Master of Intrigue — Mary Ann Steele

Six Earthyears after the pivotal event that radically changed Signe's and Arlen's perceptions of each other, Galt, the perpetrator of a heinous crime that no one, even Arlen, suspects he committed, plots to overthrow Arlen. Well aware of his danger, the warrior/statesman who wields dictatorial power over Columbia sets a trap for his power-hungry rival. With the aid of Adrienne, a bewitchingly lovely, highly intelligent, and astonishingly courageous courtesan, Arlen eliminates one threat to his dominance, only to find that another looms.

Acting out of compassion, Theo, Signe's scholarly Captain, befriends Simon, a Columbian prisoner of war. A conversation ensues in which Simon expounds on his reasons for thinking that Johann, the colony-founder revered both by the Columbians and the Gaeans, did not hide his fabulous warship nearly as far away as historians generally believe. An insight gained during that discussion later enables Theo to make a brilliant deduction, which pinpoints where the Flagship must be. Filled with fierce joy upon hearing her scholarly captain's conclusion, Signe prepares to make the long, dangerous transit to the Glaser Group, so as to acquire a huge mobile stronghold armed with awesome Earth-built weaponry. Possession of that ship, the world leader well knows, will render Gaea safe from attack in perpetuity.

Ford, a captain in Arlen's Special Force, angered at being passed over for promotion by the Commander-in-Chief who heartily distrusts this highly competent but utterly self-serving subordinate, seeks a means of attaining power. Employing a method far different from Theo's, the malcontent deduces that the Flagship must lie somewhere in the Glaser Group, without determining its exact location.

By pure chance, Arlen discovers that Signe must have embarked on a quest to find Johann's long-lost vessel. Having been warned a considerable time ago by Amin, Acting Commander of the Special Force, about Ford's keen interest in the vanished vessel, the Columbian Commander-in-Chief at that juncture took a precaution that now bears fruit. In a brilliant maneuver, the master of intrigue uses his mutinous subordinate to lead him to the Gaean world leader.

When the two archfoes finally meet, Arlen employs an extraordinarily risky method to rid both the warrior-woman and himself of all misconceptions. Profound changes now occur in the two world leaders' feelings for each other. Their interaction at this juncture leads to consequences wholly unforeseen by either warrior: consequences that radically alter both their lives, and change the course of history in both Gaea and Columbia.

This action-filled narrative forms the second novel in a series of nine books portraying an ongoing saga of futuristic action, adventure and romance.