EXT. SERENITY VALLEY - NIGHT

We come into the middle of a battle. Soldiers are yelling and running, gunfire everywhere, stuff blowing up but good.

Camera focuses on a soldier in the silhouette of an explosion, running and dodging fire. He hits the dirt for cover. We PUSH IN and see that it's Mal. His face is dirty and he's breathing hard.

Mal's up again and running to rejoin his company in a makeshift foxhole.

Angry, Mal walks over and rips off the badge from a dead Lieutenant's uniform and gives it to the Radio Operator.

The foxhole is rocked by a huge explosion. Mal's group of soldiers are looking pretty young and scared. Time for a morale boost:

His soldiers take up their positions to lay down cover fire while Mal and Zoe prepare to take down the skiff.

Mal pulls a necklace out from under his shirt and kisses the cross.

Mal takes off. Zoe prepares to follow, sees that no one's covering Mal.

She sees Bendis huddled across from her, scared stiff.

Zoe grunts and stands up, laying cover fire for Mal as he moves down the hill. After a moment, she follows Mal down the hill, taking cover with him behind some boulders. Mal fires into the bushes, causing the soldier guarding a bigass gun to move out of his cover and return fire. Mal shoots him dead.

Mal activates the bigass gun's targeting system while Zoe covers him. Mal locks a target on the skiff that's been killing them in the battle and fires. He makes a direct hit and stands back from the bigass gun.

Then Mal realizes that the skiff is outta control... and headed right for him. Oh, shit. Mal starts running.

Mal and Zoe run as the skiff hits the ground and plows past them, exploding. Mal and Zoe hit the ground flat on their backs. Mal starts laughing. Zoe looks long-suffering.

Mal trails off as he realizes Green is pretty damn wounded, possibly deader than a dead thing.

She looks up. Mal points. Zoe moves to check Green. Mal moves to sit near Bendis.

There's a roaring sound overhead. Zoe is listening on the radio.

Mal's stunned, in denial. He looks at Bendis.

Slowly, Mal stands and peeks over the top of the foxhole. His face is lit from their air support rising and retreating. Bendis stands next to him. Mal's in shock, watching his last hope pull out of the fight.

Beside him, Bendis is hit by enemy fire and falls. Mal doesn't notice.

PUSH IN on Mal's bloody face. On the disbelief.

INT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP - NIGHT

We are in some kind of burnt out wreck - all we see is twisted black metal, a few stars visible through breaches in the hull.

From top of frame, Mal floats upside-down into a close up. He is in a space suit. The title reads

SIX YEARS LATER

WIDEN to see Zoe and Jayne also suited up. They are in zero gravity, floating by a big iron door.

Jayne hands Mal an object that looks like a glue gun. Mal squeezes the trigger and clear gel comes out with a line running through it. He paints a line around the outside of the door.

ANGLE: THE GEL

as it eats through the door.

PULL BACK rapidly through the burnt out ship to REVEAL Serenity.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

Wash sits in the pilot's seat. He's concentrating intensely.

He's playing with little plastic dinosaurs. He holds a Stegosaurus and a T-Rex.

The dinosaurs look out over his dash/console, toward the window.

He makes them fight. As he does, a light near him flashes red.

He stops fighting, looks, then looks at a sort of radar screen.

ANGLE: THE RADAR SCREEN

has got three other dinosaurs on it. He sweeps them off as a blip appears in the upper right quadrant, closing fast.

INT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING

A piece of metal goes flying past Jayne.

ANGLE: INSIDE THE CHAMBER

Three crates, roughly the size of hay bales, sit in the dark.

A voice sounds simultaneously in all three headsets: Wash.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

He is flipping switches, we hear engines running down, lights go off - he hits the com:

INT. ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUOUS

KAYLEE's running into frame toward the engine room. She gets inside and hits the com:

She hits the com --

and keeps moving, hitting switches. She climbs up on the engine to flip the last switch. Everything goes pretty damn black.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

An Alliance Cruiser. Sleek and huge. The I.A.V. DORTMUNDER.

INT. DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING

INT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

INT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING

Mal waits as through a piece of ripped out wall behind him, the ship, impossibly huge and dangerously close, passes by.

ANGLE: MAL'S FACE

As the reflection of the passing ship plays across his faceplate.

He is silent. So are the others.

EXT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING

As the cruiser passes by, leaving the ship behind, all clear...

INT. DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING

A MAN seated at a screen suddenly looks concerned.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

An alarm sounds, lights blink.

INT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING

They float to the crates, start dragging them.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

Hitting buttons.

INT. DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING

The captain is watching the screen.

INT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP

Continue conversation over Mal, Zoe, and Jayne retrieving the cargo:

INT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP

Mal, Zoe and Jayne all float their crates past the twisted wreckage.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

Behind some little moon, we see a tiny jet-propelled satellite thingy, beeping out its distress signal. It's small and rough, and has written on a piece of tape: "Crybaby #6".

INT. DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING

INT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP/AIRLOCK OF SERENITY - CONTINUING

Mal, Zoe and Jayne all float their crates past the twisted wreckage and into the airlock.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

The crybaby beeps.

INT. DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING

INT. AIRLOCK OF SERENITY - CONTINUINGS

Mal hits the button and the airlock door shuts. Hits another and gravity hits, the three of them landing on their feet, crates dropping, as air rushes in.

Mal hits the com.

EXT. BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING

Serenity begins to disengage from the wreck, rear end flaring.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Wash is seated, all business now.

INT. AIRLOCK - CONTINUING

Everyone grabs something, as Jayne pulls off his helmet.

EXT. SERENITY - CONTINUING

As the ship turns away from us, the back lights up -- the entire bulbous back end glowing beneath a metal grid.

The ship fires away from us.

INT. DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING

INT. SERENITY - CARGO HOLD - CONTINUING

He looks away.

INT. SERENITY - CARGO HOLD - LATER

A crate is jimmied open. It is Jayne with the crowbar, Mal who pulls the top off, looking in. Zoe, Wash and Kaylee are also about.

ANGLE: IN THE CRATE are bars that looks a lot like gold.

He has a bar in his hand, is looking at it up close.

Clearly, yep, there is. But Mal tries to cover.

As they talk, Mal approaches Wash, talking over them.

They head up the ladder as Mal turns his attention to:

He smiles at her, never stopping working.

She grins and kisses his cheek.

INT. SERENITY - UPPER CORRIDOR/BRIDGE - CONTINUING

As Wash and Zoe crest the ladder and head to their positions, talking.

They enter the bridge. He moves closer, wrapping her in his arms.

They're closer now.

Wrong. Wash shuts his eyes a moment, rests his head on hers, quietly pissed. He breaks apart.

Instinctively, Zoe's demeanor changes as Mal enters, her bearing more erect, military.

INT. INARA'S CHAMBER - NIGHT

Artful tapestries. The sound of heavy panting.

We pan down to see that Inara is being made love to by an eager young man. She is beneath him, his face buried in her neck.

He tightens, relaxes, becomes still. She runs her hand through is hair and he pulls from her neck, looks at her with sweaty insecurity. She smiles.

INT. SAME - LATER

They are seated on cushions, close to each other, sipping tea from small cups. She is wearing a robe.

FLASH CUT to Inara looking pensive, staring off into the distance.

CUT BACK to the scene in progress.

He looks down at his cup a moment.

She smiles sweetly and looks down. He doesn't continue.

INT. INARA'S CHAMBER - LATER

The young man is dressed and on his way out.

The smile vanishes from her face. He looks guilty, then ducks out of the chamber.

She takes a moment, then she moves across the room and pulls aside a tapestry that conceals the cockpit. Gets in the pilot's seat and hits a switch and continues hitting them as she talks.

She punches a few buttons, rides the joystick, and the cockpit begins to shake slightly as we CUT TO:

EXT. CITY - DAY

The outside of the shuttle, which rises slowly into the air. The shuttle is exiting from one of the many huge skyscrapers, joining the heavy air traffic. It flies off.

EXT. EAVESDOWN DOCKS - DAY

We see Serenity as she touches down at the Eavesdown docks. It's a bustling bazaar, ships lined up next to each other, each one advertising passage or selling goods.

This district is much poorer than the gleaming city where we just saw Inara.

The airlock opens, the ramp coming down and our gang piling out.

Kaylee moves to a computerized placard in front of their 'parking space', starts entering data.

Wash comes down the ramp driving the mule. Zoe, Jayne and Mal start off. Wash stops the mule and calls out:

EXT. EAVESDOWN DOCKS - DAY

We're in the middle of the bazaar. We see a sign that advertises: Good DOGS! We see a griddle, with some suspicious looking cuts of meat sizzling on it. A man works the griddle.

We see, passing through the frame, Shepherd BOOK. He drags a few boxes and suitcases on a sort of wheeled papoose, carries another suitcase in his hand. As he moves on, looking about him, he is approached by MAN, who's in his face a bit.

EXT. ALLEY - DAY

Mal, Jayne, and Zoe walk down a dim alley and enter:

INT. BADGER'S OFFICE - DAY

Mal, Jayne and Zoe come down the alley, halted by a thug.

The office is dim and dingy. The ceiling has grates over it -- we can hear the traffic above, and every now and then the bright white of a vehicle spills through the grate. On one side are stairs leading up to ground level and a door beside, at the other end an oversized, beat up desk and a way into the back through a curtain.

Badger's busy inspecting a young woman.

She gives him a big smile. He pulls her lip up.

She is shoved behind the curtain. As she is, yet another thug leads Mal, Zoe and Jayne down the stairs. Badger doesn't look at them, heading for his desk and sitting down.

A beat. A mean little smile from Badger.

Badger briefly holds up what appears to be digital paper: a clear, pliable piece of plastic with words and images running across it, constantly changing.

Zoe looks at Mal -- that's what he didn't say when he examined the bars.

Badger stands up angrily and all his thugs draw their weapons.

Mal glares at Jayne until he puts his gun back in his holster, then Mal steps forward, smiling.

Beat. Mal's pissed. Jayne's itching for a fight.

But Mal turns to go. As he's leaving, he says:

EXT. EAVESDOWN DOCKS - LATER

Book moves on to Serenity, Kaylee sits outside it in a lawn chair, holding a rainbow-striped parasol. He looks at the ship, never stopping, 'til Kaylee says, smiling:

He does stop, gives the ship a look-over.

Kaylee gets up from her lawn chair, walks over to Book, twirling her parasol.

He picks up a small wooden box from his luggage. Shows her the contents. She goes a little bit wide-eyed, eyeing the contents lustfully.

EXT. EAVESDOWN DOCKS - LATER

We are now following Mal, Zoe and Jayne back to the ship.

PAN LEFT to reveal a couple of Alliance soldiers standing in the street, watching our group as they walk past.

ANGLE: Wash on the mule, about to pull a big blue box up the ramp into Serenity's cargo hold.

MAL'S POV: still looking Serenity, he sees Kaylee welcoming another passenger, introducing himself as:

ANGLE: Back to Mal, Zoe, and Jayne approaching the ship.

ANGLE: A BOX. Being loaded on by Wash on the mule.

The box clears frame to reveal SIMON, a young, clearly affluent man. He wears a dark suit and round glasses. He seems to be looking directly at Mal, then glances over to the box.

Both men size each other up.

ANGLE: IN THE CARGO BAY

We see Zoe talking to Mal, the rest of the passengers milling around and loading up their luggage.

Mal is thrown by the question.

EXT. EAVESDOWN DOCKS - CONTINUING

Inara's shuttle is nearing Serenity.

INT. INARA'S SHUTTLE - CONTINUING

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Wash is prepping her for take off, sees a signal, flips a switch.

INT. INARA'S SHUTTLE - CONTINUING

EXT. SERENITY - CONTINUOUS

As Inara's flying shuttle locks onto a side of the still-parked ship.

INT. INARA'S SHUTTLE - CONTINUOUS

As she feels the lurch of lock. She doesn't leave the pilot's seat.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Wash turns, calls back:

He is talking to Zoe, who moves to the

INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY/AIRLOCK - CONTINUING

And calls down to Mal, who is stowing cargo with Jayne:

He turns to the airlock:

EXT. AIRLOCK - CONTINUING

Kaylee looks around once.

Kaylee hits the automatic door lock, grabs her lawn chair, and slips in as the door closes on the hold.

ANGLE: SIMON

Looking around the cargo hold.

EXT. SPACE - LATER

Serenity moves silently through.

INT. SERENITY - PASSENGER'S SECTION/DINING ROOM - LATER

Crew and passengers are gathered in the dining area. Mal's giving 'em the welcome speech.

Crew and passengers exit the dining error through one door, while Mal and Wash turn around and walk toward the other door leading to the bridge.

INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY - LATER

People are getting the luggage they need. Simon is placing things into an elegant little valise -- all while eyeing his special blue box. Dobson walks up behind Simon and stumbles into him.

Zoe walks down the steps and nods at Book, who walks past her with a bag and a small box. Book climbs up the stairs to where Mal and Kaylee are standing on the catwalk. Book hands his bag and box to Kaylee, who beams at him.

ANGLE: THE SECOND SHUTTLE HATCH

opens, showing Inara's shuttle. She steps out of it, in a simple but elegant dress. She descends stairs as the group notices her.

Book looks up.

Mal laughs. Inara glowers at him.

Book's clearly a little thrown.

Inara and Kaylee head out together.

INT. SERENITY - DINING ROOM - CONTINUING

Kaylee has made her way up with the box, lays it on the counter. Quietly excited, she opens it, looks in. A beat, then she pulls out a strawberry. She smells it, slowly puts it in her mouth, eyes closing.

Kaylee's having herself an Herbal Essences shampoo moment with this strawberry.

INT. SERENITY - DINING ROOM - LATER

Book and Kaylee have made dinner. People are gathering, sitting, helping themselves to things -- everybody's moving and talking over each other and everyone's there save Wash and Inara.

He does, after taking several slices. People settle.

A beat -- Mal has broken the mood. He starts eating, others follow. Book lowers his head a moment, as do Kaylee, Dobson, and Jayne, then they eat as well.

Jayne cackles. Kaylee, visibly humiliated, looks down.

A beat. Jayne doesn't believe it, but Mal's expression is stony. Jayne goes, grabbing a bunch of food as he does. Everyone is silent a moment.

Mal stares a moment.

INT. INARA'S CHAMBER - LATER

Inara is kneeling, robe pooled at her waist. She is giving herself a sponge bath. And so the camera holds on her bathing for a good, long while. Someone KNOCKS on the door.

Book enters. She is facing mostly away from him, but she sees it's him. She continues to bathe herself.

She pulls her robe up, in no great hurry, as she turns to him.

Beat. Inara smiles softly.

INT. SERENITY - MAL'S ROOM - CONTINUING

Mal the Mystery is in the act of doing up his trousers as we find him. There's a kind of metal drawer that hinges open to knee level. It's the toilet, and Mal kicks it shut, causing a flushing sound not unlike an airplane toilet. Above it is another metal drawer. He pulls it open and it's a small sink. He runs a little water on his hands, splashes his face, when the com sounds.

Mal's up the ladder in a flash.

INT. SERENITY - FOREDECK HALL - CONTINUING

Mal climbs up. He moves through the hall to:

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Where Wash is studying a screen.

Mal's face hardens as he works it out...

INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY - MOMENTS LATER

Simon is checking on his box.

He turns and Mal is standing before him.

Mal SLUGS him, sends him sprawling.

Mal draws his gun, puts it in Simon's face.

Both men turn to him. A beat, and both Mal and Simon realize Book is looking behind them. Slowly, they turn the other way, and understand Book's meaning.

Dobson holds a gun on Mal.

A beat, and Mal does.

Dobson moves the gun to point it at Simon.

Mal takes a moment to realize the man is after Simon.

Dobson is ignoring Mal, focusing on Simon. This bumbling businessman is now a very intense, tightly wound cop.

He is moving slowly towards Dobson.

Mal moves casually for his gun.

Mal grabs Simon -- and everybody's shouting --

Dobson spins and FIRES.

Kaylee stumbles backwards, slamming into the wall --

She puts her hands to her belly. Blood runs over it.

A lot of things happen. Kaylee slumps to the ground as Simon rushes to her, Mal dives for his weapon, Jayne draws his, Dobson swings to fire at Mal --

-- and Book is in Dobson's face, a brutal jab in the throat as he grabs his gun-hand whip-quick, twists and pulls the gun out, cracking Dobson across the face with it in the same motion and Dobson is down. In seconds.

She is on the upper level, having come out of her shuttle at the sound of the shot. She races to Kaylee, as does Mal, seeing that Dobson is no longer a threat.

ANGLE: KAYLEE AND THE OTHERS

Simon lays Kaylee back as Mal scrambles to her other side.

ANGLE: JAYNE AND BOOK

Jayne comes toward Dobson with a purpose, gun in hand, and Book turns to face him.

ANGLE: KAYLEE AND OTHERS

Kaylee is whimpering.

Simon opens Kaylee's jumpsuit, examines the wound. It's not pretty.

Inara rushes over, joining them. Inara pulls off her robe (she is dressed beneath) and bunches it under Kaylee's head, as,

ANGLE: JAYNE AND BOOK

She's got her gun out, pointed at Jayne.

A moment, and Jayne holsters his piece, moves to get some duct tape.

ANGLE: KAYLEE AND OTHERS, OVER THIS

Her eyes start to roll back --

ANGLE: BOOK STANDING OVER DOBSON

Zoe approaches him.

Book hands her Dobson's gun.

ANGLE: KAYLEE AND THE OTHERS

Simon pushes Kaylee's stomach and she screams.

They move to pick her up --

Mal and Simon look at each other.

Simon rises, steps away from Kaylee. He is tense, but surprisingly calm.

Kaylee screams again.

Mal and Simon stare at each other.

Mal and Inara hoist with Simon.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

As the ship turns and the back lights up all shiny bright -- and she shoots off.

INT. INFIRMARY - MOMENTS LATER

The three of them burst in, lay Kaylee on the table. It's small and not wildly sterile here, but it is clearly functional.

Inara goes. Simon raids the cupboards, finds a hypo-gun and vials.

FADE TO BLACK

INT. INFIRMARY - CONTINUING

We see, over time, VARIOUS ANGLES of Simon operating. Simon is confident and good at his job. Mal and Inara assist -- mostly Mal, who has the most field experience. Among the images are:

-- Simon using the extractor to find and pull out the bullet shards.

-- Inara looking at Mal while he helps Simon

-- Inara holding a breathing mask over Kaylee's face, looking at instruments indicating her vitals.

-- Jayne crouched outside the infirmary, peering in through a window, worried, almost hugging himself.

INT. INFIRMARY - LATER

Simon washes off his hands. He turns to Mal, pulling off his apron.

He moves quickly from the room.

Simon follows, as do we, back into

INT. CARGO BAY - CONTINUING

He moves toward Mal -- but is grabbed and easily held by Jayne.

Mal turns some dials on Simon's blue box and pulls a release lever. There is much flashing of lights and four latches twist automatically at the corners. The top comes slightly up with a hydraulic whoosh, dry ice pouring out the sides. Wash and Zoe enter; Inara's there, too.

Mal kicks off the top of the box. It flies off, clattering to the floor as the smoke clears from over what's inside.

Mal steps forward, looks.

ANGLE: ABOVE THE BOX

Curled inside is a naked, unconscious teenage girl.

The box is clearly a cryo-chamber of some sort, perfectly conformed to her body, a sleep metallic womb.

Mal looks at the girl. At Simon. At the girl.

INT. CARGO BAY - CONTINUOUS

Simon tries to wrest himself free of Jayne, who's just holding his arms now.

She SCREAMS as she lurches out of the box behind Mal. He actually gives a little yelp himself as he turns, startled.

She keeps screaming, and for a moment no one does anything.

She spills out of the box, crawling backwards, breathing hard and looking around her, wild-eyed.

Simon finally pulls himself free of Jayne -- who's now more interested in the naked girl than him -- and comes to her. Inara pulls off her robe again, ready to cover her with it.

She screams at his touch -- Inara instinctively moves forward -- but he holds onto her, tries to get her to look in his eyes.

Finally she looks at him, trying to focus, still breathing hard.

She looks about, at everyone, then back at him.

And she realizes, begins to cry.

Everyone in the room can tell this is not what Mal thought. There is a kind of respect in their silence. Well, until:

Simon, River clinging to him and crying, looks over at Mal defiantly.

INT. DINING ROOM - LATER

Everyone is gathered, save Kaylee and River herself, to hear Simon speak. As he does, the camera will periodically INTERCUT to him taking care of River in the infirmary.

For a moment, they all just wait.

INT. INFIRMARY - EARLIER

River is brought -- wrapped in the robe Inara used for Kaylee's pillow -- into the infirmary. She sees the unconscious Kaylee, the operating room, and she freaks. Starts screaming again, struggling to get out of Simon's grip.

INT. DINING ROOM - CONTINUING

INT. INFIRMARY - EARLIER

Simon has calmed her down, she's sitting on the table now, looking at him with fresh tears. He prepares a hypo with a sedative. Her look of distrust at the hypo is comically grumpy -- a little child's. Her eyes wander as he injects her, she mutters something to no one -- this girl is gone.

INT. DINING ROOM - CONTINUING

Simon trails off for a moment. Jayne stands, going to refill his mug. At his movement, Simon collects himself.

A moment of bitter emotion, then he pulls it together.

INT. INFIRMARY - EARLIER

River drifts off to sleep. Simon's holding her hand.

INT. DINING ROOM - CONTINUING

INT. INFIRMARY - EARLIER

River is asleep.

INT. DINING ROOM - CONTINUING

There is a moment.

He doesn't say it.

A moment as he thinks, looking at his crew. Looks at Inara.

Mal looks at him a moment.

And now the room gets louder, people start talking over each other...

Zoe doesn't answer. Wash is truly pissed.

Mal looks at her, angry at being confronted publicly and upset by the thought of her leaving, but suppressing both.

He exits toward the back. She looks startled, then resigned.

INT. AFT HALL - CONTINUING

Simon follows him.

Mal turns and gives him a murderous look, but Simon doesn't back down.

Mal decks him. He goes tumbling. Mal looks down at him, looks back to see:

ANGLE: THE DINING ROOM

The rest are looking at him, Jayne in the foreground.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

Serenity, still flying.

INT. DOBSON'S ROOM - LATER

Jayne and Mal are in the room with the tied and gagged cop. Mal pulls the duct tape off and Dobson grunts in pain.

Jayne pulls out a big-ass knife.

Mal says to Jayne, very quietly:

Mal exits, shutting Jayne in with Dobson.

Jayne sits down on a chair across from Dobson.

Jayne thinks on it a moment.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Mal arrives on the bridge, moving fast. It's dark, chaotic. Wash is watching a screen, very apprehensive.

He looks at Mal, getting it.

Mal looks out toward a tiny speck that approaches them.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

Where we see, for the first time, the ship. Once it was a commercial spaceliner, now it's a war machine. Tricked out, ornament and painted, with giant torpedo-looking tubes jerry-rigged near the front. Everything about this vessel says 'savage'.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Where Mal continues to stare ahead, and Wash repeats softly:

INT. INFIRMARY - CONTINUING

We see the two girls laid out, unconscious. Book is quietly standing at the foot of Kaylee's bed, bible folded in his hands. Mal's voice comes over the com:

INT. JAYNE'S ROOM - CONTINUING

Jayne stands in the middle of his room, holding a big gun.

INT. PASSENGER DORM HALL - CONTINUING

Zoe is standing outside Simon's room, she has stopped to listen. Simon steps out of his room, listening as well.

INT. INARA'S CHAMBER - CONTINUING

She listens, too. Gravely.

INT. JAYNE'S ROOM - CONTINUING

Jayne pulls down a decorative blanket to reveal an arsenal on his wall. He his silent and serious.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

INT. PASSENGER DORM HALL - CONTINUING

Zoe is going as Simon stops her with:

She exits. Simon moves quickly to:

INT. INFIRMARY - CONTINUING

Where he moves near River. He and Book look at each other.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

We see the ships nearing each other. Slowly and silently.

INT. INARA'S CHAMBER - CONTINUING

Inara digs out a small, hidden box. She opens it. Inside is a modern syringe gun, smaller than the one Simon used on River, and a vial of black liquid. Unmarked.

She stares into the box.

INT. JAYNE'S ROOM - CONTINUING

Jayne is loading bullets the size of D batteries into a big-ass rifle. His hands are shaking slightly.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

The ships are almost upon one another. The reaver ship is nearly twice the size of the Firefly.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Zoe enters, says nothing. She stands behind Wash, slips her hand onto his shoulder. He covers it with his own.

Wash looks out the window at the ship, sees the attachments on the front. Also speaks softly.

They wait.

Everybody waits.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

The ships pass silently. The reaver ship comes close enough to cast a shadow on the smaller ship.

But it passes.

EXT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

After a few long seconds...

Mal lets out a long breath. Looks at the other two.

INT. INFIRMARY - LATER

Mal is looking at River, silent.

He turns. She has woken, is woozy and quiet.

Mal moves to get her another blanket, lays it on her -- all the whole hiding his feelings at hearing that.

He says nothing, just holds her hand.

Her eyes drift to River, still sleeping.

She smiles... and her eyes gently close.

Her hand slips from Mal's.

INT. INARA'S CHAMBER - LATER

Simon is there, as Inara hands him a couple of packets.

Simon elbows his way out. Mal and Inara look at each other a moment.

Mal turns and goes.

INT. CARGO BAY - CONTINUOUS

Simon is walking away, but Mal stops him:

Simon turns.

He is steely, contained. Simon is shocked, quietly devastated.

Mal turns and walks toward the bridge. A moment, and Simon starts in a daze for the infirmary, running, unable to accept it as he enters:

INT. INFIRMARY - CONTINUING

To find Kaylee sitting up a bit, talking weakly but happily with Book. Simon turns and looks out where Mal left, true shock in his eyes.

INT. BRIDGE - MOMENTS LATER

Mal, Wash, Jayne and Zoe are all laughing.

There is a noise from a console. Wash checks it out.

We briefly see an image on a screen, a weathered, pioneer-looking woman of about fifty.

He hits a button, ending the talk. He stares down at the console for a long beat.

Mal shuts everybody up by knocking something off the counter. It hits the ground with a loud clang.

Oh, he's mighty pissed.

INT. DOBSON'S ROOM - CONTINUING

We see Dobson sawing away at his bonds with a tiny, jagged piece of metal.

EXT. WHITEFALL

We're on the surface -- rocks and sagebrush jutting out of low hills. Serenity touches down, the airlock door beginning to open.

EXT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY - CONTINUOUS

Zoe and Mal down the ramp. Jayne zooms past them on the mule.

EXT. DESERT - DAY - LATER

We see a small valley, dotted with brush.. Pan slowly to discover Mal and Zoe walking down into it.

Pan across the valley, then REVERSE camera to REVEAL Mal and Zoe staring at the valley.

Behind them, Jayne arrives at a decent clip. He hands one bar from the crate to Mal.

Mal steps forward as Jayne trails off, looking about him, the wheels in his head turning.

Mal stares at him 'til he stops smiling.

Jayne takes off. Zoe and Mal look over the meeting place some more.

INT. PASSENGER DORM HALL/DOBSON'S ROOM - CONTINUING

Book is there, wrestling with his conscience. He looks toward the infirmary, looks toward Dobson's room. After a moment, he heads toward the latter, stops at the door. Knocks.

He opens the door --

Dobson slams the Shepherd in the face with something, sending him flying back into the hall.

Dobson is on him in a second with a makeshift truncheon, hits him in the head viciously twice more. Now this? This is a bad man.

Book slumps, unconscious. Dobson looks out to make sure no one heard. Starts dragging Book into his room.

EXT. DESERT - DAY

We are high and wide above Mal and Zoe, watching them walk across the valley. Them small, landscape big.

Closer in, we track with them, moving slow. They keep their eyes peeled all ways, hands near their holsters.

A ways more, and they are nearing a rise -- Over which appear:

ANGLE: PATIENCE and her crew of six -- as they crest the hill on horseback -- all but one, who drives a vehicle not unlike the one on Serenity. They're maybe twenty yards from our two.

Patience is in a weatherbeaten duster, grey hair flyblown about her face. Her men are a hodgepodge of old and modern clothes -- not quite Road Warrior, but eclectic and raggedy. One wears a shiny black top hat.

EXT. RIDGE OVERLOOKING THE MEETING PLACE - CONTINUING

A sniper is set to take a bead on Mal. Jayne gets the drop on him, knocks him unconscious. Grabs his rifle and takes his position. He finds a mark, smiles.

ANGLE: IN HIS SIGHTS:

Is Mal.

Jayne smiles, wicked-like.

INT. ANOTHER DORM ROOM - CONTINUING

As Dobson busts in, moves to his suitcase. He opens it, digs in and grabs his tiny computer, turns it on. The screen has icons on it, including CONNECT TO CENTRAL CORTEX. He hits it, waits. It comes up: INTERFERENCE: UNABLE TO CONNECT. Furious, he hurls the computer against the wall, smashing it. Reaches into the bottom of his suitcase.

He pulls out another gun. And another.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

The exchange continues.

Mal pulls out the bar from the crate. He tosses it to Patience. She rips the foil off to reveal what looks like one of those awful energy bars, which, by the by, is what it is. She sniffs it.

She takes a tiny nibble.

She pulls a small bag from her pocket, tosses it to Mal.

INT. INFIRMARY - CONTINUING

River wakes, sits up abruptly. True fear is on her face.

River doesn't answer -- she moves to the door -- where Dobson GRABS her, sticks a gun to her head.

Kaylee starts to move -- he pulls out the other gun, points it at her.

She looks at him with genuine horror. He pulls River back toward the dorm.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

Nobody moves.

ANGLE: JAYNE'S POV, through the sights of the gun. Still on Mal, they now swing over to Patience and her gang as Mal tosses the money to her.

Mal steps forward, nodding at one of her men.

Two-Fry smiles. He is scruffy and mean, and wears the shiny top hat.

Two-Fry is BLOWN off his horse by a shot from the unseen Jayne.

And then a lot of things happen at once, people shootin' and yellin'.

Mal draws and nails a second man, Zoe a third (the one on the mule) -- as the gang opens up, a forth man blasts his shotgun, nailing Zoe right in the chest.

She goes flying back -- as Mal hits shotgun man, moving, diving behind some brush cover as Patience and the remaining two fire at him, their horses rearing in panic, one of them drops off his, comes up firing, Mal and he can't really find each other through the dust at this point --

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Simon and Wash are there, talking.

Kaylee's voice comes over the com, weak and whispered...

Simon bolts out of the room. Wash is about to as well, but there is a beeping -- a proximity warning.

He stops, looks at his screen.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

Mal's up and firing. Jayne's picking people off from the hill. Patience's men know by now they've got a sniper on 'em but they can't see where he's at.

INT. CARGO BAY - CONTINUING

Simon runs out, sees Dobson with River below, his grip on her loose right now as he looks around him, heading for the closed airlock. He hits the release button and the cargo bay doors start opening --

Simon JUMPS right down on top of him -- two men go tumbling, two guns go flying -- and both men lie there in extreme ouchiness, unable to get up and get the guns.

River backs into a corner, wild with terror.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

ANGLE: JAYNE

Still picking off Patience's men. He takes a shot and misses, looking up for a second to say,

The last man on his horse starts to ride away in panic --

ANGLE: ZOE

Still flat on her back. Raises her gun and shoots him in the back. He falls off the still moving horse.

Now it's just Patience and the one other. He fires and clips Mal in the arm -- Mal returns in kind, blasting his hip. The other guy goes down, screaming in pain.

Patience has her shotgun propped on the saddle, using her horse for cover.

Mal stands, no longer moving or hiding.

She pulls at her shirt -- there is a beat up kind of thin Kevlar underneath.

Mal fires. Her horse rears, falls half on top of her. Mal stalks forward, shoves his gun right up in Patience's face.

He takes the money back.

He moves his gun from her face.

Jayne runs up to him and Zoe, panicky and out of breath.

Everyone still alive looks scared.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

As the Reaver ship whips past camera, heading towards Whitefall.

INT. CARGO BAY - MOMENTS LATER

Dobson lunges for his gun -- and Simon throws himself on top of him. They can both barely stand from their crash before. They struggle in ugly fashion, until Dobson gets an elbow free and jerks it into Simon's face.

He gets free enough to crawl for the weapon, but Simon rolls around and grabs the other one, points it:

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

He starts warming the ship up.

INT. CARGO BAY - CONTINUING

Simon holds the gun on Dobson. His hand shakes.

A barely conscious Book comes to the entrance, holding onto it to stay up.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUING

The Reaver ship breaks into atmo, headed down to the planet.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Wash is getting more and more freaked --

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

As we see Mal, Zoe and Jayne RIDE into frame on horseback, moving just as fast as they can.

INT. CARGO BAY - CONTINUING

Dobson, still on the floor with Simon holding a gun on him.

He tries to stand. Simon panics.

Simon doesn't know what to do. He looks over at River.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

Mal, Zoe, and Jayne ride up to the ship.

INT. CARGO BAY/AIRLOCK - CONTINUING

The airlock starts to open, the noise and motion distracting Simon long enough for Dobson to grab his gun and fire --

-- missing but sending Simon diving for cover. Inara comes out of her shuttle, seeing the trouble below --

-- as Dobson grabs River and puts himself behind her, gun to her head.

EXT. SERENITY - CONTINUING

The three pull up on their horses, jump off, Mal striding in as the others shoo the horses off.

INT. CARGO BAY/AIRLOCK - CONTINUING

Mal walks in behind Simon --

-- and shoots Dobson without a word. He flies back, letting go of River and dead before he lands. Tilt up from him to see Book, unable to move. Mal stalks toward the body, crouching over him to make sure he's dead.

Zoe and Jayne appear behind him, walking up the ramp.

Grinning, Jayne jogs up beside Mal.

Simon finally lowers his gun and moves to River, shocked and silent. River makes panicky, frightened noises.

Zoe hits the button and the cargo bay starts to close.

Mal and Jayne pick up Dobson like a rag doll, running him across the cargo bay and tossing him off the closing ramp. Jayne and Mal run back in, narrowly missing the closing airlock doors.

EXT. SERENITY - CONTINUING

The hatch is still closing as the ship takes off.

INT. BRIDGE - MOMENTS LATER

Mal and Zoe come up to Wash, Jayne close behind.

She punches it up. ON THE SCREEN, we see the ship approaching from behind.

He's incredibly calm. He veers hard.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

-- the hills, where we see the ship moving fast -- but the reavers right on them.

INT. BRIDGE/FOREDECK HALL - CONTINUING

Wash continues to pilot with serene expertise.

Jayne goes, passing Inara in the hall.

INT. FOREDECK HALL - CONTINUING

ANGLE: MAL AND INARA

Just saying her name says more than he probably ever meant to. He puts his hand on her shoulder.

And pushes her gently away.

He turns back to the bridge. She is going as well, throws a look back.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Mal moves back to Wash's side, puts a hand on his shoulder.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

The reaver ship is hard on Serenity's heels.

INT. INFIRMARY - CONTINUING

Jayne is carrying Kaylee out as Inara enters. She speaks to Simon, River and Book:

Book and Inara share a glance before they go their separate ways.

INT. BRIDGE - MOMENTS LATER

Wash flies.

INT. ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUING

Kaylee is propped up in a corner, Jayne and Book at the ready.

He looks about, heads to a part of the engine, points at a panel. Kaylee smiles.

She coughs, wincing in pain.

INT. INARA'S SHUTTLE - CONTINUING

Inara is settling into the pilot's seat, Simon and River behind her.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

INT. ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUING

He does, opens a panel near the floor.

ANGLE: JAYNE'S POV: A tangle mess of cables.

Yeah. Real simple.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

The reaver ship has Serenity locked in. The magnetic grappler warms up, latches flying off.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Zoe watches the Reaver ship out of a porthole.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

The reaver ship has black smoke billowing out the back, closing in on Serenity.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Mal and Zoe are real tense, Wash still preternaturally calm.

No answer from Kaylee. Then:

He SLAMS down a lever and

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

Serenity's port jet flips the other way and the ship LURCHES into a perfect one-eighty, spinning on a dime, the jet flips back and it's headed straight for the reaver ship, which dodges at the last second --

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

INT. ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUING

Book hits a button, Jayne pulls on a lever, and suddenly the engine turns faster, glows real bright.

EXT. DESERT - CONTINUING

As the ass-end of serenity lights up, sending ripples of fire bursting into the atmosphere as the ship blasts out of there fast, gradually arcing up toward space...

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Wash is pulling up at the controls with all his might. Finally he eases off, quietly pleased.

Mal and Zoe are kind of amazed.

INT. ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUING

Jayne looks around, pumps his fist in the air.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Zoe leans over the back of Wash's chair.

Mal hits the com:

INT. INARA'S SHUTTLE - CONTINUING

Extreme, solemn relief.

INT. ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUING

Jayne whoops with delight. Even Book smiles.

Kaylee runs her hand along the hull.

She looks at the boys and beams.

INT. BRIDGE - CONTINUING

Zoe exchanges a look with Wash.

Mal says nothing, just smiles and indicates the way out. Wash climbs out of the chair and exits with Zoe...

And Mal throws himself down into the pilot's seat. Lets out a breath he's been holding for, oh, about two days. And starts flying.

EXT. SPACE - LATER

As Serenity breaks out of atmosphere into the deep silence of space.

INT. INARA'S CHAMBER - LATER

Book sits as Inara takes a cloth from a bowl and dabs his head. He is sitting, she stands before him.

He looks up at her and she sees how upset he is, how lost.

He is shaking a bit, tearing up.

He lowers his head. She puts her hand on it, a kind of benediction. We hold on them a second.

INT. SIMON'S ROOM - LATER

He is tucking River into bed.

He's not convinced, but he smiles at her anyway. She looks suddenly terribly sad.

He takes her in his arms, holds her tight.

INT. BRIDGE - LATER

Mal is still at the helm as Jayne speaks to him.

Jayne gets up to leave.

He looks at Jayne, who says nothing.

Jayne leaves, rudely bumping into Simon, who is on his way in. Simon comes up next to Mal. He sees Mal's arm is a bit bloody.

Mal looks out at the black sky.

Mal answers, almost to himself:

A beat, then Simon goes. Mal just keeps looking ahead.

[END TRANSCRIPT]