Jaha asked "what's your name?" and the girl responded, "Lexa." Wondering what the girl had done to be locked up by her people he asked, but before the question could come out the door opened. The 'commander' said to the girl Lexa, Jaha remembered that for the two men and herself to be released that one had to die. Markus Kane the sane one of the two men in the cell decided to make the choice of self-sacrifice. But Jaha would not here anything of it and told Markus that, but Markus being who he is said that he would willing do it.
Markus handed the knife to Jaha to do it, when Jaha decided that they weren't going to be the ones sacrificing themselves. Jaha thought process on grabbing the girl and attempting to kill her was that she had to have done something to warrant being locked up. He grabbed the girl and told her to call for the guards and that they had made their choice of who was to go. But Markus tried to stop him, not wanting the girl to get hurt because she was so young. That only ended up hurting him in the end, as Jaha stabbed him in a non-fatal area.
So Markus on the floor, the girl in Jaha's arms the door opened. 'Beat the one holding me, it only takes one to send a message.' Lexa told the guards. Jaha would learn that he just made the worst decision of his life grabbing Lexa. Jaha called out "Commander she has decided she wishes to be the one sacrificed." But instead the girl, Lexa broke free on his hold. And walking up to the guards donned her poldren, while the guards bowed and said 'Heda' "commander" reverently.