Chapter 24: Lysander: Drop Shock

Summary

• Lysander experiences disorientation and the enormity of battle as he exits the spitTube into combat above Phobos.
• Unable to change course and aware of the futility of trying to avoid incoming fire, Lysander reminds himself to dive, make landfall, and survive.
• Adjusting to the shock, Lysander begins to recognize landmarks and feels insignificant amidst the chaos of war.
• He observes the intensity of the battle, including destruction, deaths, and the maneuvers of various military units.
• Lysander has no specific plan other than survival and to reach his drill as he zeroes in on its beacon.
• As he approaches his target, the scale of the conflict becomes clearer, and he witnesses individual acts of violence and destruction.
• Lysander lands on a structure and encounters a civilian woman who is ultimately consumed by the heat generated by a military clawDrill.
• After landfall, Lysander's Praetorians secure the area as he takes in the surreal and apocalyptic landscape around him, pondering the nature of war.
• The moon's surface is being torn apart by the drills entering it, causing depressurization and the spewing of debris into space.
• Lysander is alerted that his support may be cut off, and the enemy is deploying Drachenjägers—threatening humanoid machines.
• Despite the growing threat, Rhone insists their objective is below and urges Lysander to focus on the mission.
• Lysander joins Ajax as they prepare to descend deeper, while centurions above handle the emerging threat from the Drachenjägers.
• Before diving into the depths of the conflict, Lysander reflects on the peace he aims to bring in the future and the memories he may cherish in tranquility if he survives.