Psion by Joan D. Vinge

The tale of a street-hardened survivor named Cat, a half-human, half-alien orphan telepath. a story never before included in any trade edition of Psion .

This tough, gritty tale of an outsider whose only chance for redemption is as an undercover agent for an interstellar government that by turns punishes and helps him, is as fresh and powerful today as it was in 1982.