The crew arrives to New Sausalito to help the Atarans settle into their new home. Per their request, they've asked to have their own community rather than get lost among the blended society of the main colonies. Civil Operations will have their hands full establishing the people into their new settlement in modern society.

Meanwhile, command and the rest of the diplomatic division are presented with difficult issues. The crew has learned that the "delegates" they've been dealing with are slavers, and the rest of the Atarans have been hidden on the lower decks of their ship, likely to be held there until the Atarans feel the coast is clear to bring them out.

The Captain and her crew, led prmarily by the First Officer and the Diplomatic Division must figure out how to get the enslaved Atarans off of the Serenity safely, and before the ship tries to flee. The fate of the slavers to be decided later...