What is the Cephs relationship with the ship?
Short answer: The ship is their “mom”. Long answer: They are actually a single entity with more than one body, and yet complete individuals. The Ceph are like smaller satellites of the “ship” and they are all a satellite of the larger alien collective. As an example of their bond, if the ship got damaged, the Ceph would feel pain, but would not be damaged themselves. The Ceph often, but do not have to, share this bond. Cepha has created a barrier between herself and her brother.