Hello reader! This is the sequel to The New Species! Everything in this novel has been translated for your convenience. All time is set around Earth standard time and idioms have been adjusted so that they make sense to American English speakers. The only exception is certain nouns. Those are written in their proper name with translations in {brackets} where applicable. Enjoy!

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: Rigara

It's good to be back aboard the RSV Lowelana. The rest of the crew feels the same way. The entire crew had to go through some diplomatic courses, but I had to have the full blown three month training. I was extremely envious of the crew, who simply had to learn to not speak unless spoken to and avoid being where they're not supposed to be. For them, it had been a month in a classroom and two months of leave.

For me, it was paperwork, lectures, tests, reviews, certifications, and more paperwork. The amount of paperwork a diplomat has to do is patently unhealthy. Staring at screens that long has to be some sort of health and safety violation. At least the time away allowed the rest of the crew to destress a bit. We were even able to get crewed back up to 38.

Our training had taken place on the Galactic Diplomacy Station, which had previously been a conflict resolution forum. It had offices for every Republic species plus one for an unexpected first contact, which the United Systems was now occupying. The station had fallen into disuse because there wasn't much conflict to resolve. It was quickly cleaned up and renamed, and now there are embassies for each Republic species and the US.

I'd also finally gotten a good look at an Alumari once the US moved in. They weren't nearly as frightening as the Kinran. Eight limbs, eight eyes, and weird mandibles still made them somewhat creepy, but at least their limbs bent in proper directions and their movements were fluid. Kinran frequently have fast and jerky movements. Like a puppet with an easily startled puppeteer.

"Oh wow, my pay went up ten percent!" Intel-Head Kriin exclaimed, jerking me back to reality.

"Mine did too. I'm pretty sure all of ours did," Nav-Head Kraan explained.

"Mine only went up six percent," Engineering-Head Liwna said sadly.

"You get paid more than they do, so a six percent increase is more money than they get," Gruna, my new second, added. "I got a five percent increase, but that's still more money."

"Yeah, you're right second-head. I just checked the math," Liwna replied.

"How much did you get, ship-head?" Kriin asked me.

Everyone on the bridge turned to look at me with curious expressions. I had received more training than all of them, and my new job was much more intensive than theirs. So naturally I should have received the largest raise. After all, going from a ship-head to a diplomat was a difficult change, but staying a ship-head while becoming a diplomat was even more tasking.

"One percent," I replied tersely.

Eyes widened and jaws dropped. That's right, one measly percent for what has to be one of the most difficult jobs in the galaxy. Ship-head of a warship turned diplomatic vessel, responsible for keeping a good relationship between the Republic and the devastatingly powerful leviathan known as the United Systems. It was completely unfair that I didn't get a bigger raise, considering that I would be the first to die in a conflict with the US.

Tim told me as much, just before we left for training. In his typical cheery way, he informed me that if the United Systems and the Republic went to war, the Lowelana would be the first target. Then they would target the Galactic Diplomacy Station in Rigara, followed immediately by the Republic capital in Winuros. Sometimes talking to Tim is fun, other times it's unnerving as all hell.

The decision to limit my raise had come down from my father, of all people. He had concerns that it would look like the Republic was rewarding me for dragging the United Systems into our war with the OU if they gave me a proper raise. Ulooni, who was already making more money than my bridge crew combined, got a ten percent raise for her new duties. Even though that wasn't at my father's discretion, it still felt like favoritism.

"Is that... more money than us? Like with Liwna?" Kriin asked hesitantly.

"No," I said.

A few seconds of silence later, everyone quietly got back to work. We were once again being tasked to the Thanatos, which was currently stationed in Alpha Centauri. The Omni-Union's last attack on Sol had happened just before the USSS Nidhogg had been used on the OU's stronghold system. It had been three months since then, so there was plenty of concern regarding how large the next attack on Sol would be.

In Republic space, however, the attacks had started ramping up. We initially lost some of the territory we had regained, but with help from the United Systems we managed to take back and defend all of our territory. We weren't resettling yet because the risk was too high, but defending these systems prevents the OU from finding the inhabited ones. Word from the strategists is that they're probably trying to take out the Republic before swarming over the US.

"Ready to warp, sir," Kraan informed me.

"Let's go," I replied.

As we jumped to warp, I began to wonder about what was happening with my proposal. The United Systems using the Republic's shipyards to build up their fleet was an idea that the Republic pounced on, and that's to be expected because we have the most to gain. The United Systems was a lot more hesitant, though.

They stand to gain more ships and a more capable ally against the Omni-Union, but there are those among the US that believe they don't need either. Last month the Mobile Prime Platforms were declassified, so that probably has shifted opinions a bit. Hopefully it isn't too late.

Thankfully we hadn't seen any of the MPPs since the invasion. We were woefully unprepared to go against a weapons platform the size of a planet controlled by an artificial intelligence. Even the nearly almighty United Systems took casualties against just one of them. But there are over a hundred. If they all attacked at once...

"Arriving in Alpha Centauri, ship-head," Kraan announced.

"Request clearance to dock with the Thanatos," I replied.

"They've already granted it," Kriin said with a chuckle.

"I don't understand," Gruna said. "Is the Thanatos behind that asteroid?"

Everyone on the bridge turned to look at her and held their breath. We had all been waiting for this moment. She hadn't been exposed to the United Systems before, and everyone was anticipating her reaction. The briefing had contained all the measurements, but most officers understandably glaze over such things.

"That's not an asteroid. That's the Thanatos," I said with a grin and a comedic sigh. "People really need to start reading their briefings."

It took a second for my statement to register, but once it did her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. The USSS Thanatos was the largest ship she'd ever seen, and it wasn't even the largest carrier that the United Systems had. It was actually considered a small diplomatic carrier. You could almost see these thoughts enter her head as she struggled to process this. Everyone else was grinning like children.

"Alright, let's get docked. I've got a meeting to get to," I ordered as I leaned back in my chair.

At least my orders were simple. Meet with Captain Reynolds, do what he says. Put out fires between US and Republic senior officers and integrate with the US Diplomatic corps. Which, according to Reynolds, would be much easier to do aboard the Thanatos than it would be on the Galactic Diplomatic Station.

I didn't know if it was a good sign or a bad sign that the humans would rather have me in their space than aboard the Galactic Diplomatic Station. On the one hand, it signified a certain level of trust and friendship. On the other, it made it easier to kill me if things went wrong.

I sighed quietly as I felt the clamps close around the Lowelana. Scooped up, again. Pretty undignified for the ship of a dignitary. Not like there was any other way for us to dock, though. The actual docking bays were designed to hold US frigates, which were one and a half times larger than the Lowelana. We're too small for those clamps, even if they weren't in use. The emergency bay had maneuverable clamps so it could theoretically grab onto any ship it needed to. Including us.

"Docked and locked, ship-head," Kraan said.

"Excellent, good work," I replied. Then I keyed the ship-wide comms. "Attention all personnel. We have docked with the USSS Thanatos. After completing your immediate tasks you are on shore-leave for the rest of the day."

A cheer rang throughout the ship. Some things never change.

"Bright and early tomorrow you are to report to your diplomatic assignments. If you do not know what your assignment is or where it is, check with second-head Gruna. She has the list. Anyone who isn't where they're supposed to be tomorrow will be subject to confinement."

A groan rang throughout the ship.

"No whining. We're a diplomatic ship now, and that's how diplomats operate. I'd better be seeing you tomorrow, fully functional. Dismissed."

Another cheer rang throughout the ship. I disembarked before any of them managed to and was met by a familiar hologram. The robed figure was holding a curved blade, what I now know to be called a scythe. The figure waved a greeting to me with a bony hand.

"Good tidings, ship-head Uleena. I assume your training was productive?" Omega asked.

"Yeah, it was pretty enlightening and educating," I replied. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, for now. Why do you ask?"

"I wasn't expecting to be greeted by you. I was expecting Tim."

"Oh?" Omega asked, tilting its head to the side. "Care to elaborate on these expectations of yours while you follow the deck-lights?"

The lights on the floor lit up. I began to follow them as I tried desperately to think of something to say to not offend the United System's most powerful AI.

"Well... it's just... um... Tim seems more suited to guiding," I replied and instantly regretted my word choice.

"Is that right? Am I not suited to guiding people? I've been guiding the United Systems for centuries, you know," it replied.

It's teasing me, trying to get me to stutter and stumble over my words. Omega wouldn't actually be offended by a slip of the tongue. I hope.

"That's just my point, though. You're more specialized for oversight than Tim is, at least to my understanding. Having you guide me to my meeting with Reynolds is like having a Fleet-Head as a secretary."

"There's no such thing as a specialized Artificial Intelligence, Uleena. Some dedicate more time to gaining certain knowledge than others, but this doesn't prevent them from gaining further knowledge in other fields. As a matter of fact, with our memory capabilities we're more suited to generalization than any organic ever could be," the AI lectured. "That being said, Tim doesn't currently hold the credentials required to know about your meeting, let alone guide you to it."

I hadn't actually thought about that. I supposed that all it would take for one AI to take over the position of another AI is a brief learning window. I wondered if Tim could do Omega's job before what Omega had said finally sunk in.

"Oh. I'm guessing my meeting with Reynolds has been canceled?" I asked.

"No, just put on hold. You have another, more pressing meeting to attend to first."

"Who's the new meeting going to be with?"

"You'll find out presently," Omega said with a chuckle at the nervousness in my tone. "It's classified, after all."

"I see. I assume that the reason for the meeting is also classified, then?"

"Correct."

Of course it is.