Jupiter Aligns With Mars in Aquarius, Venus in Sagitarius, Mercury in Terminator

Abstract Art on cover by Dale Kagan -- copyright (c) 2000 by
D A K
Vas mani enters the Council for Special Forces in 2700 AD disguising herself as a man but when she is caught cheating she reapplied for a new career under a lesser ability and passes. Things go well until her Bhuddist roots cause the Phoenix to track and reopen her recruitment to be embedded spy. Only Uri son of Osiris has left any educated guess a cognitive plan to read not her to the Council. Is father met her as an original Topaz recruit.
topaz an intriguing gem of desire.
The last three Thought Controllers or PHOENIX -- Psionic Agents who have gone rogue -- are apprehended. Banned from Eta Cassiopiae, banned from Procyon, and banned from Earth, Sergeant the last survivor, the third in rank, and his large army retreat to Dauropa. The world is Earth- colonized and they land on the mountain near the township of Demner in the late autumn. Caught by an unexpected early snowfall, they retreat to the castle, which according to their maps is uninhabited.
The castle and the town of Demner are in a valley halfway to the summit and halfway down to the river which winds in a beautiful indago curve to a spit of land with a Starport, base town and HQ for the United Front against the Rogues.
Naturally Sergeant wants to settle around the castle as soon as possible. They break base camp to descend on the Demner castle -- the only nearby dwelling
-- when they discover -- the castle is not deserted.