If Starsong hadn't shown me the picture of my bodyguard, I would have been somewhat worried about the distant presence of the rather non-descript brown-haired man whom I had seen in every building I had gone into. Very few people who spent an hour in a trade hall cafeteria would also show up in both the merchant's information area as well as down below in the city marketplace.

My time as a Cargo Bay assistant had made me very observant, so it hadn't taken me long to notice my follower. I had noted his presence in the trade hall cafeteria as unusual since he didn't seem to be doing any business or trades there. I doubted that anyone else talking with me had noticed him since he had not come close, but his distant shadowing was not nearly as subtle as I had expected.

'I hope that this is not his best effort, because his presence is quite obvious.'

Starsong wasn't worried. "No, he is not trying to hide. He is likely just curious about the one he was hired to protect. I have managed to track down some surveillance tapes from when he was actually keeping a low profile, and his skills are quite good."

It was rare to get a compliment like that from the Starship, so I took his word for it. 'I just finished everything I had to do. Since he seems so curious, should I invite him for a cup of tea?'

Starsong saw what I meant in my thoughts and agreed. "It may be a good idea to speak with him before the formal acceptance of the new crew this afternoon."

I was currently on the main docking station platform, not far from a small coffee café that was tucked into a corner just outside of the elevator building. I entered the building and sat at a small table just behind the wall partition by the door. No one entering would see me in the small corner unless they glanced back over their shoulder.

It was probably a good five minutes before he entered. Like I suspected, he wasn't aware of the tiny table in this corner and didn't see me with his first glance around the room. It wasn't his fault, most people likely never realized this table was here due to how the room was designed.

"Ronan, care to join me for a tea?"

He jumped slightly before twisting around, his hand moving swiftly to something on his belt. He paused when he saw me, letting his hand fall down to his side. He leisurely came over to take a seat across from me. "It would be my pleasure to join you for a cup of tea, Captain Wanderer."

I had a feeling that this guy could blend in anywhere, from a fancy event to down in the more questionable parts of the city below. If I hadn't known that he was in his late thirties, then I would have had a hard time guessing his age.

I shook my head slightly. "Anyone that Starsong employs can call me Rachel, when witnesses aren't present, of course."

There were a couple of people in the room, but none were close enough to hear our quiet voices. No one had even noticed his entrance or his presence yet. He nodded slowly, "That sounds good enough to me. I must admit that this meeting is a bit of a surprise."

I grinned slightly. "I don't have any tasks that require my attention at the moment, and I was curious to meet the man who has been following me around since I stepped off of the ship."

He relaxed and looked faintly amused. "You are unusually observant compared to many I have followed in such a fashion. Most people who have hired me never even noticed my presence when I was learning how they normally behave."

I was curious and asked, "So, what have you learned about me so far?"

We both fell silent as a waitress finally noticed us and came over. We both ordered a tea, and the woman left.

The man spoke contemplatively. "Some people I have followed are good actors or try to claim to be more important than they actually are. But I have enough experience to tell what part of their behavior is a bluff or an act. You are rather interesting. You have switched between several sets of behaviors, but it is more like you are switching roles instead of putting on an act or bluffing."

He paused while the waitress delivered our tea. I added some cream and honey to my cup as I waited for him to continue. I wondered how my attempts at playing Captain did not seem like an act.

He sipped his hot tea as he glanced at my curious expression. "I watched a collected and clever woman catch a supplier off guard as she got the better end of a trade deal. That woman was different from a certain fierce Captain I saw in a remarkable video involving a tractor beam," he said, blinking slowly at me. "And I am having a hard time aligning those two personalities with the friendly young lady in front of me."

If he was trying to pin down my true personality and disposition, I had not made life easy for him. I smirked slightly. "So, do you think that any of the roles you saw me in were an act?"

He studied me for a few moments with his light brown eyes. "No. They were you in different moods and different roles, but none were an act. You have the power that your rank of Captain gives you – and you know it. But so far, other than that tractor beam video, I have not seen you demand the respect entitled to such a position like so many other Captains or other highly-ranked people do."

Considering that he had only watched me for about three hours, he was either more perceptive than I could have possibly imagined or else he was completely off his rocker and attempting to flatter me with rather wild, and eerily correct, assumptions.

I shrugged. "I fail to see the point in stirring up trouble unless there is a true need for it, such as getting an unconscious crew member into the Medical Bay. It is much easier to remain under the radar, which also makes it much easier to get the better end of a trade deal."

He smiled slightly, probably remembering the last supplier scratching his head in bafflement as he tried to figure out how I had picked out every discounted item in his list.

He said, "On a more serious note, Starsong did mention that you may not be entirely thrilled with the idea of having a bodyguard. Most younger people do not like having bodyguards, and I did notice earlier that you watched me out of the corner of your eye a bit more often the few times I got closer. How much are you going to resent my presence?"

Yep. He was perceptive. I sighed as I responded, "I do understand the necessity of it, but it is going to take some time for me to get used to the idea. As far as I can tell, my Officers are all in favor of it – and it isn't really possible to win an argument with Starsong, although I have managed that once or twice."

"Can I assume from your earlier reactions that you prefer if I keep my distance?"

I exhaled slowly, still not entirely reconciled to my new shadow, but I knew this was one argument that I would not win with Starsong. "When we go outside the Starship, I would prefer more distance between us if possible, particularly in or around the trading areas. Some suppliers do not like others lingering on the fringes and can get rather defensive. If I leave the docking station, then I don't mind the distance you have been using so far."

He nodded slowly as he tucked that knowledge away. "And Starsong already told me that I don't have to worry about you when you are on the ship, unless another person gets too rowdy. At which point, I get to don my role as a security guard."

That made sense, although one detail still confused me. "I don't have any worries while I am on board the Starsong. However, I am not entirely sure what your plans are if unwelcome company does manage to show up. I am not aware of the fine details of what Starsong may have told you, but I do have some rather strong shields, and I am not exactly unarmed when I leave the ship."

He responded, "He did tell me that you were not exactly vulnerable with whatever technology he gave you, but he was going to save the exact details until after the official welcome. He will probably tell me more later on as well, but he did give the impression that I will probably be doing more work as a guard if someone gets nasty. Possibly like in the incident in the tractor beam video."

I rubbed a temple at that memory. "Well, let's see what Starsong suggests later, after he brings you up to speed. Until then, I am sure we will muddle through it well enough."

It didn't take a genius to figure out that if anyone tried to attack me in an ambush, then he would be my backup. I suspected that if Starsong noticed anyone following me, that Ronan would either be watching that person very closely, or possibly even having a 'chat' with them.

Ronan grinned slightly, more relaxed with my open manner than any of my Officers had been the first few days. "Considering that there are only three hours until the official welcoming, I do not expect that we will encounter any problems."

I snorted faintly in amusement. "Just for that, I will have to sneak out this evening to go crawling around in some random market in the city..."

He looked amused and not at all worried. "Where you choose to wander is your choice; I am sure I can keep up."

I smiled in amusement. I was almost tempted to take that as a challenge.