we see two sleek warships glide silently into frame, followed by a third, bigger ship. this is the operative's vessel, and 10 it is everything serenity is not: sleek, predatory, icy cool.
the camera swoops in at a sparking ion cloud, then through the cloud at a barren, metallic satellite moon. then further in to reveal a sprawling -- and completely empty -- communications complex. giant satellite dishes everywhere.
close on the bodies as they burn, flames passing over them and suddenly flickering out as dark falls. they are patches of leathered flesh stretched over bone -- monsters, screaming soundlessly in the nothing of space. we arm past them to the windows of the bridge, looking in at mal, watching, with zoe behind and wash at the helm. and we pull back out to see the whole of serenity for the first time: it is hardly recognizable. charred corpses on the nose, cannon atop with a space-suited corpse draped within, long scars, welded-on parts and war paint.  the trail of green light burns out with sporadic bursts of vapor. it looks, for all the world, like a reaver ship.
serenity flies, silent.
we are amongst the reaver armada. serenity slices quietly through the ships, as we come around and see miranda receding in the distance. serenity drifts through the armada -- and suddenly another ship fires up, running next to her.  the two ships pace each other, another vessel coming about as though staring at serenity, who comes closer and closer to frame, till we see the suited corpse draped on the cannon. it suddenly moves: it's mal. he swings the cannon round and fires at the ship pacing them. it blows, fragmenting into burning bits that spiral into other ships, causing two smaller ones to blow as well. mal swings around and fires at another ship.