Now imprisoned on a Sparnelli spacecraft, Lieutenant Rabert Asik faces interrogation spellwork designed not just to break his will, but to claim it. The enemy will stop at nothing to steal Rabert's comprehensive knowledge of the planetary defenses for his homeworld, Baden: the SAF's next target for conquest.

His new objective? Save both himself and his unconscious wing pilot from the mind-altering magic of Admiral Kydell. Escape may not be possible.

But Rabert won't give up Baden’s secrets without a fight.

The past isn't the only thing that won't stay dead.

Hiding from his violent history as a revered Void necromancer within the Sparnell Confederation, single father Shane Lawrence has finally built a quiet life. On the freehold planet of Baden he can pour his energy into the only thing that now matters: the safety and upbringing of his precocious son, Jake.

All too soon, the Confederation targets Baden for annexation, confronting Shane once more with his treasonous past. Worse, the invading force is led by none other than Shane's manipulative former mentor, Admiral Kydell.

Shane's every instinct screams to run, to hide Jake even further from Sparnell – but Baden is home. This time he could choose to make a stand and defend the entire planet, not just his son. But that means turning to the very skills he swore he'd leave behind…

To lead others, he must first embrace who he was – and what he must become.

After the Turncoat Armada’s surrender, Void necromancer Shane Lawrence is left with a command he never sought and a fleet without a sanctuary. At risk of retribution from both the planet they tried to conquer and their vengeful former allies, the fleet’s only hope lies with Shane’s ability to find them a new home.

He sets his sights on the uninhabited planet TR-75, but there's a catch: Planet TR-75 is claimed by the planet herself. ‘Janikk,’ the lone surviving soul of an ancient civilization, whispers her name on the winds and commands the wildlife to repel intruders. To secure a future for his fleet, Shane must do more than communicate with the long-dead; he must win the favor of Janikk’s guardian, face the ghosts of his past, and earn the approval of a planet that is anything but empty.

Content Warnings: addiction, domestic violence, PTSD, child abuse, swarming insects