Vast Mantis

Ximon and the unique crew of the retired Republic scout ship Mantis continue their adventures. They set out to discover why a bunch of ships have gone missing in an area over 100 light-years away and recover any of them they can. After considerable investigation, they find the cause but get themselves in deep trouble with dangerous aliens in the process. To get out of the mess they wind up tinkering with evolution on a planet, gathering creatures for a zoo, emplacing strange technologies, and trying to clear settlers off a contested planet. Along the way, Ximon and his crew – a female engineer with a drinking problem, a sensor operator with little practical experience, Ximon’s sexy companion robot, a robot mechanic, and the intelligent and evolving ship’s computer have to work with an appointed investigator, capricious aliens, lawyers, and the government bureaucracy.