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Bill observes the Others' systematic harvesting and destruction of Delta Pavonis 4, wiping out billions of Pav sentients. The Bobs convene to process their complete military failure and discuss the possibility of exterminating the Others, while Bill begins contemplating a potential new strategy.

Bill deploys stealth drones to record the Others' operations as they methodically harvest Delta Pavonis 4 over several weeks, killing up to a billion Pav sentients and setting up printer operations, likely to construct new cargo vessels. Bill visits Jacques, who has prepared two colony ships containing twenty thousand Pav in stasis and spare matrices as backup, though Jacques himself is now without a ship. They discuss the psychological devastation the Pav will face returning to a dead planet and whether to relocate them elsewhere, ultimately deciding the matter requires a full moot. At the moot, the Bobs struggle with the emotional weight of witnessing genocide on an unprecedented scale. Despite their typical optimism, they reach a consensus that the Others must be exterminated, though no viable method is immediately apparent. Afterward, Bill orbits Ragnarök in despair, viewing the meeting of the Others' inevitable assault on Earth, where humanity cannot be meaningfully evacuated. Garfield joins him in silent solidarity. As Bullseye crater passes into view for the second time, Bill experiences a sudden realization about their approach to the problem.