After the battle with the fleet of an unearthly civilization, several interplanetary ships of mankind made an emergency landing on the planet Placer. Decades later, the descendants of their crews are still under attack from space. Fighter pilots are the heroes of the colony waging a continuous war, and Spence has dreamed of joining them since childhood to prove his courage. But her fate is intertwined with that of her father, who died years ago, after he suddenly left his squadron. Therefore, Spensa's chances of entering a flight school are close to zero. She is not allowed to forget about how her father died. But a random find in a cave forgotten by everyone could open the way for her to the sky.