In Serenity (2005), the Operative speaks to Malcolm, who lost his friends:
Operative: If your quarry goes to ground, leave no ground to go to.
You should have taken my offer. Or did you think none of this was your
fault?
What does "quarry goes to ground, leave no ground to go to" mean?
I have two interpretations:
What I think the Operative means is that if the place you thought you belonged
to turned out to be a wrong place, then do not hesitate about never going back there.
(or)
Quarry goes to the ground : the business is ruined |
No ground to go to : All possible actions to restart the business or
start some other business will be impossible
Best Answer
Your quarry is the creature you are hunting; if it goes to ground, it hides in its burrow, so you need to leave it nowhere to hide. Presumably the Operative is using the expression in a metaphorical sense.