An Alien Light

The human species is at war with the Ged, a collective species that is baffled by humankind’s ability to turn violence upon itself & yet advance into space. In order to defeat the humans, the Ged must first understand them. So they go to a world called Qom, where a lost Earth colony has forgotten its origins & regressed to pre-industrial society. They are split into two warring city-states: Delysia, town of merchants, & Jela of Spartan wariors. The Ged build a walled city out in the wilderness, promising riches & new weapons for anyone brave enough to stay in the city one year. The offer attracts a diverse collection of outcasts & adventurers, Jelite warriors & Delysian artisans. Once inside, they're taught the secrets of science & technology. In watching them learn, the Ged hope to find out how humans think. But they don’t anticipate the few humans who will cross feudal boundaries to unite against the Ged, deducing more than the Ged meant to teach about the nature of the universe & the origin of humans on Qom.