Chapter 4

Inara skillfully balanced her tea set as she came down the stairs into the common area. At one time she had wondered what job she could possibly have on a ship like Serenity, if she ever left the guild. Her time on the ship had taught her that Serenity was not like any other ship in the Verse. She had been a nurse, a consoler, a diplomat and as right now a hostess. She could not help but smile at the fact that she had played more roles on this ship then she ever had off of it. Right now it was her job to put the Tams at their easy, and for that tea and words would be her weapons.

“There now,” she said as she handed Gabriel and Regan their tea.

“How long are we going to have to stay here?” Gabriel asked angrily.

“Gab,” Regan responded.

“Mr. Tam, the Captain just wants to make sure you are safe,” calmly explained.

“Safe? Safe from what?” the elder Tam snapped.

“We still don’t know why you where let go, or why you where put on this moon,” Inara replied keeping a calm easy tone.

“Do you think it might have something to do with the government coming after River and Simon?” Regan asked obviously concerned.

“It might, plus we now have someone missing.” Inara said.

“If the government wanted our daughter and this ship was the one that sent that wave why is there not a dozen military ships landing around us right now?” Gabriel asked skeptically.

“The man you said came to your home and was asking about River and Simon did come after us,” Inara started. “He tried to you me as bait. When that did not work he killed anyone that had sheltered the ship in the past. A lot of good people died. River told us about Miranda, at least the planet. Even she was not fully aware of what had happened, at least not consciously.”

“How is that possible?” Regan asked.

“Your daughter is a reader.”

“Nonsense,” Gabriel snorted.

Inara continued, “She is, and she had that secret tearing her up inside. We ran to Miranda to get away from government’s Operative. There we found them. The entire pop