When the long-extinct Rovania are found still alive, steps are taken to integrate them into the modern age. When the newly commissioned Space Corps Ship Dark Star reaches Earth to pick up crew, Astrogator Cai and Captain Nick Steele come face to face with a dream made real—actual, living Rovania. Veloki has no interest in abiding by the wishes of his su-periors, he wants a human to play with, and the other Rovania feel likewise. Within hours of arriving on Dark Star, they agree to catch themselves some humans and show them what the Rovania do for fun. There’s more than one way to integrate.