For Starke Winters, the Fleet is everything. It represents purpose, order, and the only future he's ever wanted. But an accident changed his life, leaving him with experimental prosthetics and an ever-present companion—Abee, an advanced AI integrated into his very being. As he fights to carve out his place in the academy, Starke must prepare for a Fleet that is only a shadow of its former glory. No longer the proud force that once reached beyond the system, it is now bound by fear, haunted by the silent wreckage of The Mantaeus—the legendary vessel that returned lifeless, its secrets locked away. But when new whispers about The Mantaeus resurface, Starke finds himself caught between the past and a future he never expected. In a world where power comes at a cost, he must decide how much of himself he’s willing to sacrifice to uncover the truth. Because some things were meant to stay buried. And some things never truly die.