After a fateful expedition to Antarctica, Alexander Hawkes finds himself catapulted across the stars into a galaxy in chaos. The Emperor is assassinated. And the Eternum Empire, already fading, has collapsed. But he has a starship now. And friends. Alongside a crew of unlikely allies—Ban Tarro, an honorable Barundi soldier; Diliseth, a genetically-engineered Nacendo handmaiden; and Four, a sentient AI—Alexander witnesses the brutal aftermath of imperial collapse on the planet Twilight. Driven by an innate sense of justice, Alexander proposes a radical the Galactic Knights, an independent peacekeeping force dedicated to protecting the vulnerable. But as Alexander builds a coalition—from the industrious Kynuvar to the wise Vinicul—powerful forces take notice. Chess pieces are moved. Military assets are up for grabs. But the hardest lessons are learned when the need is greatest. Those with the power to help, refuse. And those driven by greed aren't easily repelled. With everything at stake, Alexander leads a desperate defense that proves their mettle—and transforms the Knights from concept to reality. In a galaxy plunged into the darkness of Afterfall, Alexander's vision ignites a beacon of hope for a just and unified future.