Disclaimer: “Firefly”, “Buffy” and these characters were created by Joss Whedon.

*******

THAT PLACE OF NOTHING

*******

**TEASER

EXT. Wide shot. Planet at night. Zoom into scrapyard, full of rusting spaceships, some whole, others in pieces. Zoom in closer to reveal straggle of people carrying torches and baskets walking between the old vehicles, apparently looking for something.

Close up onto SERENITY. Looking very much the worse for wear. Big hole blown out of her side.

Close up on MAL's distraught face as he recognizes her. Pan to ZOE watching him carefully, then KAYLEE who crumples into tears, covering her face with her hands. WASH looks stunned. RIVER clings to SIMON whose eyes speak of losing home for a second time. BOOK closes his eyes in a silent prayer as JAYNE spits angrily onto the dusty ground. After a moment's hesitation, INARA approaches MAL from behind and touches his arm. He looks her in the eye for a few seconds, like he's about to say something, before blinking hard twice, and stepping away from her. He stalks off purposefully towards the partly open cargo bag door and after exchanging anxious glances the rest of the crew follow him. One by one they squeeze onto the ship and disappear from view.

**END OF TEASER

* * * TITLE MUSIC: FIREFLY THEME * * *

**ACT ONE

INT. CARGO BAY. Almost pitch black, except for torchlight which picks out the skeleton of stairs and walkways. And the enormous tear in the hull.

MAL switches off his torch and bounds up the stairs, two at a time. He doesn't need light to find his way around his boat but is illuminated from below by the others' torches.

RIVER (face ghostly white in the half-light, eyes round with terror, in a halting whisper to SIMON): Don't ... let him go... first.

SIMON (reassuring): It's OK, River. He knows his way.

The rest of the crew follow MAL cautiously up the stairs.

INT. THE MESS. Also very dark, except for torchlight.

MAL places two wine bottles on the dining table and pulls out his chair at