"Hoban!"

Wash winced as the accursed name bounced around the white walls of the room. A couple men snickered at the name, but soon quieted at the glare of the flight instructor.

"Hoban, repeat what I just said."

Wash stood slowly. He didn't have a clue about what the teacher had said. He looked around at the other adults in the room.

"Um...ships have..." He faltered. The teacher raised an eyebrow.

"As I thought. Twelve hours in the flight simulation with a thunderstorm for you."

Wash sat back down, knowing he had deserved the punishment.

He missed his home planet Beaumonde. Instead, he was stuck on Ariel, in an Alliance Flight Acadamy. It wasn't so bad, due to his love of flying, but, he missed his family. Especially Zoe. Zoe had been his sweetheart ever since they had turned 20. Now he was 25 and in the Alliance.

He sighed, and the bell rang, signaling that class was over. He picked up his books and went out with the rest of the men. Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned.

An Alliance soldier stood there, holding a telegram. Wash blinked.

"Is that for me?" He asked the soldier, who merely nodded. Wash took the telegram from his hands, and the soldier turned and walked off.

Wash went to his dorm room and set down his books on his desk. The bed sqeaked as he sat down, and he reminded himself to get it fixed. Opening the telegram, he was shocked to see:

"Hoban Washburne,

We are pleased to see your excessive progress in the Alliance Flight Acadamy. Due to you being the top in your class and ahead of all the other students, the Alliance has chosen you to fly in one of our ships at Serenity Valley, which desperately needs new pilots to fly our troops in and drive out the Browncoats.

We expect you to report to the nearest flight instructor to take your leave. He will give you instructions on how to proceed.

-General Caine"

Wash dropped the letter. His eyes grew wide, and he sat in shock. A battle? He was going to fly in a battle? He was going to fly...troops...into battle. He shook his head.

It had to be a mistake. He didn't really want to be on the Alliance side of the Unification War! He had only gone to this school because it was the only Flight Acadamy within the solar system. He didn't expect to actually go to battle!

He would have to protest. But how?

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ONE WEEK LATER

"Washburne, you're going whether you like it or not!" General Caine yelled in Wash's face. Wash backed up.

"Sir, I cannot fly into battle! I cannot fly on one of your ships!" Wash bravely countered. The General's eyes narrowed.

"And why not, pilot?"

Wash was silent. He couldn't say why he didn't want to fly. The Alliance would have him killed for saying that he was sypathetic to the Browncoats. He didn't agree with what the Alliance was doing, but he sure couldn't tell any of them that.

"I...have no reason, sir." Wash said, knowing that he had no choice.

-------------------------------------------------

"Pull her up, your pointing the nose down." Wash said to the co-pilot of the ship he was flying. They were on their way to Serenity Valley. Wash had not been able to convince anyone that he couldn't fly.

The co-pilot threw down his controls. "That's it, I'm giving it to you."

Wash didn't take the controls in front of him, and the ship began to plummet. The co-pilot grabbed his controls again.

Wash nodded. "I didn't think you would give up." He grinned at the angry look on the man's face.

Wash realized that this was his moment. He got up out of the pilot's chair and started walking towards the door that separated the main ship from the cockpit. When he was behind the co-pilot, he turned and drew his gun from the holster at his side.

The co-pilot froze at the feel of the gun barrel pressed against his ear. Wash leaned in close so the man could hear him whisper.

"Now, you're going to turn this boat around and go back to Ariel. Do you understand me?"

The co-pilot nodded fearfully. "You're crazy, you know that?! What do you think the Alliance is going to do to you?!"

Wash shrugged. "Frankly, I don't care, just as long as I don't have to fight in a massecre."

The co-pilot started turning the ship around, and Wash heard running footsteps outside the door.

"What are you doing? You're gong the wrong way!"

Wash turned the gun on the door and let a bullet fly. It hit the door, and instantly, the voices stopped. Wash grinned.

It was going to be a fun flight back home.