Whalesong

<p>Thor Stokel had always dreamed of being master of his own ship, and the <i>Silver Star</i> is a dream ship: fast, sleek and powerful. But leaving the safety of his military career in the DHC behind to become an independent merchant fast becomes a nightmare of endless solo flights, paperwork, bad deals and customs disasters.<br><br>When he's imprisoned over the latest customs and paperwork mistake, Thor's luck finally starts to change. Incarceration leads to his first crewmate - and then a second. But it also leads to an increase in his paranoia: something doesn't add up about his beautiful new ship, the AI is erratic, and he's increasingly sure that his crewmates are hiding something. And now he thinks the <i>Silver Star</i> is being followed . . .<br><br>Exhausted, isolated, and still just trying to make ends meet, Thor Storkel is either the most paranoid man in space . . . or he's a vital part of a galaxy-spanning conspiracy, that's going to depend on his being paranoid enough to survive it . . .<br><br>. . . And Marca N'baro still needs a whale . . .</p>