Since he was young, Roy Liaden had desired to escape the deplorable city of Drus on the Kinteran Empire-controlled world of Ruia. The city teeters on lawlessness, crime runs rampant through its impoverished streets, and its skies are mired by a smog that blocks the starlight of Altrune, the star of miracles.
One day, Roy is presented with a rare opportunity to be free from not only Drus but also the world of Ruia if he enlists in the Kinteran Celestial Military. Despite the risks that come with serving, Roy is unable to let the opportunity pass by and decides to enlist. Joined by his close friend Claire Sandelora, the two of them are taken from Drus and become pilots of deadly machines called Harbingers. Now servants of the Kinteran Empire, Roy and Claire are being transported through Kinteran space to their first military assignment, and they will soon learn what the true cost of their freedom is.