This collection of excerpts from "Stealing Light" introduces readers to Dakota, a "machine-head" with Ghost implants, as she navigates a perilous existence marked by violence and mystery. The narrative unfolds across different timelines, revealing a past incident at Port Gabriel and her current entanglement with a dangerous mission involving Bourdain and the enigmatic Shoal. As she works alongside Corso to uncover the secrets of an ancient derelict starship and the novae phenomena, Dakota grapples with compromised implants, shifting loyalties, and the omnipresent influence of the alien Shoal. The text hints at a larger conflict involving the Freehold, Uchidans, and the powerful Consortium, all vying for control or survival in a universe where the Shoal manipulate events and possess advanced, perhaps stolen, technology. Ultimately, Dakota finds herself at the center of a desperate plan to either harness or destroy the derelict, with the fate of entire star systems hanging in the balance.