The New Species 23 (Patreon)

Subject: Ship-Head Uleena

Species: Urakari

Description: Reptilian humanoid, no tail. 5'3" (1.6 m) avg height. 135 lbs (61 kg) avg weight. 105 year life expectancy.

Ship: RSV Lowelana {Fights with Honor}

Location: Sol

I found myself in quite the strange situation. A full on battle against the Omni-Union under the command of aliens. Before we jumped back to Sol, Ulooni had reached out to command to apprise them of the situation, and when I filed my formal report I immediately got the transfer orders putting me under the command of Captain Reynolds until further notice. Reynolds had a good chuckle about the situation but I found myself less amused.

I guess it could've been worse. They could've had my cloaca hanging from the senate halls. If I had been a more troublesome ship-head that's likely what would've happened. I was thankful, doubly so since Captain Reynolds seemed to take my addition to his command as a formality and allowed me to do as I saw fit with only one order. "Fight."

The battle had been going well for us, but the humans didn't achieve their primary objective as fast as they thought they would. Our weapons were definitely inferior to the humans, but even so we'd managed three kills. All frigates, of course, but it still counts. It had been easier because the Omni-Union were focusing on the human ships to the point of obsession. They weren't wrong, but it was still insulting that they saw us as a lesser threat.

One thing that had me worried was the no retreat order. I had asked Reynolds about it on the comm and he had said that he would explain it to me in more detail later, but the order stands as written. No vessel under United Systems command is allowed to leave Sol under any circumstances until the enemy is defeated. A fight to the last? But why would they go to such lengths?

"Ship-head, I know I've said it before but I want to say it again, this tac-map is incredible," Kriin said.

"Yes, yes, I KNOW Kriin. 'It updates so quickly and has so much information, and you can even zoom in and out.' Why don't you just wed the damned thing already?" I asked with a grin.

She grinned back, "Because marriages between organics and inorganics isn't legal yet."

I rolled my eyes. Always with a comeback, this one. Half the time she didn't get the joke, the other half her wit was as sharp as a whip. There were plenty of ship-heads who wouldn't be as appreciative as myself of her wit, but I liked to think of myself as pretty open-minded when it came to formalities. She's definitely right about the tac-map though. I was thankful that the Republic had bought it instead of rented it. I don't know if I can go back.

The standard Republic tac-map updates once every three seconds and is iffy with IFF. It also relies on self-reporting for friendly ships, which is problematic when a ship loses comms or power. This seems to rely on sensor reporting from each ship to determine the locations and profiles of all other vessels in the theater. And it's on a grid that you can rotate and zoom in and out of. That feature alone is a sun-send.

"I'm dreading what the catch for this upgrade is going to be," said Liwna. "It doesn't make sense for them to just give it to us for free, even if they're trying to be friends."

"Thankfully the tac-map was bought by the Republic," I explained. "Reynolds explained it to me before they did the upgrade. Apparently certain systems are so far beneath them that they sell them wholesale to whoever will buy them. Ulooni and Director 3 signed the deal right before we left the station."

"Yeah, Corporal Simmons said that if the Republic asks nicely enough the US will even sell them rifles and unshielded armor," Kriin said. "Apparently it's a millennia old tradition stemming from a nation that shares a similar name."

"I'm pretty sure that was a joke, Kriin," I said. "Speaking of the tac-map, enemy frigate on approach."

"No sir, the USSS Arnold is targeting it," our temporary Navigation Officer, Inola said. "They're firing... Enemy destroyed."

I didn't know how to feel about Inola. He was quiet for a Mdkpnz. Every once in a while he would speak up about something relevant to our assignment, but for the most part the only reminder of his existence had been a soft burp every now and then. It could be because this was a temporary assignment and he didn't want to form attachments, or because this was an Urakari vessel and he felt like an outsider. Or maybe he just didn't like us.

It didn't particularly matter because the assignment was temporary and he was competent at his job. Sun knows we could do with more quiet on the Lowelana. Kriin was more than happy to let him be antisocial. She was understandably worried about her brother, and slightly resentful that he was replaced. Not to the point that she was openly hostile to Inola, but she hadn't said a single word to him outside of professional communication since he boarded.

Kraan was doing well, but his physical therapy was taking longer than the humans estimated. Probably because the Republic station doesn't have their medical tech or expertise. His doctor was shocked when he saw the scans of his initial injuries, and called his recovery thus far a miracle. That had set Kriin on edge a bit regarding her brother's care.

A slight impact pulled me from my line of thought, "What was that?"

"A missile," Kriin reported. "We felt the explosion, but the shrapnel bounced harmlessly off the shields. Didn't show up until the last second or we would've been able to move out of the way."

"It would seem that the US tac-map we've got isn't as advanced as the one they're currently using," Inola said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He suddenly got shy, "W-w-well ship-head, it just seems like they're having no trouble dodging the ordo. Like they see it coming from the instant it leaves the enemy vessels. The only reason they're getting hit at all is by sheer volume."

"That sounds about right," I said.

"Y-yeah, ship-head. Either they have better scanners than we do or a better tac-map," he said.

It suddenly occurred to me that Inola hadn't been fully briefed on the humans. I hadn't had the chance, and I doubt his original CO even knew enough for a full briefing. He looked at me for a response.

"Inola, you're completely right. But it's probably both. Their tech is superior to ours in every way, by at least decades. Once these warp disruptors are taken care of, you're going to see what I mean," I said cryptically.

His red skin turned pink as he went pale. There could be another reason he was being so quiet. He was scared of the aliens. I turned my attention to the tac-map. There were ten warp disruptors left, and the enemy had formed a sort of barricade around them. The OU knew damned well that once those ships were lost, their entire fleet would be too.

The humans were being pushed back, but so far not a single loss had been incurred. There were some damage reports rolling in, but everyone was still in the fight. I scrolled along the damage reports. Some ships had vacuum exposure to critical systems but were still fighting tooth and claw. I was about to make a grim remark when the warp disruptors and their barricade suddenly disappeared from the tac-map.

"What the fuck?" I asked no-one in particular.

The bridge was silent. A casualty notification popped up. The first loss of the combat on the US side. The USSS Armstrong, commanded by Captain James Neil. I tapped the notification for more information.

-----

Casualty Report

Ship: USSS Armstrong

Evacuation: All Non-Essential Personnel Evacuated

Ship Status: Destroyed, No Debris

Confirmed KIA: Captain James Neil, *CLASSIFIED*, Lieutenant Hayun Lee, Lieutenant Junior Grade Marcus Flowers, Ensign Curtis Roberts, Lieutenant Junior Grade Erik Samson, Ensign Henry Wagner, Ensign Po Chun, Lieutenant Adana Ibrahim,

Escape Pods: Awaiting Retrieval, Beacons Active

-----

"What the hell happened?" I asked.

"Ship-head, I'm getting readings of a slip-space explosion where the barricade used to be," Kriin said softly.

A slip-space bomb? Could such a thing even exist? No, it would have been destroyed by the warp disruptors, right? No, can't be. If that kind of weapon existed they would have used it immediately, and they definitely wouldn't have bothered asking for reinforcements. So what could cause a slip-space explosion? The only other thing I could think of was... oh.

"A suicide bombing," Liwna said softly, voicing the conclusion I had come to.

"Ship-head... the aliens... th-they're... they're warping!" Inola said shocked. "In system!"

"Yeah. I uh... I told you so," I said.

The joy I would have normally got from Inola's reaction was stifled by the tragedy that had just taken place. I couldn't help but imagine the last moments of the crew and captain of the USSS Armstrong. And whose name was classified on the casualty report? Was it a brave last stand or an intentional destruction of a Faster Than Light Drive? An overload of an FTLD was one of the most destructive things that could ever happen, and their FTLDs were far more advanced than ours. I shook off the thought of it being intentional as the comm pinged.

"Sir, it's Captain Reynolds," Liwna said.

I looked back up, not realizing that I had been staring at the floor. The battle was over, cleanup had already begun. Once they have their warp capabilities these humans truly are unstoppable.

"Put him through," I said.

After a second Captain Reynolds voice came over the comm, "Ship-head Uleena, the battle is over and won. Return to the USSS Thanatos with care and prepare for debrief."

"Understood, Captain."

"I'm not joking about the with care part, Uleena. They're using A2s to clear the debris, out."

I looked at Inola, who by now was as pink as Reynolds, "Set a course for the Thanatos. Steer clear of debris fields by 300 miles or more, if you please."

"Yes, sir," came the response.

It took nearly an hour to get back to the Thanatos. Most of that time had been spent silently watching the tac-map as A2 symbols met with debris fields, causing them to disappear. There was a queue to dock with the Thanatos when we arrived, and we patiently waited to be 'scooped up'. There wasn't a spare dock for the Lowelana so we had to contend with the embarrassment of being carried like a child. I watched the holographic image of the three massive clamps close around the ship as my personal communicator beeped. I opened the message wondering who would have sent it.

_____

Uleena, I didn't want to say this where your crew could hear it but we'll need to talk frankly during your debrief. It may seem hostile, but please understand that that isn't the intention. Your answers will need to be truthful and concise or there will be negative ramifications. If you're unable to answer a question due to orders received by the Republic, you need to say, "I am unable to answer this question as it conflicts with my orders."

I wish I could tell you why, but even this message is almost a disobedience to my own orders. I'll be running the debrief, with some guests that you'll be notified of when you arrive. I'll try to go gentle, but expect harsh questions and some accusations from the guests. Tim will guide you to the conference room. I cannot stress enough the importance of being truthful during this debrief.

-Reynolds

_____

Reporting and debriefing always made me a little nervous, and I was already more nervous than normal due to being debriefed by aliens. Now my hearts were racing and I could barely think straight. What the fuck? Did I do something wrong? Did a member of my crew do something wrong? Are they angry that the Republic reinforcements didn't arrive in time? Or maybe they thought we didn't pull our weight? I had thought we had done rather well considering the circumstances.

I was so lost in thought that I had missed the docking notification. I realized this once I noticed my bridge crew staring at me.

"Right," I said. Then I keyed the comm, "Well done everyone. Please remain aboard the Lowelana for the time being. I'll let you know when shore leave is approved. Dismissed."

"What's going on ship-head?" asked Kriin.

"I don't know yet," I responded. "And I've got a feeling that I don't want to find out."