The Ember Nebula, a breathtaking swirl of sapphire and ruby, cradles the Sky-Faring Villages—living ships grown from the nebula’s radiant heart.  For generations, the Sky-Farers have lived in harmonious symbiosis with their celestial home, their lives a delicate dance to the nebula’s whispers. But a dissonant hum now echoes through the vibrant currents, a tremor of sickness emanating from the nebula’s core.
Tavi Umber, a Shale Clan navigator with an uncanny sensitivity to the nebula’s voice, discovers the source of the disturbance: a derelict metal vessel, cold and lifeless, carrying the gaunt, ash-skinned K’tharr, a species teetering on extinction. Their very presence poisons the nebula, their fear a corrosive tide against the Sky-Farers’ delicate balance.  They are echoes of the Xantari, a species banished centuries ago for a hunger that nearly devoured the nebula entirely.
Within the Sky-Faring Villages, divisions erupt.  Theron Slate of the Obsidian Clan, hardened by the perils of the asteroid mines, demands the K’tharr’s immediate expulsion.  Elara Zephyr of the Whispering Winds, her wisdom rooted in communion with the nebula’s sentience, sees a different path, believing the nebula’s grace extends to all life.
Torn, Tavi finds herself at a crossroads. She believes the K’tharr can learn the language of symbiosis, but their generational trauma runs deep, a barrier far more formidable than any language. While Theron’s skepticism fuels sabotage, the nebula’s sickness intensifies, mirroring the growing discord.
Guided by the nebula’s whispers, Tavi discovers a forgotten pathway to its heart—a place of immense power and potential healing. Embarking on a perilous journey with Elara and a small group of K’tharr led by the curious Lyra Ember, Tavi confronts not only the K’tharr’s past but the Sky-Farers’ deepest fears.  At the nebula’s core, they uncover the source of its pain, a wound left by the Xantari that reverberates through generations.  Through ancient rituals, the K’tharr begin to connect with the nebula’s energy, their fear giving way to a nascent sense of belonging.