Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): Nexus Earth - Lily: Heir Apparent

[Justin OOC]

Lily feels a slight Tingle in her left temple as contact is made by her father. "I need to speak to you in private, daughter. Excuse yourself and tell yua to remain there. come alone to my stateroom.. It is time i tell you why I've really come to this world, and the new circumstances surrounding us, and the choice you have to make."

Despite knowing her friends are waiting, Lily can't force herself to go top speed. What could it be that even Yua couldn't be present to hear? And what new development had brought the Emperor himself to Earth?

Inwardly she cursed being out of touch for so long. She should have tried to make a communicator, or found a ship or...or something. All this was coming to a head, and she had no idea what the whole story was.

And now she wasn't sure she wanted to.

Even with the size of the ship, and Lily's apprehension slowing her, it's not more than a few minutes after he calls that Lily shows up at the Emperor's stateroom and gives a Dalaraan salute as she steps inside.

"Sit down Lily, what I have to say is not pleasant." The Emperor waits for his daughter to be seated and continues.

"For years now you have been groomed to be a warrior, a leader to support your brother in sister in their duties when ascend the thrones of the Empire. I am affraid that will no longer be the case daughter."

He takes a deep breath and steels himself for the next words.

"When I called you my heir earlier, it was not an idle statement or mistake. Your Elder Brother and Sister have been assassinated."

A little slow to sit, Lily nearly falls to the floor when her hand slips off the arm of the chair. She catches herself and just hangs there for a moment, staring at the Emperor with her hands on the chair arm and her mouth open and the rushing sound of her blood in her ears.

But it did make sense, she realizes in the back of her head. The personal visit, the bodyguard.

"How is that even possible?" she manages to say...in spite of it suddenly feeling like there's not enough air in the stateroom. She has to gulp, fighting to breathe as her throat closes.

"They had...they were..."

She looks at her father...unable to speak.

Your brother Alaric was posioned with a toxin that paralyzed his nervous system and stopped his heart. He died peacefully in his sleep in the Summer Palace. Your Sister Danai's warship was destroyed in battle with The Circinus special forces fleet a month ago when she was doing a colonization mission on a remote planet. She took on The enemy commander with Funari, her ship and with a single blow of his sword, he bisected a second generation Dalaraan flagship and slew all on board.

"They were two of the most powerful Dalaraan warriors. They had decades of combat experience and were loved by all the Empire Lily. Yet someone from within our nation betrayed them. They poisoned your brother, and told the eney where to find your sister. Some have cast a cloud of suspicion over you, even though you knew nothing of your sister's mission, and are half a galaxy away from your brother. Until recently most of the Empire believed you dead as well."

"Darkness looms all around us Lily. It threatens to extinguish our light, and if that happens, Civil war will tear us all apart."

Lily reaches up to massage her neck, not trusting herself to speak. Her skin feels cold and her hands and feet numb. Despite that, she forced herself to stay composed, to stay thinking. There would be time for grief, and afterwards for rage...but now her father needed her, and so did the Empire.

"What do I need to do?" she asks quietly.

"That daughter is for you to decide. I wish for you to come home and begin your schooling to one day rule the Empire. But i know that your mission here is not yet done. You seem to have come very close to it, considering a Satoshi Captain was with you and sacrificed herself to save you. ANother is here with us recovering from her injuries."

"The Royal family cannot fail again Lily. Things are far to serious now. SO I ask you, Will you abandon your mission here and come back with me, or will you pursue it and see it through to it's conclusion?'

Stricken anew, Lily looks down at her lap, trying to get some kind of clarity. Slowly she speaks, as much to herself as to her father.

"My first loyalty and duty is to the Empire...you know that. But...I've already come so far here, and we've already sacrificed so much. I mean, Satoshi has the Key right now. If we can make peace, then our aims on Earth will be in negotiation's reach. If I leave, who will see to it that that happens?"

She looks up again, trying to put her feelings into words.

"I mean...you're not even close to old, so unless they somehow got to you, I have time to learn what I need to learn. What's happening on Earth is happening now, and it may change the course of the whole Empire. We can't just...stop. If whoever's behind all this gets their hands on Kai and Earth, it's over. We can't let that happen!"

"You seem quite fond of this "Kai" Lily. But I believe you are right. Stay the course and complete your mission here. I'll make arrangements for you and your new freinds. Go back to them and see it through, then come home to me, I'll be there."

He gets up and hugs her to him. "I am proud of you Lily. I will keep the forces at home at bay for you, but do not tarry long here. We have other threats we must see to before they destroy everything our family has built."

He releases her. "Go back to your friends. I'll be along in a moment. I have some matters I must see to alone first."

Lily hugs him back, hard.

"I'm sorry I have to go," she says into his chest. "Now of all times, when we've lost..." at that, she breaks off and just buries her face against the Emperor's uniform, leaving two little wet spots behind when she pulls away.

"Be careful," she says, water brimming in her eyes without quite spilling. "I can't lose you too. And I promise I'll be careful too."

Lily takes a step back and salutes again, then heads back towards the others.

After lily leaves the Emperor smiles a sad smile, knowing his daughter has chosen wisely. "You are so strong, yet you have so much further to go. I only hope I can buy you the time you need."