The Veneer Empire is collapsing. A hundred years ago the Veneer Empire seceded from the UPA and entered into a secret alliance with the Unity. Today, the seeds of the empire’s collapse have taken root and are blossoming into a chaotic darkness that threatens to destabilize the entire region. The Veneer home world has suddenly gone silent. An entire planet with billions of inhabitants and there is nothing but silence. Without the guidance and leadership from the home world, the structure of the empire is crumbling. Supply chains are failing. Criminal elements are running wild. The entire sector is up for grabs and anyone who can make a power play is making it. In an effort to stabilize the region, the UPA has dispatched an envoy headed up by the Defiancé. Their mission is humanitarian. They’re to offer aid and begin the process of reestablishing communication between the Alliance and the Veneer Empire. But before long, that mission turns to survival for the crew of the Defiancé. Survival against the darkness from without, and from within.