At the ball, Atherton asks Inara to be his personal Companion, remaining in a world more suited to her, but she diplomatically defers making a final decision.
Suddenly, the arrival of "Miss Kaywinnet Lee Frye and escort" is announced — Kaylee, in a ruffled dress she had earlier coveted in a shop window, accompanied by Mal in a fine suit.
River, experiencing another of her manic outbursts, frantically shreds the Blue Sun labels of their canned food supplies before Simon and Book calm her.
At the ball, Kaylee's friendly attempt to mix with the debutantes fails, but she is rescued by an older gentleman, then draws in a group of several mechanically-minded men fascinated by her knowledge of ships.
River appears and, in a display of her as-yet unrevealed talents, converses with Badger in his own accent, reveals his criminal history, and tricks him into thinking she was born on his home planet.
Mal stands over the wounded Wing, wielding his own sword, and Warrick insists that he deliver the final blow, lest Atherton be humiliated for life.
The as-yet-unbegun escape plan plotted by the Serenity crew is aborted by the return of Inara and Mal, who chases a pleased Badger off his ship.
[1] The sword fight took place near a Disney-owned production facility and so the shots had to be framed to exclude the "Country Bear Jamboree" barn located in the background.