"Same approach?"

"They'll probably have tighter security but we didn't use all the layers of subdual last time. They might be keeping the place brightly lit though. Do you have anything for that?"

"I bet so, let's check."

Smoke bombs work. They'll have to be fast, even human grade air magic can clear it away.

Makes sense.

Also makes it harder to see for everyone who isn't a Shadow - and costlier for the Shadows - but Maurabel has enough Glass to manage vision boost without help and it's her who needs to lay hands on the amulets. "They might be stored farther apart than they were at the school, that was honestly pretty dumb of the school."

"Would it help to have more soldiers?'

"It means it takes longer to get everyone back again after we're out, since Penumbra can only do one at a time between worlds."

"With equipment and supplies they could stay there and do more raids."

"True. I wish we had a way to communicate that wasn't physically going there but even Penumbra can't scry it."

"That'd be useful, yeah. Is shadow-walking harder with distance, our base of operations could be on a different planet in that universe -"

"It's harder to find where you're going if you have to sort of fumble around for it but if you know for sure it's not, no. I don't know of any livable planets there though."

"Depending how many operations we're going to conduct it might be worth sending people equipped to do survey, next time, and having them identify some."

"Do you even know of livable planets here? Isn't that why I'm terraforming them?"

"None are suited for permanent residence, there are some that are within tolerances for a team who takes their supplies with them and only plans to stay a month. A couple Airs would need to go with but it wouldn't be impossible."

"The Airs're busy on the moon. I guess once we have more."

"Makes sense."

"It was hard for the Shadows to get to the moon when they couldn't see it in the sky, it was far enough away that even with a description they had to pan around looking for a landing spot a while."

"Then planets'll probably be a fair bit harder. Does your world have a moon -"

"Yes, but just one. I don't think any Shadows have moved there - they don't die of not breathing but they don't like it at all, and wouldn't be able to fly."

"Hmmm." Frown. "Would we get anywhere by announcing to humans that we're paying outrageously well for elementals and they can bring them to us at a fixed location -"

"Uh... they are bought and sold, so maybe..."

"Maybe after we hit the other places with a high concentration - has the added benefit that people who are worried theirs might be stolen might be tempted to sell rather than lose it all -"

"Yeah. There's some risk people won't sell to you without a mage on hand to take possession so I'd have to hang out there any time you were open for business."

"Would that put you in danger?"