The deterioration ravages Belvun.
Ambassador Jemal Purnell returns from his expedition to Daliona - only to discover political rivals have sought to undermine his policies and turn public opinion against him. Meanwhile, formal commercial pilot Carsh Fridon has joined Belvun's Disaster Response Commission to aid global evacuations as deteriorating ecosystems trigger disasters and force the Embassy to house refugees awaiting relocation. Caught on all sides by civil unrest, environmental collapse, and political destabilization, Belvun is left weakened, divided, and isolated.