“You’re sure there’s no other option?” Trey asked. The voice on the other end of the line sighed.

“I wish there was, old friend. But you know how the rest of the Council gets once they’ve decided on a course of action.”

Trey snorted.

“Yeah.”

“For what its worth, I’m sorry. I tried to protest, but they’ve already made up their mind. there’s a lot of momentum behind this— more than you’d expect had this all been a sudden decision. I think this was planned,” his friend said.

“Of course it was planned. I’m just glad I had some advance warning. Thanks, by the way.”

“You know you can count on me.

“I do,” Trey considered whether he should bring his friend along, but the truth was, he wasn’t entirely sure he could trust the man. Not when the lives of Aera, Hunter, and everything he could lose was hanging in the balance.

And that trust was the deciding factor in who they’d be bringing with them.

“I do,” he repeated, “and I've requestioned a piece of work from one of your favorite artists on your behalf, for all the years you’ve helped me.”

“Surely not Sinclair,” his friend asked, shocked by the revelation.

“The very same,” Trey said.

“You shouldn’t have! This is too much! Where am I going to put it?”

“I’m glad you’re happy.”

“And this on the announcement of your retirement! This isn’t right Trey. You should be upset! You should be angry. Are you going to fight back?”

There it was.

His answer would be reported back to the Council.

All of the security forces have already been recalled, ready to embark on ships heading outworld. Most were already on their way to distant outposts, having been suddenly reassigned— their family’s immigrating with them for a long-term deployment outworld.

The Oberon domain would offer no resistance.

“When does the order take effect?”

“24 hours. That was all I could buy you.”

It was better than he thought.

“No, there won’t be a fight, as long as they hold to that 24 hour window.”

“I see,” his friend said, “well, that’s relieving to hear. Should I expect to receive your family during the holidays? I’m sure Lilah would love to catch up with Aera.”

“Not this year,” Trey said, “I believe the family is due for a very long vacation.”

“Ha!” his friend bellowed, “I bet! You haven’t stopped working since you took over for your father. I’ve got to say— you’ve always impressed me more than the rest of our colleagues. Anyways, I'm sure you’ll be busy for the next few hours. I’ll let you take care of business. Call me when everything has calmed down,” his friend said.

“Will do, take care, my friend.”

Trey hung up. He took one last puff of his cigar, leaving the stub on the table. Then he thought better of it and threw it in the trash, wiping the ash off the table and into the ash tray.

He sighed. His assistant stood to his side, a concerned look on her face. She’d been following all the developments as he had, and was quite aware of how severe their situation was.

“Idra, call your husband,” he said, his voice calm but tired, “I’ll call the board and ready Merciful Cloud for departure, then I'll collect the kids. It’s time to leave.”

“Exodus?” Idra whispered.

Trey nodded, and started to call the board members who he’d trusted with the project, and a few more who were strategically left out, but he could still trust enough to bring along with him. There were some whose expertise and competence would serve them well, but had habits and personality’s that could undermine his authority in the coming years.

He needed a loyal team to help him. Now more than ever, it was time to exercise his power as the Oberon monarch, a privilege he didn’t take lightly, but was more than willing to use when necessary.

Idra wasted no time on her part, and started dialing. They’d discussed all the necessary steps, hoping for at least another few weeks before they’d have to make this choice— but they'd been prepared to make it at a moments notice. She’d already spoken with her family about what they were preparing for, and they would be ready to leave as soon as she said so.

The Chan’s had managed to turn their child’s mistake into just the catalyst they’d needed to accelerate the timeline for their ascension.

However, Trey was was grateful that Jason Chan had made so many mistakes in the way he handled Aera and Hunter. If he hadn’t, Trey wouldn’t have been inspired to keep an eye on the dynamics at play around Barnum this year, he wouldn’t have caught on to the Chan’s ambitions, and the plan to have his family removed.

He was also grateful for the foresight he’d had in planning Operation: Exodus in the first place. Everything seemed to come together to see that the Oberon Corporation had an escape route— a way to survive the coming storm. Soon, the Oberon domain would be a hive of activity. They wouldn’t be able to bring everyone along— it would be impossible. But they had plenty of out-world assets which would be able to relocate now that they'd had time to plan.

They would be all gone, stripped bare by the time the Council came to claim them.

“Oh,” he said, a thought occurring to him once he’d made all the necessary calls, “make sure the professor is on board one of the ships as well. He’s already agreed to leave the academy at a moment’s notice. Send small craft to extract him from Barnum. He’ll be packed already.”

Idra nodded and called the professor, and organized a team to extract him. Trey took a few prized possession from his office, stuffing them into a bag. He brought his favorite coffee cup, and a few books which held sentimental value. His staff at the mansion would be packing away a few memento’s as well. All of the one’s who he’d had investigated, and passed muster, would be leaving with him, all of their family’s accompanying them.

It would be the biggest fleet movement in the world’s history. Within an a few hours, the sky would belong to the Oberon corporation, and their vast firepower would be covering the escape of all the personnel they could gather.

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He took one last, fond glance at the home office which had served his family for generations.

He closed the door behind him, shifting his mind from the past to the future.

It was time to build a new legacy, somewhere far from Sanctuary, far enough that the Council wouldn’t find them for a long, long time.

Oberon would not die here— they would rebuild. And they would thrive.

He called Aera, and then Hunter, and told them to get ready to leave.

----------------------------------------

The change had come so sudden. A couple of days after they’d returned to the Oberon estate, Hunter was deeply relaxed, in a state of intense focus as he traced out the newest etheric channels which had been forming over the last week.

He’d worried that his over-expenditure of etherium had strained him too far, and that it would have had an averse effect on his channels. But it turned out it actually had a beneficial effect. There were quite a few new growths in response to the strain. It appeared the mechanism behind the rapid growth of his channels was highly adaptive. His channels hadn’t expanded any more than usual, but they felt more intense. There was more etherium flowing through them than before.

Is AR had gone up again. He’d started a new journal to record his progress.

5:50pm

Start AR: 25

End AR: 26

At this rate, he would be hitting 30 AR in a few days.

However, he realized it was too early to celebrate. New phenomena meant unknown variables, and when it came to his growth, there was only so much of the unknown that Hunter was willing to tolerate. To that end, he decided that he would try to limit the intensity of his ether expenditure for the near future as he grew to understand what had happened.

He’d missed the first call from Trey, having been very deep into his practice. But he was there for the second one.

Hunter was shocked, when Trey told him to get ready to leave.

They were leaving?

Everyone was leaving?

He told him he’d explain everything when they met up later, in the meantime he was meant to pack his essentials. They would apparently be going on a very long trip. Hunter wondered how far they would be travelling, and why, and he remembered what Trey had said to them before their last day at Barnum.

The council was squeezing them out.

If he was right, then this was serious. Where the hell would they go? It wasn’t like the Council wanted to hunt them down, was it?

Then he considered who was behind the whole plot, and knew that it was entirely possible that their lives could be in danger.

Hunter didn’t take long to pack. He knew what he could live with, and what he could live without. He didn’t need his third arm anymore, so he left it behind. It was hung up on his tool rack as a reminder.

He thought about it from a symbolic perspective, and then decided to bring it anyways. It was important to remember what he was capable of, how he could adapt to circumstances when the circumstances didn’t seem to want to adapt to him. Just because his biggest impediment had been solved, didn’t mean that he could take it easy. He was the kind of person who persevered, and he wouldn’t let himself forget it.

He’d packed some of his favorite clothes, his fathers journals, as well as his own journals and schematics for future projects. He considered the luxurious, comfortable bed that he’d come to enjoy, but figured he wouldn’t be able to take it with him.

Nor would he be able to take the view, which was unfortunate, but perhaps one day he’d find something better.

Hunter took inventory of what he had, which wasn’t much, seeing if there was anything else he wanted to take with him. Then he remembered his favorite coffee blends which the kitchen always stocked in excess. He made a call, and sighed in relief when they told him that Trey had already had their entire supply shipped out to wherever they were going. When he asked if they knew where that shipment was headed, they told him that they were just as clueless as he was.

Trey was keeping this close to his chest. He wondered what the man had planned.

With only the faintest hint of regret, he turned off the light to the room and closed the door. He went to the front of the house, where he found Barry and Aera packing bags and trinkets into the Kellese.

She offered to take Hunters luggage and place it in the trunk. Barry wasn’t having it, pointing at her cast, and then shaking his finger at her, taking Hunters luggae from him except for the briefcase which he refused to let anyone else touch.

“Thank the universe we’re taking the Kellese,” Hunter said as they both sat in the backseats.

Aera smiled and shook her head.

“It’s just a car,” she said.

“iTs JuSt A cAr,” Hunter mocked.

“Grow up,” she sighed. Then held up a finger when he was about to repeat his performance, a look of warning on her face.

He’d seen her almost choke out a man twice her size, he’d take the warning. Barry got in the drivers seat, but waited to start the car.

“What are we waiting for?” Hunter asked.

The front door to the mansion opened and Trey stepped out, holding a travel mug which Hunter was sure he knew was full of their local light-roast.

“Where’s your stuff?” Aera asked as Trey entered the passenger side seat, and Barry activated the car.

“Sent it on ahead,” Trey said.

“And where exactly is ‘ahead’?” Hunter asked, still feeling apprehensive about the sudden move.

Trey smiled and looked back at Hunter, his suit jacket and tie bunched up a bit under his chin.

“You’ll see. I think you’re gonna like it,” Trey said, frowning at his tie and readjusting it as he faced the front window again.

“You’re really going to keep us in suspense?” Hunter asked, glancing at Aera to see if she was feeling the same way he was. She was appearing as stoic as ever, but it wasn’t the cold and distant look he’d endured the last time they both sat together like this.

After that evening at Barnum, something had shifted between them. Hunter would hesitate to call them close— but they weren’t strangers anymore, no where they just acquaintances who were contracted to spend time together.

Now they were friends. He didn’t just trust Aera to have his back, he wanted to trust Aera to have his back. And was sure she felt the same way.

They were a unit. Over the last couple of days, they even found themselves continuing their training sessions without Trey prompting it. They joked around, and laughed, and Hunter called Aera a cripple, and she showed him that even a cripple can still kick his ass.

Hunter thought it was kind of awesome. It made him feel good. Not getting his ass kicked, but the fact that there was no hostility behind it.

They were just messing around. They were having fun.

Hunter had never had a sister before, and he wondered if this is what it felt like.

“Suspense, and then some,” Trey said. Throughout the trip, Hunter noticed him keeping his eyes on the sky, and Hunter found himself doing the same. There was an awful lot of activity up there.

“Some sort of event going on?” Hunter asked, “Something to do with the Council?”

Trey sighed.

“Yeah, something to do with the Council. A Council which,” he checked his watch, “in about 9 hours, we will no longer be a part of.”

So he’d had been right. Aera tensed beside him, growing more still than usual.

“But there’s always a plan,” Trey said, “And a plan behind the plan. And a plan behind the plan behind the plan.”

“Where are we going?” Aera asked, “What are we going to do?”

“We are going to be okay,” Trey said, “in fact I think we’re going to be more than okay. Come on, let it be a surprise. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

Hunter complained a bit more, but Trey was refusing to budge. The man was a stubborn as Aera, go figure.

Instead of heading towards the city, the Kellese headed deeper into the mountains. An hour later, they crested a hill, and Hunter saw a sight that took his breath away in the valley below them.

Hundreds of ships were grounded, and thousands of people were lined up around them. Cargo was moving at a scale that Hunter had never seen before.

“Is this the whole fleet?” Hunter asked. Trey shook his head.

“This about half of it. Most of the military vessels will be getting in position now, and the rest have already left.”

“Holy heavens,” he breathed. He heard Trey snicker. Barry drove them down into the valley, and they drove right to the end of the line of ships. Hunter took in every sight he could, every sillhoutte, every make and model.

The dots were starting to connect.

“You’re moving the whole company. We’re all going outworld.”

Trey just smiled. The Kellese approached the biggest ship, the final ship in the assemblage. It was at least three times bigger than the rest. They drove past the line of people and joined the freight cars hauling supplies through the ships cargo bay.

They exited the car as Barry went to park it in a specially marked cargo container.

“Welcome aboard the Merciful Cloud,” Trey said as he opened the door that connected the cargo bay to the rest of the ship, “flagship of the fleet, and our home for the next year.”

“How far are we going?” Aera asked.

“Far away,” Trey said, “Very, very far.”

He glanced back at them.

“Far enough that we’ll be free to live, and expand as we please,” he glanced at Hunter, who was staring at every nut and bolt he passed, every pipe and grating.

He couldn’t get enough. He wanted to see it all.

He was finally here. In a roundabout way, Trey had kept his promise, and Hunter hadn’t even had to earn Excellence for it.

Trey patted him on the back, and laughed.

"I knew you'd like it."