Inara attends a formal society dance, only to find Malcolm there as well, attempting to set up a smuggling job. Mal comes to blows with Inara's conceited date and finds himself facing a duel with a renowned swordsman, and only one night to learn how to fence.

The crew lands on Persephone. In her shuttle quarters, Inara scans potential clients and chooses local aristocrat Atherton Wing, a regular customer. Mal and Jayne are accosted by Badger, who needs Mal's help to move an illegal cargo for high-society local Warrick Harrow, who will not talk to the likes of Badger. He provides Mal and Kaylee with tickets to the very ball that Inara will be attending.

At the ball, Atherton asks Inara to be his personal Companion, remaining in a world more suited to her, but she diplomatically defers a decision. Suddenly, the arrival of "Miss Kaywinnet Lee Frye and escort" is announced--Kaylee, in a ruffled dress she had earlier coveted in a shop window, accompanied by Mal.

Back on Serenity, Simon, Book, and Jayne play a card game, using ship chores as currency. River, experiencing another of her manic outbursts, frantically shreds the Blue Sun labels of their canned food supplies. Meanwhile, Wash and Zoe have sex.

At the ball, Kaylee's friendly attempt to mix with the debutantes fails, but she is rescued by an older gentleman, then drawn to a group of several mechanically-minded men. Meanwhile, Mal finds Sir Warrick, who is cool to any proposal that Badger is behind, despite Mal's professionalism. Just then, Atherton Wing, with Inara in tow, interrupts their conversation. Mal escorts Inara onto the dance floor, but when Atherton cuts in and insists on his right to take Inara away because "money changed hands", Mal punches him in the face, unknowingly making a challenge that commits him to a duel by sword against expert swordsman Atherton. Sir Warrick agrees to be his second.

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Wikipedia