With enemies closing in and lives on the line, a former military cadet has no choice but to embrace her grandmother's legacy—and become a pirate.

Having turned her back on the STARs Academy, Nimah Dabo-124 now serves as second-in-command of the Stormchaser, under her space-pirate grandmother, Indira Roscoe (aka Captain Ro). After stopping a massacre and toppling a tyrant, Nimah should feel victorious. Instead, she's adrift, tormented by guilt and hallucinations of her traitorous ex-crewmate, Dobs.

At a gathering of pirates, the council makes a stunning declaration that Ro will be their next queen. But the controversial decision comes with an ultimatum: she and her crew have five days to rescue hundreds of children abducted from a slaughtered commune. Succeed, and Ro will ascend the throne. Fail, and they will all be exiled forever. But when Captain Ro declares she intends to defy the council and refuse the crown, Nimah challenges her grandmother's leadership and commandeers the Stormchaser for what is surely a one-way mission.

The crew is certain the government is responsible for the abduction. But years of military training fill Nimah with doubt, leading her to seek help from an embittered ex-comrade with access to vital intel. As they plunge deeper into SIGA territory, another merciless wild card enters the mix: Vesper Crole, a bounty hunter with a lethal reputation. She doesn't take prisoners; she takes heads.

The closer they get to the truth, the deeper Nimah spirals into madness. As secrets and lies pile up at every turn, the greatest threat may not be the enemy nipping at their heels but rather the storm brewing inside her . . .

Tropes include: coming of age, rich versus poor, fascist government, and friends to enemies.