The Circling of the White represented a specific social stratum among the Quesoth insectoid species. Their function was to serve as advisors to the Queen of the White, who governed the planet Quethold's White City. Additionally, they were responsible for breeding Quesoth to serve their Queen. Following the death of the Red City's Queen of the Red after her reign of a certain number of years, the Quesoth Soldiers, Workers, along with their supervisors, the Midli, would journey to the White City. During this time, the Circling would enter a state of hibernation and engage in breeding a new Queen. Upon arrival at the White City, these Quesoth would unite with the Queen's offspring, and after a period of eighteen years, the Queen of the Black would emerge, thus continuing the cycle.
In the year 8 ABY, the then-reigning Queen of the Red devised a plan to eliminate the Circling of the White, aiming to prevent the rise of the Queen of the White and secure her own eternal rule. However, her ally, the warlord Nuso Esva, failed to successfully steal juggernauts from the Empire of the Hand during a conflict against the government in the Red City, which thwarted her plans. Lacking these juggernauts, the Queen—who was ultimately murdered by Esva due to his suspicion of treason—was unable to launch a raid on the White City and disrupt the established cycle.
The Circling of the White received a mention within the 2011 novella titled Crisis of Faith, which was authored by Timothy Zahn and subsequently included in Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition.