Darkcloud stood at the star view balcony, one of the few common areas on the star ship. Hir team was behind hir, all thirty of them. To some people they were just prototypes, to each other, they were a closely knit team. Each had their strengths and weaknesses, each with their own way of doing things. Each was vat grown, each a hybrid. Darkcloud was of the feline and canine hybrid group. Shi specifically was black wolf and black jaguar hybrid. She stood at seven feet and four inches, shi had a strong build, with long black fur and barely visible spots. Hir hair was also long, ending around hir waist. Shi had bright emerald green eyes.<br/><br/>Shi had been made to be an expert at close combat, with the ability to pick up a gun a fire it when needed. Everyone in hir team were supposed to be leaders to a degree, but they all deferred to hir when it came to combat.<br/><br/>Here they were all enjoying the time off. Some were playing cards, others reading, some doing as she was, looking up at the stars and finding their thoughts in them. Darkcloud knew they had one more mission to complete. Harder then the last one, something they heard for every mission since the second one. Like all those times, they were warned that not everyone in the team would make it back. Darkcloud had made sure otherwise. They had started with thirty in the team, and they still had thirty.<br/><br/>Darkcloud turned and looked at those of her team, a soft smile on hir face for them all. Like most of hir team, they preferred to have their fur, scales, etc to be their clothing. For some reason the scientist had issues with them not wearing any clothing. So they had all come to a compromise. Darkcloud was wearing something close to hir armor only today the fabric matched hir eyes. The outfit hat gold trim across the edges, she had opted to have earrings put in on both hir ears that were made of gold and emerald. The earring lined the outside of hir ears there was four in total. Shi was one of five hermaphrodites on this team.<br/><br/>There was one other person in this common room that was not a prototype. That was Brink. He was a large lizard like male. His race was one of the biggest supporters of the hybrids. Darkcloud and hir whole team had him to thank for the use of the common area. He did not like how the scientist were trying to have 24/7 test and work out regiments. He told them that they would have better results if they allowed us free time. He was the only one of his race here, and was the only one they all accepted into their common area when they were off duty. To the hybrids, he was another member of the team.<br/><br/><br/>-------------------<br/><br/>"Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen, the prototypes are a success," the lead geneticists said to those in the meeting, and to those over the vid-cast. "We are on the last mission, and we still have all thirty prototypes, with the majority only needing minor DNA adjustments." The men and women on the other end of the vid-caste looked more then pleased. The founding race for the prototypes were elf like. This race was the founding race for the Space Council, and the oldest race still around. This race was the scientist of the council. The first in space, and now the first successful in DNA engineering. "We are certain that negotiations can start sooner then first expected."