p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Chapter 16/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36.00000000000001pt; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong id="docs-internal-guid-10154536-7fff-98fa-a72b-1d616f2d8903" style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Another three days passed before Echo was seen walking through the palace gates with Roan at her side. She immediately sent Koby to escort them straight to the throne room. Cooper was determined to impress upon Roan that she was now the queen and he couldn't just usurp her position just because he was Nia's son and therefore the most likely to take the throne for himself./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Echo entered the throne room with Roan a step behind. Echo stopped halfway to the throne and knelt, bowing her head as she did. She reached up and pulled Roan down when he was slow to follow her./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Ai Kwin, I bring you Prince Roan of Azgeda as promised." Cooper nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Rise, both of you and approach." They got up and walked until they were still ten feet from the throne and stopped./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Roan, thank you for saving my life during the attacks on Skaikru."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""From what I see now, you did okay out of it," he said, smirking. Cooper grinned in return./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Someone should have told me that challenging your mother would mean taking over from her! That was a shock!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I can imagine. I was surprised when Trikru warriors came and found me and then took me to Azgeda lands. They told me what had happened just before they cut me loose. I must say I was surprised you won against her. My mother has always been a formidable woman. How did you do it?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I waited until she tired herself out and had fallen into a pattern. I watched and waited and when she was fully committed to lifting the sword above her head in preparation to kill me, I lunged and thrust my sword into her unprotected body. I didn't expect that once she was declared dead that the rest of the Azgeda warriors would kneel before me!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It is our way. Only by a trial by combat can someone claim the throne. The monarchy is for life, only by death does that change."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well, it's going to change because I don't plan on being the monarch for too long, Roan. I need an heir and I want you to be that heir with the proviso that I abdictate on my terms. You will take over but you will follow my plan for Azgeda for at least five years before you make wholesale changes. I will be going straight to the Commander when I turn Azgeda over to you and asking her to make sure that any oath of fealty you take will include a peaceful nation and not a war-like one."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Because Azgeda has suffered enough! I'm trying to give them back a sense of pride and a sense of peace and happiness. I never want a war again and I do not EVER want to tell my people that I sent their loved ones to die in a fruitless war." Roan looked at her, impressed by the young woman he saw before him./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I agree," he said finally. "I will be the heir you need and I will abide by your rule - even when I'm the ruler. I never wanted war either and I could see my mother was leading our people down a path of destruction that would have eventually wiped us out. Peace for my people was all I ever wanted."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good, you can help me figure things out. I'll have to consult with Charles how we go about announcing you as my heir."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Who is Charles?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""My flamekeeper - of sorts. I'm going to throw out that title because there's only one flamekeeper and that's Titus in Polis. I think your mother had delusions of grandeur and Command."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She did. She thought she would be a better Commander. What she meant was she wanted all that power to abuse. Commander though? Her blood's as red as mine and I know you need black blood to qualify for that position."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I have no idea. She may have had a plan to kill the nightbloods, then the Commander and just take over, but even then if a new nightblood was found, they'd automatically be installed as the new Commander, no matter their age and a regent would rule in their stead until the child was able to take over themself." Cooper thought it through./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Could she have a nightblood here? One she could put on the throne once she carried out her plans?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I have no clue, but if she did, they must be well hidden to be able to avoid detection for so long."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Wish I had Murphy here," Cooper muttered. Koby smirked while the other two looked confused./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Murphy's a friend of mine from Skaikru and he's very good at finding things that are hidden, especially those things others don't want you to find!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Maybe you can borrow him again, ai kwin," Koby said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It's a tempting thought, Koby, but right now, Skaikru needs everyone they have just to get those lost people up to Michigan to start their new lives in their own territory. I don't envy Clarke having to do that!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Where is Michigan?" Roan asked./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's the peninsula you were living in. For Azgeda's unprovoked attack on Skaikru, the Commander demanded it as compensation for the Skaikru. I gave them the land because it is unused and because the Skaikru do need a homeland that's not on anyone else's land. Nia had that land emptied, so we cannot complain that we had to move people out of it. As far as I know, you were the only one living there."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""And what compensation did she demand for trespassing on her lands to get to Skaikru?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Nothing yet, we have to figure out what we have to give them. We also need to do the same with Podakru. She sent a contingent of warriors to attack Hydro station which is wholly in Podakru lands." Roan winced./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Podakru may try to take more land or more goods than we have."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know, but the Commander said they couldn't take more land in compensation, they already had land but the Skaikru didn't. This way the Commander effectively gets Skaikru off her lands and the lands of other clans." Roan nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Now what?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Today you'll be assigned a suite of rooms. I'd like you to stay there today and tomorrow we talk to Charles. Once you are officially my heir, I want us to sit down and discuss what I've already started and what I want to accomplish before handing it over to you."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""How long are you intending to stay the queen?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Not long I hope, but around two more years." Roan nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I can do that and in the meantime, I can formulate plans of my own that run in conjunction with yours."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good, so I'm asking you formally. Will you be my heir and take over from me when I step down?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Sha, ai kwin," Roan said, bowing to her. It was better than he hoped for and with Cooper starting them off on the proper path to prosperity and peace, he could take over and have the peace he so desperately wanted./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Raven and Justin made it to Mecha station and Raven sent Justin up to the roof to enter it and then open the door for her. Her leg would not let her enter through the roof, but other than that, she was determined to live life exactly like she did before. Justin opened the sideways door after a few minutes./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's some workout!" he said. Raven smirked./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's the only upside to having this brace - I don't do roofs." Justin grinned and followed Raven through the guts of a station on its side./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You know, this is really weird seeing it like this. It reminds me of that disaster film, you know the one on the boat?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""The Posiedon Adventure," Raven supplied./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah, that one. Everything there was either on its side or upside down."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah, but at least we're on dry land. Come on, we need to find all the information on Michigan we can." She led him to one of the computer hubs in Mecha and they pulled two computers down and hooked them up to the solar panels that had been fixed when they were last at Mecha before booting them up. It took them another couple of hours of trawling through everything they found. Raven ran off several copies and put them into her bag. They decided to stay there for the night before going to Arkadia and trying to get them to behave while going to their new home - if they could persuade them to go in the first place!/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"At Arkadia, they approached the gates./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Halt!" a voice said. Raven looked up at the gate guards in the lookout posts. One had trained his gun on them. "Identify yourselves!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Seriously?" Raven asked, dumbfounded at their attitude./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Who are you?" Raven and Justin looked at each other./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Raven kom Skaikru of Polis."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Justin kom Skaikru of Polis."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Where?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Open the gate, idiot. We're from the Ark too!" The guard hesitated. Kane came to the gate and opened it for them./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on in," he said. Neither moved./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No offence, Kane, but unless you can guarantee we can walk out whenever we want, we are not setting foot in there!" Raven said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'm the Chancellor, so yes, I can guarantee that."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You? What happened to Abby?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She stood down just before the Azgeda declared us their enemy. I was the logical choice and have been in charge ever since."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good. We have a message from Clarke and we need to talk about it in private first." Kane nodded and led them to his office where they sat down. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Now, what's the message and how is everyone?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We're all good and we have a story to tell. Please wait until we've finished before you call in others. The message from Clarke is something you and us need to talk about before you tell the others."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why what is it?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We have a place to call our own, Kane. Cooper - sorry, Queen Cooper of Azgeda - has ceded land to Skaikru. This is restitution, compensation and whatever else you want to call it for the unprovoked attacks on Skaikru. Now the area in question is north of here and borders Azgeda, but it's separated from Azgeda by the Great Lakes." Kane was thinking about what he knew of the area. It took a few minutes before his frown cleared and shock replaced it./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Michigan? Are you talking about the old state of Michigan?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Sha," Raven said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She just handed it over?" Kane asked skeptically./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Not exactly, Kane. This part goes no further, understand?" He nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I mean it, Kane. This part is need to know and the others don't need to know."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay," Kane said, slowly. Raven looked at him for a few seconds and then nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Cooper knew we needed a place to call our own before she became their queen. She'd already plotted out settlements in that area. It was just an exercise in where to put our people and how to find the right places to farm and live and work on other things like a blacksmiths and loggers and such. She used that area because Azgeda didn't use it at all. Queen Nia had decreed that anyone living there needed to be moved closer to her capital - and better under her thumb. As she was an absolute monarch, her people did as they were told and moved out of the area - all of it." Kane held up his hand./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Michigan is a large place, how do we know they all moved out?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We don't but if we find any, we send them back to Azgeda. If they don't want to go, we need to send a message to Cooper - Queen Cooper. Sorry, I keep forgetting her new title." Raven was contrite about that. Cooper was her friend first and the Azgeda queen second as far as she was concerned. Kane nodded his understanding. Raven shook herself./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So, as far as we know, it's empty. Once Cooper became their queen, she knew of the perfect thing to use to make restitution. Azgeda wasn't using it so it wouldn't be missed. After Cooper swore fealty to the Commander, she and Clarke had a meeting with the Commander about it. Cooper freely gave up that land for Skaikru's new homeland. It would and will be ours forever, Kane. The problem they had was that Azgeda would think Cooper had an ulterior motive for becoming their queen and would fear she was going to destroy them, so they came up with a little subterfuge./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""When they announced it to the leaders and ambassadors of the other clans, the Commander told them that SHE had demanded the land be given over to Skaikru. Cooper had to pretend that she'd done so reluctantly, but it worked."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""When did she give us the land?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Around two weeks ago. Right now, Clarke has people going up there to check it out. They are using Cooper's map as a guide to see if those places are actually viable. Regardless, she also has people going to farm station to get them moving north to start planting whatever they can. I think the first place they find will be used and then some of them will go further on until they find another place where they can grow food crops. It may be that we only have two places to farm for this year, but once we are settled in our areas, we can figure out what we can plant and when for next year."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Do you have a copy of the map?" asked Kane. Raven nodded and pulled it out and opened it. Kane bent over the map, looking to see where Cooper had wanted people to go./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Do you know why she chose those places?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Not specifically, but she wanted them to be in areas that were inhabited before. Anything we find from the old world can be used except for guns and ammo. We can't be seen to be just like the mountain men and use guns. We need to learn clan weapons."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""They may not want to, Raven."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know but they are the cowards who want to kill from a distance instead of doing it personally from close up. This is non-negotionable, Kane. Clarke is our leader and our Ambassador. She has decreed that we learn clan weapons."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She's only the leader on paper, Raven. I'm the leader of those from the Ark."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, you're the Chief of a single Skaikru village. You are not in charge of those other Skaikru villages we've already found. There are three stations we haven't found yet. Granary is one of them. Arrow and Freight are the other two. Arrow is far down into Florida and Freight is deep into Plain Rider Territory, somewhere around Missouri." Kane's eyebrows raised./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You've found the other stations?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yes. It's what we did until winter hit, though we did go to Orchid at the beginning of winter and they came back during the worst of it. They actually only got back in front of that big storm we had." Kane nodded, remembering it./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""How many people?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Around 2500."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's more than I thought would survive," Kane admitted. Raven nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""More than we thought too, but it's why we need so many settlements up there. We can't feed everyone in one settlement. Cooper had estimated 400 to 500 people in one settlement, but Clarke wants only around 300 in a settlement to begin with. We also have agreed to mix up the stations. We need people from all of them in each settlement if we can. Each settlement will need farmers, a blacksmith and carpenters at the very least. We also need clothes makers and that would include tanners. We have a lot to do and because this is spring, we need to move fast to get the farmers up there and planting." Kane nodded at the wisdom of that./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So what else needs to be done?" Raven pointed to Detroit City. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We need a security settlement here. This is the closest part to Azgeda and we need to protect our lands. Villages 2 and 8 are in the general area and Cooper made sure there was a river near them, but with the city so spread out and all buildings, there's not many places to put a settlement that's near freshwater. It's either on the river or on the lakes. Now, Clarke thinks that may be too near Azgeda's borders. Some of them may take potshots at us with their bow and arrows, depending on how close they are, or rather, how wide the river is. As you can see, it's not very wide. We estimate anything from 500 to 800 metres. Someone who is an expert with bows could conceivably pick someone off from that distance. We have to be careful there, but we do need a presence in the area and patrols making sure they stay on their own side."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay, that makes sense. What of the others? How far apart are they?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Again, Cooper made this map. Each settlement is roughly thirty miles apart. Walking would take all day to go roughly twenty miles. We thought about closing the distance to 20 miles, but Cooper explained that we'd need defined areas for each settlement and hunting zones. Now, Cooper suggested a ten mile radius from the middle of each settlement. That should give each settlement plenty of room to expand into, farm, log, and find places to work. She suggested that each settlement be autonomous, but answers to the overall leader - which is Clarke, not one of the adults who think they know better. With a ten mile radius, that gives enough common land between them. That land is to be left alone. Cooper said that if a settlement cut down all their trees, and destroyed their own lands, they were not allowed to go out of their own areas and take whatever thay wanted. Those kinds of people do not deserve to live on the land, Kane. We can't have people who do that, it would have the clans baying for our blood."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""If we are our own clan, then they can't interfere," Kane said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Not quite. We would still have to answer to both Clarke and the Commander. If either of them decide that that settlement needs to be dealt with, the Commander is within her rights to move other clans into that settlement and arrest or kill anyone who defies them. Make no mistakes, Kane, we need to prove ourselves before the Commander will give us the full autonomy the other clans have. We need to prove we can manage the land and not abuse it." Kane nodded at that caveat./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What else?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Any who are going to be disruptive or don't want to play nice with the clans need somewhere to put them. To that end, Murphy is taking some people to the northern part of the peninsula to find a place to put them. We leave them there and only go there every six months to make sure they are behaving. Other than that, it's building a stockade and having guards for them 24 hours a day. They would not be working, but we'd still need to feed them. I think Clarke is looking into finding an island for them to live on. If they are off the Commander's lands and not able to reach the mainland, then they can live or die there." Raven shrugged, there really wasn't much they could do unless they just killed them and be done with them./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So when do we go there?" Raven sighed./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's the problem. We need to go there now, but we don't have anywhere set yet. Look," Raven said, leaning over the map again. "Most of the stations are near the eastern side of the country. Only granary and freight are more western. I think if Tesla goes to these two settlements, 1 and 3, they can settle around there. We'll send people from farm station to them but it would be too late to start planting most of the crops. Having said that, there were farms over that end of the peninsula which grew potatoes and blueberries. Hopefully, there's still some left they can manage or plant for themselves to eke out their food." Raven sat back with a sigh. "Honestly, I think it'll take a couple of years to figure out how much we need to plant to feed everyone over winter and who goes where and which settlement grows which food stuff. It's going to be hard work just to keep ourselves alive, Kane. This is not a cakewalk."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I understand. So where do you want us?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Seven and alternative 7," Raven said, pointing to each settlement in turn. "Farm will be sent to four and five to start planting. Two and eight need to be more security minded but they all need guards and watchers. I think right now, we get our people up there and into a village and then we figure out who has who and who needs to move where. The old jobs of the Ark will be no good down here. We need people to start learning carpentry, logging, mining - if we have any mines in the area - cloth makers, tailors, cooks, maybe. It'll be down to each settlement whether they build a messhall, but I think it would be a good idea. It could be used as a central meeting place as well."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""And the message?" Raven handed the letter over and Kane read it./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay, according to this, the leaders of each village will divide the people up to each new village." Raven nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You know your people the best, Kane, divide them up as you see fit. You will be the Chief of one village only, though. No more trying to control them all. They've been their own villages over winter and with them moving north, they are leaving their stations behind." Kane sighed as he nodded. He didn't like it but she was right. With them spread out all over the southern part of Michigan, it would be impossible to control them all./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We only have a couple of hundred here, though. Could we not be one village?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, we need to separate people, Kane. You have two doctors and the others won't have one. We need people to learn to be healers too and we need a medic, doctor or healer in each settlement, preferably two."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So Jackson in one and Abby in the other?" Kane asked. Raven nodded. He sighed again./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What now?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You need to decide who goes where. Justin and I went to Mecha and pulled up as much info as we could on Michigan, but it's all from before the war so I don't know how useful it is." Kane nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay, show me the information and between us we should be able to figure something out. I hope we can get them started by next week. I can't guarantee anything sooner, we need to pack our things and any equipment we have. There's going to be resistance and pushback to these instructions, Raven."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Then you have to push back harder, Kane. You're the Chief, set the example and do your job in enforcing the new rules. You'll need to decide who's in charge of the other settlement, but beware, others will be joining you from other stations. No-one is allowed to turn them away. It's not going to be an enclosed village or settlement - no not enclosed, isolated. No independent villages cut off from the others and setting their own rules."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I agree. Let's get on with it, it's going to take hours!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""One more thing. Whoever is in charge of villages two and eight needs to be steady in their job. We need someone who can give orders and enforce them, who can kick the guards in the rear end if needed to get things done and in control of people so they don't shoot at shadows or anyone on the other side of the river. That's Azgeda land and they are entitled to be on their own lands. Our concern is if they try to come across to ours. Whoever's in charge, needs to instill discipline. Clarke asked Bellamy to try to think of someone who could do that if Bellamy himself doesn't want the job. Can you think of anyone here who could do that? Clarke can promote someone if they can do the job. Don't think about only those who are already in postitons of authority, but anyone, guard or civilian, who could do the job."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Kane sat back and thought./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What about Major Byrne? She was always a by-the-book leader. She'd do things right and if Clarke gave her orders, she'd follow them." Raven nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'll make the recommendation to Clarke and Bellamy when I get back. What about the other village?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Not sure, maybe one from another station. I'd like Miller - our Miller - to stay with one of our villages as head of security. I trust him."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Maybe Clarke or Harper can recommend someone, they've both been to several stations."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Kane nodded and they got down to figuring out who went first and where./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sterling and his team made it to Tesla station./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Hey, Tesla!" he called out. A head popped out of a hide./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Who are you?" The voice wasn't harsh but curious./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Sterling kom Skaikru of Polis. Clarke Griffin sent us."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on in," the voice said. Sterling and the others rode past the guard post and onto the station itself./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Hello, I'm William, leader of this village," he said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Sterling kom Skaikru," Sterling said, pulling his hood down and shaking William's hand, Trikru style./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yes, I remember you from the war. What can we do for you?" William asked./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Actually I'm here to tell you that we have a new homeland and I'm afraid it's about three hundred miles northwest of here in Michigan." William pursed his lips./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""When do we move?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""As soon as possible." Sterling took a map out of his pocket and showed it to William. "Clarke wants you to take your people up here to these villages," he said, pointing to the two furthest away./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""How far?" /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Over 400 hundred miles." William winced./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's a hell of a long way to walk!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know but you are actually the closest to it. Orchid station has been found down near Florida and Arrow station is further down than that. Freight station is somewhere over near Missouri somewhere. We haven't found that one yet. The only other one we haven't found is Granary Station and that one worries us. Before winter, several people from there made their way over to Arkadia and in an illegal election, they took over. They were confrontational and belligerent. The one in charge was all for killing anyone who opposed him. He thought he had the right to wipe out the locals and do what he wanted."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So what happened?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Bellamy Blake and Cooper Lyons took some goods there as a peaceful act and found out what was happening before they actually went near Arkadia. They along with Octavia Blake, Bellamy's sister - and someone who has joined the Trikru tribe - and Indra kom Trikru, Octavia's warrior teacher, planned on what to do. Anyway, long story short, they got inside and Cooper had to kill their leader and then they let the others out and retook the camp. Arkadia is now back in the hands of Marcus Kane. They are working with the Trikru to survive. They at least learned that lesson!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So everything's okay over there?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah. We still need to find it but right now, Clarke's priority is to get farm station over there and start planting. It's already spring and the growing season started a couple of weeks ago. The sooner we plant, the sooner we have food to last us through winter."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay so when do you really want us to go?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'd like to take a few of your people up there to start planning where to live. We have tentative places based on Cooper's maps, but we have to go see if those places are viable. If not, we need to find them. Currently, we want 300 people max in each settlement. Each settlement is roughly 30 miles from another. Each settlement will have a ten mile radius to live, work and hunt in. Anything outside that is to be left alone. We can travel between the villages, but we can't just decimate the area because people didn't learn how to manage their lands."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's good. We've been doing that as well. If we don't know how to do something, we haven't done it. We haven't gone out and chopped down all the trees to burn to keep us warm. Cooper showed us how to make a crude pot-bellied stove and we've made several. We use two large lounges to heat up and in the winter, we were living in there all day and night. We didn't want to make too many of them and use up all the trees and bushes."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good. With that attitude, we stand a chance of learning what we need without depleting our resources," Sterling said. William nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So what now?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We have horses, including spares. If you can lend me four people, we can teach them to ride and get to Michigan sooner. We'll start setting up and then we need to return to lead your people to our new home. I have no idea how long that would be but if you can get your people moving within three weeks, we can meet you part way. We will be tying tape around trees to mark the way and we'll have arrows or something showing which direction to go. If you can keep on those paths, then we can find you easier."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why not wait until you return here?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Because it will take a while to get there. A group walks on average twenty miles in a day. For 400 miles, that's at least twenty days and that's if you do manage to travel twenty miles every day for almost three weeks without a rest day. That would mean twenty days there, twenty days back and then twenty days there again. That's sixty days and that doesn't factor in time spent looking for a place to live. If we meet you part-way there, it will take less time to get established. Don't forget, we are not used to the temperature changes and if we need to walk through the summer heat, it will be worse." William nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay, I'll find four people who want to go with you to figure out our new homes."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Good, How many people are here?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"" Couple of hundred."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Then split them into two groups. Clarke wants the stations mixed so we have needed jobs in each village."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Like what?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Healers, carpenters, hunters, farmers, blacksmiths, people who can care for horses once we get them, wagon drivers too, things like that. There's probably more as we think about it but we need everyone to co-operate and to spread out. Whatever jobs you can do now need to be shared between the two villages." William nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay, that makes sense, but some may not want to be separated."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You mean live in one village as a whole or separated from family and friends?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Mostly the first one. The second one can be solved by keeping them together - mostly. We've become a tight-knit community here, all getting along and willing to do what's needed to survive. Clarke and Cooper taught us some basic stuff and we've refined that. It kept us alive."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know, they've done the same thing with other stations too." William pondered on something he had wondered about during winter./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That Trikru general that was here said that Cooper had been kidnapped by those to the north. Is that true?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It was but she eventually challenged the queen of Azgeda to a fight and Cooper won. She didn't know that it automatically bestowed the monarchy on her own shoulders!" Sterling was grinning at that, but William was confused. "Cooper is now the Queen of Azgeda. It was she who recalled their forces back to Azgeda and ended the war that queen Nia started." William's eyebrows raised./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Wait, are you telling me that one of our own became the leader of another clan?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yup. She was the one to concede Michigan to us." William nodded his head, too confused and dazed to speak./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on, we need to tell the rest of them and start getting them organised and assigned."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You said you'd be marking paths for us. How will we recognise them?" Sterling went to his horse and pulled out several rolls of police caution tape they'd found./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""By using this. We'll tie them around trees as we go. Where the knot is tied is the direction we go, so if you find a knot on the other side of the tree, carry on going straight. If you see a knot tied to the left, go left. It's that simple. We'll leave long enough ends to flutter in the breeze so it's easier to see." The leader of Tesla station nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay, let's get to it." He led Sterling and the others towards Tesla station itself and entered, intent on getting his people to their new homes./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Monty and Bruno rode into farm station village and waved at everyone they saw./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Mom!" Monty yelled when he finally saw his mother. He was off his horse and running over to her before Bruno could turn around. Bruno grinned to see mother and son reunited. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Son?" he heard another voice. His head whipped around to see his father standing there, with a bucket of water in his hand./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Dad!" Bruno too took off running and hugged his dad hard. He's not seen his father since the day he was locked up. For some reason, Bruno's father was not allowed to visit him, but then again, Bruno had not been locked up for long when the dropship was sent down - less than two weeks./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I missed you, Bruno," his dad said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I missed you too. Is mom here?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She is, she's busy planting crops at the east end of the village."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Then you'd better go and stop them. We've found a place we can live that will be our territory and no-one else's."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Where?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Michigan."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Which part?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""All of it, dad. We get all of it." Mr Huber's face lit up. As one of the farmers on the Ark, he was always curious about which crops were planted where and which did the best where. Michigan was a good farming area. Mr Huber pulled back, grinned and took off running towards the east end of the village. Bruno laughed out loud to see his father so animated. Bruno shook his head, still chuckling and went to the two horses and gathered up their reins. He walked them over to Monty./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Hey, Monty? Dad's gone to tell them to stop planting."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What? Why?" Mrs Green said. "We need to plant for the coming winter!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know mom but we have a new homeland and we need to go there and start planting. We need to move everyone there as soon as possible. The sooner we get there, the sooner we start planting for the coming year."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Where?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Michigan."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""But that's probably hundreds of miles away!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Around 400 miles," supplied Bruno./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""And we have to walk all that way?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'm afraid so. We'll be with you, but for right now, we walk."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We have some wagons we made," Mrs Green said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You made wagons!?" Monty was astounded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well, sort of. We found an old car showroom and we dismantled most of the bodywork and the engines so we only had the wheels and axles and then we built a platform and sides on it. They are crude at best, but we could use them if we had more horses."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""How do you use them now?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We need people to pull them. We can only pull something a short distance and we can't fill up the wagons."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Can I see one?" Monty asked. "I won't let the horses be stressed by too much weight." Mrs Green agreed and took Monty to see one of them while Bruno tied the horses to a tree and pulled out the collapsible water trough for the horses and then filled it from the bucket his dad had put down./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Bruno wandered over to the main village buildings and entered one of them./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Hello?" he called out. A man came from another room./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Who are you?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Bruno Huber, once from farm station," he replied./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Caleb King, once of Orchid station, assigned to guard farm station when they came down."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Ahh, I was in prison and then sent down with the other hundred prisoners," Bruno replied. Caleb shook his hand,/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What can we do for you?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Is Jasper around? We've just come up from Polis and have messages and instructions from Clarke." Caleb nodded and led him through the building and up some stairs and down a long corridor before knocking on a door./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Enter," Bruno heard Jasper call out./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Jasper, there's someone here from Polis to see you." Jasper looked up and saw Bruno./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Bruno!" Jasper got to his feet and came around the desk and hugged him. "It's good to see you again!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Likewise," Bruno said. When they pulled back, Jasper looked at him./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Who came with you?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Monty. He's with his mother right now." Jasper nodded. He wanted to go see him, but it was more important for Monty to reconnect with his parents./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So what are you doing here?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Clarke sent us. We have some Skaikru business to attend to and some instructions from Heda Clarke kom Skaikru." Jasper caught the wording and knew it was an official visit with orders, not just instructions./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Can you tell me what they are, or do you need to wait for Monty?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, I can tell you." Jasper gestured to a seat and Caleb to another./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Caleb is my lead guard. He's my security officer." Bruno nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay, you know Cooper became the Azgeda queen?" Jasper nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah, we heard about that."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well one of the things she needed to do was stop the war and recall the troops which she did, but the Commander demanded that she repay Skaikru for the unprovoked attack on us. Cooper - my pardon, QUEEN Cooper ceded the whole state of Michigan - which Azgeda had annexed a few decades ago and was empty by the order of Queen Nia - to us."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Wait! Let me get this straight. Azgeda took over the whole state of Michigan at some point and then during the reign of the last queen, she ordered everyone to move out of it?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yup," Bruno said, grinning./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So what does that mean for us?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Michigan is now the new homeland of Skaikru. It's over 200 miles long and almost the same wide. That place is more than big enough for us! According to Cooper - and I'm using her name because she came up with this stuff before she was ever crowned queen - Michigan was an excellent farming state. Some crops were so good at growing there that they supplied nearly 80% of the country's food stuff."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""When do we move?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah, that's the problem. Within a week at most." He held up his hand as Jasper opened his mouth to object. "We know, but we only got the place a week ago. We came here as soon as we could after Clarke had written her orders. Farm station needs to move there and start planting. We need to get there as soon as possible to do planting so we have enough food to last us over winter."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""How far?" Bruno winced and Jasper knew it was not good./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Around 400 miles."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""400!" Jasper was on his feet. "Shit, Bruno, how are we supposed to move everyone there across that distance, walking all the way AND plant enough to feed us through winter?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know. That's why Clarke's still in Polis doing deals. Others have gone out to the known stations to tell them and to get them started towards our new homeland." Jasper sat back down. "Monty's mom was showing Monty one of the wagons you built. We have no idea if our horses can pull it or not, but if we can, we can take a few people and use the wagon to get there and start them off planting in the nearest good soil they can find. Clarke believes that this year will be basically stuffing people into places and next year there will be a lot of personnel movements to make sure each village has the right people in it to thrive. Each village will need farmers, healers, carpenters, builders, cloth makers, loggers, sentry guards, hunters and others I can't think of right now. Sterling took some people to Tesla station which is closer, but not by much. They will be going to the western side of Michigan. Farm to the eastern side to start planting as soon as possible."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We've started planting here," Jasper said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know, dad told me. I told him to get them to stop planting because we need the seeds for our new home."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Bruno pulled out a map and placed it on the table. As you can see, there are ten settlements tentatively placed. We need to find out if these places are viable for villages."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I recognise that handwriting," Jasper said. "Cooper did this."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She did. She did this as an exercise in figuring things out. She used Michigan solely because it was uninhabited. She checked for a source of freshwater, farm lands and other things I wasn't privy to. There's only two villages that'll be built inside an old city and that's villages 2 and 8."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Because they are the nearest places to the nearest Azgeda border and the river is only around 500 meters across. Now, Clarke trusts Cooper, she was one of us after all, and she wants to come back to us once she's sorted Azgeda out, so she is trying to fulfill Cooper's dream of our own lands. Villages 2 and 8 will mostly be defensive posts more than actual villages, but the others are going to be our new homes. There's roughly 30 miles between villages with a ten mile radius from each village centre to mark their own grounds. Only in that radius can the village expand, hunt and farm and do whatever else it needs to do to succeed. Outside of that is common land for travelling only. Clarke does not want people chopping down all the trees in their area and then going outside their village boundaries and doing the same to the rest of the state. We need to manage our lands and that includes not chopping down everything in sight, or picking all the food crops or hunting all the animals."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Wise." Jasper said, nodding along. He sat back down and sighed. He turned to Caleb./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Who do you think should go and start planting?" Caleb thought about it. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What about the Jessops, Palmers, and Brentfords?" Jasper was nodding along./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's what, eight people?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah, three Jessops, two Palmers and three Brentfords."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Will that be enough?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I have no idea. Monty may know if we can pull one of those wagons. We need him to finish this conversation." Jasper nodded./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Then let's go find him. I want to see my best friend again!" They all laughed and Jasper led the way back outside to find him./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36.00000000000001pt; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p