Marsh and DeLeon arrive on Tethys, and there are many pirates angry about the prospects of a treaty with the ExoFleet. Phaeton orders Typhonus to continue laying siege to Io with half his fleet, and proceed to Tethys with the other half to prevent an ExoFleet/Pirate alliance. Winfield discusses coordinated assaults with the resistance leaders, who seem less than receptive. Napier stands up for Winfield, which causes the others to support cooperation and choose Napier as commander of all of Earth's resistance. Marsh defeats Jubail in a duel that was to decide whether the Pirates would ally with the ExoFleet or not. But when Marsh refuses to kill Jubail, Simbacca decides the ExoFleet is too soft and would not make a good ally. Typhonus then arrives claiming to wish to discuss a treaty between the Neo sapien government and the Pirates.