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Life on a smuggler ship is not glamorous.
Kaylee had known this when she first signed on, of course. Or at least, she had known it objectively. Living on a cargo transport ship was rough and dirty and Spartan. It was hard work and dangerous for dozens of reasons. Everyone knew that. There could be ship failures due to out of date parts from junkyards and black markets because reputable parts dealers wouldn't sell to unregistered crafts. There could be nasty, awful people running those ships who had turned to smuggling because no planet wanted them. There could be crackdowns from interpol and long stints on penal moons.
But a little tiny part of Kaylee thought it should have a bit of glamour. She'd read cheap paperbacks about outlaws with hearts of gold, seen schlocky shows on the Cortex about the romance and the drama, heard stories from her classmates who had cousins who had ex-lovers who were definitely flying all over the 'Verse and outsmarting the law by mere klicks.
Kaylee knew none of it was real, but that didn't stop her from a bit of daydreaming and maybe her daydreaming was rewarded, because once she herself went off on a smuggler's ship, she lucked out when it came to captains. He called her miss until he started calling her xiao mei mei and he slugged leering men in bars when they bothered her and he never asked her to work jobs that made her uncomfortable. Kaylee was not immune to seeing those paperback outlaw protagonists in him, but the fact that he refused to take certain lucrative jobs that would obviously directly harm innocent people meant that they didn't make quite enough money to make ends meet. Kaylee did what she could when it came to extending the life of ship parts, but sometimes it made her sick, seeing the corrosion on parts that could kill them all if they cracked.
When the captain told everyone they'd be renting out one of the shuttles, Kaylee was sure she wasn't alone in her relief. Someone who had a job that took them out to Rim planets would rent the shuttle, the crew would have the security of a more consistent source of cash, and maybe the tenant would even be friendly!
Kaylee didn't learn that the renter was a registered Companion until the day before move-in, when she heard the captain complaining about it to Wash, who was making noncommittal noises of sympathy in return. When she learned that, she popped into the shuttle real quick for one final clean up—if they were going to have someone that fancy on board, it would do well to make a good first impression…or at least show that the crew could put effort into appearances.
A real contracted moving company brought all of the Companion's things to Serenity at the Sihnon docks and stacked the boxes neatly in the shuttle. Kaylee watched transfixed from the catwalk, trying to read all the labels she could…wardrobe box 3, tea sets, candle holders, linens box 1. Maybe she could offer help unpacking. Maybe she could get a little glimpse of more of the romance and glamour that she'd seen in books and shows.
When the Companion finally arrived at the docks and walked up the ramp, Kaylee felt her heart practically leap out of her mouth. She'd seen all sorts of folks on all sorts of planets, but this woman stunned her in a way that Kaylee had not experienced before. Maybe it was just the knowledge she was a Companion, or the way the Sihnon sunlight was glinting on her dark curls and gold jewelry, or the way she moved with so much confidence and grace. Whatever the case, Kaylee let herself stare as the captain met with their new tenant, confident that she wouldn't be seen as they walked up to the shuttle airlock. However, as the newcomer walked up the grate steps with her skirt delicately lifted in one hand, she caught sight of Kaylee and surprised her by instead of immediately dismissing her, smiled brightly.
"Hello, there."
"Kaylee, come on over here," Mal called. "Come meet Miss Serra." He glanced back at the woman. "That's my mechanic. Best one in the 'Verse."
Kaylee made her way to meet them and stuck out a hand automatically.
"I'm Kaylee Frye," she said. "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Serra." She looked down at her own hand and realized it was still covered with smears of engine grease. Would it be better to curtsey? She didn't really know how to curtsey. While she was still thinking, Inara gently grasped Kaylee's outstretched hand with both of hers. Her nails were perfectly manicured and her skin was soft.
"It's lovely to meet you, Kaylee. You can call me Inara."
"Welcome on board, Inara. I ah…if you need anything repaired in the shuttle ever, just let me know!"
"I appreciate it," Inara said. "And I'm excited to get to know you and the rest of the crew as well."
"That's real nice of you to say," Kaylee told her. "I'd better get back to work, but…I'll see you later at dinner?"
"I look forward to it," Inara said with another sunny smile.
Kaylee stumbled back towards the engine room in a daze. She felt like she was drunk. Inara was glamorous; she was gorgeous and impeccably dressed and clearly had refined and expensive taste and Kaylee couldn't help but be drawn to that; she always had been, after all. But there was something even more intoxicating about how purely…friendly Inara was. How she'd caught Kaylee's eye and her first reaction had been to smile at her and greet her like they were both fancy ladies at an expensive restaurant.
Maybe it was a good thing Inara had made that rule that the captain had told them all about, how she would not service anyone on the crew, though Kaylee didn't think she'd ever be able to afford to hire a Companion anyway. She's probably get little glimpses of Inara's world though, during shuttle repairs or if Inara ever deigned to spend mealtimes with the crew. Maybe that would be enough.