Iza Sundari grew up as an orphan on the rough streets of outer colony worlds, where she’s done what she needed to survive with her Lynaedan android companion, Trix. Even when a chance encounter with teenager Braedon sends unwanted attention from the authorities in her direction, Iza remains committed to her plan to turn her life around.

With the opportunity to get her own ship and begin a private hauling business, Iza meets with her former employer, Karter Hyttinen of Apex Enterprises. Karter always wanted more from Iza than just cargo-hauling work, but she has successfully rebuffed his advances. Iza convinces Karter to lease her a ship, but she quickly realizes that he’s intentionally stacked the terms against her so she’s all but guaranteed to default.

In an effort to get the money she needs for ship payments, Iza reluctantly agrees to take on Braedon and his mysterious bodyguard, Jovani, as passengers. Unknown to Iza, Jovani is actually disgraced TSS Agent Joe Anderson, who’s been sent to the outer colonies on an undercover assignment. Joe is desperate to prove his worth to the TSS so he can return to Headquarters, and traveling with Braedon and Iza is the perfect opportunity to launch covert investigations. Joe and Iza have an instant connection, though Iza is reluctant to act on those feelings.

As she gets to know her new ship, Iza discovers a hidden ancient box, which contains a small metal sphere with mysterious properties. It seems to be giving her bizarre dreams, and she can feel its presence like a hum in her head. To complicate matters, Braedon’s father, Victor—the head of the Arvonen Dynasty—is after the sphere, and he will do anything he can to get his property back. He sends the authorities after Iza and her ship, led by Karter’s cousin, Desirae Hyttinen, a captain in the Tararian Guard.

While trying to stay out of trouble, Iza’s first hauling job with her new ship takes an unexpected turn when they are shot down with an EMP blast. Hubyria is supposed to be a quiet mining world, but Iza discovers that the miners are on strike and are looking for leverage to use against their corporate overlords. The situation is exactly the kind of civil unrest Joe was sent to seek out, so he allows himself to be abducted by the miners and brought in for questioning by the rebel leader, Yeaga. Just as he’s gathering the information he needs, Iza launches a rescue and they double-cross another hauling crew to get away.

Though everyone is safe, the hauling job is a bust and there is no way for Iza to make her lease payment on the ship. Worse, Braedon has gambled away Iza’s only backup plan, leaving her on the brink of losing everything. Seeing that his own undercover mission is in jeopardy, Joe arranges for Iza’s ship to be secretly retrofitted with a specialized independent jump drive, typically only available on military vessels, and reveals his true identity to Trix in the process.

In a desperate move, Iza takes on a dangerous job promising great pay that will clear her debts. However, Joe’s arm is shot off in the botched escape from the job, threatening his life. They bring Joe to a Healer named Cierra, who is Braedon’s former lover. Cierra manages to save Joe’s life, but he’s still in need of advanced medical care to regrow his arm.
Karter Hyttinen offers Iza a solution to all of her problems: enter into a fake engagement with him to get his domineering mother off his back, and he’ll pay for Joe’s recovery and also let Iza keep her ship. Backed into a corner, Iza agrees, though she keeps the engagement a secret.

With the Tararian Guard and Victor Arvonen off Iza’s back for the time being, Iza settles into life aboard her ship, named the Verity, with her passengers and crew. However, she must still solve the mystery of the ancient sphere’s origins, and with news that her mother may actually still be alive, her life is about to get much more complicated.