Bab 37: He Lives
"Shield, what is to be done with the ones known as Clarke and Bellamy of Skaikru?" Echo asks me, looking back at the two being escorted behind us, along with the three other nameless prisoners.
"Unless the Heda has other plans for them, they will either be executed, or banished." I answered without hesitation.
After presenting my offer to Bellamy's people, I had ordered him to carry Clarke, which Samuel was quite happy with. The former delinquents, who I had hereby dubbed as refugees, were currently walking behind Echo, Samuel, and I; although under careful watch, of course. Even if they had accepted my offer, they were still untrustworthy until they had proven themselves.
Once I explain the situation to Lexa and hand over my five new prisoners to the city guard, I plan to hand off the refugees to Indra. Under Indra's capable hands and excellent leadership, they will surely find their best-suited roles in the Trikru clan. I have high hopes for Monty especially, he has a very rare mind, and it should be put to good use and to better the people of the Coalition.
Glancing back at my new prisoners, I started to think about what exactly I wanted to do with them. Executing them seems like a good idea, but it just seems so… anticlimactic. Odds are, Lexa will want to either publicly execute them to make an example and show strength, or she will leave one or two of them alive to be banished as a show of strength and mercy, to show her people that she can be both. No matter what she decides, I won't have to deal with them for much longer.
"I see.. And what of the ones who accepted your offer?" She inquires curiously.
"I plan to hand them off to Indra. She will discover where each individual best fits in and will make sure that they understand our way of life effectively." I explain, thinking about how Indra would reshape these refugees into warriors, blacksmiths, farmers, leatherworkers, and many other valuable members of the Trikru clan.
She nods her head in understanding. Indra was a very prominent figure in the Trikru community and was known throughout the clans as a strong and respected leader. If anyone could successfully integrate former Skaikru members into their own society, it would be her.
After marching through the silent halls of the twelve clans' former powerhouse, we eventually arrive at the bunker's front entrance. The bunker's main entrance was a large vaulted square door made out of some kind of reinforced steel. In the center of the door, there was a large five-spoke handle that jutted out its surface.
At first glance, the handle could easily be mistaken for what controls the locking mechanism. However, to the right of the door located in a small alcove is a small computer screen with a keypad located beneath; this was the likely suspect in what controls the door.
Seeing whether or not my theory is correct, I walk away from the large, now stationary group of people and towards the door's handle to give it an experimental tug.
Just as I expected, the handle doesn't budge an inch.
"Monty! Front and center!" I suddenly called out, turning back towards the crowd.
It doesn't take long before the young man in question hesitantly makes his way to the front of the group and stands in front of me.
"Yes?"
I look at his small form inquisitively, and he seems ready to collapse under my heavy gaze. Why is he so nervous around me? Am I really all that frightening to these refugees?
"I need you to see if you are able to unlock this thing"—I point to the bunker door behind me—"with that keypad over there." I say expectantly, nudging my head towards the keypad's alcove.
"I can do that." He states, no trace of his previous hesitation anywhere as he approaches the keypad quickly.
I arch an eyebrow at this. It seems that Monty's confidence is unwavering when he is faced with a problem that involves computers. The thought makes me even more interested in him and rather curious as to what other subjects he is knowledgeable in.
More quickly than I expected, I hear a strange clanking noise coming from the door; it sounds as if the tumblers were moving positions.
"Well done, Monty."
Hearing my voice, he looks up from the screen with a satisfied smile on his face. "It wasn't too hard, the keypad only consisted of letters, and so I just typed open."
I shake my head at the simplicity of the nuclear bunker's security. When I inform Lexa of the happenings that followed my capture and my future plans for the bunker, I will be sure to correct the laxness of Mount Weather's prior security tenfold.
"Regardless, well done. I may have a job for you after I get in contact with the Heda."
"What kind of job exactly?" He asks, seemingly toeing the line between nervousness and excitement.
"Patience, my apprentice… you'll know in time." I say mysteriously, bringing my attention back to the five-spoked handle. Grasping the door handle with both hands, I put pressure on the handle and it turns little by little. It seems that this door has not been opened in a long time. With a little more effort the handle was finally turned completely, and with a strong push, the door creaked open with a grinding screech.
***
"Please! You don't have to do this!" A bloodied man with a dark brown mane pleaded desperately.
"Are you Marcus Kane, the Chancellor of Skaikru?" I asked without preamble, completely unmoved by his pleas.
After the execution of Thelonious Jaha, I had ordered the siege of Skaikru's base, Camp Jaha. Skaikru, even with their overwhelming firepower, quickly fell. Nothing could stand against the full might of my coalition, especially these invaders from the sky.
Before the Coalition was completed and we were at war with Azgeda, James had worked with several of Polis' greatest engineers. What he had designed were large siege engines that were eighteen meters in height and were capable of hurling large rocks, logs, and whatever else we wanted to hurl large distances.
He told me that the siege engine was called a trebuchet, and was used to hurl heavy objects at high velocity in medieval times, hundreds of years before even Praimfaya. They were developed late into the war with Azgeda, and Queen Naia had surrendered before they were ever put to use, and so this was the first time that I had gotten to see them in action; and I was not disappointed.
Due to the high resource cost of their construction and the sheer size, we had only manufactured three of them. Though, some would say even using three was complete overkill against Skaikru. The Trebuchets completely decimated their defenses.
Without the cover of their defenses to hide behind and shoot from, they quickly broke ranks and rushed into the large metal structure that was apparently the Ark. What they quickly realized, however, was that cowering inside the Ark only made our siege that much easier. Thousands upon thousands of my warriors had ravaged Skaikru's camp, the sight could be comparable to how ants swarm and devour their prey.
It was obvious to me that the battle wasn't going to last much longer, and I was proven correct in my observation not even an hour later.
"Y-yes, I am Marcus. How do you know my name?" He asks, confused as to how we grounders were able to know so much about him and his people.
Nodding my head in satisfaction, I slowly rose from my throne with barely constrained rage and took calculated steps towards the bound, kneeling form of Marcus Kane. He visibly swallows at my approach, with every step I take, the fear that he is experiencing only grows.
When I am only a couple of steps from Marcus, I stop my approach. It is plainly visible to me that Marcus is undoubtedly afraid, but he masks it well. That is to be expected of a leader though. A leader must know when to be strong, even when he is feeling weak.
Observing Marcus's kneeling form, I resist the urge to unsheath my sword and slit his throat. As much as I want to punish him for the pain that he put James through, I know that it is not my place. James will want to have words with this man; from all the times that he has talked about him, he never once mentioned that he wanted him dead exactly.
"Know this, Marcus, you are very lucky." With the swiftness of a seasoned warrior, I grasp Marcus's throat in a vice-like grip and meet his frightened gaze.
"H-ho-how?" He gasps out, my grip clutching his windpipe, making it very difficult to speak.
I let my lips stretch into a condescending smile at his question. Debating on whether or not I wanted to give him an answer, I inadvertently built up a large amount of tension with a longer than necessary pause.
"It's quite simple really. James will want to decide your fate himself."
As if he suddenly died in my grasp, he ceased all pointless struggle in an instant and gained a faraway, yet absolutely sorrowful look. Satisfied, I release my grip and return to my throne and call the guards to take him away and put him in an isolated cell until we depart back to Polis.
Shortly after the emotionally broken and mentally overloaded form of Skaikru's chancellor was escorted from my tent, Indra barged in with a look of excitement that was out of place on her usually disciplined character. Before I even had a chance to question her as to what happened, words that I never expected to come out of her mouth stopped all thought in my mind, similar to what I did to Marcus.
"Your Shield gon Hedas has returned to Polis and has brought prisoners and hundreds of missing clan members with him!" She informs me excitedly.
I stand up suddenly with great urgency. If what she said is true, then my James was alive, safe, and home...
"How did you come to know of this news?" I ask quickly, slightly skeptical of the information. It was almost as if it was too good to be true.
"A messenger has just arrived directly from Polis, he traveled here as quickly as he could under direct orders from your shield, Heda."
"Order everyone to pack up the camp, assign a couple hundred warriors to stand guard over the Ark to make sure Azgeda doesn't get any ideas, and prepare our prisoners for travel. We are going to Polis."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone