Freedom's Siege

Conquering Worlds is Easier Than it Seems  But nobody would ever have believed it.  An alien craft the size of a cruise ship blips into space between the earth and the moon. It sends no messages. It responds to no calls. The people of earth panic, of course.  The spacecraft settles on the moon and bides its time. It's right there, where anyone with a telescope can see it, but it's too far away for earth's nascent space programs to reach.  And then, nothing happens.  Frenzy fizzles to boredom. Everyone's attention turns back to their lives. Not that it matters, because the aliens are preparing for what's coming next, conquest.