The Clan Chieftains rebuke Cluthian’s bid for Chieftain status, so he turns to amassing alien-tech weapons with which he may take what he wants by force. Te’a has gotten a taste for flying, and despite the class rules against her — she wants nothing more than to become a pilot. She convinces Gummy to pressure a mysterious underground operator to circumvent the rules, but in doing so, Gummy has made a deal with the devil (yes, Cluthian) that is certain to come back to haunt him and Te’a.