Bird of Prey — Lorinda J. Taylor

Wounded physically and mentally by the disaster aboard the Darter, Capt. Nikalishin struggles in Part Two of this biography to overcome the aftereffects and find fulfillment in a life where his dream of flying to the stars has been lost. With the help of many friends, he achieves success as the Captain of a Mars ship, but still he remains lonely and dissatisfied, unable to cope with the secret phobias and misunderstandings that haunt his existence. When the woman of his dreams abruptly re-enters his life, he woos and weds her, in sequences that are filled with both comedy and pathos. The Captain was hoping to find a soul mate to assuage his loneliness. Will this radical alteration in his life really be the answer to his difficulties? Or will the marriage turn out to be a disastrous and even tragic mistake? Meanwhile, unknown to Robbin Nikalishin, a movement is afoot to resurrect the interstellar program ...