Inara Serra is a Companion who leases a shuttle from Captain Malcolm Reynolds and travels with Serenity's crew. Inara, born in 1643 N.E on Sihnon, is a Companion, a high-society courtesan licensed by the Alliance of Nations. In Alliance society, Companions are part of the social elite, often accompanying the wealthy and powerful. They have considerable ritual and ceremony surrounding their services, which appear to extend beyond sex to nurturing psychological and emotional well-being.