From publisher blurb:
The Known is a web of shadows, each thread leading to secrets, betrayal, and blood. Among its countless stars lies Outpost Maldrith, a desolate relic whispered of in forgotten records, its purpose shrouded in rumor. Some say it was a research station, a jewel of advanced technology abandoned in haste. Others claim it was a prison for horrors too dark to control. For years, it was silent—a ghost of a bygone era. Until now. Recent transmissions, garbled and incomplete, have brought Maldrith back into the galaxy’s consciousness. The Dominion of Askalor, ever the opportunists, dispatched agents to claim whatever wealth or weaponry the outpost might contain. But their rivals, the Crimson Scythe, caught wind of the expedition, and now the two factions stand poised for war, each ready to spill blood over the station’s enigmatic secrets. You are among those drawn to Maldrith, though your reasons are your own. Perhaps you seek redemption, a chance to erase the sins of your past. Perhaps greed drives you, the lure of technology and wealth too tempting to resist. Or perhaps curiosity is your master, pulling you toward truths better left undiscovered. Whatever your purpose, you are here, walking into the darkness of Maldrith with no guarantee of return. The outpost itself looms like a predator in the void, its jagged architecture blending decay and menace. Its corridors echo with a silence that feels alive, as though the station watches you, waiting. The first signs of battle are already apparent—charred walls, spent casings, and bodies left where they fell. Yet something far worse lingers here. The whispers of those who have ventured inside and returned speak of horrors beyond comprehension. Cyborgs—half flesh, half machine—stalk the shadows, their eyes glowing with a cold, malignant light. What twisted intelligence commands these abominations? What drove them to overtake this place? The Dominion and the Scythe believe they can control Maldrith and the secrets it holds. But as you step deeper into its labyrinth, you begin to question whether anyone can. The air grows heavy with dread, the hum of malfunctioning machinery merging with faint, inhuman sounds. This is not merely a fight for dominance. It is a descent into the unknown, where survival demands more than skill or courage. It requires an unflinching willingness to confront the unimaginable and to make impossible choices. The stakes are far greater than any one life—or even the factions vying for power.