You sat on the command chair of the new flagship. It was designed to face enemy ships in head-on fire for solar cycles on end. You would, you felt, lead your people to another great victory. The occupation of the galactic core worlds will soon be total.

The Galactic Council’s best attempt to stop the invasion was to threaten you with humans. Humans! You had seen pictures of humans. In honourable combat, you knew you could easily beat one.

The harsh truth you discovered was that humans do not engage in honourable combat. Not only are humans pack animals but they are ambush predators too. Really, really good ambush predators.

If you don’t negotiate a surrender soon, there will be no fleet left at all. The trouble is, the admiralty does not believe you.