Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better. 

I do not think there has ever been a quote that resonated so profoundly with me. I came upon it a few months ago, shortly after the incident with the Lilli club. It has stuck with me ever since; its significance growing in my mind the more I interact with people, big and small. Once upon a time, I believed that establishing Magna Gratia was a pipe dream. Something so farfetched that, if I were to ever make it real, I would have done all that I needed to do. Only now do I realize how wrong I was. 

We can do more. What we have done so far is wonderful, but we should not stop. Together, we can make a change, if we try. There is no greater risk than taking no risk at all.

"Jeannine." Mayor Rin calls to me from her platform on my dining table. My eyes glance my phone screen, which has an audioless video broadcast of her on the stage, courtesy of Ori. Rin's voice comes across to both Sara and I through earpieces. We are seated at the table, overlooking her and the others from half an arm's length away. It is no different than our usual meetings, although we have never had so many gathered at once. The older woman stares right into the camera, as if to stare at me through the screen. Her expression calm but serious, with a hint of discomfort. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, ma'am." I nod at her. "Please, go ahead."

Rin places a hand on the podium, while her other traces through a document containing the plan she came up with. It took her a month of research and preparation, extended at her request. That surprised me,  considering how timely she is. She had never requested more time than she previously asked for, ever. She clearly have put in a considerable amount of effort. Earlier this week, we each received a copy for us to review. For some, this entailed meticulous preparations of equipment and technology. For others, it required a readthrough. I was the latter, and having read it ten times over, I can see how and why she selected each of us. She told us to hold our questions and concerns until this meeting, but I highly doubt anyone has any. She was seriously thorough!

We all go silent as she begins.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you today to share plans of our upcoming mission. It calls for our collective strength and determination. Tonight, you brave individuals will be undertaking this challenging expedition, and its fair share of risks. Let us take a moment to review our roles and the preparations that will maximize our chance of success. I take it that everyone has reviewed the document?"

"Yes." We collectively murmur in response.

"Good. I will now begin our debrief." She says, shuffling through the papers atop her podium. "The goal of this operation is the rescue of the trafficked Lilliputians from the local pet shop. It is the same one that all you were once prisoners in, as you know. However, what you do not know is that the establishment is far worse than any of us previously thought." She pauses to over the audience, then up at me. I respond with a nod, urging her to share this next part, which she excluded from the document. "The pet shop is not one of several traffickers in this city. It is the only one, as well as the most active in this region of New Brobdingnag. Moreover, the owner maintains a tight circle. If he does not source his 'products' himself, then they come from no more than two or three other individuals. We have determined that his nephew is one of them. The other is likely another family member or close friend, meaning there are no other suppliers."

"That bastard!" Daedalus yells, jumping up from his seat. Icarus tries to calm him but ends up getting pushed back. "Yer telling me he's done all this practically alone?!"

"I am afraid so. The harm this one man has caused is immeasurable. And he will only continue to do so, so long as there is profit to gain." She answers, her expression softening in response to the man's outburst. It is not like him to become so worked up. It shocks the lot of us. Rin then resumes her explanation. "There is a silver lining. Should we manage to stop him, it will deal a significant blow to the black market in this city. Whether or not our actions tonight will be a permanent solution is unclear. That is not our concern at the current time. This brings me to my next point. Jeannine, if you would?"

Sara turns to look at me, and so do the little ones on the table. I sit up straight and explain as best I can. "A week ago, I visited the shop again. I wanted to check our their security and gather any useful information I could. Given what happened with Luca, I was not sure he would even speak to me. I figured he must have told his uncle, but apparently he did not. It seems my threat kept him quiet." I smirk, recalling our last interaction. "Anyway, when we were alone, I asked the shopkeeper about his prices, which he happily provided, seeing as I am a recurring customer. I already knew that the prices had gone up, but I acted surprised when he told me. I needed to know about his supply." I sigh, ashamed that I ever went back to him. Despite my good intentions, it feels so wrong. Like a betrayal of my friends who were all victims of his illicit business. I hate that I ever gave him my money, even if it was for a good cause. Thankfully, I receive no judgement or scorn. I see their empathetic faces on my screen, which gives me the confidence to keep explaining. "That was when he told me that he had over five thousand Remnants in stock, but almost all were going to a very rich buyer who paid upfront. He offered to sell me ten, 'skimming off the top', at an increased price, which I declined. I asked him when he would have more at the usual price, to which he said 'in ten days'. Chatting with him some more, I managed to discern all the information Mayor Rin shared."

"How do we know this for certain? I worry that he might have lied to you, Jeannine." Ori frowns. "I do not think we should take anything he says as truth. He is a monster. This could be an elaborate setup to lure you in, or worse..."

I am about to reassure her, but Sara jumps in before I have the chance. "Everything he said is true, Ori. I guarantee it." She smiles, winking down at Icarus, who is wearing a cheeky smile. Her gaze fixes on Ori as she elaborates. "Remember how they 'bugged' Jeannie? Well, we did the same to them."

"With much better tech, obviously!" Icarus adds. "No need to go collect it in person."

"Our engineers built our own 'bug', which I planted in the store the very next day. Well, more like threw into the back room when he wasn't looking, but you get what I mean!" She laughs, but the amusement quickly fades when she sees the look of dread on Ori's face. I guess Sara wanted to relieve her worries, but she only managed to replace them with new ones. 

"F-Five thousand... I cannot comprehend how he came upon so many." Ori says, her voice quivering with fear. The camera becomes shaky as she speaks. "Why... Why would anyone want so many of us in the first place? That is almost half of Magna Gratia's population. What in the world are they planning...?"

"Whatever it is doesn't matter because we're not going to let it happen." Nick declares before all of us. He is not angry, nor is there a hint of doubt in his voice. I have never seen him so confident. "Five thousand... I'm not great at math but even I know that'd cost a fortune. If the buyer paid upfront, then imagine the aftermath if the guy doesn't deliver? He's finished. His business, for sure, but him? He's gotta leave town."

"Precisely, Nick." Rin answers, redirecting all our attention back to her. "That piece of information is key. Saving lives is our greatest priority, but destroying the business itself is what truly makes this operation worthwhile." She explains, giving us all some much needed hope. She then looks at Icarus, urging him to continue where my explanation left off. "A man such as the shopkeeper would not have seen so much success and avoided arrest if he were not careful. With such a major deal in the coming days, he will surely be taking precautions. Icarus, would you care to tell us about the security?" 

"Sure, Mayor." He says, standing up to address us. "From what Jeannine told me, his security system is top notch. I only know of two models that match her description, and both are owned by the same company, meaning I have a good idea of how they work." He says, proudly. Even in a situation like this, he is getting excited. He earns himself an eye roll from me. "The system consists of several parts: A heavy-duty lock, a security terminal, meaning a keypad for a pin, CCTV cameras, an alarm that's very loud, and an automated caller to a security officer. That last one is what we have to worry about. Thankfully, there's no security guard. It makes sense, seeing as a nightguard for a 'smalltime' store would be seriously suspicious. It is supposed to be an ordinary pet shop, after all."

"Wait, what's the 'caller'? Like, a phone?" Sara asks. "And what's the 'security terminal'?"

"I was just about to get to that. The 'caller' is essentially a system that will establish a connection with someone at the parent company, if a security breach is detected. So, basically, imagine this: Someone breaks in, the alarm doesn't go off, so they think they're in the clear, and then they do what they do. What they don't know is that the pin needs to be input into the terminal. They have sixty seconds to do that, otherwise the caller contacts the security officer. They check the cameras, and if they suspect something is off, they alert the owner as well as the police."

"Hold on. So much of this doesn't make sense." Nick interjects, shaking his head. "He'll check the cameras? Then he'll see all the Lillis. And the 'calling the police' thing? They'll see it too, and then the guy just incriminates himself! Am I missing something here?"

"I can explain. May I?" I ask Icarus.

"Absolutely." He nods with a smile.

"Given the nature of his business, he is likely hiding his 'stock' in the case of inspection. I only got a brief glance at the tanks he uses, but they were definitely different than the ones you were all in. These looked...durable. Not to mention completely opaque. You would never guess what is actually inside."

"Huh. So he thought of everything..." Nick groans.

"Not everything." Icarus corrects him. "He didn't account for someone intercepting the call. Dad and I have developed a device for that, to prevent it going through in the first place. As for the alarm, that's easy. All this is digital, and everything digital is hackable. I always say that analog is the way to go, but-"

"Ehem." Rin clears her throat loudly, to shut him up. He quietly apologizes and sits down, allowing her to continue. "Thank you, Icarus, but we need to move on. Now then, I would like to go over the details of your tasks. Listen carefully, everyone." Rin points a finger at each person as she calls out their name and role. "Nick, Orina, Icarus, Deadalus, Sara, and Jeannine. You six will be carrying out your tasks in teams. Team One will consist of Jeannine, Nick, and Orina. Team Two will consist of Sara, Icarus, and Daedalus. Each of our Brobs will be wearing an earring to carry their smaller teammates, as well as an earpiece. This setup should be familiar to most of you."

Another murmur of agreement breaks out before Rin continues.

"To avoid suspicion, you will take the alleyways and avoid main streets. Once at the establishment, you will put on masks to conceal your identities. Remember that even if we manage to succeed, there is a risk of retaliation. It is imperitive that no one sees your faces. Understood?"

"Yes. We understand." Sara answers for the both of us.

"Sara, you will then need to pick the lock on the door. I am told you know how to do that, and I am afraid to ask where you learned such a thing." Rin jokes, lightening the tension a bit.

"Trust me, you don't wanna know." Sara giggles.

"Once you are inside, you will need to split up. Team One will move directly toward the containers and begin the rescue. Do you have the transport containers ready?"

"All five are ready to go." Daedalus confirms. "Tested and safe."

"I have them ready in my bag." I add.

"I trust that you know what to do." She nods, turning her attention to Sara. "Team Two will be working on the security system. The alarm and caller must be suppressed. Is your device ready for use?"

"Ready, but not tested. I'm confident, though. Ninety-nine percent. Well, maybe ninety-five, but still." Icarus shrugs.

"Ignore him. It's ready." Daedalus confirms.

"I've got it right here." Sara says, lifting it up for us to see. It's about half the size of a television remote. To think that it was built by Lillis is incredible! It's bigger than city hall. With great care, Sara puts it away and looks at the mayor with a serious face. "We've got this. Leave it to us."

The Mayor then steps away from her podium and begins to pace across the stage. Despite how prepared and confident we are, she does not seem convinced. She is quiet until we all settle down. Only then does she continue.

"Getting in will likely be much harder than getting out. That is quite fortunate for us." She shakes her head. "However, even with all our preparation, there is still a chance for this to go horribly wrong." She tells us this to remind us of the risks, not to discourage us. We all know that. Deep down, she wishes for our success and is likely upset that she cannot play a larger role. "My best advice to you all is to expect the unexpected. We are acting on the information we have. The [quality] of that information is unclear. Communicate with one another and adapt to the situation."

We all nod in agreement. Even Icarus becomes humble when he hears her say that. She is absolutely right. Even the best laid plans tend to go awry. You never know, you can only hope.

"Once you have rescued the Lillis, leave in a hurry. It does not matter if you leave a 'trail', so long as your identities remain concealed. As much as we want to save everyone, our priority is our own wellbeing. We save who we can, even if that does not include everyone. Do not endanger the group, even if it means saving just a few more Lillis." She tells us, her words likely directed at me. I can feel it, even though her eyes are looking elsewhere. "I do not mean to be harsh, but there will be far more harm done to our Magna Gratia if either Jeannine or Sara are arrested. Or worse." She says this matter-of-factly. None of us speak up to argue. At last, she looks directly at me. "This city, nigh-independant as it is, would be lost without you, Jeannine. Naturally, those with you would be lost as well. I can even picture a scenario where your apartment is investigated. I trust that I do not need to elaborate further."

"No, Mayor. I understand completely." I tell her, my voice soft as a whisper.

"Do you, Jeannine?" She fires back, not aggressively, but purposefully. "I worry about you."

All eyes are on me now. I glance at each and every one of them. It seems they expect an answer from me. 

"I do, Mayor. If it comes down to it, I promise I will leave the Remnants behind." I say, shocking everyone. "I knew the risks when I suggested this idea, and I understand that tough decisions might need to be made. You can trust me."

Rin smiles at me. It is a warm smile, and I might be wrong, but I feel like there is some pride behind it. Either way, it makes me happy. "I have full confidence in you. You are a strong, smart, young woman. You will do just fine."

I feel Sara place her hand atop mine. I turn to look at her, and am met with a similar smile. She leans in close and whispers in my ear. "You've got this." 

"Does anyone have any questions?" Rin asks, to which no one indicates they have any. She picks up her papers and steps down from the stage. "In that case, this meeting is over. I wish you all the best of luck." 

Sara and I stand up, waiting for everyone to return to their respective earrings. Once they do, she takes them back to the city to finish up last minute preparations. Meanwhile, I follow her into my bedroom to collect our change of clothes. On the way out, I grab my bag and ensure that everything I need is in there. It is the eleventh time I have checked today, but you can never be too careful when lives are on the line. Sara returns shortly after, and we both change into darker outfits in my living room.

"You know." Sara chuckles, stripping her top off. A cheeky smile is plastered on her face as she gets dressed. "This is kinda exciting. Right?"

"A little." I admit, pulling a black top over my head. "I've been wanting to do something about that disgusting man for so long. Now, I finally can."

"The look on his face when he finds out what we did..." Sara jokes, closing her eyes to picture his expression. "He's gonna lose it!"

"That's the least he deserves." I make a disgusted face at her, which then melts into an equally cheeky expression. I cannot help it. I am feeling optimistic! That is not to say that I forgot about the risks. I suppose it is more of a testament to my faith in my friends. "But, yeah." Out of nowhere, I close the distance between Sara and I and hug her tightly. I rest my chin on her shoulder and whisper. "He doesn't know what's coming for him!"