Whipping Star

In the far future, humankind has made contact with numerous other species: the Gowachin, the Laclac, the Wreaves, the Pan Spechi, the Taprisiots, the Caleban, and others. Humankind has also found the need for a Bureau of Sabotage (BuSab).

In Whipping Star, Jorg X. McKie is a saboteur extraordinary, one of the chiefs of BuSab responsible for detecting, exposing, and correcting strains of violent or anti-sentient behaviour.

19 years prior to the setting of Whipping Star, the Calebans appeared and offered jump-doors to the collective species, allowing sentients to travel instantly to any point in the universe. Gratefully accepting, the sentiency didn't question the consequences. Now, a psychotic human with immense power has bound a Caleban in a contract that allows the Caleban to be whipped to death; when the Caleban dies, everyone who has used a jump-door (which is almost everyone) will die as well. McKie has to find the human and stop her before that happens.

The sequel to this novel is The Dosadi Experiment.