Two days have passed, and Paige and Mara hunch around the map.

"How many troops do we have out there?"

"That's the problem. We don't know; we've lost contact."

"So it would be best to assume none?"

"Probably." Mara nods, running a hand through her hair. "We could speed up training for the next few battalions."

"'We could, but we're running out of people."

"I know." Mara sighs.

"We should take on defense; keep to the city."

"But what about the citizens? We can't just evacuate everytime…" She stops at the fizzling. Paige turns to see the old telivision set in the corner turn on and the static fizzle. She glances to the window to find the speakers turn on, and the voice makes her freeze.

"Citizens of Argon." Dyson's voice booms, and on the screen, his face is in full view with a burning gaze.

"I am Major General Dyson of the Royal Army. I have personally arrived to ease our tensions and squash out the rebels among you. Unnecessary blood was spilt upon our arrival, but any more can be saved by cooperation. "

"What cooperation?" Paige shrugs at Mara's question.

"In case you are not aware, we are in possession of something near and dear to all of you."

The camera turns and Paige gasps. Tron is barely conscious, but almost as if on cue, he glares up at Dyson. Though looking older and beaten with the scars and dried blood covering his face, he still commanded attention, so it's hard to pull her gaze away to look to Beck.

He however, is a different story. One eye is swollen completely shut, his nose at an angle suggests it is broken. There are other cuts, bruises, burns, even tears in his clothing that were not there before the battle. He can't hold himself up, so his head hangs.

"Oh my god…."

"You can save them, though." Dyson returns. "I will promise their release if you send your current leader to me to negotiate the terms of your surrender."

Surrender?

"You have twenty-four hours to meet me at the field, or you'll never see them again." And with that, the screens turns off and the static goes silent. Slowly, Mara sits down in the chair, instantly slumping as her eyes seem preoccupied. After a pause, she leans against the desk, head in hands.

"Mara?"

"We have to surrender." She mutters.

"What?"

"Who knows if Beck and Tron will survive? We can't keep going without them…"

"But to surrender? That's crazy! Do you know what they will do to everyone should we surrender."

"No, I don't."

"Well I have a pretty good idea, and it wouldn't be worth trying to save them if we're all going to wind up dead anyways." She crosses her arms and Mara pushes to her feet.

"Oh like there's an alternative?"

"There always is…." Paige breaks off, and before Mara can ask why, she snaps her fingers.

"I've got an idea."