39: At the Wall
Contains spoilersOverview
Darrow advances on Agea, revealing the Sovereign’s presence and choosing a covert river breach prepared by the Sons. He assigns Ragnar to open the gates and Mustang to drop the shield. Surfacing inside, a Brown decoy triggers an EMP as Bellona knights spring an ambush, inflicting sudden, heavy losses.
Summary
After a terse, bitter com exchange with Roque, Darrow reflects that he let Aja escape Europa to track her radiation back to the Sovereign. His armada lands in Valles Marineris, bombarding Agea’s shield while preparing a ground assault along the canyon floor where the shield cannot close to the soil.
On Olympus, Darrow, Mustang, Ragnar, and Jupiter secure the old Institute. Finding no resistance, Mustang deduces a trap and urges speed, fearing Lorn will reach the city first and settle an old grudge against Nero. Darrow reveals to his council that the Sovereign is in Agea, traced via Aja, and orders all to avoid duels with Cassius, Karnus, or Aja; Octavia is the prize.
The host drives through the green canyon under drone attack toward Agea’s immense wall. Feint assaults rage left and right while Darrow resists a costly frontal push, aiming instead to use the river grates secretly cut overnight by the Sons of Ares to avoid a city sack and win the populace’s trust.
Darrow, Mustang, Sevro, Ragnar, Jupiter, and their teams dive, pass the underwater tunnel, and assemble beneath the river inside the wall. They split tasks: Darrow will locate the Sovereign, Ragnar will open the gates, and Mustang will lower the shields to admit Roque’s reinforcements. Mustang departs upriver toward the generators as Darrow steels himself.
Upon surfacing at the riverbank, the team confronts a lone Brown girl with a small globe. Sevro moves to shoot, but Darrow stays his hand, spotting Bellona knights and Obsidians positioned high above. The girl triggers the device—an EMP—while the Bellona lie in wait, and the ambush begins to cut them down.
Who Appears
- Darrow
Commander; reveals the Sovereign’s location, leads river infiltration, restrains Sevro, and is caught in a Bellona ambush.
- Mustang
Strategist; identifies a trap, urges speed to save her father, tasked to lower the city shield, then departs upriver.
- Sevro
Howler leader; aggressive in the assault, deploys a probe, urges shooting the decoy girl, joins the breach.
- Ragnar
Obsidian warlord; spearheads landings, swims the tunnel with Darrow, assigned to open Agea’s gates.
- Jupiter
Gold ally; favors brutal tactics, helps secure the Institute, joins the underwater breach team.
- Roque
Fleet commander; ends a bitter com call, poised to send reinforcements once the shield falls.
- Octavia, the Sovereign
Target within Agea; her capture would fracture the Society and decide the war’s direction.
- Aja
Sovereign’s killer; tracked via bomb radiation from Europa, enabling Darrow to find Octavia.
- Cassius
Bellona champion likely in Agea; Darrow forbids engagement to keep focus on the Sovereign.
- Lorn
Allied warlord attacking from the south; Mustang fears he might kill Nero if he breaks through first.
- Nero Augustus
Mustang’s father and captive within Agea; parallel rescue objective complicating the assault’s timing.
- Clown
Howler; reacts to the Sovereign revelation and hypes the unit before the breach.
- Pebble
Howler; excited by the mission, helps rally the team before surfacing.
- Weed
Howler; anxious but follows orders into the underwater passage and ambush.
- Brown girl
Decoy at the riverbank; triggers an EMP that initiates the Bellona ambush.