In the deep reaches of space, the starship White Flower II arrives at the dead planet C18-3 in hopes of finding it fit for terraforming. Events turn quickly when Captain Ateri learns pirates had been trailing him for years, but they need him to pull off the greatest heist of all time: stealing a terraformer right out from under the noses of its sole possessors and Ateri's masters, the krakun. However, the company has replaced Ateri's old commissioner with a new one that same day, along with orders that their classified technology is to be scuttled at the first threat of theft. Can Ateri attain what he most desires when his life and the safety of his crew are on the line?