BDV History - Serenity, Serenity-Where We've Soared

["Jax" Malone]

Episode 1: “Too Hot to Handle, Too Cold to Hold”

Serenity is at Persephone’s Eavesdown Docks, all hands present except Book and Inara. Captain Malcolm Reynolds is trying to fence the Lassiter, a priceless Earth-That-Was artifact stolen from Bellerophon’s Durran Haymer during Trash. In his search for a buyer, he contacts his old friend Monty (appears in ”Trash”; war-buddy of Mal’s, one of many husbands to Yo-Saf-Bridge.) Monty sends him to the city of Jin Shan to meet Dex Goodwin, Operative of Seamus Wolfe. Mal calls the crew to the galley and gives details of the coming meet: Wash, Zoe, and Mal go to town, the pilot buying supplies for the ship while Zoe and Mal search for their buyer. Jayne is given the duty of helping Kaylee lift heavy engine parts; Simon and River stay on-ship. After contacting the possible buyer, Mal is told to arrive alone, leaving Zoe with Serenity as well. Shortly after Wash and Mal’s departure, Shepherd Book arrives back on-board.

(Off-ship RP-Jin Shan, Persephone: “The Sky is Calling,” “Too Hot to Handle…,” “Too Many Browncoats” page 2)

As Mal makes his way to Dex’s Brownstone, he is tracked by Corporal Edward Hightower on orders of Lt. Karl Womack. Hightower discovers sign of ETW artifacts (the Lassiter) on Reynolds. Goodwin’s own Operatives are out and about, using ETW scramblers to guard the Lassiter, ruining Hightower’s scan. Shots are fired by several parties (Mal, Gwen, Syn, and Dex’s Operatives) and Hightower is hit by Mal. One of Dex’s Operatives is hit by Syn as another Operative finds Mal and safely transports him to Dex’s.

Dex makes no bid for the Lassiter on behalf of Mr. Wolfe. He gives Mal another mystery contact after revealing that Feds are after the Lassiter, presumably on Haymer’s orders. He escorts Mal safely away from the Brownstone, allowing him to return to Serenity.

Back on-ship, Wash arrives with the supplies as a wave from Badger is sent to Serenity. The vid wave reveals that River has left the ship and turned up at Badger’s, claiming to be a gift for him from Serenity. Jayne sees the wave first, calls the crew to the bridge, and sends Inara, already in Jin Shan, after Mal to bring him back. Though the Captain doesn’t receive the initial message, he gets a message from Inara after leaving Dex’s and makes his way to the ship. Zoe, Wash, Jayne, Mal, and Simon head off-ship to find River.

(Off-ship RP-Eavesdown Docks, Persephone: “Into The Badger’s Den”)

Upon reaching Badger’s den, the crew find it to be deserted. Suspicions aroused, Mal, Zoe, and Simon go in through the front, leaving Jayne and Wash around back. Inside, Badger’s men are found dead, bleeding with no sign of obvious wounds. No bullets fired, no sign of a fight, all of them are just…dead, bleeding from mouth, nose, and eyes. Mal finds River’s shredded sundress, though she and Badger are nowhere to be seen.

As Wash contacts the ship to have police reports scanned, Simon examines the bodies. The dreaded Hands of Blue show up, intent on taking Simon into their custody. Kaylee, on com with Wash mentions sirens near Serenity. A fight between Serenity’s crew and the mysterious agents effectively kills the com and ends in injuries for Jayne, Zoe, and Mal. The agents are thought to be dead until, long after the crew is gone, one rises and talks to his decapitated partner regarding the possible future threat posed by Serenity’s warriors.

Back on-ship, the crew return and learn that the sirens are not for them, but for The Dancer, docked nearby. Disreguarding his injuries, Mal reassures Simon they will find River before proceeding to contact the possible buyer Dex had pointed him to, alias Mr. Bohtzpanker, really Mr. Universe. Wash heads to the bridge to find the ship under lockdown. As the crew waits to discover exactly why and tries to legally break the lockdown, which Mr. Universe offers to do, River returns to the ship, simply walking up the cargo bay ramp.

Outside the ship, Alliance Officer Zenobia Tildara appears, search warrant in hand, with Officer Marlowe, who immediately moves onto the ship to search it. Inara takes Simon and River to her shuttle, helping them hide in plain sight through use of masks, Simon posing as a client as River plays the part of Inara’s acolyte in training. Jayne faces down Marlowe, a placating Book keeping either from attacking, while Zenobia questions Inara. The Companion manages to keep Simon and River safe under their quickly built roles, Mr. Universe lifts Serenity’s lockdown using Alliance codes, Mal points out the failings in Marlowe and Zenobia’s behavior, which voids their warrant. Free of Feds, Serenity is able to fly once more, setting a course for Jinye.

["Jax" Malone]

Episode 2: “Heart of the Matter”

Before their arrival at Jinye, Inara informs Mal of the confrontation between the Companion and Officer Tildara. During the conversation, Zenobia’s wave arrives, confirming her very correct suspicions regarding the identity of Inara’s “acolyte.” Planning a possible decoy through Kaylee, Mal negates suspicions of a positive ident on Zenobia’s part.

(Off-ship RP for Mal, Jayne, Zoe, and Book in “Quiet Night at the Heart of Gold.”)

Arriving at the Heart of Gold in hopes of finally fencing the priceless Lassiter, Wash, Simon, River, Kaylee, and Inara are left on-board for various safety reasons. Mal’s executive decision regarding who goes and who stays results in more than one long face, but no mutiny. Simon admits unintentionally to Kaylee that he likes her and they kiss, a moment disrupted by Wash. The doctor seeks relationship advice from Wash and Inara as Kaylee locks down the engine room to make repairs. While the engine room is locked, Marlowe sneaks on-board.

Zoe, via com, warns Wash to take-off. Blind due to the smoke in the engine room, Marlowe fires shots, hitting Kaylee, who she treats before planting a bomb on the engine and leaving. Wash puts the bomb in a toolbox and throws it into the passageway, keeping the others safe and the ship whole. As Simon treats Kaylee, Marlowe goes to the bridge and dumps the ship’s fuel. Once ordered off the ship by Cory, now with the Shield, Marlowe assists in moving Kaylee to the infirmary.

The Firefly is put in blackout mode, minus the infirmary, to save their rapidly depleting fuel stores as a tornado touches ground close to the ship. Once the crew returns, Jayne attempts to reach Marlowe, who is led out by Inara. Despite the Companion’s efforts, a fight breaks out between the Fed and the Hero of Canton, both collapsing, one from a blow, the other from exhaustion. Simon stabilizes Kaylee and turns to his other patients; Marlowe wakes and leaves Serenity under her own power despite the fierce storm accompanying tornadoes outside. Performing temp mends on the worst of Marlowe’s sabotage, Serenity returns to the Black, low on fuel and full of hurt.