Alright people, this chapter's a little longer than the others, at 2,300 + words. I'm sorry I haven't gotten into the action just yet, but I wanted to set down a couple more plot devices first.

I can hear the screaming now: NO... NOT MORE PLOT TWISTS!

Don't worry though, hell starts breaking loose next chapter.

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"That man is infuriating, irritating, obnoxious, insanely noble... and hot as hell." She sighed.

She could never stop thinking about him, even though a large part of her wished he was good and buried. She thought back to the time he'd been stranded on Bellarophon, stark naked. The thought made her wet. She'd even fantasized about him while pleasuring herself.

It was a rare man indeed, who had that honor.

Inara Serra turned her mind back to the task at hand: putting on her makeup. They'd be landing on Persephone in a few hours, and she had to be ready. She hated lying to Serenity's crew, her family, but she wanted to keep appearances up for now, until she decided what to do.

Inara was no longer a Companion. The Alliance had rescinded the warrants on Simon and River, Inara herself had run into trouble at the guild. They had given her a choice: resign, or submit to investigation by the Feds.

She had resigned, not out of concern for her own safety, but for that of Serenity and her crew. She had plenty of savings, and had kept paying the Captain for the use of the shuttle. Whenever they reached a planet or moon of suitable size or wealth, she would take the shuttle out, and hide in the biggest urban center she could find. There, she would wait until it was time to leave.

She would sometimes meditate, and pray. Other times, she just slept. But more often than not, she would fret herself silly over the fact that she had no income, and curse herself for not being brave enough to tell Mal.

"Mal." She thought.

As if on cue, he burst into the shuttle.

"Nara?"

Out of habit, Inara put on her most irritated expression. "Really, *Captain*, I thought we were wor