EXT. HAVEN – MAIN STREET – DAY

FOLKS run in every direction, in a bit of semi-organized chaos. An evacuation of sorts seems to be in progress.

Jayne walks against the crowd, checking Vera. Simon, wandering within the crowd, finds himself face-to-face with Jayne.

SIMON: Any word from the Captain?

Jayne shakes his head no.

JAYNE: These folk really think they can hide in them mines?

SIMON: It’s their best chance, I suppose.

JAYNE: Heard they’s got a few shuttles hidden somewhere. We should “borrow” one. Could be off-planet when things turn red. Captain’d pick us up in a few days…

SIMON: You’re not suggesting we abandon—

JAYNE: Didn’t say it was what I’s gonna do, Doc. Said it was what we SHOULD do. If we was smart.

It dawns on both of them that River is there, barefoot, watching.

RIVER (to Simon): Like I said. We can trust him now.

EXT. FORT LIBERTY SECURITY CENTRAL – NIGHT – ESTABLISHING

Security Central is a bunker built into the side of a small mountain. It’s a fenced-in military installation, and the front blast-doors are protected by two of the large guns that surround the city.

INT. FORT LIBERTY SECURITY CENTRAL – FRONT OFFICE – NIGHT

The room is small and utilitarian. An OFFICER sits at a desk, which is in front of a heavy looking door. He’s fiddling with something on his computer.

Two GUARDS, armored and armed with rifles, flank the door.

Book and Zoe stand in front of the desk, dressed in their disguises. Book is doing a tremendous job of selling the commodore act. He has a sneer of bored disdain on his face and looks like he’d kill the Officer soon as shake hands with him.

OFFICER: Everything seems to be in order for your visit, sir… If you’ll just give me your datacard, I can pass you right through.

Book hands over the card with an annoyed sigh.

INT. SERENITY – DINING ROOM – NIGHT

Mal and Inara sit at the table.

INARA: They’ll be fine, Mal.

Beat.

MAL: Should be there my own self.

INARA: Mal, you can’t always—

Hicks rushes in.

HICKS: They should be in by now.

Mal stands.

MAL (to Hicks): Tell Wash to prep.

INT. FORT LIBERTY SECURITY CENTRAL – HALLWAY – NIGHT

A GUARD leads Book down the hall, Zoe trailing behind them.

BOOK: —am quite sure the level of incompetence I’ve already seen will continue when I review your records. Your man kept me waiting nearly four minutes. FOUR MINUTES! I understand that Fort Liberty is a {useless peasant} drop-off point in the middle of nowhere, but I’d think that you would have a little more respect when you wear that uniform!

Even Zoe looks like she’s beginning to feel bad for the Guard.

BOOK (cont’d): Don’t you know who I am? I should not be kept waiting for a single minute, much less four!

They arrive at a large door with “COMPUTER ROOM” stenciled on it. The Guard looks very relieved.

GUARD: We’re here, sir.

INT. FORT LIBERTY SECURITY CENTRAL – COMPUTER ROOM – CONTINUOUS

The computer room is large, roughly the size of Serenity’s cargo hold, but filled with banks and rows of machines. It looks like a NASA command station, although largely unmanned. There are six TECHS on duty, as well as two GUARDS, who snap to attention as Book storms in like he owns the place.

The PRIMARY SECURITY CORE, which is a tower of cables and spinning reel-to-reels, is in the center of the far wall.

Book stalks through the room, stopping periodically to look at this console or that, more than once running his finger over a screen as if testing for dust. In general, he appears increasingly annoyed and highly disapproving.

Zoe follows him like a loyal puppy.

Book stops for a beat in front of the primary security core and gives her the briefest of nods. She sidles up to it and stays there.

Book struts back toward the center of the room.

BOOK: Who’s in charge here?

One of the Techs (BAGGETT) nervously stands and salutes.

BAGGETT: Watch-commander Baggett, sir.

Book approaches Baggett.

BOOK: Watch-commander Baggett…

With all attention trained on Book, Zoe slides her hand down to her belt and slowly pushes the button on Hicks’ COOL GADGET, which is clipped to her belt like some sort of utility item.

A tiny RED LIGHT flares up.

BOOK (to Baggett): Where were you raised?

BAGGETT: Sir?

BOOK (‘don’t test me’): Where were you raised?

BAGGETT: Sinhon, sir. Shendao Province.

Book sighs.

BOOK: I find that quite surprising, Mister Baggett. Based on the way you manage your watch, my assumption is that you were raised in a barn. Or a cave. Or perhaps in a den of wolves, sucking at the hind tit of a bitch?

Baggett flinches.

All eyes are on Book as he walks closer still, running a finger along one of the consoles.

Zoe risks a glance at the cool gadget. The light is YELLOW.

BOOK: This dust is well beyond the acceptable level for an Alliance computer facility. Are you aware of how much damage one mote of dust can cause to such delicate machinery?

BAGGETT: No, sir. Er, I mean, yes, sir.

Book is now nose-to-nose with Baggett.

BOOK: Imagine a grain of sand in your eye. A single grain. Imagine you cannot remove it, and no tears will come. How much damage will that single grain do to you in the span of a blinking week? A blinking day?

Baggett blinks and looks down.

Book circles around Baggett and glances at Zoe.

She looks down. Light’s still yellow. She shakes her head “No.”

BOOK: Just because you’ve been assigned to the ass-end of the ‘verse does not give you the right to behave like a savage, Mister Baggett. You are an Alliance officer.

BAGGETT: Yes, sir.

BOOK: Shall I list the protocols you’ve broken in my brief visit here? There are seventeen. I fear by the time I reach the fourth, your {pathetic excuse for a little mind} will have shut down.

Zoe looks down. GREEN.

She reaches urgently for her FUTURE CELL PHONE, also on her belt, pretending to have received a call.

BOOK (cont’d): Six-oh-oh-five-oh-one. Failure to properly address a superior officer. Three-three-two-one-two-two. Improper use of—

ZOE: Sir?

Book glares at her.

ZOE (cont’d): Priority call from the port. Seems some locals tried to break into the shuttle. I can look into it myself if you—

BOOK: No.

Book circles back in front of Baggett and eyes him.

BOOK (cont’d): I believe I’ve seen enough here.

INT. SERENITY – CARGO HOLD – NIGHT

The lower CARGO DOORS are open, and wind rushes in. Mal, near the edge, is strapped into a harness connected to the winch. As Inara stands near, Kaylee makes last minute adjustments to his harness, and hands him a set of GOGGLES.

MAL (dubious): You sure this is safe?

KAYLEE: We strap in Jayne all the time.

Not what Mal wanted to hear.

KAYLEE (cont’d): Maybe you should have a hat. Jayne always has a hat.

INARA: Mal, be careful. You can barely stand.

MAL: Nothin’ to be careful about. If Hicks did everything right, there shouldn’t be no guard anyway.

INARA: Still—

Hicks runs in, onto the upper CATWALK.

HICKS: Zoe sent the signal. Security network’s down. We’re headed in!

EXT. FORT LIBERTY – GLEASON’S CANNON – NIGHT

Gleason sits at one of the giant cannons, looking completely bored.

Suddenly, Serenity WHOOSHES overhead. It continues along the wall to the next gun down the line.

GLEASON: What the—? That little {mouse turd} is still going through with it!

Gleason abandons his post and chases after Serenity on foot, running along the top of the city wall.

INT. FORT LIBERTY SECURITY CENTRAL – HALLWAY – NIGHT

Book and Zoe follow a GUARD down the hall. The guard is far enough ahead of them that they can speak freely (in low tones, at least).

Book barely holds it together. He looks queasy, sick.

ZOE: Preacher…

Book’s head snaps in her direction. He looks guilty. He’s expecting the inevitable comment along the lines of “Funny how a preacher knows such things…”

ZOE (cont’d): I’m not even gonna ask.

EXT. FORT LIBERTY – UNMANNED CANNON – NIGHT

Mal is lowered down from Serenity above. He finds his feet near the empty cannon, and attaches the cables that lowered him to the gun in a half dozen places.

He slips black goggles over his eyes, lights a CUTTING TORCH and begins his work cutting the gun free.

When he’s almost finished, he hears the THUD OF BOOTS running his way. He raises the goggles and sees Gleason, his nose in a bandage as well.

MAL (under his breath) Like lookin’ in the mirror… (to Gleason) You again! Haven’t we tussled enough?

GLEASON: Me stopping you – That’s the kind of heroics that’ll get me off this wall!

Gleason roars and runs at Mal, who lowers his goggles and raises the torch. Gleason screams, blinded, as Mal follows up with a kick to his chest.

Gleason flies back and tumbles over the wall. The fight is over before it began. Mal climbs onto the gun.

MAL (yelling up): Kaylee! We’re clear!

The cables connected to the cannon go taut. There’s a SCREAM of protesting metal as it begins to tear free.

As Serenity takes off, Mal and the cannon hanging below, Mal looks down to where Gleason lay in a broken heap.

MAL (wincing): Ouch! Not like lookin’ in the mirror no more…

EXT. HAVEN – MAIN STREET – NIGHT

A half-dozen armed folks, mostly men, mostly hard-looking, wait nervously, along with Jayne, Simon, River, and Bernabe. Otherwise, the settlement is deserted.

JAYNE (to Bernabe): Soon as they set down, we’ll start shootin’. Fall back and drawn ‘em to the snipers and traps. ‘Course, they decide to strafe the street, might as well just shoot yourself.

SIMON (to River): I wish you’d gone to hide with the others, River.

RIVER: The fruit wasn’t really forbidden, Simon. No need to hide.

Doane approaches the group.

DOANE: One of the signal buoys just detected multiple incoming vessels.

EXT. SPACE

FIVE SLAVER SHIPS cut their way through space, looking sinister and gothic. The DUNGEON SHIP is five times Serenity’s size, slow, laden, as if weighed down by the many slaves it carries.

It’s surrounded by four OUTRIDERS. These mismatched ships are smaller than Serenity, and fast. They bob and weave like a pack of wolves protecting the dungeon ship.

They approach Haven, the light of the system’s SUN glinting off their dark hulls.

Then, out of the bright sun’s glare, comes SERENITY, placing herself in the slaver’s path, her nose dipped lower than usual.

Two of the outriders surge forward.

INT. SERENITY – COCKPIT – SPACE

Wash, at the controls, stares straight ahead as if he can make the outriders back down by not blinking. Mal stands calmly behind him.

MAL: Now.

WASH: No.

Beat.

WASH (cont’d): Now.

EXT. SPACE

On, the OUTRIDERS come. SERENITY flips up, showing them her belly.

ANGLE ON:

The CARGO DOORS, which are open. The CANNON is winched in so that it would be pointing straight down. Or, more to the point, so that it is now pointed directly at one of the outriders.

Zoe, manning the cannon in a SPACE SUIT, fires.

One of the outriders silently explodes.

Zoe can’t do much more than point and shoot, so she waits as Wash aims the ship for her.

She fires. The second outrider arcs, the the cannon’s shell passing wide of the mark, and retreats to the dungeon ship.

The slavers peel away from Haven.

EXT. HAVEN – DAY

Kaylee and some of the citizens of Haven are finishing mounting the cannon on the outskirts of town. Mal, Bernabe, and Hicks watch from a safe distance.

MAL (to Hicks): You done okay, di-di {little brother}. You wanna fly on my boat again, I think I’d be okay with that.

HICKS: Sorry about your face.

MAL: Faces heal. Broken promises don’t.

Hicks smiles.

BERNABE: Can’t thank you enough, Mal. Don’t think we’ll have to worry about slavers or Reavers anytime soon. Reckon it’d take a full-scale Alliance warship to get past this thing!

EXT. HAVEN – GIANT TENT – DAY

The crew of Serenity and the good folks of Haven share a meal. There’s food aplenty, and more than enough smiles and laughter to go around. (This scene is done without dialogue).

Everyone’s there except Book.

Mal and Inara share a laugh, as do Hicks and Kaylee.

Kaylee says something to Simon, but he barely responds, because he’s glaring at Jayne, who’s sitting a little too close to River for Simon’s tastes.

Wash and Bernabe laugh with Zoe, clearly mocking her about something. She laughs, then looks serious for a moment as she scans the crowd…

INT. SERENITY – HALL OUTSIDE THE PASSENGER DORMITORIES

Zoe knocks on Shepherd Book’s door.

ZOE: Preacher? You in there?

Beat.

BOOK: Yes.

ZOE: Folks’re asking after you, Shepherd. Want to thank you for the part you played. Couldn’t have done it without you.

BOOK (strained): Be there straight away, Zoe. Just finishing a short prayer.

Zoe looks at the closed door. She doesn’t necessarily accept that, but what else can she do?

EXT. HAVEN – GIANT TENT – DAY

More laughter and fun. Now Doane is playing his guitar. Inara and Mal dance, as do River and Jayne.

Kaylee tries to get Simon to join, but when he refuses, Hicks steps in.

Wash dances with… Bernabe?

Zoe rejoins the group, laughing at the sight of her husband and their friend cavorting like morons.

INT. SERENITY – BOOK’S ROOM – DAY

Book sits on his bed, alone, shoulders hunched, dressed once again in his preacher’s garb.

The CAP of the Alliance uniform is clutched tightly in his hands.

Shepherd Book, looking very tired and very old, sobs quietly.

BLACKOUT