Serenity Valley.

[bad_in_latin]

Everyone was off in their own corners of the ship as Wash started to approach the atmosphere around 60 miles above the Serenity Valley memorial's principal landing docks. Mal almost hopes that at least some of them are heading off toward Milliways at the moment, but he knows not to hope for everybody to do so.
And every name’s a father or a husband

Comments

Arriving

[bad_in_latin]

The cargo bay door is lowered by Mal's own hand without really focusing on what he's doing. It's easy enough to push a button to kickstart the mechanism without too much thought behind it, and this is probably why Mal jumps as the doorframe begins to whirr.

The tiny porthole that had been Mal's only view of the outside increases exponentially as the door opens. So does the number of shallow breaths he finds himself taking. The ramp finally clunks hollowly against the ground.

Does it keep you awake at night, Sergeant?

Mal doesn't move.

Re: Arriving

[righthandwoman]

Mal may not be moving, but someone is, to judge from the sound of approaching footsteps.

Zoe's not looking at Mal as she draws level with him. She's looking out at the valley, calm and composed.

One might even go so far as to say serene.

"So." Level, controlled. "We doing this or not?"

Re: Arriving

[bad_in_latin]

Mal snaps out of

You will always lose

whatever he'd been musing, shooting Zoe a glance. He shouldn't be surprised Zoe didn't leave him. She did follow him this far.

"Suppose we are. Naomi?"

Re: Arriving

[righthandwoman]

"Wash has her."

Simply.

"Wasn't too keen on th' thought of bringin' her along."

Serenity Valley Memorial

[bad_in_latin]

The building visible from port control is a relatively new addition to the grounds of Serenity Valley. The graveyard - identical markers for the innumerable laid to rest there - was taken care of with almost more urgency after the battle than assisting the survivors, whereas the structure directly in the path of all incoming travelers from the docks was completed in the summer of 2516

Re: Serenity Valley Memorial

[river_meimei]

Simon insisted on boots, today, and won the argument.

River is still walking as if she's barefoot: heel rolling to toe, slow and silent. Meditative.

Her head is tilted up, canted a little to one side, and she studies the clean graven walls with a detached and almost dreamy absorption.

Re: Serenity Valley Memorial

[bad_in_latin]

Mal makes his way toward the back of the room once he realized what was written across the entirety of the fourth wall, and steps even with River, about a yard to her left.

"Lot o' folk, isn't it?" Voice artificially flat, staring nakedly at River studying the wall.

Re: Serenity Valley Memorial

[river_meimei]

"Five hundred thousand two hundred and one." That's absent.

It's a minute before her gaze slides sideways to settle on Mal, though her head stays tipped upwards.

Serenity Valley Graveyard

[bad_in_latin]

Nothing has grown naturally in the Valley or its surrounding area since the War, so walking the wide path toward the only place in sight that is not some shade of dust or charred rock is slightly disorienting.

The path follows the north end of the cemetary before leading straight down the center of over half a million graves spanning one entire end of the Valley. There are no discernable divisions amongst the gravemarkers - there are numbers etched into the top of each stone and grids one can use at each cemetary entrance to find a loved one - but no indication of affiliation except military unit identification.

The vast majority of the gravestones have no marker at all, beyond Lost at a particular area of the Valley, and these often have more flowers and decoration than those with names. There are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, all in their own thoughts, almost oblivious to others except for a knowing nod, sometimes a supportive pat on the shoulder as they pass one another

Re: Serenity Valley Graveyard

[bad_in_latin]

Mal never saw any of this. He heard about it, from others who were here or lost loved ones here - "They're planting trees, making the place real nice for those who'll never leave" - but he never even dared to look at pictures.

He numbly heads toward a kiosk, trying to locate a couple names that come to his mind.

(We're not gonna die, Bendis, you know why?)

He doesn't find any that he recognizes, although the list of those Lost at North Cliff feels as though it could scroll for several pages. This section of graves are clustered together, and Mal abandons the grid display to move off onto a secondary path, an even clip and a clenched fist outward displays of how fast his mind is working.

Re: Serenity Valley Graveyard

[gonna_live]

Kaylee finds that it's difficult not to walk with her head lowered. Very difficult.

So when she lifts her head, from about ten feet behind Mal (she's been following like this the whole time) --

It's so many.

It's one-sixtieth of the number of people on Miranda.

It's so many.

So Mal hates the Alliance. Kaylee can't bring herself to do that. But her eyes are getting suspiciously bright.

She lowers her head again. Nobody needs to see.

[simon_doctor]

Simon's hand finds hers, and squeezes lightly. He's there, a half-step behind her.

He's read the accounts, and the statistics. He knows how many five hundred thousand is.

Seeing it shouldn't be this different from knowing it.

He's starting to understand.

He's fully aware that he's nowhere near starting to comprehend.

The Valley Itself

[bad_in_latin]

Most people avoid looking down into the Valley itself when they come to visit, preferring to focus on calm, clean grave markers and polite remembrances.

Those with the stomach for it - or the memories of having been there - do not turn away from the Valley at the far end of the graveyard.
As I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death
In many ways, the Valley appears almost exactly as survivors of the battle left it: near to two months of constant shooting, bombing and fire left the ground charred and broken, a pit. There are railings along the very edge of the Valley nearest the graveyard, with petite electronic plaques outlining where precisely certain troops were stationed and how they moved during the course of the conflict. Some railings also sport small religious icons - the central railing closest to the graveyard itself has a wooden HoTei Buddha carrying a rosary

Re: The Valley Itself

[gonna_live]

Once upon a time Kaylee acquired a picture.

It's been the cause of a little trouble.

She's kept it. And without telling anybody --

Her hand tightens on Simon's arm. Whispered: "Hold up a minute?"

[simon_doctor]

"Mm?"

They're walking slowly; he stops.

"What is it?"

[gonna_live]

With her free hand, she withdraws something from her back pocket. Something paper-based.

Something with holes in it.

She doesn't look at Simon. Just unfolds it. And stands there, looking at it.

And out at the waste land.

Leaving

[bad_in_latin]

It's a long walk back to his crew after he had excused himself for just a moment, and Mal returns with the same stoic expression he's been attempting to maintain throughout the entire visit, with varying degrees of success. He rejoins his crew in front of the memorial building, offering a short smile.

"Sorry to hold y'all up."

Re: Leaving

[gonna_live]

"You didn't," says Kaylee, quietly, sitting on a low stone wall. Eyes moving from the sky to Mal. Others are around; Kaylee feels the need to answer. "Not a jot."

Re: Leaving

[bad_in_latin]

Mal still looks like he can't decide whether holding it together is a more worthwhile action than hiding in a corner, and he retains an ashen expression when he hears Kaylee reply.

Addressing everyone: "Let's get out o' here."

No one needs that order repeated, and Mal's platoon crew retreats from Serenity Valley. Inara walks at Mal's side most of the way, a frequent touch exchanged between them. Eventually however, the captain drifts toward his mechanic's side.

"You weren't too bored."

Re: Leaving

[gonna_live]

"Weren't bored at all." She's walking with her hands in her pockets; she looks up at him, a little questioningly.