“*Lao tyen, boo*!” “You did what?!?”, Wash and Simon’s voices both raised in a cacophony of yelling.

“I didn’t have no choice! *Dong ma*?” Mal said earnestly in response. “We’d a tried to take ‘em outta there with us, we’d all be dead. Zoë and Kaylee as well!”

“Oh *Wuo duh ma*!” Wash’s voice was ragged, “How could you do it, Mal? We gotta gather ourselves, get more fire power, go back in there an’ . . ”

“Yeah!” said Simon, “I think I could shoot to kill just about now!” His face was grim.

Mal shook his head. “Can’t do that neither. We go in, shoot the hell outta Badger’s place, it’ll only bring the Feds down on us. We’ll get pinched one way or another. Either Badger’ll pin us or we’ll be arrested for sure. Serenity searched. You want to lose yer sister too, Doc? An’,” he added as an afterthought, “the girls’d still get killed, like as not!”

Wash, sitting at the table, had his head in his hands, “Zoë *huh choo-shung huh tza-jiao duh tzang-huo*!” he moaned. He looked up at Mal determinedly. “We gotta do something, can’t just sit here – this is Niska all over again!” He shuddered at the memory.

“No it ain’t,” Mal shook his head, “not nothing like! Niska tortured us Wash, you an’ me, for nothing more that the jolly or the ‘reputation’ or what have you. Badger has the girls for leverage. Won’t do nothing to ‘em ‘scept we muck this up. We do the job, we do it RIGHT and we get ‘em back none the worse. End of story. So that’s just what we’re gonna do!”

“Just exactly,” said Harriet shrewdly, who’d been watching the discussion from the sidelines, a look of intense worry on her face and had rightly guessed that Mal was holding something back, “what is the “job”, Mal?”

Mal looked across the table at her, their eyes locking, a look of apology and pleading in his, stern resolve in hers. He opened his mouth to speak, when Jayne’s voice crackled over the com.

“Mal, cargo’s arrived!”

*** Harriet watched from the middle platform of the catwalk as Mal and Jayne herded the men, women and children, some as young as seven, into the cargo-bay and tried to make them comfortable.

Mal came slowly up the steps to face her.

She glared at him. “*Tyen shiao-duh*! Slaves, we’re transporting slaves? An’ not just any slaves, they’re bound for them *gos se* mines on Andover, ain’t they?” She was incredulous.

He glared back, “hey, I don’t like it no more than you do, but we ain’t got a choice.”

“Don’t know why yer fixin’ to make ‘em comfy, once we deliver ‘em they won’t last more’n a few weeks in those mines – especially the kids, hell, they’ll be dead on delivery, practic’ly!”

“What the *diyu* are you expectin’ from me, Hat?” Mal whispered furiously, not wanting their conversation overheard by any of the “cargo”. “We don’t deliver, we’ve as good as murdered Zoë and Kaylee, you want that on yer conscience?”

“No more’n you do, Mal!” Hat murmured back, just as heatedly, “but we deliver ‘em, we’ve as good as murdered a hundred people - men, women and children, for God’s sake! Just ‘cos we don’t ruttin’ know ‘em personal like, don’t make it any less bad or them any less dead!”

Mal glowered, “Hat,” he said urgently “I’m doin’ my best. Let me think gorramit! I need time . . . . Don’t you trust me?”

Hat looked him in the eye for a long minute, grim as anything, “right this instant? Not so much, no!”

Mal stared at her in horror for a stretched second, his mouth set in a bleak line, then he turned sharply and headed up the stairs. Hat watched him go with a dreary sigh.

*** Hat was preparing supper; after all, they all needed to eat, whether the world was falling down around their ears or not.

Simon wandered into the galley, shadowed by River looking moody.

“Hey!” Simon sounded despondent.

“How’ya barin’ up, Doc?” asked Harriet.

“Ok, I guess”, Simon sounded as forlorn as he looked, “what do you think Mal is planning? He’s got a plan right?”

“Of course!” Hat tired to sound confident but it was hard. “I s’pect he’s got somethin’ up his sleeve, you know the Captain. Big with the plottin’, a lot less big with the fillin’ the rest of us the hell in!” She sighed. “Yer know, I guess I’m findin’ it hard my own self, the idea that we’re just gonna dump those poor folks down there at Andover an’ leave em to be worked to death. Just don’t sit right, is all.”

“We’ve not got a choice though, have we?” Simon’s voice was serious. “If we don’t do it, think what Badger might do to Kaylee . . and Zoë,” he added as an afterthought. “That’s not what the Captain’s planning is it, Hat? I mean, you’d know if it was, wouldn’t you?”

“*Wuh de tyen, ah*!” Hat finally snapped. “Why does everyone always seem to think I know what goes on in that ruttin’ madman’s mind?” She exclaimed, exasperated, “I really have no idea what he’s thinking and frankly I don’t have a desire to!”

“Children should always listen to Daddy,” said River solemnly, “but sometimes Mummy makes his decisions for him, doesn’t she, Simon? Good or bad, she doesn’t know. Bad or good they’re always right cos Mummy made them . . . sometimes there good and bad like ice-cream.”

“I really have no idea what she’s talking about”, said Simon apologetically to Harriet.

“Hmm,” Hat looked shrewdly at River. “I better not be ‘Mummy’ in your twisted little notion, young lady and I’ll thank you to remember that our conscience is our own to keep and no one else’s!”

“Conscience is its own reward,” smiled River, “it punishes us but it punishes him the more.”

Simon looked from Hat to River confusedly. Hat was enlightened.

“Top 3%,” she grinned, “you gotta learn to pay more attention! . . You ain’t wrong though”, she smiled softly at River, “he tortures himself enough, figure I shouldn’t be doin’ for him, right?”

River looked at Hat with an air of having made things right, just as Jayne swung into the room, hanging round the door way to the corridor leading to the bridge;

“Hat, Doc - Cap said to come get ya. Wave’s come through form ‘Nara and the preacher, its strategisin’ time. Looks like we might get some action and about gorram time too!” He grinned enthusiastically.

Harriet and Simon both followed him hurriedly as he swung back out of the room. River followed too, unseen and mostly forgotten by them all.

*** Mal was leaning over the com on the bridge with Wash peering over his shoulder, when Hat, Simon and Jayne arrived. Book was speaking and was clearly in the middle of a narrative of events.

“So then Inara used, what I think you’d term, her wiles, Captain, and Mr Turner was induced to come to the negotiating table. Mrs Leong, upon my personal invite also agreed to come.” He twinkled and half smiled at the memory. “Goldy and Inara are in there now. The negotiations are continuing. We’re using the Saloon as a base. It seemed appropriate and whilst, as I’m sure you’ll agree, a quantity of alcohol can cause a man to fight, a little spirit eases the cogs of communication a mite. I’m confident that we shall reach a solution, but I’d not put money on exactly when that solution might be arrived at.” He smiled depreciatingly.

“Well then, Shepherd”, said Mal, all business-like, “you and ‘Nara continue with your speechifyin’. As I said, we’ve got a fair few troubles of our own to iron out. ‘Course any suggestions you got in that quarter would be handy . . . .” He looked hopefully into the tiny camera. Book looked sorrowfully back.

“If either of us think of anything we’ll let you know. If you do come up with a plan though, I wager this town wouldn’t turn away any folks wanting to lend a hand with the harvest. Could be Tolmec’d be as good a place as any for your cargo to find a new home . . .”

“Now that ain’t a bad thought, preacher,” smiled Mal. “We get this *niou-se* sorted out, I reckon you might just have something there.”

Book turned to one side and nodded. “Um, Captain, it seems we’re reaching a critical stage. I’d better leave you. My thoughts go with you though, I hope you manage to sort this one out.”

“Thanks!” said Mal dryly and cut the connection.

*** Wash sat, watching the stars and piloting, trying to keep his mind off Zoë and Kaylee. He heard footsteps. Mal stepped onto the bridge.

“Wash”, a statement rather than a question, “Hat’s just dished up the evening’s chow, thought I’d take over from you so as you could go get some. I ain’t all that welcome a body down there right now.”

“No”, Wash voice was taught, “I can understand that.”

“Wash,” Mal was trying to keep the pleading out of his voice, “you know I’d a done anything to protect her if I could! She’s my right hand woman, my first mate, been together a long time and I will get her back, I swear it.”

Wash sighed, realising that he wasn’t the only one suffering in this situation. “I know it, Mal.” He looked up at the Captain, as Mal registered the use of his name rather than title; a thing Wash did to elicit closeness sometimes. “I’m so goddamn scared I can’t think. What if we don’t get her back? Or Kaylee? What if Badger hurts ‘em bad? Being angry makes me feel better than being so gorram helpless!”

“You got every right to be angry at me.” Said Mal, “so you keep on doin’ it if it makes ya feel better. I shouldn’t a never put’em in the way of harm in the first place. It was my fault. I failed ‘em! Hell, take a swing at me if you want, its what I deserve!!” He shook his head restlessly.

“Nah Mal,” Wash smiled gently. “Ain’t no one in the ‘verse can beat Cap Mal Reynolds up half as well as he does his own self. For the gorram last time, none of this was your fault, its life conspiring against us, that’s all!”

Mal shook his head once more. “Its a kindness, but I know I’ve messed up and I’ll put it right.”

“For the love of God, Mal,” Wash was practically yelling, “you keep on like this I swear I’m gonna tell Hat, get her to sort you out.”

“Too late for that”, grinned Mal, sarcastically, “she’s already chewed me out the best part of twice today, I ain’t that lucky that’d I get a third tongue lashin’!”

“Well, perhaps you should listen to her sometime, girl speaks a lot of sense.”

“Its possible you’re right, Wash”, grinned Mal. “So far she’s said as how I’m too partial to those I care about and I ain’t thinkin’ enough about those I don’t know and that she don’t trust me to make the right decisions.” The words seemed to stick in his throat, “I’m thinkin’ there ain’t much more she can throw at me. . . You look all in. Get out of that ruttin’ chair and go get the one thing Hat dishes out that makes folks feel good! Oh and I’d take it as a kindness if you could try stop Jayne from molestin’ the cargo, they got enough to deal with once they gets to Andover without havin’ to deal with a sex-crazed mercenary on the journey!”

Wash chuckled and headed down to the galley, whilst Mal sank gratefully into the solitude of the pilot’s chair.

*** “So I hear that you no longer trust our glorious Captain?” Wash pushed back his chair and looked seriously at Hat. He’d thought he was way too churned up to eat, but one whiff of Hat’s stew and he’d succumbed. Then he’d succumbed some more. Hat, who was clearing the table, looked up.

“He told you that? I mighta known it would rankle!” She shook her head. “Its beginin’ to look like I may have to apologise and you know how I hate doin’ that. You got any suggestions as to how I get out of this one?”

“Uh-uh! Don’t go lookin at me!” Wash waived his hands enthusiastically in front of his body in the universal symbol for ‘no way’. “That dinner was mighty fine but not good enough for me to start acting as go-between for the two most volatile people on this ship of fools! Besides, I heard tell as you wanna sell my lovely wife down the river for a whole passel of folks we don’t rightly know and I’m fair cross at you for that!”

“Oh, Wash! It weren’t like that! I just don’t know that we can hand those poor saps over with clear consciences, is all.” Hat could see that Wash was smiling gently, only half-serious.

But now he looked grave as he nodded. “I know what you mean, Hat. It don’t sit too well with me neither, but you’ll forgive me if I’m a little biased here. I want my wife back and I don’t really care how we do it!”

Hat looked at his seriously. “I know you do, Wash, and, please believe me, between us we will get Zoë and Kaylee back, no matter what.”

As they talked Wash had risen and had begun following her around the kitchen as she tided. Now she turned and put her arms round him, pulling him into a consoling embrace. “We will get ‘em back, I swear!” she whispered, unconsciously echoing Mal’s earlier words to him. He put her off gently, tears starting in his eyes. “I know you will, if you can.” He said chokingly and headed for his bunk.

*** Harriet headed bunk wards once the galley was clear, but, although it was late, sleep eluded her. After half an hour of pacing fretfully round her tiny space she diagnosed the problem. Manfully she climbed the ladder from her room and walked through the upper corridor of the ship. Silence reigned. Wash had taken himself off to his and Zoë’s bunk for a restless night of fretting, by rights the bridge should be deserted, the course for Andover set. Yet Harriet could see the bigger form of the Captain, slumped in the pilot’s chair looking out into the Black.

She walked up the steps lightly, but she thought from the slight tilt of his head that he heard her.

“Mal”, no answer, but he swung the chair round slightly so that she could see his face and looked at her. He looked thoroughly drained and exhausted, frightened to death and riddled with responsibility.

She stepped over to him, “I’m so sorry! I honestly didn’t mean one of those things I said earlier!”

He grunted, “so am I!” he said with a horrible weariness and resignation. “I’m sorry I can’t save ‘em all! I would if I could!” His voice cracked.

Hat looked at him, emphasising the meaning of her words as the only thing that would comfort him. “You’re the Captain, Mal! That’s what it means. You have to be the one to make the decisions and you have to protect your crew, you are NOT responsible for the dreadful things *tyen-Sh duh uh-muo* do to each other. You can’t be! You’re gonna save Zoë and Kaylee and I know you’ll do your best for those folks in the hold too. You can’t do no more than that! No one can!”

She put her hand on his shoulder and his hand came up, almost involuntarily, to cover it. “It’s a kindness,” he glanced up at her, a tiny twinkle deep in his eyes, “but it ain’t good enough. You’re right! We hand those folks over to them as are waitin’ at Andover, we’ve as good as killed ‘em ourselves. Gotta think. Gotta be a way to save ‘em all, Zoë and Kaylee and those poor bastards downstairs”, he gestured towards the hold. Then he sighed, rubbed his forehead and shook Hat’s hand thoughtfully.

“Well,” said Hat, “we’ll both do the plottin’. You’re exhausted, but yer’ll sleep better if we come up with a masterful plan. We’ll just sit here an’ spec’late a while.” She swung round and sat on the floor of the bridge, pressed up against his knees, her head resting against his thigh. She looked up at him from her vantage point and smiled sympathetically. She was rewarded with a tentative, but dimpled smile from Mal.

They sat there for a long time, watching the Black and thinking, Mal’s hand absently resting on Hat’s head.

Very quietly into the silence she said, “Mal, I do trust you, you know. You’re a good man!” She was answered by nothing but a heavy sigh and she looked up to see he was asleep. She stood up as softly as she was able and went to the lockers by the bridge door. Taking out one of the rough blankets stored there, she tucked it lightly around the Captain and, ever so tenderly, kissed him on the forehead before heading off to her own bunk and what little sleep there was to be had.

*** Kaylee nibbled on a biscuit and swung her legs. They’d been in captivity for 24 hours and, though there were bars on the window of the serviceable room, furnished with two beds and a table and guards on the door, Kaylee felt being kidnapped could’a been a lot worse and said so.

“Oh yeah!” growled Zoë fretfully, ‘’cept I feel as if I’m bein’ killed with kindness here. I prefer a ruthless killer to behave more like a, you know, ruthless killer and not give us food and bedding and such. Still, I reckon if the Cap and the others don’t come through, Badger’ll still kill us just as ruthless tomorrow.”

Her matter of fact words made Kaylee pale.

“The Cap will sort this all out though, won’t he, Zoë?” Kaylee pleaded for reassurance. “We’ll be back on serenity by tomorrow evening and everything’ll be shiny, right?”

Zoë felt bad for downing Kaylee who was usually so up, but she just didn’t have the heart to pretend.

“I hope so, Kaylee,” she said darkly, “I hope so.”

Kaylee looked at her seriously. “I don’t hope so, Zoë,” she said with a return of that unshakable loyalty, ”I know so, Cap’n is always lookin’ out for us, we just gotta have faith, is all.”