East of the Sun, West of the Moon

When the council that controlled the world spanning computer Mother fell out in civil war, it plunged the world in an instant from high-tech utopia to medieval nightmare. Critical to the little remaining technology that was left were the Helium Three reactors that powered the world-wide power grid. And the refueling ship that returned from the outer planets every five years.
With the ship on its way back for the five year rendezvous, every faction on the planet was hungry to capture the tanker, and the power that went with it.
Megan Travante, former slave girl, assassin and currently one of the thirteen super-powerful "Key Holders" that control the world-spanning computer network called Mother, has become deeply entrenched in the political infighting that characterizes the New Destiny capital. In that role she is swained by her "very close, personal, friend" Herzer Herrick, the Blood Lord's Blood Lord, who would much prefer to be splitting orc heads or riding dragons. He wouldn't mind so much if he was at least getting some.
When Herzer and Megan are trapped as replacements for the slaughtered first team, life becomes a nightmarish scramble to find qualified personnel and train and prepare for the toughest space-walk of all time. All while being assaulted by giant metallic scorpions and trying to resolve their "close, personal" differences.