Author's Note: Techno-babble is SOOO not my forte so just play 'make believe the author knows what she's talking about' okay? Thanks – oh, and PLEASE REVIEW!
UNRAVEL: Chapter 2
Part 1 – Jaded Diamond Angels
House Madrassa, Sihnon - 2508
Inara recalled it perfectly. All her training. Seduction techniques. The Art of Conversation. How to draw a shy gentleman out of his shell. How to tempt even the sternest young man into good humour. It's filling up her head and making her think.
Today was the first event in the long line of events that the House Madrassa organised every year as a way to launch their newest Companions into society. It was absolutely essential that Inara made a good impression, if she was ever to enjoy any real success.
Inara took a breath to calm herself, letting all the last minute tips she recieved from the older girls, absorbed… but it all flew unceremoniously out the window when she reached the front hall.
"Shenyndri…" Inara said nervously "I'm not sure I can do this."
"Oh child, it's perfectly natural for you to be nervous attending your first proper ball. Just relax and enjoy yourself, if anything you don't have to worry about your gown. You look just exquisite!"
"But you'll stay with me won't you Shenyndri?"
"Of course dear," Shenyndri said in a light voice, not meeting Inara's eyes. She fixed Inara's shawl properly on her shoulder "I'll be with you every step of the way. "
The doors are flung open, and as the parade of finely dressed ladies arrive they are greeted with a round of applause.
Inara felt liable to scream with frustration. No sooner had she turned her back to select a glass of champagne to calm her nerves, Shenyndri had disappeared. Inara later saw her on the dance floor with a very well turned out young man, laughing and flirting, obviously unaware of the turmoil she had thrown her friend into.
Friend! Ha! Inara thought to herself.
She moved herself to a less crowded corner of the room and took a moment to centre herself. She could do this. This is what she had trained for. This was her destiny…
God, she wished Nandi was here.
Inara took another looong sip of champagne in order to push down her heart that was fluttering unpleasantly in the vicinity of her throat. She continued to focus on calming her nerves, but her concentration was interrupted by a pair of arguing male voices from the other side of the embroidered silk room separator behind which she was hiding.
"Come on now Quentin, lighten up will you? It's just a party for God's sake!"
Inara took a seat on one of the chairs nearby and looked carefully between the chinks of the separator. From what she could see, the two men were of similar height and dress, but one distinguishing feature was that the one speaking was lacking a large diamond in his ear that the other was wearing.
The other voice, rather similar to the first one, but very much of a different tone "You said two hours Harry! We've been here for three and a half at least!"
"Stop being so childish!" the first replied evidently at the end of his tether, "Why don't you even try and enjoy yourself? Have a drink! Ask a lady to dance!"
"A lady?" the second scoffed with an attitude which made Inara fume, "That's a funny thing to call them."
"Oh don't start with that again Quentin for God's sake! How many times do I have to tell you-"
"There's nothing you can possibly say that will convince that these women are anything but what they are."
"The term is Companion Quentin…"
"A whore dressed in silk is still a whore."
Inara felt her blood boil, and it took much of the control she had learnt over the many yearsto keepher from breaking out from her hiding place and slapping the man with the diamond earring right across his face.
"You keep your mouth shut Quentin," the other man snapped sternly,"Besides, didn't you have to talk to Sir Markham? I haven't seen you even bow his direction yet."
"He's busy," Quentin sneered, "It's rather hard to talkbusiness with a woman tittering in the background."
"That woman is his personal Companion Quentin. If anyone has sway over Sir Markham it would be her. It would be better for you to be on her good side than her bad side."
The conversation continued on in this fashion for a few minutes, but at length the two men moved off and Inara was able to come out of her hiding place.
"Inara, what on earth are you doing hiding over here!" The voice belonged to Leilani. One of the older Companions, who was about Shenyndri's age. She was a talkative little creature, with blue eyes and sweet blonde curls. She seemed young for her age, but then again, that was part of her charm. Clients, Nandi had told her, loved Leilani for her angelic demeanour. "Madam Mihindre has sent me to show you off. Come out here and meet some people…oh, I do like that colour on you my darling. I was just saying to April that I wish I had been born dark like you because blues never show quite to the advantage on me as they do on you," she suddenly paused seeing Inara's heightened colour "My dear…are you quite alright?"
"Oh! There was this awful man, who was talking about Companions in the most horrible way and I'm absolutely itching to hunt him down and teach him a lesson! Shall I tell you what he said?"
"What?"
"He said, that a whore dressed in silk is still a whore!"
"My God – what a thing to say! Can you see him anywhere? Point him out to me. I shall find someone to throw him out immediately."
Inara's eyes scanned the room quickly. She hadn't really much thought to finding him, after all the ballroom packed with at least a hundred men and woman, all dressed well with jewellery which seemed made just to advertise their wealth. But then a winking of light at the corner of Inara's eye caught her attention. She turned, and her eyes immediately went to a man, standing at the side of the room, his back up against a large column as he stirred his drink slowly and gazed disapprovingly down from the balcony at the dancefloor below him. And of course, the diamond still blinking as the light from the floating chandelier reflected of it's surface.
"There! Over there in the blue suit."
In the light, it could be seen that he his harsh words did not correspond to his looks. Even with a strong jaw and well defined features which seemed built on sturdy lines, there was a strange softness in his face which seemed to warrant admiration. Bu this was quite lost on Inara who was still quite furious.
Leilani followed Inara's line of sight and cringed, "Oh…oh well in that case Inara I'm afraid we'll just have to keep this little secret between ourselves."
"What? What can you mean?"
"That's Quentin Fall Inara…"
"Your point?"
"Don't be dense child," Leilani snapped, losing her angelic demeanour with a jaded roll of her eyes, "His name is Fall…as in Warrick Fall…" seeing Inara didn't understand she sighed and said pointedly, "as in the son of House Madrassa's best patron." Leilani gave a mirthless little chortle, "There's no chance of us getting him out without being thrown out ourselves!"
"You can't be serious!" Inara erupted, hissing angrily.
"Deadly…my dear," Leilani replied with staccato diction, letting the weight of her words sink in, "I think the comment you heard was actually one of his more temperate remarks. You would do best to forget it."
"Comment! I call it slander against the Guild! How he could possibly justify-"
"I don't think he'll care to justify anything my dear," Leilani rolled her eyes, before saying in quite a different tone: "He hates Companions you know! He thinks what we do is degrading."
"Wh…" Inara blinked with astonishment "He hates Companions!"
"Quentin is a notoriously joyless young man of…rather strict puritan morals. Something to do with being brought up by his very 'traditional' great Aunt. If you knew his father," by Leilani's voice Inara could tell she did know Quentin's father, "you would not believe he would produce a son like that. Quentin simply doesn't respect the Companion Tradition."
"How dare he! It is not for him to judge!" Inara said flaring with anger.
Leilani laughed a little, finding great amusement in Inara's naivety, "Oh, he certainly dares! He's infamous for turning down and offending all the most beautiful Companions! You know of Lilia Rochester?"
"Dang ran" Inara said raising her eyebrows.
"Well, he flat out refused to dance with her."
Inara gasped "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. It was quite a scandal. Lilia Rochester, the most desired woman in the 'verse and he says that he's too tired to dance with her, even though he was seen five minutes later taking the floor with Lady Belinda Massette!"
"Why does he come to the ball if it is thrown by the very people whom he despises!" Inara could feel her face flushing, she had never met with anyone who could despise her for being what she was and the experience was not at all pleasant.
"Because everyone who is anyone comes to House Madrassa for the Festival," Leilani said rather broadly "Quentin's making a career for himself in politics so he, like many others use this week to make connections. Also, the Falls are 'new money' you know, so they take the pains to cement their standing in society. And is it ever a pain for Quentin Fall. He has made it clear on many occasions his disapproval of the close relationship between the Guild and the Alliance Government."
"Then why is he even admitted into the House!"
"Because his father is one of the richest men on Sihnon Inara," Leilani replied heavily, "The Guild is unforgiving to those who choose to leave or stay outside it's guilded walls, but it is anything by ungenerous to those, whose 'contributions' keep us cloaked in finery."
"I've never heard of such madness," Inara muttered, "The Guild upholds more nobility than running after funds from a greasy-!"
"Inara hush," Leilani said sharply "Watch your tongue or I promise you you'll never work as a Companion if the wrong person overhears you."
Inara bits her lip looking conscious but still boiling with anger, "It makes no sense to me. What about that time Lord Deron threw Yolanda's tea pot at her. The shard merely scratched her face and he was thrown out of the House and black listed inside of twenty minutes!"
"Oh my dear girl, you have no idea!" Leilani said almost overcome with the thought, "Lord Deron is small fry compared to the Falls. Do you know Quentin's mother has connections in almost every important Alliance sector of the Core? Not to mention Quentin is fabulously wealthy in his own right. His Great Aunt left her vast fortune completely to him."
"Having buckets of money doesn't make up for his utter lack of breeding!"
Leilani lowered her voice, which suddenly had a lilt of amusement to it "If Madam Madrassa ever thought he would stoop" she uttered this word with a great deal of sarcasm, "to contracting with a companion she'd do anything short of licking his boots to please him" .
"Things are not how they used to be Inara. You know there's talk of a war…people like us have no place in a such a world at war. We need every support we can get, because if something does happen we'll need more than excellent tea pouring skills and prettily carved bows and arrows to protect ourselves."
"Merciful Buddha – " a thought crossed Inara's mind which made the corners of her mouth quirk, "perhaps he is not so inclined to female…er…company?"
"Oh, I don't think there's any chance of that," Leilani's smiling archly, "He's had some rather public affairs with many women. He hasn't got a reputation for being a libertine but by all accounts, his ladies are always of the highest calibre. Not always beautiful but cultured and educated, from the very best families and of the utmost 'suitability' in terms of well…you know," Leilani's head bobbed knowingly, "I'm inclined to believe his dislike of women extends to Companions alone. But in any case, there must be somethinggood about him…"
"Iwon't believe it! No civilised person would be unable to delineate a Companion from a common whore!" Inara almost scoffed, if ladies in her positions were allowed to scoff, "He must be verystupid."
"Maybe he was just born under the wrong stars," Leilani replied much more subdued than before.
"Well I intend to teach him a lesson…"
Leilani did not think much of this comment but replied, "I imagine if someone were able to tempt him from his foul temper, they would instantly live in infamy as the Woman who brought down the Quentin Citadel!" She crowed loudly, properly amused for the first time that night.
Inara laugh weakly along with Leilani but for a very different reason. She took a long sip of her remaining champagne and decided at that moment, she and her new friend 'infamy' will deal rather well together.
Part 2 – The Tears Behind Her Veil
House Mihindre, Planet Asharya – 2517
"Mr Foo, you cannot back out of our arrangement now. I hope I will see you within the next two days," Inara said in her most imperative voice as she faced downCaptain Foo of the ShipAlecto,on the vid screen, who was at the moment refusing to cooperate.
On a second thought, Inara had decided that she would not put the call to Mal and Serenity's crew. Firstly, it was questionable as to whether the Guild would label Serenity as being a 'secure' freelance transport ship. After all, there was a great difference in shifting a few boxes of medical supplies and making accommodation for six or seven young girls, all of which had very protective, not to mention powerful parents. A mistake made with the former could be rectified. A mistake made with the latter, would be catastrophic.
Not to mention River and Simon. The girls lived relatively sheltered lives in the Training House, and were much too busy learning to become artists to scan the cortex looking for warrants on wanted fugitives but it was better not to tempt fate. It was these reasons that Inara told herself, were hers for not seeing the crew again. But there was more…there was always more – Inara admitted with annoyance, she still hated complications.
The truth was, she found that when the time came to send the wave, she couldn't bear to think of seeing him again, remembering the way in which they had parted. Thinking Nandi, made her realise she had made the right decision time and time again. She remembered the pain, and the tears streaming down her face, as she cried in the corner of a dusty room of a whore house like a hopeless child and she cringed.
The shame. The foolishness.
A Companion never broke down like that. Their emotions were reined in from the very first lesson. Control. Control had been their first lesson. And though it pained her to admit it, it had only taken that look in Mal's eyes to pull it all to pieces. He had torn away the veil she wore over her soul and exposed her tears. That's why she had left. She knew she could no longer be around someone who could do that to her.
Because Inara had decided long ago she would never make that mistake again.
Nandi had not been wrong when she said that Inara hated complications. And with Mal…things were always complicated.
However, it seemed the universe was conspiring against her, as it brought her many more complications in the form of uncooperative private carrier captains.
"You can hope all you want Miss Serra…" replied the young man, rugged, and rather more weather beaten than one would have expected in a man who owned a private carrier who was used to transport various state officials and their families on a regular basis. His voice had a deep, genteel quality to it, quite contrary to the scar running down his right cheek, "But I won't be arriving any time soon. I've been warned by a very close friend of mine that tells me that only a fool would touch down on a planet soon to be overrun with fighting."
Inara couldn't help but think that perhaps Mal was the type of fool she could always have counted on. But she threw the thought aside like a hot piece of metal on her tender hand. Instead, she drew herself together and though her face remained quite passive, her words became barbed.
"You can assure me Mr Foo that Madam Mihindre will be informed of this. I suggest you start looking for an alternative type of occupation as I'm highly doubting you'll be serving the Guild or any of it's associated bodies any time soon." Inara threatened, with uncharacteristic menace.
Mr Foo smiled, nodding as if he were impressed "Miss Serra…you almost convince me to do just that. But I'm afraid…" he shrugged apologetically.
"You think I'm bluffing Mr Foo?"
"No Miss Serra…I don't think you'd ever bluff," he bowed his head, seeing her effrontery at his archess, "I'd never presume…"
Inara nodded, "You seem like a sensible man Mr Foo. Surely you can arrange something…I assure you, money is not obstacle."
"If money were enough to pay my crew's way out of death, I'd be there in a flash Miss Serra," he says with candour, "I'm sorry for your troubles and I won't waste your time any longer."
The vid beeped and went blank. Inara hissed with annoyance and began to scribble a very strongly worded letter to a Guild member with which she was very familiar, pressing harder than was necessary. When the pen spluttered, Inara realised the foolishness of her actions and threw the pen away in disgust.
"As if a letter would be of any good!" she growled screwing the paper up and throwing it behind her. It was then that Inara was suddenly struck with the futility of what she was doing. Her scattered papers around her desk, seemed like the biggest problem at the moment, and far from entertaining a state official in her rooms, here she was more intent on setting her stationary neatly.
Again she was missing her life of a few months ago. Moving around the Universe, meeting people, seeing worlds that she might never have done, being on Serenity and sharing in the highs and lows of the crew.
At first, after she left, Inara had revelled in being amongst the people with whom she had spent so many years of her life, and with whom she shared an understanding of a different level. Her students were dear girls, but as soon as her life began to grow duller, Inara realised that her world had grown smaller as well. She had seen the world, and been forced to dwell in a tiny portion of it. Again she was reminded of Nandi the day she left.
I can't stay here anymore mei mei…I'm suffocating.
A deep reverie came over Inara as her mood turned to pensive. Once she had thought her life would forever just be tea ceremonies and dancing with fans and here she was doing what her father had always wanted her to do, pushing papers like some accountant.
"Ai ya!" she yelped as she got a nasty paper cut. She sucked on it and grumbled "This is unbearable."
Suddenly there is a loud boom from outside. Inara, stunned, rushed to her window to was shocked to see plumes of smoke rising from somewhere beyond the valley "Merciful Buddha," she whispered horrifed, "It's begun…"
The door suddenly swung open to reveal Tomena, looking harassed and panting for sudden exertion, "Oh thank goodness…" the lady sighed closing her eyes with relief and then opening them again "one of the girls told me you had gone for a walk and she hadn't seen you come back yet."
"What's going on?" Inara asked, going to her Sister and taking her hand.
"There hasn't been any report but we think it was in the vicinity of the Embassy…Madam Mihindre has ordered everyone to stay indoors…" Tomena continued to pant, as Inara helped her to sit, "I ran all the way from the East Courtyard when I heard…" she gulped and shook her head as if to shake her agitation off without success, "Is everything going to plan?"
Inara paused for a fleeting second, and forced a reassuring smile onto her face "Don't panic Tomena…there will be three ships arriving in the next two days. We'll have everyone safe soon."
"Oh Inara, I knew I could count on you," Tomena said gratefully, "Do you need some help with anything? I'd be happy to stay behind-"
"No of course Tomena, you should leave to organise things when the first of the girls arrive," Inara patted the older lady on the shoulder "I have it under control."
"Of course you do…"
Inara took a seat beside Tomena and as she poured out some tea she asked "Have we heard anything…have there been any casualties?"
"A few," Tomena replied taking Inara's offered cup of tea with real gratitude, "but nothing the hospital cannot handle."
Inara's silence, moved Tomena to look at her. She placed her cup on the table and placed a warm, motherly hand over Inara's "Do not be scared Inara."
"I'm not afraid Tomena," Inara replied, trying to keep the disgust out of her voice, "I just cannot believe we are leaving these people to their fate."
"All death is fated Inara. When our time comes there is nothing we can do to stop it. To escape it, is to go against the natural order…"
"Please Tomena, the last thing I need is a philosophy lesson," Inara said recklessly, "You cannot say that to die at the hands of an Alliance soldier with a gun is natural?"
Tomena sighed and standing up she said in a voice which signalled the end of the discussion, "I had better go now."
Inara went to shut the door behind Tomena and found that she was trembling. After all her bravado, much to her distaste, Inara realises she's thankful for being tucked safely away in this house. And, for the second time in the space of four months, Inara felt like sobbing her heart out.
Part 3 – Driftin'
Departure: Eavesdown Docks, Planet Persephone – 2517
As soon as Serenity was secure and closed up, the crew scattered to their various stations around the ship leaving Mal alone.
He sighed contentedly hearing the whirr on the engine and feeling the slight vibration of Serenity under his feet just before take off. There is a jolt of the landing legs being stowed and a slight whoosh as Serenity lifted off the ground and became airborne.
"How are we Wash?" Mal stepped onto the bridge, where Zoe was also present, standing behind her husband, with one loving hand on his shoulder.
"All's shiny Captain, we'll be clear of atmo in five minutes. Then it's just a nice quiet…if somewhat lengthy journey to Pacquin."
"Good, good." Mal nodded, moving to exit the bridge, "I'll leave you to it now."
"Sir?"
Mal turned to Zoe.
"Zoe?"
"Are you sure this is…wise sir?" Zoe asks, her face, usually so passive and unreadable, now written over with concern which only Mal could discern.
"We have to stay clear of Magellan until we're out of the Quadrant Zoe," his tone lightened and he smiled, "Anyway I like a leisurely journey…"
"But Kaylee still hasn't had a chance to fix the engine right yet. Do you want to risk something happening…like…last time."
Wash's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, and he felt Zoe's squeeze on his shoulder.
"There ain't a problem Zoe, Kaylee assured me we're running like a well oiled machine…"
"God this is such a piece of go-se!" Simon started as Kaylee's vehement lament came through the doorway of the mess, where he and River were sitting. It was followed shortly by the appearance of Kaylee herself who was brandishing something technical and important looking, with angry intent, "Have you seen the Captain?"
"He's probably with Wash on the bridge…what's the problem?" Simon was more feeling rather unsettled seeing Kaylee in such a fit, she was after all, usually such a cheerful person.
"The problem is that I'm gonna wrapthe Captain'ssuspenders 'round his throat and throttle him is what!"
"If sufficient force is applied to the windpipe a person can be rendered incapacitated within five seconds." River's supplied smiling wanly at Kaylee. Simon frowned.
"Good!" Kaylee said nodding emphatically, "Gives me just enough time to wring an apology out of him!" she growled, "If he'd just given me the time to get that new synchroniser we wouldn't be in trouble!"
"Oh God," Simon said standing up, "It's not the life support again is it?"
"No, no," Kaylee said assuring Simon with a comforting hand, "It ain't nothing dire like that. But – CAPTAIN!"
Mal paused in the doorway of the mess, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, "Kaylee?"
"You see this?"
"Yes…"
"Do you know what it is?"
Mal squinted at the long white cylinder, and after a moment of careful consideration said,
"Of course…not."
Kaylee groaned, just as Jayne appeared behind the Captain, jostling him in the door way and pushing Mal unwillingly towards an angry Kaylee.
"This is a blown synchronizer which is exactly what I told ya would happen if we didn't get a new one! Now we're only running with one, and if that one goes – we don't."
"Gorram it Mal!" Jayne barked, he turned to Kaylee "We gonna die?"
"No," Kaylee said before Mal could reply "Lucky for you, me and Wash put in an emergency life support which means we'll keep breathing…but we'll be drifting."
Mal groaned and sat down in the chair "How long do you think the other one will hold out?"
"Not long, maybe a week? Not long enough to get to Pacquin in any case."
"Alright…alright…" Mal paced up and down the mess hall for a second before turning to the comm and calling for Zoe and Wash to get into the bridge. When everyone was assembled:
"Where can we be that's within a week's flyin' distance?"
"A week?" Wash grimaced, "I don't know…I think Asharya is kinda close." He said off the top of his head, bringing up their position on the console and maps of the surrounding planets, "We're off the radar remember? Far from any major stopovers…" but Wash's comments went unnoticed.
All eyes had turned to Mal, whose mouth had pursed into a tense thin line. After all, everyone knew exactly what – or more specifically whowas on Asharya.
"Although…" Wash said wincing as he read the posted warnings "Alliance just touched down last week to clean out a band of rebels…the place will be crawling with them. I guess…maybe Diehl, but we're not going to get much in the way of parts out there…oh wait, there…" he brought the image onto a large screen and pointed it out to all the crew "This is us, this is Pegis," he pointed to a small blue planet at the side of the screen, "It's about a three day journey and we should be able to take a few days rest."
All eyes turned to the Captain as he nodded "Good, set course for Pegis Wash…" Mal had to confess, he was surprised. Usually things didn't go this well for him. It seemed like their luck was beginning to turn. Mal didn't even think of Inara…no…he wasn't thinking of Inara…and the way she smelled…no…NO!
Suddenly realising that everyone was looking at him with concern and questioning in their eyes, Mal snapped "Well? What y'all gawkin at? All of you, go do something constructive…"
Everyone was so busy talking and doing things that no one noticed River, standing at the corner of the room laughing creepily to herself "You ain't gonna get away that easily."
Please Review!