So much for peace and quiet. Now that the government overthrow is said and done, a new frontier awaits colonization. That's where Zarco Thread and his wife enter. He and Ria head up a surveying crew, commissioned to report on worlds with potential for settlements. However, nothing is settling about what they discover. A conspiracy threatens to unravel the progress the Five Realms made in the last decade. Not to mention, strain the development of Zarco and Ria's marriage. This time it's more serious than revenge... A dominating force exists in the Realm that has recruited their long-time enemies, tempting them with a greater plot, one that will endanger the Word once again.