[Verse 1]
Council chambers
Half the seats are empty — the A-team is at level 289
Those who remain are staring at the board
Helena reading the situation report
This is — a lot
Void is moving — Fold 18 to Fold 1
Madela is mobilizing — she said “we clean”
All the Ones have formed an expedition army — and some
Solara is at level 44 with four hundred and fifty-three people
Four hundred and fifty-three
“Asala.”
“I know.”
“Your crew—”
“Are at level 289.”
“The available crew.”
[Pre-Chorus]
Five names on the board
Mythic tier, all of them
The strongest ones left in the system
The others are handling something else
Asala looked at the list
Asala looked up
Asala looked at the list again
[Chorus]
Council matters, again
Same room, different crisis
Council matters, again
We’re sending Asala in
Five of the strongest we have
Not the ones we would choose
But the ones we have
Council matters, again
She’s going
[Verse 2]
Aevum arrived first
“This again,” he said — about everything
The room, Asala, the briefing, the chairs
Lorn drifted in and immediately looked past everyone
“There is a very interesting nebula forming at Fold Seven”
“That is not relevant,” said Asala
“It is very relevant,” said Lorn
Vael appeared from somewhere:
“Where are we going? Why are we going? What is a Solara?
Is the fold prepared? Did anyone tell the fold? What is a fold?”
“I will explain on the way,” said Asala
[Pre-Chorus 2]
Thresh stood very still
“My assignment must be stated with specificity”
“You will know it when you see it”
“I will not,” said Thresh, “I need exact parameters”
(Asala wrote down seventeen parameters)
(Thresh needed four more)
Mira was the last to arrive
“You called me,” she said, “fourteen seconds ago in this timeline”
“I called you an hour ago,” said Asala
“Yes,” said Mira, “and also fourteen seconds ago”
(Asala did not pursue this)
[Chorus]
Council matters, again
Five is what we have
Council matters, again
Strongest available
Not ideal — agreed — but available
And Solara is at level 44
With four hundred and fifty-three people
Probably
[Pre-Chorus 3]
She could wait
She could ask for someone else
The council found someone else
These are them
They are the strongest ones left
That part is true
That part is completely true
The rest of it — she’ll manage
[Chorus]
Council matters, again
One The One out of bounds
Council matters, again
And the fold is filling up
Void from below, Madela from above
All the Ones from everywhere
And Solara just keeps climbing
Asala stands
Council matters, again
She’s going
[Outro]
Asala: “We move.”
Aevum: “This again.”
Lorn: “The nebula at Fold Seven—”
Asala: “We are not going to Fold Seven.”
Vael: “Are we going to Fold Seven? Why not Fold Seven? What is a fold?”
Thresh: “My parameters do not include Fold Seven. My parameters include—”
Mira: “We arrive in four days. Also we have already arrived. Time is—”
Asala: [walking]
[five sets of footsteps, uneven, toward the gate]
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