For true-humans, it is common knowledge that the D'neerans, human telepaths who come from the planet D'neera, are considered not quite human, though trustworthy. After all, true-humans are the lords of the universe, which is why the exploratory star ship Endeavor has launched its star search, broadcasting a message of greeting and hope to possible sentient lifeforms throughout the galaxy.

Everyone is shocked when their broadcast is answered -- and even more so when the message is meant for the single D'neeran aboard Endeavor, Lady Hanna. Hanna, merely a navigator, is just as suprised, but she must soon shoulder a responsiblity much bigger than she could have forseen. Soon the fate of all humankind and the likelihood of an intersellar war rests on her shoulders, as she becomes the reluctant ambassador for the human race.

This omnibus of Sentience and The Master of Chaos preludes the release of a brand-new Terry A. Adams novel, Battleground, set in the same universe. Upon original publication, Sentience was a Best First Novel in Locus and nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel