After they finished their drinks... Gene was shocked about how... mundane getting a crew was.

Hilda had very specific people in mind, talking with various Captains she knew. In between, while she was waiting for the Captains to show up, she sat at a table. Hilda just put a sign up... and started doing interviews.

•

The first person that met Hilda's high standards, as she had dismissed ten outlaws before him, was a Krogan. Though not the one from the bar.

He was easily passed 7 feet tall, though no where near 8. An amphibious lifeform, made of pure muscle. With the occasional patch of rock-like scales, and a lama sized hump behind his head. His face was a cross between a man and a toad. Big jaw and all.

Overall, a truly ugly creature... that radiated power. But that wasn't what attracted Hilda to him. The key difference, between another Krogan she had dismissed. Was his dress.

He hadn't even taken off his armor, for the purpose of hanging out at a bar. Since guns were outlawed, he was strapped with knives and swords. He had a bag of holding on his belt. Implying he was ready to leave at a second's notice.

He wasn't looking for adventure. This lifestyle wasn't about glory or money. You could tell by his eyes... this life was about living free.

"Urdnot?" Hilda recognized a symbol on his armor. "Didn't think your clan often leaves that Dyson Sphere Starfleet gave you."

"Few Krogans do," The toad thing grunted.

That was true enough. Although most Krogan that leave the Sphere, end up as either Pirates or Outlaws.

From what Gene heard, their Dyson Sphere was a joint project by the Terrans and Wizards. A way to contain the Krogan, and prevent them from multiplying across the Galaxy.

Each Krogan female is capable of laying a thousand eggs, per birthing. And it only takes 8 years for those eggs to mature into fully grown adults. The equivalent of a 25 year old human, by the Earth Calendar. Then the Krogan proceed to live an extra twelve hundred years, by the Galactic Standard Calendar.

In other words they had ridiculously long lives, and an even more ridiculous birth rate.

Without their natural predators, Krogan had a bit of a population control problem. So the terrans built them a Dyson Sphere, and the wizards filled it with extension charms. So that each Krogan household, the size of a single doorframe, contained a whole small town inside. With hundreds of house elves, per family, to help take care of all the children. Even educate them.

Each condo/village came with their own Uzumaki farm... with the house elves preparing the food.

Gene had seen documentaries about the Dyson Sphere. It was so freaking big, and with the millions of trillions of extension charms... it looked like a ghost town. Yet at least 10 trillion Krogan lived there. With each clan living on a different deck.

"You got a name, Urdnot?" Gene asked, before Hilda shot him a look. Clearly telling him she wanted to handle this one... strange, she didn't mind him talking to any of the other candidates. This one must have really caught her interest.

"Wrikar," The Krogan informed, and Gene took that gibberish to be his name.

•

Gene might not have seen many aliens, in person, but growing up he had seen all kinds of vids starring them. Not to mention that Xenology elective he took in middle school.

His dad thought it was important, for the life of a traveling merchant, that his son wanted to join him in, to at least be able to recognize the different alien species...

And Jim's own dad made sure the boy was educated on the same. Perhaps even in greater detail then Gene. As Jim had taken a few college classes on the topic... back when the Computer Wizard was still raising him. Jim was a child progeny, with a 300 level I.Q.

It was a matter of course, he was in college before most kids entered primary school... Gene remembered the Computer Wizard, being worried Jim might be hacking his grades, rather then studying. But thankfully was able to cure the boy of that, quickly. The Computer Wizard might not have a problem with cheating the rules... but he wanted his son to actually learn the material.

•

Regardless, there were some particularly bizarre species, that had alway stuck out to Gene. Mgalekgolo, for example, were made up of small orange worms called Lekgolo. That form a single collective consciousness within their colonies, called a Mgalekgolo colony.

Humanoids, of Sol 3, called them "Hunters" during the Covenant War. A nickname they rather enjoyed, as it spoke of their power.

The worm colonies were as strong as Krogans, and after they were exposed to Dragonite... it was found they were strangely adaptable to magic powers. With each having the raw power to destroy a city... at minimum.

Each colony acts as a single individual. Lekgolo are rather stupid on their own, but the more of them there are, in a colony, the more complex their collective thoughts can be.

As a colony of worms, Mgalekgolo have a diet of a variety of minerals... and nothing else. They couldn't even enjoy a cheeseburger.

To protect their colony, and allow for easier movement, Mgalekgolo will bind themselves into a high tech battle suit. Made of extremely dense armor, with various weapons built in, including their trademark plasma cannon... which they use as a club more often then firing.

However, Mgalekgolo have learned to use these cannons to channel their elemental bending powers. Which they have gained, from Lekgolo consuming the odd magic based mineral, they stumble on.

Nowadays, due to knowing what it can do, Hunters will occasionally go out of their way to eat Dragonite, in order to give themselves magic powers. They even have a belief that the more they consume, the stronger their magic will be.

As Mgalekgolo do not have vocal chords, being a bunch of worms and all, they speak by vibrating their bodies. This allows them to mimic any language, although it is difficult for them.

The technology has improved, in a thousand years, so universal translators, and even com radios, can interpret what the vibrations mean.

When a Mgalekgolo colony becomes too big, it will split off into two separate colonies. Which retain all their collective memories. While becoming separate, independent, individuals. Which maintain a strong emotional bond, similar to a "sibling" relationship, with their former colony. These pairs were often called "bond brothers" or even, more weirdly, "mates."

Gene couldn't help but wonder where this guy's was.

The guy, well not really a guy, being a colony of worms and all, but they shaped their armor to give them a bipedal form. Probably to make other races more comfortable... Gene would have given himself extra arms.

The point was... he was alone... that just didn't happen. Bond Brothers stayed by each other's side until they split off another colony. That's just how they were. They always came in pairs. No more, no less.

•

"Where's your brood mate thingy?" Gene carelessly asked. To which Hilda smacked him upside his head.

Gene yelped, then demanded, "What the Hell!!!" while not really asking.

The Hunter eyed him a moment. Then spoke. Gene really did feel the words more then heard them... and not just because of the vibrations in the air. "Dead," That word cut at Gene... he knew what it was like to lose family.

"Pirates?" Was all Hilda asked.

The Hunter nodded, before stating, "I hear you're one of the few Captain's willing to take the fight to them."

Hilda eyed him, "Why not just join Starfleet? One of their major purposes is to take on pirates. You'd even get to explore the galaxy. Likely get better pay, to. Or, at least, more reliable pay."

The worm colony just looked at her. "I don't plan to leave any alive," He calmly informed.

Hilda smiled, "I can respect that kind of ambition."

"What's your name?" Gene asked.

He could feel the worms smile, rather then see, "Exudo Boho Toru."

Author's Note

• Codex,
Mgalekgolo Spell Casting:

• My version of how Mgalekgolo spell casting works, is a slightly tweaked adaptation of how my Goblin Warlocks work, from my Harry Potter / Firefly crossover "Big Damn Heroes".

Although, as those Warlocks can only combine the elements they have an affinity for. Mgalekgolo can combine any two elements. It just takes years of study and training... and the actual time to cast those more powerful spells is a bit too long to use in a solo fight. As they need time to charge the spell.

• Each Lekgolo can only channel a single element, to a very minor degree. Meaning a Lekgolo with a fire affinity can produce a few sparks. However, when combined together into a Mgalekgolo colony, they could channel all elements, to truly destructive degrees.

Their cannon must draw on the worms that channel a specific element, which takes them a few seconds to charge, before unleashing their attack.

• Elemental Bending:

Hunters can harness their magic into raw elements. Even control that naturally occurring element. Different elements result in a different manifestation of powers. With those powers being similar to the children's shows "Avatar the Last Airbender" and "Naruto". These Elements Include: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Lightning, Ether, Light, and Darkness. And largely work like the "Jutsus" or "bending" they are based on.

Hunters can learn Jutsus / Spells from most of these fields of magic.

• Lightning:

Those who can convert their Magic into Electricity can send out shocks or lightning.

• Ether:

This allows them to directly tap into the most raw form of Magic. Not the most elegant, but definitely the most destructive. It could be used to duplicate attacks from "Dragon Ball Z" and "Yu Yu Hakusho".

• Tactile Telekinesis:

Can move objects, within 5 feet of themselves, with their mind. Masters of this power can levitate hundreds of items at once, and hundreds of tons. Those that specialized in this can learn to levitate things within 120 feet of themselves, but that takes a lot of Magic.

However, a few legendary Hunters can levitate anything within their natural level of sight, no matter how far away. These Hunters can pull star ships out of the air, from their place on the ground. Even crush them.

• Barrier:

Can create a shield of pure telekinetic energy. From around their bodies, to small walls.

• Darkness:

Commanding darkness, and Similar to the shadows themselves. Like the Jutsus of the Nara clan (from Naruto) or Shadow Dancers from "Dungeons and Dragons".

• Shadow Dance:

Which allows trained Hunters to travel through shadows. To sink into them, into the realm of shadows, and move great distances. Spying on the real world from inside a shadow, and even able to move between them. Shadows work much like Portals to them.

The better trained in this power can sink into the floor, entering the shadow realm without need of direct access to a shadow, and can move apart from them. Moving across surfaces as a shadow, with nothing casting it.

• Shade Form:

Others can turn into a fog, made of shadows. Which can be used to make them temporarily invulnerable to anything but light and fire.

• Extra limbs:

Some can train their shadow to move as if a separate limb. One they can stretch out to great distances. Although the shadows they manipulate, must be connected to their own shadow, in some way. A great weakness with this, is they can feel others touching their shadow. So it can be used to injure them.

Masters of this power, and only masters, can even control their own shadow if they aren't touching it. Say, if they are at a great height, and their shadow is being cast at the ground below.

• Light:

Bending light let's them create complicated illusions. Similar to the Illusion spells from Elder Scrolls. They can be used to create light, turning invisible, or just blending into their surroundings.

• Combining Elements:

Combining elements is tricky for Hunters, as they are trying to focus on two types of their Lekgolo, rather then one. However, with great skill and study, it can be mastered. This allows for more complicated spell casting.

• Wind and Water:

grants additional ice powers. Even traveling through Ice mirrors, like Haku from "Naruto".

• Water and Earth:

Allows for plant manipulation. Able to grow plants instantly, from a mere seed, and control their movements.

• Earth and Fire:

Can create or control lava based Jutsus.

• Water and Ether:

Allows for something similar to "blood magic". They are able to control the bodies, and even the minds, of any living creature.

• Earth and Ether:

Allows for individuals to have Magneto, from "X-Men", level magnetism powers. As well as Toph's "Metal bending" from "Avatar the last Airbender". And even the ability to forge metals together in seconds.

• Lightning and Ether:

This allows for minor Technomancy, the control of electronics. Although doing so requires greater focus, and long charge times, then a natural born Technomancer.

This also allows for momentary burst of super speed, mostly for charging forward.

• Light and Ether:

This combination allows for two major abilities.

A "Henge" works very similarly to a transformation Jutsu, from Naruto. As they don't gain the abilities of the creatures, or objects, they turn into.

They can't alter their density, despite altering their weight and size. So they don't become stronger, weaker, or any more or less durable. They also maintain their level of Perception, even when in the form of something with no eyes or ears. They can also use these henges on others. Although they must initially touch what they change, their is no limit in how far away it can get.

• Illusionary Constructs:

These act near independently, although in truth they are controlled by the user's own subconscious. Through that link, the clones transfer all information they gather, back to the original. Though only upon being dispelled, or destroyed.

These constructs have no range limit, of how far they can venture from the original. This is largely based off the Naruto "Shadow Clone Jutsu".