Inara lifted the long dresses out of the case and sighed. Not so many as there once was, and unlikely to be replaced any time soon. This trip was costing a fair amount, and it was only due to the good graces of Captain Branscombe that she wasn’t using all her money on the suite. But he was an old friend, and an ex-client, and he was letting her travel for the cheapest possible fare. She smiled. Maybe being a Companion hadn’t been so bad.

Laying them on the bed Inara went to look out of the window. The stars looked the same as they had from Serenity, but there was a great deal of difference, not least of which was the lack of sound. There had always been a hum of life on board the Firefly, coming from the turning of the engine, even when they’d been sitting idly waiting for the next job, and somehow it felt wrong that there was nothing at all. Just silence.

She sighed again. No point in getting upset, not now. She’d made up her mind and taken the only path open to her. Still …

---

Mal opened the door to the shuttle and stepped inside. Jethro was right – the place looked bare. Or more bare than before. Inara had never replaced the odd hanging that had been damaged on Corvus, nor the cushions, but it had never looked … unlived in before.

“ Shen sheng de gao wan ,” he said, feeling annoyance building as he stared around.

“Mal,” Hank said, nodding towards the vidscreen. The light was flashing, indicating a message.

“Play it.”

The screen flared into life and Inara’s face appeared. “Mal, I’m assuming it is you who are listening to this message. Particularly since you’ve never shown any regard for coming into my shuttle unasked.” She smiled a little. “I’ve come to a decision, and this is the only way I can do this without you trying to talk me out of it.” She took a deep breath. “Ever since Sheydra told me my son was alive, I’ve been thinking about him. And I’ve decided I have to find him. No matter what it takes. In fact I have been employing an investigator who … we