Chapter 26

One thousand forty-two days after Praimfaya

She sat in her office and sighed. Things had gone terribly wrong. And, now...they were scrambling to make do with what they did have. She'd read the reports. She'd seen the evidence for herself. The farm had failed. What little Cooper was managing to produce was being made into soups with the mushrooms and they were eating as much bug bread as possible. Engineering, the Farm, and Abby were working to figure out how to fix things. It wasn't a worst case scenario plan anymore; they were in it. She knew that they were doing their best and she'd already ordered Cooper to reduce rations to the barest possible, but children were still given full rations. She wouldn't make them suffer. She knew that the adults could do without for longer.

The days were getting longer due to the lack of food. They were working on a solution. She had Indra cut back on the training unless it was for disciplinary reasons. She was doing everything that she could to make sure that the people were cared for and that they were going to survive. She wasn't going to let this break them. It couldn't.

Everyone worked the farm for their sunlight requirements to be met. They weren't dumb. They knew that the Farm wasn't producing what it should. They still worked though, while the actual farmers were in the lab. Octavia was proud of what Cooper was trying to do.

Working with Abby, they were splicing DNA from different crops and putting it back together in the lab to make hardier, sturdier crops. They were working towards crops that didn't need as much water or nutrient rich soil. Those that they had started with were actually showing promise, but they were slow growing. So back to the lab they went. Getting faster growing, bigger producing crops was now the goal in the lab. And, every day they came to tell Octavia of their gains and misses. It was Cooper's hope that once they got the new crops growing that they could use the water previously allocated for the Farm to try harder with the fish. They all knew that it was a long shot, but having some other form of protein, even if it was only for one meal a week would take some of the burden off of the farm. The mushrooms were helping as well.

"We've made some great strides with some of the beans," Cooper told her.

"And, the new crop?"

"Should be in ready in a few days," Cooper replied.

"And, the crop after?"

"Two weeks to full growth."

"And, this is good?"

"Yes, we've cut the growth cycle in half. That gives us more production and more beans more often, which means more beans to eat. With the mess cooks, we are working on new recipes, but it all depends on what other crops we can get to respond to the accelerated growth schedules, too," Cooper explained.

"And, what about the leaching and soil issues?"

"We're keeping the stocks from the harvested plants and using them to help make fertilizer."

"So, we shouldn't have this problem again?" Octavia questioned.

"We're hoping not, but now the lab will be working on more crops. Each upgrade helps us survive longer. Davis has a plan for the plants to pull all the moister that they need from the air, but it is still in its early phases. It shows great promise, but he still has a lot work to do before I believe that it will be viable."

"Keep him on it. The better we can do, the longer we can last. Keep track of resources though, if it becomes too much, he'll have to scale down. I like the idea though. Good job, Cooper," Octavia told her.

"Sha, ai Blodreina," Cooper replied, saluted and left the office.

Octavia noted her behavior. Cooper was becoming more and more vigilant when it came to their survival. She also whole-heartedly support Octavia, no matter the issue. She made a mental note to talk to Indra and Miller about her, but as long as she was toeing the line, Octavia would let her be. She knew that they needed Cooper, no matter how deep her crazy went. She was the head of the farm and until Octavia felt comfortable with someone else being in charge of the Farm. Until then, she'd watch her and wait for the crazy to become too much. Kara had her moments and she'd come through for the bunker since her coup, but she was still volatile.

Octavia closed her eyes. She willed herself to believe that they would make it. Some days it was harder than others, but she as determined to take as many of them with her to the surface as she could. Even if getting back to the surface was a pipedream, she would hold on to it until she couldn't. Clarke hadn't given up hope that Bellamy, Raven and the rest of them coming back, so she wouldn't either. She knew that with Clarke and Madi alone, they couldn't get out. Telling the engineers what she knew about what was on top of them meant she had to disclose the radio. She wasn't willing to do that, not yet anyway. But, she still had them working on ways out, futile as it seemed. It was amazing what she could come up with for punishments.

"Osleya," Gaia greeted her as she came in the office.

"Ticha," Octavia said in return.

"Good news from the farm, today?"

"Better than it was last week, yes. What is it that I can do for you, Gaia? Are there issues with the children?"

"No, the goufa are good, but hungry. They are surprised that you haven't cut their rations. So of the rest of us, understand, but others don't."

"I don't need to explain myself to anyone, Gaia. My word is law. You made sure of that with your support. So, what do you need?"

"No, ai Osleya, you don't. But, there is talk. Some of the former Azgeda are speaking of dealing with the children to make more food for the rest of us."

"MILLER!"

Her guard stormed in the office, hand on his sword, ready to strike down whoever dared harmed Octavia. His head whipped around looking for a threat, before he came up short in front of Octavia's desk. He looked from Gaia back to Octavia and back again.

"Prepare the pits."

Gaia and Miller looked startled. Gaia sat quietly. She knew better than to try sway Octavia's mind. Her reasoning might not make sense in the beginning, but it usually did in the long run. Her years of reading and seeing what politics had done on the Ark had given her a very skewed view of the world. And, Gaia knew that her ability to use Grounder politics against them made her a very formidable political opponent. She also knew that her own mother, Indra, supported Octavia completely and until that wavered the army would as well. Miller stood there, rigid, and awaiting orders.

"Gaia has mentioned that some of our brethren from Azgeda are questioning my decisions concerning rationing. Do me a favor and ask them to come forward? I want to speak to them personally. And, tell Wayne to prepare my blades," Octavia stated with murder in her eyes.

Gaia knew then what was about to happen and it wasn't going to be pretty. Those men would as well as soon as they were thrown in the pit. Octavia was about to prove once again that less mouths to feed meant more food for everyone else. The people had become complacent and they needed to be brought back down. Octavia wasn't afraid of them. She wasn't afraid to die, either. But, Gaia knew that she would survive. She would be triumphant and they were be less a few more men by the end of the day. It wasn't an ideal solution, but it would get the people back in line.

He saluted and left. Octavia just watched Gaia though. She hadn't turned her attention from the young woman. She knew that as soon as Kane and Abby heard what she was ordering that they would be in the office. They would try to dissuade her and she would listen. She would and she might actually take it into account. She doubted that she would fully, but she would still give them the opportunity to speak out against it, even if it was only in private.

"Anything else?"

"Sha, Blodreina," Gaia stated.

"What?"

"Ethan would like to spar with the young gona."

"Is he not?"

"He hasn't progressed enough to fight them."

"Is he not big enough?"

"He lacks the ... will, Osleya," Gaia stated.

"Then work him harder. Remind him that he wanted to be a warrior. Give him shifts with Indra and Miller. Work him into it, Gaia. He can't be weak. He knows that. Teach him to be the warrior he can be and we'll go from there," Octavia told her. "Push him harder. Make him an example if you must, but push him."

"And, you, Osleya? Will you push him as well?" Gaia asked her.

"I will."

"I will go get him. Maybe it would be good for him to see the pits tonight. Would that be good?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine. He needs to toughen up. He won't make it on the surface if he isn't tough."

"Sha, Blodreina," Gaia replied.

Octavia knew that she was waiting to be dismissed, but she didn't care. Waving her head at Gaia and then door, she hoped that the darker woman got the point and just left. She had enough to deal with for the bunker to worried about one boy, even if he was her charge. But the longer she thought about it, the more she realized that she'd left him basically to Kane and Abby to raise. Of course, they would test her battle hardened theories for survival. She knew that they had points, but points didn't keep anyone alive. They didn't feed the hungry. And, points certainly didn't deal with wolves that growled at the door in the middle of the night. No, the boy needed to toughen up and he would. She would make sure of it.

She hung her head. This was not something that she wanted to deal with, but she knew that she had to. Just like the people that thought that making the children suffer would benefit them more. Thankfully there were no small children. They were young, but the youngest wasn't but seven now. They were all smart children and she was proud of them. They deserved to be rewarded for their service their loyalty to the bunker and to Wonkru. They all took jobs as well, mostly on the farm, but they were still working. They had their schooling, their farm work and their training, they didn't have time to worry about dying. That was an adult problem.

There was a knock at the door. She quickly schooled herself. She figured it was Miller and she was right as he poked his head around the door frame, making sure it was okay to enter.

"What news?"

"There were five takers," he reported.

"And, where are they now?"

"I've had them put into an old sparring room near the pit. We've used in the past as a holding cell for some of the fighters. They have no idea why they are there except to speak to you about rations, ai Blodreina. Should I tell them?"

"Are they armed?"

"Minimally," Miller told her.

"Strip them down and then, we'll go talk to them. Get Indra as well. Threat them with extra duty if they won't give up anything. And, remember that they are enemies of Wonkru. Do not expect them to cooperate. Take as many guards as you need. Tell them that they are being questioned about their loyalty to Wonkru. That should spur them on a little," Octavia commanded.

"As you command, Blodreina," he replied and left the office just as quickly as he came.

Octavia sat back in the seat and looked at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want to kill, but the Azgeda survivors tested her more than the rest. They only rivaled those from Skaikru, especially those who weren't part of the hundred. There were so few of each clan that she feared them actually dying out in the bunker. She knew she had to make them examples. She had to maintain the order of the bunker and her rule, or they would all die.

"Bellamy?" Clarke's voice called through the office.

Octavia slammed forward in the chair. Her hands beat the desk as she back away. Her head hung down. She couldn't hear Clarke today. She felt like a failure. Even though Clarke couldn't hear her, she felt like she'd betrayed her somehow. She couldn't hear her hopefulness when she had to go squash another coup. Killing people didn't make for good conversation, even if it was one sided.

She walked across the room. She set the radio to record Clarke's message for the day. She might listen to it later, but for now, she wouldn't hear it. She needed to get her mind right for the task at hand.

Minutes later, Indra knocked before entering. She looked at Octavia and knew that she didn't want to do this, but it had to be done. She walked in the office and gathered Octavia's armor and cloak. Without words, Indra helped her into her lift armor. She belted her sword at her side, proud that Octavia still carried the one that Lincoln had given her. As soon as she was ready, Iher a fashioned the cloak over her shoulders. She stepped back and surveyed Octavia.

"Am I ready, ai Fos?" Octavia asked her.

"Sha, Blodreina," Indra stated.

Octavia nodded and they left the office. As they headed down to the room just off the Pit, she felt the air around them change. She knew it was all in her head, but it felt the same as it did belle she entered the conclave. She held her head high as she entered the room. Miller, Wayne, Obika, and Timo were guarding the group, who looked less than enthused to be there. They were I their knees, mostly put there by the guards, awaiting their fate, good or bad, to be determined by her.

"Who among you calls himself your leader?" Octavia asked them.

No one moved. They all stared at her. She cocked her head ave watched them all. It was something that Indra had taught her. She glanced at then one at a time. It was a piercing stare and one meant to make them uneasy. She knew immediately won was their ringleader by the constant movement in their eyes. She circled them, toying with them for a moment, as she let her sadistic side out.

Drawing a knife from her side, a gift from Ethan, she paced around them and questioned again, "Who among you is in charge of this pathetic rabal?"

Again, no one but Octavia moved. She was quickly losing her patience with them. She watched and waited. When still no one spoke up, she walked up become the man that everyone had been silently questioning with their eyes. She grabbed his head and pulled it back into her torso. She had a death grip on him as she raised the knife to his neck. She gave the other four men a sadistic smile as she pressed harder into his flesh.

"Will no one speak?" she asked them.

She could feel him swallowing hard beneath her fingers. Her grip never wavered as she watched the other four stare at him. They were waiting for a signal or something from him that they were never going to get. He wouldn't betray himself. He already knew he was dead and she knew he knew.

"Fine, don't tell me. I'll deal with you all individually then," Octavia started. "Starting with you!"

She movloved her knife away from the man she was holding's neck and pointed out at the youngest among them. He didn't look older than a teenager, but Octavia knew better. Age meant nothing on the battlefield, skill and luck did. This boy had it in spades it seemed. She watched as he gulped, still trying to figure out what he should do, betray his kinsmen and clansmen, or tell Octavia the truth.

"I'm waiting, boy!" She shouted, "His life is your hands. What will it be? Life with hard labor? Death as punishment? Or to the Pit? You, sir, get to decide."

Indra liked amused at this. It was better than a thousand cuts because he had the possibility to live. But, was his life worth it?

"I...I..."

"Speak up, boy. Be the warrior they've trained you to be. What is his fate?"

The teen staredat her. She could see the anger building and knees exactly when he'd lost the fight. His eyes got the for and didn't look up. It was a sign our shame.

"His hand is Dar. He is our leader. He thinks you are starting your army in order to fatten up the children. He thinks the children are weak and should be made to be tougher."

"How?" Octavia inquired simply.

"That cannot be warriors if thye are fat. That cannot be warriors if they are soft. They cannot be warriors if they don't have the hardships of life," the teen answered.

"Does he have children?"

"No, Blodreina," he answered.

"Did he have children before?"

"No."

"Do you?"

"No."

"Did they?"

"No."

"I did," one of the men said raising his eyes to Octavia's.

"And, do they live?"

"No, they died with my wife in Praimfaya," he told her.

"Very well, then. See that or our father here is given an orphan to train, a second to teach, and a child to care for," Octavia commanded. "The boy will join the guard. Miller give him to...give him to Timo."

"And the rest?" Indra asked her.

"To the Pit. Less mouths are less mouths. Besides, I think we have a few criminals to fight now," Octavia answered.

"These three," Kara added.

"That's enough to punish a coup is it not, Cooper? Only one of them will live and he'll be Indra's slave. So, is food worth this fate or not?"

She stated to walk away and then turned back, "Miller mate she they don't spill the fun before the show. I would hate to have to kill them all myself. Besides I know that Indra had been working on that tunnel near the door. We could use few good workers there. Put them to work while we everyone the Pit. They are never to be left alone. Two guards per all day everyday until the Pit. Let's see what a few days as Indra's slave do to loosen their tongues a bit more."

"Sha, Blodreina."

She walked out the room as she sheathed her knife. She stomped back to get her office. She knew Cooper and knees are following.

"Prepare the Pit. Two days Indra. Break them in less," she commanded.

" As you wish, an Osleya."

"Dismissed," she told them with a wave of her hand.

After they left, she made her way over to the radio desk. She sat down hard. Rewinding the recording to the beginning for today, she pressed play and waited for Clarke's vice to come through the speaker and calm her.

"Bell...I'm thinking Octavia was right. Pile needed to die. He killed so many and he was poisoning the people's minds. I wonder now how many more lives I could have saved of I had just killed Emerson like I wanted to...revenge it's never easy even when it is just..."