Linx007: Fast turnaround last time, slow this time. Lol.
LadyLozz97: Yeah, I'm not going to be spending a huge amount of time on trial scenes, just enough to display…well, exactly what you said I was trying to hahaha. I can try to provide more internal monologue stuff, just don't wanna overdue it lol. Finn isn't quite that stupid yet, he's cunning enough not to do something openly when warned expressly against it. He will be dealt with soon, though, he just annoys me.
VileniaVeladorn: Don't be deceived, she is just playing the part and bidding her time
To everyone wondering about the harem members that haven't actually been taken, that is coming soon. How soon I can't say for sure, but soon. Octavia is a unique case, as her first time is based around an utterly pivotal plot point!
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Nothing Is True (Save For The Blood We've Shed)
Chapter 21
A Game is Afoot
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"I still can't believe that you never noticed! How many times have we all bathed together, and you somehow never once spotted it?" Ontari's expression and tone were incredulous and amused in equal parts, and Octavia scowled in embarrassment.
"I've no fucking clue dammit, but I wish I had known! I was a total bitch to Raven just because I didn't have all of the pertinent information. And yes, I know I could have investigated and discovered the missing information before yelling at her, and I should have." The Centurion scowled, idly spinning her blade in her hand as she watched Fox's group receive some fitness advice from Lincoln's family and the four Assassins. "Any word from Galina yet?"
"Nothing beyond what we already knew: that despite how much praise Nia is heaping upon the reforms and how much dedication and effort she is putting into the trials, her forces are still preparing for battle." Her Grounder compatriot replied with a shaken head and a frown. "It won't be much longer before we find ourselves in war once more. Especially once the pregnancies are officially announced and the Empire formed."
At that Octavia could only nod, for as happy as the general public would be to know Wanheda had two children on the way (one with the Heda herself, no less!), their enemies would feel quite the opposite. Those children would represent a direct, definitive threat to their plans for coups, mass murder, and God only knew what else.
"Incoming." Ontari murmured softly, and she refocused on her surroundings to see Sydney and Shumay approaching at the stomp with Bellamy on their heels like a loyal dog. It was disgusting and depressing both. "Looks like they're trying to apply their 'leadership' on your friends. Shall we?"
"After you, my friend!" Octavia smirked, gesturing for her closest Ground friend to join her as she strode towards the now-arguing group of Arkers.
"You are citizens of The Ark, and as the ranking representative of The Council, I am in charge! You obey me, not one of these…people! Stop messing about and get back to the Palace, immediately!" Sydney was growling at the defiant teens, her temper well and truly lost, as the pair entered earshot. These people stiffened and glared at the insult inherent in her words and tone while Fox's group simply prepared to escalate the argument further.
"Whatever authority you might have possessed in the sky, you have no such thing here, nor does anyone else from your Council! Do not forget where you are and by whom you are surrounded for a thousand miles!" Ontari rebuked harshly, the Grounders in the vicinity saluting her and her partner immediately upon their arrival. "This city, this planet, belong to domina Clarke, Empress of Mankind. She has claimed it through strength of body and wisdom of mind, claims that you could not hope to match in ten thousand years."
"The fact that Fox's group brought themselves here and requested extra training of their own volition speaks well of them. Every member of the 100, and indeed any Arker that returns to the homeworld, will be required to learn skills that will aid Humanity. There will be no welfare for the healthy yet unmotivated in the Empire." Octavia added sternly, sheathing her sword fluidly but with an eye-drawing flourish. "Fighting, farming, weaving…it doesn't matter. Everyone able shall work, no one shall live of the toils of others without a very specific set of circumstances."
"For now, however, we will permit you to lead the girls back to the Palace. Her Majesty will see all of you within the hour to present your options of service to you." Ontari finished, waving negligently in the two adults' direction. She delighted in watching their reactions to the not so subtle dismissal and the insult therein. She had never been one for this sort of political talk, thinly veiled insults and mockery behind smiles and bows, but by the Maker was it entertaining!
"Remind me why we haven't just killed the pair of them yet?" Octavia grumbled before sighing and answering her own question. "Because Clarke has a cunning, devastatingly brilliant plan, of course. When doesn't she?"
Ontari snorted in amused agreement as they started to amble after the power-walking adults and the teens trailing behind them. It amazing the Grounders (and the former Arkers) just how arrogant and childish the two so-called authority figures' had been in the 48 hours since their arrival and discovery that everything on Earth wasn't what their soap-bubble dreams had desired. It was a small wonder that Clarke and her friends were eager to cast off their so-called leadership as soon as possible.
Several members of The 100 had managed to make fools of themselves over those two days, though no one had crossed any red lines. Most of the incidents had been foolishness over the cultural and societal 'flaws' they had perceived on the ground. In fairness, they were not dissimilar from the comments the original trio had made, especially in reference to slavery.
The others had acted somewhat arrogantly, assuming their nature as Arkers like the first wave made them superior and higher-ranking than the people on the ground. Fortunately, the Grounders seemed more amused than insulted by their antics. In fact, it was becoming something of a competition amongst the tribals inhabiting Avalon to see who had the most absurd encounter with the Sky Children.
"Good, now you're all here." Clarke smiled as they entered the throne room, Ontari and Octavia taking their respective places. "As Octavia told you, everyone in the incumbent Empire must serve a purpose to some degree. The military is, of course, always available to either gender. Farming, mechanical work, hunting, law enforcement, teaching…everything except politics. None of you have the knowledge or experience necessary for that."
Lexa leaned over and murmured something, causing Clarke to nod and look at Charlotte, the youngest member of the 100.
"Given your youth, Charlotte, you will be assigned to something else safe and simple. Not to say you are incapable, of course, but the fact that a ten year old was sent down into an unknown situation is appalling enough. I'll not compound that disgraceful decision by putting you in a field that would endanger you." She said kindly, getting a tentative nod from the preteen. The next half hour was spent explaining the basics of the various fields to her fellow teens. Fox's group led the proverbial charge into the military, several opted for law enforcement once Bellamy expressed interest, and the rest spread out through other, more pedestrian options.
Sydney and Shumay remained silent and unaddressed the entire time, and the whole room was shocked deeply when Shumay was named commander of the Palace garrison force. Of course, in reality he was in command of a few dozen highly trusted individuals who would be watching his every move, in addition to the ever-watchful eyes of the AI. Clarke, cunning plotter that she was, had had the brilliant idea to use him as a cat's paw. His discontent with the current status quo would make itself clear and Nia would approach him. His inevitable treachery, capture, and interrogation would allow the blonde Empress to remove him and provide an excuse to destroy the Ice Nation in one fell swoop.
She really was becoming quite good at this sort of thing, she reflected to herself in wry amusement. Plotting weeks, months, even years in advance in order to strengthen her position and secure Humanity's future. It was a trifle cold, perhaps, to play such games and risk countless people's lives, but she had to take significant measures to ensure the best possible result. Besides, she had such an absurd advantage that the risks were far more minor that an outsider would believe.
"Those of you who opted for military or law enforcement, I leave you in the superbly capable hands of Ontari. She is one of my most capable and trusted officers, and quite possibly the most skilled swordswoman of her age group and several others beside. Heed her advice and you will become more than skilled enough to succeed in your goals. Octavia will be assisting her from time to time, but Ontari will be your primary instructor." She assured them with a confident smirk, reclining easily on her golden throne. "Civilian fields will have their own, path-specific instructors, and all of you will be attending socio-cultural lessons after your path-specific lessons."
Finn scowled from his place in the center of the group at the idea of having to listen to what was obviously a slave, even if the collar she wore indicated that she was a supremely valuable one. He hadn't gotten any pussy since landing here, despite the loose morals and looser loincloths of the savage Grounders. Every girl he had tried to charm outside the 100 had either ignored him or literally laughed in his face, while the Arker girls just ignored him and eyed up the Ground men. When he witnessed Grounder males (and females, for that matter) having fine specimens throw themselves of at them, he had quickly and accurately deduced that they were productive or impressive members of society, while he was seen as a useless child. If he wanted to get what he deserved, he was going to have to earn it or take it, and despite his arrogant narcissism he wasn't stupid enough to think that he could survive taking it. He would have done so already if he could, there were enough slaves around that he could toss a stone backwards out a window and hit a pretty one.
So, he had elected for the military path. He had briefly considered law enforcement (Bend over or its jail, bitch!) but he had ultimately decided to be a warrior. He already knew important or impressive soldiers got more women, sometimes even at the same time. All he had to do was train, kill a few bandits, and retire to Bonetown. Get a nice stable of bitches and breed them as he pleased.
Speaking of which, he was going to try and get Raven. She must have let herself get fucked by some punk who flexed and flashed a scar or two. The baby would have to go once it was born, he didn't want her to waste time with any brats but the ones he fucked into her, but the ground had done great things for her body. Hopefully, he could seduce Clarke as well, Emperor Finn had a nice ring to it.
"Be about your duties, my friends. Charlotte and Octavia, please remain behind." Clarke finished with a regal gesture. The Grounders bowed together and the room dispersed, leaving Clarke with Raven, Lexa, and the two named individuals in relative privacy. Summoning the Imperial Housekeeper, she instructed her to give the ten year old a list of possible, minor duties about the Palace, but added to both of them that it was temporary. Charlotte was not and would not be forced to be a servant. When the duo had departed, she turned her attention to Octavia. Quite sure what was about to be discussed, Octavia spoke first.
"Raven, I owe you a significant apology. I misjudged you badly, made cruel comments based on inaccurate assumptions." She bowed deeply, true regret, pain, and shame filling her voice and bearing.
"The fault lies with me. I should have told you about the physical changes I underwent thanks to the Isu, though given the number of times we've been naked together I have no idea how you didn't notice it on your own. It's not as though I was particularly limp at the time either." Clarke raised a calming hand, though she was clearly highly amused, and Octavia blushed in embarrassment. She had no idea how she had missed it either, especially given how much time she spent admiring Clarke's form both with and without clothing to interrupt her view.
"I appreciate that, and I want you to know that it doesn't change how I feel about you in the lease. I still care for you deeply and still have every intention of giving myself to you once I prove myself." She assured Clarke proudly, a light blush on her face at the thought of being with Clarke intimately, especially knowing what she knew now. She had grown a lot, matured a lot, since they had come to the ground, but deep inside she was still a teenaged girl talking about sex with 'the other half of the equation'.
"If you insist on this self-imposed burden, I will not force you to do otherwise. But, this is not the only reason I asked you to remain behind." Clarke smiled briefly at her before becoming totally serious, even solemn. "We hereby request that you accept leadership of the Imperial bodyguard, Our most elite fighting force. The Imperial Guard under Shumay will be responsible for Avalon and the Palace, true, and legitimate despite my intentions to use it as a tool to dispose of him, but your organization will be the personal guard to his more general duties."
Octavia gaped silently at the powerful blonde, as shocked as she was flattered. To be invited to take leadership of the personal bodyguards for the Imperial Family! She wasn't the right choice, surely, she was far too young and inexperienced. Saying as much, she added that surely Anya or Indra were a better choice.
"You will have some advisors, to be sure, but this is the perfect place for you. This is not intended to keep you from the field, either. I, and my descendants, will be leading from the front, and your forces will be with me." Clarke assured her confidently. "I aim for them to be the most elite of the Legions, such that their presence will deny victory to the enemy and ensure victory for the Empire."
"A Praetorian Guard, then, but one that takes to the field as often as it takes to a parade route." Octavia mused thoughtfully, brow furrowed in contemplation. "Something appropriately dramatic and imposing for a name, and an emblem…"
"Legio IX Immortalis. The Immortal Ninth Legion. We can use your phoenix mark for the emblem. The number nine was sacred in several cultures as the number reserved only for royalty, since the number ten represented Heaven." Raven said promptly, indicating Octavia's personal emblem, which referenced both Humanity's and her own resurrection at Clarke's hands.
"After their initial training, Fox's group will join you as your officers. They, and you, will be given access to the Animus. When you emerge, you will have knowledge and enhancements beyond normal humans. You will be my aces, my trump cards, my supreme warriors. Clarke's voice wasn't fully distorted into her Isu side, but it certainly wasn't normal either.
"By your will, so shall it be done." Octavia bowed dutifully, trying rather hard not to beam at her future lover. As hesitant as she had been initially, an opportunity like this was an enormous honor, one that showed just how highly Clarke valued and trusted her.
"Good. Now, I want you to have Shumay and his new subordinates arrest Sydney in front of the entire 100 for various crimes, least of all treason and sedition. Then, I want her placed in the same complex as the Maunon." Clarke smirked at the disbelieving looks Raven and Octavia shot her, while Lexa looked thoughtful.
"You intend to let her forge an Alliance with them, one where Shumay will abuse his position…" she mused slowly, piecing together the plot. Her eyes narrowed as she continued. "Nia will sense blood in the water and get involved with them, handily demonizing the two adult Arkers in the eyes of the 100 and making Nia the enemy of all the tribes for allying with the Mountain, even if only by proxy.
"Brilliantly planned, but I suggest outing and arresting Sydney during court instead. Have the recordings of her conversations with Cage come up during a presentation of the Mountain ordering kidnappings or what have you." Octavia suggested, and Clarke looked contemplative before breaking into a broad, and vaguely sinister, grin.
"Perfect." She practically purred, leaning back and drumming her fingers lightly on the arms of her throne as she considered the possibilities. She started to laugh, starting softly and growing louder and louder, and she surged to her feet as she swooped down on Octavia and pulled her into a dee, dominating kiss before withdrawing, arms spread wide as she paced. "The whole world will watch us enact judgement on one of my own for consorting against the Maunon and plotting against all of us! I could not have planned it better if I tried! You will be well rewarded for this, Octavia!"
"I think she already has been." Raven murmured lowly to Lexa, who chortled in amusement. Octavia snapped out of the minor trance said reward had put her in and scowled at them with rosy cheeks, her ire met only by broad grins and eyes that held teasing glints. "Anyway, Clarke is right. It will be a powerful propaganda piece, and will also give us a politically legitimate reason to severely limit or erase entirely the Council's authority when the Ark finally arrives."
Lexa nodded her agreement, smiling at the thought. It never ceased to amaze her just how well the trio had taken to the Grounder life. She would say they had been born in the wrong place if their nature as Arkers hadn't proved so vital and pivotal as it had. She liked to think that they would be the same people she loved if they had been born on the ground, but if given the chance to find out she wouldn't take the risk. Far be it for her to question The Maker's wisdom, especially given the results thus far, and those promised to come in the future.
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"This training will be vastly different from anything that you have experienced before in your lives. By the end of the month, you will probably hate living. I can guarantee that you will hate me." Ontari told her new students, a small smirk on her mouth as she swept her eyes across the gathered Arkers. "I am Ontari Nightblood. Thrallina and Centurion for Her Imperial Majesty. I was chosen for this role because I am the third best fighter in the Empire. Heda Lexa is far too busy with affairs of state, and her pregnancy, to train you lot. Her Majesty is…well, Her Majesty. As such, you get to deal with me."
She stared at Finn as she continued, making no effort to disguise his contempt and disgust at the lustful staring and sheer arrogance that the brat exuded. Several palace slaves had come to her with concerns over his lecherous behavior, and they were quite sure that the only reason he hadn't helped himself to them was because he knew he would be caught and punished swiftly.
"While I am far from impressed with some of you, and highly impressed with others," she dipped her head towards Fox's group, who smiled in proud embarrassment at the compliment. "All of you will be receiving an intense regimen of food, medicines, and physical conditioning, designed to get you into shape as swiftly and safely as possible. Once I deem you physically ready, then your actual training will begin. After you work with me each day, you will be working with thrallina Costia to learn culture, languages, and laws."
The redhead, clad in a high-quality, loose-fitting silk outfit and golden collar, inclined her head in greeting as the Arkers glanced over at her with curious eyes. There were very few gingers on the Ark, and none of them came close to matching the sheer vibrancy her locks possessed. Several nodded or mumbled greetings before returning their attention to Ontari, who smirked at them.
"Excellent! Now, let us begin with five laps around the training yard!" Ontari instructed, and while Fox and her friends started off immediately at a steady trot, the rest simply stared at her in bafflement. Rolling her eyes, she made shooing motions at them. "Warm-up,. Five laps, go! Now!"
Groans and complaints filled the air as they started to move, the mass of teens lumbered into motion with manifest reluctance and equally manifest awkwardness. They clearly had rudimentary knowledge of physical exertions and techniques at best, and she couldn't help but smirk and chuckle under her breath as several of the boys began to race one another. A display of foolish competitiveness and pride that would result in them being very uncomfortable indeed by the end of the day. Only the ignorant, the untrained, put such a strain on their bodies right off the mark.
Lo and behold, the steady joggers of Fox's group finished only slightly out of breath as the 'middle group', bracketed by the gasping and miserable sprinters and the shambling clump that was everyone else. She found it immensely difficult to repeating her earlier amusement openly at them, so ridiculous did they look to her. She refrained, however, for it would undermine her image of implacable, stone-spined command and would doubtless cause or exacerbate discipline issues down the line. Something that would obviously be far from desirable by any stretch of the imagination.
"Now, each of you will perform ten pushups, situps, and crunches. After that, another two laps at the walk followed by a series of other exercises." She instructed evenly. When several protests were made, she scowled at them. "This is the work out of a child, a civilian child at that. The fact that some of you were foolish enough to over exert yourselves at the outset is your own problem. If any of you want to not only become Legionnaires, but rise to ranks of leadership, this and more will become second nature to you."
"What do you mean, ranks of leadership?" Mel, the quietest member of Fox's group, asked curiously, and Ontari folded her hands behind her back as the teens focused on her quite intently.
"The Imperial Legions, and indeed most of the Empire's organization structure, will be dictated as a meritocract. Those who prove themselves appropriate for stations of power and influence will be elevated to them. You wish to one day lead the mighty columns of a Legion as a Legate or sit as an Imperial Senator? Show yourselves capable and thus deserving of such honors."
"And how did a slave like you achieve your rank? What 'proof' did you offer to get your rank, Centurion?" Finn sneered, his implication obvious from his lewd leer, and she raised an amused eyebrow at him.
"I challenged her to a duel to the death at my former leader's behest. She deemed me impressive enough to spare me, collar me, and elevate me to my present rank. Now I serve to her pleasure and strike at her fury, something you would be wise to remember, little boy." She sneered in return. "Besides which, whether one is born a slave or becomes one has no bearing on what one can achieve in Her empire. Clan Leader Indra was once a gladiatrix, a slave pit-fighter, who earned her freedom and then rose to the glory and honor of Clan Leader for the Woods Clan. I was once a free woman, a lone wolf that spilled blood as I pleased. Now, I am a slave that lives in luxury and leads hundreds of warriors decades my senior. The world is not so simple as you children believe."
Just as with Octavia, the fact that the stern, wise, and deeply respected African-American woman had once been a 'mere' slave was baffling and eye-opening in equal measure. They hadn't really thought that everything they had been told about the culture of the ground had been entirely accurate, but it was starting to look rather more so than they had imagined. The fact that Ontari seemed to regard being a slave as a step up rather than down was still completely baffling to them, however.
Of course, most of them probably would never rise to positions of significant power. They seemed very much to be followers, by and large. Some of them might be able to reach officer positions, but they lacked the drive needed to reach the lofty heights they no doubt dreamed of.
An hour or so later, the exhausted, sore, and less than clean group was hustled into separate shower rooms and provided with fresh clothing. Upon their exit, they were given leather harnesses that carried small weights, a medial concept used for knight trainees to help them eventually grow used to the poundage of full armor. They were then led to a large lecture hall with a massive holographic array in the center.
"Welcome. I, as you know, am Costia. I, with ALIE's able assistance, will be helping you acclimate to a new and evolving socio-cultural reality and system of living. Now, we are going to start at the very beginning, the most basic of knowledge."
An image of The Empire's territory hummed into view, small strobbing lights marking the tribal capitals while a single golden light marked Avalon itself.
"While the Empire of Man is still in the early stages of consolidation, and indeed has not been officially formed, all loyal Clan Heads have already pledged their loyalty to the Golden Throne, and The Empire is something of an open secret amongst the citizenry. As Ontari mentioned, the Empire is a constitutional, meritocratic monarchy. The meritocratic nature will even apply to the Imperial Family. Clarke's descendants, after the first generation, will have to prove themselves worth of the line of succession before they will be either accepted into it, or rise in rank within it." Costia started, waving a regal hand at the map as she regarded her students. "This is the territory currently held by the Empire, as well as Avalon and the regional capitals. As you can see, it is a not-insignificant amount of land, land that will only continue to expand in the future."
She continued to explain the utter basics of the new-born society her domina was creating, such as naming conventions, festivals, slavery, and the political arena. She also explained the interactions between soldiers and civilians, and the separate but nominally equal social statuses. She also stressed that slaves were exceptionally well-treated. They were, above and beond being living human beings, a valuable commodity. To valuable to waste with petty cruelty. Even if it wasn't illegal, most Grounders wouldn't condone abusing or killing slaves off-hand. The exception, of course, were the more…cruel and uncivilized tribes of Stone and Iron. Even their Ice Nation allies (who were the only reason the two tribes hadn't been crushed and forced into line with the laws) treated their slaves better than the two mining clans.
Two hours after that, they were finally dismissed back to the palace and instructed to be ready to attend the court the following morning as a hands-on lesson about both the legal system of their new home, and to learn more about the suffering the Grounders had endured. It would hopefully disabuse them of any delusions of superiority and entitlement in regards to their cousins.
"God, I hurt!" Fox groaned as she sat down for dinner in the Palace's main feast hall, the other combat-types echoing her to varying levels and volumes.
"Jesus, what happened to you guys? You look like hell!" Wells, who had opted to join the medical field, stared as the civilian group joined them at the table, the Imperial family sitting down at their own High Table at the far end of the hall.
"The start of a military life, that's what!" Harper grumbled tiredly, glowering as several of the civvies coughed to conceal laughter. "Who taught you all the cultural stuff? We had Costia…"
"Clan Leader Luna, another of Clarke's thrallinas. Leads the Boat Clan out of Baltim, what used to be Baltimore. Nice enough, but pretty strict about getting what we need to know to stick." One of the others responded, and the military types stared. "What?"
"What do you mean, another of Clarke's thrallinas?" Finn asked slowly, and the civilians regarded them with a mix of surprise and empathy.
"All the women in the palace who aren't part of the housekeeping staff are members of Clarke's not-so-little harem. Turns out that there was this prophecy Clarke fulfilled, and between that and founding The Empire she's gathered quite the collection. Why d'you think there are no male servants, and we don't get to stay in the Palace proper?" Wells told them bluntly, a faint blush on his cheeks as he discussed that particular scrap of information. "Their culture is very Roman, from what I can tell, but vastly improved. Everything good and little of the bad."
"So harems are legal down here, huh?" Finn mused, getting disgusted looks from the girls and several of the boys. It was quite obvious that his interest was purely carnal, with no intentions of emotional value in, or connection too, his partners.
"Yes, more or less. Side effect of having a warrior culture in an environment as harsh as this one is. The best warriors and leaders pass on their genese as much as possible to ensure Humanity remains as strong and wise as possible. Seems to have worked pretty well so far." Octavia said as she plopped herself down next to her brother, forgoing her place at the High Table for the night. "I wouldn't get to hopeful though, Collins. Being a pretty boy might get you laid on the Ark, but down here you will be ignored, punched, or made into someone's bitch."
"Like you're Clarke's bitch Never would have taken you for a subbie dyke, Blake." Finn sneered in response, prompting Octavia to clamp a hand on her brother's arm as he made to rise, his face clouded with fury and brotherly protectiveness.
"I wouldn't have either, but when a girl as sexy and badass as Clarke saves your life a few times, it tends to change one's interests." She responded coolly, before smirking toothily at him. "Besides, I will be getting wined and dined and fucked by the ruler of all mankind while you shamble around town as a beat-cop trying to get some from a particularly ugly and desperate hooker."
There was more than a little muffled laughter from the rest of The 100, and Fox's group didn't even attempt to hide their amusement and spare Finn's feelings, instead roaring with amusement as his face burned from humiliation. Snarling in impotent rage, he stormed off, leaving a pleased Octavia looking after him.
"You know he's gonna try and get back at you for that, right?" Bellamy asked his sister, but she just scoffed and waved a dismissive hand in response.
"I didn't get my rank because Clarke likes my ass, Bell. I earned it by shedding blood and having my blood shed in turn. If the fuck boy wants to come at me, he is going to find out exactly why that is a suicidal plan." She responded coldly and firmly, no hesitation or doubt in her bearing or tone. She wasn't going to be afraid of some two-bit man whore bastard whose only goal in life was to try and get what he 'deserved'.
It was only a matter of time before the idiot got himself in too deep for his head to stay attached to his shoulders. He wasn't cunning enough for any other fate, and he was too arrogant to realize that fact. Not that she particularly cared one way or another about his fate beyond the fact that Raven might be hurt to some degree by his death.
"You've…changed, O. What the Hell happened to you, why did you turn into a, a killer. What happened to the little girl I use to read stories too and give piggyback rides to?" the older Blake asked a little plaintively, and Octavia gave him a sideways hug.
"I said the same thing about Clarke back when I first arrived down here. Lexa and the others told me something that fits pretty well for all of us: we're the same that we always were, but now we have the strength and ability to live up to our beliefs and dreams." She said as comfortingly as she could.
The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, everyone putting thought into the words of wisdom that had just been imparted upon them by someone they had previously thought of a fellow teenager. A peer, another kid, but it was beginning to dawn on them that while they were of similar age, they were nowhere near her class. A truth that had begun to reveal itself to them the moment they saw the respect and awe heaped upon the illegal by the Grounder populace.
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The next day, The 100 and Sydney were escorted to the courthouse by Shumay and the first warriors assigned to the Guard, where they sat in a cordoned-off area designated for prominent observers. The kids were nervous, unsure of just what sort of thing was expected of them and equally unsure of just what they were going to be witnessing during the day's events.
"Today we will not be hearing testimony from mortal man, but rather from the electronic records of The Mountain itself at the request of the prosecution. Clan Leader Caris?" Clarke declared after the opening rituals of the days' sessions had been completed.
"Thank you, Your Honor. The intention of today's events is to prove the guilt of the defendants not with the testimony of those they would claim are their enemies, but instead by their own mouths. We will, with the able assistance of Raven Reyes, be playing audio and visual logs from the Maunon storage devices unedited, unsorted, and entirely fresh. To be clear, none of these have been listened too by anyone in this room. We will be hearing them for the first time alongside all of you." The Prosecutor bowed in thanks to the seated Raven, who bowed in return as much as her swollen belly would allow her too. Without any further ceremony, speeches, or politicking the playbacks began. Hours of it.
Much of it was mundane nonsense, idle day to day chatter about maintenance, women, what the cafeteria would be serving that day…things utterly irrelevant to the trials but mildly amusing nonetheless. The parts that were pertinent, however, were devastating to the defense.
Orders for kidnappings, assassinations, use of the acid fog…audio/visual confirmations of virtually every single crime that the prosecution had accused the Maunon of, and some that they hadn't…such as the fact that Cage had arranged his own father's death so that he could take over leadership of The Mountain.
Finally, they reached the clip that they had been waiting for. The clip that proved the unholy alliance of Sydney and Cage. The courtroom, city, and indeed the Grounder world erupted in rage, confused shouting and gestures filling the room as just about everyone leapt to their feet and began yelling God-knows-what.
"Centurion Shumay, seize that traitor! Clear the courtroom and imprison her with her Maunon friends! Court is in recess indefinitely!" Nia leapt to her feet and roared, pointing her gavel at the shocked Sydney while Clarke, for all appearances, was struck to stone by this most grievous treachery by one of her own people. "She will stand trial beside the scum she sold herself too!"
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Took a while, but I've been busy. A little short, but its really just a setup chapter.
