Publisher's Synopsis
Prologue: A Galaxy in Shadows
The galaxy was not born in darkness.
But it was slowly being consumed by it.
For centuries, the vast reaches of the celestial expanse had been guided by fractured alliances, warring ideologies, and the quiet remains of civilizations lost to time. No single power had ever ruled it all.
Until now.
The Crown had risen-not by conquest alone, but through meticulous control, spreading its influence across the stars like an unseen force threading itself into the fabric of existence. Some whispered that its leaders had unlocked knowledge beyond mortal reach. Others feared that what they wielded was never meant to be touched.
And yet, the galaxy obeyed.
But there were still places where the Crown's rule faltered-sectors veiled in ancient mysteries, forgotten ruins buried beyond navigation charts, whispers of shattered relics that had survived the purge of time.
One such relic held the power to unravel everything.
A shard, lost to the void, spoken of only in fractured records and forbidden texts.
The Crown sought it.
But so did those who refused to kneel.
This was not a war of soldiers.
It was a war for truth itself.
And the stars were watching.
