Damocles — S.G. Redling

When Earth is rocked by evidence that extraterrestrials may have seeded human DNA throughout the universe, a one-way expedition into deep space is mounted to uncover the truth. What linguist Meg Dupris and her crewmates aboard the Earth ship Damocles discover on Didet -- a planet bathed in the near-eternal daylight of seven suns -- is a humanoid race with a different language, a different look, and a surprisingly similar society.

But here, it's the “Earthers” who are the extraterrestrial invaders, and it's up to Meg -- a woman haunted by tragedy and obsessed with the power of communication -- to find the key to establishing trust between the natives and the newcomers. In Loul Pell, a young Dideto male thrust into the forefront of the historic event, Meg finds an unexpected kindred spirit, and undertakes an extraordinary journey of discovery, friendship, and life-altering knowledge.

Told from both sides of a monumental encounter, Damocles is a compelling novel about man's first contact with an extraterrestrial race.