The towering spires of Jandareth's inner sanctum loomed like sharpened teeth beneath a blood-red sky. Here, beneath the ghostly light of three dying moons, the most influential powers of the Western Spiral convened.
The Galactic Summit—a once-in-a-century gathering of warlords, sovereigns, trade magnates, and star priests—was being held in secret, far from the surveillance of the Interstellar Coalition and outside the reach of the Nova Purity Order. Only those who truly controlled the currents of galactic power received invitations, and even fewer dared to attend.
But standing calmly amidst the whispered chaos of the gathering, wearing a simple dark robe without insignia or banners, was Ashkelon Vire—the newly crowned Merchant Sovereign.
