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was tied up and descended well below her shoulders. Shaw was struck by her face, which even with her current neutral expression, seemed to imply both open friendship and mischief. Not that he was fooled in the least, for Shaw had studied her record as soon as he learned of his assignment earlier in the day. She was a veteran of the Shadow War and had taken took part in the great battle at Coriana 6, the system that had seen the exodus of the Old Ones from the galaxy. This was a woman who was extremely capable, and she had his immediate respect.
    ‘Mr. Shaw, welcome aboard,’ she said in a quiet but steady voice that carried across the entire bridge. ‘I trust you will find everything you need once you have a chance to settle in.
    ‘Thank you, Captain. I am honoured to have been assigned to a ship like White Star 31.’
    ‘The Intrepide . You will find most human captains give their White Stars ad hoc names. The Minbari numbering system is efficient but lacks soul. You are familiar with your orders?’
    ‘I believe so, Captain,’ he replied. ‘I am to assist you in all missions undertaken by White Star 31--the Intrepide --following your direction at all times.’
    Badeau looked thoughtfully at Shaw for a brief second, appearing to consider something before speaking. ‘I will be setting a variety of tasks for you throughout our missions and will monitor your behaviour accordingly. All actions of merit and incompetence will be noted in my report to the Anla’Shok.’
    She caught a brief look of worry on his face. ‘You thought you had graduated and were now a full Ranger, eh?’ she asked, a small smile on her face. ‘Well, that is mostly true. Your training has earned you the right to call yourself a Ranger, and the crew of this ship will treat you as such. However, my report will determine how you serve the Anla’Shok in the future--if at all. Now, if you have gotten this far, can I assume it is your desire to work in the field and gain a command of your own?’
    Shaw nodded mutely.
    ‘Then that will depend on how you perform under my instruction over the next few months. You can still fail, Mr Shaw. Understand that. You might not necessarily be ejected from the Anla’Shok, but the rest of your days may be spent performing valuable administration duties here in Tuzanor. I get the feeling that you would regard such a fate as failure.’ When he did not reply, Badeau smiled and said, ‘So would I.’
    She let a pause linger between them, which prompted Shaw to speak. ‘So, Captain, what is our first mission?’
    ‘Well, let us first dispense with the formalities. Officially, you and I are equal in rank, if not in fact. So, from now on I will be Sabine and you will be Michael. As for the mission, we have something you will no doubt consider a treat, a possibility of real excitement.’ She turned to one of the Minbari at a station toward the rear of the bridge. ‘Tallier, call up the system map.’
    A shimmering hologram descended from the ceiling in front of the viewport, shaking briefly as the images coalesced into form. A system map showed several worlds orbiting an orange star.
    ‘This is Quadrant 37, ostensibly a Centauri system, but one which is in the process of being handed to the Narn--lock, stock and barrel--as part of the reparations the Republic must pay to the Regime. We are to take the Intrepide to this system and monitor the handover. We are quite sure the Centauri will not do anything stupid, but officially we are there to ensure everything proceeds in good faith, that all equipment is accounted for and no booby traps are left for Narn civilians to trigger.’
    Badeau turned back toward Shaw and beckoned his Religious Caste guide forward. ‘Bethall will show you to your locker. As you should already know, you do not get your own quarters on a White Star, just space to keep any personal belongings. The sleeping area is communal and very Minbari in style, if you take my meaning.’
    Shaw was