Chapter 4
A week had passed and there was still no word from the ground. Clarke wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad sign. They managed to find some wreckage or parts of the old ship in scans of the terrain, but it didn't tell them what they would encounter on the planet's surface. She wanted a better plan than just going down. They all knew how that worked out so well the last time.
Echo, Octavia, Clarke and Madi continued to spar and train. Echo made her mission to make sure that the little Heda would be prepared. She knew that Clarke had done her best with what they had for six years, but it wasn't heda or warrior training for the grounders. Octavia was just glad that she was allowed to help.
Madi had only been awake for a few days. The first thing she did was braid her hair. It was something that she and Clarke did to bond and relax. This time was no different. Their relationship had been strained more so since Madi took the Flame and they both knew why. For Clarke, she didn't want Madi to have that life. And, for Madi, it was because she knew the heartache and pain that Lexa caused her mother. It was odd for them both because Madi had Lexa's memories. Lexa was a part of her now and Madi tried to use that to let Clarke know that they would be okay. It never worked out how she'd hoped.
"You don't believe in reincarnation?" Madi just flat out asked her one day as they were looking over the maps.
"What?"
"You don't believe that Lexa chose me to be the next commander," Madi stated.
"I don't. You weren't chosen by Lexa. You chose to take the Flame. You made the decision. Lexa had nothing to do with it."
"So, she couldn't have influenced me."
"How could she, Madi? She was...is in the chip. You didn't have the chip."
"She could have through you," Madi told her.
"I didn't want you to take it, remember? I wanted you to lie about your blood. I don't want this life for you, Madi, because the life of the Commander tends to be very short."
"I guess that depends on the Commander's council," Madi stated.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Lexa would have died, but she never thought about the problem that Titus might become. She should have though. She'd already been betrayed once by one of her own. You were there. Do you remember?" Madi asked her.
"The cup," Clarke said quietly.
"Yes, with Gustus and the cup. He was her personal guard. He'd been with her since her ascention. And, yet he feared you enough to try to kill you but almost poisoned Lexa instead. It hurt her. But, Titus was her Flamkeepa. He was supposed to protect the Flame and the Heda."
"I was a threat."
"No, you weren't a threat, Clarke. You made her feel. You gave her something that no one else could...a sense of peace, real or imaginary. She believed in you. She believed in a united people. She was just trying to make things better for her people. Didn't you once say that you hoped that neither of you would have to give anything more to your people and you could just live? That time is now, Clarke. It is my time to lead."
"Madi, in ninety-seven years, there were fourteen Heda's, including Becca. That's about six years a piece. That doesn't bode well for you," Clarke told her.
"We aren't on Earth, Clarke. Things are different. Things will be different."
"How can you know that?"
"Because we aren't twelve clans, we are one. Besides, I have the Wanheda and the Skairipa. No one will challenge me. There are no more Nightbloods among us. There is no one to challenge me. I know that you aren't going to leave me alone. I also know that Echo is part of my personal guard. Octavia will be as well. Indra will be an advisor, as will you, and Abby. We will be fine. But, you know that the other members of Wonkru need this. They need something to believe in. They need something of home and that is me, Clarke. They need their Heda and I need my Wanheda beside me. Will you help me?"
"Always, Madi. Always," Clarke told her as she gathered her up into a hug. "Now, go find Echo. It's time for training for you. And, my turn to man the radio for the night. Good night, my Natblinda."
"I'll send O to you when we're done. I believe she has duty tonight as well. Be well, Clarke," Madi told her as she left the bridge and towards the gym that they were using for training. "And, think about waking Indra. I need my advisors before we land."
Clarke couldn't help but smile. Her daughter took to leading just like she had, naturally. Shaking her head, she moved over to the radio and picked up the mic. She set it down on the console as she read over Raven's notes from the last shift. It was going to be a long night.
She was looking out the window when Octavia came in to join her for their shift. They really hadn't talked much about what happened as they were leaving Earth. It was like it mutual understanding like it always had been with them. They didn't always agree on what they should do, but they agreed that they all needed to find a way to survive or to keep the majority alive. It also wasn't lost on them that Madi refused to call her the "Red Queen."
"Are we just going to keep trying to radio something that we don't know is even there?"
"I want to make sure that we aren't walking into something like we did when they dropped us on Earth," Clarke stated.
"I get that, Clarke. I do. But, eventually, we are just going to have to go down there," Octavia told her.
"I know that."
"So, you have a plan?"
"Roughly," Clarke answered.
She pulled out some of the maps and looked them over. Octavia took the first rotation on the radio. Half an hour into their shift, Clarke grabbed Octavia and pointed to an area. She wanted to look at it closer. Octavia moved the scanner to the location that Clarke had highlighted and zoomed in. While they waited on the new scans, Octavia decided that they needed to talk.
"Why do you let me train Heda?"
Clarke turned and looked into her green eyes. She could see the worry and the question there. She could see the old Octavia trying to come back through. She knew that the six years in that bunker broke Octavia. She'd become something that she didn't want to be and that is why she trying to stay on Clarke's goodside. Clarke understood it. Octavia was looking for redemption. She was looking for something that Clarke had found, eventually, with Lexa. A type of personal peace.
"Because you need it. And, she needs it. The people need it, too," Clarke told her.
"What does that even mean?"
"Madi needs it because as much as she is Wonkru, she is Shadow Valley, too. The people need someone to believe in. They followed you after the conclave for the bunker because you won through combat. You bowed to Madi and let her become the Heda. You gave over your power to her. They knew that even though you were Skaikru by birth, you were Trikru by choice. She needs to be able to keep her roots. I can only teach her so much. You, Indra and Echo can teach her so much more," Clarke explained.
"But, you said that I need her, too. Why? Why do I need her?"
"Because she is a way for you to redeem yourself for what happened in that bunker. I get that. You need something to believe in. You became a warrior and then a leader. You didn't want the position, but you go it. You have to make some very difficult decisions and now you have to live with those. I get that, too. I ran away for three months. You finally broke and kneeled before Madi."
"And, that doesn't bother you?"
"Oh, no, it does. But, I want to trust you, Octavia. I want to believe that you are after her power."
"I am not."
"That is why Echo is her guard and not you. I want to trust you, but I can't yet. You tried to kill my daughter just because she is a Natblida. She is the rightful heir to the throne of the Heda."
"And, her mother is the Wanheda," Octavia replied.
"She is."
"She trusts me?"
"She believes in you."
"Why?"
"Because you are the Skairipa."
"You told her everything?"
"I had six years alone with her. I told her as much as I could. I never said that we were in the right or we were the heroes. I let her decide that on her own. Out of all the stories, she liked yours the most. I think it was because you became Indra's second. You won the conclave. You became a warrior queen. That was something that she was taught before I found her that she was programmed to revere warriors and war more than anything else. I gave her an alternative. I showed her that love wasn't weakness. I showed her that being a warrior isn't the be all end all."
"She looks up to you as well," Octavia stated.
"She does."
"Is it weird that Lexa is in her head?"
"Yes."
"How do you..."
"I try not to think about it so much. I look into Madi's eyes and sometimes I see Lexa looking back at me. I know that she has Lexa's memories, but I am her mother figure now. She knows what Lexa and I had. I think that it reinforces our relationship together. She would do anything for me and I for her. She knows that. She proved that when she took the Flame, but she became something more after. I can't explain it, but she did."
"I noticed. It was how I knew that I needed to stop after the massacre. I didn't have the strategy. I only had revenge on my mind. I was so blinded by all that time in the bunker that I couldn't see passed my own fears and needs. She calmed me in a way that Lincoln did. She simply looked into my eyes and I knew that she was the one that would lead us. She would guide us and deliver us. She truly is the Heda."
Clarke nodded. She'd turned her head to the scans and was trying to read the screens and read-outs. There was something there.
"Back it up and zoom in again," Clarke told her.
"It's the ship," Octavia stated.
"That isn't the ship, Octavia. That is a city. Those are buildings."
"Civilization?"
"It would appear so," Clarke said. "Mark those readings. That is where we will head when we land."
"What are we going to do?"
"I don't know. I want to know more about that area before we show up. This is more than aiming at a green dot on the ground. We need to have as much information as we can. If we can't land there safely, we'll find somewhere else to go. I will not let us fail in this venture. I will not let us die now that we found somewhere to live," Clarke told her.
"Good."
"Can you get it ready to rescan that area when we come back around in orbit?"
"What are you going to do?" Octavia asked her.
"I'm going to try to radio harder and see what we come up with. Hopefully, since we know where to aim, we'll get better results. I want to know what's down there before we go."
Clarke moved to the radio console and picked up the mic. She tweaked the frequencies so that she would broadcast on all the one known to the Eligius Group and all those used by the Ark. She hoped that someone would be listening as soon as she told them who she was.
"This is Eligius Four calling Eligius Three. Please Respond. We are in orbit and are looking for a viable place to land. Please Advise. Again, this is Eligius Four calling Eligius Three, over."
There was no response, just the white noise of the radio. There was a squelch and then nothing. Clarke hung her head, but she didn't give up. She keyed the mic again.
"Eligius Three, this is Eligius Four, over," Clarke started.
"Eligius Four, this is Eligius Three, over."
Clarke dropped the mic and looked at the console. Octavia forgot what she was doing and was across the bridge and at Clarke's side immediately. They quickly wrote down the frequency that the message had come across. Clarke let out a big sigh and then grabbed the mic.
"Eligius Four, this is Eligius Three, we're seeking permission to land. I have four hundred and eleven souls that would like to find a home. Please advise, over," Clarke said.
"Eligius Three, this is Eligius Four, permission denied at this time."
Octavia took the mic from Clarke before she could stop her and asked "Why?"
"Eligius Three, repeat?"
Clark took the mic back from Octavia. She gave her a glare, but she nodded. She understood the other woman's irritation and quick reaction.
"Eligius Four, can you explain?"
"Eligius Three, you are a prisoner transport and winter is coming. I have no where to house four hundred prisoners. However, I will let a party come down and talk with our leadership. I am sure that we can find some sort of resolution."
"Eligius Four, the prisoner population is not four hundred, over," Clarke replied.
"Eligius Three, regardless of the amount. We are not prepared for that many to come down at this time. However, a small party can come down. We will work out something. I can get my engineers working on something for your cargo and your people. But, for now, all that will be allowed to land is a party no more than five. Any others would be considered an act of agression and will be dealt with accordingly," the voice told them.
"Eligius Four, roger, understood. We'll radio back in a few hours. Can you transmit coordinates for landing?"
"Eligius Three, is your video freq down?"
"Eligius Four, video freq?"
"Eligius Three, the Captain's video freq," the voice told them.
"Eligius Four, the Captain is dead. I will get with lead engineer and pilot to test. Is there a channel for us to use?"
"Eigius Three, channel 100. I'll be waiting for your call. Eligius Four, out," the voice told them and the line went dead.
"Well, what do we do now?" Octavia asked.
"Go wake Shaw. We need to find the captain's video radio. And, then, we'll call..."