Chapter 34

Adara was grouping the kids, ready for their lessons. Not all the kids would learn at the same time. 10 would be taken on as warriors but not seconds. 30 would be trained in self-defense and hand-to-hand fighting. Another 30 would learn to become hunters and gatherers. The others were split into other avenues of learning. Clarke and Charlie were training with Nyko and other healers, four others were learning how to cook the food including Tomika who sat with her leg raised throughout and only really helped to cut up the food. Six were learning how to cure hides for furs and leather. Ten more were being taught how to track and move quietly through the forests. These would more than likely be scouts for the hundred. Two each went to learn sewing clothes, weapons making, carpentry and building - the latter including walls. The other 3 were sent to learn foraging for medicinal plants.

Adara as the leader spent her days being taught tactics and strategy with Indra, Anya or Lexa. She was a quick study. She was shown maps of each clan's territory and asked what she saw and what she would do if she was invading or if she was being invaded. Adara pointed out the pros and cons of each territory based on attacking or defending. The only map she wasn't shown was that of Azgeda. Anya said she didn't have any maps of that territory.

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Later that evening, Adara sought out Raven and Monty.

"Raven, do you still have the radio?" Adara asked.

"Yeah, I've been lugging it around."

"Can you reach the Ark from here?" Raven thought about it.

"Yes, I think so."

"Good. I want to talk to our core group and see if we should contact them."

"When?"

"When Clarke comes back from the healer's tent. I'll tell her about the meeting."

"Okay," said Monty. "Just the ones who know about the other life, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," said Monty with a heavy sigh. Neither Adara nor Raven said anything. They both knew that Monty was thinking about Jasper.

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At the meeting Adara asked if they should contact the Ark and let them know the Earth was survivable. They also debated whether to take their bracelets off. There was also a debate about sharing what they knew with the Arkers via radio. The thinking was that with Kane's help, they could make the radio communications Arkwide and Kane would play the recordings. In the end, they decided to call the Ark and take off the bracelets. That way, Jaha wouldn't be able to tell Mount Weather if they were still alive.

Raven fired up the radio.

"This is Raven Reyes, calling Ark station. This is Raven Reyes calling Ark station, come in Ark station."

"This is Ark station. Who is this?" a voice said through the radio.

"Raven Reyes, I'm with the hundred. The hundred are alive. I repeat the hundred are alive."

Raven?" Kane's voice came through.

"Hey, Kane. You're on audible. Who's there with you?"

"Abby and Jake, Sinclair, Bellamy, Jaha and Guard Miller." Raven turned the radio mike over to Adara.

"This is Adara Toril. We are all alive. We are all alive."

"Is my son there with you?" asked Jaha. Adara looked at Clarke who shook her head.

"He wants nothing to do with him."

"What if we say that Wells is dead? David's here but he doesn't need to know that." said Monty.

"Didn't the news of Wells' death push him over the edge last time?" asked Adara.

"Yeah, I think that's what did it." replied Clarke.

"Do you want to go get David and ask him?" asked Adara of Clarke. Clarke nodded and left to get him.

"We've sent for your son. It's up to him whether he talks to you."

"Understood," said Jaha, disappointment in his voice.

A couple of minutes later, David appeared. He took the radio mike and pressed the button.

"What do you want, Jaha?" he asked harshly.

"Son?" Jaha, asked, confused.

"I'm NOT your son! You are NOT my father. My dad wouldn't let people die to save his own skin!" Adara lunged for the mike and grabbed it off him.

"David, what are you doing!" hissed Adara. "He doesn't know that we know."

"Sorry, but he makes me so mad!" said David contritely.

"Look, David, do you want me to tell him that Wells Jaha no longer exists?"

"Yeah, he needs to know he can't control us anymore."

"Okay, Monty, take his bracelet off," said Adara. She keyed the mike again.

"Jaha, Wells would like you to know that he no longer wishes to be your son." She let go of the button. Monty pried off the bracelet and up on the Ark a panel went dark.

"No!" shouted Jaha. He grabbed the radio. "What happened?" he yelled.

"Wells Jaha is dead. David Stevens, however, is alive."

"How could you let him die?!"

"It was his choice, Jaha. His life is his own to give, and no-one else's." replied Adara, calmly.

"He was just a kid!"

"So are the rest of us. Kane, put us on Arkwide," asked Adara.

"Okay... done."

"Jaha, what gives you the right to determine that one hundred children should be sacrificed so that you can live in a mountain complex while those inhabitants of the mountain complex use our bone marrow - killing us children in the process - and leave the mountain so they can slaughter the people who can live on the ground? Before you try to refute that accusation, Kane, play it." Adara said.

Kane played the recordings Arkwide. Everyone watched as they saw their Chancellor plotting to kill their children with a group that had no compunction about killing kids. Anger rose in their throats and came out in a roar. Expletives and dire warnings about Jaha's health raced through the Ark.

Back with Kane and Jaha, Clarke's parents were dumbfounded at the revelation.

"Our daughter is down there! You would just let both of our kids be harvested for bone marrow? What kind of monster are you?" yelled Abby.

"You are no longer our friend and no longer our Chancellor. You have betrayed everyone!" shouted Jake, appalled at the man who he thought was his best friend.

Kane was doing his best to hold Jake back from attacking Jaha. "Guard Miller! Place Jaha under arrest and take him to solitary in the Skybox. Put guards on his door. Once the kids in lockup realise he's there, they could try and kill him. Find Diana Sydney and arrest her as well."

Miller moved to take hold of Jaha's arm. He pulled it away and straightened up. He started walking towards the door before he stopped and turned to face the others.

"I did it because we need a base to live in until we are used to being on Earth. Their level of technology is the same as ours. They are only killing the savages, not our people."

"Those kids ARE our people!" Abby yelled at him. "You sacrificed my kid for your own agenda!"

Kane got on the radio.

"I've had Jaha arrested. Diana will be too. Any more revelations?"

"No, but you need to find out who will be alright with me as the leader of the Skaikru and who won't. They may not follow Jaha, but I need them to follow me."

"You? Not Clarke?"

"Me. Clarke will be my ambassador in Polis."

"What's Polis?" Abby's voice sounded in the background.

"It's the grounders' capital city. Abby, I can talk to Kane about what needs done, or I can waste time answering your questions." Clarke grabbed the mike.

"Mom, just let Adara do what needs to be done, okay? I love you mom and dad. Play nice with Kane. I'm handing back to Adara." She handed the mike back with a shrug.

"She'll get it or she won't."

"Want me to wake the entire Ark?"

"No. That's not an option. Everyone remembering their deaths would be disastrous," said Clarke. Adara nodded, knowing she would say that.

"Yeah, take us off Ark wide, please" Adara spoke into the mic.

"Done," said Sinclair.

"Kane, you're Chancellor for now. I need you to find friend and foe up there. We are going to take our bracelets off tonight. We are doing this in case we don't know everyone included in this betrayal and they get to the radio and call Mount Weather. With our bracelets off, they cannot know if we are alive or not. Make plans to come down, Kane. You know how and you know which ones to put people in. Kane, empty out Farm as well."

"Will do. Anything else?"

"Is Bellamy there?" asked Adara.

"Yes, he's here." Adara handed the mike to Octavia.

"Bell?" she said.

"O? You okay?"

"I'm fine, Bell. I'm on the ground before you. Listen, Bell, you need to figure out whether you're on our side or you think it's a good idea to slaughter the grounders."

"Why. What difference does it make?"

"Because you're coming down, Bell, and I want my brother with me. If you think killing the grounders is the way to go, then I may have to kill you, Bell. I cannot let anyone destroy my future."

"What future?"

"With the Trikru - the grounders from this area. I've decided that my life is with them and with Lincoln, a grounder I've fallen in love with."

"You've only been there a day! How can you say you're in love?"

"How long does it take to find the one who holds your heart and soul? I found him, Bell, I found my destiny."

"You're too young to know that!" Bellamy was mad.

"Down here, age is just a number. They don't care how old you are, just what you can do. It's the way it should be up there too, but it isn't. MY life, Bell. I'm sick of hiding under the floor and I refuse to do it anymore!" She threw the mike down and stormed out. Bellamy was still talking.

"She's gone, Bellamy. She walked out. You really should remember that she's a person too and not just the little girl under the floor that must be kept hidden. She's a good friend and, Bellamy, if you think you can come down here and make her go with you, then you and I will be having a little talk. You'll be lucky if you can crawl after that."

"Is that a threat?" he yelled.

"No, a promise. Bellamy, get off the radio. Kane, I'll talk to you another time. Goodnight," she said as she put the mike down.

"Raven, go after O, please?" She nodded and left.

God, what a mess! Those two need their heads banged together. Might knock some sense into them!

Adara gave Monty permission to start taking their bracelets off. She wanted all of them off by the next evening. They would keep them until they could find some place to store them. Leaving them here was out of the question- she was not going to litter on their second day on the ground!

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Up on the Ark, Kane had called Jake and Abby into one of the conference rooms.

"Jake, Abby, Clarke and the rest of them are as safe as we could make them."

"What does that mean?!" Abby said, still furious at Jaha's betrayal.

"Adara, Clarke and I found out about it a few months before and realised that we couldn't do anything without proof. We recorded as many of the meetings between then as we could. We also planned for when the kids were sent down. Quite a few of them - including Clarke - deliberately committed a small crime to get themselves arrested so they could go down and find a way to keep them all out of the mountain men's hands."

"You knew?!"

"Yes, Abby, we knew. Tell me, if we'd come to you without proof, would you have believed me? Even after we recorded them, would you have been able to do anything about it? The air was still going to run out, so what could you do?" Abby and Jake thought about it and realised that he was right. They had no idea who was involved as Shumway could have used the guards for most of the stuff they did. With Diana Sydney there too, Jaha also had access to some of the workers. They may have recruited like minded individuals who would mutiny and cause trouble if Jaha had been exposed.

"Clarke planned this?" asked Abby.

"She helped, but most of it was Adara. She was the first one who realised what this meant. If they didn't go down, then anyone who was would have no idea what was happening and the mountain men would have them inside their mountain before they realised the danger they were in. Adara was our leader and she is now their leader. She said that she was going to move in the opposite direction, hoping to make contact with those people who are the enemy of the mountain. I believe she can keep them safe and with the others who know of the treachery helping her, I have no doubt that she'll do it."

"So you're the new chancellor?"

"Yes, but I need help in doing that. I hope I can count on you two? I only have two guards who's loyalty is to the Ark instead of a person. The only other is Bellamy Blake. His sister is down there."

"Sister?"

"Octavia Blake is a second child who we had no idea about until she was caught aged 16."

"We'll help," Jake spoke up before his wife could say anything. She nodded.

"Good, first thing is to make sure that there isn't anyone else in on it."