I turned a corner in the corridor and wasn't surprised to see Ronan standing by the access door as he waited for me. Ronan seemed to be enjoying his job and, according to Starsong, was impressed with the number of gadgets and the quality of the technology available to him. When I did leave the ship, he was a nearly invisible shadow, far enough away that no one else ever noticed him.

He held out his hand. "Let me carry that for you."

I smirked slightly and dangled the case in my hand by its handle. "What? Scared they might mistake you for the Captain?"

He snorted faintly before taking the data storage device from me with a swift motion. "Being mistaken as Captain is the last thing I ever want to happen. Then I would actually have to listen to those people. Those suppliers and diplomats usually only want money or power..."

His tone was somewhat flat, as if he had encountered a few too many greedy or power-hungry people in his time. I tilted my head in thought. "I never really had anything to do with such people until just lately, but I have heard some stories."

He shrugged. "As long as you don't become greedy or power-hungry, there won't be any problems. And with Starsong around, I don't think that is something I have to worry about anytime soon."

I nodded in understanding. "He is fairly open for debate on most topics, but his morals and ethics are rock solid."

Ronan raised an eyebrow with a faint hint of amusement in his eyes. "You really don't see it, do you?"

I looked at him in complete confusion. "See what?"

"Hmmm..." He examined me for a few moments, "He tends to humor you with those discussions, but he plays hardball with everyone else. As a bodyguard, I tend to do a lot of research on the person I am supposed to be protecting. I have found that any files containing information on you are locked down, both on the Starship and off of it. Are you aware that you have almost entirely disappeared off the Spaceweb? There are a few vague pictures and mentions of you here and there, but nothing that anyone can use to track your history, life, or family."

I stared at him in disbelief. Then, using a trick I had practiced, I put two fingers on my one ear as if listening to a hidden earpiece. 'Starsong? Is he correct?'

Ronan had his own earpiece, and even though I knew it was there, I couldn't see it. It would not surprise him – or anyone for that matter – if I had such an earpiece, so they wouldn't question the action that clearly said I was listening to someone.

"Anything that anyone could have used to track or harm you or your family has been erased from the public websites. Many things did not note locations, or anything other than first names, so I left those sorts of things alone."

'Did you remove that picture of me accidentally dropping the water balloon on the teacher's head from the window above?'

"That was one of the first to go. Although, according to their files, they weren't sure if you had dropped the water balloon or if the two guys in the window above you had done it. That was why there were never any repercussions."

'That is a relief. But what did he mean when he said you humor me? I will admit that you have been far more tolerant with me and my mental ramblings than I had expected, but he is saying that you treat me differently than the crew, which I don't understand...' I trailed off. I had never seen any of the crew have an actual discussion with him, so I wasn't sure what Ronan might have seen.

"Rachel, you are the only one who truly speaks with me. The others may venture a question if they are completely confused or as a quick clarification, but nothing that went longer than two or three exchanges. Why wouldn't I treat you differently?"

His quiet words struck a chord inside me and resonated with the truth of his statement.

He continued speaking, "They are always nervous when they say my name, whereas I clearly recall when you snuck into the Bridge to remove a certain fuse."

I responded truthfully, 'I was shaking in my boots at that point, and you know it...'

"True, but you had no reason to think that I wouldn't harm you. Most of your fear dissipated quickly enough, but the others never really stopped being scared of me, even though I have only assisted them."

I closed my eyes. I felt sorry for him; he had helped all of us, and while everyone seemed to love their jobs, most avoided speaking with Starsong. Whether it was out of fear, confusion about what the AI might even want to talk about, or a reluctance to disturb him with idle chit chat, in the end, they rarely – if ever – spoke to him.

In my role as Captain, I completely relied on Starsong. I wouldn't make it one day without him. Now that I thought about it, I spoke to him a fair bit about other things as well. Sometimes I did it to relieve my boredom, but sometimes just to talk with someone. They are uneasy speaking with him, and I never shut up...

"I welcome the conversation, so never think that it may bore or annoy me."

I resisted the faint urge to laugh. 'Conversation may be one thing, but you eavesdrop on my very thoughts. I fail to see how my thoughts don't annoy you. Sometimes they even annoy me!'

Amusement colored his words. "As I said before, I find your thoughts entertaining. You should admit it, you aren't even overly bothered by the fact that I can hear your thoughts."

He was right once again and could probably detect my awareness of that detail. At this point, it was just another method of talking since he didn't ever respond to things that he knew were just internal ramblings, unless they had relevance to the ship and my responsibilities. And in those occurrences, he brought more facts forward to clarify and assist.

His voice went quiet again, "I've apologized several times for almost killing you that first day, but do you forgive me?"

My mind stilled at that question. Forgiveness was not always easy for me, and he had almost ended my life. Although, now that I looked back, I knew it had been the sedation gas that had knocked me out, not truly the lack of air. The gas had been responsible for the odd taste in my mouth before I blacked out.

I considered my emotions as I searched my own heart. The answer was clear though. He had apologized and tried to make up for it in various ways. It hadn't been easy for me to get over that speed bump, but I was past it. That event was old news already, and it no longer hindered our friendship.

I answered, 'Yes.'

I could feel his relief and acceptance of my forgiveness through the mindlink. It was a bizarre sensation, but it rendered words unnecessary.

"Thank you, but I think it would be best if we postponed this discussion until later. The other Captain will be expecting you shortly."

I opened my eyes as I came back to the present. Ronan was still waiting patiently, although he looked a bit confused and curious, unsure of exactly what Starsong had told me that took so long. I lowered my hand from my ear, "Sorry about that. I didn't expect it to take that long."

"No problem."

I turned towards the access door. "Ready to face the music?"

"I have a dozen weapons, my shields are ready, and my earpiece is in place if Starsong needs to inform me of anything."

I glanced back at him in shock. "How does that relate to music?!"

And on second thought, where is he hiding those weapons? I see his Guide and some funky wristband that is likely a weapon, but other than that, he appears unarmed.

"His weapons are quite specialized. They are as subtle and as easily overlooked as your communication device. Just like with most types of Starship technology, they are undetectable by normal means."

Ronan was unaware of Starsong's comment and shrugged. "I always listen to music during practice. I also try to prepare for the unexpected so that I am equipped for anything that may occur."

I examined him as we went towards the access door, but the Guide and wristband were still the only things I could see that might be potential possibilities for a weapon. "Do I even want to know how powerful those weapons are?"

He considered it for a moment before replying, "I am actually not sure of their limits yet, but Starsong said that they beat whatever offensive capabilities your Guide has."

I winced. "Don't let the wrong people get their hands on them then..."

His thoughtful expression turned more grim and serious. "Starsong assured me that I am the only one who can use these weapons, apart from himself. Anyone who tries to take one apart or use it on any crew member will likely not live to tell the tale."

I shook my head slightly. "I seriously hope that we will never have to deal with such a situation."

He nodded in agreement as the access door opened to let us pass into the outside air.