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I am once more Captain of the Craton.
As the last of our crew who have taken their leave return to the ship, we prepare to bid farewell to the home system.
It is always bittersweet. I find myself missing elements of the Earth already – though not the cold. But my real home is here.
While I have been in contact with System Admiral Vandoss, and offered to stay with the ship as part of his fleet maneuvers, we have received different orders.
These are interesting days.
As Urle entered the Captain’s meeting room, he saw that every other officer was present. He was not more than a few seconds late, however.
Glancing around at the heads of each department, he noted an unexpected presence; Dr. Logus, sitting to Brooks’s left.
Sitting on the Captain’s right, he nodded.
Cenz stood up, however, raising a hand for attention.
“Speaking on behalf of all of us,” the Coral said, “We welcome you back, Captain. I myself am quite pleased.”
“Hear hear!” Urle added.
Brooks smiled. “Thank you, all. I am pleased to be back here.” His eyes went around the table, thanking them all individually without another word.
But then his face, and words, turned serious.
“We have received orders,” he said. “Ambassador N’Keeea has officially requested humanitarian intervention on his people’s behalf, and the Sapient Union will answer.”
A number of surprised looks went across some faces; Urle was glad that rumors had not been spreading about this.
“What is the situation like?” Jaya asked.
“It is a warzone,” Brooks said bluntly. “But in two hours Ambassador Decinus will be boarding with a full diplomatic entourage. It is our hope that we are able to broker a peace of some sort between N’Keeea’s people, the T’H’Tul, and the Hev clan attacking them.”
“Which clan are they at war with?” Dr. Y asked.
“They’re called the P’G’Maig,” Urle said. “I’ve done some research on them, and they are a very large and warlike clan. N’Keeea’s people are, unfortunately, extraordinarily outmatched.”
“Oh my,” Dr. Y noted. “Yes, the reputation of the P’G’Maig is well-known.”
Brooks nodded. “I am not pleased for us to be sent into such a volatile situation – but as time is of the essence for the continued survival of the T’H’Tul, and we are self-propelling and quicker than most other ships in zerospace – we have been chosen.”
“If we are entering a warzone, will our civilian populace be disembarked?” Zeela Cann asked.
“It will not be mandatory, as we are heading in under a peace banner. Preliminary messages to the P’G’Maig from allies have indicated that they will accept our neutrality and presence. But anyone who wishes to disembark may, of course, do so.”
“What are our goals? Realistically?” Jaya asked.
“To get the P’G’Maig to stop trying to exterminate the T’H’Tul,” Brooks said. “Or allowing them to cede the system in peace. We are not authorized to open hostilities, but we are allowed to return them if we are attacked.”
“What about back-up?” Urle asked.
“Officially, we have none,” Brooks said. “Unofficially – I’m not sure yet.”
Nervousness was creeping into them all. If the P’G’Maig were sieging a star system, then they’d have fleets numbering in the millions. Even if Hev ships were generally not up to the same design standards of the Sapient Union, those odds were impossible if violence broke out.
“I want full drills for every scenario,” Brooks continued. “Commander Kai, what is the status of Response?”
“Under Dr. Logus’s advice, Iago Caraval has not yet returned to active duty,” she told him.
“It is possible he will be ready to serve in some capacity by the time we arrive, Captain,” Logus added.
“And in the meantime, who will lead Team One?”
“I’ve authorized Lt. Pirra to command Response Team One. She is competent, sir, and despite her recent missions is in full fighting form.”
Brooks accepted that and gazed around the table.
“You all know your jobs. Prepare the ship and your people. We leave in six hours.”
Other Terrestrial 
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