Chapter 26-Soften the battlefield

Clarke's P.O.V

Clarke sat in the tent that night as Lexa walked in. "We'll move again tomorrow?" Clarke asks Lexa who nods her head.

"We can't stay in one location too long," Lexa says. "We should arrive in the capital in a couple of days."

"I'm not looking forward to that, we both know Nia is going to be keep most of her soldiers in the capital."

"I know, I am working on a plan, hopefully a way to soften the battlefield," Lexa says as she walks over to her and sits down. Clarke lays her head on Lexa's shoulder. "I am not hiding how I feel for you anymore. I don't care if they know that I love you."

Clarke looks up at her and smiles. "I love you, too," Clarke says as she grabs her hand. "Can we please, sleep?"

"Yes, my love, we can sleep."

Murphy's P.O.V

The next morning

Murphy was woken up when someone started knocking on his door. "Open this door or I will kick it down, John," Emori says. Murphy groans as he stands up and walks up to the door. He opens the door and looks at the grounder.

"You could have waited until I woke up," Murphy says.

"Shut up," Emori says as she walks in.

"Sure, come on in," Murphy says as he shuts the door and looks at her.

"Start talking, John. I had to stand in front of that door for five hours. So start talking, what the hell are you looking for?" Emori asks.

"An answer," Murphy says.

"An answer? What kind of answer?"

"I want to know why the Commander wants to work with Skaikru," Murphy answers. "She knows that some of her people do not want to work with us, yet she does. She has a reason, she could have had Clarke, Raven, Octavia, and Kane killed the second they landed on the group but she didn't, she could have had us killed the day we landed but she didn't. She has a reason. I want to know what it is. Unless you know."

"I don't," Emori says. "I was never apart of their reasons, I'm just the girl that Clarke saved. If I'm being honest I would like to know why she is working with Skaikru."

"Does that mean that I'm going to have a partner?" Murphy asks her.

"For now," Emori says. "So what's next?"

"I need to talk to Sinclair and Wick and see if they can make something, the only person who knows about this is Wells so keeps it on the down low, I don't want to get anybody killed."

"I got it, I won't tell anybody. Just keep me updated," Emori says and Murphy nods.

Nia's P.O.V

Nia walked into her war room and looked at her general. "I hope that you have some good news for me," Nia says.

"I do, my queen. Gustus Kom Trikru is dead," The general says. "Killed during the battle defending Clarke of the sky people."

"That is good news, has the Commander moved on?" Nia asks.

"All of our men pulled back after the battle. We still have camps to Azgeda but I want to pull them back to the capital," The general says.

"No," Nia says. "They will keep Commander on her feet. They will make sure her soldiers do not have time to rest."

"They will all die, most of those camps will be wiped out within an hour. We made good progress with that fight but we did not kill as many as we would have liked, we need all of our power here," The general argues.

"My choice is final. If you wish to keep speaking general, I can sent you to join them," Nia says and he nods as Nia leaves.

Charlotte's P.O.V

Charlotte once again sat in the interrogation room. She looks at Jaha as he walks into the room. "You didn't sent in Pike? Did he already disappoint you?"

"You have grown more confident. I still remember the crying little girl I saw after I pressed that button," Jaha says as he sits down. "Your screaming and the tears, your friends holding you back from attacking me only for you to be arrested a few hours later,"

"I guess it doesn't matter, Shumway ended up dead like my parents didn't he?' Charlotte asks coldly.

"Yes he did," Jaha says as he stares at the girl. "When I go to the ground, John Murphy will join him, that is a promise I make you. I will kill John Murphy, Marcus Kane, Bellamay Blake. All of them."

"You won't kill them, because Wells won't let you. He loves them more than you, hell he probably wishes you had died instead instead of his mother," Jaha backhands the child who falls to the ground holding her cheek as he stands up. He walks up to Charlotte and grabs her shirt. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW!?"

Charlote spits in his face and he punches her as the door is throne open and Pike comes in. "Jaha," Pike says as he pulls the Chancellor off of Charlotte. He pushes Jaha out of the room and looks at Charlotte who glares at him. Tears well in her eyes as blood goes down her nose. He opens the door and looks at the guard. "Get me some food and a bucket of water and a rag," Pike says softy and the guard nods as he leaves. Pike shuts the door and looks at Charotte.

"Come on," Pike says as he helps her up and back into the chair.

"Great leader you have," Charlotte says.

"He's going through a lot," Pike says. "I'm not going to ask you any questions," He says as the door open and the guard comes in with a plate of food and a bucket of water and a rag. He motions for it to be sat in front of Charlotte and the guard leaves. "Wipe the blood off and eat," Pike says as he stands up and walks to the door. "I'm sorry, Charlotte," Pike says before he leaves.

Murphy's P.O.V

Murphy walked to Sinclair's room and knocked on the door. The door opens and Sinclair looks at him. "What kind I help you with John?" Sinclair asks Murphy as he lets him in.

"I need you to make something for me," Murphy says. "A prosthetic arm."

"Why?" Sinclair asks.

"Think about it Sinclair. People are going to come back from this war losing arms and legs. If we can show these to the Commander and it will help us gain her trust. Can you do it?" Murphy asks him.

"I saw everything I should need in Raven's workshop," Sinclair says. "Yes, I can do it Murphy."

"Great, I wanna see it when you are done," Murphy says before he leaves and Sinclair watches him.

Pike's P.O.V

Pike walks into the control room and looks at Jaha. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" Pike shouts at him.

"Lower your voice, Charlies," Jaha says.

"You hit a child," Pike growls.

"She wasn't talking," Jaha says.

"So you attack her? We don't do that," Pike says. "That isn't who we are?"

"We execute people by sending them into space!" Jaha shouts at him. "I will torture and beat as many people as I need to get to John Murphy and Marcus Kane! They took my son from me! I will kill them! I swear that I will make them scream and beg for their lives before I take their lives!"

"You're on a revenge path! It will not end well, Jaha!" Pike shouts at him.

"As long as they die! I do not care!" Jaha shouts. "That girl will talk or she will regret it!"

"You will not touch that girl!" Pike screams at him.

"What will you do to stop me, Charles?!" Jaha asks. "I am the Chancellor of the Ark. You live because I allow it! I am your leader!"

"You shouldn't be! Maybe Wells had a point!" Pike says. "Your son left because of your choices! You failed as a father!" Jaha charges Pike and tackles him to the ground before he starts to punch the man in the face. Pike knees him in the stomach and pushes him off. He quickly stands as Jaha grabs a gun off the table and aims it at him. Pike stares at him. "If you do this, you will die. You will be floated,"

"A night in a cell may help you realize your place, Charles," Jaha says. "Guards!" Jaha shouts and two guards enter the room. "Take him to a cell."

They grab Pike and escort him out of the room as Jaha sets the gun down and sighs.

Octavia's P.O.V

Octavia stopped her horse inside of a small village that they had found abandoned. "I want watch towers build, I want to see every inch of this land for miles!" Lexa shouts and they nod as they begin to build towers. Octavia walks up to Lexa.

"So what's the plan?" Octavia asks the Commander.

"Once the tents are set up, we will start," Lexa tells Octavia who nods.

"Then I guess we should get to work," Octavia says before she walks over to Clarke who was putting a tent up. "How's your shoulder?"

"It hurts like a son of a bitch," Clarke says. "But I do not have time to rest, the faster we move the faster we can end this war and go home."

"We both know the real fight will be in the capital. That is where Nia will be keeping most of her army."

"Lexa says she has a plan to deal with that. I don't know what it could be. I mean, she has children there ready to fight us. How do we kill children and not let that haunt us?" Clarke asks.

"I don't know," Octavia says. "Maybe they'll see that this is a lost war."

"I doubt it," Clarke says. "These people are more scared of Nia than they are scared of death."

"The goal is to free them from her. To give them a new leader and hopefully a better one. Roan is definitely better than his mother."

"We'll see how he does," Clarke says and Octavia nods as they continue to work.

Lexa's P.O.V

Lexa, Clarke, Octavia, Roan, Jake, Anya, Indra, Lincoln, and Luna stood in Lexa's tent. "We will arrive in the capital in two days. We will fun into small forces along the way but nothing we cannot handle," Lexa says as she points at the map.

"How do we plan on dealing with the army in the capital?" Lincoln asks.

"We're going to poison them," Lexa says.

"The virus?" Clarke asks Lexa who nods. "The one that makes people bleed from their eyes and cough up blood?"

"Yes, Clarke," Lexa says. "I know there are children there and I wish that they could be spared, but there will be casualties. Some of them will die. If we go into the capital, there is a chance that we lose, but if we soften the battle field, we can end this war, without as many casualties."

"The virus will be gone within a day, Heda," Anya says.

"I know, tonight I will send a scout who will be captured. By the time we arrive, the virus will have spread and be gone," Lexa says. "Sleep tonight, we will ride in the morning. Get some sleep."

Everybody nods as they slowly leave the tent. Clarke looks at Lexa. "Are you sure about this?"

"I wish it didn't have to be that way. But I will not risk our people for these people. I will not risk, I have already lost Gustus. I will not lose you, I cannot," Clarke nods as she hugs her.

"I'm with you."

Thanks for reading. Next chapter the scout is caught. Nia deals with the virus, Murphy continues to look into Lexa's motive, Pike deals with Jaha and Lexa moves towards, Azgeda. As always suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.