Rites of Succession

When the space yacht carrying Zoë Arete Peter Minyas their baby son cousin Leo and Zoë's old mentor suddenly goes into spiralling malfunction and vanishes into a jump the fragile galactic balance is threatened. Beleaguered at home and abroad by his refusal to declare a new heir Platon Arete cannot reveal that his only source of hope is an old enemy who is himself endangered by the changed political situation. How could it all go so wrong and what does another major galactic power have to do with it? Is the Delian mercenary Sita Chandragupta all that she appears? What role is the power bloc of Thebes playing? In the midst of fear grief and uncertainty the answers may have to come from some very unlikely places.