Meanwhile, in the capital city of the planet, both Erma Felna and Dea-Htuhok Kho, Secretary Shatoo's second-in-command, are enjoying the view of the city, while discussing the political situation of the planet. Erma thinks the government is doing it's best to protect the freedoms of their people, while Dea thinks that the citizens of Ekosiak should pay for they own freedom. Erma disagrees with that because she thinks the people of Ekosiak are Dea's responsability, but Dea explains there's some limits on both Erma and Dea's participation in the political life of the planet, not to mention both girls are outsiders from another planet and with a very different culture regarding people's privacy, a fact Erma strongly disaproves because she thinks someone is trying to undo everything for political gains. They also discuss the current events regarding the aftermath of Derzon and the fact Secretary Shatoo is doing his own investigation on the current events on the planet.
While that was happening, Erma figured out someone is spying on them, and when the spy tried to escape from both girls, Erma quicky unfolds her gun and she opened fire against the spy. Although she shot the spy in the legs, and in a non-lethal way, the spy died immediately anyways. Erma quickly called for help afterwards.
After that event, the Hitzok's aidee wanted to speak with Erma in private. He told her about the results from the analysis of the nuke, and about the monitoring program installed on their computers. It turned out that program was installed to spy on Erma and all and each of her movements on the planet. He also told her, that while they found some suspects behind that program, they commited suicide before the could get anything from them. The things goes south for Erma later on when he quickly lambasted her for killing the spy, something that the Ekosiaki media, thanks of Laslow Kosak, exploited for all their worth, painting her as a trigger-happy maniac who kills civilians. Erma quickly explodes against Laslow, as he, probably thanks to the spyware program, managed to get classified information straight from the source and distort it for his own gains. Meanwhile the aidee continued to throw a tirade against Erma, pointing out the EDF doesn't not forgive mistakes, much less involving violations of civil rights, and he warns her that if she doesn't like that, he will stop following her. Erma defends herself that everything she did was legal in both Ekosiak and anywhere, and she is not some kind of reckless Military Maverick and she was not planning to risk her life just for the sake of obeying laws.
Simultaneously to the events on Ekosiak, we see Itzak Arrat and his crew, with the help of some escort ships who helped in the mission afterwards, returning home after the bloody events that happened in Chishata, with less crewmembers after many of them died there trying to unsuccessfully rescue the colonists. He later speaks with his XO, who sustained serious injuries but survived the whole deal anyways. Arrat quickly gives him a briefing from the events of the mission on Chishata. It's also revealed not only Arrat and his crew weren't the only ones who sustained casualties, but also the members of the crews from other ships who went to help them. The XO cannot do anything else than crying for such pointless butchery.
Meanwhile in Ekosiak, thanks to the spyware program still installed in EDF's computers somewhere else, a news network received a message torpedo with classified information about the Chishata massacre, and the members of the network cannot avoid to be surprised by the death toll. The president of the news network ordered to spread the information of the Net. We see also the effects of that info in the already volatile psyche of the Ekosiaki population, quickly revolting against both the government of the planet, the EDF and killing anyone that could be simpatizing with them.
The whole thing ends with a silent campaign of assasinations against members of the Ekosiaki government and the members of the Home Guard are afraid that Erma could be their next target.
Tropes
- The Dead Have Names: Itzak Arrat says the names of all members of his crew who died trying to save the colonists in Chishata to his XO.
- Gory Discretion Shot: Thrice:
- Besides the people who died on Chishata in the previous issues, we heard about other crewmembers from other EDF ships who died trying to save the colonists, but they were killed offscreen.
- Hitzok's aidee mentions they tried to interrogate some people regarding the spyware program in their computers, but they commited suicide before they could get anything. This also happens offscreen.
- The last page shows one of the assasinations that happens in Ekosiak, but we only see the moment when two people opened fire against each other, but nothing else.
- Military Maverick: Discussed with Erma when Hitzok's aidee complained against her for killing that spy, rather than arresting him instead. Erma explained that she could not let some laws prevent her from defending her own life.
- Paranoia Fuel: The events of the fake nuke in Hicho and the Chishata massacre affected the mood of the already volatile population of Ekosiak and the people are ready to go against anyone that could be simpatizing with the government and the EDF, regardless if it's really true or not.
- Your Normal Is Our Taboo: Discussed between Erma and Dea regarding the more libertarian culture of Ekosiak compared with their own Dornthant's more regulated culture on regards with public security after the armed revolt in Hicho.
