The dinner is very plain food – it’s quite apparent these people have very little. But they are determined to have a joyous time, laughing and slapping each crewmember on the back – Hard! Fun, but perhaps a little tough on those not used to such treatment, such as River and Inara. All in all, a happy time –

For all except Simon - nobody in that entire crowd looks to be in good health… Traces of pneumonia, eye disease, asthma, and other diseases related to lack of sunshine are everywhere! Finally, he cannot stand it any longer, and rises to speak. When the crowd settles down, he begins; “Friends, I thank you for your hospitality. It has been a fine evening. I’m sure Jayne -” he’s interrupted for a moment by cheers “- is happy to have been of help. And we all would like to help as well.” Another, even longer round of cheers, but finally he can continue: “I would like to do what I can. I am a doctor, and I can see many of you have not been able to get the treatment you need. I would like to set up a clinic for as many as possible of you.” The cheering reaches new heights; “Three cheers for Jayne! Jayne has come to save us!” Jayne is mobbed again, and Simon sits down, alone.

But he’s determined to treat as many as he can, and the next day he sets up a clinic in the terminal building with Inara’s help. Her talent for comforting and reassuring people soon has a steady stream of clients arriving. In addition, several Friends show up, claiming to be Doctors as well, and wanting to help. It doesn’t take long for Simon to realize that their training is as scarce as their supplies, and Simon finds himself doing more teaching than treating, moving from one “Doctor” to the next as they treat the sick.

While he does that, River, Diana and Kaylee survey the state of the Terraforming stations – the moon has only three. The closest one seems to be running at about 75% efficiency, one of the others at less than 25%, and the third seems to be totally dead.

Kaylee tells Mal, “Their Terraforming stations are in terrible shape, and it don’t look as anyone here knows how to fix ‘em. If we don’t do it, the entire planet will be unliveable in just a few years.”

Mal reluctantly agrees; “Well I’ve got a hold full of gorram heavy parts anyway. Might as well put them to use.” He’s a little less happy when Diana points out that Serenity is going to have to visit each, as there’s no other way to move all that heavy equipment. “Now my spaceship is to be a gorram atmo ferryboat.”

But the Friends are very unhappy about the group moving off – Mayor Philip points out, “The clinic is an ideal place to treat most of the population, and we have notified the other villagers to come here. In addition, we’re sure that that Garth’s Army will return the instant you leave. In fact, we have heard reports that he is organizing an attack already!”

Finally it’s agreed that while Simon runs the clinic, Jayne and Zoë (along with the armed shuttle) will stay to guard the terminal. Diana will stay to monitor communications with the ship as it flies off to repair the machinery, taking a few Friends along to learn how to maintain it all.

As Jayne and Zoë set up defences, Zoë makes an unsettling discovery – the far side of the terminal building has a large sign with a Blue Sun advertisement on it, dominating the little town beyond. The Friends claim it’s always been there - they have no idea where it came from.

Garth must have had some of his people watching the terminal – as soon as Serenity leaves, one of the locals races over to tell Jayne that Garth’s “whole army” is moving!

Jayne and Zoë aren’t sure what to do – they have better weapons, but what can they do against an entire Army?

Zoë says, “Well, I guess the first step is to see what we’re up against. Any of you Friends like to come with me? Help identify who they are?”

There’s a hesitant shuffle, then one scrawny little man steps forward; “My name is John, and I’d be honoured to help. Garth and his men killed my whole family, and I’ve wanted to strike back for a long time.”

They launch, and the shuttle is attacked almost immediately. John is a bit shaken, but manages to hold himself together long enough to explain to Zoë; “Those are all that remains of Garth’s air force. Watch out for the lead Meteor – it’s in the best shape, and it carries rockets!”

Zoë looks them over: “Yes, I guess you’re right, it doesn’t look in all that gorram fine shape, but the other two look like they’ve been used for spare parts.”

As she speaks, the lead plane fires, and the shuttle shudders as the rocket hits! “Ren ci de Fo zu (Merciful Buddha) those things mean some unpleasantness!” She turns away, and all the Meteors follow, firing at the fleeing shuttle.

As shells start bouncing off the shuttle hull, John goes into full panic mode. He was nervous about flying in the shuttle in the first place, and now sits cowering in a corner.

Zoë is concerned that a lucky shot might jam some control on the lightly armoured shuttle, and wants to shoot back, but with the distance between weapons control and the pilot seat, it’s virtually impossible for one person to fly and shoot. “John, can you hold the wheel?” But that’s hopeless, John is curled up and covering his ears. “Bei bi xiao ren! (“Pathetic wretch!)"

Finally she gets a partial lock with the auto cannon, and a shot damages an engine on the best fighter. It seems to be barely controllable, and begins circling at a distance, then suddenly the second stops shooting – Zoë guesses the guns have jammed.

All three back off, turning for home.

It takes several minutes before John can compose himself enough to sit in the co-pilot’s chair. “Did you really defeat all three planes – by yourself?”

A few minutes later, Zoë finds the “Army” – three tanks, two cannon and a “division” of infantry riding personnel carriers, about 45 men. “Will there be more? I was expecting a much bigger force.”

John says; “That’s pretty big. I’m sure they’re all he has. Do you mean – you were expecting to fight even more men than this?”

Zoë discovers that auto lock guns don’t work on ground operations, and there’s no way she can recalibrate them on her own, so all she can do is swoop overhead and hope to scare the troops. Soon, the army is trying to run away, but she’s between them and home base, so they begin racing straight toward Midway.

She circles in front to try to turn them away from the town, but by now they’re running in blind panic, like a stampeding herd of cattle. There’s nothing to do but return to Midway and see if they can help Jayne.

Zoë steps out of the shuttle just in time to see the Army arrive. Jayne is waiting with two Friends. “Bu lang bu you. (Good for nothings.) Out of the whole town, that is all that is ready to stand and fight?”

But it seems to be enough. Jayne fires Vera and a tank blows up, scattering shrapnel everywhere, which wounds a couple of Garth’s soldiers. Jayne sits to reload, and misses the next stage! With Jayne’s destruction of the tank as inspiration, the Friends huddling in the terminal find courage enough to attack, and they pull out guns from hidden locations all around the building. When nearly 100 villagers charge the enemy, the whole Army sprouts white flags!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

While all that is happening, the group on Serenity find the nearest Terraforming station, and Kaylee is happy to announce "The only problem is a malfunctioning power module. River and me should have it up and shiny in less than an hour!"

When everyone is back on board, Mal is impressed! “Hao! (Good!) At this rate, we’ll be home in time for supper.”

Unfortunately, the second station is much harder to find, and even more difficult to fix. River tells Mal, “Bad luck Captain, there seems to have been a fire. It’ll take a day or two to get this one running.”

Mal is unhappy, but not surprised. “Well, best get to it. It sounds like Zoë and Jayne have things under control back at Midway.”

It takes two full days, and even then they only have it running at 75% efficiency. Mal is getting anxious, as indications are that the third is going to be in much worse shape.

But it turns out to be no problem at all. After less than a half hour looking around, Kaylee and River are back on board; “Cap’n, there’s no point in staying. The station doesn’t need repairing, it needs building. It’s half missing! It must’ve NEVER operated.”

Mal helps dump most of the equipment still on board into the site, then tells the Friends who have been watching and learning; “We’d like to help, but there’s a powerful lot of work to be done, and we need to get back to the station soon. Do you think you know enough now to gather a crew and build it up yourselves?”

The villagers are hesitant, but say they’re ready to give it a try. It’s time for Serenity to return to Midway.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

They arrive back at the terminal to blue skies and an ongoing celebration. The Friends say this is the best weather they can ever remember!

It has taken several days to set up an improvised jail in the terminal, and Simon still has many people to examine, vaccinate, and prescribe for. It takes nearly a week until everything is reasonably under control.

But Simon has one interesting introduction to make; “Robert, I would like you to meet Diana Book. Diana, this is Robert Book. He has been sick for some time. That is why Hans did not hear from him.”

Diana’s eyes light up; “Robert, so good to meet a cousin! We need to talk…” She leads the recovering man off to a quiet corner.

While all this was going on, the villagers were talking, and have come to realize that if Sentinel is to become permanently self-sufficient, they need learn to maintain their own tech. Simon gives them the two Print copies of UniWiki, as it’s a lot of weight, and the crew found a couple of UniWiki terminals in all the stuff the ‘Bots gave them anyway. The Friends handle the copies like Gutenberg Bibles.

And now it’s time to leave. Mal meets with Mayor Philip and says; “I think our work here is done. Your Terraforming stations are working, Garth is not a problem anymore, and your people are in much better health. We’ve enjoyed our stay, but it’s time for us to let you people run things your own selves.”

And that’s when the trouble starts. The Friends don’t want them to go! And then it gets worse. They have erected a memorial plaque honouring Jayne, and they want him to be Lord Mayor!

When the crew objects, they discover that they are essentially prisoners – although they can wander about town, they’re not allowed back to Serenity, and the “house” they’ve been “given” looks more like a jail than the place where the Army is being kept.

All eight gather in their house to come up with a plan.

Mal says, “We’re going to need a mighty distraction, any ideas?” and Inara adds; “It’ll be hard to come up with something, there’s only the eight of us to escape past dozens of guards.”

And that observation gives Simon an idea; “No, there are many more prisoners than just us. There’s all of Garth’s Army.”

Kaylee objects; “So after helpin’ in roundin’ them all up, we’re gonna help them escape? That don’t sound neighbourly.”

But Mal likes the idea. “And how is what the Friends have done to us neighbourly?”

After a short time, they have a plan. Jayne will talk to the Mayor and other leaders about future defences, keeping them occupied as the rest of the crew each move to unlock the doors for the soldiers.

It all goes well, except that Garth's soldiers have trouble believing the Serenity crew is really willing to let them go – it smells like a trap. “You’re going to get us out in the middle of the street, then shoot us!”

But Inara has the perfect answer; “Do I look like someone who would do that? Where do you think I’m hiding a gun in this outfit?”

With that, her group makes a run for it, and once the rest of the army sees them on the move, they all go. Pandemonium breaks out! With the melee of soldiers, guards and ordinary villagers running in all directions, it’s easy for the crew to escape into the shadows. Mal and Zoë overcome the guard at the Mayor’s office, and in the general confusion, they grab Jayne and all make a break for Serenity.

There are two guards at the ramp, but they’re so busy straining to see what’s going on in town, it’s easy for Mal and Jayne to get behind them, knock them out and drag them out of the way. By the time they do that, Zoë has rounded up the two guards onboard, and is marching them out at gunpoint.

All the rest of the crew rush in, River running for the bridge, Kaylee for the engine room, and before it’s general knowledge that they’ve escaped, the engines are warming up. By the time the Friends get organized and start to rush the ship, Serenity is up and away.

They’re soon out of the Oasis system, and glad to be moving again. But it’s a bit unsettling to be sailing off into the Deep with no plan at all. Just where do they want to go? Where IS there to go?

River, Zoë, and Mal spend a day or two studying possible destinations on their new UniWiki, and Kaylee reads up on instructions for the new pieces that the ‘Bots left for Serenity.

That leaves the rest with nothing to do but watch the happenings back on Sentinel. And that is well worth watching! Jayne’s reputation is growing almost hourly, and the story of Serenity’s last hours on Sentinel has been embellished to the point that it would be unrecognizable if they weren’t actually watching it happen. Jayne has become a planet-wide hero who was kidnapped by the Serenity traitors, fighting to stay on Sentinel until overwhelmed by sheer numbers! An even bigger plaque commemorating Jayne’s triumph is being erected!

Inara is particularly amused; “Jayne, I must have missed a few events. Could you tell me just how it was you overturned that Sherman tank barehanded? I think I must have been hiding in a corner somewhere when that happened.”

Jayne mutters, “Gorram chun wu ming shao zu (dumbass peons).” and storms off to peals of laughter.

It’s going to take several days of discussion before Serenity’s crew can decide just where to go next, but they’re more a family than ever, owing nothing to anyone, they’re fully stocked with food, fuel and parts, and they’re flying.

Life is good.