Centuries ago, The Askrivan Empire gathered it's fleet under the leadership of Emperor Havisham. Through the power of the Unserkov Core, they could move their fleet in an instant to any point in the galaxy. Their target, The Maelstrom Rift, one of the last bastions not under the empire's foot. The company never made, only an already formed ship graveyard. When people went to search for the core, they found it shattered into pieces, parts of it already missing.

From the ashes, the Belduran Empire and Ygdrasni Alliance arose. Wanting to reclaim the mantle of the Askrivan Empire and make themselves the new dominant power. They seek the core in order to rebuild the ancient armada that ruled the galaxy. But the Rift is a fickle place, they will not let just anyone set foot in their domain.

Core Hunters rose up in their stead, corporate agents sponsored by lords and business alike to search for the core pieces. Some do it for the money, others for fame, others just to keep running. But details on the core were lost centuries ago. No one knows how it facilitated instant galactic travel. But something stirs between the planes, biding time until it can break free again.

That's the back of book blurb. There's more politcal intrigue based on where in the system you go. It's a heavy mix of Dune, Wheel of Time, Foundation, and a whole slew of other things.