command-and-adaptation

The chapter depicts the tense arrival of the convoy led by the jump-carrier Norway at Pell's Star, a neutral and secure station amidst an ongoing war. Captain Signy Mallory coordinates the difficult and urgent docking and evacuation procedures, negotiating with the stationmaster to prepare for incoming refugees from disaster-stricken ships, while managing the threat posed by Company agents and the deteriorating conditions aboard the freighters. The station grapples with the logistical nightmare of housing thousands of displaced civilians, highlighting the war's human cost and the fragile neutrality of Pell.