SCENE ONE
Closeup of GUARD puddle, then the ground at BLUE GLOVES' feet is hit by gunfire.
BLUE GLOVES: WE APPRECIATE THE WARNING SHOT.
Cut to roof of building, where SNIPER with a cyborg eye is holding a smoking laser-scoped rifle.
SNIPER: DON'T. MY DEPTH PERCEPTION'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT IT USED TO BE. WHAT DO YOU WANT?
BLUE GLOVES: THE SAME THING YOU DO...
OTHER BLUE GLOVES: ...AGENT DOBSON.
SNIPER (DOBSON): I HAVEN'T BEEN A FED SINCE MY EYE GOT SHOT OUT. BUT YOU KNOW THAT. AND AS I CAN'T IMAGINE OUR HAVING A COMMON NEED...
BLUE GLOVES: SERENITY.
DOBSON: [pauses, lowers rifle] LET'S TALK.
SCENE TWO
Wideshot of Serenity parked in busy space-port town.
MAL: GET HER FUELED, WASH. [hands WASH small bag]
WASH: [riffling through bag's coins] WITH DIRT? WITH CHEAP DIRT? THAT'S ABOUT ALL THIS IS GONNA GET US...
MAL: GET HER FUELED IN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. THE REST OF YOU ARE FREE TO TAKE A WALKABOUT, DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. BUT BE BACK ON THE SHIP COME SUNDOWN... INARA'S GOT A SCHEDULE TO KEEP.
INARA: MAL!
Suddenly, the silhouette of a man appears at the entry ramp. And just as suddenly, JAYNE punches him, knocking him cold.
KAYLEE: [staring at unconscious stranger] JAYNE, WHY'D YOU GO AND DO THAT?
JAYNE: HE WAS CROWDIN' ME, AND I DON'T KNOW HIM. I HIT PEOPLE THAT CROWD ME I DON'T KNOW.
JAYNE turns quickly as voice from outside speaks: IT'S QUITE ALL RIGHT, LITTLE LADY...
Cut to ground at base of entry ramp, where BADGER is standing by a ground vehicle, several henchmen surrounding him.
BADGER: I DON'T LIKE THE MAN, WHICH IS WHY I INSISTED HE GO FIRST. MAL, FANCY SOME CHITCHAT?
MAL: I'M LISTENING, BADGER.
BADGER: 'COURSE YOU ARE. BUT JUST TO BE SURE--
The henchmen start making their way up the ramp.
MAL: ZOE.
ZOE reaches for a lever and with a FSSSSSSST, smoke erupts from the edges of the bay door, obscuring the henchmen from view. Gunfire erupts, and when the smoke clears, the henchmen lie groaning in a heap.
MAL: SO, BADGER... WHAT IS IT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT?
SCENE THREE
DOBSON: YOU'RE WRONG. I DON'T WANT SERENITY...
Pan back to show DOBSON sitting at a table in his 'lair', the two BLUE GLOVES men sitting opposite him.
DOBSON: I WANT REYNOLDS.
A closer look at DOBSON'S 'lair' reveals: a poster on one wall depicting a Firefly class ship, titled 'FIREFLY SERENITY'. Next to the poster is a locker with 'DIE REYNOLDS' written across the doors, a photo of MAL above them with several darts in it. Another wall holds a bookcase containing various guns, a doll with pins sticking in it, and across the bottom panel, the words 'DAMNED', KILL REYNOLDS', and 'BASTARD'. A corkboard easel behind the table holds several sheets of paper with sketches of skulls and Firefly schematics, along with the words 'DIE', 'PAIN', 'KILL', and 'HATE'. A nearby bust wears a brown wig and a red shirt covered by a tattered brown coat. A hatchet is half-buried in the front of the shirt. The table itself is also covered by sheets of paper bearing either MAL'S name or photo. 'REYNOLDS DIE' is carved into the surface of the table and another doll is pinned to one corner by a small dirk.
DOBSON: YOU COULD SAY I'M... PREOCCUPIED WITH THE IDEA.
BLUE GLOVES: FIND THE SHIP, YOU FIND THE MAN.
OTHER BLUE GLOVES: AND WE FIND SIMON AND RIVER TAM.
DOBSON: AND THEN...?
BLUE GLOVES: WE GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS. YOU DO WHATEVER IT IS TO REYNOLDS THAT YOU STAY UP AT NIGHT, THINKING ABOUT.
OTHER BLUE GLOVES: NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
DOBSON: SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH.
BLUE GLOVES: IF IT WERE, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE.
DOBSON: BUT, BOYS... I ALREADY GOT THE PLAN, CAN MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN.
SCENE FOUR
As Serenity flies low over the barren terrain:
MAL: FOR SOMEONE WHO CAME HERE TO TALK, BADGER... YOU SURE AIN'T.
BADGER: WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME?
MAL: THAT'S NOT YOUR CONCERN. NOW SPILL YOUR GUTS... OR I MIGHT LET JAYNE.
JAYNE: [fingering his knife] OH, YEAH.
BOOK: CAPTAIN, SHOULD WE BE WANTING TO HEAR THE LIKES OF HIM OUT?
MAL: DON'T WORRY SHEPHERD. HE'S GOT SOMETHING FOR US, I'LL SEE YOU GET YOUR CUT.
BADGER: MAL, I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH OTT AND HIS CREW SKANKING YOUR JOB. COULD BE IT WAS THOSE TWO BACKBIRTHS, FANTY AND MINGO, TURNED THEM ONTO IT --
MAL: THEN MAYBE I SHOULD BE TALKING TO THEM, THEY MAKE A HABIT OF GETTING THEIR CREWS THE DROP. NOW, UNLESS YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING PROFITABLE TO ADD...
BADGER: THE BATTLE OF STURGES. HEARD OF IT?
MAL: EVERYONE'S HEARD OF THE BATTLE OF STURGES.
BADGER: BLOODIEST BATTLE IN ALL THE WAR, IT WAS.
MAL: I'D HOLD IT WAS A DISTANT SECOND. BUT GO ON.
BADGER: SHORTEST, TOO. ALL THOSE LIVES...
JAYNE: [muttering] WANNA HEAR 'BOUT COIN, NOT SOME HISTORY LESSON.
BADGER: [snaps his fingers] ...SNUFFED IN A BLINK.
Flashback as MAL remembers the battle at Serenity, the skies ablaze with fire, dead bodies littering the ground.
MAL: A BLINK'S AN AWFUL LONG TIME WHEN YOU'RE ON THE GROUND.
ZOE: WE'RE NOT REQUIRIN' A LECTURE ON THE SUBJECT. OR HAD YOU NOT NOTICED THE COLOR THE CAPTAIN AND I ARE PARTIAL TO WEARING?
BADGER: HERE'S WHAT YOU AND THE HISTORY BOOKS DON'T KNOW. WHAT THE BATTLE OF STURGES WAS FOUGHT FOR -- WHAT ALL THEM BOYS AND GIRLS DIED FOR -- WAS A BOATLOAD OF CASH. A BOATLOAD OF CASH THAT'S STILL THERE. [holds up a small blue computer disk] THE COORDINATES, MAL. TAKE YOU RIGHT TO THE BATTLEFIELD -- AND THE STASH OF REAL THEM BROWNCOATS GOT BUTCHERED OVER. IT'S JUST SITTING THERE FOR YOU, OR SOMEONE NEAR ENOUGH YOU, TO SNATCH IT UP. LESS MY PERCENTAGE OF COURSE. WHAT DO YOU SAY?
MAL: I SAY I'LL THINK ABOUT IT. [swipes disk from BADGER'S fingers] NOW GET OFF MY SHIP BEFORE THE STAIN SETS...
Serenity blasts away, leaving a lone figure standing in the middle of nowhere.
"YOU'VE GOT A LONG WALK AHEAD OF YOU."
SCENE FIVE
BLUE GLOVES: YOU'VE GIVEN THIS A GREAT DEAL OF THOUGHT.
DOBSON: WELL, HINDSIGHT'S TWENTY-TWENTY. LIKE I TOLD YOU... I HAVE THE METHOD. I HAVE THE MEN. I HAVE THE MATERIALS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. [Pan out to show the three men standing in a large cavern housing a small green spacecraft] THE ONLY THING I DON'T IS THE ALLIANCE CLEARANCE, WOULD MAKE IT ALL A HELL OF A LOT EASIER. NOW, I HAD PLANNED ON GOING FORWARD WITHOUT IT, BUT...
Closeup of BLUE GLOVES’ hand shaking DOBSON'S.
BLUE GLOVES: YOU NEED SAY NO MORE, MR. DOBSON.
Meanwhile, on Serenity:
MAL: [standing at the head of the dinner table] AS I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL SUSSED FOR YOURSELVES... WE'LL BE TAKING BADGER'S JOB. ANYONE HAS A COMPLAINT, THEY'D BEST KNOW OF PAYING WORK TO GO ALONG WITH IT.
INARA: THIS IS AFTER YOU'VE DELIVERED ME TO MY DUTIES...
MAL: [quietly] NO, IT IS DECIDEDLY NOT. [louder] I CAN'T WAIT ON THIS, INARA, AND RUNNING A TAXI SERVICE DON'T FEED MOUTHS. FOR THE RECORD, THIS JOB IS IN THE SAME DIRECTION YOU'RE SO ANXIOUS TO GO, AND THE ONLY REASON WE'RE EVEN VENTURIN' TO SUCH A 
(1) CORNER OF SPACE IS YOU. STILL, I IMAGINE YOU'RE UPSET, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW I'M.. THAT I WISH THINGS COULD BE DIFFERENT. IT'S JUST A DECISION I HAD TO MAKE.
INARA: YES, THE ONLY ONE YOU EVER DO. [storms out]
MAL: [quietly] ANYONE ELSE HAS WORDS, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME.
RIVER: I HATE THAT COLOR ON YOU. [quietly] I ALWAYS HAVE.
MAL: IF THAT'S ALL THEN...
BOOK: IT'S NOT.
MAL: SHEPHERD BOOK. MIGHT'VE GUESSED.
BOOK: I THINK YOU SHOULD RESPECT INARA'S WISHES, CAPTAIN. YOU GAVE HER YOUR WORD.
MAL: YES I DID. AND YOU THINK YOU'RE IN A POSITION TO TELL ME WHAT THAT'S WORTH? IT'S AIR, SHEPHERD. NOTHING MORE WHEN IT COMES RIGHT DOWN TO IT, WHEN THE GOING REACHES THE RIGHT LEVEL OF ROUGH. COME TO THINK OF IT, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE WORD YOU PREACH... TELL ME, SHEPHERD, WHEN THINGS TAKE A TURN TOWARD 
(2), DO YOU DROP TO YOUR KNEES AND PRAY, OR DO YOU STEAL A VEHICLE AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SURVIVE? TO LIVE TO REPENT ANOTHER DAY --
BOOK leaps across the table and punches MAL, busting his lip.
MAL: [quietly, wiping blood from his mouth] YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. [louder] WASH, GET US IN THE AIR.
Somewhere nearby, DOBSON watches through binoculars as Serenity takes off. Moments later, his small green spacecraft rockets upward as well. Closeup on cockpit to reveal the two BLUE GLOVES, then back to DOBSON and his henchmen.
DOBSON: PACK IT UP, BOYS. THERE'S ONLY ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER, WHEN WE GET THERE... I'M THE ONE THAT KILLS REYNOLDS.
SCENE SIX
INARA is in her shuttle, tears in her eyes. MAL, standing outside her door, raises his hand to knock, but is interrupted by: MAL?
MAL: [turns to find WASH behind him] YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE TO WHINE, WASH --
WASH: I COULDA TOOK A LOTTA JOBS, MAL. COULD BE PILOTING A CRUISER. FULL BENEFITS, VACATIONS ...PLUS, NOT SO OFTEN WITH THE DEATH-DEFYING.
MAL: [looks pointedly at WASH'S hand resting on the walkway railing] YOU MUST NOT BE VERY FOND OF THAT ARM.
WASH: BUT I GOT THIS WOMAN NEARBY, MAKES ME DO ALL MANNER OF STUPID THINGS. GOT ME PILOTING THIS LITTLE RUST HEAP AND DUCKING PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY THAT'S EVER HEARD OF MORALS, JUST SO I CAN BE AROUND HER. THIS IS AN UNHEALTHSOME GIG, MAL. IT'S STUPID. DOING SOMETHING STUPID TO KEEP THE WOMAN YOU LOVE NEARBY, EVEN FOR A LITTLE WHILE... WELL, THAT'S THE KIND OF STUPID I DON'T MIND.
MAL: [quietly, as he walks away] JUST FLY THE BOAT, WASH.
Cut to WASH on the bridge, inserting the blue computer disk into a slot on the console.
ZOE: [entering] HEY, SAILOR... [sits down in his lap] ...GOT TIME FOR ME?
WASH: ALWAYS.
Time passes, Serenity flies through space, guided by the disk's coordinates. WASH is in the pilot chair, ZOE asleep in his lap, both wrapped in a blue sheet. Suddenly, an alarm blares, EEOOOP EEEOOOP.
WASH: DAMN TECHNOLOGY. [looks out the window] 
(3) CAPTAIN, RISE AND SHINE. I THINK YOU BETTER HAVE A LOOK AT THIS. ON SECOND THOUGHT, I THINK EVERYONE BETTER GET UP HERE...
Wide shot of everyone (except INARA) standing in the cockpit staring out the window.
JAYNE: [under his breath] GORRAM.
KAYLEE: [just as quietly] CAP'N...
RIVER: IT STINKS LIKE SEX IN HERE.
SIMON: CAPTAIN, WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?
MAL: THE BATTLE OF STURGES.
Cut to view out window. Huge pieces of debris and burned out shells of wrecked spacecraft (from both sides of the battle) fill the page. Inset shows the stunned crew looking up through the window.
MAL: MORE TO THE POINT, WHAT'S LEFT OF IT. ZOE, JAYNE... SUIT UP.
Cut to MAL, ZOE, & JAYNE in spacesuits, floating amidst battle debris.
MAL: =WASH, WE'RE IN.=
Cut to WASH at Serenity's controls.
=GRAV GENERATOR MUST BE KNOCKED OUT, BECAUSE WE'RE STILL FLOATIN'. BUT BREATHING, TOO -- SHIP'S STILL GOT ATMO AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.=
WASH: WELL, WE'RE JUST MAKIN' LIKE GARBAGE...
Cut to view of Serenity floating amongst the debris.
=...A BIT TOO CONVINCINGLY, IF YOU ASK ME.=
=I DIDN'T.=
=REALLY, MAL. SOME OF THESE SHIPS, I THINK THEY'RE IN BETTER SHAPE THAN US.=
=A BIT OF RESPECT, WASH...=
The nose of a small green spacecraft is seen edging into view, then cut to the the BLUE GLOVES sitting in the cockpit.
=...YOU'RE AMONG THE DEAD.=
