This Black Blood is Without End

Chapter 12 – Crash and Burn

Author's Note:

Buckle your seatbelts boys and girls! Things are about to get messy…

-FlyUpInSky

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Aden held very still under Lexa's hands as she brushed back his short, blond hair to better see the healing wound on his scalp. That morning had broken on a surprisingly warm day with not a cloud in sight, the first such day since they had landed on the ground, and the bright sun shone off of the reddish gold locks under her fingers. She released her hold on the boy, stepping back from him, and Aden immediately leapt to his feet, his body thrumming with excitement and anticipation.

"It looks even better than yesterday, right? So, I can come with you today?" he asked, blue eyes fixed confidently on hers. Lexa had not allowed Aden to leave the camp but for a few short hunting expeditions in the nearby woods, and he was clearly anxious not to be left behind any more. The cut on his scalp had not seemed terrible, but as a seasoned warrior, she knew better than to underestimate head wounds. It had been four days since the night they fought the Reapers in the woods, however, and the cut had scabbed nicely and the swelling completely disappeared, and Aden had reassured her frequently over the past few days that he wasn't suffering from any headaches or unusual side effects. Reluctantly, she had to agree that he was ready.

"I'm no healer, Aden, but yes, it looks to be healing nicely," she agreed, then added, "And I will need you with me these next couple days… If we do find Trigeda lands, or make contact with the man who helped us against the Reapers, then I want you there. Gather what you need and join us at the dropship. We're going to go over the plan with the others one more time before we leave."

The young Natblida gave a fierce, satisfied grin at this and hurried off to their shared tent without waiting for any further encouragement. She watched him go, quietly amused by his eagerness. If she were to be completely honest, Lexa was also eager to get going. Though they had been busy and working incredibly hard at the camp, it had still been a restless few days for both of them. With each day that passed without further attack from Reapers or any others, and with each new section of the camp's fortifications completed, Lexa had become more and more anxious to head back out and continue searching for any sign of the Clans. More than once she had considered sneaking away in the middle of the night again, but logic had argued against it. The priority had needed to be to focus first on preparing and securing the camp, building weapons, and on starting to train the Sky People to fight and hunt. With the wall and gate now finally complete and their training begun, it was time for Lexa and Aden to get back to trying to discover what was truly going on.

Learning the status of the Clans would be critical for their long term survival, she knew, and there were also her own duties and responsibility as the Commander to consider. With the Spirit hidden away in space all these years, she feared that the Entity had been allowed to exist unchecked and unrestrained, and there was no telling what damage it had done in her absence. This may be a strange new world, but she was still responsible for protecting humanity from its influence, and she couldn't do that by cowering behind the wooden walls that now surrounded the dropship.

The last time she and Aden had gone out into the forest together in search of answers, they had both nearly been killed. Had they been back among their birth clan, upon their victory and successful return, the whole village would have participated in a public ritual to celebrate the boy's first kill in battle. As it was, they had instead spent several fretful hours explaining what had happened in careful terms and convincing the young Sky People of what needed to be done to protect the camp, then collapsed into exhausted sleep. It was hardly the triumphant return that Aden had deserved after how well he had proven himself that night. Lexa wondered if she shouldn't take him aside later and perform a small part of the ritual in private. They may not truly be born of the Woods Clan in this world, but that didn't mean they needed to abandon everything they had known, valued, and believed in during their previous lives. A warrior's first kill in battle was a sacred thing, after all. In the eyes of the clans, Aden was now no longer a child, but a grown man with all the rights and responsibilities of an adult. It was a pivotal moment in the life of any young warrior, and she was proud of him for having accomplished it at such a young age.

When Lexa arrived at the dropship and climbed up its ramp, she found most of the team she had assembled the night before already waiting for her there. Their conversations broke off when they saw her enter, their eyes all turning to her expectantly. She scanned the gathered faces to see who was missing, coming up short by two people.

"Where's Miller?" she asked.

"He was on his way, should be here soon," someone said.

"And Wells?"

"Right behind you," he called, the sounds of his heavy footsteps loud on the metal ramp. Lexa turned, nodding to him in greeting as he joined them. Wells was not in fact coming with them on this mission, but would instead be in charge of watching over things back at the camp. He hadn't agreed to stay behind without a fight, however. They had spent almost an hour arguing about it the night before, but in the end she had finally succeeded in convincing him. The stubborn young man was still reluctant to let her out of his sight, and more than once Wells had brought up the fact that she had never fully explained why she and Aden had decided to search for Finn in the middle of the night, and why they had slipped away from camp to do so without telling anybody. If it weren't for Finn vouching for her and backing up her story, she doubted he would have believed them about the Reapers at all.

Aden and Miller walked in together a moment later, and Lexa moved to stand in the center of the dropship, turning in a slow circle so that she could carefully study each of the faces of those she had chosen. There was Miller, of course, quiet but confident, with an almost cocky, mischievous air about him. He was smart and had been dependable so far, but she didn't doubt that he had been a highly successful troublemaker back on the Ark. Jones, who was large and athletic, his black hair shaved down to the barest of stubbles. Though not as trustworthy as she would have liked, he was one of the largest, oldest, and most powerful of the teens that had come down on the dropship, and with an axe in his hand and some more training, he would be downright terrifying in battle someday. Atom was also tall and well-muscled, though not as much as Jones. This, along with his serious and more thoughtful nature, had all but guaranteed him a place on this mission. His levelheadedness and calming influence on the others might come in handy when, and if, they succeeded in making contact with Trikru.

Lexa had wanted to bring the girl Harper along, but in the end had decided instead to leave her at camp with Wells. Thought she was gaining confidence and ability every day, the girl was not yet much of a fighter. Her smarts, cleverness and problem solving skills would be of better use to Wells and the rest of the camp. Instead, Lexa had chosen a different girl named Monroe. She was a short but athletic looking young woman with intense, serious eyes and hair that was carefully braided back and away from her face, and she had earlier shown some true natural ability with a sword. Monroe had a surface confidence that seemed promising, but Lexa also sensed an undercurrent of deep uncertainty and fear in her, and she wasn't yet completely sure how the girl would handle herself under stress. That was true for almost all of them, however. If they did run into Reapers on this mission, the bravery of each and every one of them would be sorely tested. There was simply no telling how any of these young Sky People would perform when put to the test. Either they would prove themselves to be survivors, or they would not, in which case they would not last long as castaways on the surface of this dangerous world, no matter what Lexa did.

And of course, Finn Collins was also there. Despite the fact that he still refused to carry a weapon, she had decided early on to bring him with for two reasons. First, because this was meant to be a peace mission, and he was easily the most peace-minded among them, and second, because she wasn't sure she could keep him from coming even if she tried. Something Anya had taught her early on about leadership had always stuck with her, and it was very true in this case: never publicly issue an order that you knew couldn't, or wouldn't, be followed. It only made you look weak when the order was inevitably broken, and weakness was not a trait that people suffered long in their leaders.

Altogether, herself and Aden included, the group now numbered seven. It was a carefully chosen number. Too many, and they might appear to be invaders or a raiding party. Too few, and they would not be able to defend themselves against attack. Even with her and Aden's superior fighting abilities, these five Sky People would need to be enough to help them if they got into trouble, whether it be with Reapers or anyone else.

"I spoke with each of you last night, so I know most of you understand what the purpose of our mission is today, but let me again make myself clear," Lexa began, her voice dropping into a low growl at the end, and the group collectively froze, their eyes now rapt on her face.

"This is a peace mission… We are not looking to pick a fight with any of the people who are already living here on the ground. Finn has told you all the story of the man who helped us several nights ago. It is my hope that there are more of his people, and that they might also be willing to help us. If we are to survive here on the ground, then we cannot do it alone. If there are other survivors, then we need them to be our friends and allies, not our enemies. Is there anyone here who does not agree with what I have just said?"

Dead silence greeted her question, several people shaking their heads nervously, and Finn smirked back at her irreverently when she met his eyes.

"Good. Let's go over the plan, then. Aden, the map please."

Aden pulled out the old topographical map that had been sent down with them in the meager supplies aboard the dropship, spreading it out on the floor for all to see. The Chancellor had intended for them to use it to find Mount Weather, and it had taken some work to convince Wells to hand it over to her. Lexa briefed each of them on their planned route, one that would take them further into what she had known before to be Trigeda lands. The trip would take two full days and one night if all went according to plan. Rather than a specific destination like the village she and Aden had visited previously, this mission took them in a carefully chosen arc away from the Mountain before returning to the dropship. With any luck, they would find a different village where people still lived, or maybe a small trading post, though at this point she would just be happy to find any signs of life that wasn't Reapers.

Once everyone seemed to understand their mission and their route, Lexa had Aden fold up the map and put it in her pack for safe keeping. After checking over everyone's equipment and weapons, to include what small amount of extra food they were able to bring with them, she ordered them to meet at the gate and be ready to depart in the next few minutes.

"Are you sure about this?" Wells asked her once the last of them had shuffled out of the dropship, joining her in the doorway at the top of the ramp. "If there are people already living out there, they might as well kill us as help us. Wouldn't it be better to wait for the rest of the Ark to come down first? We're only a hundred people right now… If they find out we're here, and then decide we are their enemies, they could easily wipe us out before help arrives."

It was an astute observation, and a politically sound one as well. In general, even when seeking peace it was still always preferable to negotiate from a position of strength, and one hundred kids with a handful of crude weapons and no real military training to speak of hardly projected strength.

"Perhaps," she agreed, "But remember, in all likelihood, whoever it was that helped us has already informed his people that we are here. In that case, isn't it better to be the ones who initiate first contact? Better we control how and when we meet these people, and with a small, carefully chosen group, rather than risk the whole camp when they finally decide to come and check us out themselves."

"I suppose you're right," Wells grudgingly agreed, frowning into the distance.

"Besides, Wells," she added, a note of dry humor in her voice, the smallest of smiles turning up one corner of her mouth, "We will have the great peacemaker himself, Finn Collins, along with us… What could possibly go wrong?"

He laughed, his white teeth flashing as he smiled broadly, dark brown eyes twinkling with shared amusement as he glanced over at her.

"I'm glad the Spacewalker's going with you, Black, and not staying back here with me… I don't know why you're bringing that idiot along, though. You don't really trust him, do you? You know he'll just do something reckless. His stupid stunt on the Ark cost us over three months of oxygen… I don't care if he was only seventeen, my father should have floated him right away for that."

Lexa frowned, searching her few memories of the Ark. Suddenly, new knowledge of what he spoke of began to fill her, flooding into her mind as though released from someplace deep within. This was what always seemed to happen. Whenever she purposefully tried to remember something from her life as Lexa Black, the memories often wouldn't come on their own. Then, someone would say or do something that triggered a memory, and suddenly she would be filled with new knowledge that hadn't been there before. It was incredibly frustrating, but Lexa was beginning to get used to the sensation. Actively trying to remember didn't seem to work, so all she could do was hope that important memories would continue to become available to her when she needed them.

"If you're worried about me trusting him, then don't be," she told him dismissively, "I can handle Finn. You just worry about taking care of the camp while I'm gone."

Wells grunted in agreement.

"Any other last words of wisdom before you leave, oh fearless leader?" he asked sarcastically, though his tone was friendly and teasing. She thought she detected the faintest hint of anxiety as well, however, and Lexa sensed that he was not as confident about running things without her as he let on.

"Yes," she said, her eyes following the dark, lean figure of Murphy as he passed by, his eyes shooting daggers of hatred in their direction before he moved out of sight. The bitter young man still wore mottled green and brown bruises on his neck and the side of his face, embarrassing reminders no doubt of how totally she had humiliated him on their second day on the ground.

"Be careful with Murphy while I'm gone… The only one he hates more than me right now is you, and I won't be here this time if he decides to come after you. It's not just him, either. There are still a few sympathetic ears that listen to what he has to say, and he's not the only one who resents you for being the Chancellor's son."

He looked troubled at this, apprehension now clear on his face. The warning had needed to be said, however. The problem with beating someone into submission was that the moment they healed, you could never again trust that person at your back. Murphy would need to be dealt with eventually. He was too much of a wildcard to leave as he was, but that was a problem for another day. In the meantime, hopefully Wells would stay alert and nothing catastrophic would happen during the two days she was gone.

"You be careful out there too, Black," Wells said after a moment, his face serious. "I still don't trust you, and you can be, like, seriously scary sometimes, but… this camp needs you. Try to get back in one piece, okay?"

Lexa nodded once, just the slightest upward tilt of her chin, a bit touched by his sentiment despite herself. He had been trying to act tough since the moment they landed, she knew, but it wasn't who he truly was. Inside, he was a gentle, trusting soul who only wanted to do what was right for his people. Suddenly, Lexa was worried about what would become of this young man, not just in the next few days, but in the long run as well. Would his pureness of heart be able to survive for long on the ground, or would it eventually be taken from him, destroyed by the harsh realities of what it took to survive in this world? She never again wanted to see the level of broken despair she had seen in Clarke's eyes in Polis, the day she held a knife to her throat, her eyes filled with tears.

"I'll be fine, Wells," she reassured him confidently, not letting her internal thoughts show. "I'll see you in two days. Keep everyone close to camp while we're gone… There's no telling what kind of hornets' nest we might kick up out there. If we aren't back in two days… just wait longer."

He laughed humorlessly, and with that final bit of advice, Lexa strode down the ramp, heading for the front gate where she could see that her team now waited for her. As she approached, she saw four other people enter the camp, a heavy burden slung from a large branch between them. It was that morning's hunting party, returned early with some obvious success. People were emerging from their tents and hustling over to see what they had managed to kill, and voices rose in excitement as she neared.

"What is it?" Lexa asked Finn, coming to stand next to him.

"Looks like those spear-throwers finally worked! They surprised a deer and managed to injure it… I guess they had to chase the poor thing for a while before they could kill it, though," he told her, an odd mix of excitement and sympathy coloring his voice.

"Good, they're getting better," Lexa replied, then frowned, a new thought occurring to her, "Just how far did they have to chase it?"

"I don't know… they didn't say. Why?"

She shook her head and began walking to meet the victorious hunting party that was now surrounded by curious teenagers, not bothering to answer him. She only made it several strides, however, before Aden's thin voice raised in alarm made her abruptly stop and turn, her hand reaching for her sword by reflex.

"Heda!" he shouted again, even louder this time, and her eyes found him standing near the still wide-open front gate just as her sword cleared its sheath. He was not looking at her, she saw, but was instead focused on the woods beyond the camp, and her own eyes shifted to follow the line of his gaze, her breath escaping her in a startled hiss when she saw the dark, menacing figure that now stood just outside the camp's entrance. In a flash, she covered the distance between her and Aden, sprinting to stand beside him. He clutched one of the long, well-fashioned spears they had taken from the dead Reapers, and together they stood with their weapons ready, facing the man who had just emerged from the wilderness beyond. Inside the camp, she could hear the young Sky People beginning to notice what was happening, a ripple of panicked noises spreading behind her as they reacted to the man's unexpected presence with variations of surprise and alarm.

Lexa was about to shout over her shoulder for them to be quiet and remain calm, but she froze when the masked man took a step towards them, his hands open and unthreatening at his sides. Her eyes met his, and she was surprised by how familiar they were. Was this him, then, as she had earlier suspected? Until he spoke or removed his mask, it would be impossible to know for sure.

"They're coming," the man said, his voice so low it was almost a growl, and now she knew for sure that it was indeed Lincoln, though his words were ominous enough that she didn't feel any relief at the realization.

Lexa was opening her mouth to ask him who was coming when she heard them, the hairs rising on the back of her neck, her eyes widening in horrified understanding as a feral howling filled the dark forest beyond.

Reapers!

She spun, not caring now that she was putting her exposed back to the Trikru warrior. The young faces of the gathered Sky People were wide and scared, those who were nearest having heard the words Lincoln had spoken, and all of them now able to hear the inhuman shouts of the approaching Reapers. In a matter of seconds, the previously rowdy, cheerful camp had become deadly silent, and her voice easily rose to reach everyone now standing out in the open.

"Close the gate!" she shouted. Then, when the young people failed to move immediately, but instead only stared back at her in shock, she added in an angry snarl that fairly crackled with energy, "Now, damn you! Unless you want to die, close the gate now!"

The howling outside grew in volume, and this combined with her shouts finally roused the stunned teens into action. Miller, Finn, and several others all leapt forward, throwing their combined strength against the heavy, awkward weight of the wooden gate. Others dropped what they were doing and scrambled to grab their weapons, confusion and fear thick in the air, the prized deer the hunting party had brought back now left abandoned in the mud.

Lexa turned back to Lincoln as soon as she saw that the others were starting to move.

"You, come inside, quick!" she ordered. She saw him hesitate, his body tensing as though he thought to flee entirely and leave them to their fate, but then the sound of the attacking Reapers grew even louder, and their eyes met in shared understanding. As close as they were, there was no way he would get away in time. Whatever his reasons for warning them had been, his best chance at survival was now inside the camp along with them.

Lincoln stepped through the closing gate just as the first wave of Reapers broke from the shadows of the trees behind him. He joined her and Aden, pulling his two swords free from his back, the three of them forming a line in front of the slowly narrowing gap of the still closing gate. It was a heavy, ponderous thing, its hinges rudely fashioned from dropship debris. When closed and barred, it made a formidable defense, but its crude construction meant that it was terribly difficult to move quickly. All of this was happening so fast, just a matter of seconds between when Lincoln had first spoke and now, and Lexa saw that they were already out of time. They were too close, and they had been too slow…

The gate wasn't going to close in time.

The first Reaper tore through the narrowing gap, his savage face and beard painted red with blood, eyes crazed with an unnatural hunger. He was so fast that Lexa only had time to give a quick warning shout, but it didn't save the young man pushing on the end of the gate nearest the opening. As soon as the Reaper leapt through, he turned and slashed with his large, hacked off blade, the jagged weapon slicing across the boy's chest with a spray of blood and gore. The young man tumbled backwards, and the people who had been pushing next to him screamed and reeled back in terror as the Reaper raised his arm for another strike. His second swing never landed, however, as Lexa's own sword flashed, crashing down on his arm and almost severing it completely at the elbow. The man shouted in pain and anger, his mangled arm hanging limp and bleeding, but his cries were almost immediately silenced when one of Lincoln's swords found his neck, slicing it open and killing him instantly.

Two more Reapers leapt through the opening his falling body created, and she, Lincoln and Aden quickly cut them down before they could turn on anyone else. As they fell, she caught a glimpse of just how many more were coming through the trees.

Spirits, there must be more than twenty of them!

"Finn!" she shouted, seeing him hugging the wall with the others who had been forced to abandon the gate, desperate fear on their faces as they watched the violence erupt among them. The young man who had taken the blow from the first Reaper's sword was now dying in the mud at their feet, his moans and screams of pain filling their ears with the hellish ballad that was the song of war, sung just as it had always been sung since the dawn of man.

"Finn, get them back on the gate! We need to close the gate!"

Lexa turned her attention back to the fight just in time, ducking a blow aimed at her head and stepping in to impale the savage man who had just tried to kill her. She and Lincoln were now forming the center of the fight at the gap, and Aden was now behind them and using the length of his spear to its proper advantage, darting forward to stab at the exposed Reapers whenever the opportunity presented itself. Five Reapers now lay dead or dying, their bodies partially blocking the narrow opening, but more were pushing their way through, and those on the other side were now pressing against the gate, their efforts slowly widening the gap even more.

If they get it all the way open, the camp will fall, Lexa thought, a chill anger filling her mind at the thought. She let the cold, deadly clarity fill her mind, taking her over from within, allowing her to do what needed to be done to survive. Conversely, her body felt hot and alive, the thrill of battle pulsing through her veins like liquid fire, adrenaline and heart pumping. She had fought many battles, and come close to death many times, but the combined terror and ecstasy of it was always the same.

Another, then another Reaper confronted her, each one coming more quickly than the last. In her peripheral vision, she could see Finn attempting to rally his comrades back to the gate. Soon, however, she was too consumed with her own immediate survival to be able to pay them any mind. They must hold the gap as best they could until the gate was closed. If too many Reapers made it inside, the walls of the camp would quickly become a trap from which they couldn't escape, and it would turn into a bloodbath.

Lexa chopped down with her sword two-handed, the blow crushing the skull of the Reaper in front of her, her teeth bared in a fierce snarl as his blood sprayed outwards like the red wings of a gruesome butterfly.

Finn better hurry up and close that damn gate!

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"Come on, hurry! Keep pushing!" Finn shouted, shoving at the shoulders of the two people directly next to him, pressing them back towards the gate. Miller and one other joined them, and soon they were all working together to push the gate closed. It wasn't budging, however, and he quickly realized why. The men outside were also pushing on the gate, and they were bigger, stronger, and had greater numbers. They needed more people, and he looked around frantically for help, dismayed when he saw no one else nearby.

Where the hell did everyone go?! He wondered, his growing fear a heavy knot in his stomach, sweat pouring down his skin from the combine exertion and terror.

Everything had happened so quickly. Lexa, Aden, and the unknown stranger from the forest were viciously hacking down the enemy as they streamed through the opening, but as he watched he saw one, then yet another slip past, the three defenders overwhelmed by their numbers and not able to stop them all. One of them turned towards Finn and the others manning the gate, his weapon raised, but suddenly Jones was there between them, the large boy bellowing like a maniac as he swung his axe at the savage about to attack them. The monstrous man was even more surprised by Jones' arrival than Finn was, and the axe took him directly in the side, a scream of pain peeling his lips back from his gums in a grotesque caricature of a smile. It was not only Jones who was now joining the fight, he realized, but several others as well. Atom was there, stabbing somewhat awkwardly with his spear, and Monroe as well, her sword clutched in white-knuckled fear as she nevertheless darted forward to slash at the exposed back of one of the attackers fighting the Blacks.

More were coming now from within the camp, he saw, gripping makeshift weapons that had been hastily fashioned over the past few days, and Finn shouted and waved his arms, trying to get their attention.

"The gate! Help us close the gate!"

Several people saw and heard him, and with relief he watched as they moved to join him and the others in their efforts. His relief was short lived, however, as the heavy wood under his hands suddenly gave a mighty heave, shoving him and the others backwards, their feet slipping momentarily on the muddy earth beneath them. A large group of attackers spilled through the widened gap in a sudden rush, then the gate lurched again as more joined on his side. Finn and the people to his left and right shouted and swore in unison, pushing with all their might against the stubborn gate and those still trying to open it from the outside, desperation and fear fueling them to greater strength, and with a loud thump the gate finally slammed shut.

Outside the camp, angry howling rose in the air once more, the savage men furious at being denied access to their prey. Within the walls, the battle raged on.

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"Aden, stay with me!"

Lexa slashed and hacked her way back to the boy's side, chaos and confusion now reigning within the walls of the camp. The gate had been closed moments before, it was true, but not before a large group of Reapers had managed to force themselves inside. She, Lincoln and Aden had been split apart in the onrushing wave of attackers, and she now struggled to stay near the boy, sudden fear for him replacing the cold anger which had filled her up until now. Two Reapers stepped between her and her path to Aden, and she parried their attacks automatically, her arms and body aching with fatigue as she twisted and dodged their strikes with growing desperation. She stabbed one of them in the upper thigh, then pulled free and backpedaled to avoid being skewered on the spear of the second man.

There were too many surrounding them, too many inside the gates. Lincoln was a whirlwind of death several feet away, his two swords dealing deadly strikes with every blow, but even he was beginning to get overwhelmed. Lexa didn't have time to appreciate his fighting skill for long, however, as she was forced on the defensive again.

Just when she began to think she might actually die here, despite them having succeeded in holding the Reapers off until the gate was closed, more Sky People joined the fight alongside them. They fought bravely, though not with much skill, and some of them died just as bravely. However, they did not die entirely in vain.

Slowly, the battle shifted in their favor. The remaining Reapers bunched together, fear now growing on their faces as they realized that it was they who were now trapped. Lexa felt a fierce, savage joy fill her as she realized that they were about to win this fight, and she leapt forward, a renewed energy suffusing her limbs now that victory was within reach. The man she targeted stepped forward to meet her, crouched and ready for her attack despite the panic growing on his face.

It was in that moment that it happened. Something small and hard crashed into her from behind, knocking the breath from her lungs. Lexa stumbled, surprised, her mind immediately flashing back to the last time she had been struck from behind unexpectedly… The last time her breath had been suddenly stolen from her. Horrified, eyes becoming unfocused as the terrible memories of her death at Titus' hands sought to completely overtake her, Lexa waited for the pain to explode in her chest… Waited for the outward spray of blood as the bullet left her body…

It never came. Instead, her breath returned, and she lifted her stunned eyes just in time to see the crouched Reaper before her lunge forward, his sword aimed for her chest. He never made it, however, as the spear of a young woman whose name she didn't know pierced him from behind, bringing him to his knees in front of her, his eyes wide and mouth gaping open in pain and shock. She was also on her knees, she realized abruptly, not able to remember having lost her feet. She was therefore able to watch the life fade from the Reaper's eyes from not a foot away, his weapon falling useless to the dirt in front of her. Taking in a shaky breath, Lexa climbed back to her feet, eyes searching for her next enemy, only to see that there were none.

The Reapers within the walls were dead, their bodies hacked and bloody in the mud, stacked in heaps before the closed gate and scattered like fallen leaves between the walls and the nearest ring of tents. The other Reapers were still locked outside, their angry shouts and growls fading as they melted further into the woods, retreating for now, it seemed. This part of the battle, at least, was won.

A stunned silence filled the camp, the moans of the dying and the panting breaths of those who survived the only sounds. There were nearly fifteen dead or dying Reapers within the walls, more than half the total number that had attacked, and after a quick visual count, Lexa was shocked to see that only four Sky People also lay unmoving and bloody on the ground, though many more were injured. So few, considering what they had faced, and yet, their deaths were a terrible blow regardless. They were young, foolishly brave, and they had won… and yet, war was never the pretty victories that were told in stories and sung in songs. Even in winning there was still sadness. However, there would be time enough to mourn those they had lost later, she knew.

She turned to face the Sky People who had joined in the fight, as well as those who had succeeded in securing the gate. They gazed back at her, their faces wild and flushed with the delirious joy of knowing that they had just survived. Raising her bloody sword high above her, Lexa tilted her head back and shouted their victory into the sky, and dozens of voices soon joined hers, their bloody hands and faces raised together defiantly towards the heavens above.

Many miles above them on the Ark, surrounded by the cold, uncaring blackness of space, four more squares on a large viewing screen within Earth Monitoring blinked and went dark, their signals silenced forever in death.

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"What is it, Anya?" Raven asked, seeing the strange stillness that came over the woman. She'd just finished the last of the pre-launch checks and was about to don her spacesuit, and as that was generally a two person job, she'd asked the other woman to make herself useful and help her. Anya was still staring at her datapad, however, a blank expression on her face.

"Anya?" she prompted again, a bit alarmed by her unusual behavior. The older women looked up, her serious eyes meeting hers.

"They've started dying again," she said, and Raven didn't need her to explain who she meant by "they".

"Who? How many?" she asked, dreading as always that Finn might be one of them. Wouldn't it be just her luck to come all this way, to be mere minutes from launch, only to learn that her boyfriend had just died on the surface?

"I don't know, the message doesn't say, but an emergency Council meeting has already been scheduled. There was already a lot of pressure to act before, despite Jaha's reassurances that the ground would soon be proven safe, but with these new deaths added to it… They might be just enough to tip the balance. They'll call for a vote on the population reductions, I'm sure of it, and at this point I think the majority will carry."

Raven let out a breath. They just couldn't catch a damn break. First, Anya tells her that they need to launch early or they might all be arrested. Now, there was even more pressure for her to act quickly to regain contact with the Ark when, and if, she even made it to the ground, or else hundreds of people could be killed for no reason.

"Well, I guess I better get my ass moving then. This pod isn't going to launch itself."

Moving quickly but methodically, directing Anya to help her as needed, Raven pulled on her spacesuit, fingers brushing the sown on raven and four leaf clover patches on either shoulder for luck, just as she always did before a spacewalk. This was no different from any other mission she had done, she kept telling herself, though she knew it was a lie. Currently, Raven put her odds of dying in a fiery explosion at around fifty percent, and her odds of landing safely at right around twenty-five percent… The missing one fourth was for any other as yet unforeseen, horrible outcome that didn't result in her dying immediately. Stranded in a dead escape pod in space until she died from oxygen deprivation, for example, or going off course and landing in the ocean, then either drowning or slowly starving to death. The terrifying possibilities were truly endless.

Maybe I should make the odds of a safe landing only ten percent, and bump up the horrible unknowns to forty percent… You know, just so I'm prepared when it actually happens.

When she was ready, Raven did one last cursory check of the pod and its contents, checking the watch strapped to the outside of the wrist of her suit to make sure they were still on time. To pull this off successfully, she was required to meet a very specific launch window, and missing that window by even a couple minutes could spell disaster. Not for her, necessarily, but certainly for Anya and anyone else involved. The pod had enough range and fuel to get her safely to her targeted landing zone even if she missed her window by as much as an hour, but Sinclair had only programmed a blind spot in the Arks outer monitoring systems for a specific timeframe, and the natural rotation of the Ark at this time also limited the chance someone would be able to see the launch with their naked eye. If she launched too early or too late, everyone and their cousin would see an escape pod leaving Polaris. Anya would not go free for long after that, and neither would Sinclair, in all likelihood.

Once Raven was strapped in, the politician stepped over to her, standing next to her by the pod's hatch doorway and handing over her helmet. She also held a small case in her hands, and Raven eyed it with curiosity as she reached past her to strap it down along with the long-range communications equipment taking up the rest of the free space.

"A little something for Lexa," Anya explained, "Can you make sure she gets it? If you can't find her, then give it to Aden instead. He's her brother. Cute kid, blond, precocious as hell… Can't miss him."

"Wait… Her brother? How is that possible?" Raven asked, but the infuriating woman didn't answer, just smiled mysteriously.

"Fine, don't answer. It's not like I'm risking my life for you and your crazy plan or anything," she grumbled, but this only made Anya's satisfied smirk grow larger.

"What is it, then?" she asked, tapping the case with a gloved hand.

Anya seemed to hesitate before answering, then shrugged elegantly, giving one of her patented non-answers.

"I'm sure you'll open it before you give it to her… Don't pretend that you won't."

"Probably," Raven had to agree, not able to stop the mischievous grin that formed on her own face. It was true, of course, and it was a little disconcerting how well Anya seemed to understand her after not even a full week of knowing each other.

Ah hell, she thought, troubled by the realization, this crazy politician sure is a pain in the ass, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to miss her just a little bit…

What a strange thought! As if to confuse her further, Anya's sly smile dropped from her face, her eyes frowning down at her with more than a hint of true concern.

"I won't ask you again if you're sure you want to do this, Raven, because I know what your answer is going to be, so just… be careful down there, okay?"

Raven nodded, swallowing back her own emotions now clawing at her throat. Good God, what was with all this sappy crap all of the sudden? The only thing stranger than a scared Anya was perhaps a sensitive, caring one…

She was a bit relieved, therefore, when Anya's face returned to a dangerous scowl, and she added, "And when you see my assistant, tell her she's in deep shit… Oh, and also, she's been fired."

Raven laughed, raising an eyebrow.

"Really, Anya? You've fired her? Doesn't that seem a bit, I don't know… petty?"

"It's not petty. It's necessary. If you succeed in getting that radio up and running…"

"If?" she interrupted indignantly.

"… then soon enough everyone will know that Lexa Black is on the surface, and has been since the beginning. I need to be able to distance myself from her, or no one will believe I didn't know. So, as far as my personal records and the rest of the Ark are concerned, Ms. Black was exhibiting a pattern of erratic behavior, and for her own health, I was forced to remove her from her position as my assistant. Obviously, this must have caused her some distress, which perhaps contributed to her deciding to stow away onboard the dropship… Which I clearly knew nothing about, as I haven't heard from her since I fired her… Plausible deniability, you understand."

Raven shook her head, not sure if she was impressed or disgusted by the way the other woman's mind worked. She had to hand it to her, Anya knew how to tie up loose ends.

She glanced at her watch again. It was time to put her helmet on and seal the hatch. There was roughly ten minutes to launch, and it would take at least a couple of those to run up the escape pod's primary systems.

Anya's datapad chimed, and she checked in briskly.

"Sinclair says we are still a go. Launch window remains the same."

The young mechanic nodded, reaching to pull her helmet on.

"Wait," Anya said, placing a hand on her arm to stop her, then taking the helmet from her hands. Raven looked over at her in confusion, a questioning look on her face. The other woman stepped in close, lifting the helmet over her head and holding it there, clearly intending to put it on for her.

"Fly safe, little blackbird," she murmured, that damn, dangerous smile on her lips. Then, much to Raven's surprise, the other woman abruptly leaned forward and kissed her right on the lips.

It was a quick, fierce kiss that was over almost as soon as it began, and was so unexpected and fast that Raven didn't even have time to react. The moment it ended, Anya pulled her helmet down over her head, laughing as the younger woman stared back at her through the glass visor in dumbfounded silence, her eyes wide with shock.

"For luck!" she explained with a wink, stepping back and pulling the hatch door down, sealing Raven inside.

Several minutes later, timed perfectly down to the very second Sinclair had given her, the Polaris escape pod launched soundlessly into the void of space. If someone had looked out a certain small viewport window, they might have seen the thin flashes of light and fire against the blue, green and white backdrop of the planet as it tore through the outer atmosphere, but no one did, and the pod soon disappeared from sight.

High above, the Ark of humanity continued on its predictable, endless orbit, the people as of yet unaware that yet another of their own had, finally, returned home.