Lysander lands at Plutus and is met by Demetrius and Praetorians. He orders Kyber to place the Europa attack on hold after Diomedes’s reports and asks about contacting their “friend.” Demetrius reports Atlas radioed in, is inbound, and used the seven-second dead-silence code. Lysander withdraws to weigh Diomedes’s offer and Atlas’s approach.

In his quarters, Lysander finds Cassius waiting. Cassius has infiltrated wearing the tiger armor of Strabo, a New Shepherd he killed for abuses, with Pytha hijacking the security feeds. They spar verbally over the past, glance at Ares’s helmet, and discuss the Archimedes, exposing raw feelings about loyalty and betrayal.

Cassius asks what Lysander felt upon seeing him alive; Lysander admits shock, relief, and the sting of being “traded in” for Darrow. Cassius apologizes for trying to shape Lysander into a replacement for Julian and for years of judgment and neglect. The apology pierces Lysander’s defenses; he concedes he doesn’t blame Cassius.

Turning to Diomedes’s proposal, Lysander says he cannot accept because he is a puppet—of Octavia, Atalantia, and now Atlas. Panicking at Atlas’s imminent return, he fears enslavement by chemicals or replacement, and notes his kill-pool Praetorians really serve Atlas. The memory of the Pandemonium Chair underscores his terror.

Cassius grips his shoulder and urges immediate action: kill Atlas on arrival. Pytha arrives, confirms the infiltration, and pleads with “Moonboy” to say yes. Lysander, anxious but resolute, agrees—insisting Rhone be included—and the trio commit to assassinating Atlas to free Lysander and change the war’s course.