INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE

River’s hand hovers over a lever for a beat, then drops, abruptly slapping the lever down.

INT. PALADIN - HANGAR

Serenity’s engines suddenly lock into forward thrust position, causing her to burst from the hangar in a stomach-wrenching barrel roll with one final Radion emission. Her thrust blasts into the ceiling of the hanger, melting support trusses as well as the bulkhead above.

EXT. PALADIN - TOPSIDE

Silence. Wide angle view of Paladin’s upper side. Suddenly an eruption of metal and fire bursts from its hull.

Zoom into explosion. View travels vertically down through the explosion, through several wrecked decks to see Serenity blasting from the hangar, cannon fire zinging past her from all angles.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE

River sits in the pilot’s chair, a grim look on her face as she jinks the yoke this way and that. Mal hangs onto the console. Through the windshield we can see the upper hemisphere of a lovely planet. Cannon rounds fly past the windshield.

RIVER (almost too quiet to hear): I’m a leaf on the wind...

EXT. SPACE - BENEATH PALADIN

Cannon fire is erupting from a dozen weapons now revealed beneath the Paladin. Serenity dodges this way and that, missing some of the blasts by a hairsbreadth.

INT. PALADIN - BRIDGE

Chaos has ensued. Some techs have bolted from their seats, running for the door. Others work at their consoles, attempting to organize the crew. Madsen stands in the middle of the fray, his pistol trained on Gibson. Powell stands behind him.

The left viewscreen shows Serenity’s escape. The center screen shows the gaping fiery hole in the Paladin’s topside hull. The right screen is a field of static.

TECH: Sir, we’re losing atmo pressure on all decks forward of the command tower. I’m attempting to seal off the damaged zones…

Gibson ignores this.

GIBSON (gritting teeth, to Madsen): I will see to it you hang for this, Caius.

MADSEN (dryly): Literally, or…?

POWELL: I think it’s time we made our exit.

MADSEN: Almost.

EXT. SPACE

Serenity flies by, black streaks marring her hull. She performs a few more barrel rolls, moving beyond her maneuvering capabilities.

INT. SERENITY - GALLEY

Zoe, Simon, Jayne, and Inara are tossed this way and that, barely held in place by their belts.

INT. SERENITY - ENGINE ROOM

Kaylee is flipping switches and pulling levers even as she’s tossed about, the engine spinning at near maximum revolutions.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE

Mal is pressing some keys, looking at the screens before him.

MAL: We poked a nice little hole in their superstructure. That’s gonna need one big gorram band-aid.

River smiles.

RIVER: That’s not all that will need fixing.

Mal shoots her a curious look.

INT. PALADIN - HALL

Paul is sprinting down the hall, minus the rad. suit, blending in with the dozens of Alliance personnel around him, though they are headed in a different direction. He turns a last corner and heads for the large door at the end of the hall.

INT. PALADIN - BRIDGE

Paul bolts through the door as it slides open, his eyes taking in the scene before him. Only a couple of techs still man their consoles. Powell and Madsen still hold Gibson. Paul’s eyes travel to the viewscreen. Serenity is now a speck on the left screen, the cannon fire chasing her nearly dissipated. He also notes the image on the center screen. He smiles subtly.

PAUL (wryly): Not precisely to plan, but I’m not one to complain...

GIBSON: Son, this is madness.

PAUL: I believe the madness has passed. It’s time sanity prevailed. (to Powell) Has the squid been deployed?

POWELL: You bet. It’s transmitting as we speak.

PAUL (smiles): And the veil shall be lifted...

GIBSON: What do you mean? What the hell is that thing?

MADSEN: You’ll see soon enough, sir.

GIBSON (lunging forward, batting Madsen’s pistol arm aside): No more games, son. What have you done, besides cripple my ship?

PAUL: Ruined the Alliance’s ability to hide their dealings from the people. The ungoverned will now be accountable.

EXT. SERENITY - VFX

Serenity cruises through space, taking up a wide orbit around the planet below.

INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE

River has unbuckled her harness, as has Mal. They’re both leaned over their consoles. Zoe enters and leans over River’s shoulder.

CU of River’s scope. The Paladin can be seen, her topside still spewing gasses and small bits of debris.

Zoe squeezes River’s shoulder. River smiles up at her. River begins to type on the keyboard, then stops, reaching up and turning a knob.

VO RADIO: This is Alliance Warship Paladin requesting emergency assistance. We’ve suffered massive hull breach and require immediate assistance.

MAL (perplexed look): Since when can we read Alliance emergency frequencies? We hack their comms, or somethin’?

ZOE (squinting at the screen): Earlier, but this is different...

RIVER: I didn’t have to this time.

MAL: Meaning?

RIVER: The message is unencrypted. The squid has taken effect.

MAL: The sqwhat?

River smiles at Mal’s confusion.

RIVER: The item you delivered. It’s working beautifully, breaking down Alliance encryption as it weaves its way through their frequencies. (River types away on the keyboard, checks a screen) At its current rate of infection, every Alliance channel will be free for all to hear within the hour.

Mal’s jaw slowly drops open as he stares at the console before him. Lines of information scroll down the screen, too fast to read.

Mal looks up to see River beaming at him.

INT. NILS – COMM. ROOM

Nils is alone in the dark room. His head is resting on one of his massive arms. He snores loudly.

A beep from a nearby console rouses him. He looks around sleepily. His attention is drawn to the largest view screen. Information is scrolling down it faster than he can read. He hits some buttons on a nearby radio and holds the headphone to his ear.

CU of Nils’ face. His eyes go wide.

NILS: Hell, yeah! Mal, you are the ruttin’ MAN!

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