INT. THE CAROUSEL – THE HUB – SAME TIME

The claxons sound and the crowd begins to panic.

MAL (into his comm) What’s going on?

WASH (via the comm) Um… You better get—

Any additional response is drowned out.

LOUDSPEAKER ALLIANCE RAID!

Like a call-to-arms, the two words spur the crowd to action. Folks run in every direction, grabbing goods (sometimes even their own). In the midst of the chaos, Mal rushes forward, grabs Inara by the arm and pulls her toward the hover-mule. He helps her into the passenger seat, then looks at Jayne, indicating he should get in the back.

JAYNE Come on, Mal!

KAYLEE (OS) Captain!

Mal and Jayne stop arguing and turn to see Kaylee a few meters away, looking scared, being pushed away from them by the throng.

EXT. SPACE – THE CAROUSEL – SAME TIME

The exterior of the Carousel is almost as chaotic. The patrol boats block the outlaw ships trying to escape, while the gunships fire disabling shots at some of those still docked at the space station.

One of the troop transports has already docked with the Carousel, and two more are close behind.

INT. SERENITY – COCKPIT – SAME TIME

Wash taps the comm and looks up at Zoe, shaking his head.

ZOE They’ll be here.

INT. THE CAROUSEL – THE HUB – SAME TIME

Mal takes a few steps toward Kaylee. Jayne hops off the hover-mule to follow.

MAL Kaylee!

She gets knocked down by someone in the crowd. Folks are dropping goods, escaping on mules, horses, and the like. In the background, some of the slaves seem to have taken the opportunity to try to fight their way free.

KAYLEE Captain! Jayne!

Jayne starts punching his way to Kaylee. A FIGHTING COCK rushes up to him and he jumps back.

JAYNE Gorram chicken!

In the rush, Mal loses sight of Kaylee.

MAL Kaylee!

Suddenly, Parker bursts out of the crowd, pulling a somewhat-battered Kaylee by the hand.

PARKER Lose something, Mal?

He pushes Kaylee into Mal’s arms. Mal swings her around and puts her in the hover-mule seat behind Inara.

JAYNE Mal!

Jayne has drawn his gun and is pointing it toward one of the entrances, where ALLIANCE SOLDIERS are in pitched battle with some of the MERCHANTS.

INT. SERENITY – COCKPIT – SAME TIME

Wash is alone now, flipping switches and hitting buttons.

WASH Any time, captain, any time…

INT. THE CAROUSEL – THE HUB – SAME TIME

Mal settles into the driver’s seat of the hover-mule. Jayne, sitting behind him, stares nervously at the Alliance soldiers. They seem to be hung up with their current opponents, but that’ll only last so long.

PARKER Mal! Can you fit one more?

He looks at the Alliance soldiers, then back at Mal.

JAYNE Mal, he’ll slow us down…

KAYLEE Captain!

Mal looks over his shoulder at the two of them, then at Parker.

EXT. SPACE – THE CAROUSEL – SAME TIME

The raid continues. A few of the ships previously docked at the Carousel have gotten away, but the patrol boats and some of the gunships are pursuing.

A gunship swoops down at Serenity, targeting one of the engine pods.

INT. SERENITY – COCKPIT – SAME TIME

Wash looks up from controls to see the gunship swooping in at the ship.

WASH {Monkey feces!}

The gunship blows up, and an OUTLAW SHIP jets overhead.

BOOK (OS) Close one.

SHEPHERD BOOK has joined Wash in the cockpit, standing behind him.

WASH Think we’re outta close ones, Shepherd. Could probably use a miracle or two right about now.

INT. THE CAROUSEL – HALLWAY – NIGHT

This large hallway is one of the “spokes.” It’s a tunnel with corrugated metal walls and conduits and pipes running along the sides.

The hover-mule chugs down the hallway, slowed somewhat by the extra weight of the equipment, and its five passengers (Parker is sitting on the equipment, facing forward. As Mal drives, Jayne keeps looking over his shoulder.

JAYNE (to Parker) Down!

Parker squeezes as low as he can, and Alliance soldiers are visible in the distance behind them. Jayne fires, more out of frustration than because he can hit anything. The Alliance soldiers return fire, with just as much success as Jayne.

JAYNE (cont’d) Go faster with four…

INT. THE CAROUSEL – AIRLOCK – NIGHT

The airlock is at the end of the hallway. Serenity’s AIRLOCK RAMP opens into the room, across from the hallway entrance, and two BLAST-DOORS block the sides. An ACCESS LADDER and a broad, open FREIGHT ELEVATOR allow access to the level above.

Zoe stands on Serenity’s ramp, holding her gun, looking down the hallway, watching the hover-mule approaching, followed by a dozen Alliance soldiers, who, although on foot, are not far behind.

She lines up a shot, appearing to sight on the hover-mule. As the hover-mule enters the airlock, Mal looks at her in alarm.

She ignores him and fires once the hover-mule is past, hitting one of the PIPES on the side of the hallway.

As the Alliance soldiers surge forward, they are stopped by an explosion of steam from the pipes.

ZOE Hurry, sir!

She ducks back inside, and Mal seems intent on driving the hover-mule up the ramp at current speed.

JAYNE Slow down! You’ll scratch it!

Mal gets to the foot of the ramp and slams on the brakes. Parker nearly flies off, but uses the momentum to leap free.

PARKER Thanks for the ride, Mal. That’s one I owe you!

Parker rushes for the ladder while Mal carefully guides the hover-mule into the airlock ramp.

INT. THE CAROUSEL – HALLWAY – NIGHT

The Alliance soldiers fight their way through the steam just in time to see the airlock door closing. They open fire, but to no avail.

EXT. SPACE – THE CAROUSEL

Serenity launches, and a few second later, PARKER’S SHIP, smaller, more nimble, joins them.

The majority of Alliance activity seems to be dedicated to keeping ships trapped at the Carousel, but two of the patrol boats and some of the gunships are pursuing escapees.

A large SLAVER SHIP, squat and lobster-like, with magnetic grapplers and a variety of weapons systems, fires on one of the Alliance troop carriers, rupturing its hull.

A patrol boat swings around to deal with the slaver ship.

INT. SERENITY – COCKPIT – NIGHT

Mal and Jayne join Wash and Book in the cockpit.

WASH Hey, is that Parker’s ship?

Wash whips the ship to the side. Mal and Jayne go tumbling.

WASH (cont’d) Might want to grab something. Before Mal can answer, an ALARM sounds.

JAYNE What’s that?

WASH (zen calm) It means someone doesn’t like us.

In the forward window, a MISSILE sails past, narrowly missing Parker’s ship.

INT. SERENITY – CARGO HOLD – SAME TIME

As the ship rocks due to Wash’s evasive maneuvers, Zoe and Kaylee secure the hover-mule. SIMON helps stow some of the packages. Inara is by the stairs to the upper CATWALK, holding on to the railing, and RIVER stands in the middle of the room, feet planted firmly, rolling with each rock of the ship, maintaining her perfect balance.

As Simon lifts one of the PACKAGES from the rear of the vehicle, Kaylee is working on the mule, and the two lean close. He gets a good look at her face.

SIMON You’re hurt.

He reaches out toward her with genuine concern.

KAYLEE (smiles) Ain’t nothin’. Just got a little tight in the Carousel.

SIMON Still, I—

The ship floor cants at a forty-five degree angle. Barrels and crates go flying. Inara tumbles up the stairs to get out of their way. Kaylee and Simon are thrown together, and Zoe grabs a strap on the hover-mule to keep her balance.

River stands like a tree in a storm.

SIMON (to Kaylee) Are you all right?

ZOE (OS) Strap it down, you two!

They both look at her, snapping to attention like children caught in the cookie jar. Zoe tightens a strap on the hover-mule, looking annoyed.

The ship QUIVERS, as if in response to a near-miss or graze.

INARA Did we just get hit?

EXT. SPACE – SAME TIME

Serenity, rocking and rolling, dives through a blossom of fire and debris, pursued by one of the patrol boats. Parker’s ship is nowhere to be seen.

INT. SERENITY – COCKPIT – SAME TIME

Mal leans forward over Wash, looking at the flame and wreckage in their window. Book, ignoring that danger, is fiddling with the computer at the co-pilot’s station.

A piece of debris bounces off the window.

WASH Was that Parker who just got blown up?

JAYNE There goes that favor.

INT. ALLIANCE PATROL BOAT – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

CAPTAIN CHIEN, early forties, with intense eyes and patrician features, stands at the forward window of the bridge, watching Serenity try to escape.

ALLIANCE OFFICER Sir, sensor locks appear to have been damaged by debris from the Palomino-class vessel.

Chien doesn’t turn.

CHIEN Target manually.

ALLIANCE OFFICER Yessir.

In the forward window, missiles dog Serenity, missing once, twice, three times as the Firefly-class ship bobs and weaves.

LIEUTENANT WALLACE, mid-twenties, handsome and energetic, steps up next to Chien.

WALLACE Captain Pennington has requested assistance, sir. They are encountering unexpected resistance from one of the slave ships.

CHIEN Thanks you, Lieutenant. (beat) Let them go.

As his ship turns, he wistfully watches Serenity escape.

EXT. SPACE – THE CAROUSEL

Chien’s patrol boat turns back around, heading toward the lobster-like slaver ship, which has clamped down on one of the other patrol boats using its magnetic grapplers.

INT. SERENITY – COCKPIT – SAME TIME

Wash flies steady. Mal and Jayne look like they’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. Book continues his work on the computer.

JAYNE How come we ain’t dead?

WASH Love to say it was me, but they just stopped.

MAL Don’t much care why we’re still alive, Wash. Good flyin’, now get us to the edge of the system and go for hard burn. I want to be as far away from here as—

BOOK That wise, Captain?

MAL You got somethin’ to say, Preacher?

Book finally looks up.

BOOK If they’re following standard Alliance procedure, there are probably additional patrol boats stationed as sentries along the most obvious exit vectors. It’s my understanding that this planet was chosen as home for the Carousel because of the number of moons that are of use as hiding places.

Mal and Jayne exchange a “Why does a preacher know that?” look.

MAL Keep talkin’.

BOOK Could be we might benefit from laying low on one of those moons for a few days.

MAL (to Wash) You keep gettin’ us away from here. (to Book) Got any suggestions?

Book smiles and turns the computer screen toward Mal. It contains a picture of a small, blue MOON. Like the Carousel, it is close to the planetary rings.

EXT. OCEAN MOON – DAY – ESTABLISHING

The moon appears to be covered completely in water. Serenity swoops in low, pulling waves in its wake.

INT. SERENITY – COCKPIT – DAY

Jayne is now sitting in the second seat, looking bored, while Mal and Book stand behind Wash.

JAYNE Great. So insteada gettin’ blowed up, we can get drowned.

WASH I hear drowning’s a peaceful way to go.

JAYNE So’s bein’ strangled.

BOOK (putting a hand on Wash’s shoulder) Head closer to the equator, son. We should find some islands there.

Jayne gives Book a curious stare.

BOOK (cont’d) Basic planetary topography.

JAYNE They teach ya that at shepherdin’ school?

Wash ignores them, staring through the forward window. His face lights up.

WASH {Oh, sweet chubby Buddha, sometimes I love my life}, this might be my favorite moon ever!

MAL Find a spot. Set us down.

EXT. SERENITY – AIRLOCK – DAY

CLOSE-UP of Mal’s face. He’s wearing a SPACE SUIT, and looking around with a very serious expression on his face.

MAL Looks good. Air’s breathable.

Even before he’s finished speaking, Serenity’s airlock hisses open and the ramp lowers.

EXT. ISLAND – ESTABLISHING

If the immediate area is any judge, the island is a tropical paradise, a light jungle that looks like it would be at home in the Caribbean.

A beautiful river with white sandy shores winds through a decent-sized clearing, and Wash has parked Serenity so that it straddles the river, nose over one shore, airlock ramp on the other.

EXT. SERENITY – DAY

Mal doesn’t even have his helmet off before the crew is spilling down the ramp. All of them look around in wonder as they step off the boat. Zoe and Wash are first.

ZOE Have to say, this might be one of the best landings you’ve ever made.

Kaylee, River and Simon come right behind them.

KAYLEE Oh, my gosh! It’s beautiful!

SIMON This place is amazing.

RIVER (whispered wonder) So loud. Fly, fly, swim, swim, scurry, scurry.

Kaylee takes River by the hand and pulls her out, down the ramp. Simon stays on the ramp, carefully taking off his shoes and rolling up his pants.

Jayne and Book follow.

JAYNE Next time I need a miracle, Shepherd, I know who I’m talkin’ to.

Finally, Inara walks down the ramp at a regal and sedate pace, taking in the scenery.

INARA Mal… This place is…

MAL Yeah, I know. (yelling at the group) Hey! Don’t go too far!

INT. ALLIANCE PATROL BOAT – BRIDGE – SPACE

Captain Chien looks out at the Carousel. All resistance has been squashed. The lobster-like slaver ship has a series of scorch marks and a large hole in it, but looks otherwise intact.

Wallace, holding a piece of paper, approaches.

WALLACE Priority alert sir.

Chien nods, takes the paper and reads it.

CHIEN Forward this to the other captains. Any resources they can spare are to begin an immediate search of the system for the indicated vessel.

He hands the paper back to Wallace and turns to the window again.

CHIEN (cont’d) They got away from us once, but not a second time.