02x09 - Mother of All, Mother of None

[bunniefuu]

I lost you at the end

He's challenging you to a duel.

Previously on Motherland

Blood compass.

I keep a vial of Khalida's around

my neck. And she has mine.

That's Witch Plague. I don't understand.

I have always loved you.

They're never gonna

stop coming after us.

You're not alone in wanting

the truth to come out.

Tell me everything you

know about Nicte Batan.

I think Nicte created the Spree.

Why isn't General Alder a

bigger part of that story?

They already surrendered.

I am so sick of your prattling

peace-maker bullshit!

My mother loved me. She d*ed for me!

Stop it! We have to find Nicte!

Tal? Tally.

You just took down the

leader of the Spree.

Hello, Sarah. You're

looking surprisingly well.

This is still my army.

Don't forget that.

Mr. Vice President,

it wasn't necessary for you to

come all the way out here.

General, it wasn't my call.

Madame President

General Bellweather didn't tell me

that you'd be attending

the interrogation.

I know.

Where is Nicte Batan?

You haven't aged a day.

I could say the same about you.

At least witches don't have to

die to keep me looking young.

It's our hope, Madame President,

that rendition will yield

the names and locations

of Spree leaders and their cells.

And then the thr*at of the

Spree will be behind us,

and we can focus our efforts

where they should be:

the Camarilla.

Oops.

Was it something I thought?

I'm more than happy to tell

you what you'd like to know.

Using my mouth.

But I'm going to need Tally

Craven asking the questions

from here on out.

Then we don't have any time to waste.

Tally.

He deserved it.

I guess the rest of Sekhmet

gets back later today, huh?

You think anyone else tried

to k*ll each other over break?

sh*t you three tried

to k*ll each other?

Kinda, yeah.

Another little present from Nicte.

Well

All that matters now is that

you three pains in my ass

brought in the founder

of the damn Spree.

- Sure did. We did that.

- Oh, yeah!

Anacostia

Whatever you and Scylla were up to,

brought her and my mom back to me.

And I'm back here with

all of you because of it.

So thank you.

To Anacostia Quartermain.

To Willa Collar.

I hate to interrupt

I need to borrow Craven for a bit.

The prisoner is asking for you.

We're coming, too.

Uh, she was very clear

she'll speak to Tally, and only Tally.

I'll be all right.

Sister.

Where have you been?

Making the world a safer

place for our people.

You k*lled someone ?

I know "tradition" forbids

crossing certain lines.

Justify and rationalize all you want,

but v*olence is not our way.

Sometimes it's the only way.

You liked it didn't you?

They had girls in cages, Khalida.

Girls no older than you.

They think we're animals

that can be slaughtered.

They take our voices

and use them against us.

All the more reason to stay quiet.

In silence, we won't survive.

Then we won't.

And peace

will die with us.

Your dad's really good with Tiffany.

Yeah, he's an old pro.

Um, have you Have you met Quinn yet?

I did. I like her.

She's finding a new home for Tiffany.

Does your dad know?

About us?

Is there an us to know about?

Kinda stepped into that one, huh?

I meant, does he know who I used to be.

I think he knows not to

ask too many questions.

You doing all right otherwise?

I am.

I think I've even made a new friend.

She's briefed and ready.

You don't have to do this, Cadet.

If you don't feel comfortable.

No, I think it's important that

we hear what she has to say.

You can hardly blame me

for stealing that face.

Look at those dimples.

I could winter in one

and summer in the other.

We know a gathering of Spree leadership

was att*cked by the Camarilla

earlier this year in Brussels.

How many other Spree cells

are still in operation?

Wipe out one. Wipe out one hundred.

You can't stop an idea.

Names of cell leaders, then.

Failing that, locations.

There's a tenacity there

that Alder hasn't

marched out of you yet.

We could use that on our side.

You're wasting her here, Sarah.

Fighting for civilians

who would just as soon watch her burn

as pin a medal on her chest.

They might have a higher opinion of us

if you'd stop murdering them.

How many witches d*ed

in m*llitary engagements

in the last year, globally?

- I'd have to check

- When you do,

run those numbers against

our civilian bodycount.

You expect us to believe

you k*ll one civilian

for every witch that dies in combat?

Do the math.

My God

That can't be true, can it?

You told them that you would

answer questions from me.

So answer them.

That isn't why I asked for you.

I wanted someone questioning me

who was interested in the truth.

This is getting us nowhere.

Craven, you are dismissed.

You talked about numbers.

How many civilians d*ed

in the very first Spree att*ck?

That's easy. One for every one of

Esterbrook's rebels in Liberia.

But the rebels k*lled themselves.

That's because General

Sarah Alder forced them to

using my Work,

without so much as telling me,

against innocent people.

Is that why she tried to erase

the fact that you ever existed?

That. And, of course,

because I then used that

same Work to start the Spree.

General

let's have a chat about the future.

General Bellweather,

accompany us, please.

Three hundred years.

Done a lot of good, haven't you?

America deserves nothing less.

Too true.

We should talk about

the lines you've crossed

in order to make that "good" happen.

- w*r is not a pretty thing.

- Neither is politics.

My many transgressions,

however, have never included

the deployment of untested

Basic cadets against the Spree.

Lives were saved.

And what about being one step removed

from the creation of the Spree?

How many lives were saved then, General?

Everything I have done

and continue to do

- is in the best interest of

- Of yourself!

Just last week, you were att*cked

and you neglected to inform

the chain of command.

A regrettable lapse in

judgment on my part.

No more regrettable

than when you took it upon yourself

to "puppet" me

That is what you call it, yes?

"Puppetting."

And "Pushing" is what you did

when you made me agree to

open the testing centers.

The distinction is accurate.

Hm.

How do you propose we move forward?

Based upon the strained relations

between the civilian

and witch communities

it is best that no one

outside of this room

be aware of your connection

to the creation of the Spree.

And having delivered a major victory

with the capture of Nicte Batan,

you will step down

with distinction.

I honestly don't know what

else I was expecting to see

when you said "it's a mushroom wall."

Can I touch it?

She'll let you know if you can't.

Cadet Bellweather, this

is a confidential project.

You sent word for me, and I

figured Abigail deserves to see

where the Witchbomb comes from.

Need I remind the two of

you that I'm in charge here.

But even my authority

only extends so far.

Being taken off active duty?

Apparently your unique talents

are needed elsewhere.

So, you're gonna be a show pony?

On a P.R. tour of the States,

trying to convince people

that the testing centers

are a good thing.

"Look at what you can do

if you find your voice."

I guess they think I'm most

useful as a recruiting tool.

Oh, it's just hard to picture you

as the poster girl for conscription.

- Yeah. Have they met you?

- Screw you both.

Have you had any fallout

from questioning Nicte?

No. Not yet, but

the truth is out.

Hey, something's up.

M, what's going on?

Alder's stepping down.

Did they announce why?

- Does it matter?

- Yes.

People need to know why.

You three brought in Batan,

Alder's going out on a high note.

Well, that's not the whole story.

Hey, Red. New shampoo?

Alder's stepping down.

After my execution

how ceremonial of her.

What did you think was going to happen?

Truth comes out.

Alder learns a valuable

lesson about ethics,

everything's all better

with a pretty little bow?

What, and you don't care that

nobody's gonna know the truth?

One way or another,

this was always going

to end with my death.

Don't let this end you, Tally.

I know how much it hurts

to believe in someone

and find out that person isn't

who you thought they were.

Live a life.

Find something to love.

This is not your story.

I need to do something.

And this whole messed-up

system needs to change.

We have to stop fighting each other

and start fighting the real

enemy before it's too late.

Good luck with that.

My death will inspire new Spree

and that crone's not calling

the sh*ts anymore.

I call that a win, Tally.

I'll need to redress the base.

A statement will be provided

by the White House.

After Nicte's execution, power

will officially transfer to me.

What will become of the Biddies?

The program is being

retired along with you.

Did you have any idea

what you were doing,

when you swept Nicte under the rug?

Not at first.

I underestimated the situation.

And soon enough, it became advantageous

for the world to have a common enemy

so we didn't destroy each other.

And the Spree were easy to hate.

You think you would

have done a better job?

How many Heads of Intelligence

do you think I've appointed?

Must be at least a dozen.

Twenty-eight.

How many conflicts do

you think I've fought?

On the ground.

Fifty

Eighty-one wars.

Each more brutal than the last.

You can't even imagine what I've seen

The Bay of Bengal

running red with British blood

as far as the eye could see

the whole of the Anatolian plateau

swarming with just-woken dead so thick,

you could not see the ground.

A glacier cutting through

downtown Vienna

in the height of summer.

130,000 d*ed in an afternoon.

All the horror

all the glory

gone for good.

You're ambitious, Petra.

And foolish.

I'm human.

Somewhere along the way,

I think you forgot you are, too.

Welcome back.

Hey, we're not supposed to be in here.

- Not yet anyway, but we'll get there.

- Privates.

I knew we shouldn't have done this.

At ease.

Tally, uh, this is my unit.

We're very excited to start Basic.

Together.

The day you find your unit

and your unit finds you,

is a good one.

I'll catch up with you, guys.

There's an execution today.

That's insane, right?

The first one in, like,

two hundred years?

It's quite something.

Are you going?

Don't really have much of a choice.

I wanted to congratulate you.

This is a momentous day.

Not only for our family,

but also for the country.

Now get to class.

That's an order.

There's more than a few

things I need to get settled

before the transition tonight.

I'm not going to class.

And where, pray tell, will you be going?

To the front lines of the

fight with the Camarilla.

I understand

and a-appreciate your enthusiasm.

But there isn't even a

"front" to speak of yet.

You're wrong.

I was there, ma'am.

I've been there every

day since the wedding.

There's something Adil and

I didn't say in the debrief.

What is this?

What they took from

Charvel at the wedding.

It belongs with her, back in the Grove.

Oh.

You have done our family proud.

But I can't just jump my daughter

over the rest of w*r College.

How would that look?

It would look like you

were acknowledging

that the rest of w*r College

hasn't taken out a Camarilla facility.

With all due respect,

we can't wait any longer

for the fight to come to us.

General.

Tell me what you need to get started.

Soldier.

We need to talk about

the publicity tour.

After class, Cadet.

All right, I'll wait.

Mom?

Hello, sweetheart.

What's happening?

How are you here?

- Are you still dead?

- Yes.

But part of me lives on.

What part?

The strongest part of me.

My love for you.

I'm sorry I had to leave you.

But it was the only way.

What else was I supposed to do?

Stay.

You were supposed to stay.

One of us wasn't walking

out of that room,

and we needed you to live.

What "we"?

We need you to see how everything began.

How what began?

This, my daughter

is the day we were born.

Alder.

She helped the Militia push

back the British to the sea.

When she returned, she found this.

The Camarilla took everything from her.

Again and again.

They took her sister, her first coven.

And yet she kept fighting

so that none would ever have

to endure the grief she has.

What does this have to

do with the Mycelium?

This

Her song of Grief

is how we came to be.

She built Fort Salem on this very spot.

So that no matter how long she lived,

she would never forget about Us.

The Mycelium is dead witches.

That's how you're here, talking to me.

Is this where we go when we die?

We live on through the Mother

and our power lives on through you.

So that our Ancient Enemy

can finally be defeated,

and the Great w*r can be won.

Cadet?

I can still smell them burning.

Can't you smell it?

They're right there.

And they're all around us.

My mom's with them.

And they're a part of me.

So she's with me.

They all are.

She gave me this gift,

and I'm not gonna let anybody

tell me how to use it.

Is this about the recruitment tour?

I'm not going on any tour.

That's above both our pay grades, Cadet.

No, it isn't.

Nice bars, General.

Yours aren't bad either,

Captain Quartermain.

Thank you for the promotion.

How's your "special initiative"

against the Camarilla shaping up?

I'm afraid that's "need to know".

Intelligence suits you, Captain.

"Intelligence"?

Sterling Woodlot, what

are you doing here?

Well, clearly not moving

up in the world like you.

I'm on Silver's detail now.

Stop pretending like you

don't keep tabs on me.

How's life?

Busy. Strange.

This Batan situation is a mess.

It's worse than you think.

How?

See, I'm in Intelligence now.

If I told you, I'd have to k*ll you.

Well, then I'd die a happy man.

- This is Morgan.

- Hey.

- Sarah.

- Hi.

Now what you're doing

to help Tiffany is, uh

it's no small thing.

Here, look, I I don't know

what kind of trouble

you've gotten yourself into, but, uh

when this is done,

you're feel free to

stay on at the house

for as long as you like.

I've imposed too much already.

Look, if you're a part

of my little girl's life,

then you're a part of mine, too.

She'll be safe with the Dodgers.

The Community saved me, too.

- So you remember me, okay?

- Thank you, Tiffany.

Yeah.

Come on, Tiffany, I'll,

uh, I'll walk you out.

Would you mind going for a walk?

There's something I'd like to show you.

Twisting in the shadow ♪

Anything more ♪

Promises are hollow ♪

Whoa-oh-oh ♪

Twisted games ♪

Twisted games ♪

Whoa-oh-oh ♪

Twisted games ♪

Twisted games ♪

Twisted games ♪

It's a twisted game ♪

What do you call it?

I call it Morrigan's Whisper.

How do we use it against the Camarilla?

I take no pleasure in

ending a witch's life.

But this woman is no mere witch.

Nicte Batan is a m*rder*r.

Her crimes against the citizens

of the United States

cannot go unanswered.

With her death,

we send a signal to Spree

cells around the world

that we will hunt them.

We will find them.

And we will end them.

She will not be b*rned,

because even our most rank, vile enemy

deserves better than that.

With three strikes,

Nicte Batan will meet the Goddess.

One for the heart.

One for the head.

And one for the soul.

Stop!

What are you doing?

General Bellweather,

I do not know what this is,

- but do something about it.

- I can't.

I've never seen a

witch invoke it before.

This is between the two of them now.

Craven, I don't want to hurt you.

You're going to have to,

unless you want to tell everyone

why we are really here.

And one for the head!

No!

Nicte is guilty of every crime

she was accused of,

but the world needs to know

why she did what she did.

Tell them.

Nicte was a soldier, just like us.

Until the General betrayed her,

and tried to erase her from history.

She started the Spree,

and plunged us into twenty years of w*r;

witch against witch.

If Nicte is ex*cuted, it's

one less witch in the world.

And that's just what

the Camarilla wants:

for us to keep k*lling each other,

while they sit back and watch.

Nicte should pay for her crimes,

but not like this.

And she is not the only guilty one here.

General, if you don't do this, we

will just carry it out ourselves.

I know.

General

Sarah.

My fellow soldiers

I am sorry I brought us to this place.

Our Ancient Enemy has taken advantage

of the conflict between us

to fester and spread like an infection

that threatens to k*ll us all.

On my watch.

I was worried

that I was leaving you

unprepared for the future.

But you are more ready to

face it than I ever was.

Do not make the same mistakes I have.

And please, never forget

that we are also human.

We will meet the Camarilla

with storm and fury.

With storm and fury.

With storm and fury!

Let's try and get a white balance.

We good?

- Ow.

- Yeah.

Sometimes it gets you. Sorry.

Oh, she'll be fine.

She's made of tougher stuff than that.

Give us the room, will you? Please.

So I wanted to check in with you

before I went back to Washington.

Thank you for taking the

time to talk to the press.

Yeah, it's a big night.

Are you okay

considering everything that's happening.

Yeah, there's no place I'd rather be.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

I'm just, uh

I'm just really proud of you.

That's all.

I love you, Pen.

You're gonna do great.

Did we just change the world?

It feels like a start, doesn't it?

I guess the question is

what happens next?

Next we start focusing

on our real enemy.

Looks like your boss

has finally come around

to having a witch for a daughter.

Yeah.

He's actually a pretty

good guy, for a civilian.

- Sterling and Silver

- Oh.

That's kinda cute.

It's purely coincidental.

Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on him?

He already left.

Hm.

And, um

I have the whole weekend off.

- Is that a fact?

- Mm-hmm.

Hm.

And what are you planning

on doing to me

on your whole weekend off?

Hmm.

we've been infiltrated.

- Something I said?

- It's Farspeech.

All units

It's garbled, but it sounds

like something's going down.

Go. Go. I'm right behind you.

Collar!

- We need a Fixer!

- What's wrong?

I don't know. Front step,

come on, let's go!

Over here!

What's happening to her?

Run.

Run!