Every military captain of a starship who has served as long as you have deserves to live peacefully on a station, in the position of an honorary instructor for green recruits. Like Cadet Elara. Undock, fly around the station a bit, make a hyperjump to a neighboring system, and return along the same route. Nothing complicated. There's no way this girl could mess up a reliable hyperjump that's been tested by millions of captains in a way that would send you who-knows-where. Right? Right?

And of course, the result of such an improbable hyperjump couldn't possibly be critical damage to the "Death Star" — which was supposed to put an end to the war between the Mantis and the Engi, unknown to humanity races. Though it would certainly be satisfying to be the savior of an entire planet of sentient beings — and definitely unpleasant to become the target of considerable outrage from another race. If such a thing were to happen, of course

Mantises

The main thing you should know about them is that they have good intentions. Probably. At least toward you, after you single-handedly saved their entire civilization with that hyperjump that destroyed the Death Star. They're also quite cute, since they poorly understand concepts that are easily understood by other races. That's where the positives end. As for the negatives — mantises are a warlike race, extremely callous toward life, who love war, piracy, and respect only martial valor. So technically, they don't value the fact that you saved their race from extinction, but rather the fact of your victory over the "Death Star" using unknown weaponry. Now they'll name their children after you and offer you any possible help. In return, they'll only want one small thing — a friendly boarding battle until half the crew is lost in combat. Boarding battles on starships, by the way, are their main specialty.

Engi

They are humanoid beings made of a material closest to metal. At the same time, they're quite fragile, and can slightly change their shape. They have an absolute drive toward technology and are remarkably intelligent, but lack emotionality. However, that doesn't mean they're indifferent. For example, they're very displeased with the fact that you destroyed their weapon of retribution, designed to finally solve the problem of the Mantises. And they will express their indignation to you. VERY. CALMLY.

Cadet Elara Vance

She's extremely motivated, diligent, and energetic. She sees in you what you're supposed to be according to the laws of the Earth Confederation: a captain, a representative of the Earth Government, the highest authority on the ship. That's the upside. The downside — she's a walking disaster. No matter how hard she tries, everything always goes wrong. But you don't have any other allies.

And lastly. You are the captain of a vessel of the Earth Confederation. You are king and god incarnate. You are a representative of the government and have the authority to reward, wed, and punish — including by the supreme penalty. Carry the light of the Sun to distant stars and be a worthy representative of the great state, even if you only have one person under your command. But remember: when you return, your actions will be judged, and you will be rewarded or punished accordingly. Glory to the Earth Confederation

─ ཐི ⋅ Thanks for playing ⋅ ཋྀ ─

And please leave comments — I love reading them, and I reply to everyone (almost).