The Widening Gyre

[DEBUT] Tajen Hunt has become a freight runner after serving the Zhen for ten years in the military, in which he became a war hero. The Zhen, an imperial race who "rescued" the remnants of the human race following a terrible interstellar accident, gave humans a corner of their world and accepted them as a subject race. Humans are allowed to live, be educated (to a point), and serve. But the allowances come at a cost. Little human knowledge of Earth remains, but some "dreamers" still seek their home planet, wishing to return. Tajen's estranged brother, Daav, sends him a message: he's found Earth. It's been 15 years since Tajen and Daav have spoken, because of an incident about which Tajen still cannot bear to think. Daav is killed before Tajen can return. When Tajen and a sparse crew follow the clues, they learn that the Zhen have kept many secrets about Earth, and 800 years of human history is suspect.