The Inscrutable Visages of the Sowmyatha

Lu McNair longs for nothing more than to earn a solitary posting, something on some remote station somewhere with a crew of one. Just her, observing some really weird alien species. Something not remotely humanoid, like a sentient cloud or the colonial organisms that floated through deep space.
Ironically, without a high score in interpersonal communications and teamwork, even that modest, lonely posting eludes her.
Her only chance? Scoring well on her group assignment with three other cadets observing the life of the planet Sowmyatha. Her problem? The other three cadets are more alien to her than any nonhuman species could ever be.
"The Inscrutable Visages of the Sowmyatha", a science fiction novelette about first contact with an alien species, and even more challenging contact with other humans.