Lena had agreed to meet with Kira's faction to learn more about the larger threat. The alien woman had promised that they could gather more information about the alien council and the forces behind the [System] if they were willing to trust her further.The meeting took place in a small, makeshift structure at the outskirts of the settlement. Kira, along with several of her allies, had prepared a presentation—a holographic map of the galaxy, with planets marked in red and blue. The red ones signified areas controlled by the alien council, and the blue ones were the territories of Kira's faction."The council has already begun preparing for a full-scale invasion," Kira explained, her voice steady but full of urgency. "They will stop at nothing to control Earth's resources, which are far more valuable than you know. The [System] was only the beginning. It's a means to an end—an attempt to harvest the energy of your planet."Lena studied the map, her brow furrowing as she traced the paths of the alien ships. "And these blue-marked planets? Are they allies?""Not exactly," Kira replied. "Some are neutral, some are sympathizers to our cause, and others are planets we've liberated from the council's control. They understand the danger, but they are weak compared to the council's might."Elias stood beside Lena, his arms crossed. "If we're going to fight them, we'll need to unite more than just the survivors here. We'll need more allies. We'll need to strengthen our defenses."Kira nodded. "That is exactly what I wanted to discuss. I've managed to send out signals to a few factions that might be willing to assist you, but it won't be easy. The council's forces are vast. They will retaliate against any attempt to form an alliance."Lena looked back at the map, her mind racing with the possibilities. "Where do we start?""We need to go to a neutral planet," Kira suggested. "It's a risk, but it could give us access to the resources and technology we need to hold the council off. But we'll have to be strategic."Elias turned to Lena. "If we're going to do this, we'll need a plan. And we'll need to make sure that everyone here is on the same page. It's not just the two of us anymore."Lena nodded, taking a deep breath. "We have to trust Kira, but I'm not going to gamble everything on just one alliance. We need backup, just in case."The tension between the factions of the galaxy was more dangerous than they could have imagined. Earth was just one prize in a much larger war. The only question now was whether they could stand strong enough to keep it from falling.