Synopsis: When your enemies become your people... She had defeated Tengri-Nayon. Now she had to save Tengri-Nayon from a deadly plot, with only her children to help her. Of course, they were remarkable children... Two stars: irrevocably linked, Shanji and Tengri-Nayon, drawing apart and together in their orbits, and home to the same race. Over the millennia as they danced their complex and deadly dance, they had fought bitterly when they were close enough together for Tengri-Nayon's limited interstellar space travel to be effective. Then, inevitably, the war sputtered down as the stars drew apart. But this time, when the stars drew close again, the Tengri-Nayon invaders found an overwhelming force on Shanji - a force focused by the mind of Kati, the young warrior. The invaders died in a blast of violet fire, and Kati - Wang Menggnu-Shan-shi-jie - became Empress, with all the responsibilities that entailed. Including the well-being of her former enemies. A task complicated by the plotting of power-hungry rebel factions, who didn't want the war to be over. And, unfortunately, they were going to get their wish... (from the back cover of the Baen Books first edition)