Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, except for Amos Sanders, General Liu, David, and Darielle, who are mine. Mainly because I haven't the courage to stick in a Mary Sue. Also because Joss is awesome. Will continue to live vicariously through Mal.

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Note: Diplomatic Immunity, plus Our Co-Pilot Tam, is now my NanoWrimo submission.

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This is Chapter 11 of the story that began here:

and continued here:

and is a continuation of Our Co-Pilot Tam, which can be found

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Mal loaded another stack of rubble onto the back of the mule and turned back to digging. The whole house was a field of debris, except for one corner. Already they'd almost cleared the living room, down to the beginnings of the foundation, moving shattered, formerly priceless furniture and charred bits of the once-thick roof beams, and were moving on to what was left of the kitchen. “Whew,” he said to Jayne, as the mercenary struggled with the shards of a door. “Three days of this makes a man wish someone was shooting at him.”

Jayne just nodded and dumped the shards in the back of the mule. “Not much chance of that, with thos