INT. INARA’S SHUTTLE

Zoe fights the controls and then can’t hold it as the shuttle flips over, the cockpit window filled with sky, then trees, then sky. Jayne and Brenner get tossed and beaten around inside.

ZOE AARGH!

JAYNE GORRAMNIT!!

BRENNER JESUS!

EXT. FOREST BEHIND BARN – DAWN

The shuttle hits a tree and comes to a stop on its side. Silence.

INT. INARA”S SHUTTLE – DAWN

Zoe painfully untangles herself from the control column and pilots seat.

ZOE Report!

JAYNE Still alive. I think.

Jayne is lying just outside the cockpit door. Blood flows from Jayne’s face, left cheek, where its cut.

ZOE Your bleeding.

He touches his face.

JAYNE Just a scratch.

Brenner groans. Jayne gets up and finds him under Inara’s bed, which has been toss about. The inside is a mess, all her things everywhere.

BRENNER (in pain) Think I broke my leg.

JAYNE Come on!

Jayne helps him up as Zoe opens the door. Jayne picks up Vera on the way to the door, Brenner in obvious pain, dragging his left leg.

EXT. INARA’S SHUTTLE –DAWN

Smoke drifts over the shuttle coming from the burning house.

Zoe is out first, gun out, looking for trouble. Jayne helps Brenner out and then sits him by a tree.

JAYNE Zoe? What now?

ZOE Ground assault coming next for sure. We need to get into that barn, get survivors, set up a defensive perimeter. Those laser will sure come in handy now.

JAYNE He can’t move.

BRENNER The hell I can’t.

He staggers to his feet. Jayne hands him a pistol.

JAYNE I’m trusting you to not shoot me in the back.

BRENNER Your enemies are my enemies today.

JAYNE Reckon so.

Jayne looks at the shuttle.

JAYNE Inara ain’t gonna like this one bit.

INT. SERENITY, BRIDGE – UNDERWATER

Inara is full of nervous apprehension. River overly calm, unnaturally so.

INARA I can’t wait twenty minutes. Let’s go.

RIVER That tremor we felt. A few minutes ago. Was the truck blowing up.

INARA What? Mal!

RIVER They’re OK. For now. Yes, its time to go.

EXT. SERENITY – UNDERWATER

The VTOLS shift to a 45 degree down angle and then FIRE, turning to 90 degrees as the ship moves forward and then straight up.

EXT. LAKE – DAWN

Serenity majestically rises from the lake, water dripping off every part, the rising sun glinting off its surface. The VTOLS vent’s open and air sucks through, as the ship moves slowly over the trees and then gets faster as they head for the ranch.

INT. MASSIVE CAVERN

Simon enters with the soldier escorting him. The far end is devastated, the place where the truck was now a large hole. The two closest terra forming machines have been mostly destroyed and a large hole is in the ceiling. A few bodies are nearby but they are obviously dead. Some people enter from a far door, stumbling, bleeding, and helping each other. The chemical barrels nearby are on fire, a massive fire, and several men with gas masks and hoses are trying to put it out, with no success. The smoke is going straight up to the ceiling and out the mountain like a chimney. Simon focuses on the chemical symbols and his eyes go wide. He turns to the soldier.

SIMON Get everyone out! Now!

ESCORT SOLDIER What? I have orders to follow you.

SIMON Listen to me. Those barrels are full of a very toxic chemical. Do you understand?

ESCORT SOLDIER (gulping) What chemicals?

SIMON I’ve no time to explain!

Then a voice comes over the intercom, the same as before, this time in distress.

VOICE (O.S.) EVACUATE! EVACUATE! LEVEL 1 BREACH! ALL PERSONNEL EVACUATE!

INT. MASSIVE CAVERN

Mal is now handcuffed and is being led toward the tunnel entrance. Kaylee is waking beside him, her arm wrapped and in a sling. The Operative and many soldiers escort them. They hear the command.

KAYLEE Simon! He’s still back there!

Just then the Escort Soldier comes running up followed by the firemen, behind them Simon helping a woman who is hurt.

SIMON We got a chemical fire and more people are back there.

OPERATIVE (to his men) Help the others.

His soldiers and the firemen hesitate.

FIREMAN Sir, those chemicals, even with our gas masks…

MAL Simon, what is it?

SIMON Nitrous oxide tricylcerine. A derivative of laughing gas. But more subtle and…

MAL Doc, we ain’t got time for a chemistry lesson.

SIMON It can be lethal, in large quantities. The terra formers would have turned it into a fine mist but now, the fire…

FIREMAN The smoke is blowing straight out the mountain. Towards the south and Permian

KAYLEE Towards…Permian.

OPERATIVE Can you stop it?

FIREMAN Not a chance. It’s too big.

The Operative suddenly puts his hand to his earwig communication device.

CAPTAIN (O.S.) Sir, we have a vessel come into range of the rebel ranch. I think its Serenity

OPERATIVE Captain, we have an emergency here. Do not leave this position.

CAPTAIN But sir, our orders, to destroy Serenity, I need to go to a higher altitude to launch a missile…

OPERATIVE Do not do so. I need you here to help with this emergency. You will follow my orders. Is that clear?

CAPTAIN Yes, sir.

EXT. RANCH – DAY The sun is getting up above the horizon. Jayne, Zoe and Brenner warily approach the barn, enter from the back. The air is heavy with smoke.

INT. BARN – DAY

It’s a mess, full of holes, doors gone. Many of Brenner’s people lie about, dead, bodies disfigured, mutilated. The boxes of lasers are out and open, many destroyed by the blast.

BRENNER Gorramnit! Ain’t no one left?

ZOE Ain’t seen nothing like this since the war.

JAYNE (awed) Ain’t never seen anything like this.

BRENNER They was getting ready.

Jayne picks up a laser. Looks good, hands it to Zoe, finds another, hands it to Brenner.

ZOE Let’s get up in the hay loft. Maybe get a bird’s eye view.

They climb up a ladder, barely still together.

INT. BARN, HAY LOFT – DAY

Jayne come to the front, finds a nice hole, looks out. Through swirling smoke he can see Alliance soldiers approaching across the fields, walking in an extended line.

JAYNE Here they come!

Zoe looks out.

ZOE Company strength, no skyships or rollers. Ain’t expecting trouble.

Brenner hobbles over with a sniper rifle.

BRENNER We keep it here for times like this. Who’s best shot?

ZOE Jayne.

Jayne smiles and takes the rifle, looks through the scope, adjusts it.

BRENNER She pulls a bit low to the right.

JAYNE Got ya.

He adjusts the sights some more.

ZOE The officer? Can you see him?

JAYNE Yeah, he’s waving his arms and shouting.

BLAM. He FIRES.

JAYNE Well, not anymore.

EXT. RANCH FIELDS – DAY

The company of soldiers halts and goes to ground as their officer flies back with a hole in his head. Another soldier, a SERGEANT, reaches him and sees he’s dead.

SERGEANT UP! UP! ATTACK! MASS FIRE!

The line of men get up as one and start to run forward, FIRING from the hip. Just then the Sergeant is hit too and is killed but he men keep going forward.

INT. BARN, HAY LOFT – DAY

Bullets plunk through the wood as Jayne keeps FIRING., Brenner lying beside him.

ZOE Where’s that missile launcher?

BRENNER Cache under the floor!

She heads down to the first floor. INT. BARN –DAY

Bullets wiz by as Zoe finds the cache handle and opens it and goes down, leaving the door up, facing the attacking soldiers.

INT. WEAPONS CACHE

Zoe looks around and in the gloom can see boxes of grenades, a few hand held guided missiles and lots of small arms. She starts loading up with grenades and grabs a missile launcher.

EXT. RANCH FIELD –DAY

More soldiers are down but the majority are going to make it to the burnt out house and barn.

INT. BARN HAY LOFT – DAY

Jayne sees their predicament.

JAYNE Time to leave!

BRENNER You go help Zoe, I can still do some damage from here.

JAYNE Serenity be here soon. We can make it!

BRENNER Just go!

JAYNE Your funeral!

Jayne gets up and Brenner slides over, takes his place.

INT. BARN

Jayne is down and at the cache door as Zoe climbs out. He turns and FIRES Vera at two Alliance soldiers as they approach. Both are hit and go down.

JAYNE Getting mighty hot here, Zoe!

She hands him the rocket launcher, which he slings over his shoulder. ZOE For later! Come on!

She hears a sound.

ZOE Serenity!

EXT. SERENITY – DAY

Serenity flies into the ranch area.

INT. SERENITY, BRIDGE – DAY

INARA The house! Its gone!

RIVER Soldiers crossing the field!

ZOE (O.S.) (from comms) River! Land behind the barn, clearing, about 100 meters inside tree line.

RIVER Roger that.

INT. BARN – DAY

ZOE tosses a grenade out the front door and then heads out the back. JAYNE FIRES Vera on full auto and the laser with his other arm, Vera bucks wildly, bullets going everywhere, some Alliance soldiers hit, and then BOOM, the grenade goes off and others go down.

JAYNE BRENNER! TIME TO GO!

BRENNER (O.S.) Can’t walk!

JAYNE JUMP, GORRAMNIT!

ZOE (O.S.) JAYNE!

An Alliance soldier comes in the door and falls with Zoe’s bullet in him.

Jayne turns at this.

JAYNE (to Brenner) Good luck!

BRENNER (O.S.) I’ll cover you!

Jayne runs out the back door after Zoe. She tosses him a primed grenade which he tosses back into the barn.

Alliance solders rush in and BOOM, are flattened by the grenade. More soldiers walk in cautiously.

Brenner leans over the hay loft entrance and FIRES like mad from his pistol and laser, hitting more soldiers as the others FIRE and hit him many times. He GASPS and falls to the barn floor, dead.

EXT. FOREST BEHIND BARN – DAY

Zoe and Jayne run like mad, Jayne occasional turning to FIRE back at pursuing Alliance soldiers. Bullets wiz by , clip branches, hit trees.

Serenity is waiting in a clearing ahead, ramp down.

Zoe breaks clear first, Jayne after her and then…

Jayne is HIT in the left shoulder from behind and down he goes, dropping Vera.

JAYNE GORRAMNIT! ZOE!

She turns and runs back to him, helps him up, Jayne still clutching the rocket launcher. Vera lays on the ground.

JAYNE VERA!

He bends and picks up his favorite gun just as a soldier comes out of the trees and draws a bead but Zoe drops him with a one handed shot from her sawed off Winchester.

They make the ramp and Inara rushes down to help them.

Serenity rises as the ramp closes. Many soldiers rush into the area, firing but then Serenity is in the air.

INT. OPERATIVE’S SPACESHIP, BRIDGE – DAWN

JUNIOR OFFICER Report sir, from the ground attack. Many casualties. Most of the rebels destroyed but at least two got away on a.. Firefly class transport

CAPTAIN Serenity.

The Captain leaves the bridge, heads off to a smaller room to the left.

INT. CAPTAIN’S ROOM

It’s like an office, with desk, chair and Cortex screen. He sits, turns on Cortex.

CORTEX VOICE You have one message.

He hits a button. The face of JUDGE 1 from the Alliance Council comes on.

JUDGE 1 Thank you for your message Captain Mitchell. The Operative’s behavior seems to indicate that he wishes to keep Simon Tam alive. No doubt he wants the doctor’s skills to remove the control device we have implanted. You are hereby authorized to ignore the Operative’s instructions and to place him under arrest. If he resists, eliminate him. Find the Tams and there companions and kill them all. You have the full authority of the Alliance Council and Parliament. Good day, Captain. And do not fail us.

He hits another button, speaks to the screen.

CAPTAIN Message for Alliance Council, highest security, from Captain Mitchell, Shadow. Message received and understood. Will execute immediately.

INT. TUNNEL, MOUTAIN COMPLEX

A straggling band of wounded people are slowly making there way to the tunnel entrance, the Operative leading all, Simon helping Kaylee, Mal still limping and under escort, handcuffed.

They reach the tunnel entrance and the Operative hits the controls to open the door. As it opens he sees….

A large group of soldiers rush in, led by the Captain, who also has a gun.

OPERATIVE We saved everyone we could…

Suddenly two soldiers strike him by surprise and knock him down. Several weapons are pressed to his head as they remove his sword and communications earwig, cuff his hands. He staggers up.

OPERATIVE (gasping) What is the meaning of this, Captain Mitchell?

CAPTAIN You are under arrest by authority of the Alliance Council and Parliament.

OPERATIVE Have you taken leave of your senses?

CAPTAIN No sir, you have. Your orders were to kill the Tams. Those are my orders now.

Kaylee cringes at these words, holding tightly to Simon with her one good arm.

OPERATIVE Seems you are a Tam short.

CAPTAIN She will come when she learns we have her brother. Take them to the ship, assist the wounded.

They start to move out the tunnel toward some small craft.

EXT. MOUNTAIN COMPLEX ENTRANCE – DAWN

Mal sidles up to the Operative as Simon and Kaylee are just behind.

MAL Now ain’t this fun.

OPERATIVE You are enjoying this, no doubt.

MAL Can you blame me?

OPERATIVE Make all the jokes you want. We are all as good as dead.

MAL Fellow once said to me that you ain’t dead till it’s so.

OPERATIVE What happened to him?

MAL Ah, well, he’s dead. Point is…

CAPTAIN Enough chatter. Get aboard.

OPERATIVE And about this chemical cloud now heading toward civilian population areas.

CAPTAIN That is not my concern.

They are placed on board the small craft which lift them to the larger ship over head.

EXT. MOUNTAIN COMPLEX – DAY

The cloud of chemical smoke rises on the air and heads off. In the distance can be seen farmer’s fields and the town of Permian.

EXT. FARM – DAY

A lone farmer on a futuristic version of a tractor plowing a field sees the cloud coming. He stops and takes off his wide brim hat, gazing at the cloud. As it passes over head a fine mist like rain falls. Then cloud spreads to the ground fog like, heavy.

He feels refreshed, breathes in the air. Then a look of wonder comes over his face, and he collapses and falls to the ground off the tractor.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE

The cloud spreads across the ground in a fog, approaching a town, Permian, in the far distance.