Empress of Earth - Book III of the Roads of Heaven - Melissa Scott

Following "Five-Twelfths of Heaven" and "Silence in Solitude", this is the third and concluding novel in the Silence Leigh series. Silence Leigh now faces the ultimate test of her skills as a pilot and of her powers as a sage.

Silence has finally wangled a deal with the Hegemony to use their gear to help them find the lost star roads to Earth. This comes at a price, though, as the credit for this will go to the leader of the Hegemony's family, so that one of his relatives can inherit his position, given that he has no children.

The roads are not lost by accident, there is an active group of planets trying to block access to Earth, setting up a final conflict.