After discovering that the resistance cell on Venus that they were supposed to deliver weapons to has been destroyed, Burns and Bronski are themselves captured. After a march with other captured Terrans, they arrive at a construction site, where Draconis is building a fortress he intends to use against Phaeton. The rest of Able Squad arrives to free Burns, Bronski, and the slave laborers, many of whom were in the resistance. The Venus resistance takes the large weapons stockpile and escapes.