The Apocalypse Crystal

Kelen Roaert is the proprietor of the most successful monopoly the Galaxy has ever seen. And keeper of its deadliest secret. Until his little empire comes under an attack that threatens on one hand to end his domination of the galactic marketplace or on the other to destroy it, and him. Neither of which strikes him as an appealing prospect. So he takes steps to eliminate both problems.
But when his processing plant and orbiting home are destroyed, he finds himself allied with the one of these opposing forces in a desperate bid to stop an apocalyptic chain of events set in motion by the attack. At the same time, he must preserve a major component in Earth’s defenses.