‘Leader, I do believe that is an Equine doing the backstroke, in the middle of Deep Space.’

Or, Surprise accidentally on purposes the universe.

The Tau Ceti star system is home to a primitive, pre-spaceflight race that next to nobody knows anything about, Leader Tonkin Kaan of the Sinai Junta decides that she wants to know but—is that a pony swimming in the depths of outer space!?