Chapter 6: Victory on the Back of Sacrifice
"I have a message for the people of Polis, the so-called capital of the Tree Nation," the message began. It flickered in and out of focus in the air, the drone visible through the translucent hologram. "When I sent one hundred of my people down here, we did not know what they would find. At worst, we expected that radiation would kill them almost immediately. At best, they would find the Earth uninhabited but safe and ready to welcome them home. Instead they found you. The twelve clans. The grounders. You sent warriors to kill my people. You tortured a boy for information. You imprisoned myself and my friend and attempted to goad one of us into killing the other."
Clarke glanced towards Lexa when the video of Jaha said that. Lexa had admitted to Clarke the way she had disguised herself in front of Thelonius and Marcus. How she had had Gustus pose as the commander and tell them that one would have to kill the other to be freed. All so that she could listen to their reactions and gauge their intentions. Marcus had impressed her with his genuine desire for peace. Thelonius had insulted her and her people. Clarke saw as Lexa's jaw clenched, she was clearly irked by Thelonius's words.
"You are a people defined by war, by killing mercilessly. I do not want that for my own people. We spent one hundred years making hard decisions to survive on the Ark. To make sure that we had enough air to breathe so that humanity may once again see the world. And then we arrived on Earth to find that life was no better. The remnants of humanity had descended into savagery. Barely scraping through life. Failing to learn from mankind's past mistakes. But I am willing to learn. I imagine a better way for my people. A safe place, a sanctuary. It is known among your people as a rumour, a whisper. 'The City of Light'. That's what you call it. Let me tell you now that this City of Light does not exist yet. But I can bring it into existence. For my people, I will cleanse this Earth of sin. For my people, I will make one last tough call. For my people, I will provide the fresh start they were owed when they arrived on the ground. Polis is the most densely populated area in grounder territory. It will be burned to the ground in atomic fire. So that my people may rise from its ashes and build a home upon the sacrifice of those who were not worthy . The City of Light is coming. Do not try to run."
Clarke glanced towards Lexa and saw that she was about to throw her dagger at the drone in anger as the video fizzled away. Clarke flung her arm out and caught Lexa's arm just before she could let go of the weapon.
"Wait!" Clarke exclaimed, gripping onto Lexa's arm.
Lexa snapped her head in Clarke's direction, her nostrils flaring in anger. It was a natural response to being physically prevented from doing something. But barely a moment later, Lexa had caught herself and remembered who was standing beside her. Her face calmed into a look of expectation.
"We need to keep it in tact. We might be able to use it to contact Jaha."
"You intend to bargain with a mad man?" Lexa asked cooly.
Clarke tensed her own jaw and looked into Lexa's eyes, "I intend to tell him that if he plans to nuke Polis, he'll be killing 'his' people too."
"Clarke, he could already have launched the bomb. You need to get out," Lexa argued. She sounded quite adamant.
"He says he's got an atomic bomb, Lexa. If he's already launched it we'd never get out of the blast radius in time. But if he hasn't, letting him know that the Sky people are in Polis might be the only way to make him come to his senses."
Lexa considered what Clarke had said for a moment and then nodded.
"Very well. But you need to tell your people."
Clarke scowled. The message had been loud enough for the whole group to hear it. The fact that she had heard no protests, no shouts of distress from her people was perhaps more alarming than if she had. Were they too shocked by the words of their former leader? Too angry? Or were they waiting for the signal to get out of Polis as quickly as possible? Wondering why they were still standing at the gates of a city that had just become the target of a nuclear threat. Clarke turned towards the group and found them all looking towards her, not her mother, waiting for answers.
"Marcus," Clarke spoke, "Think you can disable that thing without frying it?"
Marcus gave her a nod and looked down the sights of his rifle. With a quick burst of fire, he had destroyed the four rotors that kept the drone in the air. It fell with a clatter to the floor, but remained in tact.
Clarke looked around and pointed at one of the men driving a cart,
"You! Empty your cart and use it to take the drone into the Commander's war room." she ordered. The man did not even bother to look towards Lexa for further instruction before he obeyed the command. He climbed down off the cart and started emptying the rolls of canvas onto the ground. Some seconds started to help him.
Then Clarke approached the horse, her horse, that Bellamy and Raven were mounted upon.
"Raven, I'm going to need your expertise," she spoke up to her friend.
Raven looked down at her and Clarke thought that she was about to refuse, to tell Clarke to stop being an idiot and order everyone to move out. But the protest didn't come, instead Raven nodded and held out her hand for Clarke to take. With help, she dismounted the horse and moved over to where the drone was now being loaded into the emptied cart. Raven clambered into the cart with it.
"Ready to go," she said to the cart driver. He looked to Clarke, who nodded her permission, and then he spurred the horses on, taking the cart back through the gates into Polis. "Please don't have a self-destruct sequence…" Clarke heard Raven mutter as the cart went past.
Now it was time for Clarke to announce her plan to the rest of her people. She only hoped they'd all react like Raven had.
"Sky clan!" she started, trying out the new name. They listened. "You heard the threats that Jaha has made. He intends to wipe out the very people that opened their gates to us at a time of need. We cannot let that happen. He talks about us like we are his 'chosen ones'. We need to let him know that his chosen ones are in the city he intends to attack. And that if he wants to proceed with his plan, he'll have to find someone else because we won't be going anywhere. If he wants to nuke our friends, he can damn well nuke us too!"
"No!" came a lone voice. It was Jasper. "Why should we be a meat shield? Did the grounders stay at the Mountain? No! They put themselves first. We should to. We are moving out Clarke." Jasper argued. There were a few murmurs of agreement. Not many, but enough to cause worry. Clarke breathed deeply before speaking again.
"You heard Jaha. Somehow, he's gotten hold of a nuclear weapon. If he intends to launch it today, we'll be dead anyway. We'd never escape the blast radius. And even if we did, then what? The radiation would spread goodness knows how far. Our immunity only stretches so far. I don't know where Jaha has gotten this idea about a 'City of Light' but it's a terrible idea. One that I would never want to be a part of. So maybe this does feel like we are giving too much back to people who didn't- couldn't- give us the same before now. But think of the past month. This city has been your shelter. You've lived among them. Think what you will about Mt Weather, but you can't tell me that you agree with Jaha's views of the clans. I'd rather die with my dignity. Sacrifice myself knowing that I wasn't standing up for Jaha's superiority complex. I'd rather do that than be part of a 'Promised land'. But maybe that's just me." Clarke came to an end.
Thankfully, amazingly, the crowd burst into cheers and applause at the speech.
Abby came forward and offered her daughter a supportive smile before she turned to her people and said, "You heard Clarke. Everybody about turn!"
With the word from their Chancellor, the Sky people began to turn themselves about.
"One of these days, I'll get to make the speeches," Abby managed to joke.
"Sorry." Clarke muttered. Both her mother and Lexa were right. For someone who protested against wanting to be a leader so much, she certainly seemed to jump at every opportunity to do just that. She was guided of course by her natural instinct to protect her people, an instinct she'd never been able to fight against.
"Don't be. You were as captivating as usual," Abby answered, trying to keep the light tone going. But they had work to do, "We'd better catch-up to Raven. And she will probably want some help."
Clarke nodded grimly and looked up to scan the retreating crowd. Against her better judgment she shouted; "Jasper!" and hurried over to him when he stopped and turned to face her. "Raven will probably need help. You and should come with us to the war room."
Jasper did not answer. Nor did he move.
"You don't want us to get bombed do you? So help us make sure that doesn't happen!" Clarke snapped.
Jasper actually gulped. Then he nodded and skulked off, hopefully in the same direction as she was about to go.
"We're coming too," came Octavia's voice. She and Bellamy, who was now dismounted and leading the horse by the reins, approached Clarke.
"And us too," said Monty. He had also hung back and waited for Clarke, along with Monroe and Harper.
"Great, party in the war room. Let's go."
They were the last to enter back into the city and the gates of Polis closed behind them.
"Wow Clarke. Just because you do well with an audience doesn't mean we all do," Raven said as she took in the number of people standing in the war room. Clarke rolled her eyes,
"You know, if we'd only just met I'd be telling everyone to clear off. But I know you. You love showing off," Clarke shot back.
Raven pulled a face and wagged the screwdriver she was holding in Clarke's direction. "Damn. You got me."
The room was rather crowded, though it was meant to house large meetings of people. The drone had been placed on top of the war table, it took up nearly the whole surface. Then there were fifteen people in the room, all standing around the table expectantly. It was like they were all waiting for Raven to wave her hands and perform magic on the technology. For all Clarke understood on the subject, she supposed that might as well have been what Raven was planning to do.
"Do you want to clear the room, Raven?" Lexa spoke up.
Raven mulled over the question. "No. But if you are all staying, I want you all at my disposal."
Lexa nodded; "The room is yours to command," she spoke. It was for the benefit of the three other grounders in the room; Aldrin and two extra warriors.
"Great. Okay, Wick, Jasper and Monty, I want you three standing by to help me. Unless I say so, only us four are allowed to touch the drone. Everyone else, grab a candle or a torch if you have one, be ready to point the light where I need it."
There was some shuffling as people rearranged themselves. Clarke found herself holding a candle, along with most of the other people in the room. Marcus and Bellamy had torches, which they held ready to turn on at Raven's request. Raven and her designated squad of tech experts huddled around the table. Clarke glanced around the room and tried not to smile. It looked like some sort of memorial service or ritual was about to take place. Then her mood fouled. She realised that it could indeed turn into their own funeral if Raven failed to find a way to communicate with Jaha.
In the silence, Lexa edged closer to her and began to whisper, "You have faith in Raven's abilities?"
"I do." Clarke said, "She's more than proven herself before." Clarke thought about the bomb on the bridge and the ring of fire at the dropship and thought it was best not to elaborate any further.
Clarke watched as the group of four techies talked among themselves and began prodding at the drone. Well, they were certainly doing something more technical than prodding. But that's what it looked like from Clarke's perspective.
"I wish I had an idea what she was doing," Clarke muttered.
Lexa looked at her and then down at her own lit candle, as if she too was appreciating how ridiculous the scene looked. "We help in whatever way we can."
"Hey Raven," came Monroe's voice. She was on the opposite side of the table to Clarke and was holding a candle in each hand. When Raven turned towards her, Monroe lifted the candles up. "When you get through to Jaha you can tell him we beat him to his City of Light idea."
"When I get through to Jaha, I'm going to tell him to launch the nuke just to stop your jokes." came Raven's retort as she turned back to the task at hand. But then Raven froze and looked towards Lexa, "Just kidding," she explained.
Clarke watched as Lexa raised an eyebrow, "I detected your tone of sarcasm, Raven." There was a beat and then; "Now come. We should not be waxing on about the candles when there is a task at hand."
There were a few sniggers from around the room, even from the Trigeda warriors.
"Nice one, Commander!" Monroe appraised and Lexa gave her a nod in return.
"Well isn't this a punderful little get together." Wick was the next one to jump on the bandwagon. He removed the armour plating from the drone as he spoke and dropped it unceremoniously onto the floor. It landed with a clatter. The inner workings of the drone were now exposed. It looked like a mess of wires, soldering and metal framework to Clarke. Bellamy turned on his torch and pointed it towards the drone.
"Jackpot!" came Monty's voice and he pointed something out to the other three. Clarke craned her neck to try and see what they had found. It was futile to try though.
Raven looked at where Monty was pointing and then glanced up to Clarke with a wide grin. "It's a recon drone, with recording abilities," she said, "Including a microphone. I can do this."
Clarke held back a sigh as she stretched her neck and rolled her shoulders. It must of been an hour at least since Raven's breakthrough and yet still they were waiting. Clarke knew that assembling a two-way radio from the drone probably wasn't simple. Or at least, if she did not know that before, she was very aware now. Raven had silenced every sound of impatience, every grumble, with a death glare or a smart word.
"Don't roll your eyes Commander," came Raven's voice. She hadn't even looked up from what she was doing, her focus on the bits and pieces of tech she was assembling.
"I did no such thing." Lexa retorted.
"You did. I can sense it."
Clarke let out a snigger and offered an apologetic look to Lexa. The fun of standing in a circle with candles had long since worn off and the room had grown more and more tense with each passing second. Everyone knew and respected that Raven needed time. But everyone was also terribly aware that time was exactly what they didn't have.
Clarke felt her body tense up as the fear crept down her spine again. The worry that at any moment, it would be too late. Polis would be bombed without warning, they would all burn. A whole city of people wiped out. Clarke's hands shook and hot wax dripped from the candle onto her hand. She grimaced but made no vocal sound of pain. Still, in a second Lexa had closed the distance between them. She wordlessly swapped their candles, hers being larger and less likely to drip. Clarke did not protest. Instead she accepted the sweet gesture with a little smile and she felt some of the fear fade as her eyes locked with Lexa's.
"Ok, I think I've got this!" Raven's voice made Clarke jump. Clarke blinked a few times and then looked away from her lover and to her friend. Raven was holding something that vaguely resembled a small walkie talkie. She impatiently waggled it towards Clarke. "Come on, lovebirds. Less heart eyes, more saving the world."
Clarke scoffed, but she took Raven's point and rushed over to the war table and grabbed the talkie from Raven's hand.
"Press here," Raven said, pointing to a button on the side of the device.
Clarke took a breath, pressed the button and heard a crackle through the speaker. "Hello?" she said tentatively, "Hello Jaha? Come in Jaha, this is Clarke Griffin."
There was a pause, a collective mounting of anticipation in the room. Everyone was silent until the talkie crackled.
"Clarke?" Thelonius Jaha's voice came through the speaker.
The room broke out into a cheer. Monty clapped Raven on the back and Clarke gave her friend a grateful, proud nod. She lifted the talkie to her mouth.
"Jaha we saw your message. What the hell do you think you are doing?" She could not keep the incredulous anger out of her voice.
"What needs to be done Clarke. Making this world safe for us. So that we can finally live in peace, where we deserve to be. The promised land."
Clarke almost growled back at him. "By wiping out an entire city with a nuclear bomb?"
"Clarke. You don't understand. You think we can have peace with the grounders but we can't. They are not like us. They are feral. Savage."
"Really?" Clarke spat. "Then explain why you are off goodness knows where, whilst the people you claim to be protecting are currently in Polis? Explain why the Trigeda offered us shelter in their capital when Camp Jaha came under threat from a force it could not possibly beat? Explain why the Commander risked her life fighting the Ice Queen in a one-on-one duel to put an end to that threat?" Clarke finally managed to stop the words from pouring and she gritted her teeth. There was another pause.
"You are in Polis?" came Jaha's voice. The words were whispered, panicked.
"Yes. All of us. And we won't leave until you promise not to launch the bomb."
"You're bluffing," Jaha argued.
Clarke rolled her eyes and glanced around the room. She thrust the talkie in the direction of her mother. Abby stepped up and took the device,
"My daughter isn't bluffing, Thelonius. Now stop this madness." Abby spoke.
"Abby?" Jaha replied.
"Yes. This is the Chancellor," Abby said back immediately. The use of her own title was quite clearly deliberate.
There was a longer pause and then Jaha's voice came through the talkie again. His voice was a hoarse, scared whisper; "It's too late."
Clarke felt her heart skip and she clawed the talkie back from her mother; "What do you mean it's too late Jaha?"
"I mean I can't stop the launch now. She won't let me. She is listening."
"Well who is 'she'?" Clarke pushed.
"The AI. Ali. The one who started the war ninety-seven years ago. This is her last objective. To make the world safe for the chosen people." Jaha whispered back.
The line crackled. "Hello Clarke Griffin." came a serene female voice down the talkie.
"Ali, I assume?"
"That's right."
"Ali, whatever you are, you have to stop. You are about to fail your mission. If you launch that nuke, you 'chosen ones' die." Clarke tried manipulation, a skill that came naturally to her.
"No. There is no stopping what has been decided. If the sky people are intent on perishing with the savages, then they are no longer worthy of any other fate. I will find others."
Clarke felt tears forming in her eyes. Tears of anger, offense and fear. "What have you done?" she mumbled.
"What I thought was right." Jaha spoke again. The pain in his own voice was apparent. He had realised his mistake too late. "I'm so very sorry. May we meet again."
"No!" Clarke shouted at the talkie, but the line was dead.
She glanced up and looked at the faces in the room. She saw expressions of shock, of disbelief. They were all about to die at any moment. Clarke was about to drop the talkie. She wanted to run into Lexa's arms, to feel those arms wrap themselves protectively around her one more time before it was too late. The talkie crackled again before she could move,
"Yeah. Kind of think he isn't going to be seeing anyone again," came a new voice.
Clarke was momentarily stunned. Then she lifted the talkie back to her face; "Murphy?" she asked incredulously,
"The one and only."
"Where are you?" Clarke asked,
"Hey princess, I would love to play catch up. But we don't have time. Look, I've been watching Jaha for months. Guy's gone completely insane. But I happen to have a way to stop the nuke. An override code for the launch bay doors." Murphy spoke in his usual biting tone. It used to make Clarke want to take a swing at him, but now it filled her with hope,
"Do it!" she shouted,
"Yeah. I would. But there's a very good chance I'll be in the blast radius and I have no idea if the launch pad will contain the explosion."
Clarke sucked in her breath. She remembered something Lexa had said to her long ago about being a leader. About having to ask people to go die for you. "Murphy, please."
She heard Murphy sniff. There was a beat. "Alright. Fine. I'll be the hero."
"Thank you," was all Clarke could manage in response.
"Ok, override is set. Just going to sit and wait to blow up now." Murphy spoke, then he added; "Hell, I ran out of scotch anyways."
Clarke was about to reply when a distinct rumble came through on the talkie. Then nothing. Clarke pressed the button to speak,
"Murphy? Did it work?"
There was no reply. The room waited. Minutes passed and nobody spoke or moved. Outside, life on the streets of Polis no doubt went on as normal. Its inhabitants blissfully unaware of the crisis unfolding in the Commander's war room. Clarke glanced at Lexa and saw that her jaw was set tight, her eyes cold. Yet more time passed. Clarke wanted to break the silence, to rejoice that they were going to live after all. But she dared not do it. She did not want to tempt their fortunes.
Finally, it was Jasper who broke the silence. "I think we are ok," he whispered, voice hoarse from the extended silence, "Are we ok?"
Then Monty moved and wrapped his old friend in a hug. Jasper accepted the gesture. "I think we're good, yeah."
The other thirteen people in the room, Clarke included, finally felt able to breath a sigh of relief. Then Clarke was being swept up into a hug too by her lover. The moment the tension had broken, Lexa had dashed across the room to her. Clarke felt Lexa's breath against her ear. She buried her face into Lexa's neck and relished in the warmth of Lexa's body. They were still alive.