Panel 01
Panel 02
Alone in the Dark
For two centuries after Croshaw's jump, humanity expanded alone. The universe stubbornly refused to produce neighbors. When it finally did, the Xi'An in 2438, it was because a UPE scout strayed into space they had mapped long before our species evolved.
We have been aware of you. You have not been aware of us. This is the nature of things., First recorded Xi'An transmission, 2438
Panel 04
The Banu Handshake
Where contact with the Xi'An was a chess game, contact with the Banu was a market day. The Banu Protectorate is a confederation of trade-guild homeworlds. Their first act upon meeting humanity was to offer a discount.