SLUNK! A loud sound comes from close by. Mal comes tumbling in.

"No! Don't step on the Brachiosaur!" calls out Wash.

Mal looks around miffed, then steps over it.

"Hey Wash, do you think it's possible that in-between breaking my ship, you try not to kill us?"

"They're still on out tail," says Wash.

"How long until we break atmo?"

"Still another minute."

"Wanna try another Crazy Ivan?"

"Too much sot on the ground from the volcanic eruption and not enough distance."

"Connect the dots..." grabs ahold of something when the ship rocks.

"Can't do it - not unless these people don't want to see the sunrise tomorrow," replies Wash.

Jayne peaks in, "Just in case he don't get us all killed."

Wash interrupts, "As opposed to accidently killing just SOME of you?"

"Well," Jayne continues, "just in case I've got the weapons loaded and ready. Not gonna board us without a fight."

"That's god Jayne," Mal shakes his head in approval.

"Bad news is: I'm out of grenades."

Mal pauses for a brief second, then replies, "That's good Jayne."

"Oh, ouh, oh darn. Oh, that's a real shame Jayne," says Wash sarcastically. He jerks the wheel when something hits the ship.

"Gorram it!" Mal curses, "What in the hell was that?"

Sarcastically, "I don't know, would you like me to stop flying and check?"

Mal comes about and put his hands on the step railings and jumps from the cockpit to the hall floor. He dashes to the engine room.

"Kaylee, everything shinny?"

"As an old penny. Tails down," walks about doing stuff.

"What the hell just hit us?"

The ships rocks.

"Wash!" Mal yells out.

"Sounded like a laser blast," says Kaylee.

"I thought laser-mounted weapons were illegal on space ships?"

"Well, they are. Maybe these folks don't follow the law like us?" she replies.

ZOOVM! They're hit again. The ships shakes.
"Can it cut into the hull?"
"Nah, hull must be too tough, otherwise they'd be in," she answers.
"That's good Kaylee."
"But they can cut out engines into pieces. Little, itty, bitty pieces," demonstrates with her hands.
Mal slaps the wall, "That's terrific," and walks out, but then turns back to face her, "don't die in here"
"Owww ... that's so."
"I'll have to step over you when I take over."
As he leaves, the smile dissipates from her face.
"Wa-" the ship shakes violently before Mal can finish.
"We're breaking atmo."
"Hey Wash, if you're gonna crash the ship, do ya think you can do it into the bad guys? If it's not too much trouble."
"Gettin' ready to burst."
Mal screams down the hall, "Kaylee! That engine still good?"
We hear a faint comeback, "In here."
Turns to Wash and says quickly, "Power her."
"Way ahead of you. Shah muh the guay"
They both look out the cockpit windows. Aimlessly swirling purple clouds of gas with brief gold tingles of light surround the ship.
"Is it safe to jet in this?" asks Mal.
"One way to find out."
Mal reaches for the intercom sender, "Everyone duct and cover, Wash is attemptin' to kill us. If we survive, everyone be sure to thank him afterwards."
The tailgate engine of the ship shaped like the backside of a firefly bug - illuminates brightly and just as it's about to leave a cosmic trail of evaporating gasses, the trailing ship fires a purple-tinted laser at them. The clouds expand and everything disappears in an explosion of light. It clears. Nothing is there.

(FIREFLY THEME)