Tristan and Arianne

Tristan Cray is one of the countless millions of people on thousands of worlds who are ruled by the vast Dynasty of Hadd. His family is evicted from the world that has been their home, and then Tristan is recruited into military service. Fleeing with a group of other deserters, he lands on a remote planet called Thelema, home to a kind of secular monastery. He meets Arianne, daughter of the monastery’s director, Alcofribas Nasier, and begins to fall in love with her. Although fearful that she will end up being hurt, Arianne slowly reciprocates. Dynasty forces are still searching for the deserters, however, and they are not long in tracking Tristan down. Fleeing, Tristan and Arianne join a group of resistance fighters, and the battle for freedom begins. It becomes personal for Tristan, however, when Arianne - who guards a powerful secret - is kidnapped by the Dynasty’s ruthless master, Aurangzhebb. Tristan goes to her rescue, and receives help from a very unexpected source.