I should go home, command this shuttle to turn around, and send me back to the space boonies where I belong. Quit the service, change my name, go find a small town where nobody knows my face, and farm Quinta grain for living. Find a Geckiotan to make my wife. Convince her father our love is real. Adopt some children after navigating the underfunded systems in our way. Have a midlife crisis. Sell the farm to buy a vintage Chevrolet. Lose the kids in the divorce and die drunk in a ditch after realizing everything I had lost because I threw away the best thing to ever happen to me.

  What was I thinking about? Oh right, I'm an Expeditionary Captain now, and it's too late to turn back.

  So that's the ship I'm going to be leading to its untimely demise. Bigger than I expected, must be nearly two kilometers from stern to bow. I can see the influence from all the Greater Races. The design is Cosmos in origin. Whole ship looks like a diamond in space. I think that cut was called a Marcues. Marquise? Marcisus? Whatever. It's thickest at the center and narrows out at each end. Doesn't have their trademark shimmering hull but it's still very pretty. The Geod comes in from the domes. Each end has about a dozen. They might seem like structural weak points but those domes are made of Crystalline Neutronium. Might actually be harder than the opaque parts. Though given the hull is Zeta it could go either way. Zeta ships have this unnatural smoothness. Most other craft have protruding scanners and turrets and other doodads. Not them. This ship isn't that polished, just enough to see where that comes from. The Triterroran influence is more subtle. Their obsession with the number three is obvious when you know what to look for. Three big domes surrounded by six smaller domes. All the weapons are in sets of three. Engines, hangars, docking ports, anything that can be in multiples of three is. Must have killed them to only give the ship two points.

  Then there's the Seraph. You don't see their influence, you feel it. Only the most advanced vessels are equipped with a Seraph power core. They do more than just power the system, they power people. There is an electricity in the air. Like the Seraph themselves are there with you. Watching you, supporting you, guiding you forward. Humanity calls it the Holy Aura. Many a crew have said that in their darkest hour, this aura pushed them to act and win the day. Won't lie, makes me feel a little better about all this.

  Shuttle is landing. Deep breath Tom. You can do this. Those Greater Races have to know something I don't. Just have to trust them.

  I see the greeting party. It's only one person. She's short, barely up to my waist. Her body is covered in dark green fur highlighted by black streaks. Her face is rather fox-like, save the little antlers. Her outfit isn’t exactly regulation. A blue long sleeve dress with decorative gold buttons and a white stripe along the side. The skirt rides high, though with that fluffy tail sticking out underneath it probably has to. There are shiny rubberish sudo socks that start at her knees and end at her ankles leaving her animal feet bare. A sort of faux simile of boots for people that don’t usually wear shoes. Reminds me of those old holo vids from before the Great Collapse. Films, that’s what they used to be called. From the era of groovy tunes and LSD.

  "Morning!" Her voice is high pitched and cheerful. Sounds like a smile. "Or maybe it's afternoon. I haven't gotten used to the standard time system yet. I'm your personal assistant."

  "Nice to meet you. I didn't know I'd be getting an assistant. Let alone one so cute."

  "Oh, I wouldn't say cute."

  So apparently her race can blush. Noted.

  "You are a Hoomaan. Am I pronouncing that right?"

  "Close enough. What is your race?"

  "I believe you refer to us as Vixten."

  Vixten, why does that sound familiar?

  "You guys joined the union pretty recently, right?"

  "Oh yes, only about two of your years ago."

  Two years? They're fresh off the boat. Probably still a Dependent. Being a Lesser Race sucks, but we aren't nearly as bad off as Dependents. They don't even get a basic care package. Just have some medical and food distribution centers opened up.

  "Two years huh? Not to be rude but how did you end up on a ship like this?"

  "I was just as surprised. They said that they wanted you to have a fellow mammal by your side to help make you feel more comfortable. You know how rare those are. So they moved me up."

  That is true. Of the countless millions of species in this galaxy, less than one percent are mammals. Still strange to promote someone based on just that.

  "Well I guess we mammals have to stick together. I'm Tom. What's your name?"

  "That's for you to decide. The word hasn't been set yet. Here's some suggestions from the head translator."

  Let's see. Boggart, goblin, wisp, what is all this?

  "What exactly does your name mean?"

  "It's a sort of folklore creature. Small magical beings that fly around."

  "Alright, how about this one. Fairy."

  "What's a Fairy?"

  "Folklore creatures in my culture. Small, cute, colorful little tricksters that little girls love."

  "Yeah, Fairy. I like it."

  "Great. Now that it's settled I should get to business. Know where the rest of my bridge crew is?"

  "Waiting for you at the bridge. I'll show you the way."

  "Oh, before I forget, why are you dressed like that?"

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "I was studying your culture to find an outfit you'd be most familiar with. I saw this one in Vixen Stewardess Squad. I didn't know how often Hoomaan women got into shoot outs with their long lost fathers on your planet."

  Getting your info on human culture from the era when we still had Presidents doesn’t seem the best.

  It's a long ride to the Bridge. These multidirectional elevator things are a real life saver. It gives some amazing views. The inside of this vessel is like a small city. We have agricultural sectors, aquaponics, a small park, there's apartments and shops and even a school. The exact center is the Power Core, like a pink star shimmering in the nonexistent sky. Not far off is the Command Center. The rest of the ship is formed around that, rotating in a large circle with gravity adjusting so you always feel like your feet are on the ground. From one side you can see the other. Buildings pointing the opposite directions in a huge cylindrical loops all around. The gravity control on this ship is insane. I can see everything from the Command Center with this set up. I'm actually getting excited about this.

  "Captain on deck!"

  Everyone in the room stands at attention. Huh, room's kind of empty. Only about half the chairs have someone in them.

  "At ease. Who's the First Officer?"

  "That is I, sir."

  Before me is a Phibian, one of the Major Races known for their water world that produces the best seafood and mineral water in all the galaxy. I heard they were big but damn. She's a good thirty, maybe forty centimeters over me. Her face is round and smooth with a big froglike grin. Her skin is a vibrant blue with purple spots. And that outfit. Woof. The standard uniform of the Galactic Union is a sort of full body catsuit made of a highly flexible half cloth half rubber material. Most people adjust it to their physiology and personal tastes with senior crew having the greatest liberties. I’ve seen all kinds of add ons from capes to frills. It can be as thick as a parka or as revealing as a bikini. Not this one. She’s going with textbook regulation which did not have her physic in mind. It's so tight I can see every curve. Her arms are pure muscle, which would put an Olympian to shame. Her thighs are thick and solid. She's got some meat on her belly, think that's just how her race is built and I am not complaining. She’s like a Pagan idol, save the completely flat chest. I am going to have to get used to that disappointment.

  "First Officer Riiiiib crROaAck reporting for duty."

  She has a very commanding voice. I'd think she was the Captain if I didn't already know that was me. Gonna have to figure out the name now.

  "Fairy, do you have the suggestions for my First Officer?"

  Fairy hands me another file. Athena, Freya, Durga, I guess she's named after a war goddess. Fitting. Pretty sure she could fold me in half with her big toe. What's this one? Ishtar. Mesopotamian Goddess of War, political power and fertility? Also known as Inanna. There's the ticket.

  "First Officer, from this point on you will be known as Inanna."

  "Yes Sir."

  "You can slow down on the Sir stuff as well. We don't have any upper brass watching. Just call me Tom."

  "Yes Captain Tom."

  Oh boy, this might take a bit. Maybe I'll just go down the line for now. I see a big reptile man. He is a Rackter, another Major Race whose trade is conflict. They were recruited after a short but bloody war for which they were the aggressors. Luckily their tech was rather quaint by Galactic standards of the time so they were pushed back. Since then they have established themselves as guns for hire, doing all the fighting other races can't or won't do on their own. Looking at him, I see why they are so popular. Barrel chested with thick skin and rows of teeth in a protruding jaw. Tiny yellow eyes, clawed hands, a heavy tail dragging on the floor. He's like a Blood Red Alligator in black pants carrying a rifle. Hear their world is almost constantly on fire. Glad he's on my side.

  "State your name and role."

  "Raze, Chief of Security, sir."

  Looks like his name was already given a translation. Raze. Yeah, that's fitting. Is he giving me attitude or does his voice just sound like that?

  "Looking forward to serving with you."

  "Oh, the honor of taking orders from a warm blood is all mine, Captain Tom, sir."

  Yup, that's definitely attitude. I'll try to find a way to smooth that out without getting my spine broken in half later.

  Next is a Wahk, a Lesser Race that has spread their wings all over the Union. Wahks are like birds; beak and all. Covered in feathers that are mostly purple with those around the arms and tail being multi-colored. Chose to wear a sort of vest and shorts deal so their feathers are minimally compacted. They can't fly despite their wings taking up all the space where a human's arm would be. At least they can't anymore. Legend has it they still could not too long ago. A lot of people say that's why they make such great pilots, it just comes naturally. This one must be my Helmsman. Might be my bird loving heart but I like them already. Just not sure if they are male or female. Near impossible to tell with many birds. With Wahk you're supposed to count how many of their arm feathers are orange but this one is a walking rainbow. Plus it's probably rude to check.

  "Helmsman I presume?"

  "The winds flow northward."

  Uhhhhh.

  "Psst." Fairy is at my ear. "That means yes. Wahk have a rather fanciful way of speaking."

  Translators can only do so much I suppose.

  "What's your name Helmsman?"

  "To tie oneself down is to give up the freedom to fly."

  "Fairy, do Wahks not use names?"

  "Not in the traditional sense. Though they do understand their value when interacting with others. So I guess make up whatever you want."

  “OK. Rude to ask but are you male or female?”

  “A coin may have a head and a tail, but neither side is up.”

  "Oh. Well then. How about... Vivvian."

  "A gift is a thank you given in advance."

  "I'll take that as an ok."

  Hedging my bets on the girl thing. Oh well. I move to the last person on the Bridge. An Enkephalopod, ghost white walking squids with dozens of arms of different lengths and textures each for a very different purpose. A rare sight out of their territory. Smart guys. Could have been a Major Race long ago, but they prefer to keep to themselves. Wonder what kind of bribes they needed to get this one working here. All I know about them is that their art is worth a fortune. I hear they don’t see gender the same way we do. They identify as none but are actually all. Whatever that means. Given they are 90% tentacles I couldn't tell either way. This one isn’t wearing a uniform… I think.

  "And you are?"

  "Leeead Medical Offfficer. I havvve already chosennn a translaaation."

  "Lead Medical Officer... Sagaci? You sure?"

  "Indeeeeed."

  "Well, one less thing I have to worry about. Glad to have you aboard."

  I take a moment to look at all the empty seats. Looks like more introductions are to be made later on.

  "Inanna."

  "Yes Captain Tom Sir."

  "Don't do that. Anyway, Inanna, why is the bridge half empty?"

  "Sir, we will be receiving the rest of our crew at the rendezvous point at Sector CR-498, Sir."

  "CR-498. Isn't that right next to Diegiton space?"

  "That is correct, Sir."

  "Fairy, hand me the files for the first mission."

  Let's see here. Yeah, that looks right. I was expecting a light patrol through a vacation spot for my first run as Captain, not an active warzone. Oh well, in for a micro credit.

  "Vivvian, set course to Sector CR-498."