This Peaceful State of War

Set in a distant future, this short story from Writers of the Future Vol. 27 explores the relationship between humans and two enigmatic, humanoid species on Bianca, a planet distant from Earth. As a religious order manages the human outpost, tensions escalate when the two species go to war, prompting envoy Miranda Tonkin to assess whether human intervention is worth the cost. The story delves into themes of communication, conflict, and the value of extraterrestrial life.