There were three facts to which Nara Sumas was privy, which the larger community of Evelon was not.
1. Evelon was not the only planet in its universe to harbor intelligent life.
2. Many of these intelligent species were much more scientifically advanced than Evelon, especially in the department of space travel.
3. These intelligent species had been known, on occasion, to visit Evelon.
There was a certain irony to it. Many Evelonians knew their world was a crossroads of sorts in the great dimensional ocean in which they floated, and saw many visitors from other universes. But they didn't know that there were fully-fledged other worlds within their own universe--within their own galaxy, even.
Nara was one of the few native-born Evelonians who could claim to have visited these other worlds. She had been scouted at a young age for her courage and physical acumen by those who knew that, someday, Evelon would have a role to play in the galaxy at large--but for now, it participated only in bits and trickles. Normally, she was an ordinary policewoman, but every now and then, she'd get a call about a job much more... alien than she was used to.
And today was just such a now and then.