V. H. Balaban

One lost relic. Ten thousand years of secrets. Lieutenant Commander Kaia Marinoch is a weapon without a target. Grounded on the backwater planet of Tol'shi while her ship undergoes extensive repairs, the elite V. I. P. E. R. Operative is drowning in desk work and disillusionment. Her faith in the Initiative is fading-until a high-value asset vanishes along with a classified Ancestral relic. Tasked with a simple recovery, the investigation turns bloody as Kaia stumbles into the beginnings of a war between Jiuda Conclaves.
With the bodies piling up, and growing suspicions of Imperial involvement, Kaia is forced to choose between following the chain of command and her own lethal instincts. But the relic isn't just a prize for warlords. Deep in the void, an ancient power has begun to wake-and it's calling to her.