Invitation

The starship fleet is not particularly partial to the Ascendancy. We try not to interfere in basic intersystem activities, and they are supposed to be apolitical.

So the conversation Indigo had with the Captain was unusual for a number of reasons.
I'm the official Captain of the Creche so intership communication should be addressed to me. This came routed through the Starships' routing to the Ascendancy, strange enough, per above.
Indigo says that first the Captain said that the presence of her crew was requested on board his ship, the Cuvetedra. This is completely unheard of. Spacecraft don't just politely ask to divert other spacecraft twenty-odd light years away. There are schedules to keep. Indigo was always one to maintain composure, so she politely says that we are on an important scientific mission, and are not at liberty to divert from our schedule.
Then she says the Captain got really uncomfortable, and rephrased: our presence is being requested _BY_ the Cuvetedra.