Two very different cultures clash in outer space. One, the gundies, is composed of humans, dwarfs, elves and other fantasy creatures. The second, the zaftans, are huge, nasty and belligerent aliens. Against this backdrop, the two main characters, different from everyone around them, struggle to survive because their uniqueness causes their environments to become decidedly hostile.One, named Sam, is an android with an organic brain. She develops emotions like flesh-and-blood people and the strongest emotion is loneliness. The second main character is a zaftan named Klatze. She tries to advance using talent and ability in a navy that advocates assassination and treachery as the preferred methods for advancement.This novel features an android and a computer falling in love, a naval officer struggling to prove ability is better than murder, piracy on a galactic scale, a robotic zealot, humor and satire. What more could a reader ask for?