The ships pause at Mars where Gen. Lefcourt, an old associate of Sheridan's, plans a counter-attack. But his quartermasters have shipped implanted-controlled telepaths on board. On Mars, Franklin and Garibaldi secure a base of operations and then have Lyta send a message to the telepaths. At Earth, before going into battle, Sheridan tells Earth that he and his forces have no choice but to wage war against their homeworld. Clark is dead, by his own hand.
Earth is free, if a bit confused as to which way to turn next.
John Sheridan is the hero of the hour. The President of the Russian Union is in control, and she feels that Sheridan shouldn't have rescued Earth the way he did. Sheridan agrees to resign, in exchange for a blanket amnesty for his people. Bester arrives to find out exactly how Sheridan got past the Earth forces around Mars. When he realizes that it was the implanted telepaths Bester, fearing his lover might have been among them, threatens a terrible revenge.