Inara stepped off the small lev car that had carried her -- along with her small case and her bodyguards -- through Nassau Station to Jerrode Eusabian's apartments in what had been intended as housing for the station's high-level government officials. Only the best, for Jerrode.

He was there to meet her, elegantly dressed in a black silk suit with silver embroidery around the collar and cuffs. He walked forward, engulfing her small hands in his large ones, towering darkly over her like a statue of some ancient god. "Inara," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek, and smiling.

"Jerrode! it's been so long," she said, turning her face up to his and returning his smile. "You cannot imagine how pleased I am to find civilized company this far from the center of civilization!"

"Oh, likewise," he said earnestly, leading her between the columns that set off his apartments from the surrounding public space. They walked through Jerrode's marbled entry and into a small, candlelit dining nook where a table had already been laid for two. "It has, no doubt, been a while since you have seen a civilized table as well?" he suggested, his eyes creasing in amusement.

"Yes, indeed," she agreed, and eyed the food on the table with undisguised desire. The salad looked fresh! Such luxury. Mal couldn't have stopped her coming if he'd stood in her way with an axe.

Jerrode walked to the table and plucked an apple from a cut-glass bowl filled with fruit. He handed it to Inara. "For the fairest one," he said, barely smiling.

Inara laughed, and accepted the smooth golden fruit.

**

Mal tried to identify where the gunfire was coming from, but the gymnasium echoed badly and all he could say for sure was that it was inside the room. He came up on one knee with his own weapon drawn, shielded by a stack of rusting machine parts, and caught Jayne's eye. The mercenary had dived the other way, and found similar shelter, but the aisle they had been standing in was now between them, and the air was full of bullets and sho