Emma's contact with the Coalition had given them an access code to allow their ship to enter the planet, and coordinates to some spot on a remote location in the southern continent. Her mother had protested, of course, given they were main enemies of the HPA, but Lily wasn't about to hand her over to them, even if she felt more on their side.
"We can always drop you at the embassy, oh wait, you dont have one there anymore," said Lily sarcastically.
"Of course not, you close your embassies when you declare war," said her mother, defensively.
"Yes, and put dad out of a job."
"Ok, we're getting nowhere with this," said Astor, interrupting before the conversation turned into an angry spat again. Poor man had been trying to mediate between them on the subject since they ecaped. "Miss Baek, I think-"
"You better fix that address to admiral, young man," said Helen imperiously.
"He's not under your command, mom! You can't order him around! Astor, I order you to not address her as such!"
Astor groaned, rubbing his temples in frustration. "I don't think I can do this fully sober."
"I know you guys never let me go for it," said Acro loudly from the co-pilot's seat," but if you want me to get rid of her..."
"No, we don't, doctor. Family arguments and war aside...she's still my mother."
Helen crossed her arms and looked up at her with that same tiny smirk he would have when testing her. "So what's your desicion, Captain?
"...Emma, inform your contact we'll be arriving shortly, and that we have the head of the HPA imperial fleet with us. Furthermore!" she said louder, before Emma turned around. "Imform them that part of our payment will be for them to let go of her, and ship her off to the closest neutral port unharmed. If they do not agree with these terms, tell them we will turn around right now and not deliver the list, as promised."
Everyone starred openly at her, Emma especially froze in place, unsure of what to do. Lily looked at her with symphaty, smiling weakly. "I of course understand this puts you in a delicate position, guppy, but I'm afraid I must stand by it. If you wish to fight us for her, I am prepared to do so."
"You know she's the one who probably ordered the attack on my home planet?" asked Emma, dead serious.
"She most likely did, yes."
"And has ordered many more like that, as well?"
"I'm afraid she has, yes. And she will answer for it, one day...but in a fair trial. I promise you, I fully intend to see it done myself."
"You might not get another chance like this?" insited Emma, seemingly determined to convince Lily.
"It's possible, but if I'm completely honest with you, I rather think she knows she's in the wrong. Probably has since I left." Lily turned to see look at her mother, and for the first time, it was her who was shrinking from her stare, uncomfortable.
"Pride can be a terrible thing, but it can be broken. I think some of it broke today, and I hope, perhaps foolishly, that she will come to see that and turn herself in. Maybe not today, but...I want to mantain that hope."
"Why?" said Emma, glaring.
"Because she's my mum."
Lily stared back into those angry yellow eyes, unwavering, and tightened her grip on her sword. The last thing she wanted was to fight Emma, the poor girl had been through a lot, most of it stemming from her own mother's actions. It was selfish to ask her to give her up, and she knew it, but she did it anyway.
"I will pass the message, but what they decide is not up to me." said Emma finally, walking away. As close to a compromise as she was willing to go.
"Thank you, guppy."
They landed in a forest half an hour later an made ther way into what could only be described a few dozen trees grown and twisted into an actual complex building high above the ground, something more akin to temple. The wood around this area was all white, an unnatural marble like, and Lily remebered her father explaining that the trees were sacred here to the Malteahns, and from they derived their magic staffs.
"So they just made the trees grow into that?" asked Astor after Lily explained it.
"Basically, this place is not like another other planet. Magic, or hwoever you like to clal the energy they wield, shapes everyhting...IS part of everything."
"They're expecting us up there. There's a lift on the other side," said Emma, still glaring at Lily's mother, who had accompanined quitely the whole way. They didnt even bound her hands, it seemed pointless that she would try to run, specially in the middle of this world.
All of them rode the elevator upwards, which curiously seemed to be made of the same metal white like wood, as if it was part of the tree itself. Lily felt a growing tension, and tried making eye contact with Emma, who seemed nervous.
"Who exactly are we meeting at the top of this big tree house?" asked Lily.
Emma hesitated, her eyes downcast. "My handler in the Coalition, one of the five commanders of their network...and also...an agent of ours enbedded in the HPA."
The way she said was odd, and she kept looking up at Lily with a guilty expression. "Someone I didnt know about before we arrived here." she added quickly.
Lily was about to press the issue, but then the elevator stopped and the doors open and she saw immidiately what Emma meant. Inside was a wide circular room, which made Lily feel they were inside the trunk of the giant tree itself, complete with a large round table of a black stone like surface, and sitting across it was her father.
At that moment, it was hard to say who was more shocked to see him, Lily or her mother. Her father got to his feet, slowly walking towards them, hands trembling. He was wearing his formal clothes, just like she remebered him, with only his blond hair being a bit longer perhaps. This was the first time their family had been in the same room in a few years, and no one seemed to know what to say.
"It is so good to see you...both of you," he said, tears welling in his eyes, but with a warm smile spreading.
In a second she had crossed the room and embraced her father in a big hug, who returned it. They stood there like that for a while, not saying anything. "I'm so sorry I left without saying goodbye, daddy."
"It's ok plum, I understood, I still do."
Lily turned slightly to spare a glance to her mother, who looked as though she wanted to join in but knew better, and that pained her. Finally, her father let go of Lily and walk towards his wife. They looked at each other, so many emotions flashing between their eyes. "You never came back home."
"I know," said her father. "It wasn't easy to do...but I didn't think there was anything else I could do to help you see reason."
"You're just like her, doing whatver you want regardless of the consequences," said Helen, her tone bitter and sad.
"No dear, Lily was right to leave, and that's when I knew I had to as well. Neither of us could be part of what you were doing, as much as we loved you."
"And this is where you've been?" asked Helen, lookin around unimpressed. "Hiding in the home wolrd of the enemy?"
"They're only an enemy because you declared them so," counter her father. "Before you did, I was doing great work here as our ambasador. They could have been our greatest allies, but I guess conquering nations don't need allies."
"You give her far too much credit, Liam." They all turned to see a talkk black lady walk in, and Lily thought she had a similar presence to her mother, that of a solider who had been through a lot. "She's jsut another cog in the machine, just a bigger one that usual."
"Nikkia," said Emma, aproaching her and saluting her like a superior. "I'm sorry it took us so long, we had some troubles."
Emma handed her the drive, and Nikkia looked at it thoughtfully for a minute. "Yes, I heard about your last few days...so much trouble for this list. You must be quite worried of what we could with it?" she asked Helen, smiling in a very humorless way.
"Whatver you think of me or the HPA, I would not have my officers assasinated in their homes by the likes of you."
"Oh yes, because that's what we are, right? Assasins?" Nikkia stared Helen down, neither flinching. "You seem to confuse guerrila warfare out of neccesity with some deep desire to hurt people who disagree with us on who qualifies as people to begin with."
Lily stepped in between them before things got worse, and tried to push them aside a bit. "Hello, let me squeeze here bwtween you two scary ladies for a bit. You must be Emma's handler, yes? Pleasure to meet you, love. I'm Captain Lily and this is my crew, the odd lot over there. And yes, this is my mother, who you probably hate, but let's get not forget she's a prisoner right now. And I'm sure there's some article somehwere about prisoners of war and all that fuzz."
"You think they would be obliging?" asked Nikkia.
"Well, hell, if you're going to be better than them, then be better than them."
Surprisingly, Nikkia smiled. "I was never planning on using this list, not as they would, certainly. I think the fear of the possibility is more useful than the actual violence of it."
"What are you talking about?" demanded Helen.
"If I ordered my operatives to take out every high ranking officer of yours in this list, your boss would have them all replaced within thr week. Nothing would change except that your people would feel angrier and more emboldened to hate us and every alien in this system."
"And what do you think the threat of it accomplishes?" asked Helen.
"Well, for one thing, if it keeps from getting a good night sleep for a while, that's already a plus," said Nikkia, smirking. "But on the other hand, when they find out we have it, and they will thanks to your husband here...they'll brace for an impact that will never come...and in time they'll wonder why. Why these traitor and aliens they were told were so dangerous haven't acted like they would...and maybe then some of them rethink what they're doing with their lives."
No one said anything, but Lily could guess they all felt like she did, a little bit suprised, and a little in awe. They had all assumed the worst of the Coalition, that they would reduce themselves to the HPA's level to win, use victims like Emma to commit murder in the name of defeating a greater evil. The last thing Lily expected was for them to have a conscience.
"That's ridicoulous, said Helen, a tone of unesines creeping into her voice. "You can't win this war with...with..."
"Mercy?" offered Liam. "At the very least I'd call that compassion for an enemy, one who hasnt shown it for them."
To that, Helen had no words, she seemed confused and upset to Lily, but perhaps for a good reason this time. "Will you honor my request regarding my mother?" asked Lily.
Nikkia sighed and wave her hand dismisively, "Yes, sure, like I said, even if we kept her here, they'd replace her soon after. No one is above that with the HPA, not even their precious admiral."
"I want to stay," and it took Lily a moment to process it had been her mother who said it.
"Mom?"
"Take me prisoner, I'm sure I have done enough things to warrant a military trial here in Malteah."
"Mom, you can't be serious," said Lily, grabbing her by the shoulders. "They could execute you if you do that."
"Yes, I'm aware, and I thnk that would be their right. For the last few years, I've been overseeing a campaign against the people of this planet, and their neighbors, and the people who defied that."
There was a sadness to her now, as if all the wieght she was carrying was finally too much to bear. Lily didn't know what to do, her feelings for her mother were complicated, but she didn't want her to die.
"Commander, I surrender myself to you," said Helen addresing Nikkia, her formal tone back. "I don't know what good I could do, and perhaps any I can won't ever dimminish what I have done...but I offer it anyway, and accept any setence you see fit."
"Helen, you don't have to-"
"Yes, I do Liam. You were right, you both were. I don't want to be alone and filled with hatred any more, and I dont want to be responsible for more death...enough."
For the time in a long time, Lily's father embraced her mother, and she melted into his arms; tears spilling even if she didnt make a sound.
"I will see to it that she gets a fair trial," said Nikkia, suddenly. "I can't promise what they'll decide, but I doubt they'll execute her. The Malteahns abhor such things."
"Can I visit her?" asked Liam, his face still buried in his wife's hair.
"I'll arrange for some visits, and for you as well if you want, Captain. You are always welcome here."
"Thank you, for your kindness for our family," said Lily, nodding.
"That's the only way we should win this war," she replied, smiling. "Although there is something to be said for having people you can rely on to go where you can't...within limits, of course. A small group that can be called upon for a job or two when the occasion calls for it."
Nikkia looked at Lily sharply, still smilling, and Lily laughed. "Indeed, I suppose a few good bounty hunters might come in handy then."
"Are you guys talking about us indirectly? Because it's rude as hell!" said Acro loudly. Lily had almost forgotten her crew was still there.
"Yes, you bug cretin, they are talking about us," said Leon angrily. "Now can you not ruin a moment for once in your life cycle!"
"Hey, as long as we're getting paid, I don't mind the work." said Astor casually.
"And I think I would like to stick around for that," said Emma, surprisngly determined. She looked at Nikkia for permission, but she nodded approvingly.
"That works for me, better that she's off with you than doing more covert mission for us." Nikkia leaned in closer to Lily to whisper, "She's one of the best, but she deserves better than that life."
"Well, ours isn't exactly glamorous, but she'll have us." said Lily, winking.
Lily saw as each of them introduced themsevles to her father, who shook their hands (or limbs) excitedly, asking them for stories about his little girl, and what a devilish rogue she had become. It was flattering to hear, and she noticed her mother listened in as well, her expression not unpleased, and for a moment, she felt like she had her family back again. It wouldn't last, but this was a memory Lily would surely never forget.
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