Belle Starr

As the Civil War ends, Belle Shirley is reunited with her brother Ed and vows to carry on the fight for the South. She embraces the rebel cause and commits to defending their homeland alongside Ed. The moment sets Belle on a path toward leadership within the rebel cause.

Belle protects Sam Starr, a rebel who won't defend himself against Major Grail, a Yankee and Ed's old friend. Her defense marks a bold stance against the Major's power and foreshadows the fragile loyalties war leaves behind. The incident tightens Belle's commitment to the cause while drawing the Major's attention.

Ed invites Sam Starr to a dinner at their wealthy estate, hoping to bring him closer to Belle. Sam arrives planning to speak his mind, unafraid to confront the complex love triangle that has formed. The confrontation sets the stage for the next act of the conflict.

A horse thief with past dealings with Belle warns the army to move, forcing Sam Starr to depart but leaving him wounded. The warning accelerates the danger around Belle and her allies. Sam's injury complicates subsequent loyalties and choices.

Blue Dock, Starr's loyal lieutenant, carries the wounded captain back to Belle. Belle does everything she can to protect him as Major Grail closes in, escalating the conflict at the estate. The reunion deepens the personal stakes in the rebellion.

The Major arrests the rebel captain and Belle's brother Ed, then sets Belle's house alight. The destruction of the family estate marks a brutal turn in the war and intensifies Belle's resolve to rebel. The loss of home also deepens Belle's personal commitment to the fight.

Mad with rage, Belle embraces the rebel cause and helps organize the escape of the captain and Ed. Her brother, by choosing to return to the city, leaves Belle to pursue the rebellion with Sam Starr. Belle's decision marks a new forward push in the struggle for Missouri.

Belle and Sam Starr drive out Northern forces and become leaders of the rebellion. They marry and assume top roles, their partnership symbolizing the new rebel leadership. A bounty on their heads haunts their journey.

The Coole brothers, feared assassins, join the rebellion, and the captain heads out on an expedition with them. Belle stays behind to consolidate the cause while the northern threat grows. The mission foreshadows further bloodshed and moral compromise.

Belle's brother warns her of the ruthless actions of the expeditions, which rob and kill at the direction of the new recruits. He is killed by their own forces before Belle notices, a tragedy that deepens her grief. The war's betrayal weighs heavily on Belle as she begins to question the path she chose.

In grief, Belle discovers from Sam that he has done such things in service of the rebellion. She offers to take him to Texas to spare him further consequences, but he refuses and she returns his ring, signaling a rupture in their relationship. The moment marks a shift from romantic loyalty to harsh pragmatism.

Belle plans to surrender to Northerners to protect Sam, but a nurse reveals this is a trap set for the captain. Belle runs to warn him, professing eternal love, but is shot by the horse thief who seeks a reward. The captain returns believing Blue Dock fired the warning, and he denies the wife’s body to keep the thief from money; the Major allows this, saddened by Belle's death.

The captain places Belle's ring on her finger before slaves declare that she is a legend and not dead, like a fox. He is left to grapple with love and loss as the rebellion's fate looms. The closing moment casts Belle as an enduring symbol of resistance.