Disclaimer: I don't own Firefly, Serenity, or TSCC.
Emerging from her shuttle, Inara made her way to the galley to retrieve the teapot she'd left earlier. Entering the common room, the Companion saw Sarah sitting at the table, a cloth spread out, assorted tools scattered about, and one of the strange, to Inara's eye, weapons belonging to the Connors.
Sarah either didn't notice Inara or deliberately ignored her, the effect of which was to rankle Inara's sensibilities. Filling her kettle with water and putting it on the stove, she decided enough was enough.
It was time to set Sarah straight on a few things.
The companion watched Sarah work, noticing the woman's concentration and precise work as the water in the kettle boiled. Sarah only looked up when the telltale whistle of the kettle sounded, informing Inara the water was ready to make tea.
"Oh, it's you," Sarah said and looked back down at her work.
Inara poured herself a cup of tea and went to the table to take a seat.
"You aren't much of a mercenary if you didn't notice me," Inara said conversationally.
"Didn't say I didn't notice you. I thought it was Cameron." Sarah looked up and stared at Inara for a few seconds. "You're right. I'm getting rusty. You made noise. Cameron wouldn't have." Having hurled her insult, Sarah went back to working on the 40 mm grenade launcher.
"Did you know Companion's are trained in a variety of martial arts? I can fence among other things." Inara smiled at the taunt.
"Good for you. Draw a sword on me and I'll just cut you down with my MK-5. You're no match for me Inara. You spent your educational years learning to be a Companion. I spent those years being hunted by Terminators from the future, the FBI, and a host of other police agencies. I lived on the run. This life, here on Serenity, it's old hat for me. So whatever point it is you're trying to make, just come out with it. Be direct, Inara. I hate it when people play games, don't just say what they mean."
"The Captain's mine, Sarah. Mine. You might very well have earned a place on the crew, but Malcolm Reynolds is mine. Look elsewhere for a man."
Sarah tilted her head to the side, a habit she'd picked up from Cameron. Wiping the oil from her hands, Sarah just glared at Inara, unnerving the Companion. "Or what, Inara? Tell me? Just what are you going to do to me? Poison me when you cook the crew a meal? I'll do you a favor. Cameron scans all the food, every meal. Bet you didn't know that? If she finds even a trace of poison, her default is to terminate the cook. Why? Because Cameron will interpret the poison as an attempt on John's life. Pour the poison on my food only? Same default. John and I are close. Cameron will consider an attempt on my life as an attack on John."
Inara's hands shook beneath the table. It took all of her training and years of practice to maintain the sweet smile on her face and not say a word.
"If the Captain wants me," Sarah smiled, "He'll have to win me. Don't think for an instant you're the slightest competition for me."
Sarah took her time and reassembled her grenade launcher, put her tools in the toolbox, and folded up the cloth she'd used to protect the table. Sarah stood and picked up her things, pausing to cast one more glance at Inara.
"Just to let you know, I look good, I mean, really good, in a skin tight, slinky dress."
Inara waited until Sarah vanished in the direction of the crew's living quarters before fleeing to her shuttle.
Moments after the two women were gone, Mal stepped out from the passageway to the bridge and checked to make sure the coast was clear.
"Oh, my," he whispered. "How does one man deal with so much woman trouble?"
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"Twin, trouble."
"Where?" Cameron looked up from the tablet she was reading. "Is John in danger?"
"No, Twin, but our plans are. Sarah and Inara were engaged in a battle of wits," River answered.
"Do I need to prevent a physical confrontation?"
"No, Sarah won the engagement and executed a tactical retreat. Inara fled from the battlefield to treat her wounds and prepare for the next battle."
Cameron set her tablet down. "Does this significantly damage our strategic plans?"
"Possibly," River replied. "Captain Daddy listened to the entire exchange from the safety of the bridge. He is aware Inara fired the first shot and Sarah not only deflected it but fired a broadside back, scoring a direct hit."
Cameron tilted her head before speaking. "How does Captain Reynolds feel about this information?"
"Flattered but confused. Inara presented enough of a challenge. Sarah has muddied the waters. Captain Daddy likes the idea of Sarah in a slinky silk dress." River noticed the slight frown on Cameron's face. "What is wrong twin?"
"John will disapprove. I know the crew does not like to think of Inara as a whore, and she is very sweet, but John will make that comparison if Sarah dresses like Inara to compete for the Captain. Sarah has had to do," Cameron paused, giving River a look the reader understood implied what she was about to impart was never to be repeated, "shameful things in the past to keep John alive."
"Twin's John would feel shame if he sees his beloved mother play such a role again, would he not?"
Cameron nodded. "Were you able to read Sarah's thoughts about the tactical engagement?"
"Amused," River replied. "Likes to flirt with the Captain. Thinks it's nice to feel safe enough to flirt just for fun. Captain Daddy appeals to her as a man, but she's not considered pursuing a man yet. Likes the idea of a fight with Inara, the challenge of competition."
"Sarah loves a fight," Cameron confirmed. "We must spur Jayne into action and soon."
"Yes," River agreed. "Inara is a formidable woman in many ways. The girl is not sure Serenity's Companion can emerge victorious from this battle. The threat of escalation is too great."
"Sarah plays to win," Cameron monotoned. "She is very direct. Overkill is her preferred strategy."
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"I'm going about this all wrong," Inara whispered as she dried tears from her face. "It was poor strategy to challenge Sarah directly."
Inara pulled her silk sheet up to her chin and settled in to go to sleep.
"If a Companion of my skill and standing can't seduce a petty thief like Malcolm Reynolds, then maybe Mal's right. I need to give up being a Companion."
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Sarah took off her boots and tossed them in the corner of her tiny room. She peeled off her cargo pants and hung them over the chair at the equally tiny desk. Without removing her tank top, Sarah took off her bra and tossed it on top of her cargo pants. Wearing only her panties and top, she stretched out on her bunk, slipping under the covers to stay warm.
Sarah wiggled her toes in her socks and replayed the skirmish with Inara in her mind. Amused, Sarah decided it might be fun to mess with Inara for a bit. At least until it endangered her families position as crewmembers.
The Captain was certainly handsome and Sarah was well aware of his admiration of her curves. It was fun to flirt with the Captain. It had been so long since Sarah had felt safe enough to let her guard down with a man. Even with Charlie she'd kept her guard up, eventually running and leaving a man who loved almost as much as Kyle Reese.
Then there was the issue of keeping the little reader out of her mind. Long ago, when locked up in Pescadoro, Sarah had learned to master her thoughts, to control her mind, and put the walls necessary to protect her mind and maintain her sanity. It had taken all of her considerable skill to hold things together the last few years before Judgment Day. Even then, it had been barely enough. Sarah had been on the edge mentally when her family mistakenly jumped too far forward in time.
John was happy on Serenity and River had been a Godsend, occupying Cameron enough to give John the space he needed to breath, to find the right balance. Simon had told Sarah repeatedly he'd feared Cameron's influence on River when the two first met. Feared River would digress and fall back into her old patterns, losing her mind once and for all.
Instead, Cameron had given River stability the reader needed. Not being able to read Cameron's mind allowed River to have mental peace and yet have a close friend. Being a genius made it hard for River to develop friendships, at least the friendship of equals. Cameron's neural net and processing ability might not make her a genius, but the cyborg was certainly a match for River mentally. River only got one chance to outsmart River. Once Cameron made a mistake, she learned from it, never to make it again.
River appealed to Cameron for some strange reason. Sarah had asked Cameron to explain the basis for their friendship and Cameron had sat in silence, processing the question. "Because River likes me. Wants to be with me, like John does," had been her response. Sarah had laughed at Cameron when the petite Terminator suddenly amended her statement. "Not exactly like John does. River and I are only attracted to males. I love John more, too."
Sarah's mind wandered to John's uncle. One Derek Reese, brother of the late Kyle Reese, father of John Connor and the first true love of her life. Many a time Sarah had toyed with the idea of pursuing Derek. It made perfect sense. He knew all of her horrible secrets, her fears, and what lay ahead for the family. Now, Sarah realized, the same thing that had kept her from pursuing Derek in the past would keep her from pursuing him know. Derek was Kyle's brother and it would be too much. The wound of Kyle's loss was one that would never heal for either of them.
Besides, Sarah grinned as she rolled over on her side. Sarah had a pretty strong hunch River had set her sights on Derek. She was no woman of the world like most of Derek's lovers and certainly no Jesse, but River had an innocence about her that when combined with her brokenness would make any man want to protect her.
Never mind the fact, River, like Cameron, required none to little protection. Truthfully, River, again like Cameron, would likely protect Derek at times. Physically protect Derek. Emotional and mental protection was a different matter Sarah realized, seeing another similarity between the two young women. Cameron's need to feel secure in her relationship with John drove Tin Miss to do some strange things. It wasn't until John realized Cameron did need him to protect her, just in a different way that the two had truly bonded. River was the same.
The two were probably plotting more ways to seal Derek's fate that minute. Sarah pondered for a moment whether or not to give Reese a heads up. She decided against it. River was beautiful. Of course, she might remind Derek of Allison, but that was between the two of them.
Yawning, Sarah rolled back over and pulled her blankets tighter against the cold. That left Jayne.