Shaia Tove captains the Glomar, a trading vessel for the nomadic Emaan people, overseeing its commercial ventures and piloting during missions. Biologically bound by the Emaan reproductive cycle, Shaia lost fertility at age 18, a transition after which Emaan society no longer designates her "female" and men cease courtship. This norm underpins her ease with communal bathing and undressing among male crew, contrasting sharply with Terram conventions and unsettling human crewmate Kei Katsuragi.

Her Tove Family wields significant Emaan political influence alongside Mimsy Laaz's Rath Family. Shaia initially complies with orders to transport Kei, identified as a Singularity Point crucial for restoring dimensional stability, to the Emaan homeland. However, she opposes her family's faction when they kidnap Kei and employ invasive brainwashing to secure his compliance. This ethical breach drives Shaia to physically confront her twin sister Manisha, incapacitate her, and impersonate her to infiltrate the detention facility and free Kei.

Following this rescue, Shaia endorses the Glomar crew's defiance of the Emaan government, marking them as traitors. She authorizes the ship's escape using its demolition gun despite pursuit by Emaan forces. In later missions, Shaia leads strategic decisions, such as accepting negotiation offers from Terram military leadership despite objections from Olson Verne and Manisha.

Her twin sister Manisha serves as a narrative counterpart, embodying the Tove Family faction prioritizing Emaan survival above ethical concerns. Their opposing stances fuel familial tension, particularly regarding the Singularity Point's treatment.