Mal is walking down a wide, elegant hallway toward an equally wide and elegant entrance to a humongous and beautiful ballroom. He turns the corner and gazes upon a throng of finely-dressed men and women at Persephone's annual ball. He stops a few steps into the room, waiting for his partner.

Emcee (on microphone, sound echoing throughout the room): "Captain Malcolm Reynolds and Inara Serra."

Mal holds out his hand and turns to see the beautiful companion entering the room and reaching for his hand. They join and pass into the main part of the room, huge floating chandelier descending from the ceiling. Mal and Inara stop at the edge of the dance floor.

Inara (smiling slightly): "Shall we?" Mal (returning her smile): "We shall."

The room is empty except for Inara, Mal and the music. They dance, bodies close, for what seems to Mal like an eternity - an eternity he could certainly live with. The song ends, and the two separate and step away from each other - Inara curtseys, Mal bows his torso slightly and his head fully so he is facing the ground. When he arises, Inara is gone.

With a sudden jerk, Mal awakens, sitting on his bed with his back against the wall. His hands are in his lap holding Simon's encyclopedia which has accessed information, however little, on the planet Sedalia. Mal begins to read where he left off, but stops and looks away from the hand-held screen.

Mal (in his mind): "Deep breath ..." He takes a few slow, deep breaths ... "... back to work."

Mal rises from his bed and proceeds up the ladder and out of his room. As he walks (head down, reading) toward the dining room, Shepherd Book rounds the corner, walking slowly and reading his Bible. Neither in a hurry or noticing the other, they collide and drop what they're holding.

Book (startled): "Captain! My apologies, I wasn't looking where I was going." Mal (bending over to pick up the encyclopedia): "Neither was I." Hunched over, Mal takes a step past Book before standing up completely. Book (straight, masking his concern): "Something on your mind, Captain?" Mal (emotionless): "Don't concern you." Book (quickly): "I think it does ..." Mal stops, turns, begins to slowly walk back to Book, staring him down. Book (after clearing his throat): "... if it's what I think it is. It concerns all of us." Mal (quietly, a little anger in his voice): "What do you know preacher? What do you THINK you know?" Book takes a slow step forward, is now face to face with Mal. Book (low, intense): "Maybe you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed." They stare for a few seconds. Mal turns to leave and takes a couple steps. Book: "Do not make the mistake of thinking you're the only one that misses her." Mal doesn't stop. Book returns to his book and continues toward the bridge.

***

Mal is nearing the dining room as Kaylee, holding tools in each hand, comes skipping up to him. Kaylee (cheerful as ever): "Captain! I need to ask you ..." (interrupted) Mal (curtly): "Not now, Kaylee." He passes her. Kaylee (a little hurt, still cheerful): "But Cap'n, it's really important." Mal stops, turns quickly. Mal (almost yelling at his engineer): "Gorramit, Kaylee, I said ..." Mal stops, sees Kaylee losing her smile a bit, calms down a notch. "What is it?" Kaylee (retracts her cheeriness): "I was just gonna tell ya we're low on fuel, got enough backup to get us back to where we left from, but Wash says ain't any stations near here. He needs to know if you found anything out about Sedalia from the encyclopedia, if we can get some fuel and supplies on the ground somewhere." Mal (drops his head slightly, calmer now): "Didn't mean to yell. I'll take care of it." Turns to leave. Kaylee (concerned): "Somethin' wrong, Cap'n?" Mal: "Just keep me flyin', Kaylee." Kaylee frowns a bit and heads toward the bridge. On her way, she passes the door to her room, which Simon is now exiting. Kaylee turns and starts walking backward slowly, facing the doctor. Kaylee (back to full-on cheerful): "Mornin', sleepy." Simon (slightly groggy, eyes not completely open yet): "Good morning." He walks with her. Kaylee: "How ya feelin'?" Simon: "I'm ... I'm trying to figure out when I went to sleep ... passed out ... whatever it was." Kaylee (answering his question before it's even asked): "We didn't do nothin', Simon. Just talked and had some wine is all. (Jokingly) One of us more than the other." Simon (embarrassed): "Did I say anything too ..." (searching for the word) Kaylee: "Unseemly? Improper?" Simon: "Something like that." Kaylee: "No." Simon: "Did I do anything ..." They've reached the door to the bridge and slowly step inside. Kaylee: "You were the perfect gentleman." Steps up to him. "A step away from not being 'perfect,' but then you went to sleep." Simon (still embarrassed, but trying to be cute): "Well, what would have happened if I ..." They've failed to notice Book in Wash's chair. Book (loudly, so there's no mistaking he's there): "GOOD morning, children." Simon and Kaylee are startled, start stammering. Book (chuckling): "Don't worry. You're secret's safe." Simon: "Shepherd, there's no secret to keep safe." Book: "Well, when there is one to keep ... don't worry." Book leaves the room.

***

Mal is in the dining room with Wash and Zoe. Mal: "Not much information to be found. Looks like we'll have to play it by ear." Wash: "Works for me. Seems like any time we have a set plan it ends up ruined anyway." Mal: "I'll meet you on the bridge in half an hour, we'll break atmo and do some lookin' around before we land." Wash: "Sounds good." Zoe: "Captain, we're playing pretty risky here." Mal: "I know." Zoe: "We're basing everything on River. Simon didn't have much more info on Sedalia, either. Not sure this is such a great idea." Mal: "Maybe not." (Almost jokingly) "But we're already here." Zoe: "Your call, sir. Just sayin' is all." Mal (serious): "We'll scout for civilization, see if we can gas Serenity up. If not …" (interrupted by Jayne, who rushes into the room) Jayne (harsh): "'If not' nothin'. There's gold to be found, we're gonna gorram find it." Wash (making fun): "And we ain't leavin' this rock 'til we found our ruttin' pay." Jayne glances and growls at Wash, who shoots him a sarcastic tough-guy look. Mal interrupts before it goes any further. Mal: "I haven't seen River be wrong on this kind of thing before. She's got an odd intuitiveness. Wash: "And the winner of the Best Understatement of the Year Award is ..." Mal: "She thinks there's somethin' there, it's likely there is." Zoe (at least acting like she's on board with this): "Let's do it, then." Jayne (relieved, sighs): "Big payday. Don't scare me like that."

***

After leaving Kaylee and Simon to their own devices on the bridge, Book returned to his room to resume his Bible reading. River has slowly approached and is standing in the open doorway.

River (excited): "You fixed your book!" Book nearly jumps out of his skin and screams, and River follows suit. Book, still breathing heavy, approaches River to calm her. Book (soothing): "I'm sorry, child." Wraps her in a hug. "I'm sorry. You just startled me." River (still breathing hard herself): "Sorry." After a moment, they release and are calm again. Book: "Now. What were you saying?" River (excited again): "Your book! I broke it, but you fixed it!" Book: "Actually, no. I picked up a new one while we were stopped at a station a few weeks back." River (dejected): "Oh." Beat. Head drops. "The massive damage done to my brain caused me to destroy your book and made you spend money you wouldn't have spent otherwise. … I'll pay you back." Book (chuckling): "You most certainly will not! I won't have it." Beat, Book's mood changes to quizical. "River, that happened months ago, and you've seen me with my new Bible in the meantime. Why bring this up now?" River: "Everything hurt needs time to heal. Didn't want to say anything too soon." Book: "Dear, you didn't hurt me." Beat. Book turns and walks to a cabinet in the back of his room. He picks up a box and brings it back to River. "Here." River (amused): "It's not Christmas, preacher." Book (slight chuckle): "Just take it." River opens the box to find the Bible she ripped to shreds. She looks up at Book and smiles. River: "What do I do with it?" Book: "I hope you'll read it. Even if you don't, it will give you something to remember me by." River gives Book a confused look as he puts his other Bible on the bed and walks out of the room.

***

Jubal Early and his mother Neriah are still aboard her ship. She's been nursing him back to health with food, water and rest as they slowly make their way back to his ship. Jubal is about to go back to sleep.

Jubal: "Mom …" Neriah (soothing Mom-voice): "Sssshhh, Jubal. Rest. There's plenty of time for talk." Jubal: "Not talk. We need to plan." Neriah: "Plan?" Jubal: "Those people made a fool of me. There will be retribution." Neriah: "Oh, there's no need for a plan." She turns from the console to face Jubal. "I already know what we're going to do." Jubal looks confused. "Let me tell you a story, son. Then you go back to sleep. 'Once upon a time, there was a boy named Jubal. He was a fine boy - loved his mother, made her proud. When he was all grown up, Jubal realized he had extraordinary abilities - just like his mother before him. The ability to see that which is hidden - and the ability to act accordingly to benefit himself and those closest to him. After years of applying these abilities in his trade, he came upon a particularly difficult mission." Jubal: "The midget?" Neriah: "After the midget. It was a girl. A girl with abilities not too different from his own. Jubal thought he had this girl all wrapped up, but she had friends. Those friends helped her, and they thwarted Jubal's plan. He was left for dead, floating in the darkness and silence of space. But Jubal was smart. His ship was designed to send a signal to his mother if ever that ship had sat motionless for over a day. A good bounty hunter never stays put anywhere for long. So, Jubal's mother got in her own ship and went to save her son." Jubal: "Good story." Neriah: "But it's not the end. You see, Jubal's mother looked around and found out what happened to her son. She was hurt by the actions of the people that would see her son dead. So, before she went to find Jubal, she went to find someone else - someone who would make that retribution all the sweeter." Neriah rises from her seat and walks toward the large box Jubal has been leaning against. She begins to open it … Neriah: "The crew of Serenity would be better suited by maintaining complete anonymity, yet they let one of their own leave the ship of her own free will. That seem right to you?" Neriah opens the box and reveals to Jubal its contents - Inara Serra.

XXX