Shadow

“So…Inara.”

The Captain of Serenity turned slowly away from the windows on the bridge of his ship to face the Captain of Destiny. The night was beginning to fall, and both crews were now mingling in Serenity’s Dining Hall, which was filled nearly beyond max capacity. The only two not in attendance were Simon and River; Mal wasn’t willing to risk that someone from Destiny would I.D. the brother and sister and alert the Alliance, so the Tams were safely tucked away in Kaylee’s bunk for the night.

The pair of Captains, however, at Mal’s request had slipped away to the relative privacy of the bridge, and with the doors shut to the outside world, the two of them had sat in silence until Etris broke the still air between them.

“Inara,” Mal echoed. He still didn’t know how to put names on the emotions that swirled inside of him. He knew that some of them were because of Inara, but the majority were all wrapped around the words that Inara had written in her letter to him:

I had the privilege of meeting your mother today, and she begged me to get in touch with you…

His mother…still alive?

“Captain?”

Mal focused on Etris. “Just Mal,” he said softly. He took a deep breath. “I remember you, you know,” he began. “When Zoe started organizin’ those who were still walkin’ to round up all the wounded, she disappeared for a while, and then came back with one of my wounded men.” He paused, considering how to say the next part. “You were helpin’ her carry him. Him, and then a few others. Then you disappeared.”

Etris looked down sheepishly. “You know as well as I do what they would have done to an Alliance officer caught helping the Independents, even after the war was over.” He paused, and then, softer, “Even if that Alliance officer didn’t want to be Alliance anymore.”

Silence again. For at least fifteen minutes, neither man spoke. Instead, Mal focused again on thoughts of his mother. Memories of his life before the war, before the Reavers…

“I need to do something,” Mal stated bluntly, “And sinc