The planet was empty from the outside but there was something that was lying under its surface and it didn’t appear to be friendly. The hidden enemy is more suspicious than in Babylon’s Ashes and Nemesis Games. When the species under the surface of the planet reveals itself then there is no escape for anyone.
Fighting would have been an option if they had come prepared now they can only run and hope that they survive the wrath. Narration by Jefferson Mays makes the story look wild and it is a very big contribution by the narrator to this story. Strange happenings and spooky landscapes can make a permanent place in the mind of the fans.