Captain Solear and the crew of the Alliance cruiser Sunflower just learned a terrible secret – their enemy, the Hiriculans, have subjugated a technologically inferior alien race and are using them for pilots. These pilots aren’t very good, but now the Hiriculans can trade fighters on a one to one basis and win a war of attrition. Captain Solear races back to Advranki Prime and addresses the Alliance Senate. He recommends that the Navy implement the same policy. If the Hiriculans are going to use an inferior race to pilot fighters, then the Alliance must do the same with Humans. The Senate assembles a small team to travel to Earth to determine if Humans can become fighter pilots. They find that video gamers make excellent fighter pilots. Captain Solear is now faced with the Earth Conundrum. If he tells the Alliance Senate the truth about the Humans’ fighting ability, the Hiriculans will move to conquer Earth and the Alliance will be forced to stop them. It will start an all-out war. However, if he lies, the Alliance may not secure the only resource that could prevent their eventual defeat.