First published 1982
Tully crashes into Captain Pyanfar Chanur's world when he escapes from Kif captivity and boards her merchant ship, the Pride of Chanur. The human fugitive represents everything foreign to the lion-like Hani crew who find him aboard their vessel. Pyanfar faces an impossible choice. She can turn Tully over to the rodent-like Kif who pursue him, or she can grant him protection and risk everything her clan has built. The Kif are notorious thieves and raiders who show no mercy to those who cross them. Harboring their escaped prisoner will mark Pyanfar and her crew as enemies. Her decision to shelter the alien refugee sets in motion a chain of events that will test the limits of Hani honor and threaten the survival of everyone aboard the Pride of Chanur. Pyanfar must navigate the treacherous politics of interspecies relations while protecting both her crew and the strange being who sought their help.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, aliens, alternate-universe
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Alliance-Union Universe
223 pages · Mass Market Paperback · DAW