Quote:

---

"Mentats are humans trained to be computers: human minds developed to staggering heights of cognitive and analytic ability.

Unlike computers, however, mentats are not simply human calculators writ large. Instead, the exceptional cognitive abilities of memory and perception are the foundation for supra-logical hypothesizing. Mentats are able to sift large volumes of data and devise concise analyses in a process that goes far beyond logical deduction: Mentats cultivate "the naive mind", the mind without preconception or prejudice, that can extract the essential patterns or logic of data and deliver, with varying degrees of certainty, useful conclusions."

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by NicolaClarke:
Interesting thoughts. I definitely think there's more to the Companions than has thus far been shown, which makes the Bene Gesserit parallels intriguing.

That said, I can't quite envision Inara as a hand-to-hand fighter. She doesn't appear to have anything like the bodyweight/strength for that - although I could certainly see her being trained in finesse combat (eg swordplay) that relied less on brute strength. Hmm, though perhaps martial arts would kinda cover that base?

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by NicolaClarke:


I like the idea of River as a human tactical computer very much. As Kaylee says, "She just... did the math." But can anyone suggest a way that an inability to suppress her own fear (that is what Simon discovers about her in 'Ariel', right?) would feed into this? If anything, you'd think they would want to scour out her emotions completely. Unless she was still a work-in-progress, I suppose...

/ pure intentions, juxtaposed /

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by NicolaClarke:
*smiles* Well, yes, that was the idea that started to occur to me by the end of the paragraph, hence the "hmm" & slight backtrack. Teach me to post without proper proofreading.

Given the blending of cultures and the fairly 'eastern' overtones of the Companions (could I be more vague?), Inara being trained in (a) martial art(s) does seem possible.

I still think she looks as if she'd snap like a twig, but - as you point out - that's a misleading preconception. One that's partly born of only seeing the heftier / more obviously muscled crewmembers (Jayne, Mal, Zoe) do any fighting, and that very much in traditional western fisticuffs style. An unfair assumption, though, so I take the statement back.

Come to think of it, there's been surprisingly little in the way of martial arts in the show so far. Granted, it takes a great deal more time and dedication to train in a martial art than most of our regulars probably have to spare, but in a 'verse where people regularly swear in Chinese I would have expected at least some of the moves to have permeated society. Maybe it's just a function of most of the action taking place on border worlds. Or maybe you have to have a certain status or position to even be allowed to train? (including but not limited to Companion?)

(That said, if Inara _is_ secretly warrior woman it all sounds a bit Buffy: unfeasibly tiny girl kicks bad guy ass without a hair out of place... no flames for that, please, just jokin'!)

---