contolling the 'verse chapter four:)
Yea! My excess exam energy was put to good use with the longest chapter I have ever written! :)
Inara walked slowly and quietly down the hall towards her room.
Today had seemed to be a day that was never going to end, and such tiredness was beginning to show on her face. For this very reason she was less then pleased to she Shadya her friend and housemistress standing outside her door.
“I apologize but I am not in the mood for entertaining tonight, Shadya, maybe you could come back in the morning.” Even said with a Companion’s graceful tone, Inara knew that such rudeness would have been enough for her to be kicked out of the Guild back on Shinon. Thankfully Shadya was a compassionate housemistress.
“It is I who must apologize, Inara. I know that your day has been hard, but you have very important guests who must be seen immediately. They are waiting inside for you.” With a bow, and an apologetic smile Shadya turned quickly leaving Inara standing outside her door, wondering who would want to see her.
She had not taken on clients in the two months that she had been off Serenity, so who could it be. Kaylee or Mal come to surprise her perhaps? Before the thought even entered her head Inara knew that such a way of thinking would only get her into trouble, Mal was happy to be rid of her, and Serenity would have been long gone by now, meaning that there would be no Kaylee. After taking a few moments to school her features to project a calmness that she didn’t feel, Inara opened her door.
Two men stood in the centre of her room facing the door. They were both dressed in black business suits and wore strange blue gloves on their hands. Who were these people Inara wondered once again as she joined them in the middle of the room.
“I am Inara Serra. How may I be of service gentleman?” Inara said extending her hand for them to kiss, or shake. After a moment when neither man moved to take her hand Inara let her arm drop back to her side.
“May I offer you some tea?” She tried a different tactic moving towards the teapot located on a shelf on the other side of the room.
There was no denying the fact that being farther away from the men was a comfort, seeing as they still hadn’t said anything to her. Inara busied herself with the tea preparation, as the men shared a silent look. The tallest gave a quick nod.
“Tea will not be necessary, Miss Serra. Would you please join us on the couch? There is something else that require of you.” The tall man said before heading to the couch himself.
Great they want sex Inara thought taking a seat across from the men, in an overstuffed armchair. “And what, may I ask do you require of me?” She asked taking a sip of her own tea, hoping to find comfort in the drink.
“We will get to that in good time Miss.” The smaller of the two men said with a smile. “First we would like to ask you a few questions.” He continued reaching for the brief case by his feet.
“What is the standing of your relationship with Malcolm Reynolds?” Mr. Tall asked.
“I had a business relationship with Captain Reynolds, that has been recently terminated. I ask again, what can I do for you gentleman, and whom do you represent?” Inara said in a tone that came off as haughty, she needed to keep control of the situation and thinking about Mal certainly wasn’t the way to do that.
“You are right to ask about our credentials Miss Serra.” Mr. Short said with a small smile. “We are representatives of the Alliance government, in need of your assistance.”
“I am happy to help.” Inara said hoping that her voice didn’t betray her feelings towards these men. Why did they want to know about Mal? Was he in more trouble than normal? Was it about River?
“That is most excellent, miss. Things will go much easier with your cooperation.” Mr. Tall took this opportunity to reach for his own brief case, as Mr. Short removed a piece of paper from his own.
On the paper was a capture of Mal and Inara laughing while walking through the market place of what looked like Beaumonde. “We have reason to believe that you and the captain had a little more than a business relationship.”
“I assure you that you are mistaken sir. Malcolm Reynolds is nothing more than a petty thief and I am ashamed that you would think a Companion of my stature would be involved with the likes of him.” Inara said allowing the anger that she felt towards the questions and the intrusion on her space show. Inara pulled herself into an even straighter posture.
Mr. Tall removed something that Inara couldn’t quite make out from his brief case before standing. “By your actions you have completely confirmed any doubts that we might have, my dear.”
Inara moved to stand feeling even more uncomfortable. With quickness and a grace uncommon for such a large man, Mr. Tall pushed the syringe that had been hidden in his hand into Inara’s neck. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out, before she slumped to the floor unconscious, her teacup shattering beside her.
“Move her to the bed.” Mr. Tall who was clearly in charge told Mr. Short. Before taking out the communication device in his suit pocket. “Send in the technicians, there is not much time.”
Within moments Inara’s room had been transformed from a space of tranquility to a madman’s hospital. Blue uniformed techs worked furiously to attach the artfully designed recording device to her forehead. Disguised as a red ruby jewel it fit with the Companion’s line of work perfectly.
Mr. Short wiped away the small amount of blood that had gathered near the wound with a blue tipped finger. “I will speak to the house mistress, and see how the training of our new troops is proceeding.”
“Very good. I will finish up here.”
“It is almost a pity to sully such a beauty.” Mr. Short said from his paused position at the doorway.
“Yes, that it is.” Mr. Tall replied before nodding at the workers that they may continue. He busied himself with the various items of his brief case as someone behind him brought his fist down in contact with Inara’s face.
Five minutes latter he sent the technicians on their way and returned to the bedside with another syringe, this one loaded with blue liquid. It took sometime to find a spot on her arm that was not beginning to show bruises, before he injected the blue liquid in her veins.
“What is your name?” He asked by way of a test.
“Inara.” Inara’s voice was weak, the man before her did not know if it was from the drugs or the beating that she had just received. “Inara Serra.”
“Good, very good, Inara. Now listen very carefully. You are to return to Serenity, the transport owned and operated by Malcolm Reynolds. From there you will transmit using the device in your forehead a record of all his activities. We know all about the Rebel’s plans for starting a war, and he will of course be involved. You will use any methods necessary to carry out your mission.”
Inara was beginning to wake up, and could feel a terrible pain throughout her body, pain that seemed to start at her forehead and stretch all the way down to her toes. She became more aware of what the man was saying. “No, I will never help you destroy him.” She said in a voice that was stronger than before.
The blue-gloved man seemed to have expected this and with a push of a button the most horrible pictures appeared in her mind. The training house on fire, the girls trying in vain to run away from the men who chased them with guns. Emma fell blood spilling out of her chest; Maria turned trying to help her up only to be shot as well. Then there was Kaylee holding onto Simon’s bleeding form, her face distorted in pain. Zoë who lay bleeding in a sandy desert, looking over her shoulder to the form of Mal. Mal who had been shot multiple times in the chest, but who was still trying to reach Zoë’s side.
“Stop! Make it stop please!” Inara’s screams pierced the room; tears fell without pause down her bruised and battered cheeks.
Mr. Tall pressed the button once more, stopping the images running through Inara’s head. “If you don’t want these things to happen then I suggest that you listen to what I have to say, Miss Serra.”
“Yes.” Inara said barely above a whisper. She tried her best to ignore the voice inside her head telling her that this wasn’t right.
“As I said before you will return to Serenity. Become one with the crew once more. You are to start a romantic relationship with Captain Reynolds, use your Companion training if you must, but I don’t think that it will be necessary. Such a relationship will allow you access to everything that goes on aboard that transport. And let me make one thing abundantly clear, Miss Serra, I am in full control of you.”
At the agents last words the image of a dying and bleeding Mal returned to her mind. Inara’s tears flowed even harder. “I understand.”
“Good, then wave the good captain and tell him that you have had a little trouble with the locals. I am sure that he will come to collect you, seeing as he is less than an hour out.” Inara didn’t ask herself how this man knew such details; she just pulled herself off the bed and headed to her cortex screen.
* * * * *
“Mal, you better get up here.” Wash’s voice came over the ship’s intercom. In less than a minute Mal had joined him on the bridge.
“What is it, Wash?” Mal asked none too pleased as being called out of his training session with the doctor. The boy was finally showin’ some progress when it came to fighting.
“It’s a wave from Inara.” Wash said getting out of the pilot’s seat to let Mal sit down. Wash was making a hasty exit, having seen Inara he didn’t want to be in the same room with the captain. He did though think that he deserved to have someone warn him about her condition. “And Mal, she don’t look good.”
If it was possible the lines in the captain’s face got deeper as he turned on the view screen, not noticing that Wash had shut the door to the cockpit behind him. As soon as he saw her face, he jumped out of the chair ready to murder whoever it was who had done this to her. He took in the bruises and black eye on her face, and the tear streaks that had not yet dried, the split in her bottom lip.
“Wuo de ma, Inara who did this to you?” He asked in a fierce whisper. “Was it a client, Inara I’ll get that hwoon dahn.”
“Mal, it’s the locals. It seems that they haven’t taken kindly to the Guild pushing out form the central planets.” She paused to let Mal process the information, but also to let herself think up more of a story.
“I ignored the warnings and went into town without an escort.” The image of Kaylee holding a dying Simon came back and her tears started afresh. “I need you Mal, I can’t stay here any longer.” Her voice was breaking now; she could see the blue-handed man with his finger on the button, smile with approval. Inara knew that she would do anything to stop those images from coming back, even if it meant betraying Mal. At least betrayed he was still alive.
“I’m comin’ ‘Nara don’t you fret. We’re less then an hour out. Pack your things.” With that he turned off the wave console, not being able to look at her bruised form. He quickly adjusted Serenity’s course before reaching for the intercom and calling Zoë and Wash back up to the bridge.
They arrived in seconds signaling that they had both been waiting behind the cockpit door. “How is she, sir?” Zoë asked in a voice that betrayed how much she cared for the woman who had broken Mal’s heart weather he wanted to admit it or not.
“Not good, she was attacked by some locals. It seems that what Will told us about people not likin’ the Guild was true. I’ve changed course, Wash see that everything stays set. Zoë get the doctor and meet me in shuttle one. I don’t want anyone knowin’ of this till she is back on board, especially Kaylee. So let’s keep this quiet.”
“Yes, sir.” Zoë said before heading to do his biding. She could not remember a time since the war that she had seen the man so shaken up.
* * * *
Mal worked quietly, prepping the shuttle for flight. In the past two months he had avoided this shuttle like the plague, not wanting to reenter into what had been her domain. He saw a trunk that had been left in the corner but had no time to see what it held now. He couldn’t get the sight of her out of his mind. Couldn’t believe that her precious Guild had allowed this to happen. Well once she was back under his protection nothing like this was going to happen ever again.
Zoë was back in no time with the doctor at her heels. “What is the meaning of this Captain?” He asked soundin’ more than a little ticked.
“We’re going to get Inara, and she has need of your attention, so you best get yourself settled back there with Zoë.” Mal let his exasperation at the situation hit the doctor full, but it didn’t make him feel any better.
“I take it you’re flyin’, sir.”
“You take it correctly Zoë.” He said speaking to his first mate as she entered the small cockpit, brushing past a leaving Simon.
Zoë moved to put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry sir.” She said softly so that only Mal could hear.
“I know ya are, Zoë. I’m sorry too.” As Zoë returned to the main part of the shuttle, Mal reached for the intercom. “Wash, we good to go?”
“Now is as good a time as any, Mal.” That was all the encouragement Mal needed, with a lurch the shuttle was traveling towards the surface.
Inara walked slowly and quietly down the hall towards her room.
Today had seemed to be a day that was never going to end, and such tiredness was beginning to show on her face. For this very reason she was less then pleased to she Shadya her friend and housemistress standing outside her door.
“I apologize but I am not in the mood for entertaining tonight, Shadya, maybe you could come back in the morning.” Even said with a Companion’s graceful tone, Inara knew that such rudeness would have been enough for her to be kicked out of the Guild back on Shinon. Thankfully Shadya was a compassionate housemistress.
“It is I who must apologize, Inara. I know that your day has been hard, but you have very important guests who must be seen immediately. They are waiting inside for you.” With a bow, and an apologetic smile Shadya turned quickly leaving Inara standing outside her door, wondering who would want to see her.
She had not taken on clients in the two months that she had been off Serenity, so who could it be. Kaylee or Mal come to surprise her perhaps? Before the thought even entered her head Inara knew that such a way of thinking would only get her into trouble, Mal was happy to be rid of her, and Serenity would have been long gone by now, meaning that there would be no Kaylee. After taking a few moments to school her features to project a calmness that she didn’t feel, Inara opened her door.
Two men stood in the centre of her room facing the door. They were both dressed in black business suits and wore strange blue gloves on their hands. Who were these people Inara wondered once again as she joined them in the middle of the room.
“I am Inara Serra. How may I be of service gentleman?” Inara said extending her hand for them to kiss, or shake. After a moment when neither man moved to take her hand Inara let her arm drop back to her side.
“May I offer you some tea?” She tried a different tactic moving towards the teapot located on a shelf on the other side of the room.
There was no denying the fact that being farther away from the men was a comfort, seeing as they still hadn’t said anything to her. Inara busied herself with the tea preparation, as the men shared a silent look. The tallest gave a quick nod.
“Tea will not be necessary, Miss Serra. Would you please join us on the couch? There is something else that require of you.” The tall man said before heading to the couch himself.
Great they want sex Inara thought taking a seat across from the men, in an overstuffed armchair. “And what, may I ask do you require of me?” She asked taking a sip of her own tea, hoping to find comfort in the drink.
“We will get to that in good time Miss.” The smaller of the two men said with a smile. “First we would like to ask you a few questions.” He continued reaching for the brief case by his feet.
“What is the standing of your relationship with Malcolm Reynolds?” Mr. Tall asked.
“I had a business relationship with Captain Reynolds, that has been recently terminated. I ask again, what can I do for you gentleman, and whom do you represent?” Inara said in a tone that came off as haughty, she needed to keep control of the situation and thinking about Mal certainly wasn’t the way to do that.
“You are right to ask about our credentials Miss Serra.” Mr. Short said with a small smile. “We are representatives of the Alliance government, in need of your assistance.”
“I am happy to help.” Inara said hoping that her voice didn’t betray her feelings towards these men. Why did they want to know about Mal? Was he in more trouble than normal? Was it about River?
“That is most excellent, miss. Things will go much easier with your cooperation.” Mr. Tall took this opportunity to reach for his own brief case, as Mr. Short removed a piece of paper from his own.
On the paper was a capture of Mal and Inara laughing while walking through the market place of what looked like Beaumonde. “We have reason to believe that you and the captain had a little more than a business relationship.”
“I assure you that you are mistaken sir. Malcolm Reynolds is nothing more than a petty thief and I am ashamed that you would think a Companion of my stature would be involved with the likes of him.” Inara said allowing the anger that she felt towards the questions and the intrusion on her space show. Inara pulled herself into an even straighter posture.
Mr. Tall removed something that Inara couldn’t quite make out from his brief case before standing. “By your actions you have completely confirmed any doubts that we might have, my dear.”
Inara moved to stand feeling even more uncomfortable. With quickness and a grace uncommon for such a large man, Mr. Tall pushed the syringe that had been hidden in his hand into Inara’s neck. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out, before she slumped to the floor unconscious, her teacup shattering beside her.
“Move her to the bed.” Mr. Tall who was clearly in charge told Mr. Short. Before taking out the communication device in his suit pocket. “Send in the technicians, there is not much time.”
Within moments Inara’s room had been transformed from a space of tranquility to a madman’s hospital. Blue uniformed techs worked furiously to attach the artfully designed recording device to her forehead. Disguised as a red ruby jewel it fit with the Companion’s line of work perfectly.
Mr. Short wiped away the small amount of blood that had gathered near the wound with a blue tipped finger. “I will speak to the house mistress, and see how the training of our new troops is proceeding.”
“Very good. I will finish up here.”
“It is almost a pity to sully such a beauty.” Mr. Short said from his paused position at the doorway.
“Yes, that it is.” Mr. Tall replied before nodding at the workers that they may continue. He busied himself with the various items of his brief case as someone behind him brought his fist down in contact with Inara’s face.
Five minutes latter he sent the technicians on their way and returned to the bedside with another syringe, this one loaded with blue liquid. It took sometime to find a spot on her arm that was not beginning to show bruises, before he injected the blue liquid in her veins.
“What is your name?” He asked by way of a test.
“Inara.” Inara’s voice was weak, the man before her did not know if it was from the drugs or the beating that she had just received. “Inara Serra.”
“Good, very good, Inara. Now listen very carefully. You are to return to Serenity, the transport owned and operated by Malcolm Reynolds. From there you will transmit using the device in your forehead a record of all his activities. We know all about the Rebel’s plans for starting a war, and he will of course be involved. You will use any methods necessary to carry out your mission.”
Inara was beginning to wake up, and could feel a terrible pain throughout her body, pain that seemed to start at her forehead and stretch all the way down to her toes. She became more aware of what the man was saying. “No, I will never help you destroy him.” She said in a voice that was stronger than before.
The blue-gloved man seemed to have expected this and with a push of a button the most horrible pictures appeared in her mind. The training house on fire, the girls trying in vain to run away from the men who chased them with guns. Emma fell blood spilling out of her chest; Maria turned trying to help her up only to be shot as well. Then there was Kaylee holding onto Simon’s bleeding form, her face distorted in pain. Zoë who lay bleeding in a sandy desert, looking over her shoulder to the form of Mal. Mal who had been shot multiple times in the chest, but who was still trying to reach Zoë’s side.
“Stop! Make it stop please!” Inara’s screams pierced the room; tears fell without pause down her bruised and battered cheeks.
Mr. Tall pressed the button once more, stopping the images running through Inara’s head. “If you don’t want these things to happen then I suggest that you listen to what I have to say, Miss Serra.”
“Yes.” Inara said barely above a whisper. She tried her best to ignore the voice inside her head telling her that this wasn’t right.
“As I said before you will return to Serenity. Become one with the crew once more. You are to start a romantic relationship with Captain Reynolds, use your Companion training if you must, but I don’t think that it will be necessary. Such a relationship will allow you access to everything that goes on aboard that transport. And let me make one thing abundantly clear, Miss Serra, I am in full control of you.”
At the agents last words the image of a dying and bleeding Mal returned to her mind. Inara’s tears flowed even harder. “I understand.”
“Good, then wave the good captain and tell him that you have had a little trouble with the locals. I am sure that he will come to collect you, seeing as he is less than an hour out.” Inara didn’t ask herself how this man knew such details; she just pulled herself off the bed and headed to her cortex screen.
* * * * *
“Mal, you better get up here.” Wash’s voice came over the ship’s intercom. In less than a minute Mal had joined him on the bridge.
“What is it, Wash?” Mal asked none too pleased as being called out of his training session with the doctor. The boy was finally showin’ some progress when it came to fighting.
“It’s a wave from Inara.” Wash said getting out of the pilot’s seat to let Mal sit down. Wash was making a hasty exit, having seen Inara he didn’t want to be in the same room with the captain. He did though think that he deserved to have someone warn him about her condition. “And Mal, she don’t look good.”
If it was possible the lines in the captain’s face got deeper as he turned on the view screen, not noticing that Wash had shut the door to the cockpit behind him. As soon as he saw her face, he jumped out of the chair ready to murder whoever it was who had done this to her. He took in the bruises and black eye on her face, and the tear streaks that had not yet dried, the split in her bottom lip.
“Wuo de ma, Inara who did this to you?” He asked in a fierce whisper. “Was it a client, Inara I’ll get that hwoon dahn.”
“Mal, it’s the locals. It seems that they haven’t taken kindly to the Guild pushing out form the central planets.” She paused to let Mal process the information, but also to let herself think up more of a story.
“I ignored the warnings and went into town without an escort.” The image of Kaylee holding a dying Simon came back and her tears started afresh. “I need you Mal, I can’t stay here any longer.” Her voice was breaking now; she could see the blue-handed man with his finger on the button, smile with approval. Inara knew that she would do anything to stop those images from coming back, even if it meant betraying Mal. At least betrayed he was still alive.
“I’m comin’ ‘Nara don’t you fret. We’re less then an hour out. Pack your things.” With that he turned off the wave console, not being able to look at her bruised form. He quickly adjusted Serenity’s course before reaching for the intercom and calling Zoë and Wash back up to the bridge.
They arrived in seconds signaling that they had both been waiting behind the cockpit door. “How is she, sir?” Zoë asked in a voice that betrayed how much she cared for the woman who had broken Mal’s heart weather he wanted to admit it or not.
“Not good, she was attacked by some locals. It seems that what Will told us about people not likin’ the Guild was true. I’ve changed course, Wash see that everything stays set. Zoë get the doctor and meet me in shuttle one. I don’t want anyone knowin’ of this till she is back on board, especially Kaylee. So let’s keep this quiet.”
“Yes, sir.” Zoë said before heading to do his biding. She could not remember a time since the war that she had seen the man so shaken up.
* * * *
Mal worked quietly, prepping the shuttle for flight. In the past two months he had avoided this shuttle like the plague, not wanting to reenter into what had been her domain. He saw a trunk that had been left in the corner but had no time to see what it held now. He couldn’t get the sight of her out of his mind. Couldn’t believe that her precious Guild had allowed this to happen. Well once she was back under his protection nothing like this was going to happen ever again.
Zoë was back in no time with the doctor at her heels. “What is the meaning of this Captain?” He asked soundin’ more than a little ticked.
“We’re going to get Inara, and she has need of your attention, so you best get yourself settled back there with Zoë.” Mal let his exasperation at the situation hit the doctor full, but it didn’t make him feel any better.
“I take it you’re flyin’, sir.”
“You take it correctly Zoë.” He said speaking to his first mate as she entered the small cockpit, brushing past a leaving Simon.
Zoë moved to put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry sir.” She said softly so that only Mal could hear.
“I know ya are, Zoë. I’m sorry too.” As Zoë returned to the main part of the shuttle, Mal reached for the intercom. “Wash, we good to go?”
“Now is as good a time as any, Mal.” That was all the encouragement Mal needed, with a lurch the shuttle was traveling towards the surface.