26.Cities in Fight

Marcus's decoy vessel is destroyed by Council forces, confirming the Council has secretly armed ships and is preparing for conflict. When the Council attacks multiple cities and ultimately destroys the city of Thark, Marcus finally commits to open warfare, deploying busters against Council ships and roamer squads against security forces throughout the settlements.

Marcus observes his Heaven decoy being destroyed by three armed Council vessels and reports the development to Riker and Bill. He meets with Kal, Gina, and others to discuss the Council's ultimatum demanding surrender within twenty-four hours or face destruction of cities. The Council attacks four cities (Lothar, Morbus, Xanator, and Gathol) attempting hostile takeovers, but all are repelled by hidden weapon systems Marcus had installed. Two Council ships later attack Amhor, and Marcus uses flyers to distract the missiles long enough for defensive turrets to destroy them. However, the Council then attacks and destroys Thark, killing approximately 150 people despite successful evacuation of about half the population. This escalation forces Marcus to abandon restraint. He orders all tracked Council ships attacked via hidden busters, targeting reactors and drive systems to minimize casualties while allowing escape pods to launch. Simultaneously, Marcus deploys roamer squads of various sizes armed with plasma cutters throughout the Northern and Southern mats to overwhelm Council security forces. Kal secures the communications center while Gina coordinates with local resistance. Marcus learns the Council members' published locations are false and suspects they're hiding in submarines. The chapter ends with Marcus reflecting on the deaths he bears responsibility for across multiple conflicts.