Back at the Sparrow, the crew learn that a sesheyan and three humans were asking questions of the ground crew of the Victores, a Solar military vessel grounded nearby. Coincidentally, on the way to the caves with Lakota, Wayne spots a sesheyan heading in the same direction with a few humans.
Lakota finds the entrance, hidden by a holographic image as suspected. Just as Conrad is about to step through it, the sesheyan opens fire from the forest, soon joined by the 3 humans. After the crew take down the sesheyan, the others attempt to flee; two are successful. The downed bodies have tattoos of a ghost.
Investigating the caves, the crew find the equipment Lakota’s team left behind, discover the bodies of two colonists, and make first contact with fully sentient Greater Minshore Crystals. Yala is able to communicate to some degree with the Minshore’s Elder. At the Minshores’ request, Cinque fixes the locator beacon that Ysala left with the treasure; they seem to benefit somehow from the “music” it emits. In return, the Minshore guide Cinque to the contents of the vault.
It turns out Ysala has also returned with her crew to reclaim the treasure. A running firefight ensues. Conrad tells Mayhem to broadcast a message about the Mindaran Ghost being sighted, in the hopes that Thomas Kind might be listening. Taking heavy losses, the pirates retreat from Conrad’s and Wayne’s formidable arsenals. Ysala makes it back to the Ghost and uses its weapons to collapse the northern entrance. Mayhem follows her into orbit, noting three other incoming ships before returning to the surface.
Lakota returns to Mahatay with the two dead colonists. The crew enlist the assistance of the Illumination, a freighter the Sparrow had landed near, to transport the treasure back to Lison. Interference from Kerri Lansing prompts Conrad to call in a favour from Ambassador Veil. After thwarting her scheme, he sends her a message telling her not to overreach.
After confirming there will be enough for Joseph’s needs, Hadley begins to make arrangements. Once the rhodium ore is processed, the Illumination will haul everything to Aegis, accompanied by the Sparrow.
Veil invites the crew to meet her and fills in some details, including the destruction of a klick ship near Mindara Station and her suspicion that there is likely at least one more in the system. People split up to take care of various personal tasks.