Chapter 16
Raven got to work. She decided to use the whole drop ship as an amplifier. She could cannibalize parts later and set up something outside after they got the drop ship open. For now, she knew that Clarke needed to talk to her mother. She didn't need to know why. She knew that Clarke had her reasons, and she was sure that Clarke would tell her about them later. For now, she kept working. She knew that the blonde was still sitting there and waiting. She felt like she had things where she needed them to be, so she moved back to the comm to try again.
"Ark Station, this is Ark Pod, over..." Raven started.
"Anything?" Clarke asked.
"Just some static. Let me try to clean it up," Raven said as she fiddle with some of the dials on the radio. "Come on, you piece of junk, get through."
Clarke smiled at her. She knew that Raven was smart and she knew that Raven would get them in touch with Ark as soon as possible. But, she couldn't help but wonder what Raven would be able to do with the radio since Bellamy hadn't trashed it this time.
"Will we be able to see them?" Clarke questioned.
"Not yet," Raven said as she moved the dial again. "I have to make sure that we have a good connection before we try to get a video link. Hopefully, Sinclair can boost some things up on his end."
"Okay, but soon right?" Clarke asked.
"Yeah, but first I have to get them to answer me," Raven stated.
Clarke motioned for her to keep going. Raven nodded and kept at it. Clarke listened as Raven called over and over to the Ark. She needed someone to pick up and she needed them to pick up soon. Things were moving and she needed to make sure that certain things happened, while others didn't.
"Ark Station, this is Ark Pod, over..." Raven called into the mic again.
"This is a restricted station. Who is this? Identify yourself," a man stated back over the radio.
Raven and Clarke both jumped up and stared at the radio. They'd done it. They'd gotten through to the Ark without the flares, without Finn being injured, without Lincoln being captured and tortured. Raven had done it and sooner than before. Clarke let out a sigh of relief and then pointed at the mic for Raven to answer the question. They needed to make sure that they kept contact with the Ark for as long as they could. Raven knew that Unity Day was going to break them, but they needed to get as much information to them and from them before that.
"This is Raven Reyes from Mecha Station. I'm transmitting from the ground. Can you get Dr. Abby Griffin? The Hundred are alive. I need to speak to Dr. Abby Griffin. Now, please," Raven answered and released the mic.
"Why Mom?"
"Figured you needed to tell her off first and then ask for more help?" Raven answered more as question than an answer.
Clarke just nodded as a new male voice came over the radio.
"Hang on, Raven. Let me try to boost your signal some more. Some one get her off the Ark-wide channel and into this room only. And for all that is holy, someone find Dr. Griffin," the man said.
"It's Sinclair!" Raven rejoiced. "He'll make things happen. Is there anyone else that you need to talk to? Anything we can do to warn them?"
"Make sure that it is Sinclair, Kane, Jaha, and Mom. Then, I'm going to need headphones and Octavia. You can stick around, but a lot of what I am going to say is going to be coded and well, not in English," Clarke answered. "Do you know if Sinclair knows any other languages?"
"Not really, but I can find out."
"How?"
"I speak a little Spanish. It was the one thing that my mother gave me besides life. If it'll help, I'll ask him if he knows it."
"Do it," Clarke ordered. "We might need him to do somethings that seem..."
"Not good now, but are good in the long run and protecting our futures?"
"Yes," Clarke breathed out.
"I'm on it," Raven said as she picked up the mic. "Oye, Sinclair, habla conmigo, no?" (Hey, Sinclair, you'll talk to me, right?)
"Si, Reyes, te hablaré, pero por qué no en inglés?" (Yes, Reyes, I will speak with you, but why not in English?)
"Clarke needs to tell you some things that the rest don't need to know. Just trust me on this. It will help you and the Ark survive."
"Raven, you said that the Hundred are alive?" a very recognizable voice comes over the radio.
"Yes, sir, they are. I have some more information for you, but I will not relay it until Dr. Abby Griffin and the Head of Ark Security, Counselman Kane are present. Also, Sinclair as Head of Engineering should stay. There are things that you all need to know. Including who is trying to kill you, Chancellor, sir," Raven told him.
"We're listening," Jaha replied.
"Jacapo, are those we asked the only ones in the room with you now?" Raven questioned.
"Si, Raven, go ahead with your news," Sinclair answered.
"Clarke," Raven said handing the mic to her.
"First of all, I am Clarke Griffin, leader of the hundred. And, there is a lot to tell you. First of all, the ground is beautiful. It's survivable, but we aren't alone."
"What do you mean you aren't alone, Clarke?" Jaha questioned.
"There are survivors?" Abby asked.
"Yes, Mom, there are. We landed in what is called Trikru territory. We are already making some headway with the local clan to make a treaty for us. However, this treaty doesn't cover you. It cannot because I know that you wouldn't uphold it. The Heda will meet with you when you land. But, that is for another discussion. For now, we need you to stop the culling and prepare to bring the entire Ark down," Clarke answered.
"Now, Clarke, you don't honestly think that it..." Jaha started to reply.
"Sinclair, you and Raven will start working on a way to do it. As you know, Chancellor," Clarke stated interrupting him. "You are all on the Titanic and you don't have enough lifeboats. Mom, I want you to work with Sinclair and help him redirect life support systems and figure out what would be the best parts of the station to put everyone for the best possible reentry positions. This will work, but you will all have to work together. Release Dad's message, Mom. The people will band together and help you. If Jaha refuses, remove him from office."
"She isn't on the council anymore."
"I know," Clarke started and then switched to Russian. "And that is why you will do it, Kane. He will kill you all to maintain power. You've seen it first hand. This will be a by the book operation. The Exodus ship will only hold 700 but he won't tell anyone that. Also, you need to arrest the following people for the assassination attempt against Chancellor Jaha. Commander Shumway is the one that gave Bellamy Blake the gun, made sure he had the opportunity to commit the act, and paved a way for him to stowaway on the dropship. He is with us and he will be pardoned with us. Jaha told us if we survived, we'd be pardoned. We've survived and we're trying to pave the way for all of you. If he interfers, arrest him and float him for all I care. He will get you all killed."
"You know Russian?"
"I had a lot of free time, Kane. Now, besides Commander Shumway, you need to arrest Diana Sydney and float her immediately. She'll try to steal the Exodus ship. This will cause damage to the Ark and over a thousand will die. This is just not acceptable. In those thousand will be your mother. And, before you counter my claim, I just want you to know that I know who your daughter is and so does she."
"Is there anyone else?" Kane asked with obvious emotion in his voice.
"Cuyler Ridley. He will try to back Sydney and help to take the Exodus ship. Do you need more proof of what I speak of?"
"Not at this time," Kane answered. "I'll look into the situation and let you know how it works out. As for the rest, I will let my mother know that she'll have plenty of trees to see when she gets to the ground. Is there anything else that you'd like to pass along?"
"Not at this time. I know that you can see a storm coming towards us. We need to be prepared for that. It is almost morning for us here. I will contact Abby or Sinclair on a secure channel either to Medical or to main Engineering on Mecha. We need for you to keep a channel open for us."
"Why is that, Clarke?" Abby asked.
"Well, you sent us down here with no supplies. Winter is coming and we aren't prepared. We're trying to stock up, but we know that we won't have enough to care for ourselves and prepare for you. As Sinclair prepares the Ark for reentry, I need you to move all the supplies that you can into the stations. This includes medical supplies, rations, as much cloth, padding, and survival gear that you can. When you land, we will only have a few months to get you settled. Everyone will have to work as soon as they hit the ground. No one, not even the children, will be able to sit still. I'm trying to broker for some items to be brought by Trikru, but I still have to finalize the treaty for us first."
"Why not a treaty for all of us?" Jaha inquired, again, trying to push the issue.
"No offense, Chancellor, but you sent us here to die. Sure, you're going to pardon us, but we aren't to keen on returning to the fold. We've found ways to get along and to survive. Just as you will. The Trikru don't think of you as part of our group. They know that you sent us here to die, so they've started to referring to us as Skaikru. They call me Skaiprisa or Sky Princess. For now, we will remain separate. When you get here, we'll see what everyone wants to do. Until then, I've taken up the responsibility of protecting the hundred and that is what I am doing. So far, I've only lost four. Can you say the same, Jaha?"
"When will I be able to speak to my son?" Jaha asked.
"When I know that things are moving along as they should for your survival, Chancellor. Until then, the only three people who will be using this mic are myself, Raven Reyes, or Octavia Blake, my second in command. Now, if there aren't anymore questions. We need to get some sleep. I suggest you start preparing for the Unity Day Celebrations," Clarke answered. "Oh, and Councilman Kane?"
"Yes," he replied.
"Just in case you don't believe me about Diana Sydney, keep your mother away from Unity Day. She's planting a bomb and your mother would be killed. I'm trying to spare as many people as I can. Now, I need you to help Sinclair and my mother. Get me a line to medical. I need to ask my mother some questions of a rather personal nature," Clarke stated before turning back to English. "Mom, I need your help with some medical stuff. There are a few injuries that I have some questions on how to handle them. Nothing too serious yet, but it might become serious. Can you help me in medical?"
"I'll transfer the channel to medical for you, Clarke," Sinclair told her. "Raven, start crunching numbers and lets figure out how to get this tin can to the ground. I want to hear from you around lunchtime. That's in about twelve hours for me. Is that enough time?"
"Plenty for me to sleep and start working," Raven answered. "Can you set up a ping on this channel every hour? We don't exactly have a working clock."
"I'll get right on that," Sinclair stated. "I'll head to medical to make sure that Abby gets through to you, Clarke. Give us about ten minutes, okay?"
"Sounds good, Sinclair. We'll speak with all of you later," Clarke said. "The Hundred out."
"That is going to cause some issues," Raven stated.
"Nothing that Kane and my mother can't handle for now."
"What are you going to do about Jaha?" Raven inquired.
"Either neuter him from power, kill him, or leave him there. He is a big threat to our survival. He also is Wells' father. So, I don't want to have to kill him unless I need to. For now, he will be useful if he can keep the people in line long enough for them not to launch the Exodus ship."
"And, you need Kane to make sure that doesn't happen?"
"For the first part, yeah. But, for the second and third, I need Sinclair to not question why I'm going to ask him to do some things that are going to be very questionable. That's where you come in," Clarke told her.
"I'm pretty sure that I can handle him. Sinclair thinks of me like a kid, but he listens. If we tell him that it is in the best interest of the Ark, he'll most likely do it. But, if it is something that he needs more information or a higher protocol to make it happen," Raven stated.
"I'll get Kane to authorize it or make it happen."
"Are you sure about Kane?" Raven asked her.
"I am sure that he's already hacked Jaha's security clearances and has all the information he needs to take power should the need arise. I also know some things that would truly be horrible if it got out. Kane will want to deal with some of the things on his own, but he'll trust me because of what I know."
"And, why is that?" Raven questioned.
"Because his weakness is his family. If I keep his mother alive, he'll do whatever I want him to do. When he gets here, he'll be the main ambassador for them to Lexa. I need him to be ready to work and not ready to shoot. It is going to be a long road for him, but Kane will do was we ask. He wants to survive like the rest of us. He follows the book of law for the Ark."
"Wouldn't that make him a problem?"
"Not, when I just told him that the book was skewed for the Chancellor and his chosen few. Kane wants to protect the people. He is also sorry that he floated my father. I know that he was just doing his job, but he understood why Dad wanted to tell everyone. Plus, he kinda develops a thing for my mother. They are good for each other and they will help those that land and survive to continue to survive. The sooner I own Kane, the sooner we can all get along."
Raven just cocks an eyebrow at her statement. She knew now not to question Clarke. But, there were things that Raven wanted to know. She wanted to make sure that she wasn't doing all of this for it to blow up in her face. She liked to make things go boom, just not herself.
"What?" Clarke asked as she looked at her.
"What happened to me?"
"Murphy shot you and crippled your left leg."
"Is that it?" Raven pushed.
"No."
"Just tell me already. I told you that I believed you before. What else is there?"
"Finn cheated on you. The first life it was with me. But, since then, I've rebuffed him because I actually need you more. He does something stupid in every lifetime and ends up getting executed. I've tried to save him, but he eventually just looses his mind. I don't know why, but it happens. I'm sorry," Clarke said.
"There is nothing that you can do for him?"
"Short of killing him now? No, I've tried. And, know that you don't want to believe me, but ask Octavia about it. She knows, too. She also knows the dangers that Bellamy creates. We've already threatened him. Should he screw up again, we'll hand him over to Lexa and Anya personally. Well, that is if Octavia doesn't just kill him for his stupidity," Clarke tells her.
"Can I do anything?"
"Honestly, I don't know, Rae. He couldn't wait past eleven days before he moved on. And, even though I refused him, it didn't stop him from trying. Octavia and I also told the rest of the girls to leave him alone. I don't know if they actually did, but I can say that neither Octavia or I touched him. Harper, Fox, Roma and Monroe hadn't either. And, then there was Trina, but she was obviously with Pascal, so you didn't have to worry about her. And, thankfully, Charlotte was and is too young for him," Clarke answered.
"So, what should I do?" Rave inquired.
"Find someone that will put your first, Rae and I think you might have already met them."
"Who? Cheekbones? Seriously?"
"Hey, it's happened before and you could do worse. Don't push it though. Let her come to you. Besides she doesn't want to admit that you scare her. It's mainly because of all the tech, but she can see how important you are to me and Octavia. She'll protect you and love you for you. But, then again, I don't even know if you like girls, so," Clarke replied before just tapering off into silence.
"Hey," Octavia said as she joined them.
"Hey," Clarke said back.
"Any news?"
"Got Mom, Sinclair and Kane heading towards Medical to talk to me without Jaha. I also gave up Sydney, Shumway, and Ridley. Hopefully Kane can take them out of the game before anything bad happens," Clarke told her.
"You'd tell them about Unity Day."
"Yeah, I warned Kane."
"Talked to your Mom, yet?" Octavia asked.
"Not about what you think, but yeah, we did," Clarke said. "We need to sleep, but I need to talk to Mom about some of the things she sent down with Raven. Sinclair is supposed to be setting up a ping for up that will beep on the hour. It was Raven's idea. We've already told them to bring down the entire Ark."
"What did your Mom send down?" Octavia inquired.
"Some strange medical supplies," Clarke answered just as she heard.
"Clarke, it's Mom. We're in medical. What did you need help with?" Abby said over the radio.