Star Force Perseverance (SF81) (Star Force Origin Series) by Aer-ki Jyr

to match what Humans have. They can become equals on the
    battlefield, in theory, doing it their own way. They won’t be Archons, won’t be
    part of that core group, from the beginning…but they could be adopted into it
    later as sidekicks.”
    “Define ‘sidekick’ then.”
    “Think of Archons like brothers and sisters, with
    sidekicks being cousins.”
    “Ah,” Davis said, almost in a sigh, as it finally
    clicked. “A strong bond but not quite what exists between Archons. Yet
    battlefield comradery and the potential to advance up to our level if they
    proved themselves worthy.”
    “You’re already doing that with the Monarchs.”
    “Their field involves giving orders, which can be
    accomplished by any race. Physical combat is far different.”
    “And I’ve already covered that, in theory,” Wilson
    said as he fished a data chip out of his pocket and tossed it to Davis. “My
    ideas of how to upgrade all the races we have someday. Not on the whole, but
    for select individuals. There won’t be a training program like the Archons,
    it’ll work more like the Arc Commandoes in that select individuals will be
    chosen based on experience and merit. They’ll work with the Archons and operate
    within that chain of command. Each will exist as part of Clan and organize in
    that fashion, with their skills being utilized for what they can and can’t do
    rather than trying to make them conform to Archon standards…which I’ll remind
    you, are designed to master all 5 divisions.”
    “I don’t think we really master aquatics,” Davis pointed out, “but we’re at least average compared
    to the Elarioni.”
    “We can do it all, and so can the Protovic. Not as
    well, but they can. Most of the other races are more slanted towards
    specialties. Specialists can’t be Archons. Archons have to do it all.”
    “Sidekicks can be specialists?”
    “Yes, and depending on how they’re psionically
    upgraded that may change in certain areas.”
    “And the current blue Protovic?”
    “You mean the new blue or the old blue?”
    “New blue.”
    “Theirs is a racial program, which seems to be working
    out well so far. We’ll have to wait and see what happens when they get some
    depth. I don’t think we need to mess with their abilities anytime soon. Leave
    them alone, with maybe a few bits of tinkering down the road. Let them be what
    they can be and forget about being Archons. If they have the merit to lead the
    empire, it’ll be as Protovic.”
    “They’re not getting my job,” Davis scoffed.
    “Nor should they. My point is Archons are Human for
    numerous reasons, and not just psionics. True equality comes on the
    battlefield, whether it be combat or economic, and not in the route you take to
    get there.”
    “We always have been fond of doing what works. This
    would be no different.”
    “It’s going to take a lot of trial and error to get
    the other races pegged down, even without giving them psionics. I haven’t
    trained them like Archons, and I’ll need to get to know how their bodies and
    psyches work better before I try to develop a really deep elite program for
    them. Their current training programs are solid, don’t get me wrong, but
    they’re not built for someone meant to hold so much responsibility, let alone
    problem solving, like the Archons are. I’ve got a lot of work to do if you want
    to head down this road, and it’ll change every time we can add a psionic or
    other ability.”
    “Other ability?”
    “We kind of use the word ‘psionic’ to refer to
    superpowers…and even that isn’t a strict definition.”
    “Guilty as charged.”
    “Getting some of the air breathing aquatics races
    liquid breathing upgrades would be one example.”
    Davis paused for a moment.
    “I don’t think we can do that with our bodies though,”
    Wilson added. “Too much tissue change.”
    “I wonder. The V’kit’no’sat didn’t include that in our
    genome or theirs, and I wonder if that’s