Spy Station - J.M.R. Gaines

On a lonely space station at the edge of the inhabited Zones, fifteen vastly different species gather to stave off disaster. The Song Pai, octopus-like warriors resembling Vikings in their embrace of death, face imminent war with the Blynthians, a mysterious race rumored to be able to tinker with planets and suns. Entara, former pleasure worker become a leader of her clan among the alien Forlani, and her daughter Ayan'we are chosen to represent their world in a game of diplomacy where the clock is winding down to incredible slaughter. And where there is war there are the war profiteers, including ruthless humans, hermaphroditic Phiddians, and Garanian reptiles, waiting to cash in on the misery of others with their arms deals and secondary invasions. No surprise that the corridors Station Varess is crawling with spies – thieving, smuggling, conspiring, kidnapping, and going as far as assassination. Science fiction and espionage mix in this dramatic thriller. Prepare to meet new kinds of creatures beyond your imagination, as well as robots that are anything but familiar or predictable. Appearances are continually deceiving and help can only come from the most unlikely directions. This is science fiction at its most thoughtful, with a multi-dimensional treatment of personality and stylistic variety that will stretch your concepts of what a space story can achieve. Don't expect cartoon characters, grade-school plots, or cookie-cutter situations. Spy Station will keep you guessing and keep changing the frontiers of your universe.