Dr. McCoy gets himself captured by the Romulans, or Rihannsu as they call themselves, so that he can track down a Federation agent, Terise Haleakala, who had been working undercover as a Romulan, but had not been heard from for two years. McCoy gets held in a kind of house arrest at the home of H’daen tr’Khellian where Lieutenant-Commander Terise Haleakala, now known as Arrhae ir-Mnaeha t’Khellian, is the head servant, or hru’hfe. She now feels that Romulus, or ch’Rihan, is her home, but she gets talking with McCoy and even accompanies him to his trial, or rather sentencing, before the Senate and the Praetorate. A Horta, Lieutenant Naraht, also known as Ensign Rock, had also been there assisting McCoy, and he creates a disturbance and he helps to set up Terise/Arrhae as being a hero, as she had decided to stay. McCoy and Ensign Rock are rescued by Ael t’Rllaillieu who lands her ship, Bloodwing, on the roof of the Senate Chamber. She takes the Sword from the Empty Chair because she considered the actions of Subcommander tr’Annhwi and others to have dishonored the Chamber. The Sword had been placed on the Empty Chair back in the days of S’task, who had been the leader of the Travelers who had left Vulcan aboard 17 ships, only 5 of which were left when they arrived at the twin planets ch’Rihan and ch’Havran in the 128 Trianguli system. For her apparent heroism, Arrhae is made a member of the Senate. Ensign Ron Luks of Starfleet Intelligence sacrifices himself to enable Bloodwing to escape.