Commander Wildstar orders a warp to the planet Mars to test the crew. As soon as the ship comes out of warp, he has the crew go through sixteen hours of drills, including a simulated attack on Mars and the Argo taking damage and casualties. While the exhausted cadets rest, Jason discovers that the section commanders continue to train even after drills are completed. He also learns that Wildstar trains harder than anyone else, even in his spare time.

Just then, the crew are summoned to their battle stations when the ship's radar picks up enemy missiles approaching. The Argo destroys all the missiles and continues on its journey.

328 days remain before the sun destroys Earth.