Chapter 59
Adara stood and watched as Kane, Abby and Jake walked beside Raven, while Clarke, Miller and his father were walking behind them. They had just broken through the tree line and breathed a sigh of relief that they had found Alpha station. Kane smiled as they approached Adara. He was certain that he would come upon a showdown with Sinclair and the others trying to take control. To see the Commander and Adara directing the Arkers in setting up tents and doing chores was a nice sight.
"Hello," said Kane, lifting his hand in a wave. Adara waved back.
"Hello, Kane, nice to finally have you on the ground with us." They hugged each other.
"It's good to be down. The air is so clean!"
"Wait until you taste the water!" Adara said with a laugh. The Commander frowned.
"Water has no taste," she said, still frowning.
"Not when you have to drink the water up there, Commander. It's all recycled and there are so many chemicals in it to make it drinkable that it tastes awful. Down here, it may not have any taste, but that itself is a taste to us," said Adara, laughing.
"Recycled? You have used this water before?"
"Well, yes. You see, Commander, we can't make water up there. Sometimes we can catch a piece of space ice, but we have to clean it first and add so many chemicals to it to make it drinkable that there's no difference in taste. There's no rain either to get more water so we have to recycle what we have."
"How do you recycle that which you have drank?"
"Well, we need to collect the waste water and make it drinkable."
"Waste water…?" the Commander trailed off as she thought about it. Her eyes got wide when she realised what Adara meant. "You mean you had to drink your own… the water you get rid of from your bodies?!" Adara nodded.
"It was the only way to get the water our bodies needed. Now, we can drink sweet, sweet water right from the river and it tastes divine." said Adara, reminiscing about the first time she drank clean water. Water was still her favourite drink.
The Commander shuddered at the thought of having to drink THAT water. It sounded like life in the sky was horrible.
"Well, welcome to Trikru lands," said the Commander, changing the subject.
"Thank you, Commander," said Kane with a bow.
"We've started setting up tents for as many as we can. Bellamy and the others came this morning and have been helping them. They've brought the tents they used last night as well. They've decided to stay here with the rest of your people." said Adara.
"My people?"
"Well, I've already had a set-to with Sinclair, and one of the guards shot Fio, one of Anya's warriors. I've made sure that Sinclair knows I'm in charge and I've had the guard dismissed from the guards and banned from using a weapon. I can't have people thinking they can get away with bad behaviour. I need you to get that point across. I want you to be my representative with the Arkers. Stay here and make sure they know the rules and that they do the jobs." Adara hesitated and then beckoned Kane to follow her. When they were far enough away that they wouldn't be overheard, Adara continued.
"We've found a place for those who do not want to live under my rule or play nice with our neighbours. Luna and three of my people have been exploring Bermuda and a new island near it called Corda. Both are liveable. Anyone going there, would have to figure out how to work the land and fish from the sea. No boats are to be given to them. I don't want them to be able to get back to the mainland and cause havoc. If they won't work with us, they will have to work for themselves - on the islands."
"I don't know Corda."
"No, it's a new island formed from a volcanic eruption which was caused by the war."
"And is it viable as a place to put them?"
"They both are. Bermuda is not much more than a ribbon of land curling around itself, but according to some maps and info we found, over 50,000 people lived there. More than enough room for them to live."
"And Corda?"
"It's more like a typical volcanic island with the cone in the centre. It's more than big enough to support all of them." Kane nodded.
"I don't like to think about people not pulling their weight around here, but I'm realistic enough to know some won't."
"Another thing, Kane. Yesterday I had to execute one of the people from the Exodus ship." Kane looked startled at that.
"Who?"
"Peter Coulton's father. Peter himself told us what he did to him and what he was like. He used to beat the crap out of his kid. Peter said that exile was too good for him but he couldn't ask for him to be executed because he was still his father. Peter and Bruno went back to the camp. I read Coulton's mind and it was a sewer, Kane. He's been doing it most of Peter's life. But he also sexually abused a girl. He was helping Shumway to cover up both their crimes - for years, Kane. Years!"
"You did what was necessary, Adara. No-one could have done more." Adara nodded.
"I'm coming to terms with what I will need to do as a leader. It eats my soul, but I know I need to do it." Kane nodded.
"I'll back you all the way, Adara. As far as I'm concerned, you're my leader." Kane thought about it. "What is my title? If I'm YOUR representative with the Arkers, what should they call me?" Adara thought about it.
"I don't want the title of Chancellor used. Sheriff doesn't seem right. Mayor? Ambassador? How about magistrate? You would be dealing out punishment as well as running the village until we get a new place to build a new village for us. Roma's out there now, looking."
"Hmm. A mayor is basically in charge of a village, Sheriff's aren't in charge of the village, just keeps the laws. And a magistrate does mete out justice, but isn't in charge either."
"Fine. I'm giving you the title of General. Let them figure that one out. You will be responsible over them, their jobs, hunting and foraging, planting, keeping the place clean and tidy and you have the power to dole out punishments - including executions if necessary. But you have to get across to them that I am the leader. That you are here as my representative, not your own." Kane nodded.
"That won't be a problem, though I could do with some help in knowing what's edible and what's not."
"Yeah, Octavia will be helping with that. Just make sure that Bellamy doesn't try to get between her and Lincoln. He may not like it, but they are a mated pair, they just haven't made it formal yet." Kane nodded.
"I'll try," he said, smirking. Adara rolled her eyes. She remembered what he was like last time. Well, he would learn or be exiled, that's all there is to it.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Adara was in the mountain as she needed to talke to both Jasper and Maya. Adara talked to Jasper about what he wanted to do. He decided that if Maya went with her people, then he would too. He had found his soulmate in Maya and wouldn't give her up again. Adara nodded. She wanted to talk to Maya too, but without Jasper around. She needed to know what Maya wanted and not just to be with Jasper. She sent Jasper back to the bunker to get his things and to talk to Monty. Once he left, she went straight to Maya.
"Maya, can I talk to you?"
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
"I want to ask what you want to do. Do you want to go to the island with the rest of your people, or do you want to join the Skaikru?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Apart from the fact that I'm the leader, I want to know where you want to be because Jasper's one of my people too." Maya nodded.
"I don't know, Adara. I've spent my life in this mountain along with everyone else. Are we going to survive being above ground - and I don't mean because of the radiation. Can we cope with being under all that sky? I would like to think that we can, but I don't know. If we go to this island, we'll be stuck there with no way off and nowhere to hide."
"Yes, but with digging tools, you could make tunnels for yourselves if need be." Adara waited for Maya to continue.
"I would like to be with Jasper, wherever that is, but my dad will be on the island and I would like to at least be able to talk to him from time to time. If I can't talk to him, then I'll be going to the islands."
"Jasper will go with you. He's already told me that he's not losing you again," said Adara, quietly. Maya nodded, already knowing what Jasper would do.
"I don't want to take Jasper from his friends and people, Adara. I really don't."
"I know, but something's got to give somewhere," said Adara. Maya nodded again.
"I'll think about it." Adara smiled at her and left her to think it over. Adara had decided that if Maya went to the island, she'd put both Maya and Jasper in charge. They both had the experience to get things done. They would have to think of a new name for the people instead of mountain men. They needed a new name to go with their new home. The mountain men needed to stay dead and changing their clan name would help with that.
Maybe they could be the Corda clan. It would denote where they lived. Maybe they would choose their own name. It would be the first step to their independence and their own identity.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Adara took her people and left. It was up to Maya and Jasper to keep the people of the mountain, in the mountain until everyone was given bone marrow. She sent the majority of them back to the bunker with explicit instructions not to let the Arkers know about the bunker. She and Atom went to see the Arkers to ask them to donate bone marrow.
As they walked through the woods, they could hear the sounds of work happening near Alpha station. Breaking through the tree line, they stopped. Before them was a large fence being erected. No permission had been given to build a fence and Adara knew that it should not have been built.
"What the fuck is that?!" exclaimed Atom.
"Trouble," said Adara. They walked down the hill towards them and guns were raised at them. They both held up their hands and kept walking.
"Halt!" a voice called out. They both stopped.
"Who are you?" the voice said. They both looked incredulously at each other.
"If you don't know your leader, you're in big trouble," growled Atom.
"I'm Adara Toril, your leader."
"No, you're not. Jaha is our leader."
"Jaha? That traitor!" said Adara, scornfully. "Where's Kane?"
"Locked up, where he belongs. This is our land now."
"Who are you?" asked Atom.
"None of your business!" said the guard. "We are in charge now, not you. Get lost before you get arrested along with those who don't agree with us."
"How many?" asked Adara. "How many disagree with your policy?"
"Most of them." the guard admitted.
"So you have them all locked up?"
"Yes, they need to realise that they are no longer in charge, now get lost!" Adara and Atom started to back away until they were back in the treeline. Once there they turned around and started running for Tondc.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
They arrived at the Trikru village out of breath. Octavia met them.
"What's wrong with you two?"
"We got trouble," Adara gasped as Atom nodded his head, too breathless to talk.
"What kind of trouble?" Octavia asked as both Anya and Indra came over.
"Some of the Arkers have taken over the Ark camp under Jaha's leadership. They've locked up anyone who doesn't agree with them. Sound familiar?"
"Fuckers!" yelled Octavia.
"Jok!" said Anya. she turned around and yelled for one of her warriors to ride for Polis and tell the Commander.
"Anything else?" asked Anya.
"They're building a big fence. Most of the people have been locked up and only about a handful, maybe twenty are with Jaha."
"Micha," she called to the warrior mounting his horse for the ride to Polis. "Most are locked up and they've built a fence." Micha nodded and galloped out of the gates.
"What do we do now?" asked Octavia.
"Damned if I know!" said Adara. "We've just ran all the way from there, after we left the mountain…. Shit! Octavia, do you have an earwig and mic?" Octavia nodded and ran off to get it. Once she had given them to Adara and she'd put them in, she contacted the bunker.
"Monty, come in."
"I'm here, what's up?"
"Watch the mountain and the way to it from the Arkers camp. We've got another situation close the what Pike did last time."
"What? Pike's dead?" he said.
"Jaha's taken over and imprisoned anyone who disagrees with him. They've decided the land is theirs now."
"Oh, fuck! Jones, check the cameras outside the mountain and any near the Arker camp. Harper, check those cameras we put up overlooking the camp." Both nodded.
"You put up extra cameras?" asked Adara.
"Yes, we thought it was prudent considering what happened last time and knowing the Arkers stupidity about age and experience."
"Good thinking, Monty."
"Got something," shouted Harper. "Adara, they've got the fence up and I can see the area they have the prisoners. I can see eight, no ten guards walking the perimeter. There are several more guarding the prisoners - six, I think. I can't see into the guardpost near there. Jaha is walking about as if he's someone important. Stupid jerk. Why didn't Kane float him when they were still on the Ark?"
"No idea, Harper. I'll ask him when I get my hands on him."
"Who, Jaha?"
"No. Kane. He was supposed to take care of this before they came down. Now I have to kill several more people because he didn't do his job!"
Jones looked up at the screens and looked at the cameras that were still up that the clans hadn't disabled.
"Looks clear here."
"Monty, is Jasper still there?"
"Yeah, he's talking to his friends before going back to the mountain."
"Find him. I need to talk to him asap."
"On it," Monty said and left to find his best friend.
"Harper, keep watching and any movement from them towards the prisoners or outside the fence, I want to know about it, okay?"
"Yep, got it," said Harper.
"Hey, Adara, Monty filled me in on what's happening," said Jasper.
"Jasper, get with Murphy and ask him for a team to take back to the mountain as security. It's on my say so, Jasper. If those in the Ark camp make a move on the mountain, I want you to have a security detail to keep them out."
"I understand. I'll go see Murphy now and then I'll start back to the mountain."
"Go back the long way, Jasper, I don't want them grabbing you as a bargaining chip."
"Got it." The line went dead as Jasper left.
"Keep at it Monty and inform Raven about it too. In fact, tell the cabinet. I'm currently in Tondc. I'll wait until I hear news from the Commander before I come home to deal with this."
"No problem, Monty out." Adara sat back with a sigh and related everything she had learned to Anya, Indra and Octavia. This was not good. This was so not good.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
The next day, when the Commander arrived with Clarke - having been halfway to Tondc already - they discussed what to do about the Arkers. They decided that both Adara and the Commander would go to the Arkers camp and talk to Jaha. Meanwhile, Anya, Indra, Octavia and Atom would lead teams to infiltrate the camp and free the prisoners. They would try to capture those who defied Kane and took over the camp. Adara had several of the hundred come to Tondc to help take the Arker camp back.
Indra and Octavia took their teams to the south of the camp and came at them from behind. Anya went to the east of the camp and Atom came around behind them and moved to the west of the camp. With the camp now surrounded on three sides, the Commander and Adara moved to talk to Jaha.
"We want to talk to Jaha!" yelled Adara.
"No!" yelled a guard.
Adara held up a bow and pulled out an arrow from her quiver. She put the arrow to the bowstring, pulled back and aimed it at the guard.
"Yes!" she said. The guard looked at her and hesitated. Jaha came into view.
"What do you want?"
"We want you to give yourselves up and let Kane and the rest of them out of prison. You have usurped general Kane's authority."
"I don't recognise his nor your authority. You are a child and as such, you do not have the right to make decisions for your elders." Adara looked at him.
"You truly believe that? That someone cannot be in charge of those older than them?"
"Yes," said Jaha.
"Well then, you should let Mr Archer out of the prison and he should be in charge."
"Why?" asked Jaha, confused.
"He's the oldest person from the Ark. He is older than you, therefore by your own admission, you cannot be in charge of him as he is older than you!" stated Adara. Jaha shook his head.
"I am in charge because I know what I'm doing."
"No you don't, but it's nice to know you will not deny your mutiny. Very well then, what do you propose to do?" said Adara, lowering her bow and pushing her hair back. That was the sign they agreed on as the signal to infiltrate the camp.
Octavia crawled forward and up to the fence. The fence was no more than wire strung horizontally across the fence posts. She crawled under it when she realised that the guards meant to guard the prisoners were all watching Jaha and the leaders. She slowly crawled towards the first guard. She waited until no-one was watching and stood up behind him and grabbed him, putting her hand over his mouth and dragging him down. She put him in a choke hold until he passed out and then dragged him to the fence for one of the others to drag out and watch over him after taking his uniform and tying him up.
Adara and the Commander were pretending to negotiate for land and areas to farm and hunt. They were stringing it out and making things up as the Arkers knew nothing of how clan culture worked.
Octavia went back time and again and took out three more guards. By this time, Skaikru had put on the uniforms of the guards and had taken their places. Octavia then went to the prison and tested the fence around them. It was more solidly built and they wouldn't be able to get people out through it. They would have to go in through the door.
Octavia then went back through the fence and waited. Sterling, disguised as one of the guards, moved towards the prison and moved beside the guard there. The guard on duty saw the uniform from the corner of his eye so he didn't think anything of it, but he soon regretted not making sure it was one of them as a fist to the back of the head knocked him down and out. Sterling caught the falling guard and dragged him to the fence too. Once more, a Skaikru member took his place.
Adara was asking how much land Jaha wanted.
"All of it," said Jaha.
"You don't need that much. You cannot manage that much," said the Commander.
"This world is ours. No-one survived the bombs, so the world was ours to use how we wanted to. You had no right to survive!" Adara knew then that he was deranged and not just arrogant.
"We had every right to survive!" said the Commander. "We have been on the ground from when the bombs fell. This land is ours!"
"We left!" yelled Adara at Jaha. "Our ancestors ran away! They fled to save themselves. We have NO right to this land! We abandoned it!" Adara finished.
"No. We returned to take back what was ours!"
"It was never ours! We live on the land, but the land doesn't belong to us. We are the caretakers of it, not the owners. This land will be here long after the human race has died out. It's not ours!" Adara was fuming because he just didn't get it. He wanted land for the sake of having it. He was a child having a tantrum because the toy he wanted was already someone else's.
Sterling had snuck up on another guard. By Harper's estimate, there were only two left guarding the prisoners. They couldn't believe that the guards roaming the perimeter hadn't even looked in their direction. It was probably because they were watching Jaha and the leaders arguing. Jaha had not once looked at the guards nor the prisoners. He was too busy trying to get under the leader's skins. He didn't know that they were drawing out the process so their people could take out the guards. Sterling looked around at the other guards and the layout of the camp. He was astonished at the hap-hazard way it was built. Buildings blocked the line of sight for the guards so that there were glaring blind spots all over the camp. He waited until two of the perimeter guards had moved towards Jaha, trying to get closer to the action. When they disappeared around the corners of two buildings, he put the guard in a choke hold and dragged his unconscious body back to the fence. A new guard took his place. Sterling moved on to the next guard. The last guarding the prisoners. After taking him out, they moved to the door and asked who had the keys. They said it was Jaha. They had searched the pockets of the guards as they took their uniforms off them.
With no-one looking, Octavia and Indra moved their people inside the camp and used the buildings as cover. Easy when no-one was looking. Indra had some of her people climb up on the roofs of the buildings, keeping low. They watched as more and more Trikru and Skaikru moved into position. Anya moved her people into position around the back of the camp and Atom's were ready to help the prisoners when they got them out.
Adara and Lexa, subtly watching everything go down, knew when everyone was in position. The Commander nodded her head and Anya's people rushed out from the left side of the camp. Every guard turned to look at them and Jaha's guards were slow to react, so it wasn't hard to subdue them from behind by Indra's team. Octavia's team went building by building to make sure that no-one else was hiding in them. Two of Indra's people had risen up with bows drawn and pointed them at Jaha. He had turned when Anya rushed out and he hadn't turned back yet. It was like he just didn't comprehend that it was happening. He was so convinced of his own superiority, that he couldn't comprehend someone else's.
Anya walked up to him. He was still watching her, his brain having trouble thinking of what to do. She slapped him down - literally. Octavia rushed over and tied him up, checked his pockets and threw the keys to Sterling. Sterling took off for the prison and let the people out. Atom's people walked the now conscious guards around to the front and into the front gates. They were put in the prison and Kane's loyal guards were now guarding them. Several of them were also patrolling the perimeter.
Kane walked over to Adara and the Commander.
"Thank you. We didn't have a clue he had recruited people to take over."
"You should have dealt with him up on the Ark, Kane, then this wouldn't have happened!" Adara was angry. "Why didn't you float him up there?"
"I didn't think he was that unstable."
"Kane! You were there when we heard him plotting to have 100 kids sent down to the ground to be murdered!"
"I know, I know," he said, holding his hands up, placatingly.
"No, you don't. What did you think he would do? Admit that he was wrong and promise not to do it again?" The Commander put her hand on Adara's arm, trying to get her to calm down.
"A leader knows when to kill those who do not follow orders and those who have betrayed your people. You have done neither. Now it is up to Adara to execute Jaha and those guards he corrupted. If you had done your job in the sky, only one person would die. Now there are at least 15 people who are going to die." Kane looked shocked. He hadn't thought of that. He was ashamed of his lack of foresight. He knew Jaha wasn't going to repent for his sins. He was too convinced he was right. Kane was sick at the thought of having to kill 15 people instead of one.
"I should resign my position. I have let you down."
"Yes you have let me down, but I refuse your resignation. This is your mess and you're going to have to pronounce their sentences. I just hope that the rest of the Arkers don't get ideas." Kane nodded. He had a lot of trust to build back up with Adara.
"Adara," said Jones.
"Yeah?" said Adara, holding up her hand to the others.
"Movement in the trees south of the mountain. Looks like ten guards moving in."
"Are Jasper and the others at the mountain yet?"
"Yeah, they got there about half an hour ago. I've already informed them and they're moving into position to intercept them."
"Nice, Jones. Keep me apprised of what happens."
"Will do."
"Some of Jaha's guards are moving in on the mountain. Jasper and some of Murphy's people are moving to intercept them." Kane was startled.
"How many?"
"Ten." Kane nodded and headed off to the prison to check who was missing.
"Indra!" the Commander shouted. "Take 10 warriors and head to the mountain. Some of Jaha's guards are on their way there. You are to back up Adara's people." Indra nodded and selected 10 people and moved off.
"Jasper?" Adara said into her throat mic.
"Here," he whispered.
"Indra and some of her warriors are coming to back you up."
"Got it."
"Capture if you can and put them in the cages in the mountain."
"Got it." Adara nodded and waited.