SCENE 1

Onboard Serenity, in the infirmary, the lights are dimmed.

Kaylee is lying face down naked on the examination table, with a towel over her butt, standing to the side of the table is Simon. Simon proceeds to massage her back and shoulders.

Kaylee Mmmm

Eyes closed, and a dreamy look on her face

Simon Are you enjoying this?

Kaylee Mmmm

Simon Its not often we have the ship to ourselves…… I think its time for me to do your other side.

Kaylee eyes still closed, smiles, and starts to turn over.

Mals voice booms over the ships intercom.

Mal RISE AND SHINY PEOPLE!!!!

Kaylee is shown tumbling out of her hammock and lying on the floor, her hair is dishevelled, and she looks startled.

Mal This is your captain speaking…… you may wish to know that the good ship Serenity has just been requisitioned by the alliance …..If you would care to join me in the galley…I’m sure it’ll be this morning’s hot topic of conversation……and breakfast is ready.

SCENE 2

In the galley Mal is standing drinking coffee , Book ,Simon, and River are sitting at the table, the rest of the crew are walking into the galley.

ZOE Sir…. did you say we have been requisitioned?

Mal Yeah you heard me right……. I was sitting on the bridge admiring the stars when the wave flashed up on screen

Inara Are you still having trouble sleeping?

Mal ignores the question; Wash has a bowl of food in his hand and is about to sit down, Mal takes the bowl from him

Mal Whoa there…….Now I know you have just woken from your slumber Wash, but ain’t you a teensy bit curious how the alliance vessel managed to get close enough to send us a signal?.....Huh. It’s very high up in our list of important things… that we try to avoid them like the plague.

Wash nods his head.

Wash Well….. Yes I am captain…and before I have breakfast, I shall go up to the bridge, and check why the proximity transponder didn’t alert us to the ships presence.

Mal Thank you …………

Wash walks off in the direction of the bridge, Zoe brushes her hand against his as he walks past, Wash gives her a smile.

Mal turns, and addresses the table where everyone else is now sitting.

Mal OK folks, any suggestions?............ lets hear em.

Simon Well obviously myself and River, have no desire to meet up with the alliance, and any alternative to that will have my support …..And Rivers.

Inara I’ve never heard of the alliance requisitioning a transport ship before, this does seem rather unusual.

Zoe Me neither Sir, what else did the message say?

Mal We have to make our way to Andoras immediately, and report to supply depot 417, the co-ordinates have already been put into the flight system.

Book That was nice of them

Mal Wash can override that …. Unless someone has a better idea, I say we cut and run.

Book Sounds good to me, we could of course always plead ignorance.

Zoe Amen Shepard.

Around the table everyone is in agreement, apart from Jayne who looks troubled.

Mal Jayne …. You don’t agree?

Jayne What does requisition mean?.....................

Mal claps his hands

Mal Ok ………….. Looks like we cut and run folks

Footsteps are heard, and Wash enters the galley, all eyes turn to him.

Wash The proximity transponder has blown, and I’ll need a new circuit board …. Oh…… and there is a rather large alliance frigate that’s just came within shooting distance.

( Galactic language, curses and oaths )

SCENE 3

The bridge of Serenity, Wash has his feet up on the consul with his hands behind his head, the ship is flying on auto pilot, behind him are Mal, and Zoe.

Zoe (Shaking her head) Feels like we’re flying into the lions den, I just ain’t comfortable with this, but it doesn’t seem like we have much options.

Mal I ain’t jumping for joy either Zoe …… we’re going to have to come up with a plan… something…. until then we just follow their instructions…….Wash, how long till we get there?

Wash At the speed we’re flying, about 2 hours.

Zoe What about Inara? ….she might know someone on Andoras

Mal leaves the bridge and shouts down the companionway.

Mal INARA COULD YOU COME UP HERE!!!

Inara is talking to Kaylee in the cargo deck, when they both look up towards Mals voice

Inara It appears I have been summoned by our captain, (said sarcastically) If you will excuse me Kaylee.

Kaylee giggles.

Inara enters the bridge, she bows before Mal.

Inara Oh great lord and master, command me as you see fit.

Mal Yeah maybe later…..do you know anyone on Andoras?

Inara It just so happens that I do, a client of mine I have visited before… a money lender.

Mal My, you certainly get around ….(Inara looks furious, but Mal responds with a smile) ….I want you to contact him, and ask if anything unusual has happened there, we need to know why they want our ship….the alliance has plenty of transporters, why do they want the Serenity?

Inara At once your majesty…… (Inara walks backwards, bowing all the time, She stops at the door) ….Wash… there is a market adjacent to the supply depot, you should find a circuit board there.

Wash Thanks Inara

SCENE 4

Serenity bridge, the ship is still flying on auto-pilot, Mal is pacing up and down, Wash sits in the pilot’s chair, and Zoe sits on the consul. Jayne and Book have joined them on the bridge.

Mal Come on Inara, what’s she doing?

Book Patience Captain……. she’ll be along just as soon as she can.

Wash We’re entering atmosphere now, ETA 15 minutes.

Inara walks along the corridor and enters the bridge,

Mal Well, did you find out anything?...

Inara hesitates, she looks pensive.

Inara The supply depot has been attacked by browncoats

Mal has a look of total disbelief

Mal Browncoats ?...... that’s got to be a mistake…. browncoats have attacked an alliance base? (he looks stunned )

Zoe He must be mistaken Inara….there’s no such thing as browncoats.

Inara It happened yesterday, they destroyed all the ships in the compound…the alliance soldiers have chased them into a valley…and they have them cornered inside some mineshafts….they’re trapped……. ….the people are calling it the browncoats last stand.

Book Before I joined the ship, I heard stories about a band of renegade’s who had carried on fighting, but I thought it was just folk tales, wishful thinking on some peoples part…..I guess they really exist.

Jayne Won’t be for long by the sound of things……. if the alliance has them cornered….

Mal You just shut your mouth, ya hear.

Jayne raises both hands in surrender

Jayne Just saying….. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes… not once the alliance gets a hold of…..

Everybody shouts at once

JAYNE!!!!!

Inara Mal…. what about Simon and River?............(no response) MAL!!!....you’re the captain here.

Mal Right …….got to think …….tell the doctor and his sister to lie low, there’s no need for them to hide in the smuggling compartment, they ain’t interested in them, it’s the ship they want.

The Serenity slowly stops its forward movement, and starts to descend

Wash You might want to check this out.

Everyone moves over to the cockpit windows and looks down, below them is the supply depot, and on the open ground is the smoking wreckage of alliance transporters.