Darrow visits Lorn au Arcos’s sea fortress on Europa to recruit him, navigating low gravity and Lorn’s storm-lashed domain. Lorn warns that some storms devour even the bold, framing Darrow’s bid as reckless. As they walk, Darrow scatters small spikes in the moss and keeps his com open so his captains can hear.

Lorn reflects on age, restraint, and the cost of glory, then argues the Society is not merely sick but dead—Golds were meant to shepherd, not consume. He rejects using Lysander as leverage and recounts Nero au Augustus’s origin: a failed Bellona poisoning triggered housewar; the ArchGovernor Cylus spared young Nero; years later Nero married Iona au Bellona, then sent her severed head to her family and, with Octavia’s help, annihilated House Cylus to take Mars.

Amid warnings about the true horror of war, Lorn shows Darrow his engineered griffin, Icarus, and briefly probes Darrow’s motives. He admits fondness for Darrow but insists on peace for his family, offering only a chance at escape rather than alliance.

Lorn then reveals the trap: Aja au Grimmus leads a Praetorian death squad already inside his home, and Kellan au Bellona approaches with ten torchShips to seize the Pax. He offers to fly Darrow by griffin to a hidden ship. Darrow refuses to flee, uncoils his razor, and orders the Howlers and Titans to move, intending to compel Lorn’s support and counter the encirclement as the fleets converge.