It had been a while since Lily had been aboard an HPA cruiser, but she still knew her way around. Walking the spotless and dull grey hallways reminded her of when she served in one. Back then, all she wanted was to be a good officer and make her mother proud. Now she walked the same green lit corridors she remembered to face her in combat.

It would hardly be the first time they crossed swords, her mother had seen to it she could wield one since Lily begged her to at the age of five. Her father’s stories of grand adventures and warriors fighting for honor, always with swords. Lily was the best of her class, but no one had ever beaten her mother, not even her in all their practice duels.

Twenty seven times she had tried to beat her, and she always lost. A thought Lily was trying to push out of her head as she entered the engine room at the bottom of the cruiser. The place felt etheral, with the soft emerald glowing of the giant reactor powering the entire ship. For a moment, she felt mesmerized by it.

"I was just thinking of the time I gave you my captain’s cap, just after I was promoted to admiral." Lily turned to look at her mother standing in the opposite side of the room, having entered through the back. "I see you still wear it, despite all the hate you seem to have for me."

"I never said I hated you," said Lily, her voice even. She felt oddly calm despite how much she had dreaded this moment. "I just hated what you became."

"And what is that?"

"A cog in a war machine doing whatever it pleases." Lily scanned her mother's face for a reaction, but she remained impassive. "The biggest cog, if we're bieng honest."

"I see," her mother repied simply. "Yes, I remeber your ramblings before about how we hurt the poor aliens trying to destroy us."

"Just like I remeber you using my grandparents death as excuse to attack those aliens."

Her mother's signature scowled revealed itself at this. "Careful, girl, my patience has limits." 

"Mine ran out a long time ago," continued Lily, unconcerned. "When I saw first hand that the HPA was nothing but a bunch armed thugs imposing their wills on anyone different simple because we could."

"That's enough now."

"How many people have died by your orders? How many lost their familes like you did because you decided they were all the same?"

"I swear, if you utter one more word-"

"You're a murderer, mother! Hiding behind your rank and pain to justify it!"

"And you're a coward!" bellowed her mother, her patience finally gone. "For all your talk about what's right, all you did was run away from me."

Now it was Lily's turn to scowl at her as she felt her anger rising. She gripped the handle of her sword with her left hand, loosening it a bit. She knew it wouldnt be long now.

"I swore to defend our people from all enemies, like the ones who took my parents, but you rather side with them instead." yelled her mother, not bothering to control her temper anymore.

"If you truly believe that," said Lily, her voice low but filled with rage, "that they're all the same, that the actions of a few justify actively attacking the rest of them, taking their homes, treating them like less...then yes, mother, I will side with them." 

They both stared at each other, their breathing loud and angry, and their eyes reflecting what Lily hated to admit was now hatred. 

"The there's nothing more to say," and with a movement so quick Lily almost couldnt follow, Helen Baek drew her sword and activated the green laser edge. "Fight and prove me wrong, both I already know how this going to end."

"Like you knew how your marriage was going to end?" And Lily immediately knew she had gone too far.

Her mother ran towards her with a furious growl, slashing at the air with her full strength. Lily was ready, and blocked by unsheathing her sword right in the moment the blade would have hit her ribs, but the aggressiveness surprised her. She immidiately stepped back, putting some distance between them as she took a stance and ignited her own sword.

 Now the question was how best to approach the duel; and when Lily had asked her mother this at the academy, she answered "head on, like with all things." Now this was usually true, and victorywould go to whoever could deliver the kill the fastest. Her mother's style was brutal and efficient, and damn fast, but Lily had since learned there are more than one way to do things.

The platform they stood in was sturdy, and they had a few levels of them to climb or jump down to around the engine. "Why are you stalling, attack or I will?" said her mother, slowly advacing towards her.

"Age before beauty I always say," said Lily, and just in time to parry her mother's strike. A vicisious blow that cut through the metal railing before she connected with Lily's sword, and she immidiately followed it wth more, pressing her advantage and trying to break Lily's defense.

"Age has nothing to do with the sword," said Helen, her sword dancing. "When it comes to the blade skill is all that matter. I thought you learned that much at least."

"I was never the best student, mom, you know that," said Lily with an affort, barely holding her own.

"I mean, you got a good two decades or so of experience on me. All the talent in the world can't compete with someone who has both."

"Then how do you plean to beat me?"

"With the other thing, the one you don't have."

"Let me guess, impulsiveness?"

"Well, that dosen't hurt, but I meant...imagination," and with a swift movement, Lily turned around and slashed a straight line at the metal floor they were standing in.

The metal walkway immdiaitely collapsed on the broken end, and her mother was literally thrown off her game and into the air. She almsot collided with Lily, who was ready and cleaved her sword into the wall, turning off the laser edge off once the sword was dug in so she could use it for support. 

Her mother hit the platform under them hard, Lily winced from the sound of the impact, then made a calculated jumped to the half fallen walkway and slided all the way down as her mother staggered up. 

"Now that had to hurt," said Lily, landing gracefully. "Although it's hard to say which suffered more, your face or your pride."

"The only thing that hurts is seeing that my daughter has fallen so low as to need to cheat like some common criminal" said her mother, anger in her voice and she retook her stance.

"There's that rigid thinking of yours that you think is so charming," replied Lily, circling her mother while letting the tip of her sword grace the floor, melting it slightly. However, it was the sound of the burning metal that was really grating, like sizzling, and Lily hope it was unnerving if not at least irritating. "See, I've learned that when youre alone out there, there's no rules, no code, its just doing whatever you need to survive. A fight is no different."

"And I might be a criminal by your standards, but I am far from common," said Lily, smirking without a care.

This seemed to do the job and upset Lily's mother enough to launch at her in blind rage, swinging her sword savagely, her grace gone. This made it easier for Lily to predicts her movements, blocking a thrust and then shoving her sword to the side, allowing her to get in her mother's face and elbow her hard in the stomach.

"Victory is all that matters anyway, isn't what you always taught me?" said Lily as she took the advantage and went to on the attack. Her mother deflected the blows, but only barely, still winded after her last hit.

"To strike your opponent mercilessly until they break," continued Lily savagely, as she slashed and slashed away at her mother's sword, who was backing away, unable to catch a break. 

"So tell me mom, am I making you proud now? Is this the daughter you wanted? Brutal and cold," and with one final swing, Lily managed to send her mother's sword flying into the air.

"And with a sword to your throat," she finished as she placed her sword just there, her mother now abcked agaisnt the wall. One might think she'd falter here, break down even, but instead her steel mask returned to her face, and she look expectantly at Lily.

"Well, are you going to finish it then?"

"You know I wont," and Lily lowered the sword, just feeling tired now.

"All that talk, and no conviction to see it through." 

"You honestly think I want you dead?" asked Lily as she fought back tears welling in her eyes. "You're my mother, all I ever wanted was for you to see beyond your own hate, and to see me for who I am."

At this, her mother's face softened, just a bit, but enough for Lily to see the conflict. "I always thought my duty to protect people was the most important thing I'd ever do, but I was wrong, raising you was." 

Lily wasn't sure how to take the sudden emotion on her voice, but she listened. "I thought...that you would follow in my footsteps, help me do that when you grew up, and so I pushed you to be your best, never even stopping to think if you wanted it."

"I did want it, mom. I was so proud the day I became a Captain, that's why I still wear your cap," said Lily, reaching up to touch it. "And then I saw that all we were really doing was hurting people, starting a war because we wanted what they had, and we called that neccesary somehow...I just couldnt do it. I couldn't be part of that."

Both women stood there in silence for a minute, the fight completely out of them. Lily didnt know what to do at this point. She had won, but she didn't feel any better about doing so. She had always expected her mother to die before admiting defeat, but she knew just by looking at her she wouldn't pick up her sword again.

"This sucks," said Lily finally.

"Very much so," agreed her mother. "But in any case, you won, even if it wasn't the cleanest duel." Of course she had to chide her for it.

Helen straighted and dusted off her uniform, picking her sword slowly and carefully sheating it, so Lily didn't she would try anything. "I think honor is clear on this matter, you're free to go."

"Will your superiors be ok with that?"

"I only have one superior, and he's far too busy to care about one small bounty hunter being free...even if it my daughter." She game Lily the closest thing to a smile she had seen in a long time, and Lily couldn't help bu return it.

"Thank you I suppose."

"No need, I will tell everyone you cheated horribly and I was the bigger person," she said amused.

"Never figured you as for gossip," said Lily, sharing it.

"Oh, I'll build our duel into one worthy of the books your father read to you." At this she felt quiet again for a moment, "did you ever hear from again?"

"I'm sorry, I lost touch with him as well when I left. I had heard you two..." Lily stopped, unsure of what to say.

"He shared your concerns...tried to get me to change my stance on them, but I...was just too damn stubborn. He left shortly after you did, but I haven't had the heart to look for him. I mean, he's not wanted like you but...I don't think he wants to see me anymore."

Lily placed her han gentle on her mother's arm, as gently as she could. "Perhaps he will if you apologize and change."

Lily looked at her with genuine compassion, for once she could feel some hope that her mother was not just the monster she had feared, but that redemption could be had for her if she sought it out. She didnt cry, maybe she couldnt allow it of herself, but Lily thought she at least wanted to. 

"Perhaps I should, perhaps I-"

But whatver she was going to say got cut off by the entire cruiser shaking like going through an earthquake. Lily grabbed on to her for support as another wave hit them, and Lily started recognize the feeling for it was, blaster fire.

"Who the hell is firing at us?!" yelled Lily.

"They wouldn't dare!" 

Her words drowned in the explosion of the roof, as a mass of melting metal and flames fell towards them. If all three HPA cruisers were firing at theirs, it wouldnt last for more than a few minutes at most. There was no way to reach the escape pods on the other side of the ship on time, and for once Lily felt despair rising.

"I'm sorry for everything, Eun." 

"Don't you dare apologize like we're going to die! We're not going to-"

"Captain!"

Lily turned to spot Astor behind them, standing at the back door waving desperately towards her. At first she felt an enormous sense of relief, but then she remebered that he shouldn't be here.

"What the bloody hell are you still here?!"

"Did you really thing we were gonna leave you?!"

"We-? You mean you all stayed?!" she asked outraged. "Do my orders mean nothing then?"

"Not when it means losing you, now stop your whining and get your asses over here, we parked under the cruiser. We've had to stay with low grav this whole time, and belive me, it does not improve Acro or Leon's disposition."

Lily was going to object again, but her mother grabbed by the arms and dragged her forward towards him. "You two can argue your issues in private like couples should."

"Oh, I'm not...she's just my Captain, but I'm flattered you'd think I was," said an abashed Astor as they went past him.

"It wasn't a compliment Astor, she thinks I have lousy taste in people."

They ran through the corridor as fast as they could, the ship creaking and craking all around them with each impact. Lily could practically feel the walls starting to collapse in on them, but they were already on the lowest level, they just had to make it to the right spot.

"In there!" yelled Astor, pointing at a laser-cut hole in the middle of the floor, large enough for one person to fit at a time. Lily reached it first, and she immidiately spotted Emma standing under the hole, holding a staircase up towards them.

"Get going!" said Emma frantically. "Leon say we have 2 minutes before it blows!"

"Is this the ship you stole?" asked her mother with a tone as they started to descend.

"Are you really going to bring that up now?" argued Lily.

"I'm just surprised it's still in one piece."

"Ladies please, time for that later," said Astor closing the hatch behind them before pressing him com link. "Leon, punch it cat man, full throttle!"

The effect was immediate, and they all fell to the floor from the sudden burst of speed the ship took.  Lily knew what coming next and she braced herself for it. Sure enough, they wre rocked by a sudden force, the eploding wave of the cruise ship.

"Captain, are you with us?" asked Leon on the coms.

"Yes, are they firing at us?" asked Lily.

"They're certainly trying, but we're already out of their range. There's no way they can catch up with us at this speed."

"Good, keep it then, I dont care if the engines burn out. Put as much distance between us and them as possible."

"Aye ma'am." 

Lily turnd to face her mother, "Unless you want to call them for a ceasefire?"

"...no, I don't trust them now. Get us out of here, I'll deal with this later." She started walking before turning back to awkwardly add, "and...thank you, Captain."