Sixteen-year-old Hwa Young was taken in by the Empire after her home on a rebel moon was destroyed by Empire forces. Now she trains hard to become a lancer pilot for the Empire--an elite fighter in giant robot tech. When her boarding school is attacked, she and others are rushed through their training and sent out. But Hwa uncovers a conspiracy and secrets about the rebellion that force her to choose between her past with the rebels and her future with the Empire.