An Unexpected Sequel

If Poul Anderson's major future history series, the History of Technic Civilization, is read in chronological order of fictitious events, for example in Baen Books' seven-volume The Technic Civilization Saga, then the third Young Flandry novel, The Rebel Worlds, is succeeded by two non-Flandry installments, "Outpost of Empire" and The Day Of Their Return. However, and completely unexpectedly, the second of these installments imperceptibly metamorphoses into a direct sequel to The Rebel Worlds despite not sharing any characters with it. Snelund is dead, the McCormacs have fled and Flandry has returned to Terra so what new characters have become active in Sector Alpha Crucis and how do their actions continue the conflicts initiated by their predecessors?

In the large format edition of The Technic Civilization Saga, Volume IV, Captain Flandry: Defender Of The Terran Empire:

p. 73, which could have been an internal title page for The Day Of Their Return, is blank;

p. 74 bears a dedication To Marion Zimmer Bradley, my lady of Darkover (that is another future history series by a woman writer that I have not read);

p. 75 bears a quotation from Job;

pp. 75-76 bear Chapter 1 which does not tell us where it is set and is packed with Biblical language (see On The Third Day... and Jesus And Caruith);

Chapter 2, beginning on p. 76, kicks off the action...