Contact meets Mass Effect's First Contact War meets Arrival meets Ender's Game. Reading through this wholly original tale (at least in its particulars - the generic story is more of a trope of scifi), this reader absolutely got flashes of all of the above. And considering that I personally *love* all of the above, that was not unwelcome. Truly a strong tale of first sustained contact, exploration, and the difficulties in understanding and assimilating with a wholly alien world. Truly excellent work, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes. Very much recommended.