Regis Hastur, lord of the most powerful of the seven domains
of Darkover, learns that the Terran Federation's operatives
are pressuring Darkover to give up its closed world status
and become a full member of this intergalactic empire. But
Regis knows that if Darkover joins the Federation his
beloved home planet will become nothing more than a military
hub, sapped of its resources and cultural heritage. Still
there are those among Darkover's ruling families who are
tempted by the promise of increased technology that
membership in the Federation would bring.
Meanwhile, Regis learns that he has an older illegitimate
brother, Rinaldo. But his joy in finding his sibling is
short-lived, as Regis's enemies try to force him to abdicate
leadership of Darkover in favor of his older brother. They
hope to manipulate Rinaldo into agreeing to join the
Federation. But unbeknownst to anyone, Rinaldo has a plan of
his own...