“To me, there is only one clan that matters: humankind. Before we crashed here, we were all part of the same fleet—and someday all the wandering clans will remember that. They will come when we call them. They’ll gather together, and we’ll form a city and build a civilization.”

These words are spoken by Spensa’s father just before he joins the fateful Battle of Alta in which his actions will brand him a coward. The passage foreshadows the fact that humanity will indeed band together just as he hopes, but the tone of his words also foreshadows the fact that he will not live to see that future for himself.

“Claim the stars, Spensa.”

Zeen’s statement stands at the heart of Spensa’s deep drive to prove herself a hero and contribute to humanity’s fight for survival. Spensa’s father gives this encouragement to Spensa, who feels out of place among their people, and his words stay with her into adulthood, when all she dreams of is taking to the stars. His philosophy becomes a reminder to pursue grander goals than the rest of their people have even dreamed of.

“I thought…just for a moment…that I heard something out there. My imagination perhaps? A distant, pure sound…”

This passage marks the novel’s first reference to Spensa’s mysterious abilities, which her culture brands as a “defect.” She initially dismisses the experience as a figment of her imagination, but as the narrative will eventually reveal, she truly does hear the stars, and her innate abilities also allow her to hear the Krells’ telepathic communications. Sanderson also suggests that she too will eventually be able to navigate the stars as her forebears once did.