A group of archaeologists has gone missing on Aregon. Aregon is not part of the Ventairian Empire, but it is controlled by Ventairian interest groups. There are rumors about a star-portal on Aregon and the Coalition is willing to risk everything to gain control over the portal and make certain is doesn’t fall into the hands of the Crows. Even though there is a Scouts Base in Sirrissi, the capital of Aregon, information about the planet is sketchy. The Union sends Colonel Ronald Madigan of the Solar Union Special Forces, Major Anton Moretti of the Scout’s Special Forces, and Captain Lea Belancher of Solar Intelligence to find out what happened to the scientists. However, their real mission is to locate the star-portal. The team has to endure sand storms and freezing nights as it travels across an unforgiving desert, battle bands of renegades and at the same time try to get along with each other. Once the location of the portal is known, the Coalition will execute a sinister plan to gain control over the star-portal. Madigan does not agree with that plan, but he has to follow orders or face the consequences, to be court marshalled being only one of them.