On her first interstellar voyage, Engineer's Apprentice Sonia MacTaggert eventually became Captain Sonia MacTaggert. On her second voyage she was perceived as a threat by her team leader so was put in charge of a series of projects all designed to end in failure. She succeeded anyway. Leaving the comfort of "civilization" for the third time Sonia does so in command of a new ship. Many old friends continue to travel with her. She makes new ones. Along the trip she makes several discoveries, some professional, more than a few personal. What is the machine she appropriated from the pirate, "Grinning Jack" Grangiere? Why does he want it back? She nonetheless must continue to evade and absorb his increasing attempts to recapture it. But she never dreamed of the lengths to which he would go.