Too many interconnected problems have fallen on Reyne’s head. One thing is to create an empire, and quite another is to preserve what you’ve created. Fine—if it were just about dealing with human races. Their thinking and psychology have long been studied and understood. You can always come to an agreement. At worst, you can show off your muscles. But how do you understand the non-humanoids? Especially when you plan to unite their worlds under your rule. In the boundless universe, there aren’t two similar intelligent races. Each is unique and requires its own approach. And to make matters worse, an unknown enemy has turned on the insects and is setting them against people. Everything has to be handled—one thing at a time. It’s a pity, though, that fate has no schedule about that order.