The Shards of the Conduit: Book 1 of Eiden Ascendant

Commander Malek Reza leads an elite strike team across the reaches of their world in search of ancient shards-fragments of a long-lost device with the power to create or annihilate entire civilizations. Tasked with retrieving them before a ruthless enemy does, Malek knows the mission is more than a tactical operation. It's a race against extinction.

But Malek harbors a dangerous secret: anomalous abilities that defy physics and explanation. If the truth surfaces, it could cost him everything, including the fragile unity of his crew... And one of them already knows too much.

Nikita didn't volunteer for war, but she refuses to be silent in the face of it. Determined to keep her expertise from becoming a weapon, she challenges every decision that edges them closer to catastrophe...even if it means putting herself in Malek's crosshairs. Her relentless questioning forces Malek to confront the true nature of himself and their mission, forcing them to navigate the treacherous path between duty and morality.

As the team closes in on the shards, the line between savior and perpetrator begins to blur, forcing them all to confront a haunting question: on the planet Eiden, where survival is at stake, what justifies the right of any species to endure-and at what cost?