The usurper of the A'othan throne reared up and stared at us with a malevolent glare. Her multi-coloured body was taut with rage and her front six fighting legs waved at us with their claws snapping together. She was one big angry caterpillar. 'I am the Empress Fr'g'natha', she screamed. 'You will bow down before me.' 'Good evening Madam,' I replied politely. 'I am Chief Lieutenant Mark Nelson of the Human Commonwealth's Royal Navy. I am here as a representative of the Empress Thry'tant'o. She has instructed me to tell you to jump from a high branch and kill yourself. There is one outside and I would be happy to escort you to it.' 'Thry'tant'o,' screamed the usurper. 'Thry'tant'o is not the Empress. I am. That old bitch is from ancient history and should have stayed there. I will not surrender to her and will kill her if she dares set foot on my planet.' Mark Nelson commands an interstellar naval mission to return an alien empress, who has been trapped for centuries on Earth, to her throne. The three metre long sentient caterpillar hates Mark, as she sees him as a dangerous enemy, but needs him to get rid of her much more hated rival. Samantha Treganon and Jacinda O'Nunga are on the expedition with Mark to ensure that he does not start an interstellar war and to deal with the diplomatic and intelligence issues that are bound to arise when restoring an alien empress to her empire against the wishes of her usurper.