The Voidgates are ancient technological artifacts able to transport objects quickly across the universe. Created by the Elder Races of the Vyar and the Utan Mir, along with the assistance of the Lha Ti, the Voidgates are a network of powerful machinery that orbit certain planets in rings that can kilometers thick. It is unknown how they work and they are protected by powerful shields called Aegispheres created by the Y'saari to protect them from falling into the wrong hands. In turn, the Y'saari control the usage of the voidgates through the use of Covenant Marks.
The voidgates are powered by magnetars, special stars that generate a powerful magnetic field, that are always found nearby. Inside, they contain semi-transluscent quantum spheres that somehow channel energy to the voidgates. The gates are oriented around the magnetars in networks: Either it powers multiple gates in a hub or a single one as a spoke radiating outward.
Any civilization able to reach and access a voidgate throughout the ages has had a significant advantage in trade, development, and warfare. Thus naturally, they have been the focal point of many wars. One notable conflict was when a race foreign to the Starmourn Sector, the Cleax, somewho used the gates to invade in mind-boggling numbers. It was this event that caused the Y'saari and Shen to create the aegispheres after beating off the invaders.