Chapter 22
They all entered the Council Room slowly. Octavia and Raven were the first. Sinclair and Major Byrne followed. Guard Miller and few others were slowly trickling in, but that didn't stop Lexa from posting up outside the door and waiting for Clarke. She saw Abby and Callie coming into the corridor. Clarke still hadn't been seen by anyone since she ran to find Lexa after meeting up with her mother. Lexa wasn't worried per se, but she was antsy. She didn't like not knowing things, and Clarke was rather good an "improvising" without asking for help. This worried more of them, but no one wanted to say anything about it.
Finally, Raven broke the silence in the room, "Where's Clarkey?
Before anyone could answer, Clarke broke into the room. She didn't wait for any acknowledgement or judgement. She moved to the front of the room where Kane, her mother, and Sinclair were sitting. She noted all the Hundred, Guard, and other important leaders that had been selected to weigh in on this meeting. She would let them say their peace and then she would command them. She'd learned that from Lexa, and she knew that Lexa was just going to sit back and smile, saying nothing while Clarke gave them their orders. And, Clarke would cock an eyebrow at the smirk that Lexa gave until she dropped it.
Taking her seat, she looked the over. Her whole body relaxed as she looked around the room. These were the people that she was going to save. These were the people that were going to help her save everyone. These were the people that she trusted above all others. She wanted to keep them close and alive. And, she would, because she was going to command for it to happen.
"Good, you're all here," Clarke stated. "For those of you who don't know me for some reason, my name is Clarke Griffin. I am known as the Skaiprisa to the Grounders. Some of the Hundred refer to me as Princess. I'm not the Chancellor and I don't want the pin, but I'm in charge of everything. My mother, Dr. Abby Griffin; the head of security, Marcus Kane; and the head of engineering, Jacobo Sinclair, are the Triumvirate of Chancellors. All three of them are your main leaders after me. The Council is just below them, most of which you are all members of. Are there any questions so far?"
No one made a sound. Clarke looked around the room and pointed at each of the heads of the different areas. She wanted someone to make a fuss. She needed someone to make a fuss. She needed an example to be set, so that the rest would know that things were vastly different here, down on Earth. But, still no one really seemed to question her. It made Clarke wonder, but she decided to let it slide for now.
"Good. I'm here to tell you that some of us are making a trip to TonDC. It is the closet village to us that the Grounders inhabit. Before the bombs, it was the capital of what was the United States and was known as Washington, DC. There are people there that I need to speak with in order to make our transition to Earth a little more stream lined. While I'm gone, Jacobo and Kane will be in charge of things. There are not to be contested," Clarke told them. "Major Byrne."
"Yes, Clarke?" the woman answered her.
"I want you to make sure that the camp is safe. We should be gone longer than two or three days, but it just depends. Should something keep us longer, I will send back a trusted face to let you know and advise you of the situation. Understood?" Clarke asked the Major, but it was clear that it was to everyone that was staying behind, too.
She nodded, and replied, "Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Now, for our guests. They are to stay in their airlocks and not be let out. I don't care if they dying. They die in the airlock. Jackson will be in charge of them, but he will have help from one the guests. Her name is Maya Vie. She is already responding well to the treatments that we are giving them, and she is a nursing student from the Mount Weather Complex. No one is to have any contact with her beyond the guards that will be assigned to her and Dr. Jackson. Is that clear? Anyone seen with her outside those assigned will be dealt with...harshly. Her father Vincent has been with working with Raven and he might have contact with Sinclair," Clarke stated as she turned to face him. He nodded and she continued, "Raven will let you know what needs to be done."
"Excuse me, Clarke, who are the Guards that will be assigned to the guests while you are gone?" Major Byrne questioned.
"They will be those from my personal guard that I leave, plus Bellamy and few trusted guards whom Bellamy is aware off. Most of them are from the Hundred or their families. This wasn't done as a slight to your role as the head of the Guard, Major, but a necessity in order to protect everyone. Those from the Hundred understand the issues that we face with our guests and so do the personal guard. The Ark Guard while efficient in their...tactics don't hold the necessary diplomacy that is required. That is why the Ark Guard will continue its patrols, maintaining the fence line, and protecting the people as a whole."
Byrne nodded. It was clear that she didn't expect such an answer. She knew enough to hold her tongue and wait to see what else Clarke was going to order for them to do while she was away. Kane was still technically her main superior, but he was going to be busy running the camp as a whole.
"My Aunt Callie will be in charge of the Guard that will handle the guests. Bellamy is her second and Kahlan is the second from my Personal Guard. They are to get anything and everything that they ask for while we are away. No questions. No issues. Just do it."
"Yes, ma'am," Major Byrne replied as she eyed Callie, Bellamy and Kahlan.
"Moving on, Sinclair, continue whatever projects that you are working on. Don't start anything else until we get back. Kane, work on an area for a school. Ms. Lucy needs a room or two for the children during the day. We can't stop learning just because we're new here. There education will be supplemented by the Grounders once we are a little more established. Messi will be meeting with Kane, off duty, in order to start a Trig class for the kids. We will start another for the adults later. For now, we will worry about the children. But, everyone will need to learn it at some point."
"Sounds good," Kane replied.
"I'll keep to the fence and communications, then. Damon will stay on the other little project with help. Anything else for us, Clarke?" Sinclair asked.
"Like I said, not right now. That should be plenty," Clarke answered. "I don't plan on being gone for more than two days. When I get back, we will have another council meeting. I want all the heads of departments to report on what they are doing for the group as a whole, and if anyone has tried to become an apprentice in their fields. I need to know what projects will need consideration for our survival and what resources will be needed to make it happen. You'll have a week to decide and brainstorm amongst your teams before presenting it to the council. I want good projects and ideas people. This is our home now and we have to be productive. We can't just expect the Grounders to provide for us. They will teach us and we will teach them."
"Understood," Kane responded.
"Also, only the Hundred and the designated hunters need to be out of the camp. This is non-negotiable. Anyone found outside of the camp after I leave and before I return without permission from myself or Kane will be punished and it will not be pleasant. We might not be under the full orders of the Exodus Charters, but we aren't following full Ark Laws either. Ten shock lashes for the first offense. It seems punitive and it is, but it is also for the safety of us all. I can't stress that enough. We can't afford to lose anyone, so no exploring, no afternoon walks, nothing."
"Are you afraid that something might happen to them if they did sneak out?" Major Byrne inquired, wondering why Clarke would make such a rule and such a harsh punishment so quickly.
"Those guests that we are treating aren't nice people and not all of them will receiving the gift of life outside of their mountain lair. We have to maintain some diplomacy with them because they have tech, medicines, and other things that we need. Their crimes are too many to list, but instead of committing genocide, I'm offering them life as long as they play along. One wrong move and I'll order the irradiation of the Mountain, killing them all. This is not a game, Major Byrne. This is life on the ground. The rules are the rules that you know. Life here is harsh. Life here is beautiful, bountiful, and brutal. If we are to survive, then you will all follow my laws and the laws of the Grounders. So, until we officially become the thirteenth clan, we will stay where we are and learn to survive on Earth. The skills that we learned on the Ark were grossly overrated and capable of us actually surviving long term. In essence, the Grounders need us to deal with the Mountain. We are. And in return, they are going to let us live on this land and learn to survive for the long term. Okay?"
Major Byrne just nodded. She realized that she stepped in something that she wasn't ready to deal with. Clarke already had plans moving and so far no one had died. As long as Clarke was keeping them alive and well, Byrne would listen. And, she had to admit that Lexa was starting to grow on her a little bit. She didn't think that everyone on the council had been right while they were in space, but she could see how Clarke was moving people around to help them all survive. All she had to do was protect the camp. That was something that she was prepared to do and trained to do, so she would do it.
"Good, now, does anyone have anything to report before we leave?" Clarke asked everyone in the room.
They all looked around at each other and then back to Clarke. Lexa stepped up and looked around. She knew that she needed to say something to make a few of them understand. She wanted to talk to the Guards that would be around the "guests."
"I would like to address the guards," Lexa told Clarke.
The blonde looked over at her lover and nodded. She could guess what Lexa what to say, but she knew that Heda's orders would mean more to some of those that would be staying behind. Kahlan and Bellamy would listen to her before they would listen to Byrne. She knew that it was for the best, but they needed to be leaving and she needed to go talk to the Vies before they left.
"That sounds good. Sinclair, Raven, with me, I have one last thing to do. All the Guards stay back and wait until you are properly dismissed. Callie, come with me. Octavia, take Echo and make sure that we are ready to leave with our gear and such. We will meet up at my tent and then go," Clarke told them.
Everyone in the room moved. Byrne and the few guards stayed behind. Bellamy and Kahlan moved closer to Lexa. Callie nodded at the two of them before she moved to Clarke's side. Clarke leaned over and gave Lexa a kiss.
Echo, Octavia, Callie, Raven, Sinclair, and Clarke then left the room. Echo and Octavia stayed by her side. Raven, Sinclair, and Callie followed them along. They walked along together towards the airlocks and where the Vies were being held. They entered and Octavia and Echo waited by the door. Clarke kept moving until she was in front of the airlock that held just the Vies.
She waved as she neared the glass. Maya waved back and moved to prepare the room for Clarke and friends' entrance. After a few minutes, Maya gave her the thumbs up and they entered. Callie stayed in the back. Clarke knew that she was watching to see what Clarke was going to do and say before she did anything with the father and daughter before her.
"Afternoon, Maya, Vincent, how do you feel now?" Clarke asked as she sat down at the little table inside.
"Good," Vincent replied.
"We are well," Maya stated. "Has something happened?"
"Not really, no. I need to leave camp for a few days to check on something. In doing so, it will delay the return to the Mountain and the next grouping to come for their treatments. While I am gone, I wanted you to know that you are still safe and under my protection. So, I wanted to introduce you to my aunt and our Communications Officer and one of my personal guard, Callie Cartwig. She will be in charge of your care and protection while we are gone. She will be speaking with my authority. She can be trusted. Also, Jacobo Sinclair, who works with Raven, will be working with you, Vincent, to see how else we can help your people until we can get them all out of the Mountain and to the cure," Clarke told them.
"Ms. Cartwig," Vincent greeted her.
"Mr. Vie, I will be your point of contact until Clarke and her team return. I will, just as Clarke has, treat you with the utmost respect. I only ask the same in return," Callie stated.
"That shouldn't be a problem," Vincent replied.
"Dr. Jackson will be working with you, Maya. He is my mother's protégé. He is just as good as she is. He is also taking care of the camp as well. So, Maya, as a doctor-in-training and nurse to your people, you will regain your job, here, now. Any reports that you make or take will leave this area only in his hands. He will leave the tablets for you to continue your reports, just like I have, to maintain a good and working file on each of you. We will consider this a trial run for the next set of people from your Mountain. You will be working with us and them to help them while they are here getting the cure. Are you ready for that?"
"Yes, I am ready to help them. You've proven yourself to us, Clarke. We will continue to prove ourselves worthy of your help," Maya told her.
"Good. Rest then. Tomorrow is another day. I should be back in a few days, no more than two or three," Clarke stated. "Oh, and keep Cage in the dark. Speak with Lovejoy and let me know if he might become a useful person for us upon his return. Don't be overt about it, but suss him out. Be well and speak with Sinclair about getting some air outside of the airlocks. Jackson will pull you both to the Med Bay and then Sinclair will take you to our little bit of the camp to wander around and enjoy the sunshine and air. Soon you will have more than you can stand."
"Clarke," Raven said softly.
"Yes, it is time," Clarke replied and turned. "I'll leave you with Sinclair and Callie to get to know each other better. They are friends and they know everything that has to do with my plan. You can work with them on who you think we should bring next as well and discuss the whys you think they would good for us to pull. And, we'll make our selections when I return."
Clarke didn't wait for an answer. She moved quickly and out of the area. Lexa was waiting for her as they crossed the camp to the area they would sneak out. They couldn't go out the gates, because they knew that the Mountain still had cameras trained on it. Echo and Octavia already had their gear outside the fence. They were just waiting on proof that it was safe for them to exit. When the sign was given, they all climbed out of the fence, grabbed their gear, and started the trek towards TonDC. Clarke wanted to be there before it was too dark.
They made it into the forest and to the horses that were waiting on them. Anya and Tris, sitting on their horses, smiled as Clarke and Lexa led them to the little camp. They took a quick break and fixed up their gear upon the horses. After fifteen minutes, Clarke called for them to mount and move on.
"Wanheda," Anya greeted as they started to ride off.
"Sha, Onya, what is it?"
"Luna wanted me to tell you that she would have rabbit stew waiting on you for dinner," Anya told her. "It seems that she was told that it is your favorite."
Clarke laughed. She knew that it had become something wholesome for her in Azgeda, and it was true that it had become one of her favorites for that reason. Rabbit stew meant life and meant that she would survive to fight another day. Smiling, she knew that Anya was waiting for answer.
"It is," Clarke said. "I'm hungry, so let's ride."
They took off with Echo, Octavia, and Clarke laughing as they took the lead and led the way to TonDC.