It's March 3, 2166, when the Solvanian freighter TE-SORN disappears without a trace near the Nimir system. The vessel was transporting a load of Solva metal to Terra; a material playing an important role in a variety of modern industries. Only the distress signal, which has been sent automatically, indicates a case of abduction. But what precisely happened to the freighter? When it turns out, that greater amounts of Solva metal were delivered in recent years to the trading planet Seven, the trace leads to the Ceres star cluster.

A reconnaissance mission brings the agents of the Department C to the trading planet, where they are promptly caught up in the intrigue on Seven ...