Editing Startide Rising (section)

== Plot summary ==

In the year 2489 [[Common Era|C.E.]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Corridor/8611/brin.htm |title=David Brin Uplift Timeline |access-date=2010-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626022211/http://reocities.com/area51/corridor/8611/brin.htm |archive-date=2010-06-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Terran [[starship|spaceship]] ''Streaker'' — crewed by 150 [[Biological uplift|uplifted]] dolphins, seven humans, and one uplifted chimpanzee — discovers a derelict fleet of {{gaps|50|000}} spaceships the size of small moons in a [[Star cluster|shallow cluster]]. They appear to belong to the Progenitors, the legendary "first race" that uplifted the other species. The [[captain's gig]] is sent to investigate but is destroyed along with one of the derelict craft — killing 10 crew members. ''Streaker'' manages to recover some [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifacts]] from the destroyed derelict and one well-preserved [[extraterrestrial life in popular culture|alien]] body. The crew of ''Streaker'' uses psi-cast to inform [[Earth]] of their discovery and to send a [[hologram]] of the alien.

When ''Streaker'' receives a reply, it is in code. Decrypted, it says only: “Go into hiding. Await orders. Do not reply.” Attempting to comply, ''Streaker'' is ambushed at the Morgran [[Hyperspace (science fiction)|transfer point]] and pursued by opposing fleets belonging to a number of extremist galactic clans and species (most or all of them devout of the quasi-religious "Alliances") —  'crusaders' seeking to claim the dead fleet for themselves for various religious reasons.

The novel begins about one month<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/albmont/brin_sr.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021082220/http://geocities.com/albmont/brin_sr.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 21, 2009|title=Startide Rising Timeline|website=geocities.com|access-date=Jun 20, 2020}}</ref> after the discovery in the cluster as ''Streaker'' arrives on the planet Kithrup, which has vast oceans, offering an ideal environment for the neodolphin crew to attempt to hide and repair their damaged ship. Almost immediately, the crusaders begin to arrive — dashing ''Streaker'''s hopes of hiding for very long, but some time remains for repairs when the armadas begin fighting each other for the right to capture ''Streaker''.

A Thennanin [[Battleship|dreadnought]] is damaged during the fighting and crashes into the ocean near ''Streaker'''s hiding place. The resultant [[tsunami]] strands several crew and causes several of the neo-dolphins to panic and revert to an instinctual, pre-uplifted mental state. Some of the stranded crew encounter pre-sentient natives (called Kiqui).

Meanwhile, on ''Streaker'', several crew members secretly plan a [[mutiny]] and defection while the officers plan to salvage parts from the Thennanin wreck. ''Streaker'' cannot be moved for fear of detection and because of the ongoing repairs, and so the salvage team uses undersea transportation to get to the wreck. The salvage team discovers the wreck's hull is mostly undamaged, and the Terrans form a plan to hide ''Streaker'' inside the Thennanin dreadnought hull and make their escape. As a bonus, several crew members salvage the Thennanin dreadnought's micro-branch of the galactic library for comparison with the ''Streaker'''s own copy, as Earth suspects their libraries have been sabotaged, with certain information redacted "for the greater good" of 'primitive' humans.

The mutinous crew, led by Takkata-Jim, sabotage equipment, leading to Captain Creideiki becoming brain damaged, although he later recovers somewhat. Before he can be caught, Takkata-Jim flees in a shuttle, but the shuttle has been sabotaged by the loyal crew, and he is sent into the middle of the battle over Kithrup with his radio disabled and his weapons set to fire when any ship approaches. Takkata-Jim unintentionally draws off the two largest remaining fleets.

In the confusion, ''Streaker'' almost escapes without incident hidden in the Thennanin hull, but is confronted by several ships belonging to the Brothers of the Night (Brethren). ''Streaker'' is saved when six Thennanin ships, saving one of their "own", fight off the Brethren warriors. ''Streaker'' then flees to the transfer point, but before fleeing, sends a mocking transmission to the crusading armadas.

The dolphins in the novel speak three languages: Primal, Trinary and Anglic. Primal and Trinary are represented as [[haiku]]-esque poems (two of the human characters quote [[Yosa Buson]]), while Anglic is a hypothetical English-derivative (not to be confused with the actual [[Anglic languages|Anglic]] family of languages containing [[English language|modern English]], its ancestors, and its close relatives like [[Scots language|Scots]]), rendered for the reader as standard English.

The book shifts point of view frequently from character to character, ranging from humans, to dolphins, to a number of the alien races that are trying to destroy, capture, or help the ''Streaker''. This allows the reader to get some idea of how the crew of the ''Streaker'' fits within the larger context of Galactic affairs. All of the alien races described in this book, and numerous others, are further described and illustrated in the book ''Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guide to David Brin's Uplift Universe''.