Trained to fight, lead, and sail the ocean that is space, Nel Vaughn has the makings of a hero. She should have been the best, but Nel forsake a career with the Alliance and now sails the Free Lanes on the Tantamount with its misfit crew, Kitsune cabin girl, and absent-minded captain.

During a stopover for repairs, Nel and the Tantamount are coerced into ferrying medical cargo to a planet at war. Complicating the job are the Tantamount's unwanted passengers—a Guildswoman; her golem; and a charming, mysterious stranger—each with their own agenda.

When Nel discovers the sinister truth behind their mercy mission, her simple goal of keeping her ship intact and her crew safe seems impossible . . . unless Nel chooses to be the hero she was meant to be.