- Germany doesn't waste any time: the alarm starts ringing for an aerial attack, which means Deryn has to get to her battle station.
- She tries to get Dr. Barlow to return to her cabin, but Dr. Barlow refuses, saying she's going to the machine room to protect her cargo—whatever it is.
- As Deryn hurries to her battle station, she realizes they're being attacked by multiple German aircraft. Good times.
- Deryn climbs topside as the German aircraft attack with machine guns, ripping holes in the Leviathan and killing men and beasties.
- These are exciting times: strafing hawks narrowly save the airship from going up in a fiery ball from a phosphorus bomb.
- Deryn must leave wounded crewmen behind as she continues to struggle to her battle station.
- Topside, Deryn makes it to the bow, where Mr. Rigby and Newkirk are already feeding the fléchette bats.
- The three of them clip their safety lines together in order to have more control as they push forward to feed more bats.
- The Leviathan's nose pitches down, and Deryn realizes they're falling.
- Mr. Rigby, Newkirk, and Deryn huddle in the bat caves to keep from sliding off, but when Deryn tries to find more bats to put in the air, she realizes they're all gone.
- The Leviathan pitches up, and the three of them try to get away from the bow before the ship dives again.
- Deryn finds the spine riddled with bullet holes and covered with casualties.
- The last two remaining German aircraft reform to attack again, but a pack of bats takes out one of them; the other one is destroyed by an air gun before it can ram the ship.
- Deryn sees that Mr. Rigby has been shot. As the ship tilts forward, Deryn realizes Mr. Rigby and Newkirk will fall into the sky due to where they're standing—still attached to their safety lines, she leaps over to the opposite side to weigh them down.
- As Deryn lies against the side of the ship, she sees the Alps coming closer and understands that the Leviathan is crashing.