The Ghost lands atop a landing platform on a small inhabited planet, not much bigger than a small moon. After a longer than period than normal, the hatch lowers down. One-by-one each member of the crew, starting with Zeb, come out pushing heavy containers on hover carts. The containers are yellow with red warning symbols and words in various alien languages in black. Even for a hover cart, the weight is so extreme that pushing them is an exhausting ordeal.
"Guys, more distance between us – you need emergency stopping room or one of us will get crushed, "Hera orders.
The distance in-between increases. After Sabine is out, Kanin waits longer, then pushes the hover cart down, hopping on the edge, riding down. Rex walks up.
"Glad to see you made it; we were beginning to think an asteroid got you."
Kanin replies, "I made sure Hera took her time; I only got just the one ship. You're just in time."
"For what?"
"To help me push."
"What – after having done my ship? There's never a Jedi Force move when you need one," Rex pushes on one side as Kanin moves to the other.
"What is this place anyway?" Kanin asks.
"Oh, this? Welcome to Serenity – one of the last remaining free worlds not under Empire control. Sorry I had to have you follow me in, but we don't want the name or direct coordinates on any navigation computer, just in case. The asteroid field surrounding the planetoid is too dense and complex to make it feasible for the Empire to annex it, but I wager it's only a matter of time before they figure out a way to clear it."
"What is it we're hauling that needs such though containers?" asks Kanin.
"Montanium Paxachloride. When it's processed right, it can not only make a good fuel for older engines, but it has medical applications as well. It's banned on most Empire-controlled worlds now, so this is one of the few remaining manufacturing locations. It's also a real bugger to find safety containers," they slowly come to a rest after Zeb yells out to them to, "The Empire's got most of them locked up and considers new un-registered ones suspicious."
"It's always a battle with the Empire," Kanin comments.
"The way I look at it – the more needless bureaucracy they implement, the busier they are, giving us some more fleeting time to zip up."
Ezra walks up, "Kanin, can we take a minute? These things are heavy – I'm plumb worn out."
Rex looks at Kanin, "What the hell's a plumb?"
"Ignore him – he's reading some weird book he found."
"I see. These, heavy? I hope not – they're empty. We'll fill 'em, then you'll push 'em back and you'll know what heavy is."
"Come on, can't we just use the Force?" Ezra asks.
Kanin replies, "No, this is hazardous material. And we need it for trade."
"And it doesn't smell too good either. I wouldn't want to breathe it in for too long, if you get me," Rex adds.
"Ezra! Get back over here and move you blasted container!" Zeb barks.
"Is he always so friendly?" Rex asks with a little sarcasm.
Ezra answers, "Believe it or not, that's his nice way of asking," Ezra heads back to his hover cart.
"It's not the coziest hideout, but it's not a bad place to stay for the night."
"Too bad we have to rush these," Kanin says as he and Rex push forward.
Zeb slowly pushes his hover cart by them, back to the Ghost.
"How are things on your end?" asks Kanin.
"Can't complain. A few Empire skirmishes, but a little action here and there is fun. I think some people still have some reservations about a Clone Wars clone being trust worthy, but I expected as much."
Ezra then slowly pushes his hover cart by, as Kanin and Rex push forward again.
"It takes longer for those who were actually in the heat of battle. Some of these worlds … have generations who've never even heard of the slaughter," says Kanin.
"How about you?" Rex asks Kanin.
Hera slowly pushes by. Then Zeb gets in line behind Rex and Kanin to fill another container.
"I think so."
They stop at the entrance of the building, Sabine just ahead of them. Ezra slowly moves behind Zeb.
"Well, it's … it's an answer," Rex looks behind Kanin, "You guys must have been packed in there like a smuggler's niche. I don't know with my extra padding here," slapping his stomach, "if I could get around in there."
"It's just barely enough for Zeb to get by."
Sabine struggles to push her hover cart by them.
Kanin and Rex push the hover cart to a specific machine, as a factory laborer motions to them. The cart stops on the edge and two robotic arms pop out from the sides to position it more precisely, while they laborer wraps a high-powered magnetic wrap around the container. The machine hums loudly, pulls the container off the hover cart – which jumps back up to its programmed level – and a robotic working arm rotates the cap off, swivels to a dispensing nozzle and quickly fills the container up. Rex and Kanin walk to the other end of the U-shaped contraption, Kanin pushing the hover cart.
Rex speaks, "check this efficient little bugger out – watch it."
Kanin watches as the arm swivels back to the cap sealer and rotates quickly, closing the cap. Then the machine hums loudly again and the magnetic U-shaped machine shoots the container around like a projectile, ripping off the magnetic wrap, causing the container to quickly come to a rest directly on the hover cart as Rex holds it level.
"Pretty sweet, huh? Usually we see something like that in an Empire war factory. I wouldn't mind putting the belt on and having a go myself."
"If I die while doing this, I hope you feel really bad about it," Ezra complains.
Zeb fires back, "Yeah, I'll get real chocked up about it; there may even be tears."
"Liar," says Ezra.
"Okay, so how about for each of your things you bequeath me, I shed on tear each?"
"Oh, in your dreams," Ezra replies to Zeb.
"All right, but I may get … creative at your eulogy."
Kanin and Rex step in unison as they push the heavy payload.
"And why exactly can't Hera park closer?" Kanin asks.
"If there's an attack, even in its unprocessed state, this stuff is highly combustible. Almost makes me yearn for my old ice planet."
They eventually reach the hatch.
"Okay, this is the bad part. Ready? One, two, three!" says Kanin.
Both turned around, they push the hover cart up the hatch door and brace the containers so it doesn't fall over.
"Now, Chopper!" Kanin orders.
"Bub bub," Chopper's arm plug rotates and the hatch rises. Once level with the inside deck, Chopper stops it.
"Sorry, buddy, but this is where I leave you. My contact is further out; probably two days," says Rex.
"No problem," Kanin says as he struggles to pull himself up, using the container as leverage.
Rex hops off the hatch, "You sure, 'cause you're not looking as able and nubile as you were years ago."
"I'm fine," Kanin tries not to smirk.
"You know getting old happens to all of us," Rex smiles deviously.
"Go away."
"See you in two days at the rendezvous point," Rex heads out.
Sabine walks up behind Kanin, "If it helps any, you're not that much older. You're just more … seasoned."
"No, Sabine, it really didn't help," he struggles to push his container passed her. She then pushes hers to the edge of the hatch so Chopper can let her down.
.
The sun starts to set on Serenity as the crew of the Ghost close up the hatch.
"That felt like a day. We haven't slept in three," says Sabine.
Kanin looks at the crew, "Everyone – I'm sorry. It was tough getting the barrels, tough getting them off world, tough getting here and just tough all around. Unfortunately, this is what the mission called for this time. But now that Hera is taking us up, we can all get some sleep."
"Except for Hera," Sabine comments.
"Sleep – I almost forgot what that was like," says Zeb, wandering off.
"Come on, Chopper, maintenance time," Sabine and crew make their way to their quarters.
Ezra walks into the hallway wall next to his quarters; Zeb shoves Ezra in front of the doors, which whisk open. Ezra collapses on the bunk as the door shuts.
"Good night," Sabine says to Kanin.
"Good night," he answers back.
"Sleep tight," she adds.
"You as well."
"don't let the spacebugs bite," her door shuts.
"Spacebugs?" he shakes his head as he enters his quarters.
Sabine places a toolkit on the floor next to Chopper and squats on her haunches.
"Okay, Chopper, you know what time it is."
"Bwa-bwub."
"I know you hate being shut off, but once a year you know I gotta do routine systems checking," she uses a device to open a panel on Chopper's head, "All right, same as before – I'll bypass your self-activation program and put you into permanent hibernation while the computer checks you over byte by byte, part by part, top to bottom. Ready?"
"Bah ba bahb."
"I will turn you back on. Oh, you do that every time. Stop being a scardy-bot. All hooked up," she says after plugging a cord leading from Chopper's head into a wall computer panel, "Sweet dreams," she presses a button on the panel and with that Chopper makes two distinct beeps and powers down. He goes limp and his legs retract, causing his body section to hit the deck. "My turn," she struggles to get up.
Kanin suddenly wakes up, realizing he hit his head after falling asleep sitting on his bunk. He exits his quarters and makes his way to Hera.
"You still up?" she asks without turning around, knowing instinctively it is Kanin coming up behind her.
"Did you want to be relieved? I'll fly if you're too tired."
"No, that's okay. We're almost clear of the asteroid field anyway. I'll jump and set the autopilot for the rendezvous point; maybe doze off here and there and-" she stops speaking when she feels Kanin's head on her left shoulder, "Or if you are feeling a little frisky, Chopper is asleep this time."
She waits for a response, but sighs in disappointment when she realizes Kanin has fallen asleep on her shoulder, Kanin still standing.
"Wake up," she thunders.
"Huh? Oh, Hera. Did I do something?" he says dazed.
"No, unfortunately – just drool."
"Sleep, I'm going to gonna … I'm … sleep," he walks off, using his hands to keep from banging into the corridor walls
"Now only my dreams will be pleasant…" she comments to herself.
Kanin falls face-first into his pillow; one arm dangling off the side of the bed.
Sabine and Zeb sleep peacefully while Ezra holds an old and tattered book open. The pages are frayed along the edges and a dark yellow from age. Ezra reads them aloud quietly.
"Though there more fences along the prairie and lesser and lesser calls for the once glorified cowboy, Angus knew in his heart and mind he wasn't fenced in. A six shooter, a hat, and a horse were all he truly needed. With his horse saddled, he could ride free. Ride in the open air, the starry skies above, and he'll never be fenced it. Maybe one day the cowboy would be extinct like the buffalo, but as long as he could ride, he'd always be one clippity-clop away fro…" Ezra yawns, "one clippity-clop…" he closes his eyes, "clop….." and he then falls asleep. His fingers loosen and the book falls forward into his chest.
Hera pulls passed the final asteroid and into the openness of black space. She pressed some buttons and the ship jumps into hyperspace.
She catches herself after waking up from her heard falling forward.
"Okay, okay, a little sleep never hurt anyone. Autopilot check," she hits a button. She undoes her safety belt harness and drops back into the pilot chair and immediately falls sleep, kept awake only by the deep sense of completing a job, as she just had.
.
Ezra hears a voice.
"Stranger?"
"Huh?" he opens his eyes and immediately shuts them due to sunlight.
"Stranger, we're almost there," says the voice.
"Almost where?" rubbing his eyes. He squints them open and blocks the sun, seeing a town nearby.
"Serenity, of course."
"Huh?" Ezra says, puzzled.
Ezra sees an old and rotted wooden sign with the name "Serenity" painted on it. He looks left at an elderly man with a substantial beard and sun-worn attire. Shocked momentarily, he looks about to find two horses pulling the wooden wagon he is seated in.
"Yeah … yeah, of course."
"If you don't mind me askin', what brings you out this way?"
Ezra replies, "Well, my folks are dead, so I reckoned I'd head on out on my own. Kind of wanted to see more of the world."
"Hum. With all them pockets on ya, I kinda took ya for a thief."
"Oh, well, I kind of am. I mean, no banks nor nothin' important, just food 'n' stuff. But I only stole it from these bad men who took over our town."
"Well, now, that's a whole 'nother can of beans. Can't say I feel too badly 'bout no thieves getting' thieved. But you're still young and got a head ripe with mashed taters. Careful what you say and what you do. Most folks don't pull their heads from their buttocks 'til about thirty. Got a lot of fancy useless ideas until then. Pretty easy to be led astray."
"Not me. Now that I'm free, I intend on getting me a job and save up for a ranch. Ponder a bit – maybe have some good ideas, says Ezra.
The man chuckles aloud, "Mister, I like you. Whoa!" he calls out to the horses as they reach a fork in the dirt trail. "I was once like you," the man continues, "rambunctious, full of myself, maybe talked a little too much. Nothin' like a knuckle sandwich to shut yer yap."
Ezra replies, "I might have been told I have the gift of gab."
"Here, I wanna give you somethin'…" the man digs behind himself in a bad in the wagon and pulls out an old gun in a worn leather holster, "Back in my heyday I made some mistakes. Probably did more wrong than I ever have done good, with it. A young man like you, I think is ready for a weapon. Maybe in your hands it'll do some good."
"Mister, I can't take thaqt. I don't have nothin' to give you in return."
"Sure you do. You can give me hope of a better world by promisin' to use it for good. I'm not long for this world, won't do me any good in Heaven. If I sell it, who knows whose hands it'll end up in. I feel confident in you. Like when that Polk fella ran for office, I just kinda knew he was the right choice. Well, this is as far as I go."
Ezra hops off and turns to get his bag out of the wagon, lugging it over his right shoulder.
"Thank you, mister," he buttons the holster onto his belt.
"Good luck, ah … ah…"
"Bridger."
"Bridger. Yah!" the man lightly cracks the ropes on the horses and they begin pulling the wagon away.
Ezra takes a few steps, but curiosity gets the best of him and he pulls the gun out after dropping the bag. He looks it over and rubs his hand over the once fine wooden handle finish. He points it a few times for practice aim. He opens the chamber and finds it not loaded.
"Hey! It's not loaded!" he calls out to the old man, who is already out of ear shot. "Dang things a fancy hammer," Ezra comments as he re-holsters it and pulls his coat over it and then flings his bag back over his right shoulder and heads on into Serenity.