Virginia springs a night lily trap that poisons the clone and herself. Lilath charges in with hatchets, maiming Virginia with brutal, efficient strikes. Virginia hurls the toxic flower into Lilath’s face, forcing Lilath to slice off part of her own nose, and dives into a hidden escape chute as her injuries and the spreading poison worsen.

Reaching a secondary bunker, Virginia amputates poisoned fingers and cauterizes multiple wounds, then restores partial function to contact Kavax on the Reynard. With internal bleeding and failing strength, she defers to Kavax’s order to eject via tunnel rather than attempt an immediate rescue of Sevro, Clown, and Pebble in the Sunhall.

Virginia’s ejection pod emerges inside a Vox field headquarters crater. Holiday ti Nakamura leads Lionguard and Pegasus Legion commandos in a violent breach-and-extract, ferrying Virginia to an assault transport under heavy fire. Sedated, Virginia is brought aboard the Reynard for treatment.

She wakes to Deanna’s care, then meets Kavax and Niobe for a strategic briefing. They report Heliopolis is near collapse; Darrow’s status is unknown; Ephraim abducted Pax and Electra after the Pandora strike; Victra is missing; Rollo and Vorol were assassinated; Kieran has a temporary post on Mars; and Sefi appears to have attacked the Pandora.

Assessing fleet dispositions, Virginia hears Niobe’s intelligence of a secret Rim–Core alliance and the likelihood of a decisive strike. With Vox forces pressing and insertion attempts failing, Holiday advises withdrawal. Virginia orders a retreat to Mars despite leaving Sevro in enemy hands. Kavax, offering a sliver of hope, reveals he has already sent an agent to Mercury to bring Darrow home if Heliopolis falls.