"There are a lot of problems in the universe and a lot of causes to those problems. Yet no matter how much things change and how much technology advances, one thing remains a constant. Most problems are caused by the complex web of relationships we weave. We have lovers, enemies, friends, co-workers, shipmates, family, rivals, competitors and so many more. All of these relationships come with their own slew of problems. Some of the problems are constant across all the categories while others are bound to one or two relationship types. Yet the fact remains that where there are two even moderately intelligent beings, problems will sooner or later emerge. Sometimes those problems stay between two beings and are quickly and easily resolved. Sometimes the problems balloon into wars that embroil entire races for hundreds of years.”

- High Ambassador of the Mrrroww

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“Why is it so difficult to find some decent crew members?” Selendil asked with some frustration.

“Because you’re aiming for perfection without giving them much to go on.” Nox pointed out the obvious. “If a person has the qualifications that live up to your standard, then they likely don’t need to take up work on a mystery ship that you can’t really talk about.”

Selendil’s eyes narrowed in frustration. “They should be honored to be working on my ship. And yes, I know, they can’t really consider it an honor if I don’t tell them they’ll be working on a Dhar ship.”

“Well, the good news is that the ship is well supplied. We’re only lacking consumables that we can’t get before we know the composition of our crew, as well as certain materials that can’t be found on the station.” Nox decided to draw attention to the things that had gone well.

They had spent several days in a futile search to supplement their crew. The search had not gone well, though they had not approached that many people either. Selendil’s standards were too high, and the required level of secrecy limited their options. The Guardian’s had been warped to the ship and they were already working on the hydroponics, so the time had not been completely wasted. They had also found most of the equipment they needed. The ship was still a little sparse when it came to more decorative and personal items, but that was a function of not having the crew to fill the place out. At least most of the workstations around the ship now had the bare minimum required equipment now. The rest could be acquired when necessary.

It wasn’t like they’d had no success recruiting. It had become apparent that the gelatinous Zlorth were good at sanitation and cleaning related matters, so Selendil had used her earlier connection to hire a few of them. She’d also picked up a lead about some security personnel that would likely be unnecessary as long as she was on board, but something like security was important to keep up appearances. Nothing invited theft and petty crime more than a complete lack of law enforcement. Apparently, a race called Dashane might be promising if you could tolerate their borderline racist behavior. As the behavior was based on assumed supremacy, Selendil was rather confident she could beat it out of them. For some reason, all the Dashane had left the station in a hurry though, so she was out of luck on that front at the moment.

“It seems we’ll need to lower the standards a bit. Haven, generate a list based on the previous parameters but add people that might have a reason to find a long lasting job on a strange ship, or that have financial trouble.” Selendil finally relented.

“May I offer a suggestion?” Haven asked and continued after Selendil indicated agreement. “It might be prudent to also look at young and inexperienced people. Some of them are extremely gifted, but they simply haven’t had the opportunity to shine just yet. There’s going to be some training involved anyway, and the younger beings might be more accepting of new ways. They might be a little iffy in the beginning, but if you give them some time to grow into their roles…”

“That’s not a bad idea. Add that parameter to the list as well.” Selendil agreed. Since she had been so focused on getting the best, she had not considered the young ones. She wasn’t cherishing the thought of training people though. There would be some delegation of duties to Nox in the future.

As if sensing her thoughts, Nox changed the subject. “This might be a good time to approach a subject that we’ve been skirting so far. Now that we have the ship in a relative working condition and we’re looking for something like a crew, the question might actually be relevant. What’s our goal?” The AI had not really pressed the issue earlier partially because it might force Selendil into dealing with her grief, but now that the worst had already passed, it was time to ask the question.

Selendil also realized that Nox had tiptoed around the subject, so she was a little grateful, but she too realized this topic was something they had to face. She had already given the question some thought. “There are some things I’d want accomplished, though I don’t know if we can manage it. I’d love to finish the Great Song. It was a driving goal for our race, and it would be a fitting tribute if I could manage it. However, I don’t think I can do it alone. Beyond that, we have some options. We could try to unify a galaxy or two under our banner, but I’m not really the ruler type. Even being the shadow behind the throne seems bothersome. We could try to become something like a protector for the younger races, though I’m not sure if I like them enough to do that. Besides, competition and war drive progress, and the Dhar were certainly not pacifists. I wouldn’t want to deprive the younger races the opportunity.”

“I agree so far, though the decision is of course yours. For the guardian part we could just stick to interfering with them if things become something they can’t handle. Stick to some slight guidance in between disasters. I’m noticing something you’re not mentioning though. You didn’t mention trying to bring back the Dhar. Not to put it vulgarly, but you are female and we could manage things with some genetic engineering and artificial fertilization. If we found or built the proper facilities, we could try something like cloning. Cloning an energy being is not exactly simple, but…” Nox pointed out an obvious omission by Selendil.

Selendil kept quiet for almost a minute as she gathered her thoughts. “It’s not like the thought didn’t occur to me, but it’s not that clear-cut. First of all, that was not something our people desired when they decided to have me go into stasis. They wanted our race remembered, not resurrected. Besides, even if we did manage to increase our numbers, it would not be the same. The new Dhar would look the same, but they would not be the same inside. Being a Dhar is more than the name your race is called by others combined with some genetics. It’s culture, ethos, history, institutional knowledge, the way we are raised, rituals, foods, and a million little things we don’t even recognize in our everyday lives. Now, some of those could be taught, but since I’m the only one who could teach them, the education would be extremely one-sided since it would be my interpretation of all those things. Even with the minds I have stored, we would be creating an imitation, not the real Dhar.”

“And you’re not exactly the most standard representative of a Dhar either. That would skew your teachings by a fair bit. A race filled with crazies.” Nox voiced what Selendil had left unsaid.

“There’s that, yes. Now, I’m not saying that the whole project is dropped for all eternity, but I’m not putting any real effort into it either. There is one thing that I didn’t mention yet, however. We didn't talk about the plague that hit us. If possible, I would like to, at the very least, find out where it came from. Revenge would be nice too, but an explanation is more important. Again though, that’s a long term goal and I don’t even know where to begin.” Selendil scratched the helm of her environmental suit in frustration. Her entire race had tried to find out where and why the plague had hit them, but they’d had no luck. Her current advantage was that she was not in as much of a hurry as the Dhar had been while the plague ravaged them. The obvious disadvantage was that she was alone and without all the resources of the empire.

“How about shorter term goals?” Nox finally asked.

“The crew we’re currently having trouble with. It was your idea, so own it. Personally, I’d like to see if I could help certain people or races join the universal consciousness as well. That might provide me with answers and some perspective. Before that though, I’d like to get the ship in perfect condition. Learn about the condition of the galaxy and the universe at large. So far we know too little.” Selendil’s words wandered a bit as she grasped for concrete goals. Such things were not her strongest suit. Something she actually hoped to fix with a crew member. An officer of some sort. Someone task-oriented that could solve problems quickly.

“I think you mentioned something about two possible candidates for the universal consciousness. The feline ambassador and someone else.” Nox grabbed onto a possible concrete goal they might make progress on. Visible progress was important.

“Yes, the other one is still unknown but the cat…I think she called herself Moonshadow. I think she could be useful in that regard. Incidentally, I have a feeling we might get an opportunity to get her to cooperate with us fairly soon. Haven has been listening in on their communications and I don't think they quite realize the situation they are in just yet. I think they'll need help rather soon, and that might play into our goals.”

-----

Incidentally, it was only a day later that Moonshadow tracked Selendil down. The High Ambassador recognized the Coatl that floated out of the restaurant with the Solarian as a rather ingenious but deeply in debt scientist. The colorful Coatl in an even more colorful poncho hissed something to the Solarian in a language Moonshadow did not understand. She had never bothered learning the language of the serpentine beings, though that was mostly because she was simply incapable of producing some of the hissing sounds due to the difference in vocal cords. She could hiss with the best of them, but apparently it sounded like someone was cursing to the Coatl. That said, she had some knowledge of the language, enough to appreciate the perfect hissing sounds that came from the Solarian’s suit. It seemed like the two had reached some sort of accord.

The Coatl flew away right after, and Selendil turned to Moonshadow. “High Ambassador. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Selendil also noted that Moonshadow had not arrived alone. The latter had brought along a young member of the big cat clan that had a certain amount of military bearing, although that bearing seemed to be something the young cat was trying to suppress for some reason.

“Selendil, I heard that you’re looking for crew members. I happen to know of a candidate that has become available, and it would be a shame if she didn’t find other employment. I feel a little bad for her situation.” Moonshadow made her pitch and subtly guided them back inside the restaurant.

“I’m assuming this is the one you’re speaking about.” Selendil allowed herself to be guided as she wanted to see where this was going. Such an obvious spy was refreshing. Everyone involved knew this person would be a spy, but that’s what made it interesting.

“This is Lilly, previously known as Ensign Lilly.” Moonshadow introduced the young feline. Selendil sensed the negative emotions the ex-Ensign apparently had about her name. “She was recently let go of her position in less than ideal circumstances, but I can vouch for her skill.”

Selendil was incredibly amused by the situation. On one hand, having such an obvious spy would make things easier. The Mrrroww would be less likely to try and approach other crew members for information if they already had a spy. “So we all know I’m going to ask anyway, so let’s start with the obvious question. What’s the cause of the sudden departure from a military position?”

As Selendil looked straight at Lilly, it was obvious the young Ensign was supposed to answer this question personally. “I was let go due to striking a superior officer…and sexual misconduct.” Her voice almost disappeared at the latter part of her sentence, though both Selendil and Moonshadow had sharp enough hearing to catch it.

The amusement that radiated from Selendil was palpable and was already infecting the other psion at the table, namely Moonshadow. “I see. I’m going to want to hear details about that latter part especially.” Then she toned down her amusement a little and suddenly asked a question that surprised everyone. “Haven, how much of their story is true?”

"She did strike the ranking Admiral on the station, using claws and everything. The scene was entirely acted in case you were making inquiries, but it seems the Ensign here used more force than expected. It seems there were some repressed grudges that came out. It would appear the sexual misconduct charge was tacked on as a slight bit of revenge, or at least I can’t find any trace of such behavior. The young Ensign here is still on the employ of the Mrrroww military as they filed the proper paperwork for her dismissal but are intentionally not processing them.” Haven replied almost gleefully. This all happened on the station so of course the AI would be aware of such things.

“Uhh…” Moonshadow and Lilly were a bit dazed by the very direct and blunt way Selendil had called them out on their shenanigans.

Selendil didn’t wait for them to catch up though. “Such a shame. I was genuinely curious about the sexual misconduct. So how good is the Ensign at her job and what are her strengths and weaknesses?”

“Ensign Lilly had performed her job as well as the situation has allowed her to. She wasn’t chosen for this assignment by accident. Her people management skills are excellent and she has the mental fortitude to handle high-pressure situations. Her improvisational skills require a bit of practice but they are generally sound. As for weaknesses, the Ensign has a complex about her name, especially when dealing with other Mrrroww. She also has a bit of a temper, but not to unmanageable levels. Her psyche evaluation is relatively stable. In general, I think she’d do a fine job, especially when dealing with races other than her own.” Haven listed the unfiltered observations it had made.

"Good enough," Selendil stated and focused on Lilly again. "You're hired."

“W-what?” Ensign Lilly asked a little confused. She had already been outed as a spy, but Selendil was hiring her anyway? She forgot to consider the fact that all three of them had known about her status as a spy from the beginning. Now it was simply openly on the table.

“I just happen to be in need of someone that can manage personnel. I may have no need for a gunnery officer, but I do need a personnel one.” Selendil gave a short explanation.

Moonshadow had already gathered her faculties and was already grinning. She could work with this kind of relationship. “Congratulations Lilly. I hope your career on miss…Selendil’s crew is a fruitful one.” She looked questioningly at Selendil. Come to think of it, the Solarian had never given a proper title.

Selendil tilted her head a bit but decided to just go with it. “You can call me Keeper Selendil, if you must. The word doesn’t really match entirely but it’s the closest thing this language has.” In the language of the Dhar, the word Keeper had several very important nuances, but those nuances were not present in other languages.

“Keeper Selendil it is then.” Moonshadow nodded.

“That said, I think you might want to return. I’m afraid you will be receiving bad news shortly, and I’m not sure if you want to be in public when it happens.” Selendil gave a suggestion.

Her suggestion was a clear indication that she had better access to the internal communications of the Mrrroww than Moonshadow herself, which gave the High Ambassador pause. This pause in turn meant that she did not take Selendil helpful reminder in time. Her communicator started to insistently give the signal of an emergency communique. As it was an emergency she couldn’t really ignore it either. Selendil waved her hand a bit and a dome of energy suddenly materialized around them. Moonshadow wasn’t exactly sure what the purpose was, but she could sense no sounds from outside the dome. She swiped her paw in a gesture to accept the communication.

“High Ambassador.” The Admiral’s serious face suddenly surfaced as an image was projected above the table.

“Admiral. Be aware that we are in the company of Keeper Selendil of the Solarian’s and her new crew member Ensign Lilly.” Moonshadow’s words were extremely efficient and clarified several things in a single sentence. Now the Admiral knew not to say anything that couldn’t get out and he also knew Lilly had been accepted despite being revealed. Or at least he would if he paid enough attention.

“The word will get out soon enough so I might as well give the general outline. Shadowdell has fallen. The fleet defending the planet has been destroyed, and as far as we can tell the defenses of the planet are already being overrun.” The Admiral’s voice was solemn. Shadowdell had a large number of Panther clan among its population. It wasn’t one of the strongholds of the clan, but it was one of the larger colonies.

Moonshadow growled in anger. “The Shinzen? How? What happened to the defense line? How did they breach the planetary defenses this fast? I thought we increased the number of ships in that area?” The Mrrroww had already faced several skirmishes with the Dawn Collective forces and now this happened.

"According to communications, the defensive line is perfectly intact. There were no disturbances there and the phase space inhibitors seem to be working normally. As for how the defenses around Shadowdell fell, the details are still trickling in but we have some recorded data from some of the ships that retreated from the system. The tactics the Shinzen used were entirely new and they used overwhelming force. Notably, the attacking force also included several individuals that had strength equal to a high-ranking Deity, focused entirely for battle.” The admiral explained what he could.

“Phase space inhibitors are not absolute.” Selendil suddenly interjected. “There are several ways around them, depending on the specifics of the inhibitor.”

“What? Do you know how to get around them?” The Admiral asked sternly.

“Of course. The simplest way is to simply travel deep enough in phase space to not be affected. It requires some finesse, but it’s not that difficult. Especially if you’re prepared to lose a few ships to chart the way for the fleet.” Selendil summarized.

“This…is bad. That means our defensive line is completely open.” The admiral sighed.

“On the flipside, we now know there’s no point in keeping the ships on the defensive line since it’s already useless.” Moonshadow pointed out.

“We’ll still need to confirm this information, but you’re right. I need to pass on this information, and you can’t watch the recordings in public.” The admiral confirmed and cut the connection after a salute.

“Well, it seems I have to go. If the situation is as dire as it seems I need to get to work.” Moonshadow decided to excuse herself. She still needed to watch the recordings of the battle as well as see who they could cajole for assistance. She really didn’t like the sound of new tactics from the Shinzen. The Admiral’s tone gave the impression that there was more to this than he had said.

"We'll meet again," Selendil stated with some amount of certainty. She then turned towards her new hire with a certain amount of gloating. "As for you, we have a crew to hire, and as you’ll be dealing with personnel matters, you’ll be joining me in this endeavor.”