Chapter 33: Darrow: The Devil’s Deal
Contains spoilersOverview
Atalantia weaponizes history and propaganda, broadcasting the Luna massacre and issuing a 24-hour surrender-or-atomics ultimatum against Heliopolis. Darrow challenges her constraints and refuses to capitulate. Accepting his bias, he empowers his high command to decide the Free Legions’ course, shifting leadership at a critical juncture.
Summary
Darrow holds a holo parley with Atalantia, who couches their war in a gambler’s metaphor and a Pyrrhus parable. She boasts of her rejuvenated legions and breeding protocols, derides demokracy as a self-devouring disease, and pivots from philosophizing to psychological warfare.
Atalantia streams the Day of Red Doves: Virginia’s Senate is overrun, Dancer dies, and Daxo’s severed head is paraded. The spectacle collapses Darrow’s hope of timely rescue and forces him to confront whether his faith in the Republic blinded him to its fragility.
She then delivers a 24-hour ultimatum: surrender for ceremonial executions and labor conscription for the rest, or face atomics on Heliopolis. Darrow labels it a bluff, arguing the Votum and the Two Hundred would not tolerate such annihilation and that Atalantia needs her fleet freed to exploit Luna’s turmoil.
After replaying the exchange to his high command, Darrow renounces unilateral control, citing his compromised objectivity. With Thraxa stunned by Daxo’s death, and Harnassus, Colloway, and Screwface present, he charges them to decide the Free Legions’ fate. Alone, he wrestles with purpose and loss, then dons Pax’s key.
Who Appears
- Darrow of Lykos
Reaper; negotiates with Atalantia, sees the Senate massacre, rejects capitulation, and defers strategy to his commanders.
- Atalantia au Grimmus
Sovereign-in-waiting; frames Pyrrhus parable, decries demokracy, broadcasts Luna chaos, and issues a 24-hour surrender-or-atomics ultimatum.
- Thraxa au Telemanus
Commander, shattered by Daxo’s death; silent, then tasked to help decide the Free Legions’ fate.
- Harnassus
Strategist; slumps under the news, expected to receive Luna orders; joins the decision on surrender or resistance.
- Colloway
Ripper ace; arrives drunk, listens to the replayed call, part of the command deciding their next move.
- Screwface
Operative; fetches Colloway, keeps watch, present during the high command’s deliberations.
- Virginia au Augustus
Appears in broadcast, besieged in the Senate; her apparent downfall destroys hope of relief.
- Dancer
Appears in the stream, poisoned and dying; his death underscores the Republic’s collapse.
- Daxo au Telemanus
Seen decapitated in the riots; his loss devastates Thraxa and the warroom.