The survey ship Niccola is hunting the home world of the Plumies, the only other spacefaring race humans have found, as both peoples spread through the galaxy. When the two ships meet, a hot-headed officer wants a boarding fight, and the crew must find a way to make contact without starting a war.
A thoughtful first-contact novelette from Astounding in 1959, by one of the founding figures of the genre. Download the free EPUB.