SecUnit 003 pilots a shuttle carrying five Barish-Estranza clients and three rescued strangers toward the transport Perihelion after the explorer’s destruction. A hostile-sounding transport bot pilot answers, then the shuttle is forcibly drawn into the dock. SecUnit 003 keeps the compartment sealed until Ratthi and Amena appear, recognizes them from HelpMe.file, and receives a direct threat from Perihelion warning it not to harm the humans. SecUnit 003 immediately reports that the rescued people need medical care and quarantine because the hostile force implanted devices in them.

As Arada and Perihelion’s drones begin taking charge of the injured survivors, SecUnit 003 confirms that Karime, Turi, and Martyn are aboard, while the rest of Perihelion’s missing crew were probably taken to the planet earlier. Karime warns Perihelion not to scan them because scanning may be how the contamination spreads. Ratthi and Amena then react unexpectedly warmly toward SecUnit 003, even offering to hide it from Barish-Estranza. SecUnit 003 interrupts to deliver Murderbot 2.0’s urgent message to ART: SecUnit 1.0 went to the surface with Overse and Thiago, found more survivors, and has now been captured by the hostiles.

The news throws Perihelion and the humans into immediate alarm. While Perihelion heads back to the dock to establish secure contact with the surface team, Amena asks SecUnit 003 what to call it, and it reluctantly gives the name “Three.” Once communication is established, Overse confirms that Perihelion’s crew have been found but SecUnit has been lost to the Targets. Perihelion orders everyone on the surface to return at once, but Iris, Thiago, and others argue that they should stay and help search for SecUnit.

Perihelion then reveals how far it is willing to go: it intends to hold the colony hostage and has already armed its pathfinder missiles. Seth, Arada, Iris, Ratthi, and Amena react in shock, and Iris argues that the colony includes factions and at least some colonists who tried to help them. SecUnit 003 realizes it is witnessing humans and a transport trying to rescue a SecUnit the way they would rescue a client, and decides it wants to participate.

In a private exchange, Three warns Perihelion that a hostage situation would force an unacceptable choice between SecUnit’s life and destroying the colony. Three recommends a stealth retrieval, using a show of force only as distraction, and offers help if Perihelion returns its Barish-Estranza clients to the remaining task force. When Perihelion asks why, Three can only point to the stories in HelpMe.file and its own desire to help. After further objections from Iris and support from Thiago for a negotiated distraction, Perihelion abandons its immediate destruction plan and announces a new course: “Plan B01: Distract and Extract.”