The Human Division

After Earth learns the truth about the Colonial Union and turns away from it, the Union can no longer rely on soldiers alone. Its standing with humanity is strained, and the Conclave, an alliance of more than four hundred alien species, is deciding how far to trust it. The Colonial Union turns to diplomacy, and to a second-string diplomatic crew known as the B-Team.

The Human Division follows Lieutenant Harry Wilson, a Colonial Defense Forces officer, along with Ambassador Ode Abumwe, her assistant Hart Schmidt and starship captain Sophia Coloma as they take on negotiations other teams have failed. The talks begin after a Union ambassadorial ship is destroyed during a secret meeting with the alien Utche, and each mission uncovers more evidence that someone is sabotaging the Union's efforts.

Fifth in the Old Man's War series, the book first appeared in 2013 as thirteen linked digital episodes before Tor collected it as a single volume. The episodes can be read as separate adventures, but together they build one political thriller. The print edition adds the extra stories After the Coup and Hafte Sorvalh Eats a Churro and Speaks to the Youth of Today. Readers new to the series can start here, though the setup rewards familiarity with the earlier books.