When Paean, a teenage musician, boards the 'Solar Wind' with her brothers, all she wants is to escape from those monstrous forces hunting for them. But she is out of luck, because the Solar Wind is a pirate ship. Suddenly all the rules have changed, and she must find her way in this quicksand to figure out whom to trust, what to keep secret, and how to help the high-tech ship evade the law.
When Captain's most faithful sailor, the colourful rogue Federi, brings three young musicians aboard, Pirate Captain Radomir Lascek, salted sea-devil who is a veteran at evading the hostile forces, learns a whole new dimension to the meaning of "trouble".
Two data capsules tell an evil story. Both the Unicate and the Rebellion, mortal enemies both vying for world domination, want those capsules - but they are in the possession of Radomir Lascek of the Solar Wind. Hunted by both these forces, Lascek scrambles to keep his Solar Wind alive. But things explode in his face, and he is forced to move. Shattered, Lascek launches his own Master Plan - too early.
And Federi launches his own Master Plan too - not a moment too soon.
"Keep an eye on them, Federi!"
Very funny, Captain! And putting Captain Rushka Donegal in charge! But the young girl doesn't feel up to running a ship full of unruly young crew. And then they come across disaster... So it falls to Federi to pick up the pieces while his Captain is not aboard. And while he rolls his dramatic eyes and gets things done, Paean Donegal arms up and signs on for the Fight for Freedom.
And then an unknown hazard in a leopard suit stalks onto the scene, implementing her own Master Plan to override them all...
Alien Touchdown! If the crew of the Solar Wind thought the Unicate and the Rebellion were tough cookies, they haven't yet met the Danaan - from Planet New Dome. Coming to take over Earth - or destroy the planet. Or alternatively, for a mango daiquiri in the subtropical paradise of Southern Free. And then destroy the planet.
“Actually, interesting fact of bygone eras,” said Federi, “in prior centuries pirates chose their captains democratically.” Radomir Lascek is in trouble. Of all the forces that are trying to take the Solar Wind out of his hands, Federi is still the most benign... At the end of a space trip there may be a treasure, or there may not. Is it worth risking the crew's lives? Or their already quite strained loyalty?
Two space harpies, sisters competing for the upper hand over the ship and her path; an ancient artificial intelligence whispering directly at the ship; elusive alien pests pranking the crew; an evil deity rearranging the maps, and the oxygen aboard slowly running out... He should not have antagonized Paean!
But as though this is not enough, on returning home eventually, they realize they have brought something along from outer space. And it's not star dust.
Romania. A place of harsh contrasts; dangerous and beautiful wilderness; a silent invisible people. This is where Federi was born; and this is where he takes Paean in their breakaway from the Solar Wind, their bid for freedom. But Federi is hunting big game now, unravelling the curse of Falco. And something is watching from space.
Romipen: The Way of the Gypsy. Ancient lore, nearly sacred tradition. Any of it on the horizon for Federi yet? It appears not.
Nothing is quite what it seems though. As the two pirates delve deeper into where the curse of the Unicate began, enemies... allies... it all becomes a bit nebulous.
This is a glossary of foreign expressions to supplement the Solar Wind and Shooting Star series.
