EXT. LUHAN FARMHOUSE – DAY

Mal and Barrett face off, Barrett on the porch, Mal on the ground. Barrett is backed by his half dozen thugs, Mal by Zoe, Book (standing protectively in front of Jonah), and Randy, who has fumbled for a rifle.

BARRETT: I'm just trying to do the right thing. See after my new responsibilities.

MAL: Your responsibilities?

BARRETT: Yes. My fault. My responsibilities. My property, once again.

GRANDMA LUHAN

Ain’t your property, boy! Jack bought it at auction fair and square!

Barrett wheels on Grandma Luhan.

Jonah begins to cry and takes a step toward his grandmother, but Book puts a hand on his shoulder.

JONAH: Gramma!

BARRETT

Land was stole from my family during the war!

Book looks at Mal, who is quickly losing patience.

BOOK

War took a lot of thing from lots of folks, Mister Barrett.

MAL: (quietly) That it did.

BARRETT

Man’s got a right to live in his own house. Live where his memories are.

MAL

Seems to me it ain’t your house no more.

Barrett, increasingly agitated, paces the front porch.

BARRETT: Gorram Alliance stole the land for a base, never even built it. Then the bank took what’s left after, cut it up, sold the pieces to newcomers from the Core… folk like Jack Luhan lookin’ to build new lives on top of the ruins of someone else’s.

MAL

Ain’t sayin’ it’s fair, but it ain’t their fault, neither. Folks got a right to build a life.

BARRETT: Not on my land, they don’t.

A beat as Mal and Barrett stare at one another. They’ve reached an impasse.

BOOK

Mrs. Luhan? Would you like to come down here? With us?

Grandma Luhan doesn’t get up.

GRANDMA LUHAN

I’ll stay here. No tellin’ what these boys will do to my baby’s house without me around to keep an eye on things.

Barrett’s boys laugh; they like her spunk.

JONAH: Gramma!

MAL: Mrs. Luhan, I—

She looks at him hard, with watery eyes.

GRANDMA LUHAN

You’re him, ain’t you?

(beat) They told me what hap