Visitor
The Refugees
Not every ship that crosses interstellar space is a warship. Some are lifeboats.
They arrive tired, numerous and in need of somewhere to live. What happens next is a negotiation with geography: they need room, and the room they need is yours.
A world that looks gentle from a light-year away is more likely to draw them. Its form of government matters, how many wars it is fighting, whether its cities keep temples, how much smoke it puts into the sky.
Make room — or decide not to. Both choices have a long tail.