Racing through the storm gate into Heliopolis, Darrow’s shuttle arrives with wrecked desert bikes, the gravely wounded Drusilla, and prisoners. Thraxa reveals the unconscious Fear Knight, Atlas, and breaks his arms before securing him. Darrow finds Alexandar mutilated and shot, barely alive, clutching Darrow’s cloak, and sprints him to the medBay where Rhonna joins, distraught.

After demanding the medici save Alexandar, Darrow heads to the brig. He confronts Atlas, poised to mutilate him in reprisal for Alexandar’s torture and the impaled soldiers, but he pulls back, questioning the moral corrosion of vengeance. He orders Thraxa and Rat Legion to extract intelligence within the bounds of the New Compact, insisting Virginia will crack Atlas and warning against torture’s false leads.

Thraxa flags a fourth Gold, Cato au Vitruvius, who claims to have aided the escape. Darrow, wary of infiltration, isolates Cato pending verification. Outside the medBay, a vigil gathers. By night’s end, the medicus confirms Alexandar survives, and in the morning Alexandar greets Darrow, returning the cloak he promised.

In a strategy session, Glirastes, high on sol dust, pressures Darrow: unless Cato is released to him, he will stop building the “gateway” needed for Darrow’s escape plan. Darrow proceeds with a full analysis of Cato. The team’s findings—no military implants, no Peerless Scar, patrician Heliopolitan accent, Mithridatism, and scans consistent with his story—suggest Cato is likely genuine, though possibly a skilled liar.

Balancing the need for Glirastes’s cooperation with security, Darrow withholds judgment, assigns Screwface to direct oversight, and moves forward seeking actionable intelligence from Atlas while keeping his forces aligned with the Republic’s principles.