Alvor the Sleek—a Krekelen shape-shifter—hates Jake Bayard because the Galactic Marine slew the others of his plotting brood.
Bayard wants to wring Alvor's neck because the alien tricked him into teleporting to deadly Canopus instead of Saddoth to help his friend.
Bayard's teleportation opens the way for Alvor to reach Canopus so he can board an ancient, orbital sleeper ship and collect a cargo that should give the Krekelens ultimate victory everywhere.
Well, that's fine. After dealing with prehistoric supercrocs, kamikaze air-cyclists and 900-pound hominoids with .75 caliber six-shooters, Bayard just needs a minute alone with Alvor to fix everything. First, though, he's going to have to find the devious alien who can literally look like anyone.
Sleeper Ship is the second tale of a gung-ho Terran taking on the masters of an insidious and ancient alien conspiracy.