In 3 ABY, the Alliance High Command authorized a mission to the planet Hargeeva to contact Ketrian Altronel, a metallurgist with the intention of convincing her to defect to the Alliance. A contact team, led by Merak and accompanied by Stevan Makintay, Altronel's former fiancée, met her in warehouse in Arginall City. The mission ended in failure with the deaths of the contact team and the capture of Makintay by Imperial soldiers.