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The ride back to Serenity had been silent. None of them spoke. No mention was made of the crime just committed. Jayne even failed to ponder aloud how he would spend his cut.
Simon greeted them upon their return with his usually cheery demeanor, barely hiding his concern at the somber looks of his returning crewmates.
“So, how did it go?” Simon ventured into the silence left after the mule shut down.
Zoe cocked an ear in his direction not quite making out the words, “Eh?”
Seeing the concern bloom on her brother’s face River met Simon’s gaze with half a smile before turning to look at Jayne. “He failed to account for the enclosed space. He did not expect so much back pressure.”
The downtrodden expression on Jayne’s face degraded to pure embarrassment.
Finally the captain spoke, several decibels louder than usual. “This is why I say, no grenades.”