Starshield Series by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

Created by the bestselling team of Weis & Hickman, Starshield introduces their newest fantastic universe with an unforgettable, magical, grand adventure!Rebellion threatens to rock the very foundation of civilization.  If the wrong side wins, the people will be at the mercy of minds with no conscience or humanity.  The only hope for freedom lies with the Mantle of Kendis-dai, a relic reputed to hold the power of absolute Truth... moreCreated by the bestselling team of Weis & Hickman, Starshield introduces their newest fantastic universe with an unforgettable, magical, grand adventure!Rebellion threatens to rock the very foundation of civilization.  If the wrong side wins, the people will be at the mercy of minds with no conscience or humanity.  The only hope for freedom lies with the Mantle of Kendis-dai, a relic reputed to hold the power of absolute Truth.  But the Mantle of Kendis-dai is long lost in the mists of myth and time...if it ever really existed at all.Merinda Neskat, dedicated to the pursuit of Truth above all, is determined to find the legendary Mantle.  The key to her quest is a group of lost Earthpeople, led by the feckless Jeremy Griffiths, who holds knowledge he shouldn't have--and doesn't understand.  Together, Merinda, Jeremy, and his companions set off on a dangerous race against time and deadly enemy forces, seeking a mysterious world that holds the secret that can save them--or destroy the path of civilization forever. less

Thousands of years ago, the mad emperor Lokan controlled the Nightsword--and imposed his twisted desires on all that lived. Then Lokan mysteriously vanished behind the Maelstrom Wall, into the quantum chaos of the galactic core. But legend says that somewhere behind the Wall, the Nightsword is hidden, its awesome energies waiting to be used again . . . for good or evil... moreThousands of years ago, the mad emperor Lokan controlled the Nightsword--and imposed his twisted desires on all that lived. Then Lokan mysteriously vanished behind the Maelstrom Wall, into the quantum chaos of the galactic core. But legend says that somewhere behind the Wall, the Nightsword is hidden, its awesome energies waiting to be used again . . . for good or evil.When Earther astronaut Jeremy Griffiths donned the Mantle of Kendis-Dai and became blessed--and perhaps cursed--with infinite knowledge, he learned the exact direction of Lokan's ill-fated route. And now the secrets stored in his head have made him the target of everyone who has ever coveted the Nightsword for their own ends. Griffiths wants only to get his crew safely home to Earth--and to impress the bewitching, bewildering Merinda Neskat. Yet he is caught firmly in the middle of galactic agendas beyond his control, and this new quest will prove to be the challenge of a lifetime . . . less