Hornbok and Ivada walk into the otherwise empty Magisters' office. Ivada asks if Hornbok has heard from the team, and Hornbok answers that he doesn't even know if they made it to Corten II. Ivada starts complaining that the ruse Hornbok, Paper, and Sci formed was a waste of time, as it only gave the Plumbers the location of the Phantom, whom he points out was "hidden in plain sight." Hornbok says that the ruse was helpful in other ways, such as confirming Lotin's alliance with both Dexis and the Aldabarbarians. He reassures Ivada that they will solve their problems, and then proceeds to leave the office.
Later, Hornbok contacts Ivada with his communicator when he sees Aldabarbarian ships approaching the Academy. Ivada then wakes up the team by pressing a button in the office that causes alarms in the team's barracks to go off.
Moments later, Hornbok and Ivada arrive in the lobby just as Water asks if the team, having just arrived in the lobby, is in the right place. Ivada apologizes for the incredibly loud alarm, and when Water asks if they can shut it off, Hornbok says that it will go off on its own, and that they have bigger things to worry about. The team hears a crashing sound and then runs back to the hallway where Hornbok first saw the ships. With the stake of a ship now lodged into the Academy, Hornbok tells the team to take care of any Aldabarbarians that get into the Academy, letting them know that he will contact Galactic-Command. Ivada prepares for a fight as Nick asks why he is getting normal Plumbers to help, when it would make sense to get the Black Ops. team to help the Spec Ops. team. Hornbok says that the Black Ops. team was decommissioned long ago, and that normal Plumbers are perfectly qualified.
The team turns to the ship as its stake retracts and a bridge extends from the ship. An Aldabarbarian General walks to the edge of the bridge and stops just beyond the walls of the Academy. After introducing himself as Halar, he informs the Plumbers that if they do not return the Phantom to the Aldabarbarians within the hour, then his fleet with destroy the Academy and then the Earth. He returns to his ship as everyone turns to Paper. Ivada watches as Nick says that Paper should know where the Phantom is because of Lotin's inhibitor collar that he gained from the ruse, and then he asks for confirmation. Hornbok then begins to explain the situation to the team.[2]