Nergal is a beautiful planet-night. Life wakes in darkness, and day is full of nightmares. But people have found a place even in this strange world by founding a magnificent colony. They invited a space fleet to their territory—and negotiations for cooperation began… Now the assignment to Nergal goes to the crew of the “Northern Crown.” Not to make contact with the colony anymore, but to determine who destroyed the negotiators and punish the killer—without becoming new victims themselves.