An impending war will annihilate an empire and plunge the galaxy into millennia of darkness, in the first volume of an epic new space opera trilogy from Twilight Imperium Millennia ago, the great empire of the Lazax brought the galaxy to heel, but now their ancient doctrine of strength and peace is failing. In the shadows, other factions begin to move against each other and their authoritarian masters. To rule themselves they must first tear down the crumbling regime they are forced to serve. When the Barony of Letnev, supplier of the Lazax's grand fleet, blockades a crucial wormhole to force the empire to listen to its demands, the spark of war is ignited and Zara Hail, an official for the Federation of Sol, is caught in the middle. As the threat of conflict continues to escalate, every faction must choose: Bend beneath the yoke of despots or break the chains that bind them.