Summary: House Mihindre enlists the services of Serenity and her crew to transport a group of companions-in-training to Sihnon. But things never go smooth for Captain Reynolds and there is more to these girls than meets the eye.
Author Notes: This fic is not in my usual style – which may or may not be a good thing depending on what you thought of my previous fics if you read them at all (all 2 of them anyway). There is more humour, and less abstract crap and NOT a one-shot. Mandarin phrases are courtesy of the firefly chinese pinyinary. Different 'time periods' are approximate so don't shoot me if they're not 'accurate'. PLEASE REVIEW!
UNRAVEL: Chapter 1
Part 1 – Goodbye
House Madrassa, Sihnon - 2507
Crimson and blood red, streaking the sky with heated gold, and bathing the lush forests of the Yin Yue Valley in a warm, throbbing glow, the sun of Sihnon sank slowly into the horizon.
Against the sun soaked woodlands at the valley's edge, stood the dark sprawling edifice of House Madrassa. Though built to signal the majesty and the grandeur of the Guild, like a defiant flare against the wilds of a savage planet, the House seemed to cast it's roots into the very earth on which it was build, and like a shadowy serpent snaking it's way through the dark forest floor, seemed to melt and become wholly apart of the wilderness.
In the East, at a distance, the first flickering of the lights of Sihnon's capital city could be seen, and as soon as the ink of night had swallowed up the sun, the city would be a flood of luminescence, casting the light of civilisation outwards, like a beacon into the unending darkness of the Black.
However, the beauty of this spectacle was totally lost on Inara, whose eyes were blurry with tears. This was not the Inara that would bewitched hordes of men and woman alike, with her calm, power magnificence - but Inara at seventeen summers, a woman in most ways, vibrant and desirable, nearly a fully fledged Companion, but still ruled by her passions and at that moment, completely undone by losing a sister so dear to her heart.
"Oh Nandi…"
"Here, take this mei mei," Nandi, whose auburn hair glowed in the dying light of the day, pushed a small blue pouch into Inara's hand "I have no need for it anymore."
"Nandi, please I beg you," Inara insisted clutching her friend's hands desperately, "Don't go!"
Nandi swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped away the tear running down Inara's cheek with a thumb. She marvelled how, even with her face red from crying, Inara still looked utterly beautiful, "Don't cry mei mei…" Nandi whispered, her heart swelling with guilt, "I hate to do this to you …"
"Please stay Nandi…" Inara still insisted with youthful, hopeful impetuousness glowing in her eyes.
"I can't stay here anymore mei mei," Nandi's voice throbbed with desperation, as if it were being wrung out of her in harsh whisper born of long suffering and her eyes swimming and unfocused, "I'm suffocating.."
"But where will you go?"
"Anywhere!" Nandi declared, her eyes suddenly light with hope. "I'm a free woman now!"
"How can you be so cruel?" comes the reply that shocked Nandi into dropping Inara's hand.
"Mei mei…"
The anger which flared and stiffened Inara's resentment immediately faded and she fell into Nandi's arms with a rustle of golden silk, her resolve to be angry and cold broken.
"How will I do without you?"
"Hush now mei mei…" Nandi pulled the younger girl to her body and embraced her tightly, "We will see each other again I know it…" they part, just as a girl with the skin the colour of honey, arrives, looking on at the parting with emotion in her muted blue eyes.
"Shenyndri…" Inara stepped back to allow the older girl to embrace her friend "Shenyndri how can I ever thank you?"
"Thank me by picking up your bags and bringing them back inside," Shenyndri scolded Nandi fondly. Then her voice softened, "Or at least promise me you'll come back and see us some day soon."
Nandi nodded and smiled at both of her friends "I will...I promise."
But they all know it's not true. The moment Nandi leaves, it'll be as if she never existed. Shunned by those women who she has come to regard as her sisters in spirit; cut loose and drifting without the lifeline of the Guild to pull her back in when she begins to run out of air. The Guild does not look kindly on those who turn their back on it.
"Nandi?" An older woman dressed in a majestic blue robe with her greying blonde hair braided tight and piled up high on her head, appeared behind the three girls, ready to escort Nandi to the cruiser which would take her as far as New Melbourne, "You must leave now."
Nandi flushes, feeling thecoldness emanating from Lady Tan's eyes, "Yes Ma'am..."
As two other girls appeared to take Nandi's bags, Nandi embraced Inara and Shenyndri one last time, "Good bye my friends." And with that, she turned her back on House Madrassa for good and was gone, as if she had never been there at all.
The girls remain there, until Lady Tan returns a few moments later. She passes by Inara and Shenyndri and laying a hand on Inara's, she said very seriously, "You must forget her now. She is nothing to you. Do you understand me?"
Inara feels the chill of Lady Tan's words. As if in the distance, she hears Shenyndri assent to Lady Tan's command. The House Priestess nods and returns to the House, leaving the two girls still standing at the front entrance, taking in the sunset.
"Do you think she'll be alright? Without the protection of the Guild?"
Shenyndri turned to look at Inara who was looking shattered and putting an arm around her she said in a reassuring voice, "Don't worry mei mei…Nandi is the strongest person I know. She won't let anyone rule her. Now come on, stop your sniffling" she added with a smile in her voice, "It makes your complexion dreadfully florid."
Later, alone, Inara remembered the blue pouch that Nandi put in her reluctant hand. She opened it and impatiently poured the contents out onto her lacquered tea table. The object landed on the table with a sharp metallic 'ping' and Inara gasped, falling back onto her knees and holding her hand to her mouth.
She picked up Nandi's Guild medallion and felt the tears begin to trickle forth again.
Of all the things for Nandi to give her.
Inara tested the weight of the medallion in her hand and felt the circle of cold against the warmth of her palm. It was the medallion which might have kept Nandi safe from trouble. More than a symbol of what she was, but what she had been apart of, and what it meant to be who she was.
Without this, Inara thought with a sinking heart, Nandi was nothing more than…
A whore…
Inara traced a trembling finger over the etchings in the bronzed ring and wondered how something that caused such a thrill and a feeling of security in her, could feel like a deadweight about Nandi's neck. But then, her mind was taken over again, by a dreadful feeling of her loss and as a sob escaped Inara, she clutched desperately to the medallion, like it was a talisman.Part 2 – The Fallen Shall Speak
House Mihindre, Planet Asharya – 2517
"We have discussed the matter with the Guild and have decided that the most appropriate course of action is to remove the girls from harm's way as soon as we possibly can."
A low whisper from around the room, was the response which greeted Madam Mihindre's announcement. The House Mistress, a woman of forty years, statuesque and powerful, stood before a room of twelve ladies, all pictures of womanly grace and beauty, of different ages and races, but all wearing the same bronze Guild medallion – a symbol of the identical inheritance which they all possessed – the Tradition of the Companion.
"But how are we to do that Mistress?" said one of them, a woman of dark skin and dark hair, with strange green eyes dressed in a jade dress, concern evident in her voice, "If the Guild were to send liners for the girls they would surely be shot down by the rebels! Just like that Alliance ship last week!"
"We have discussed this as well," Madam Mihindre nodded "That is why we are to enlist
the services of various secure freelance transport ships and private carriers. After all, it is much easier for small ships to slip off Asharya without interference. The Guild will organise payment for the passage to Sihnon where we will remain at House Madrassa until it is possible for us to return."
Tomena, one of the senior companions, and Madam Mihindre's second rose and added "If this is organised properly, with the girls being moved out in small groups, a few at the time, we should have them all safe within a week. We will each of us take charge of five or six of the girls."
"But surely," all eyes turned to the woman sitting at the end of the table, she is breath taking in an extravagant manner, dressed in a dress of deep sapphire blue, and burnished gold which seems to glow against the deep honey of her skin – it is the first time she has spoken since the start of the meeting, "Continued Guild presence here would give a show of…trust. The locals are not looking to tear apart House Mihindre. They merely want autonomy…I'm convinced, that leaving so suddenly will give rise to thoughts that the Alliance plans to attack and has warned the House to vacate before the battle begins. We might put the girls left here in danger."
Tomena shook her head "It is a risk we must take Inara. We have no defences here if they were to break through the gates," she smiled mirthlessly; "It will take more than a few bows and arrows to keep them at bay."
"But our duty…to those people here, those innocents who have no place in the fighting. We must stand strong and offer them shelter-"
"Tomena is right Inara," Madam Mihindre nodded looking around the room "You have not been here long enough to know that these places are not like the Central planets. There is savagery here that is…hidden behind silk and propriety. I have seen it, and I will not allow anyone to be exposed to it. My priority is first and foremost the safety of my girls, and of all of you here of House Mihindre."
"Then I will stay," Inara insisted, moved to stand, "I will stay and help those people who have nowhere to run-"
"You will do as I say Inara," Madam Mihindre said sternly, the movement around the table stilled as all eyes waver between the figure of Madam Mihindre and Inara who faced each other down, "You will follow with the rest of us. I shall put you in charge of finding transport. Have you any objections?"
Inara glanced at Madam Mihindre's face and suddenly felt like walking straight out of the House, just like Nandi had done all those years ago.
But then again, Nandi was dead now.
Murdered.
Cold and dead.
Buried in her grave.
Inara took a breath to centre herself and at length lifted her head high and nodded "No objections Mistress. In fact…" she said with a fair amount of foreboding "I may already have someone in mind for the job…"
Part 3 – Ain't Quite Right
Eavesdown Docks, Planet Persephone – 2517
"YOU WHAT!" Mal barked explosively, staring down at the little man before him, wearing a hat which Mal suddenly had an itching impulse to shoot off his shiny bald head.
"Wot can I say Mal?" Badger replied, tugging on his lapels with determination, "You woz late…so I gave it to someone else."
Mal glared menacingly at Badger, "I ain't got time to play games with you! Harrow and I had a deal.Six hundred to transport twenty crates of cargo."
"I ain't playin' games Mal. I'm businessman see? And as a businessman, I 'ave a duty to run my business efficient-like. It's not my fault you can't keep your affairs in order. If'n you got a problem, I suggest you take it up wif Harrow 'imself - but 'e probably won't see nuffing wrong with 'aving 'is cargo delivered at 'alf the price and on time. 'Specially since 'e woz the one 'oo gave me the orders in the first place." Badger said smugly.
"Ta ma de hun dan!" Mal swore, "Betrayed us right up the pigu!"
"Yeah well, I dun trust rich folk as a rule…but 'ey, buck up Mal. It'll work out in the end. If'n you be stickin' round a couple of days I'll see if there ain't some wobbly 'eaded dolls you can take to Pacquin a'right…? And if you're extra nice, I might 'ave sumfing else as a treat for you…but only if you be'ave,".
Mal opened his mouth to say something but changed his mind when he realised Badger was no longer paying attention to him. Ignoring Mal's darkling look, Badger craned his neck, as if trying to catch sight of something over Mal's shoulder. "So er…you still carrying passengers these days?"
"Huh?" Mal, looking sceptical frowned deeper, and began to say "Look here Badger-"
"Caw, wot's that smell!"
Mal turned with surprise to see River standing at his side, with a look of mild disgust on her face, "Oh Gawd…" she groaned, her eyes lighting on Badger's smiling mug.
"'Ello there darlin'. I woz 'oping I'd see you again." He said clutching his lapels and practically rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.
Mal, still stunned at River's sudden change in accent spluttered "Again? What the hell-"
River, ignoring Mal, obliged Badger with a snobbish glance, looking suitably unimpressed, "Sorry? 'Oo are you?"
Badger released a shout of laughter "And she's funny too! I like it…" his grin became something of a 'leer' and his voice lowered which made a few of the crew shudder, and Simon set his teeth, as he said slowly, "I just…love it."
River hardly quirked an eyebrow. Mal on the other hand was more than a little unsettled, he swore colourfully shaking his head with confusion, "What the gorram-"
"Quiet Mal - there's a good man," Badger snapped giving Mal a pointed look, before turning his attention back to River "So er…you be stickin' round for awhile? 'Cos I'd be more than 'appy to show you round Persephone. I got a VIP pass for all the best places, you know wot I mean? Or ah…if you're tastes run more to an intimate dinner for two…I could 'ave a few things to show you there as well…" he said hopefully, winking at River in a way which made Kaylee gag.
"You gotta be kiddin' me!" Jayne muttered, shaking his head with suppressed laughter.
Simon on the other hand was not so amused. Fuming he readied himself to defend his sister, "How dare you, you son of a BI- " But he caught Zoe's warning eye and contented himself with flaring his nostrils.
"Oh please…" River scoffed and rolled her eyes. She turned and said to Mal over her shoulder as she walked away, "I'll be in my room, tell me if anybody interesting shows up."
"Oh – okay! I'll see you la'er then yeah?" Badger called hopefully after River, but his view is obscured by the solid form of the Captain. He gave a low impressed whistle and smiled knowingly, while nudging the Captain with his elbow suggestively, "What a grade-A bird eh?...Fine piece of pi-gu if I ever saw one." He continued warmly.
Don't you talk about my si-" Simon's outburst is roundly stemmed by Wash, who had, with more presence of mind than most would give him credit for, thoughtfully clamped a hand over Simon mouth, before Badger could take any notice of him.
"Yes well, I didn't come here to discuss women Badger," Mal said still reeling from
another episode of 'River the Super Freak', but taking it as a matter of course "What's this about a job?"
"Patience is a virtue Mal," Badger said clicking his tongue with satisfaction, turning and walking down Serenity's ramp with Mal stalking behind him in his wake, "Ain't that wot th'good book says?"
"I was never like to become a Preacher," Mal answered dryly, before he turned to address his crew, "Jayne, stay here with the boat….Zoe come with me." Jayne nodded and passed his gun to Zoe who, still looking menacing followed Mal down the ramp.
"Wait Mal!"
Mal turned as Simon came down the ramp to meet him, "If Badger says anything about River just-"
"Don't worry doctor," Mal said placing a comforting hand on Simon's shoulder, that amused glint that could be seen in his eye less and less these day, returning full force, "we won't let her go for less than three hundred credits."
"Wash?" Kaylee's muffled voice came from somewhere underneath the console, where she was at present, tinkering away with a certainty born out of natural skill.
"Yes Pumpkin?" came the cheerful reply, as the pilot handed her a wrench.
"Have you noticed anything…funny about the captain lately?"
"Define funny…" Wash asked raising an eyebrow. He busied himself with configuring the controls as Kaylee went about installing a back up emergency system.
At length, Kaylee put down her wrench and slid out from under the console and wiped her hand across her forehead, leaving a smear of grease there. "It's like…" she bit her lip, as a crease appeared on her brow "He ain't focused. Ever since, " Kaylee lowered her voice even though the Captain wasn't any where around "Ever since Inara left, it's like he's going through the motions but…his heart ain't in it."
"His heart ain't in what? The job?"
"Anything!" Kaylee replied almost throwing up her hands in despair "Even crime don't cheer him up none. And you saw how he was with Badger!" Kaylee nodded knowingly eyeing Wash, "A month ago he wouldn't have stood for any mischief from that: ben tian sheng de yi dui rou!"
Wash nodded, but didn't reply for a moment. He scratched his chin and shook his head as if with disbelief, "I have to say…he's more than his usual grim captain-y self. He's actually started brooding…"
"And now with Shepherd Book gotten off…" Kaylee sighed angrily "Nothing ain't quite right no more…"
"But now Kaylee, are things really every 'quite right' on Serenity?" Wash said in a voice which made Kaylee frown ever so slightly. As if realising the way he had sounded, he quickly said in a demonstrable lighter tone, "Speakin' of not quite right…that was some creepifying theatricals River put on today –"
Kaylee shuddered at the thought, "I got goosebumps from the way Badger was talking to her. I hope the Cap'n teaches him a lesson! Dirty old man, piece of…" The rest of Kaylee's comment was lost as she slid back under the console.
Wash nodded emphatically "Though, that River is quite surprising little girl ain't she? I thought we'd seen the last of her multiple personalities!"
Kaylee laughed inspite of her agitation, "I think she's just bored," She put down the wrench and took the screwdriver that Wash placed in her hand without having to be asked "Captain hasn't let her out of the boat for two weeks. Though, you can't hardly blame him…Eisler was crawling with purplebellies! Thank God you were so quick with Serenity – or they might've shot a hole in more than just Jayne's leg."
"You know…if we keep going at this rate much longer we're all gonna expire. Not enough food and too many firefights," Wash said conversationally, absently fiddling with his dinosaurs. He looked up to check the time and frowned, "They've been gone awhile now…what is the Captain up to, you think?"
"What he always does," Kaylee said as she slid out again from under the console, with another smear of engine grease streaked across one rosy cheek "Captain-y stuff…"
Wash snorted bitterly "All I know is that Zoe will be right there with him. Calling him 'sir' and all that…he likes that."
Kaylee smiled wryly "I thought you two fought this out already?"
Wash looked down at her and chuckled, "Yeah…I should shut up," he nodded feeling sufficiently chastised, "So anyway, how we doing down there?"
"Well with any luck, next time Serenity's driftin', we won't have to worry about freezing to death or dying by asphyxia. I've put in a back up control from the emergency life support."
"Good work Kaylee, while you're at it, we should go see how the fuses are in the cargo bay. They got seriously fried last time we had a power out."
"Well if the Captain let me get some new synchronisers we wouldn't have this problem in the first place! Gettin' that man to listen is like…getting Jayne to stop touchin' stuff!"
"Well near impossible? Yeah," Wash agreed, tapping at his console screen and marvelling at her work "I like how you directed the 84 into the G-Line…masterful. He stood up and walked towards the stairs leading off the bridge.
"Yeah well…if I can't be pretty, at least I can keep us all from dying. That's better isn't it?" Kaylee asked uncertainly, wiping her hands on her coveralls, as she followed Wash off the bridge and into the cargo bay.
"Definitely," Wash said patting her on the head fondly "But didn't I tell you before that you were pretty?"
"Mal and Zoe send word yet?" Jayne asked as they came out onto the catwalk. He was holding a half-eaten protein bar in one hand, and fingering his gun with the other.
"Not as yet."
"Jayne…do you think I'm pretty?" Kaylee asked thoughtfully, as she fiddled with an errant strand of hair hanging in her eyes.
He stuffed the rest of the bar into his mouth, "If Mal weren't liable to put me in the airlock again, I'd take a run at ya." He replied quite seriously, then putting his gun down, picked up a weight and began to pump his bicep.
Wash started and a choked bark of laughter escaped him, "W-what?"
"When did the Captain put you in the airlock?" Kaylee asked, her eyes widening with surprise and questioning.
Realising his slip, Jayne said dismissively "Figure o' speech girl...long story…"
Kaylee and Wash shared a sceptical look but didn't comment on it further. Getting something out of Jayne that he didn't want to talk about was as easy as convincing the Captain that Reavers were really just poor misunderstood souls.
"I wish I was pretty as River…" Kaylee said conversationally, "She's a real beauty ain't she? She and Simon both. Could've run for Miss Universe if things had been different."
Jayne snorted "I bet the doctor would look a right charmer with his blue sash and a tiara."
"Shen sheng de gao wan" Wash shook his head "…that's all manner of an unsettling thought!"
Kaylee tried to glare at Jayne in Simon's defence but giggled in spite of herself, "Jayne! That's not what I meant. Those two got 'em some finefolk genes."
"Yeah well," Jayne scoffed, evidently unimpressed by Kaylee's referral to the Tams' fine pedigree "…it ain't hard to stay purdy and lily-white when you spend your whole life on the Core."
"Jayne, we're back."
The hand held comm. sitting by Jayne crackled as Zoe's voice came through.
"'Sides…" Jayne added as an after thought as he opened Serenity up, "Crazy is up and down like a boy. A man likes a woman with a bit of meat on her bones," he paused long enough to leer suggestively "Gives 'im somethin' to hold on to during, you know?"
"Ugh…" Kaylee groaned, rolling her eyes, just as Mal, followed by Zoe entered the cargo bay, both carrying boxes, "You're disgusting."
"Nice to see things are running normal," Mal said nodding at Kaylee who immediately asked:
"Captain...when did you put Jayne in the airlock?" She was looking at the Captain so she did not notice Jayne blanch suddenly. Zoe raised her eyebrows in interest and waited for the Captain's explanation which did nothing to minimise her surprise.
"Years ago, when you were off visitin' your kin on Blau," Mal replied, without missing a beat, not meeting Kaylee's eyes "Just a bit of a misunderstandin' between men…" Mal settled a steely eye on Jayne who was looking more than a little nervous "Hopefully there'll be no call for any manner of a repeat in the near or distant future."
Jayne rubbed his nose and muttered something darkly under his breath which Mal saw fit to ignore.
He turned to Wash "Is everything alright for lift off?"
"Should be shiny…but er…Kaylee and I were just saying that we will probably need to get a new synchroniser."
"Is the one we got still working?"
Kaylee nodded "Yeah but-"
"Then you'll keep it going," the captain replied roundly much to Kaylee's annoyance, "Wash, get us offworld and set course for Pacquin. I want us flyin' under the radar. Word has it that the cruiser Magellan is prowling the Quadrant right 'round here." Wash gave Kaylee a shrugging apology and left the cargo bay.
"Cap'n! If the synchroniser blows we'll be driftin'. We won't have power!"
"Let's just make sure that doesn't happen alright? What else do I employ ya for?" Mal walked over to the secret storage unit in the wall of the ship and he and Zoe began to load the few boxes they had brought back on with them.
"Wobbly headed dolls eh?" Jayne said with a slight sneer.
"Seems like Badger would have actually taken our offer to barter River for a better job seriously," Zoe said handing the Captain another box, "Other job's lucrative but it means we'd owe him something…"
"Tradin' Crazy for a good payoff…sounds like we'd be gettin' the better end of the deal," Jayne said before he could stop himself.
Mal stiffened and gave Jayne a hard Captain-y glare, "You got something you be wantin' to share with the rest of the group Jayne?"
"Jayne smiled, baring his teeth and picked up the weight again, "Just sayin'… it's gonna be a fair lean month on Serenity since dolls don't exactly turn a profit," he said, his voice dripping with impudence.
Mal glowered "I'll be askin' you again Jayne…you got a problem with this?"
"No Mal…"
"Good, then go tell the Doctor the plan," Mal ordered. Jayne's smile disappeared and he clomped off all the while complaining darkly under his breath.
Kaylee giggled and followed after him, also wanting to see Simon and River, and so it was just Mal and Zoe left. There was a comfortable silence, until Zoe turned to look at Mal which such a way which made him rather nervous.
Mal said slowly, eyeing Zoe innocently, "What?"
"I don't remember Blau…" Zoe said with accusation light in her voice.
Mal shrugged "Really?" he gave Zoe a smile which made her want to slap it right off his face "'Cos I be recalling it perfectly."