Starshield: Sentinels (Starshield, Book 1)

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. 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.