I, too, am glad that somebody managed to get through Clark's thick skull! And I'm glad he visited Enza and Thia. It's too bad he has to say goodbye to little Thia, who's been one of his few touchstones with innocence in this adventure. And it was therapeutic for him to visit the three common soldiers who were wounded in the last battle against Nor. It's telling that instead of commending them for their bravery in battle, he feels he has to thank them for fighting alongside him. And I'm glad that he has found something to hold on to, namely his love for Lois.
Sur Ahn accepted her sentence (it's also interesting that it was basically life without parole instead of death) with resignation and guilt. No matter how sorry she is, no matter how much sincere remorse she feels, no matter how long her sentence actually lasts, she will never be able to undo the damage to property, to people, to relationships and families, and to the future of her people. I respect this society's right to eschew the death penalty, but let's not make her a victim or a martyr. Yes, her husband was threatened and eventually murdered, but there's no way to balance one life against the lives of hundreds of others. Even if the raid had gone off as planned, several dozen innocents would have died. There's no conceivable justification for her actions. I hope she suffers for a long, long time. Telling Lok Sim that she's sorry means almost nothing at this point.
The fact that Enza is starting to deal with the injuries to her body, to her mind, and to her family is encouraging. Maybe it's a foreshadowing that Clark will eventually work through all of his issues and learn to forgive himself. Taking a life, even under those circumstances, would change person. It's a light at the end of the tunnel to see the small steps everyone is taking towards healing.
Of course, knowing this story, the light might be the headlight of an oncoming express freight train. Hope not, but we never know.
