Custodial Transfer

Six months have passed since the Velari attack on Ydrasil.The Federation expected another strike. Military fleets were mobilised. Defences were strengthened. Across the Vardal Sector, governments prepared for the next blow.But it never came.The silence has become its own source of fear.While leaders struggle to understand the enemy's intentions, the strange signal discovered beyond known space continues to cast a shadow over every investigation, every intelligence report, and every unexplained anomaly, what first appeared to be an isolated incident is rapidly becoming something far larger—and far more dangerous.As uncertainty spreads through the Federation, cargo haulier captain Ilyen Vos and the crew of the Vaneim's Wake find themselves drawn ever deeper into events that reach far beyond their understanding. What began as a routine freight run now reaches into the highest levels of power.At the heart of the Federation, within the towering halls of the Five-Seat Directorate, political leaders face decisions that may determine the fate of billions. Old assumptions are breaking down. Hidden agendas are emerging. And somewhere beyond the boundaries of known space, something has begun to stir.Because the most dangerous threat is not always the one you can see.Sometimes it is the one that waits.Custodial Transfer is the second novel in The Custodial War, an epic science-fiction trilogy set in the Vardal Chronicles universe. Combining large-scale worldbuilding, political intrigue, deep-space mystery, and unforgettable characters, it continues a story in which the greatest threat to humanity may not be an enemy—but the truth itself.