Cherryh, C. J
"For years
the stations of the Hinder Stars
those old stations closest to Sol
have lagged behind the great megastations of the Beyond
like Pell and Cyteen. But new opportunities and fears arise when Alpha station receives news of an incoming ship with no identification. The denizens of Alpha wait anxiously for news about the outsiders
each with their own suspicions about the ship and its origins. Ross and Fallon
crew members of the Galway
believe the unidentified ship belongs to Pell and has come to investigate another massive ship docked at Alpha
The Rights of Man. Though Rights is under the command of the Earth Company
it is not quite perfected--and its true purpose is shrouded in mystery. James Robert Neihart
captain of Finity's End--a huge faster-than-light ship flown by one of the Merchanter Families--has heard whispers of The Rights of Man and wonders at its design and purpose
especially as Sol struggles to rival the progress of the Farther Stars. Now docked at Alpha
he must convince the crews that there is more to The Rights of Man than meets the eye. Because the reasons behind the creation of The Rights of Man
and its true plans
could change everything--not just for Sol
but for the Hinder Stars and the Beyond itslf."--