An ancient necklace and a scrap of a blanket are all that were left to Akinia when she was abandoned at the orphanage as an infant... Even her heritage, her very name, disappeared with the mysterious stranger that left her there. Now, at fourteen years old, she has no time to ponder the mystery of her origins, for a far more important puzzle awaits her... With the arrival of Najee Master Ko-Pau Klie, and his handsome Apprentice, Nath, Akinia's simple life is turned upside-down. She finds herself suddenly thrust into the middle of the galactic war that has raged since before her birth, shocked with the knowledge that only she holds the power to end the struggle. But, is her arrival the glimmer of hope that the Empire has long been awaiting, or will it signal victory for the enemy nation, Sigadia? When she is captured by the leader of the Sigidian troops, Jade Enbrilth, her courage will be put to the ultimate test as she is forced to choose between her own survival and her loyalty to the Najee warriors who trained her... and who seem to have abandoned her to die.