Earthrise

In M. C. A. Hogarth's Pelted universe, humans long ago genetically engineered various animal species into sapient beings, who spread out amongst the stars. While Earth remained something of a backwater, the other races advanced and developed an interstellar trade alliance.

Reese Eddings is in command of the trade ship TMS Earthrise, with a small crew of Pelted misfits. To say Earthrise isn't doing well could be an understatement; in fact, Reese constantly teeters on the edge of bankruptcy.

Until a man from her past appears with a job offer: to rescue a reclusive alien called Hirianthial from an organization of slavers. The money's good and the cause seems just, so Reese accepts.

In no time,the crew of Earthrise is out on the lawless frontier, fighting pirates, slavers, and other lowlifes. Then they get Hirianthial on board and Reese discovers that he's enigmatic, annoying, and a prince among his people. The simple rescue mission suddenly becomes a game of alien politics, and Reese doesn't know most of the rules.