BOOK EXCERPT Note: Drawn from Chapter 8, "The Meeting" - Warlord Skresh presents Earth's war record to the Galactic Council.
Skresh let the display show all six operations simultaneously.
"Total human casualties: 127 confirmed dead, 234 injured. Total infrastructure damage: 2.1 billion credits. Total Skareen casualties: zero. Total human military response: zero."
The chamber was silent.
"After each operation," Skresh continued, his voice carefully controlled, "we monitored human communications. Not once did they reference our formal declaration. Not once did they acknowledge the existence of military conflict. Each incident was processed separately, categorized differently, handled by different administrative bodies."
"We tried to clarify our position," Skresh said. "After the first operation, we transmitted a message to the attacked colony identifying ourselves and referencing the declaration. Their response was to report us to the Galactic Commerce Authority for piracy."
A few scattered sounds from the chamber - surprise, confusion, what might have been suppressed laughter from one of the Qixil observers.
"After the third operation, we sent another message, more explicit: 'This attack is part of formally declared military conflict. Acknowledge the state of war or evacuate contested territories.' The human colonial administrator responded that we were engaging in illegal military action and that formal complaints would be filed with the Council."
Skresh's tail lashed once - frustration barely contained. "We followed every protocol. We honored every tradition. We gave them seventy-five hours' notice, attacked only military and economic targets, offered opportunities for evacuation and surrender. And they treated us like pirates. Like criminals. Like we were the ones violating Council law."
He turned to look directly at Chidi. "Mr. Okonkwo. You said you filed our declaration properly. That it's in queues, waiting for review. Can you explain how, during two months of military operations, nobody in your government connected those attacks to the declaration?"
Chidi stood up, tablet in hand.
"War Leader, I can explain how it happened." He paused. "I'm not sure I can explain how it makes sense."
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The Skareen Dominion declared war on Earth seventy-six days ago. Earth hasn't noticed yet.
Not because the attacks stopped. Not because diplomacy prevailed. But because the Declaration of Hostile Intent - seven hundred and thirty-two pages, filed in triplicate, requiring countersignature from four separate departments - is currently sitting at queue position 847,234.
Warlord Skresh expected a fight. What he got was an acknowledgment of receipt and an estimated review time of six to eight months. The Skareen warriors are frustrated. Earth's bureaucrats are doing their best. And Chidi Okeke, mid-level coordinator in the Galactic Affairs Office, Section 12-B, is about to discover that the most dangerous thing in the known galaxy isn't a fleet of warships.
It's a backlog.
Pending Authorization is a comedic science fiction novel about what happens when the most honorable warrior culture in the galaxy meets the most thoroughly administered civilization in it - and the paperwork wins. A story about bureaucracy, unlikely diplomacy, and the alarming possibility that the path to galactic peace runs through a very long queue.
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