With a hostile empire poised to annex some of its members, the Sovereign Planet Alliance is keen to add the newly discovered planet of Xinthuva to its ranks and gain access to some top-notch defence technology. Trouble is, Xinthuvans are staunch royalists, and will not even consider Alliance membership until their monarch meets with the monarchs of each and every Alliance world. Since most no longer have monarchies, this definitely poses a problem, but not an insurmountable one. As soon as royal representatives are found for each world, the aptly named starliner, the Aristocrat is assigned the task of conveying them to the requested royal gathering. Having to contend with obnoxious royal kids and resentful royal adults makes for a difficult trip, but there’s worse to come.  The royal gathering won’t be a success unless all of the participants are present, and someone aboard ship is bent on making sure some won’t be. Who among the royal emissaries is targeting the others? And why, when Xinthuva’s admittance into the Alliance stands to benefit them all?