Afterfall (The First Peacemaker Book 2)

After an expedition to Antarctica, Alexander Hawkes is transported across the stars into a chaotic galaxy. The Emperor has been assassinated, and the Eternum Empire has collapsed. Hawkes now commands a starship and leads a crew of allies: Ban Tarro, a Barundi soldier; Diliseth, a genetically-engineered Nacendo handmaiden; and Four, a sentient AI. Witnessing the brutal aftermath of imperial collapse on the planet Twilight, Hawkes proposes creating the Galactic Knights, an independent peacekeeping force to protect the vulnerable. He builds a coalition that includes the Kynuvar and Vinicul peoples. However, powerful forces take notice of his efforts. Those with the ability to help refuse to do so, while those motivated by greed resist his vision. Hawkes leads a desperate defense that tests his resolve and transforms the Galactic Knights from an idea into an actual force. In a galaxy darkened by the aftermath of imperial collapse, his vision becomes a beacon of hope for a just and unified future.