At
a ranch-like whorehouse in the middle of a barren land, a man in a floating vehicle, accompanied by thugs on horseback, approaches
the madam, Nandi (played by Melinda Clarke), looking for "the girl.” Despite Nandi's protest that the girl had left,
the thugs drag Petaline, a nine-month-pregnant young woman, out to face the man, Ranse Burgess, who turns out to be a local
autocrat. He rudely extracts a DNA sample from Petaline to verify if the child is his, threatening to "cut it out of you.”
When the men leave, a group of women crowd around Petaline and Nandi, wondering who can protect the distraught mother-to-be
from the ruthless tyrant.
Cut
to Mal Reynolds, practicing his gun draw. Inara enters the dining area behind him and startles him with her greeting. Wash shortly
arrives to announce a distress call, specifically asking for Inara. She talks to Nandi, an old friend, on vidscreen, and offers
to ask the Serenity crew to help. Overhearing the conversation, Mal muses about "a whole house full of Companions,”
but Inara corrects him, reluctantly calling them "whores.” Mal seems bemused that they, unlike Inara, are "independent,”
and uncharacteristically dismisses Inara's offer to pay for the assistance. Inara, however, insists on keeping this "strictly
a business arrangement.” Zoë assembles the crew to explain the voluntary nature of this mission. Jayne predictably objects
to such a risky humanitarian endeavour. Book tries to appeal to his seemingly non-existent altruistic side, but Mal quickly
gains his support instead by pointing out the women's trade.
Arriving
at Nandi's ranch, the crew is warmly greeted by the proprietor and her employees. Jayne eagerly takes advantage of their hospitality,
Shepherd Book shares an awkward moment with two women in need of spiritual counselling, Simon goes to examine the soon-due
Petaline (with River in tow), and Kaylee bemoans her own lack of attention from the doctor. Mal and Zoë discuss the situation
with Nandi, who describes the poverty Burgess enforces on the locals "so he can play cowboy.”
That
evening, Mal and Inara take a trip into town to allow Mal to size up their opponent. The odious Burgess only confirms Nandi's
low opinion. Shortly after the Serenity couple departs, Burgess gets his own confirmation — he is the father of Petaline's
baby.
Returning
to Nandi's ranch, Mal announces that Serenity will depart forthwith, rather than face "a monster who thinks he's right with
God" and who won't back down after only a single thrashing from some temporary help. Nandi diplomatically acknowledges his
need to protect his own people, but Mal clarifies that he expects to evacuate Nandi's people as well. Nandi, however, refuses
to leave her hard-earned property and way of life, and Mal reluctantly accepts the challenge, admiring the streak of stubborn
independence they share.
The
Serenity crew gamely spends the next day and night building up the whorehouse's defences and preparing some surprises for
the villains. Zoë and Wash have a tense conversation (clearly not a new one)
about having a baby themselves in the near future, and Zoë puts her foot down on the subject — they will have this child
soon. Nandi shows off a prized collection of guns to Mal, slipping in some subtle queries about Mal and Inara's relationship,
and observing that the two shipmates share a dislike of "complications.” She talks about the Companion training she
shared with Inara on the latter's home world, Sihnon. She says that Inara was in the running to become "house priestess" of
House Madrassa when she suddenly left, without explanation, to travel among the Alliance
worlds. Nandi had left before then, however, straining at the restrictions of Companion life. She moved to this border world
and assumed control of the whorehouse (implying a hostile takeover), cleaning it up and making it a better workplace for "the
girls.” Mal and Nandi gradually move toward sex, pausing only when Nandi says "I ain't her,” which Mal deflects
without direct acknowledging her implication of his feelings for Inara.
Meanwhile,
Petaline approaches delivery with Simon and a nervous Inara attending. (River unhelpfully contributes some of her typical
odd pronouncements and behaviour.) That evening, back in town, one of Nandi's girls, Chari, reports
to Ranse Burgess on Mal's preparations. After making an angry speech to his men implying women's ordained place as submissive
servants to men, he makes Chari kneel before him to perform "a few more chores.”
The
next morning, Mal arises from Nandi's bed and stumbles into Inara in the hallway. As he tries to make excuses, Inara calmly
acknowledges his sleeping with Nandi, even thanking him for comforting her friend, and suggests that Companions don't feel
embarrassed about sex because of the lack of Puritanism that Mal exhibits on the subject. But later, she sobs deeply in private.
Mal
reviews the state of their defences with his people and gives some last-minute advice to the worried women. Nandi looks in
on Petaline, whom Inara is coaching while Simon prepares for the delivery. The two Companions share a look, and Nandi realizes
that Inara is much more attached to Mal than she let on. When Nandi starts to discuss this with Mal, they are interrupted
by "imminent violence" from Burgess's approaching forces. He radios Wash and
Kaylee to bring Serenity in for air cover, but the ship is suddenly stormed by more of Burgess's men.
The
battle begins, with the villains using automatic and laser weapons on the ranch house and its occupants. Jayne deftly takes
out the machine gunner, and Book works a Kaylee-rigged fire hose to put out fires caused by the laser gun.
Back
on Serenity, Wash lures the invaders into the rear hallway, and Kaylee locks
them inside. The two shipmates belatedly realize, however, that they've locked themselves into their opposite's rooms —
pilot Wash in the engine room, and engineer Kaylee pointlessly able to the reach the bridge.
As
Petaline gives birth, the traitorous Chari lets Burgess inside. He quickly storms into the delivery
room, taking the newborn boy. Nandi overhears Petaline's cry of despair and heads off the departing Burgess. Inara sneaks
up behind him and puts a knife to his throat, allowing one of Nandi's girls to recover the child. Burgess gets the drop on
Inara, however, shoots Nandi, and escapes. Mal arrives too late to save Nandi. He and Inara grieve for a moment over the fallen
woman, then have a silent conversation of looks that impel the rage-filled ship captain to pursue the kidnapper and murderer.
He ultimately captures the man and drags him back to the ranch, setting the unrepentant and unbowed man on his knees before
Petaline and their baby. She cheerfully introduces baby Jonah to his father, then shoots the brutal man dead. Petaline tells
the remaining thugs to "go on home,” and orders the treacherous Chari to accompany them. The
girls and the crew have a funeral for Nandi, and Serenity departs.
Back
on the ship, Inara reiterates her gratitude that Mal was able to comfort Nandi on what turned out to be her last night, but
Mal can only regret his failure to save her. As Mal tries to broach the subject of his and Inara's unacknowledged feelings
toward each other, Inara muses about how Nandi created a family, and how that kind of shared strength and love makes people
never want to break away. She then shocks Mal by announcing that she will be leaving Serenity.
