Eagle group lifts-off and converges on the alien battleship. Their weapons are also ineffective and they withdraw, though not before Eagle Four is picked off by Dorcon fire. As the bombardment continues, two hysterical operatives demand Koenig turn over Maya, one threatening him with a stun-gun. The man is disarmed but a desperate Maya pleads with Helena to use the weapon to kill her—if taken, the surgery will leave her nothing more than a living husk. The doctor briefly considers euthanising Maya but is unable to fire and passes the gun to Koenig. Pressing it to Maya's temple, he contacts Varda. Unless the attack is cancelled immediately, he will kill the last of the Psychons. Varda cannot risk calling his bluff and ceases fire. Moving fast, the Dorcons activate the meson converter. Varda and her personal guard transport into Command Centre. When the Dorcon stormtroopers effortlessly subdue all resistance, Koenig is forced to surrender. Maya is nowhere in sight (having disguised herself in the form of a co-worker) and Varda resorts to using the mind-probe ray to flush her out. They take the metamorph into custody and depart. Koenig leaps into the active transporter beam, arrives on the ship and is stunned on sight. The Archon is on hand to congratulate Varda on the success of her mission. He orders Maya taken to the medical unit, where she is placed under a paralysing beam while the Imperial surgeon prepares for the brain-stem transfer. The Archon orders Koenig killed but a guilty Varda persuades the ruler to spare his life. As the Archon withdraws, the Commander is secured in a force-field until the meson converter's antimatter coils recharge; the attack has temporarily drained its power. Malic approaches Varda with a sly proposal: allow his uncle to die and when he is named Archon, she may have anything she desires. The Consul's reply is blunt. The Archon fosters peace and stability, while Malic's ambitions will plunge the empire into war and misery. Now that Malic has shown his treasonous intent, she bars him from the Archon's presence. Returning to the operations area, she finds Koenig conscious and hostile. Varda reasons the security of thousands of worlds outweighs the life of one Psychon. He asks if this justification is for his benefit—or her own? The medical officer interrupts, stating she is ready for surgery. Varda leaves, ordering Koenig be transported when the converter