The chapter opens with a stark depiction of the Deepest Dark: fading sunlight, dead flora and fauna, and atmospheric carbon dioxide freezing out. War persists only underground as both Crown and Tiefstadt dig and fight beneath the frozen surface.

At Lands Command, General Strut Greenval briefs Colonel Victory Smith. Digger activity has ceased to contact the enemy; Tiefstadt withdrew earlier, preserving strength. Despite record endurance, Digger Command misjudged the stand‑down, making a tunnel victory unlikely and protracted.

Greenval instead stakes success on Sherkaner Underhill’s plan: a small team, including Hrunkner Unnerby, positioned beneath a lake within two miles of critical Tiefstadt targets. They rely on tested airsuits and exotherms bred from swamp sludge. Greenval worries about unknowns in the Deepest Dark, but Smith argues Underhill’s ingenuity and risk‑averse caution maximize survival and success.

The conversation turns personal: Smith reveals intentions to marry Underhill after the Dark. Greenval admits he pulled her from the mission to avoid compromised judgment and to preserve her for leadership. He orders her future away from field risk, promising rapid promotion after the Dark regardless of the mission’s outcome.

As power fails—fuel exhausted and batteries draining—Captain Diredr summons them for final shutdown. Greenval reasserts command, and Lands Command proceeds to hibernate, leaving Underhill’s strike as the Crown’s last hope for a swift end to the war.