Steven Golden has just been commissioned as an ensign in the Imperial SpaceNavy aboard the Empire's newest ship, the Queen of Rozari. He's assigned to the squad of the nastiest commander in the whole fleet, LCDR Marik Korelesk. Steven's overprotective mom is having a little trouble adjusting to his absence and Steven himself is just not sure where he fits in. Add to that Steven's new friends including Sam, the nephew of the famous pilot Zem, who discovers that unlike his uncle, he's afraid to fly and Randy, who lives in the bowels of the ship in the top secret hacker lab. There's also a princess laying traps to ensnare a prince. Everyone must band together to save a planet in distress while Steven works to keep his true identity hidden from his friends.