Chapter 16

Simon Tam strode confidently to the open bar at the Sapphire Ball. He was dressed in the finest tuxedo money could buy, interlaced with the most advanced gadgets ever invented.

The bartender, a 6 ft 4in balding mass of muscle, sized Simon up, as if assessing a serious threat before asking, "What can I get you?"

"Information," Simon Tam smoothly replied, "As I understand it, there is a fascinating device being presented at a private party. You're going to tell me where that is."

"I don't want no trouble," the bartender hastily answered, "I don't know where it is, but I can send over a man who does."

"See that you do," Simon responded coolly, "and I'll have a vodka martini, shaken not stirred while I am waiting."

"Yes sir, right away sir!" the bartender stammered, serving Simon's drink and cowering away.

As soon as the bartender retreated, four armed thugs took up positions surrounding Simon. The lead thug, who was wearing an eye patch, grabbed Simon's shoulder and roughly spun him around. He threatened Simon in a thick Russian accent, "You have been asking an awful lot of questions. Why don't we speak somewhere more private?"

"I have a proposition for you," Simon boldly countered, "You tell me what I need to know, and I'll let you live."

The thug tried to draw his weapon, but Simon was faster, grabbing the thug by his shoulders and slamming his head into the bar.

Two of the other thugs drew large combat knives and attacked Simon from opposite directions. Simon deftly dodged the thug on his right, causing him to inadvertently stab his partner to Simon's left. Before the right thug could recover, Simon causally slipped a miniature injector gun out of his left sleeve and sedated the thug while he grabbed his martini in his right hand and took a drink.

The final thug had extensive martial arts training, expertly matching Simon blow for blow as they engaged in intensive hand to hand combat. The thug landed a particularly solid blow on Simon's abdomen and he fell back against the bar.

The thug drew a switchblade and charged, aiming to end Simon's life before the young man could recover. At the last moment, Simon reached for a larger pitcher and brought it crashing over the would-be assassin's head.

"Crouching tiger, meet my hidden flagon," Simon remarked nonchalantly.

"Stay where you are or the girl gets it!" threatened one eye as he held a gun to a beautiful and terrified woman wearing mechanic's coveralls tied off at the waist and a flower tank top.

"Alright, I surrender," Simon said as he slowly raised his hands, "do with me what you want but let the woman go."

"You really are foolish, aren't you," One Eye said as he took his weapon off his hostage and fired it at Simon.

Simon sprang into action. Anticipating the thugs aim, Simon dodged to the left as he charged. The thug's bullet grazed Simon's shoulder and shattered his forgotten martini. Before One Eye could fire another shot Simon slugged him in his remaining eye.

Simon wrapped his left arm around the beautiful mechanic and kissed her deeply as the bar exploded behind them.

Their lips parted for air and she said, "I've never met a man quite like you before. My name is Kaylee Frye, what's your's?"

"Tam," Simon answered as he dramatically fired a magnetic grappler from his cane into the ceiling and pulled them both to the balcony on the second floor, "Simon Tam."

"Simon Tam, wake up!" Kaylee shouted as she entered their hotel bedroom.

"Huh? What?" Simon replied groggily as he struggled to sit up on the bed and bring the world into focus.

"Inara, he fell asleep again," Kaylee called over her shoulder as she approached Simon. "You want some caf? Or maybe you should just give yourself a stimulant," Kaylee suggested as she helped him dress for the Ball.

"I'll be fine, Kaylee," Simon assured her, "really, I think it's…" Simon was forced to interrupt himself with a yawn, "I think it's just stress."

"Maybe if you let him sleep more during the night," Inara teased as she entered their room. Her complicated gown was glamorous while flirting dangerously close to the edge of tacky. Kaylee thought it was the shiniest dress she had ever seen but Simon recognized its true purpose, to draw attention away from himself, and was thankful.

"There we are," Kaylee said approvingly as they finished dressing Simon, "an' don't forget your shiny cane!"

"Wait, before we go," Simon asked, "may I speak to River?"

Kaylee giggled and asked Inara, "Ain't it supposed to be our job to make us late? Bet you've never had to wait on a date before, have ya 'Nara?"

"It happens more often than you may think, mei mei," Inara said, "Go ahead and make your call, Simon, and I'll make you some tea."

"Ms. Wu, you have a priority wave bearing the Parliament Seal," the Golden Lotus's captain informed Lien.

"Transfer it to my quarters, I will take it there."

A few minutes later, Lien sat at her private cortex terminal and answered the wave. Her screen was showing two well dressed middle aged gentlemen wearing blue gloves for some reason.

"Greetings," Lien said, "what can the Wu family do for the Parliament today?"

"As we understand it, you will be attending the Sapphire Ball in your father's stead. There will be a private meeting among the Alliance's scientific and economic leaders, and the Wu family has been invited to send a representative. We believe you will find what is presented to be of particular interest."

"I am honored, and humbly accept the invitation on my family's behalf. May I ask why, exactly, I am apt to find this interesting?"

"It could be the solution to tracking down your wayward fiancé as well as his sister, River Tam."

"I'll be fine, just be careful ge ge," River told Simon over the wave. She asked, "May I speak to Inara?"

"Um, sure," Simon replied awkwardly, "just a moment."

River watched as Simon's image left the view screen and began to worry about her older brother. Something was going to happen, possibly something bad, and River could not determine what that was. She received these insights from time to time, but they were never very clear. All she knew for certain was that someone or something wanted to take her brother away from her and that notion more terrifying than the 'hands of blue.'

A few days ago, River thought this vision was more symbolic than dangerous and she thought the person who would take her brother away might be Kaylee. She tried her best to give the new couple their space for a while – in River's mind, no one disserved a little peace and happiness more than her heroic brother – but she began to doubt he would still remember her with Kaylee being oh so wonderful in every way. Still, she was able to take comfort in the fact that Simon was a boob and would inevitably say something stupid to make Kaylee angry at him. River realized now that her premonitions had nothing to do with Kaylee, but she still was not ready for Kaylee to become Simon's favorite girl. Simon was not ready for that either, and he would know this if he was not such a boob.

"River?" Inara asked via the cortex, "Is everything okay?"

"You have to look after my brother. She wants to take him away from me."

"Maybe I should get Si-"

"No!" River interrupted and then continued dejectedly, "has enough to worry about."

"Okay," Inara said tentatively, "who wants to take Simon away?"

"Betrothed."

Inara relaxed visibly and let out a small chuckle before saying, "Simon loves you very much and we would never forget about you. You will always be his mei mei and he would do anything to help you. Even Kaylee could not take that away from you, not that she would try."

"You're right," River said, somewhat relieved, "but can you please keep an eye on him? He takes so much looking after."

"Of course dear," Inara assured her, "Now, if that is all you need, we have a Ball to attend."

"That's all, thank you Inara." River was still scared that someone not Kaylee was trying to take Simon away from her, but Inara was right. River just needed to have more faith in her brother. After all, Simon's never let me down in the past.

"Dr. Galen Sushruta and Companion Inara Serra," the herald announced as Simon and Inara entered the ballroom.

A barrier materialized, preventing Simon from entering and Inara had to react quickly to cover for Simon's rising panic. She squeezed his arm gently and explained to one of the security staff, "The good doctor is recovering from a leg injury. I believe his cane set the device off. I you could just-"

The security guarded nodded and smiled lustfully at Inara as he took Simon's cane through the barrier with his override before motioning them to walk through once more.

Fortunately, Simon recovered quickly and made a show of laboring through the barrier unassisted before taking his companion's arm for 'needed' support.

"Thank you so very much," Inara told the security guard as she accepted the cane.

"You are quite welcome Ms. Serra. Enjoy the Ball."

Soon as they were out of sight of the staff and guest near the entrance, Inara leaned in close to Simon and asked, "Are you alright?"

Simon flinched, as if his mind had just returned from elsewhere and answered, "I am fine, thank you. I was not really that injured, I was putting on a bit of a show."

"Of course Doctor," Inara teased before asking, "How would you like to proceed?"

"The drugs may not last very long, so I would prefer to wait until all guests are likely to be here. Once the guests have arrived, I will need an excuse to move about the crowd quickly until I can get a read on someone who knows what we need to know. Now that I have a little experience with the drug, I am hoping I will have more control over abilities."

"Fortunately, this is a ball and there will be dancing," Inara said, "which should offer us a socially acceptable means of moving about the area."

"Yes," Simon agreed, "a rotary dance such as a Viennese Waltz would be preferable as it would allow us full motion throughout the ballroom without putting too much stress on my leg."

"Why Doctor, I never took you for a serious dancer."

Simon blushed and shrugged, replying," Someone had to help River practice."