Tuf Voyaging
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A collection of interconnected science fiction short stories by George R. R. Martin, written from the late 1970s onwards and published in collected form in 1987. Tuf Voyaging concerns the (mis)adventures of Haviland Tuf, a bald, very pale, overweight, phlegmatic and solitary space trader. Due to the venality and cutthroat tactics of those around him, Tuf inadvertently becomes master of Ark, an ancient, 30-kilometer-long "seedship," a very powerful warship with advanced ecological-engineering capabilities. Tuf travels the galaxy, offering his services to worlds with environmental problems, and sometimes imposing solutions of his own.
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The Plague Star
The story begins with four people requiring transport: Celise Waan, a scholar of anthropology; Jefri Lion, a scholar and retired soldier; Annitas, a half-robotic cybertech; and Kaj Nevis, the leader of the expedition. They hire Rica Dawnstar, a bodyguard, and acquire the services of Haviland Tuf, a not very successful trader.
Their destination is a so-called plague star, known to inflict plagues on every third generation of a small world. It turns out to be a seedship of the long-defunct Earth Ecological Corps. Tuf's ship is damaged, and three of the occupants board the ship by means of pressure suits, while the others left on the ship manage to land it on the seedship.
The halls of the seedship are contaminated with plague. One of Tuf's cats die due to the plague, and Tuf uses the seedships capabilities to clone it. In the meantime, the ship's second line of defense released: monsters from different worlds. Inadvertently, all of the four main expeditioners die due to the infesting plague, the wandering monsters, or fighting one another. Rica Dawnstar, in charge of the control room attempts to personally defeat Tuf, but her plan backfires when Tuf uses one of the crews leftover weapons to dispose of her.
Loaves and Fishes
Haviland Tuf sends his newly acquired ship, the Ark, to the world of S'uthlam for repairs. S'uthlam is a world on the verge of war, a required expansion due to the world's population expansion. Due to this, the S'uthlam authorities want the Ark for themselves. In an attempt to secure it, Portmaster Tolly Mune kidnaps one of Tuf's cats. She makes a bet with Tuf - he will solve S'uthlam's population problem for his cat and credit on the ships repairs. Losing the bet would mean that the ship would be acquired by S'uthlam.
Tuf works on the problem, and manages to find a solution where plants and animals would provide sustenance for the population. The authorities, with proof of the Ark's capabilities, begin scheming to bring it in their possession. Tolly Mune, disgusted with the politics of the situation, assists Tuf in escaping S'uthlam, although he informs her that he would return to pay off his debt.
Guardians
Tuf finds himself at Namor, a world where sea monsters are attacking the local population. He offers to assist, as always, for a fee. The people of Namor grow more impatient, especially as monsters able to walk on land begin to appear. Tuf's hand is forced, and he unleashes a barrage of other creatures to directly counteract the monsters.
This strategy, initially successful, soon stops working as the monsters gain resistance from these outworldy creatures. Tuf goes back to work, and manages to find a solution. Through a psionically enhanced cat, he manages to communicate with the other sentient being on Namor: mudpots, known to humans as delicacies. He gives the leaders of Namor psionically enhanced kittens to facilitate their dealings with the collective mudpot mind.
Second Helpings
Tuf returns to S'uthlam to pay the first part of his debt. He is hailed as a hero due to the advancements in food supply, also known as Tuf's Flowering. And also due to Tuf and Mune, a dramatized movie about Tuf's adventure on S'uthlam.
However, the population explosion became even larger due to Tuf's flowering, and S'uthlam are still facing a population crisis. Tuf works on trying to gain as efficient crops and animals. Choosing to deliver a spontaneous speech detailing the enhancements he had in mind for S'uthlam - and also a warning for the S'uthlam people to practice population control methods.
A Beast for Norn
Tuf is approached by Herold Norn, Senior Beastmaster of the Norn House of Lyronica. The House of Norn requests for beasts for prize fighting in Lyronica's Bronze Arena. After seeing an example of the Arena battles, Tuf agrees to make a beast for the House of Norn.
As the House of Norn racks up the victories with their cobalcats, Tuf is approached by the other houses for beasts, until the final house approaches him for a beast and also for a proposal for him to stop dealing with the houses of Norn. Tuf graciously accepts the offer.
Herold Norn returns to Tuf to complain about their cobalcats not mating. Tuf gets the last laugh, as the introduction of all the beasts would change the exosystem of the world into one less suited for large predators, thus leading to the (unstated) end of the Bronze Arena.
Call Him Moses
While eating in a restaurant, Tuf is attacked Jaime Kreen. Kreen is later bonded to Tuf as a servant in debt. Kreen explains that his world of Charity was controlled by a man named Moses. Taking his cues from the Bible, Moses unleashed plagues on the people of Charity, until they conceded that he must have had divine help - or the help of an ecological engineer, Tuf being the only representative.
Tuf offers to help Kreen against Moses. Kreen manages to bring back the leaders of charity for negotiations. Tuf agrees to help, and introduces himself to Moses as god, in the guise of a pillar of fire. He afflicts Charity with Moses' plague of legend; widespread planetary plagues instead of Moses' (implied) localised plagues.
After two plagues, Tuf invites Moses onboard the Ark, and shows him simulations of the plagues that he could have inflicted in the future. Moses, frightened, gave up his claim on Charity
Manna from Heaven
Tuf returns to S'uthlam for the third time to pay off the remains of his debt. This time, S'uthlam is on the brink of war with the allied forces of the neighbouring worlds. Tolly Mune, now First Councillor, comes aboard the Ark to discuss with Tuf the possibility of acquiring the seedship for S'uthlam's own purposes.
S'uthlam's population problem remained, as Tuf's innovations from his previous visit were not maximally used. Tuf labours to find the solution, and calls upon a meeting with all the worlds about to war. He presents to them his solution - a plant called 'manna'. Pleased that this would help out with S'uthlam's population problem, they agree to an armistice. Tuf later notes to Tolly Mune that the manna would also inhibit the libidos of the S'uthlam people, leaving Tolly Mune to make her decision for S'uthlam.