As unhappy as Mal is about this, there is no way he's going to let Kaylee put the blame on herself. There's nothing to apologize for. "Short of tyin' her down or puttin' a landlock on her, don't think you could've done anythin', Kaylee. Doesn't sound like these aliens see our bein' happy as much of a priority."

He's more than happy to change the subject, however, even apocalyptic topics aren't the best thing in the world. "Goin' south, huh? Like the world endin' with fire and brimstone?" Well, that's quite a bombshell. "So what's to be done about that? 'Cause if things are gonna go as bad as that sounds, a plan's probably a good thing to have."

That grin of hers is so infectious, Mal can't help but return the smile. "Exactly. Especially in a place like this that is as far from home as you could get."