Having never actually spoken to Trudy outside of the comm system, Mal had to admit he was a bit curious as to what this woman was like. She was a general, a title that came with plenty of preconceived notions for a man who had been sold up the river by several bearing it, but after talking to her she didn't seem like any general he had ever met. Finally he had decided to withhold any judgment until he'd had a chance to share a drink with her.

Luckily it turned out that holding off from preconceived notions proved to be the right call, because the woman who found him in the tavern was definitely not like any of the browncoat generals he'd run into, man or woman. Standing in a relaxed way, Mal accepted the handshake with a firm one of his own, as if he were a soldier again. "That would be me, which I'm hoping makes you General Chacon." Mal wasn't really at ease, hadn't been since he'd woken up here, too much had been swept out from under him for that, but given that she was the one filling him in, he could at least manage to be friendly.

"That's handy to know, though I'm still learning those faces myself." He let himself smirk a little at the drink offer. "I've had to live off of too much engine tonic to refuse a free drink, but only if you let me cover the next round."