After the Sisterhood’s setbacks, Reverend Mother Raquella Berto-Anirul travels by VenHold shuttle to Wallach IX, a cold but habitable planet that Cioba has assured her will remain unnoticed. Raquella brings twenty-eight loyal, scattered followers on a scouting mission, hoping the world can become a hidden sanctuary.

Raquella reflects that she had already prepared a contingency survival plan with Karee Marques before Josef Venport’s help became necessary. The Sisterhood’s offworld funds have now been folded into VenHold’s banking system, creating an alliance Raquella did not expect but recognizes as useful for survival.

Wallach IX was once one of the Synchronized Worlds under Omnius and was later devastated by a nuclear attack during the Jihad. Most radiation has faded, and Venport has assured Raquella that commercial ships no longer come there, making it a plausible refuge for the Sisterhood.

The shuttle lands on an old machine landing field surrounded by damaged stone warehouses, with forests and snow-covered mountains in the distance. At first the planet appears beautiful, but a sudden cold rain drenches the women and emphasizes how harsh the new environment will be compared with Rossak.

Taking shelter in a warehouse, Raquella concludes that Wallach IX is safe enough to serve as the Sisterhood’s new homeworld. She plans to contact more loyal Sisters, rebuild the school in secret, and move the order beyond mere survival toward renewed purpose.