sacrifice-and-survival

In this chapter, Toshio escapes a sinking island caused by a sabotaged drill-tree and observes the resulting geological chaos. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Takkata-Jim attempts to negotiate with hostile Galactic fleets but is forced into combat when his weapons activate autonomously. The starship Streaker, commanded by Gillian, maneuvers to evade pursuing fleets amid a large-scale space battle, highlighting the chaos and shifting alliances in the conflict.