Chinese Translations

Tsi boo shr- no way

baobei- sweetheart

Chapter 6

The two weeks spent on Dionysus dragged on for an eternity. With nothing to do but sit and wait, that's what they did. For the most part people stayed in groups. Platoons, crews, and various other groups found their own areas and set up camp. Serenity's crew stayed with the ship. Everyday Mia would go to the headquarters to get rations and any news of the peace talks. But the information was scarce and everyone counted the hours until the end of the ceasefire.

Megan had been taken tot the hospital as soon as they had landed. When she was released the next day she returned to Serenity. By day nine it was as if she'd always been there. Conor began to expect to see her helping Amir in the infirmary, playing cards with Janey, and sleeping curled up beside him in his bunk.

On the twelfth day Mia was ordered to be ready to leave. If the ceasefire expired then the troops still on divided planets would need reinforcements. They were in the middle of getting Serenity ready when the commotion began.

Hobie and Conor were lying under the engine when they heard shouting. It was getting louder by the second. They slid out from under the engine and made their way to the cargo bay. When they got there and looked out the open door Conor felt his legs go weak.

They were cheering. It was over.

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It was dubbed Reunification Day. The Alliance surrendered and the Reunification Treaty was signed. The Alliance would be turning over money and ships to the Independents who would take over control of interplanetary affairs. Individual planets would be given more autonomy but the rim planets would be given better financial and medical support.

The biggest shock was the number of prominent people living on Core planets who declared allegiance to the Independents and offered to help. Doctors, teachers, architects, and engineers who signed up to help.

It took three more weeks before the crew of Serenity was told that after their next mission they were being discharged from the army and could go home. Their final mission was to bring supplies to the planet Greentree. This excited Megan to no end because Greentree was where her parents lived.

"What if they don't like me?"

Conor and Megan were sitting on the bridge as Greentree approached.

"Tsi boo shr. Don't worry baobei," Megan replied.

Conor was about to respond when the proximity alerts began to go off. "What the…?" He hit a few buttons and looked at the consol screen as three ships raced past their bow.

"Firefly class," came a voice over the transmitter, "this is Captain Tamara Nort of the Independents army. Identify yourself."

By now Mia and Janey were on the bridge. Mia reached for the transmitter and sent their info codes. "This is Mia Reynolds of Serenity. We are delivering supplies to Greentree."

"Mia that you?" Captain Nort said.

"Hey Tamara. What's going on? What are you doing here?"

"Got a call that Greentree had been hit by some rogue Alliance."

"Cap I got a reading of two Alliance fighter ships on the surface," Conor told Mia, who relayed the info to Nort.

"That's what we're getting too," Nort said. "You guys stay put and we'll see what's what?"

"Tamara we've got weapon's supplies and a few extra bodies, we can back you up."

There was a pause. "Okay follow us down. But stay back a bit, I know you ain't got guns on the thing."

"Copy that," Mia replied.

Once on the ground it was chaos. Bodies everywhere. There was shooting among some of the buildings. Janey and Mia joined Nort's forces and soon the shooting escalated before it stopped. It was quiet for a minute or so and then all of a sudden a shot raced passed Conor's arm. He dove behind a cargo box and shot back. He felt Hobie come up next to him and begin shooting as well. Within minutes the five Alliance soldiers were dead.

Mia and Janey came running up. "You all okay?" Mia asked.

Conor nodded. Nort joined the group and told them that the Alliance soldiers were dead. Thirty of the villagers had been killed and some sixty were injured. Only twenty three people had escaped unharmed.

Amir went into doctor mode and Conor could see the torn look on Megan's face. She wanted to help but she needed to find her parents.

"Go," Conor told her. "I'll find them."

Megan nodded and turned to one of the injured.

Conor went over to one of Nort's crew and asked him to find out what happened to Alger and Elena Hast. The young man nodded and went off. He returned a short time later and drew Conor aside.

"She's dead," he told Conor, "he's with one of our medics but…"

Conor felt his stomach drop. "How long?"

The man just shook his head. Conor thanked him and then walked over to where Megan was bandaging a man's leg. She raised her head as she heard him approach and when she saw the look on his face she began to shake her head.

"Your father's with one of Nort's medics," he said. "He doesn't have much time."

"And my mother?"

Conor's eyes fell. "I'm sorry."

Megan nodded and straightened her shoulders. "Where is he?"

When they found her father he was lying on a makeshift bed. The medic with him looked up as they walked over. Conor told him with a look to give them a moment so he took his supplies and left to help a woman who'd been grazed in the arm.

Alger Hast looked up into his daughter's eyes. "Megan?"

"Hey Daddy," she replied.

Alger coughed and blood sputtered out of his mouth. Conor looked and gasped slightly when he saw the state of the man's chest. It looked like it had been torn apart by a turbine. Megan ran her hand over her father's head. "Shh," she said. "Don't try to talk."

Alger ignored her instructions. "I couldn't…protect her. I tried."

"I know Daddy," Megan said, tears beginning to run down her face. She held her hand to Conor and brought him to kneel next to her. "Daddy this is Conor. I wrote to you about him."

"Pi…pilot?"

"Yes Sir," replied Conor.

"Take care?"

Conor swallowed, "I promise," he said.

Alger looked back to his daughter. Raising a shaky hand he touched her face. Megan covered his hand with hers. "Pr…proud of…of you."

"I know Daddy. And I love you so much," she said with a sob.

"Shh," Alger said. "I lived…to see them fall. That's…enough." He coughed again and then his eyes closed and his hand fell. Megan gathered her father's body to her and rocked back and forth, crying into his blood soaked neck. Conor placed a hand on her back and brushed away his own tears.

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They buried Megan's parents along with the rest of the dead in a graveyard outside of town. They did it quickly over the next day. Conor stood beside Megan, his hand clasped tightly in hers. After the funeral Janey came up to him.

"How far are we from the Haven?" she asked.

"Eighteen hours," Conor said. "Less if we burn hard."

"I just…I can't shake the feelin' that if the Alliance made it here…"

Conor nodded in agreement. "Cap agree?"

"She hasn't been able to get a wave through. Thinks we need to go. But she understands if Megan…"

"Let's go," Megan said.

Conor turned and put a hand to her face. "No one would blame you if you stayed. We can come back."

Megan shook her head. "My family's gone. Let's go make sure your's is okay."

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