for the deception, but broadcasts a bulletin that a Firefly-class ship is carrying stolen Alliance goods. The crew of Serenity travel to Persephone to deliver the stolen goods to Badger (Mark Sheppard), the small-time crime lord who hired them for the heist. However, Badger reneges on their deal after learning that the Alliance has put a bulletin on Mal's crew. He also does not like the way Mal looks down on him. Mal decides to try selling the cargo to Patience, an old business associate who lives on Whitefall. Zoe has misgivings, since Patience shot Mal the last time they met, but Mal is desperate to get rid of the hot cargo. The crew picks up passengers before leaving Persephone for extra income, and Inara rejoins the ship. The new passengers are a preacher named Shepherd Book (Ron Glass), a bumbling man named Dobson (Carlos Jacott), and a wealthy doctor named Simon Tam (Sean Maher) who brings aboard a mysterious large crate. En route to Whitefall, Wash discovers that someone on board sent a message hailing the nearest Alliance cruiser. Suspecting that Simon is the mole, Mal confronts him, only to discover that Dobson is actually an undercover Alliance lawman. Dobson surprises Mal by telling them it's Simon he wants to arrest, not Mal. During the tense confrontation, a nervous Dobson accidentally shoots Kaylee in the stomach before being overpowered by Book, who manages to easily disarm and subdue him. When an Alliance cruiser orders them to dock for prisoner transfer, Simon threatens not to treat Kaylee if they do not flee. Mal reluctantly agrees (after being prodded by Inara to do so), but then has Jayne restrain Simon while he opens Simon's mysterious crate, only to be surprised to find a naked young woman inside in cryonic sleep. Part 2 The woman in the crate is River Tam (Summer Glau), Simon's younger sister. Simon explains that his sister was a brilliant child prodigy who was sent to an elite, but secretive Alliance academy when she was fourteen. After River sent him an encoded letter for help, he discovered that the Alliance was experimenting on the academy students. Simon abandoned his career as a successful trauma surgeon to rescue her and spent all of his money to get her smuggled out of the academy. The Alliance wants River back very badly. Mal decides to proceed to Whitefall as planned and