Specific placement of the novel within the Alliance-Union timeline is difficult because two of Cherryh's works provide contradictory dates.

Like some species of Earth insects, the Majat are eusocial, featuring separate Drone, Worker and Warrior castes that serve each hive's single Queen.

Humans do live in the Hydri stars, however, because Union had established colonies there[citation needed] before ceding Serpent's Reach to the Alliance, which subsequently imposed the quarantine.

Cherryh's Azi race of human clones make up the third tier, acting as servants or slaves to the Kontrin, the Betas and also the Majat.

Raen's final move is to board a Beta passenger spaceliner, Andra's Jewel bound for Istra, the only planet in the Reach accessible from the Outside.

To amuse herself on Andra's Jewel's long voyage, Raen plays Sej, a dicing game, every night with a ship azi named Jim.

They agree that at the end of the voyage Raen will buy his contract, and if Jim is the overall winner, he will be a free man, but if he loses, he will become her azi.

The Hive revolt spreads to all planets of the Reach and all the Kontrin perish, except for Raen, who now lives with the Majat on Istra.

It is very probable that the Angel with the Sword reference is correct and the earlier Serpent's Reach date is incorrect, because: The reason for the discrepancy is unclear.

It is perhaps more likely that after having the opportunity to more fully develop her future history for the universe, Cherryh simply revised the dates in 1985 as a retcon.

Another discrepancy between the two books is the location of the Majat planet of origin, Cerdin, within the Alpha Hydri system.

Because the Serpent's Reach citation is from the same dubious document noted above, and under the assumption that the Angel with the Sword timeline is designed to function in part as a retcon, some readers may conclude that the correct listing for Cerdin is Alpha Hydri II.