind.” Jayne snarled.

“Don’t.” he warned the burly merc.

Jayne stepped up to the captain.

“That’s all that’ll be left. If that. They lit the orphanage up like cracker night. What exactly did you think was gonna be left?”

“You’re testin’ me a mite more than you want to Jayne.”

“Naw. I’m testin’ you just about right is my reckonin’. I always thought you was a hard-assed bastard, but the way you upset Kaylee…”

Jayne trailed off and Mal knew what he meant.

“Why do you care, Jayne? “

“She’s Kaylee, Mal!”

“What of it? You just worry ‘bout gettin’ an arsenal together.”

“Don’t upset her again.” Jayne warned.

“Or what?” Mal hissed in reply.

“Find out.” Jayne countered. “I dare ya.”

xxxxx