Inquisitor Agari urges the court to begin interrogating a second Cielcin prisoner, specifically the political leader Hadrian identified. Knight-Tribune Raine Smythe resists, warning that repeated disappearances would endanger the remaining captives, while Count Balian dismisses Uvanari's mention of Vorgossos as myth. Hadrian, injured from Uvanari's attack, argues that the dying Cielcin would not have invoked Vorgossos falsely while trying to save its crew.

The court questions the outage that hid much of Hadrian's conversation with Uvanari, and Lord Luthor openly doubts the service staff's explanation. Debate turns from torture to strategy: Ligeia Vas demands executions for public propaganda, but Smythe, Crossflane, Lady Kalima, and Sir Olorin push back. Olorin's calm challenge exposes how little the Chantry gained from its methods, weakening Vas's authority.

Hadrian seizes the opening and proposes using the surviving Cielcin captives to seek Aranata, possibly through Vorgossos and its alleged Extrasolarian connections. When the court doubts the Legion could approach such people openly, Hadrian suggests a covert expedition disguised as foederati mercenaries. He offers himself as leader, arguing that his rapport with the captives and knowledge of the Cielcin make him useful.

Lord Luthor attacks Hadrian's inexperience and blames him for Uvanari's death, but Hadrian defends himself by showing his burns and stressing that he acted in self-defense. Count Balian finally reveals his real objection: Hadrian is meant to marry Anaïs Mataro. Smythe undercuts that claim when Luthor admits the marriage contract is not finalized because Anaïs has not yet had her Ephebeia.

Smythe accepts the strategic value of Hadrian's idea but refuses to give him command. She conscripts Hadrian into Legion service, requests the Cielcin captives be transferred to the ISV Obdurate, and appoints Lieutenant Bassander Lin to lead the mission. The decision blocks further Chantry control, preserves the captives as diplomatic leverage, and pulls Hadrian away from the Mataro marriage scheme.

After the hearing, Smythe privately confronts Hadrian, making clear she knows he arranged the power cut. Hadrian admits only that he opposes torture. Smythe says she disapproves of both torture and Hadrian's manipulations, but she also believes he did a rare, if foolish, thing by trying another way. She asks whom he wants to bring; Hadrian names the Tavrosi xenologist Onderra and hints that he has others in mind.