She Was the Youngest in the Fleet—But the Alien Armada Now Calls her ‘Commander | HFY Story

The universe in all its vast and infinite wisdom had somehow decided that humans belonged among the stars. This was by all objective measurements a terrible idea. Yet here they were, the cosmic equivalent of that one friend who shows up uninvited to the party, but somehow ends up organizing the games and making everyone have a suspiciously good time.

The Galactic Consortium, pretentious name, ridiculous logo, had been peacefully managing interstellar affairs for over 12,000 years before humans stumbled onto the scene with their outdated propulsion systems and bizarrely enthusiastic greeting messages. They'd just so loud. Ambassador Schil of the Vian Confederacy had complained during the initial membership hearings, both in communication and thought process.

The seven-limmed diplomat wasn't wrong. Humanity had, in typical fashion, walted into galactic politics with all the subtlety of a supernova in a meditation chamber. The Ranthorans, with their hyperlogical hive mind, had actually calculated the probability of humans surviving their first century of interstellar politics at approximately 0034%.

They'd been forced to recalculate when humanity not only survived, but somehow secured three seats on the Galactic Security Council within 15 years. Mathematics, it seemed, hadn't accounted for humanity's remarkable ability to make friends in unlikely places. The Drllar Alliance, giant arthropoid warriors with exoskeletons that could withstand small nuclear blasts, had initially viewed humans as potential appetizers rather than allies.

That changed during the notorious Syria diplomatic conference when a human delegate challenged the Drr Supreme Commander to what the humans called arm wrestling. The human lost spectacularly, of course, but the Drr was so impressed by the audacity that they immediately proposed a military alliance. They have no natural armor, minimal strength, and laughable sensory capabilities, the Supreme Commander had announced to his bewildered council.

Yet, they challenge us without fear. Either they are the greatest warriors in the galaxy or the most entertaining fools. Either way, we want them on our side.

Thus began humanity's improbable rise through galactic ranks. Through a combination of genuine ingenuity, reckless diplomacy, and what many species referred to as disturbing levels of adaptability, humans had secured a place at the cosmic table. They'd even contributed a few innovations of their own, though the less said about their introduction of karaoke night to the Galactic Senate, the better.

Of course, not everyone was thrilled with humanity's expanding influence. The Krelac Dominion, ancient and arrogant, watched from the edges of known space with compound eyes narrowed in suspicion. The Dominion had ruled vast sways of the galaxy before retreating into isolation millennia ago.

Their recent emergence coincided suspiciously with humanity's ascendance, though their official stance was that the timing was merely astronomical coincidence. Humans, with their characteristic inability to read the room, or the galaxy, as it were, had immediately extended invitations for cultural exchange, scientific collaboration, and most alarmingly to the Krevlacs, an interspecies sports tournament. The Krevlac response came in the form of an armada.

Not just any Armada, but a fleet of vessels so vast it temporarily altered the gravitational patterns of the outer rim when it assembled. Each ship bore the distinctive crimson markings of Krevlac war doctrine, a doctrine that hadn't been implemented in over 4,000 years. And so it was that humanity found itself facing its first true interstellar crisis with the dubious honor of defending not just Earth, but the entire galactic consortium.

The diplomatic channels fell silent. The Krevel's dominion had made their position clear. The universe had made a mistake allowing humans among the stars, and they intended to correct it.

What nobody expected was that humanity's best hope would come in the form of its most unlikely representative, the youngest officer ever to serve in Earth's fledgling fleet. Lieutenant Elliot Xiao was never supposed to be on the front lines. At 24 standard Earth years, practically embionic by consortium military standards, she should have been safely tucked away at some rear echelon tactical academy, memorizing obsolete battle formations and playing with simulation programs.

Instead, she found herself serving as third tactical officer aboard the UES Intrepid, a cruiserclass vessel with more battle scars than half the fleet combined. The ship's AI had calculated her life expectancy at approximately 8 months, which was actually an improvement over its initial estimate of six. Her file read like a clerical error.

Top graduate of the Luna Military Academy, specialized in nonlinear combat strategy, fluent in seven alien languages, three of which involved appendages humans didn't possess, and the youngest ever recipient of the Hawking Medal for theoretical battle mechanics. Those achievements would have been impressive for an officer twice her age. For someone barely out of training, they were suspicious.

They say she hacks the academy scoring system, communications specialist Diaz whispered during Xiao's first meal in the officer's mess. No human brain works like that. I heard she's part cybernetic, replied chief engineer Okafor.

Military experiment. Why else would they send a kid to the front? The truth, as usual, was both simpler and more complicated.

Ziao had caught Admiral Harrison's attention by identifying a critical flaw in the standard consortium defensive formation during what was supposed to be a routine training exercise. When questioned about her methodology, she had shrugged and said it looked wrong. 3 months of intensive testing later, the Admiral T reluctantly concluded that Lieutenant Xiao possessed what they termed intuitive pattern recognition beyond standard human parameters.

In other words, she saw connections others missed. weaknesses where others saw strength, opportunities in chaos. The crew's skepticism slowly gave way to a grudging respect after Ziao correctly predicted a Drr battle cruiser's malfunction during joint exercises, something the Dellicar engineers themselves hadn't caught.

When she subsequently saved three crew members during an unexpected gravity well collapse by calculating their drift trajectories in her head faster than the ship's computer, respect began turning into something like awe. Captain Navaro, a veteran of three interstellar conflicts, had initially viewed her assignment to his vessel as either punishment or a bad joke. Now he made a point of inviting her to every tactical briefing, though he still refused to admit she belonged on a frontline vessel.

The problem with Xiao, he once told his first officer over contraband centuran whiskey, is that she doesn't think like a military officer. She thinks like a predator assessing prey. It's effective, but unsettling.

What no one aboard the Intrepid realized was that Lieutenant Xiao's unconventional thinking stemmed not from mathematical genius or tactical training, but from an entirely different background. Before the academy, she'd spent her youth designing illegal virtual reality games, complex adaptive systems where players competed against algorithms that learned faster than they did. The Krevac Armada was about to discover exactly how dangerous a game designer could be when the game was war.

The Krelac attacked during what humans still quaintly called night shifts. Despite the complete meaninglessness of dal cycles in deep space, their opening salvo wasn't detectable by standard consultium sensors, a fact that would have been fascinating under different circumstances, like circumstances where everyone wasn't about to die. The first indication of trouble came when the Intrepid's artificial gravity inverted for 2.

7 seconds. Crew members on every deck suddenly found themselves crashing into ceilings before slamming back to floors. Equipment shattered.

Bones followed suit. Lieutenant Xiao had been asleep when it happened, which meant she had the distinctive honor of waking up while falling upward. Her head struck the ceiling with enough force to momentarily scramble her vision into a kaleidoscope of emergency lighting.

Status report. Captain Navar's voice thundered through the shipwide comm before being abruptly cut short by what sounded like several tons of metal collapsing. The ship's AI, programmed with the emotional range of a particularly dull spoon, chose this moment to helpfully announce, "Alert!

Multiple hull breaches detected. Command deck compromised. Life support failing on decks 1 through 4.

Have a pleasant day. " Xiao staggered into the corridor, blood trickling from a gash above her eye. Emergency bulkheads were slamming down throughout the ship, sealing off sections with catastrophic damage.

Through a viewport, she glimpsed what appeared to be a crelax vessel. Though vessel seemed inadequate for something that resembled a metallic leviathan with impossible geometries that hurt to look at directly. And command staff report to auxiliary control.

First officer Chen's voice replaced the captains tight with barely controlled panic. Repeat all command. A sound like ripping steel interrupted followed by absolute silence.

The ship lurched violently again. Xiao found herself sliding along the deck plating toward an emergency ladder. The artificial gravity was now at roughly 0.

3 standard, just enough to provide direction, but not enough for dignified movement. She reached auxiliary control to find chaos. Of the eight officers who should have been there, only three had arrived.

Lieutenant Commander Park, the second tactical officer and Xiao's direct superior, was attempting to route command functions through systems clearly not designed for the current level of damage. Medical officer Reyes was frantically trying to establish contact with the various trauma response teams, Enson Washington, barely a year out of academy, was vomiting quietly in the corner. Where's the captain?

First officer, Helm, Xiao demanded, strapping herself into the tactical station. Park looked up. Face Ashen gone.

Command deck took a direct hit. Engineering reports the drive core is destabilizing. We're operating on secondary systems only.

The auxiliary view screens flickered to life, showing the tactical situation. It wasn't a battle so much as an execution. The Intrepid was surrounded by five Krelac vessels, each easily three times its size.

The rest of the human consortium fleet was nowhere in visual range. "We're cut off," Park said unnecessarily. "No communication with fleet command.

We're his. " His his console exploded in a shower of sparks, throwing him backward with terrible force. He didn't move again.

Jiao stared at the tactical display, at the unmoving form of Park at the terrified eyes of Washington. The ship's computer chose that moment to helpfully announce command protocols transferring to highest ranking officer. Lieutenant Xiao, you have the Her first thought, which she managed not to say aloud.

Well, this is thoroughly suboptimal. Her second thought, which she did say. Enson, I need you to stop vomiting and start working.

We're not dead yet. Can we establish communication with the crelax vessels? Jiao asked, applying a medical patch to her forehead wound with one hand while reconfiguring tactical displays with the other, theoretically, replied communications officer Reyes, who is now handling about five different jobs simultaneously.

But they're not exactly answering our calls. It's less communication breakdown and more they're deliberately ignoring us while they prepare to atomize our molecules. The intrepid shuddered again as another energy burst struck the already compromised hull.

The lights flickered ominously. "They're playing with us," Ziao observed, staring at the tactical display. "Those weren't killing blows.

They could have destroyed us three times over by now. Maybe they're just really bad shots," offered Enen Washington, who had graduated from vomiting to looking merely ghostly pale. "I need an open channel," Xiao commanded, ignoring the comment.

broadcast on all frequencies the Krevlacs are known to use. Add in some they probably don't just to be annoying. Reyes worked her console with the frantic energy of someone who fully expected each breath to be her last.

Channel open now. Xiao straightened her uniform jacket and cleared her throat. This is Lieutenant Elliot Xiao of the United Earth Ship Intrepid.

To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking before you attempt to obliterate us? The view screen remained dark for so long that Xiao wondered if the transmission system had failed. Then it flickered to life, revealing a Krelac commander.

The alien's exoskeleton gleamed with what appeared to be ceremonial inlays. Six compound eyes reflecting the light in disorienting patterns. Multiple appendages moved in what humans had learned to recognize as expressions of surprise.

"We detect no captain signature," the Crave said. universal translator, rendering its clicks and whistles into flat emotionless standard. "Who commands your vessel?

" "I believe I just introduced myself," Xiao replied with pointed politeness. The Cravac's mandibles clacked in what Zenobiologists had tentatively identified as amusement. "The humans send a juvenile to represent them in their final moments.

Your species absurdity continues to astound. " Jiao smiled pleasantly. And yet here we are, still not atomized.

I'm beginning to think you're stalling, commander. High warlelet Kazix, the alien replied, seemingly caught off guard by her directness. Your destruction is inevitable.

We merely wish to communicate your species failings before your extinction. How thoughtful," Jiao said, nodding appreciatively while her fingers flew across her tactical console, initiating a series of sub routines she'd designed, but never expected to actually use. "But since we're taking the time to chat, perhaps you could satisfy my curiosity.

" The Krevac Dominion has observed humanity for years without hostility. Why attack now? " The alien's head tilted at an angle that indicated either contemplation or digestive discomfort.

Your kind disrupts the balance. You advance too quickly. Form alliances where none should exist.

Insert yourselves into matters beyond your comprehension. You're exterminating us because we're friendly and adaptable. Xiao raised an eyebrow.

That seems inefficient. You mark what you cannot understand, child. Oh, I understand perfectly.

Xiao replied, her smile never wavering while her fingers completed the final sequence. You're afraid. The Krevels commander's entire body stiffened in what was unmistakably outrage.

Krevels fear nothing. Apparently not, except humans making friends and possibly karaoke night. Zho's smile broadened.

So here's my counter offer. High war leader Katsk. You can either withdraw your vessels now or I can demonstrate precisely why the Dellar Alliance considers humanity worth protecting.

Kazit's raised eyebrows clacked rapidly. "You have no weapons capable of threatening this Armada. Your ship is crippled.

Your crew decimated. " "True," Zhiao admitted cheerfully. "But I'm also really, really good at games.

" The transmission cut off abruptly. Reyes turned to Xiao with wide eyes. "What exactly is your plan here, Commander?

" Xiao's expression hardened as she turned back to her console. "To change the rules. You do realize we're completely outgunned, outnumbered, and basically out of luck, right?

Chief engineer Rockefor said, the holographic display between them painting her face in ghostly blue light. She had managed to make her way to auxiliary control through maintenance tunnels after the attack, bringing with her two engineering specialists and a surprising amount of profanity. Thinking like that is exactly why the Crevel expect us to surrender or die," Shiao replied, manipulating the tactical display with quick, precise movements.

"They've analyzed standard consortium protocols. They know what a ship in our position is supposed to do. " The remaining senior staff had gathered around the tactical display.

Jao Okafor Reyes, Lieutenant Wong from security, and Dr Patel, who was dividing her attention between the meeting and treating wounded crew members. Enen Washington hovered anxiously on the periphery, uncertain of his place in this impromptu war council. And what are we supposed to do according to regulations?

Reyes asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer. Broadcast distress signals conserve power for life support and wait for rescue while maintaining defensive posture. Wong recited dutifully, which translates to die slowly while hoping someone notices.

Okafur muttered. Jel nodded. Exactly.

So, we're going to do something profoundly stupid instead. She expanded the tactical display, showing not just the five Crelac vessels surrounding them, but the larger Armada formation several light minutes away. We're going to attack.

The silence that followed was so complete that the soft beeping of medical equipment seemed thunderous by comparison. With what? Wrong finally asked.

Our weapon systems are operating at 30% capacity. We have no photonic torpedoes left. Our shields can barely withstand another direct hit.

We're not going to attack with weapons, Ziao explained, bringing up a schematic of the Intrepid's drive system. We're going to attack with physics. What followed was a rapid fire explanation of a plan so unorthodox that even the ship's AI seemed confused, interrupting twice to point out regulatory violations.

Xiao proposed reconfiguring the already destabilized drive core to create what she termed a quantum displacement field. essentially turning the ship's failing power system into a weapon. That's not possible, Okaffor stated flatly.

What you're describing violates at least three laws of thermodynamics. Actually, only two. Zhao corrected.

And they're more guidelines than laws when you're dealing with damaged quantum matrices. Even if it were possible, the backlash would fry every system on the ship. W objected.

Not if we reconfigure the shield harmonics to create a feedback loop. Xiao countered, sending a series of calculations to their displays. It would temporarily amplify the effect before the system fails completely.

Dr Patel looked up from treating a crewman's burn. And what happens to the crew during this temporary amplification, extreme nausea, possible hallucinations, temporary sensory displacement, Xiao admitted. But we'll all be alive, which is an improvement over our current trajectory.

The senior officers exchanged glances. Jiao could read their thoughts as clearly as if they were displayed on the tactical screen. Was this brilliance or desperation?

The line between genius and insanity seemed particularly thin when proposed by the youngest officer on the ship. Lieutenant Wong said carefully with all due respect. This plan sounds like something from a badly written science fiction story.

Most of human history does, Ziao replied with a shrug. Doesn't mean it doesn't work. Okafur studied the calculations again, her expression shifting from skepticism to reluctant admiration.

It's theoretically possible. Emphasis on theoretically, and we'd need to reroute power from life support on decks 5 through 8. Those decks are already evacuated, Reyes confirmed.

We'd also need to manually reconfigure the auxiliary power couplings, Okafur continued. Which means someone would need to access the maintenance tubes adjacent to the drive section. The radiation levels there are I'll do it.

Enson Washington spoke up unexpectedly. All eyes turned to him. He swallowed hard but didn't back down.

I'm the smallest. I can fit through the access points. Shaol studied him for a moment, then nodded.

Thank you, Enson. She turned back to the group. We have approximately 20 minutes before the Krelacs decide playtime is over.

Chief Okafor, begin the power reconfiguration. Lieutenant Wong, I need your security teams to secure all critical systems. Dr Patel, prepare for casualties.

Officer Reyes, I need you to send a very specific transmission to the Krelac vessels. What transmission? Reyes asked.

Joe smiled. And not a single person in the room found it reassuring. Their doom wrapped in a puzzle.

Let's get to work. The crelax didn't waste time with further communication. Apparently suggesting an ancient space fairing species was afraid of karaoke was considered poor diplomatic form.

Who knew? Their attack began with precision strikes against the intrepid's remaining weapon systems. Beams of energy that defied standard classification tore through the ship's already compromised defenses, slicing away at critical systems with surgical accuracy.

They're deliberately avoiding our power core, Ziao observed, watching damage reports scroll across her display. They know something's wrong with it, and they're curious. Fascinating, Reyes replied through gritted teeth as another impact sent tremors through the deck.

Should we send them a detailed report on our impending death? Or would that ruin the surprise? Jiao ignored the sarcasm, her attention fixed on the tactical display.

Enen Washington status. The young officer's voice came through, broken and static filled from the maintenance tubes. Almost in position, radiation levels higher than expected.

Suit protection at 60%. Work faster, Jiao ordered, her tone gentle despite the command. Chief Okaphor, power rrooting status nearly complete, the engineer replied from her station.

But I still think this is suicide. Noted. Noted.

Patel are all wounded secured for extreme gravitational fluctuations. The doctor's weary voice confirmed. As secure as possible given our limited resources, though if your plan works as described, secure or not, won't make much difference.

Another hit rocked the ship. Warning lights flashed across every console. Shield integrity at 12%, Wong reported unnecessarily.

The information was displayed prominently on every screen, a glaring reminder of their rapidly diminishing chances of survival. Begin transmission to the Krel vessels, Xiao commanded, fingers flying across her console to initiate the final sequence. Sending now, Reyes confirmed, though I still don't understand what you're not supposed to.

Xiao cut her off. Neither are they. The transmission wasn't a message in any conventional sense.

It was a complex sequence of mathematical proofs with deliberate errors. Errors that would trigger automatic correction algorithms in any advanced computational system. Those corrections would then initiate secondary equations which would spawn tertiary processes creating a cascade of increasingly resource inensive calculations.

In the gaming world, this was called a logic bomb. In fleet operations, it was called wildly illegal. All Crave vessels have received the transmission, Reyes reported.

And they're responding with their own calculations. That wasn't in your plan. Actually, it was exactly in my plan, Xiao replied with a tight smile.

They think they're correcting our mathematical errors. Predictable. The largest Crelac vessel suddenly fired another energy beam.

This one aimed directly at the Intrepid's communications array. The impact sent the human ship spinning. artificial gravity fluctuating wildly.

"They figured it out," Wong said, struggling to regain his footing. "Too late," Xiao responded, watching her display intently. "Washington status.

Final coupling reconfigured," came the labored response. "Proceeding to safety zone. Okafor on my mark, Xiao said, eyes fixed on the tactical display where the crelax vessels were beginning to reposition, clearly preparing for a killing blow.

Ready, the chief engineer confirmed. Though I really wish I weren't, Jier watched, waiting for the precise moment when the Klax vessels entered the optimal formation. Their predictable attack patterns were their weakness.

They followed a mathematically perfect approach that allowed for maximum firepower with minimum vulnerability. Now, Ziao commanded Okafor initiated the sequence. For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then everything happened at once. The Intrepid's compromised drive core, instead of simply failing, collapsed in a precisely controlled manner. The quantum displacement field Xiao had theorized erupted outward in an expanding bubble of distorted spacetime.

The ship's shields, reconfigured to the exact frequency Xiao had calculated, contained and reflected the effect back inward. amplifying it before channeling it outward again in five precisely targeted vectors. The laws of physics took a brief vacation in the immediate vicinity.

From the Krayax perspective, the crippled human vessel suddenly appeared to exist in five places simultaneously, each image solid enough to register on sensors, each emitting impossible energy signatures. Their targeting systems designed to calculate optimal firing solutions based on logical movement predictions encountered what was essentially a paradox. On the Intrepid, the crew experienced what Dr Patel would later clinically describe as having their sensory inputs thoroughly scrambled and served back to them as cosmic hallucinations.

Less clinically, it felt like being turned inside out while someone played a dubstep remix of the universe. When reality reasserted itself approximately 12 seconds later, the tactical situation had changed dramatically. Three of the five Krevlax vessels were drifting, their systems apparently overloaded by the anomaly.

The fourth was spinning on its axis, emergency venting suggesting critical system failures. The fifth, the command vessel, remained operational, but had retreated to a defensive position. It worked, Wang said, sounding genuinely shocked.

It actually worked. Of course it worked, Zhao replied, though the relief in her voice betrayed her own surprise. She opened a channel to the Krelac command ship.

High war leader Gets, I believe it's your move. The Krelac flagship hung against the starfield like a predator reconsidering its prey. The initial shock of the quantum displacement had clearly worn off, replaced by something that even across species barriers read as cold calculation.

"They're powering up their main weapon array," Wong reported. his voice steady despite the implications. Energy signatures unlike anything I've seen before.

Correction unlike anything you've seen before, Xiao said, tapping a series of commands into her console. But not unlike what I've modeled. The Intrepid's view screen flickered to life, showing high war leader KZDx.

The Krel commander's compound eyes shimmerred with what could only be described as grudging respect. An impressive gambit, human, the alien acknowledged. Your species continues to demonstrate unexpected capabilities.

We're just getting started," Jiao replied, her casual tone masking the tension visible in her white knuckled grip on the console edge. "Your main weapon array is charging, but I notice your defensive systems are oscillating on a predictable frequency band," the crelax commander's mandibles stilled. "You cannot possibly have discerned our shield harmonics.

I didn't need to," Xiao said, allowing herself a small smile. "Your attack patterns did that for me. Logical, precise, mathematically perfect, and therefore predictable.

Your shields reset every 4. 3 seconds, creating a micro interval of vulnerability. " "Even if this were true," Catvex responded.

Multiple appendages moving in agitation. You have no functional weapons capable of exploiting such a theoretical weakness. Xiao's smile widened.

Who said anything about weapons? She gestured to Reyes, who initiated a second transmission. This one far simpler than the first.

It was in essence nothing more than the basic recognition code used by Crayax vessels to identify one another. Extracted from their own communications and modified with a single critical alteration. What is this?

demanded Kitsvvex, clearly recognizing the code sequence. This, Zhao, explained calmly, is your fleet's command authorization with the targeting parameters inverted. Your own vessels are about to open fire on your flagship during that 4.

3 second window. The Crablacks commander's entire body went rigid. Impossible.

The damaged vessels cannot Who said anything about the damaged vessels? Jiao interrupted. Your transmission systems are still active, broadcasting to your entire armada.

The transmission we just sent will propagate through your own communication network. On the tactical display, the situation became clear. The distant Krelac Armada receiving what appeared to be legitimate targeting commands from their command vessel were reorienting their weapons.

directly at KZVX's ship. The Krevac commander's voice took on a new tone, one that the universal translator rendered as something approaching admiration. You would sacrifice yourself merely to destroy one vessel.

Oh, we<unk>ll be fine, Jiao assured him. We're directly behind you from their perspective. Physics Cryptsv was silent for exactly 6.

2 seconds. Then we yield. The declaration traveled across every crelax frequency.

The approaching armada halted its advance. This contest is concluded. Capvex announced formally.

The Klac dominion recognizes the tactical superiority demonstrated here today. Then with what seemed like genuine curiosity, what is your rank designation, tactician left tenant? Zhao replied.

Technically, the Krelac commander's head tilted. Incorrect. You have commanded in battle and prevailed against superior forces through superior strategy.

By any civilized measure, you are commander. The transmission ended and the Krevlac vessels began a synchronized retreat. In the sudden silence of auxiliary control, Enen Washington spoke first.

So, did we just win? Ziao leaned back in her chair, exhaling slowly. For now, the Galactic Consortium convened an emergency session 2 days later.

The diplomatic channels buzzed with unprecedented traffic as species that had previously ignored humanity suddenly found themselves intensely interested in the upstart civilization that had outmaneuvered the Krelac dominion. The Drkar Supreme Commander personally visited the Intrepid while it underwent repairs, presenting Lieutenant Xiao with a ceremonial battleclaw, an honor previously reserved for their own legendary strategists. The Ranthorans recalculated their probability models regarding human survival and found themselves mathematically forced to admit they'd been wrong.

Even the Vorschian Confederacy grudgingly requested cultural exchange programs. Fleet Admiral Harrison arrived with reinforcements to find the situation remarkably under control, though his expression upon learning that Earth's newest diplomatic hero was a lieutenant barely old enough to rent a hover car was reportedly priceless. Lieutenant Xiao, or Commander, as even human officers had begun calling her, despite official protest from bureaucratic quarters, found herself suddenly thrust into strategy sessions with beings who had been navigating interstellar politics for millennia.

And so it was that humanity cemented its place among the stars through what the Krelacs reluctantly termed disturbing levels of adaptability. and what the rest of the galaxy was beginning to recognize as humanity's most formidable weapon.