Chapter 3

Inara took a deep breath as she approached the border of town, and coughed immediately. The ash and smoke was thicker here, and the frequency of emergency vehicles flying toward the fires in the east had increased significantly. Slowing the mule, Inara crossed from open land onto a road circling the town. The streets were vacant and local vid-casts warned residents to stay indoors and boil water before drinking it. It was not a primitive settlement, but it was relatively small. She would be pegged immediately as an outsider.

She’d wrapped a scarf over her head, across her nose, and mouth, and she wore protective goggles. One of these days, she’d convince Mal to get a covered vehicle, but most of the planets they were on didn’t have heavy smoke or rain, and the windows would probably be chronically shot out anyway.

The crossover from wilderness to civilization was remarkable. Suddenly, the grass was two shades greener and well manicured around every polished marble building. The streets were elegantly arranged, drawing one naturally inward to the city center. Monuments to the Alliance marked the architecture, shining pristinely. Every dark wood park bench or picnic table looked both inviting and sterile. It was a world Inara had grown up in, loved, and left. Instinctively, she twisted the wedding ring on her left hand. Then she pulled it off and tucked it into her bra. This place had felony written all over it and she would not lose another ring. Plus, the distinguished ambassador card worked much better without having to explain a husband – especially one of Mal’s standing.

She crossed the residential zones into a commercial district, and a shopping plaza that went on for miles – a string of restaurants, a clothing district, electronics. A few shoppers braved the haze, on missions deemed too urgent to wait for the smoke to clear.

Entering the industrial district, Inara chose a building with a medium-sized warehouse and the word ‘Supply’ engraved on its austere and unassuming sign. She lock