INT. ALLIANCE WRECK – BRIDGE – CONTINUOUS

Dobson’s MEN, a half-dozen in all, bristling with armament and anger, surround Mal, Zoe, and Jayne, who have their hands up.

JAYNE Uh, Mal, didn’t you shoot this guy in the head—

DOBSON No, you moron. This pound of metal grafted to my face, it’s purely cosmetic.

MAL What is it you want, Dobson?

DOBSON You. Dead.

Beat.

JAYNE Gorrammit, Mal. Why’s everybody hate you so much?

INT. SERENITY – CARGO BAY – SAME TIME

Kaylee tries to crawl away from Blue Hand#1. Her nose begins to bleed. She realizes, touches her hand to it, looks at the blood, and panics.

Blue Hand#1 looms over her.

Blue Hand#1 is quite startled when Simon, armed with a meter-long FREE WEIGHT from the exercise bench, smashes it down on his hand and his rodlike device. The device shatters.

Before Blue Hand#1 can recover, Simon brings the weight up again, slamming the man in the face and knocking him back. Simon rushes him, hitting him twice more, and driving him back until he stumbles through the cargo bay doors.

Simon, in his rush to push Blue Hand#1 back, almost follows him, teetering for a beat on the edge. Then he recovers and looks across the room to Book.

The Shepherd has made it downstairs and rushes for the control panel, hitting the button that closes the cargo bay doors, cutting off Blue Hand#1.

Simon turns to Kaylee.

SIMON Are you all right?

She nods, but looks as if she’s in shock. Then—

KAYLEE SIMON!

Blue Hand#2 rushes him from a corner of the cargo bay.

INT. ALLIANCE WRECK – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

Dobson confronts Mal as they float among the decaying bodies. As he speaks, Dobson becomes increasingly intense and agitated.

DOBSON You tried to kill me—You shot my freaking eye out—and dumped me to die. I might as well have. Law marked me as dead without so much as a search, and so I decided to stay that way. You made me a freak, and the only thing I’ve wanted since is to return the favor… An eye for an eye. (beat) I’d say that about covers it.

JAYNE (to Mal) Sounds fair to me.

MAL Shut up, Jayne. (to Zoe) Second he shoots me, you and Jayne kill ‘em all.

Dobson smiles and aims at Mal’s head.

Zoe rushes the nearest of Dobson’s men, grabbing him and throwing him between Mal and Dobson—

Just as Dobson fires and accidentally kills his own man instead of Mal.

INT. CARGO BAY – SAME TIME

Simon and Blue Hand#2 wrestle over the free weight, each using it to try to push the other. Simon’s losing the fight.

Book smacks a button on the control panel then rushes to Simon’s aid. On the far side of the cargo bay, the INNER AIRLOCK DOOR hisses open.

Kaylee has snapped out of her shock a bit, and rushes toward the comm.

KAYLEE (into comm) Wash! We need to get movin’!

A POUNDING NOISE sounds from the other side of the closed cargo bay doors (which Blue Hand#1 fell through).

KAYLEE (cont’d, into comm) Now!

EXT. SPACE – SAME TIME

Serenity roars to life, jetting forward and snapping the fuel lines. FUEL sprays from both ends, hitting space and freezing into clumps almost immediately.

INT. ALLIANCE WRECK – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

Mal’s crew and Dobson’s men shoot it out, both sides taking advantage of the floating bodies, debris, and other cover.

Dobson and Mal try to get at each other, but debris keeps getting in the way.

Zoe calmly guns down one of Dobson’s men as he tries to get the drop on Mal.

Jayne grapples one of Dobson’s men from behind and manages to pull his gun free enough to shoot the man in the back. Two of the other men open fire on Jayne, who whirls, using the newly-deceased as a shield.

Keeping the body in front of him, Jayne rushes one of his two assailants, shooting at him, but as he does so, the other gunman has a clear shot.

Before he can take it, Zoe shoots him in the head. Jayne turns to her and nods his thanks, then raises his gun at her.

He fires, taking out the man who was sneaking up behind her.

JAYNE Missed one.

And, just like that, all of Dobson’s men are gone and it’s pretty much over. A body shifts, and Mal looks straight at Dobson.

INT. CARGO BAY – SAME TIME

Book and Simon, working together, have managed to force Blue Hand#2 back closer to the open airlock door.

Blue Hand#2 jerks away, keeping his hands on the free weight they’ve all been grappling over. He swings the weight at the two of them. Book is able to jump back—just barely—but Blue Hand#2 lands a solid blow on Simon’s ribs. There’s a CRUNCH and Simon topples.

Blue Hand#2 raises the free weight, apparently preparing to crush Simon’s skull with it. Book takes advantage and kicks Blue Hand#2 hard in the abdomen, sending him back into the airlock.

BOOK (to Kaylee) Close the door!

At the controls, Kaylee hits a button and the airlock door hisses shut.

Almost immediately a HUMMING WHINE starts from the other side.

INT. ALLIANCE WRECK – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

Mal aims his gun at Dobson. Dobson, sweating, looks back, knows he’s humped.

DOBSON Not again…

Mal shoots Dobson in the other eye.

INT. SERENITY – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

Wash focuses intently on piloting the ship.

MAL (via comm) Wash, we’re headed back your way. Ran into a problem.

WASH Oh, I bet I can beat it.

EXT. SPACE – SAME TIME

Serenity bobs and weaves through the wreckage, periodically scraping its belly against other ships, but the Tick clings to its bottom.

INT. SERENITY – CARGO BAY – SAME TIME

The humming noise continues. Book looks through the AIRLOCK WINDOW to see that Blue Hand#2 has activated his RODLIKE DEVICE. Book and Blue Hand#2 stare at each other.

BOOK Kaylee…

Kaylee has started to move toward Simon, who is curled on the ground, a bundle of pain.

BOOK (cont’d) Kaylee, open the airlock door.

Kaylee stops, looks at Book, but he doesn’t turn around. Uncertain, she moves back to the control panel.

KAYLEE But… He’ll get out.

BOOK The outer door.

Book continues to meet Blue Hand#2’s gaze. Blood starts to drip from Book’s nose.

KAYLEE That’ll kill him, Shepherd.

BOOK (quiet) Don’t call me that. It only makes this harder.

KAYLEE Shepherd, I don’t think—

Book whirls on her, roaring and ferocious.

BOOK I’m not asking, girl! DO IT!

Kaylee recoils from him, but hits the button.

INT. SERENITY – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

Wash is still flying.

MAL (via comm) Wash, what’s going on over there?

WASH I’d explain, Mal, but I’m flying at boo yao ming duh soo doo {life-risking speed} through a mess of pointy stuff at the moment.

EXT. SPACE – SAME TIME

Serenity sails through the wreckage. Blue Hand#2 pops out of the front airlock and bounces against the ship before spinning away to bounce against other wreckage, clearly broken and dead.

INT. SERENITY – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

Wash focuses on the controls.

MAL (via comm) And why the hell’re you doin’ that?

WASH Just lookin’ for a good fit… There.

INT. SERENITY – CARGO BAY – SAME TIME

Kaylee kneels over Simon protectively. She looks up at Book, fearful. Book looks away.

WASH (via comm) Everybody hold on…

EXT. SPACE – SAME TIME

Serenity rubs up against a LARGE WRECK, scraping off the Tick in a burst of sparks and torn metal.

INT. ALLIANCE WRECK – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

Zoe and Jayne already have their helmets on and are ready to go, but Mal is still talking to Wash.

WASH (via comm) All right, Mal. I scraped the tick off our pee-goo {bottom}. I’m headed your way now.

Dobson’s body floats by.

JAYNE Man could hold a grudge. I admire that.

MAL Yeah. Let’s get out of here.

Mal shoots Dobson again. Blood floats through the room. Zoe looks at Mal.

MAL (shrugs) Just makin’ sure.

EXT. ALLIANCE WRECK – MOMENTS LATER

Serenity has pulled close to the Alliance wreck. Jayne and Zoe are already on Serenity’s top. Jayne opens one of the hatches, while Zoe turns back for Mal, who floats through space from the wreck to his ship.

WASH (via comm) Um, Mal? (beat) Can you hurry?

Mal touches down on Serenity and looks up.

The Tick, damaged but functional, dives in at them, the ships head-to-head.

MAL Wuh tzai chien shr ee-ding ruh dao shuh-muh run luh bah! {I sure annoyed someone or other in a past life, didn't I!}

Jayne and Zoe are already inside. Mal dives for the open hatch, going low as the Tick roars overhead, missing him by less than a yard.

EXT. SPACE – SAME TIME

Serenity surges forward. The Tick, smaller, more nimble, comes around to pursue.

INT. SERENITY – UPPER HALLWAY – SAME TIME

Mal is finishing closing the hatch.

MAL (into comm) We’re in, Wash. Bit of advice—after you pull a tick…

Mal drops down the ladder to join Zoe and Jayne.

MAL (cont’d, into comm) Step on it.

EXT. SPACE – SAME TIME

Serenity tries to escape, the Tick staying on her tail.

INT. SERENITY – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

Wash looks straight ahead, hands on the controls.

WASH Actually, Mal… I prefer to torch ‘em.

EXT. SPACE – SAME TIME

Serenity winds up where it started, surrounded by floating CHUNKS OF FROZEN FUEL.

Serenity bulls through, and as the Tick follows, Serenity’s waggles her tail and her engines flare. The Tick is caught and crisped in the deadly afterburn. Worse, the frozen fuel erupts like fireworks, buffeting and burning the smaller ship.

Serenity roars off into the black.

EXT. BENA – COMPANION TRAINING HOUSE – DAY – ESTABLISHING

Bena is a lush, beautiful and tranquil world of tall trees, beautiful mountains, and winding rivers. The Companion Training House, looking not unlike an expensive and well-appointed Buddhist temple, sits at the top of a cliff, a river turning to a crashing waterfall right next to it.

Serenity sits in one of the half dozen courtyards that double as landing pads.

EXT. COMPANION TRAINING HOUSE – COURTYARD – DAY

In Serenity’s shadow, Inara hugs Kaylee. To one side of the women are a half-dozen COMPANIONS, to the other side, the majority of the crew. Mal is not with the rest.

Kaylee doesn’t want to let go, and when she does, she’s crying. Inara’s eyes are damp, as well.

INARA Life is about the journey, Kaylee. Our paths will cross again. I promise.

KAYLEE Inara…

INARA Please… If you say another word, I’ll cry in a most un-Companionlike manner.

Inara smiles, and Kaylee laughs through her tears.

Simon comes forward to take Kaylee’s hand, and she buries her face in his shoulder.

INARA (to Simon) Take care of her.

He nods. Inara looks at the crew, smiles, and walks

ACROSS THE COURTYARD

Where Mal is standing, looking out across a lush, green valley.

INARA You’re it, Captain.

Mal doesn’t turn, so she speaks to his back. Her eyes are damp again, and there’s uncertainty in her smile.

INARA (cont’d) I’ve said goodbye to all the others, but I must admit that I’ve not found the words to do our… arrangement proper justice. Would you spare a lady the effort?

Mal starts to turn.

CLOSE UP OF MAL’S FACE

MAL I’ll miss you, Inara. (beat) I keep coming up with all manner of things to say, but that’s what they all mean, it comes right down to it. (beat) I don’t want you to—

BOOK (OS) Am I interrupting something, Captain?

INT. SERENITY – DINING ROOM – NIGHT

Mal’s not talking to Inara at all. He’s in the dining room, speechifying to himself.

BOOK (cont’d) Not that I know what that would be, you standing here alone in the middle of the night.

MAL We’re in space, Shepherd. S’always the middle of the night. What’s on your mind?

BOOK I’m leaving the ship.

Beat as Mal reacts. Book won’t look him in the eye.

BOOK (cont’d) Don’t know where for just yet, Haven maybe, but it’s time for me to move on. I thought you should be the first to know.

Another beat. Mal’s not sure what to say.

MAL Look, Shepherd, I’ll make this plain… It don’t matter to me that you hit me.

BOOK Which is exactly why I need to be away from you, Mal. (beat) Because sooner or later, it won’t matter to me, either.

INT. PERSEPHONE – BADGER’S LAIR

Badger sits casually in his lair, surrounded by four BULLY-BOYS. He looks up at WINTERS, a stern, competent-looking man in his early fifties, well-dressed in some sort of noble house livery.

BADGER Way I ‘ear it, me an’ your boss, we got us a problem in common.

WINTERS I find that very difficult to believe.

BADGER Don’t much care what you think. (spits on the floor) Just need you to take back my offer. Tell yer boss if we work together, seems t’me we can take care o’ Malcolm Reynolds in no time a’all.

EXT. SPACE

An ALLIANCE PATROL BOAT hovers in front of the wreckage of the Tick, amid the spaceship graveyard above Sturges.

INT. ALLIANCE PATROL BOAT – BRIDGE

CAPTAIN CHIEN (last seen in “The Perfect Sunset”) stands, looking out the forward window at the Tick, which is surrounded by four ALLIANCE SOLDIERS in space suits.

Chien turns and walks to a COMM CONSOLE, hitting a button.

CHIEN I must admit, Lieutenant, I find this Firefly-class and its crew increasingly vexing. (beat) Report, please.

INT. THE TICK – SAME TIME

WALLACE, one of the space-suited soldiers, pokes his head into the battered and burned cockpit. He recoils as he finds himself face-to-face with a SCORCHED SKULL, all that remains of the head of Blue Hand#1.

WALLACE No good, Captain.

INT. ALLIANCE PATROL BOAT – BRIDGE – SAME TIME

Chien nods.

CHIEN (into comm) Very well. Recover the body and return at once, Lieutenant. With the independent contractors gone, we have new orders. (beat) It seems that this little ship has made some powerful enemies. We’re to return to Sinhon for resupply, and to take on an Operative of Parliament.

INT. SERENITY – FORWARD HALLWAY – NIGHT

Mal leaves his room, walking toward the dining room.

ZOE (OS) Captain?

Mal turns. Zoe is standing by the bridge door.

MAL What is it?

ZOE Got me a husband needs to set a course. Where are we going, sir?

MAL Same way as always. Forward.

He turns and walks away.

INT. SERENITY – BRIDGE – MOMENTS LATER

Zoe stands behind Wash, her hand on his shoulder, as they both look through the forward window. He reaches up and covers her hand with his own, but there’s a sadness on his face.

ZOE At least we’re still flyin’. That’s something.

WASH Sure. (looking up at her) But is it enough?

INT. SERENITY – COMMON AREA – SAME TIME

Jayne sits surrounded by his weapons, cleaning one of his guns.

INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY – SAME TIME

Simon crouches by the medicine cabinet, cleaning the blood off with a damp rag.

INT. SERENITY – ENGINE ROOM – SAME TIME

Kaylee, covered in grease, pulls herself out from under one of the larger PIECES OF EQUIPMENT. She pats the equipment.

INT. SERENITY – BOOK’S ROOM – SAME TIME

Book kneels at his bed, eyes closed, praying.

INT. SERENITY – INARA’S SHUTTLE – SAME TIME

The shuttle is empty except for an ornate BOX in one corner and Mal, who looks lost and confused.

INT. SERENITY – CARGO BAY – SAME TIME

River stands dead center in the cargo bay, looking around in wonder. She turns around in a complete circle, then lies down, putting her ear to the floor.

RIVER Forward.

She smiles.

EXT. SPACE

Serenity sails forward through the black.

BLACKOUT