The Man Who Found Birds Among the Stars, Part Five: Phenix Rises

A rehabilitated Robbin Nikalishin is back in the Captain’s chair as the Phenix Project for Interstellar Flight gets underway. After finishing off the loose ends remaining from his unorthodox penalty, the Captain returns to Herinen Space Port, where the first tasks are to complete the construction of two starships, give them names, and select a crew to fly them, including certain participants from the previous interstellar program. The Captain is fully committed to supporting his old friends, even though not all of them have fully recovered from the Darter Disaster. Specifically, Ian Glencrosse remains deeply – and ominously – affected, while Banyat Thaksin, the Engineer who lost his foot in the disaster, embarks on a course that will influence the future history of Earth.
Capt. Robbie never loses his sense of humor or his willingness to engage in romantic relationships, finding a comfortable liaison with a earlier acquaintance. However, his disastrous marriage has not been severed. Can it be that the High Feather will resurface, with a new agenda of her own?