For too long, the people of the Lyran Commonwealth have only reacted to attacks by their enemies. But now Archon Melissa Steiner will launch an intricate gambit that will ensure the safety of her subjects - and secure her own power against those who wish to take it... Trillian Steiner has always been a loyal warrior and supporter of the archon. But when she is ordered to strike against the Free Worlds League, victory is not her only goal. The leader of the campaign - the politician and business magnate Duke Vedet Brewster - has been consolidating power within the Commonwealth for years. And now the archon has decided to rid herself of two threats with one move. For Trillian is there, not to ensure success but, through a web of machinations, to guarantee the duke's downfall - before the worlds he conquers become the foundation of an attempt to take over the Commonwealth. And in the chaos of war and the never-ending struggle for power, Trillian's strength and devotion will be sorely tested...