I had hoped to have the Entreat at 8 or 9 in the morning, but the fallout from rescuing those from the aircraft carrier took everyone longer to handle than we thought it would. Many elders wanted more time to assess their injured citizens and organize a census. It has truly been too long since everyone has taken a census. Some elders didn't even know the names of those who had been taken. Three of the dead are still not identified.

It is clear we have shirked our duties as Elders. We have become too complacent. The only one who did not become complacent is Loki. Perhaps it is time to give him actual responsibilities.

After this crisis is over, it is time for me to retire. Unfortunately, I will have to bring that up in the Entreat. There will definitely be pushback, especially from Loki himself, but Loki will be my replacement. There is no other who can better protect our people, as I have failed to do.

I took a census of the Vampire Nation before we moved everyone to New Eden. I pull it back out now, and spend the night verifying that everyone is accounted for. There are some new newborns and children not accounted for on the census, including Alyssa. Updating the census brings the realization that there are three younger vampires no one has seen since we finished our evacuation of the surface. Everyone just assumed they were with another coven, but they aren't. They aren't among those we rescued either.

Realizing that, my heart sinks. There is probably a second site. Hopefully, Loki and Hestia are able to find it and we will be able to discuss rescue missions in the morning.

I'm not optimistic though.

It is likely those children are dead, or worse.

Remus has updated me several times on Alyssa condition, and Loki's progress. I need them both in top condition, but they are fatigued. Loki is pushing through injury and exhaustion from the tests they ran, and Alyssa is mourning a large loss.

Should I bring Alyssa to the Entreat? It would be unorthodox and a flagrant violation of at least three major rules, but her unique perspective may be necessary for what we are to discuss. I'll have Remus ask Loki what he thinks. He has spent the most time with her.

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It is almost dawn, which means very little this far underwater, when Remus comes to tell me the rest of the elders plan on coming to the Entreat in person, here in New Eden. I spend the rest of the morning consolidating the injured into rooms and helping those who are capable of returning safely home, return. Some are too injured to move, and others have no home to return to.

Corridor B can also be pressurized in an oxygen environment, and unlike Corridor A, it has a conference room. Unfortunately, Corridor B takes several hours to pressurize and oxygenate safely, which is why we did not use it before. I set a team of engineers to pressurize it and another team to ensure the conference room is properly set up for an Entreat.

It has been centuries since we hosted an Entreat, and decades since we have had one entirely in person. But needs must, and this is a large enough problem to default to the security of an in-person Entreat.

The corridor is appropriately pressurized and oxygenated, and the conference room set mere moments before the first guests arrive. Remus and I barely had enough time to get formally dressed, and many of the other elders look similarly rumpled.

Many met at waypoints and used fairy circles or phoenix fire to get here. Others have activated emergency fairy circles the Fey made for each elder long ago. They only have energy for one jump, but at an Entreat, they can ask a fey to recharge it for them. Everyone brought others who they believed would best contribute to the discussions scheduled for the day.

After greeting everyone and sitting at the table, I slide a piece of paper to me and make a list.

Topics of discussion today include:

* An analysis of the data taken from the ship, an update on the state of those rescued

* An update on the signal and how the humans are interpreting it

* A discussion about possible plans moving forward

* A discussion on how to protect or evacuate those still in the human world or those with human mates

* Nominating Loki as an elder

I'm sure that isn't everything. More will be added as we start talking, but we will need to solve these things before we disperse. Looking at the topics of discussion, I know this will be a long several days. There is no way to solve everything in a single day, let alone a single sitting. As we solve these issues, we may need to send out teams to enact plans before the Entreat ends.

For the first time since the witch hunts, this Entreat will be less meeting and more war room and command center. Never before has that been a surprise to so many elders. By the end of this meeting, I would not be surprised if I wasn't the only one announcing my retirement.