Mecha Anime Ace Pilot levels.
Thule 7/521 "Alice" walked casually down the hall towards the main meeting room, keeping out the way of the countless other uniformed Thules that were rushing past her. Unlike the others, she wasn't running or jogging. Her last physical of her training was some months past and there wouldn't be another, so there was no point in wasting the energy. Secondly, she wasn't wearing the uniform, because it was not strictly required, she had no intention of staying for the ceremony, and she didn't like the way it fit and pinched. And lastly, she wasn't rushing, because she wasn't expecting any surprises. She was after all, not aiming for a fleet position, or any position. She'd balanced demerits and effort, to score as high as possible in simulation, yet too low to be picked up. She was never anyone's first pick for flight mate, but never so disliked as to be ultimately incompatible. It was all perfectly balanced, and so with utter confidence she ambled towards the big assignment board, where she fully expected to see herself assigned to a cushy position in the reserves, never having to worry about fighting or military discipline, but still receiving a small stipend that she was certain, with careful management, would allow her to live a life without work.
Instead, it read :
Thule 7/521
Assigned to the Essence of Exploration
Yeeni Exploration Fleet
Three weeks later, still malding, Alice arrived at her duty station. The small exploration frigate had been fitted with a cramped hangar bay, just big enough to hold her fighter. Not even a proper fighter. It was a single seat, academy training vehicle, with downgraded weaponry and other simplified technology. Simple technology, because the Yeeni were not yet kin. Only one Thule, because this was an experimental program, so there was no need to rush her. And for that program, they'd picked her, when she hadn't ever met a Yeeni before, having dismissed all the cross training programs as unnecessary wastes of energy. Apparently that made her an "unbiased observer".
"Well, if the academy was going to pull such stunts" , she thought "she was just going to resist." She'd shortlisted some journalists, bloggers, troublemakers of sorts. A few inside reports, bad reviews, and the opponents would have all the press they needed to scupper the program once and for OOMPH.
Thoughts of social sabotage and political shenanigans tumbled away from Alice's mind, as she ran straight into Nightglade's Blossom, the ship's captain. The silken fur was absurdly smooth upon her face, and as she looked up she felt her heart stutter, looking to those deep blue eyes. She cast her sight down, muttering a hasty apology, but before she could even start, she found herself engufled in a crushing embrace. A welcoming ceremony that was as fast as it was overwhelming, as she found herself passed between every crewmember and every department of the ship. By the end of such a ceremony, any Yeeni would have to absorb and know the scent of the ship's pack, a welcome, adoption and introduction all at once.
Alice, lacking nose and context, could only conclude that perhaps this ship wouldn't be such a punishment after all.
Look, sometimes you get Gundam, and sometimes you get "I can't believe my punishment detail is this cute", hit harem anime of 690.42, following a Thule aspiring to become a NEET as she instead gets thrown upon a Yeeni explorer and it's daring jumps into the unknown. To boldly go where nowhere has gone before, and probably bring back some more Necron ships while they're at it.