Akima grew up on a drifter colony after Earth was destroyed by the Drej, who despised humanity with a passion. She lost her brother and both her parents in the disaster and was raised by her grandmother. She learned to appreciate Humans and their various cultures. After her grandmother died, when she was fifteen, she went to live with a family friend, Muhammed, and his son, Ishaq, but a year later their drifter colony was attacked by the Drej and Muhammed was killed because they hadn't been able to get him to a medical facility. Akima then became determined to learn to become a skilled pilot, which she did. After meeting the alien Stith and learning about the Titan Project, which could create a new homeworld for Humans, Akima committed herself to finding the Titan before the Drej could destroy it.