But he had said himself that he was human. It seemed strange to think of him that way when cyborgs had been nothing but superhuman enemies to her during the war, but he clearly believed it.

I found a couple of interesting things in author's notes after finishing the book:

"Isn’t it amazing how science fiction offers so much potential for exploring our humanity? Sometimes with characters who aren’t even human?

...

That’s a theme that’s always appealed to me as a reader and viewer (The Fox and the Hound was my favorite Disney movie as a kid!), and I find it fun to explore as a writer, too, the idea that there aren’t good guys and bad guys so much as there are regular people with beliefs and viewpoints that happen to put them at odds with each other."

Alisa appraised him warily. He struck her as an idiot, but he was a big and strong idiot. He wore twin-barreled Chargers on his hips. Fighting him off when her hands were cuffed would not be easy.

“Slavery?” Mica pointed a finger at Alisa’s nose. “Captain, this is why I’m always pessimistic. Bad things happen all the time. Good things are an oddity.”

Mica is ship's female engineer; Alisa the female captain.  And, yes, they find more things to talk about than haaaawwwwttt potential love interests, how speshul the main character (Alisa) is or be sounding boards for long infodumps.

Leo, buddy, last chance to do something, or we’re about to find out what the melt point is for cyborg sprockets.

 

Not a buddy.