Patrick S. Tomlinson.
In the Black.
Tor. 2013
Soldiers, above all others, pray for peace.
In a demilitarized zone on the border of human-controlled space, long-range spy satellites are mysteriously going quiet, and no one knows why. Captain Susan Kamala and her crew are dispatched to figure out what’s going on and solve the problem.
What they find, however, is a mysterious, technologically advanced alien ship that no human vessel could hope to match in open conflict. But it’s not spoiling for a fight.
Now, Captain Kamala and her crew must figure out how to navigate a complicated game of diplomacy, balancing the needs of their corporate overlords and the honest desire for a lasting peace between the two races, without letting a cold war turn hot.