is offered the promotion of his dreams (with a private office to boot) in exchange for a seemingly simple task: tracking down a stolen corporate freighter and recovering its cargo. "If the cargo ain't recoverable," his boss, Asset Protection Commander Proseus Oort II, growls, "terminate it."

Stuart's simple assignment becomes decidedly less so when he finds the missing freighter only to discover that the "cargo" is none other than Janna, Commander Oort's runaway bride. Hell-bent on seeing the stars, she has no intention of allowing Stuart or anyone else to reclaim her, no matter how spacious his new office is.

Stuart is faced with a terrible choice: complete his assignment and secure his promotion or allow Janna to escape while he returns to Oort to face the consequences.

He's still deciding when the pirates show up.

Though their journey into the known universe is just beginning, it's shaping up to be one hell of a ride.