Serenity Page #5

Well, that makes you

kind of a tease, doesn't it?

You knew my invitation

wasn't on the level.

Which led me to conclude that

you must be in some trouble.

I'm fine. I'm giddy.

For a woman schooled in telling

a man what he wants to hear...

...you ain't much of a liar. Mal,

you cannot handle this man.

I have to say, Captain...

I'm impressed that you

would come for her yourself.

And that you would make it

this far, in that outfit.

I can be very graceful

when I need to.

I've no doubt.

- What are you doing?

- I'm praying for you, Mal.

She's very thoughtful.

But I mean it when I say

I've no intent to harm you.

Speak your piece.

I think you're

beginning to understand...

...how dangerous River Tam is.

She is a mite unpredictable.

Mood swings, of a sort.

It's worse than you know.

It usually is.

That girl will rain destruction

down on you and your ship.

She is an albatross, Captain.

Way I remember it...

...albatross was a ship's good

luck, till some idiot killed it.

Yes, I've read a poem.

Try not to faint.

I've seen your war record.

I know how you must feel about

the Alliance.

You really don't.

Fair to say.

But I have to hope you

understand, you can't beat us.

I got no need to beat you.

I just want to go my way.

And you can do that...

...once you let me take

River Tam back home.

No, no. You're working

this deal all crabbed.

- You got to open with payment.

- That is a trap.

I offer money, you'll play the

man of honor and take umbrage.

I ask you to do what is right,

you'll play the brigand.

I have no stomach for games.

I already know

you will not see reason.

The Alliance wanted to

show me a reason...

...they shouldn't have sent

an assassin.

I have a warship

in deep orbit, Captain.

We locked on to "Serenity's" pulse

beacon the moment you hit atmo.

I can speak a word

and send a missile...

...to that exact location

inside of three minutes.

You do that...

...you'd best make peace with

your dear and fluffy lord.

Pulse beacon.

Advice from an old tracker. You

want to find someone, use your eyes.

How long do you think

you can really run from us?

I never credited the Alliance

with an overabundance of brains.

- And if you're the best they got...

- Captain Reynolds...

I should tell you, so that

you don't waste your time...

...you can't make me angry.

- Please, spend an hour with him.

I want to resolve this

like civilized men.

I'm not threatening you.

- I'm unarmed.

- Good.

I am, of course,

wearing full body armor.

- I am not a moron.

- Wait, just let...

What, no backup?

- Making an awful ruckus.

- They'll come when they're needed.

I'd start whistling.

Captain, what do you think

is going to happen here?

Nothing here is what it seems.

He isn't the plucky hero.

The Alliance isn't some evil

empire. This is not the grand arena.

And that's not incense.

Sir, can you hear me?

Just a flash bomb. Go. Go!

- What have you done to my shuttle?

- It's not your shuttle.

Head east. Keep her low.

Okay, forget

the pulse beacon.

There must be another way

to track the ship.

Get a read

on the nav. Sat.

It's a registered transport,

you must be able to locate.

Sir?

Yes, have you found

a nav. Sat. Trajectory?

Sir, we found seven.

We've every reason

to be afraid.

Why,'cause this guy beat

up Mal? That ain't so hard.

He didn't beat me up.

Nobody said that.

Because he's a believer.

He's intelligent, methodical,

and devout in his belief...

...that killing River

is the right thing to do.

So no hope

of a reward, huh?

Did he say anything

about a Miranda?

What is that?

Don't know who or what,

but it's on River's mind.

Conjure it might be the reason

they're after her.

You think maybe it poses some

kind of threat to the Alliance?

Do we care?

Are we caring about that?

You dumb-ass hogs, the only

people she's a threat to is...

...us on this boat.

Look, we get back

to Haven...

...in a few hours' time.

- Oh, yeah.

Hiding under

the Shepherd's skirts...

...that's a manful scheme.

- You wanna run this ship?

- Yes.

Well, you can't.

Do a damn sight

better job than you.

Getting us lashed over

a couple of strays.

No offense, Doc. I think

it's noble as a grape...

...the way you look to River.

But she ain't my sister

and she ain't your crew.

Oh, and neither is she

exactly helpless.

So, where's it writ that we got

to lay down our lives for her?

Which is what you've

steered us toward.

I didn't start this.

No, that's right.

Alliance starts the war,

and then you volunteer.

Battle of Serenity, Mal.

Besides Zoe here, how many...

Hey, I'm talking at you.

How many men in your platoon

came out of there alive?

You wanna leave this room.

Damn right, I do.

This isn't

the war, Mal.

You telling me that

'cause you think I don't know?

You came to the Training House

looking for a fight.

I came looking for you.

I just want to know

who I'm dealing with.

I've seen too many versions

of you to be sure.

I start fighting a war, I

guarantee you'll see something new.

We'll get off.

River and I will

get off at Haven.

- We'll find some...

- Nobody's saying that.

Nobody besides Jayne

is saying that.

Mal.

I got no answers for you,

Inara. I got no rudder.

Wind blows northerly, I

go north. That's who I am.

Now, maybe that ain't a man to

lead, but they have to follow.

So you wanna tear me down...

...do it inside your own mind.

- I'm not trying to tear you down.

But you fog things up.

You always have.

You spin me about.

I wish like hell

you was elsewhere.

I was.

No trouble,

little crazy person.

We're going

for a nice shuttle ride.

She's out. Jayne's down.

The other way.

Find her and do not engage.

It's gonna be okay...

She's sealed off the bridge.

I do not like her there.

Check the shuttle.

She could have snuck in.

Captain.

The government's man,

he says you're a danger to us.

Not worth helping.

Is he right?

Are you anything but a weapon?

I've staked my crew's life on

the theory you're a person...

...actual and whole, and if I'm

wrong, you'd best shoot me now.

Or we could talk more.

Miranda.

How can it be there's a

whole planet called Miranda...

...and none of us knowed that?

Because there isn't one. It's

a blackrock. Uninabitable.

Terraforming didn't hold, or

some such. Few settlers died.

Was it right before the war?

I had to show them. I didn't know

if you were going to make me sleep.

- You could have asked.

- Wait a tick, yeah.

Some years back, there was call

for workers to settle on Miranda.

- Daddy talked about it.

- Nothing about it...

...on the Cortex. History,

Astronomy, it's not in there.

Half of writing history

is hiding the truth.

There's something on that rock

the Alliance doesn't want known.

That's right at the edge of

the Burnam Quadrant, right?

Furthest planet out?

It's not that far from here.

- Whoa. No. No. Honey...

- That's a bad notion.

...you show them the bad.

- I got it, baby.

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