At a snow-swept Agean spaceport, Virginia covertly launches five of the Republic’s fastest ships with senatorial emissaries aboard, warning crews they may be captured or killed crossing Rim-held space and Volsung Fá’s hunting grounds. Though she cannot reveal the target, the mission stems from Lyria’s transmission and aims to secure decisive aid. Reports from Victra show rising losses as Mars braces for siege, its sensors blinded and long-range comms degraded.

Virginia and Kavax review worsening conditions: evacuations on Phobos lag after a Lune-fundamentalist bombing, and traitors have been unmasked across the fleet. Kavax presses Virginia about the growing cost of her uncanny intelligence; she admits the price is grave, and he signals he already knows, reaffirming his trust despite his grief.

They travel to the Darkstar Conservatory to see Pax. He arrives changed—shaved head, adaptive ink, and newly made an Adept on an accelerated track. Pax coolly analyzes enemy strategy and asks about Darrow; Virginia shares only unreliable rumors of his survival. When Pax pushes for Valdir’s pardon, Virginia refuses, citing the Obsidian rebellion’s consequences.

Virginia reveals she sent senators to approach Regulus ag Sun after Lyria’s signal suggested a hidden base; Pax argues Quicksilver despises the Vox, values rarity, and would hear him over politicians. She refuses to risk him. He notes pilgrims pray for the Reaper’s return and returns to training. Before he goes, mother and son reconcile: Virginia admits past failings and pride in him; Pax claims struggle as his inheritance and urges her to fix on victory. Their embrace steels Virginia, who resolves to face the coming siege with love as her armor.