Alex raised her hand, years of a classroom setting ingraining the action in her. As the council pointed she spoke, "While I was traveling over here I passed by a large power plant. Maybe it's possible to find something there?"

"What type of power plant?" Said Mr. Copper.

Alex shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe nuclear, there were those large chimneys nuclear plants have in drawings."

"Coal plants have those too." A voice spoke.

"Plus we can't exactly take an entire power plant back." Another forger said.

"Maybe we don't have to?" Jonathan said. "Y'all know my skill right. I can take the essence of things. It leveled recently. Got it when I made some crazy formation essence for one o' the cultivators. He wanted to see if he could loop the formation or somethin' I think is what he said."

"Jonathan. You're rambling." June interrupted.

"Right. Sorry. Well, my skill leveled and I can take the essence of myself now, which let me make these." From his jeans pocket, Jonathan pulled out a capsule.

"It looks like those caps you get out of a vending machine at the local diner I know, but it lets you capture the essence of anythin', far as I can tell."

"So we’re going to go get the essence of a power plant?" Nathan said. "That seems a little out there even with everything that's happened."

"The hentai hive mind still tops it." Caleb shot back. "Personally, I don't think we're going to find anything that insane for a while."

"You jinxed it," Alex said to him.

Caleb walked over to Alex. "Is it a jinx if I'm hoping for it?" He said softly.

"People! Even if we get the power we don't have anything built!" Hailey asserted.

"We could probably build a barrier that lasts long enough." Someone mused.

"Get Maud to use her glass powers," June said. "I know for a fact her windows are stronger than plexiglass. It might tax her but we'd have a good dome. Then we just get the people with barrier skills and powers to rotate protections."

"Alright." Hailey nodded. "It's not perfect, but we've got an idea of a plan." She turned to her brother. "Caleb, I want you to go out with a team and get us those essences."

Caleb saluted imperiously. "Aye-aye ma'am!."

"Mr. Copper you're in charge of determining the amount of power we need to make this city mobile." The scientist nodded.

"Jonathan, make sure to hand over all your essence capsules to Caleb and then get Maud for some building." The stout man nodded, tossing the one he had to Caleb.

"The council will send out a request to all barrier users. We'll draft up a schedule for power rotations." Hailey looked at her fellow councilmembers, they both nodded.

She turned back to the group. "As for the rest of you, thank you for your time. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any other ideas."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

The meeting adjourned and everyone walked out. Caleb looked over at June, Nathan, and Alex. "You guys wanna help me pillage a power plant?"

Alex nodded. "You'll need me anyways to lead you out there."

Nathan agreed as well. "I can't spread Pellere's name if no one's around to hear it."

June sighed. "I hate that I'll have to be working with you of all people but the city's protection comes first."

Caleb threw an arm over June, who promptly ducked under it. "Oh, c'mon it's not like it’s the end of the world."

June gave him a flat look.

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

While Caleb and his companions geared for a mission, a spaceship traveled high above Three Cities. It was a large thing, monumental in size and shaped like a tetrahedron. At each of its four points sat an opening. It was in one of these openings the boomerang spaceship of Sorossa, dubbed the Triumph, entered.

"Exaltor Sorossa we will be landing. Commander Delaross demands a report." An ensign said.

Sorossa sniffed. "My brother can wait until I have completed a cleansing ritual. One of the sentients down below struck me and I feel filthy."

The Triumph docked on one of the many rings lining the corner of the ship. Row after row of the craft was either refueling or under repairs. After performing the procedures, Sorossa was finally let down through the elevator.

A guard was standing in front of his exit. "Sir!" He shouted, all too enthusiastic. "It is a great honor to escort one of the Rossa's Sir!"

Sorossa frowned. "I see my brother will not let me have my luxuries before a debriefing." he murmured.

"Sir?"

"It's nothing, lead the way."

Nodding, the guard escorted Sorossa up to Commander Delarossa's quarters, combat boots clanging. The noise perturbed the Exaltor. He wasn't one for anything loud really. It was one of the reasons he disliked meeting his brother, the man had no volume control.

A hiss of pressure brought Sorossa out of his head. He was led inside a sparse cabin. Inside sat a man, watching three different screens of soldiers. Commander Delarossa turned and greeted his older brother. "Exaltor! Report!"

Sorossa shook his head. Military life fit Delarossa like a glove. Even now there were no adornments on his walls. No pictures of family to remind him of home. Sorossa tsked as he saw his gift of a Hyserion blanket, colored to match his drab tastes (dull grey), was nowhere to be found.

"Greetings commander." Sorossa bowed. "I regret to inform you that my mission of uplifting the thriving settlement of Three Cities will take some more time."

Delarossa turned his full attention to his brother and away from the screens. "You are not some incompetent Exaltor or some new recruit on his first mission. I expected better."

Sorossa kept his face steady. He knew his brother and this was not a jab at his failure, only curiosity. The fact that he stated it so bluntly was something Sorossa had grown up with. "I was interrupted by a sibling, one who was entirely too protective of his sister. While I was dealing with the leadership he stormed in and declared I would in no way 'court' her."

"You were stopped by a misunderstanding? Your Exaltor status did not work?"

"As you know commander, the Exaltor is a powerful job given by our emperor. I am able to bring the light of Varnoss to any one person, but intense emotion can block much of the intentions." Delaross opened his mouth to reply. "However, I have been given an invitation to return once the council has settled the matter. It should only be a short time until they learn of our emperor's glory."

The commander nodded. "Good." He turned back to his screens. There was silence for a minute. Sorossa was waiting for his brother to dismiss him. As acting commander the man was all too scatterbrained. Deep down, a part of him wished for the sort of relationship that the councilwoman had with her brother. At least he cared about her wellbeing.

"Tell me Sorossa," Delaross said, breaking the man out of his thoughts. "What do you think of these earthlings?"

"The same as any race commander. Bipedal, large brains for tool use, terribly warlike." Sorossa answered.

"Yet the Allworld brought us to their galaxy," Delarossa said. "What makes them unique compared to all others?"

Sorossa blinked. His brother was known as a great military mind, not one for philosophy. "I could not even begin to understand the Allworld's decisions commander."

Delarossa nodded. And then he did something Sorossa never expected, he turned off the monitor screens and disconnected his comm. "Brother," Said Delarossa. "I wonder if we shouldn't eliminate this race at this moment. I have discussed with other commanders, and this race is the only sentient existence in the universe."

Sorossa was stunned by this conversation. "You're saying…"

"They are like the Joras, but even the Joras were brought into the Allworld."

The Exaltor paled. History had spoken of the Joras, of how they took to the stars and wiped out the entirety of sentient life in their universe. Even now Varnoss fought against their genocidal tyranny. It was well known that one Jora could take on an entire squad of Varnoss and only the empire's great numbers and technology held them at bay. It was why upliftings like this were so important, but if these humans were like Jora…

Sorossa swallowed, "I will complete my mission to the best of my ability commander, but if they are the threat you believe them to be, do not hesitate to attack, no matter where I am."

Emotion passed Delarossa's face, something Sorossa hadn't seen since their father's passing. Neither said anything, they hadn't acted like siblings in years, it was impossible to start now.

"You are dismissed." Said the commander. Sorossa nodded and walked out. As he left he realized that his brother did care, in his own way.