Takes place during Spock's first year teaching at the academy. Nyota is in his first class, though things perhaps don't go as smoothly as they'd like.

Before the Unification War tore the 'Verse apart, it first pulled two people together. 19-year-old Malcolm Reynolds, aspiring Independent fighter, and Inara Serra, 20, Companion-in-training. Fate binds them to each other. Duty divides them. And by the time they realize what's worth fighting for, it might be too late to save it. Pre-series AU, Mal/Inara.