A lady unicorn drifting in a spaceship is found to have unusual healing powers. As word spreads, various groups on Earth, from scientists to politicians, try to steal her so as to use her for their own ends. But the miners who found her are protective. Although she has made peace with her Linyaari heritage, Acorna knows that only by returning to the frozen stillness of space will she ever truly feel at home. But the solitude she desires must wait. Answering a faint distress signal leads Acorna to a strange, perfumed world where plants are sentient and think. There she finds a burned-out ship with all the signs of a Khleevi attack. It's been suspected that these enemy aliens have been planning a major assault throughout the region, and now it appears those rumors are true. Facing annihilation of her entire race, Acorna must discover the Khleevi's weakness -- and strike first!