After finding themselves in a fight with supporters of The Alliance in a place that fairly resembles a bar, Mal, Zoe and Jayne walk away with knowledge that a man named Niska might have a new job for them.

While completing a job on a backwater world, Mal is married to a village girl without his knowledge. The girl, Saffron, gets onboard and the crew does not find her until they're already in the air. Mal is not sure what to do with her, but let her come along.