"Let's go to the trade post, Erin." You tell your computer. "That seems like a good neutral ground. Plus, whoever we meet will at least be used to dealing with other species. We might end up running into complete xenophobes if we pop into the middle of their space."
"Aye aye, captain! I'll get you to the trade outpost before you know it!" Erin chirps. You feel the pull of your thrusters as the ship rockets out of hangar. While it feels like an entire extra person sitting on your chest, the unpleasant sensation doesn't last long. In mere moments, the rocket has propelled you outside of Earth's atmosphere and into the inky blackness of space. You feel a moment of pride as you think that these conventional antimatter thrusters are completely human made, needing no alien help to get this far.
"Alright, engaging warp engine. This might feel weird, so hold on…" Erin says, and you obediently gird yourself. Then there's a flash, and suddenly the arrangement of the stars becomes completely different. You fight off a wave of vertigo from the after effects of the warp jump. Moving dozens of light years in a single moment doesn't come without momentary physical effects. Blinking and shaking your head, you recover yourself and start scanning the area with your instruments.
"Welcome to what the locals call Yvng'plych system!" Erin tells you as you analyze. You see a red giant star looming large in the view screen, thankfully shielded so you don't blind yourself. There are no planets, and very little debris. It looks like the star engulfed its children when it expanded into the giant phase.
"Mmm, how about I call it 'Kronos?' That's a little easier to pronounce." You tell Erin. Scanning further, you notice a large space station orbiting the star at a comfortably safe distance. Ships seem to file and and out at a decent pace, and it appears to be a sizable source of economic exchange.
"Suit yourself." Erin says easily. "The builders of the station have multiple mouths anyway. I went ahead and messaged Kronos Station, and they've given us clearance to dock. Shall I take us in?" You nod at Erin, you responds to the wordless command. The ship eases into a docking port, and it again amazes you how quickly and easily the Swift Feather maneuvers. All you have to do is tell Erin where you want to go, and it happens in almost the blink of an eye.
You get out of the pilot seat and head to the airlock. "The atmosphere is oxygen based, so you're fine without your helmet." Erin tells you. "Just remember, I can communicate with you through your translator in your ear!" You give her a thumbs up and hop out of the ship, eager to head into the station. You're about to meet aliens no human has ever seen!
As soon as you get out of the docking bay and into the station proper, you look around to see more alien species than you know what to do with. There must be hundreds of species here! Most seem to be humanoid, thankfully, but some of them are beyond bizarre. You can't help but gawk like a country yokel as something that looks like a cross between a giant millipede and a seahorse walks in front of you, glaring at you in annoyance as it does. Looking up, you start to think that this station has some kind of space bat infestation. But on closer inspection, you notice signs of sentience in the creatures. Bat-winged aliens no more than a foot tall glide through the air to stop at stalls and barter with their comparatively giant business partners.
You shake your head and focus. You can't stand around and gawk. This place might be great for running into a number of species, but your first mission is to establish relations with the Giglin. Most of these other races are probably farther away from Earth, and can wait for a little while. You try to think about your next move. It looks unlikely you'll just run into a Giglin at random here, Erin said they tend to avoid other races unless they want something. The best bet might be to ask one of the other aliens.
You notice a large, solemn alien manning a stall near you. He looks male, about ten feet tall, and built like a hairless grey gorilla. His knuckles rest his top heavy frame on the floor, next to tables filled with small unknown objects. You could ask him if he's seen a Giglin around, and where to meet them. They might have done business with him.
You also see that one of those small bat-like aliens casting a few curious looks in your direction. It's perched on a railing a few feet away, allowing you to subtly get a closer look at one of them. It's female in a humanoid fashion, you can tell that much from the two piece garment it wears, a pastel yellow wrap about its breasts and in a 'v' shape covering its hips and crotch, obscuring those bits of its light blue skin. The wings are bat-like expanses of skin, and each wing has a three fingered hand at the end. It's face is relatively normal, although the ears a very large and pointed. Short, wild hair looks styled in sort of a Mohawk-like look, although perhaps that's just how it grows on this species. If you could befriend her, she could probably easily scan the crowd from above and find a Giglin for you.
Then again, maybe it's best not to rely on others. This is your mission after all, and as a human you have to admit your incredibly naïve about how to conduct yourself around a bunch of aliens. You have no concept of the customs and ethics here. Maybe you should try to find a Giglin yourself while revealing as little about you as possible.
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