Fool's War

A couple of centuries after devastating wars on Earth, Humanity has made it to the stars with FTL ships and communications, and Artificial Intelligences. Katmer Al Shei is captain of a mail packet, and Evelyn Dobbs is a professional Fool who has signed on to her crew. Reminds me of Cherryh - normal folk shoved into the middle of a clash of cultures; sympathetic characters, and lots of twists in the plot. Recommended.

Sarah Zettels' Website and a dead link at the late lamented SFF.