The Angeldusters

The "Angeldusters" are a galactic pest, according to Jalnus (an octoid who can also be bipedal) and his crew, whose job is to find them and eliminate them where they spring up. Crystalline but capable of great destructive energy, a job gone wrong sends a psychic storm through Jalnus' #2, the crablike Srevchar, into his family and killing his wife and daughter. Jalnus follows the trail of a corpse at the scene leading him to a tree that produces a hallucinogenic drug. At first it's a fun, profitable side gig, which is especially good as Jalnus, 200 yrs old, is approaching his time to reproduce before death, which requires a hefty nest egg for his hundreds of offspring. He's also concerned that he's wasted most of his life and won't have worthwhile memories to pass on. But Jalnus discovers the drug links his consciousness to the Angeldusters. He appears in their completely virtual world contained in their transdimensional crystals, and realizes there are a billion souls in each crystal. This prompts him to want to be a diplomat between "The Lucid" and the galaxy, but Srevchar is set on revenge against them, pitting him against Jalnus as well. Jalnus and Srevchar battle, nearly killing each other before a "god" of The Lucid appears and shows them some of the wonder of the universe, humbling them. Srevchar joins the Lucid, himself crystallized, while Jalnus, now with some powerful memories to pass on, begins his reproductive ritual and passes away peacefully.