Recovering from a juice crash, Holden sits with his crew aboard the Knight, trying to avoid reliving Ade’s death as they debate where to go. Naomi urges action, but Holden insists on waiting for Pur’n’Kleen’s response before committing to Ceres or Jupiter, wary of fuel limits and pursuit.

Alone, Holden endures the crash, relives memories of the Canterbury’s crew, and wrestles with the morality of those who nuked a civilian ship. He vows to find the perpetrators and force an explanation, clinging to the question of motive.

P&K’s legal counsel, Wallace Fitz, finally replies: Mars is furious about Holden’s broadcast, and the MCRN Donnager will collect the Knight. P&K orders full cooperation and threatens termination and prosecution if they refuse or keep broadcasting. The crew argues—Amos wants to run, Naomi favors the Belt, while Alex warns the Donnager is unbeatable and escape is impossible.

Holden decides to comply but “not quietly.” With Naomi boosting the comms, he publicly announces their cooperation and impending pickup, framing any harm to them as evidence against Mars. He privately instructs Naomi to prioritize the crew’s safety over him if things go bad. Soon after, Captain Theresa Yao of the Donnager curtly acknowledges and transmits a pickup course, rendezvous in thirteen days.

As Alex locks the course, the Knight’s sensors flag six fast, transponder-dark ships on an intercept that will reach them two days before the Donnager. With unknown hostiles closing in, the stakes escalate just as they commit to Martian custody.