At first glance, she's not the kind of person you'd expect to find piloting her own ship. For one thing, she's young, or at least looks - and acts - that way, with a shy and elusive glance and an awkward, coltish manner.

But then you notice the stubborn set of her chin, and her remarkable eyes, by turns flickering with curiosity and solemn with an intensity that bespeaks great burdens.