Voice of a Silent Planet (Banshee Squadron episode)

Teaser

 *  While on a routine escort mission, the Banshees accidentally stumble across a previously unexplored planet. The surface is a dreamlike, idyllic Paradise, but unknown to the women, an ancient intellect is watching their every move with keen interest. Will the Banshees' last mission together as a team turn out to be their last mission ever?

Prologue – Winds of Fortune
The Banshees are not enthused about their latest mission, babysitting two transports full of bio-material bound for Polon II. Max shows up late for the briefing and announces point-blank that she has quit Starfleet to team up with Absalom West. The Banshees are stunned, but press on with their mission.

Approaching Storm
With Captain Matthew Cross in the lead, the Banshees escort the two freighters. On the second day out from Serenity, a mysterious force pulls all their ships off course towards an unexplored planet on the edge of the Briar Patch. They crash land.

Partly Sunny
The Banshees somehow were made to crash on the planet without taking any damage, yet none of their ships' engines work. One of the cargo ships landed in a nearby lake, while the other landed on the other side of the planet. Cross, Lee Carter, and Josephine Schmidt go to check on the cargo ship, while Alexandra Dalton and Dexter Gray stay behind to try and fix the ships. They are surrounded by rain clouds except right above them where the sun is warm, and their hunger and thirst are sated by the surrounding grove of trees.

Partly Cloudy
The party inspecting the cargo ship is caught in a severe rainstorm, but as they return to their landing site, the sky clears and the ground is dry. Dexter and Alex tell Cross and Carter about their strange experiences with the weather and trees. It seems as though the planet is making Dex and Alex comfortable and welcome, while making the others feel miserable and unwanted. A terrible storm erupts, chasing everyone except Dex and Alex back to their ships.

Gaia
Alex is struck by lightning, but instead of being killed, she is possessed by the spirit of this planet, Gaia. Gaia explains that she needs the biomass in the two cargo ships to help cure her dying ecosphere, needs Dex and Alex to manage things, and wants no other interference from humans. Dexter and Alex agree to stay on Gaia, and the remaining Banshees sadly leave. Starfleet places quarantine buoys around Gaia.

Epilogue – Paradise
The Banshee residence is quiet with only Carter and Jo left living there. Carter tries to reassure Jo that all their missing comrades are happy wherever they are now, each having found his or her own personal paradise. Carter and Jo are ready for whatever the future holds for them.

Memorable Quotes

 * "What makes you think that?" asked Carter. "Uh..." Alex grew more nervous. "Why do I think that?" "That's what I just said." "Right. You just said that." "Right. So why do we have to move the camp?" "Why do we have to move the camp?" "Stop repeating everything I say." "Am I repeating everything you say?" "Yes, you're repeating everything I say." "So you're saying I'm repeating everything you say." Carter frowned. "Now you're just stalling." "What makes you think I'm stalling?" asked Alex innocently. "Because you always repeat everything I say when you're stalling." "I repeat what you say when I'm stalling?" "Alex!"


 * "Come off it. There's no such thing and you know it. Planets cannot be living, sentient entities. I can barely wrap my brain around androids and holograms being living entities — how can I accept a 8000-mile-diameter ball of rock as a living thing?"