Octavia Blake (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
okteiviakom) wrote2020-06-09 12:25 am
okteiviakom) wrote2020-06-09 12:25 am
The Ground, Monday FT
Octavia did what she did best: prepared to attack. She took a battalion to march to Shallow Valley. Bellamy and Clarke came with them, for reasons Octavia didn't ask about nor care to hear. It would be a six-day journey across the dry seabed, chancing sandstorms. They wouldn't have been able to carry rations for the longer routes.
And, anyway. The sooner they secured the valley for themselves, the better.
But of course it wasn't that easy. They'd camped out for the night, sharing their rations, when Miller and Obika came back from scouting ahead, yelling for a medic. For a moment, Octavia was sure they were under attack, but no. Something had come up from the sand and gotten into Obika's body.
A parasitic bug.
He'd said they'd been everywhere, but Miller hadn't seen any. So Octavia decided they'd keep going at first light, regardless. And then the sandstorm rose, not directly on them but blocking their way back to the ruins of Polis, so it no longer mattered whether anyone objected or not.
But then Obika's condition worsened, and as those gathered in the tent looked on in horror, dozens of slithering worms burst through his abdomen. Everyone scrambled out, and Indra tossed a torch into the tent to burn it down, and the worms with it -- but Octavia had stumbled, and now there was a sharp pain in her arm, and the same kind of bite on it as Obika had had on his leg.
A hole, in her arm.
And she couldn't feel her legs.
The rest was a blur. Monty radioed in as Clarke was cutting into her arm, pulling the worm out of her flesh. The prisoners had an eye in the sky on the mothership, and a missile system on the Gagarin, and they were coming. Wonkru would have to hide, take cover. Bellamy and Clarke were trying to argue for retreating, and Octavia, with venom still in her veins, told them in no uncertain terms that Wonkru did not, would not retreat.
She drifted in and out of consciousness while her people huddled around her, using their own bodies to shield hers from the sandstorm, and the razor sharp shards flying about in it, crystalized in Praimfaya.
The prisoners didn't follow them there.
-----
In the morning, once the storm had passed, there were eleven dead, and many more wounded. Including Indra, who Clarke said might have glass in her lungs. Octavia herself was still barely able to stand.
She told Cooper to sound the retreat.
But then a rover drove around the dune, and pulled to a stop. And from it, came a young girl Octavia didn't recognize but who ran straight into Clarke's arms. And Monty. And Harper - and Echo. Who Octavia had banished six years ago for the murders she'd committed when she'd meddled in the final conclave. For killing Ilian, for trying to kill her on that damned cliff.
Echo, who rushed to Bellamy.
And kissed him.
-----
They went back to the ruins of Polis. Most of them were now living in what remained of the buildings, but there were several hundred who were refusing to leave the bunker, afraid they'd be bombed in the streets. Once Octavia had recovered enough to walk the streets, she could tell something had changed. Cooper had told her people needed to see her, but they could barely look at her.
Word had spread about their defeat in the wasteland, and it was starting to have an effect.
And then Diyoza's ship flew over them, and they took cover - only to find that they didn't drop missiles, but crates filled with fresh fruit and vegetables. And loudspeakers on top of each of the crates. Dioyza's voice crackled through as soon as they'd landed.
"People of Wonkru, this is Colonel Diyoza offering you a chance for peace. I know you all suffered, I know you're hungry, and so many of you are weary of Octavia's rule, but now you have a choice. Abandon your weapons, leave Wonkru behind, and join us in Shallow Valley. We have plenty of food and shelter for those seeking a better life. When our ship returns tonight, head for the wastelands. Anyone waiting for us outside the ruins will be rescued. But come unarmed. If Octavia attacks our ship, we will retaliate against your city with lethal force. We're watching everything, always. There is a place in the valley for all of us, so please chose wisely."
Dioyza's voice, yes. But Kane's words. Sowing dissent, just like he had in the arena. Octavia wanted patrols along the perimeter around the clock, and anyone caught beyond the ruins when the ship came back would be --
But Monty could blind the eye in the sky, and so they would be able to plan an attack. And so she gave her orders: Miller would get Monty set up.
And Cooper would shoot anyone who tried to defect.
-----
Bellamy came to her when she was training. Picked up a sword and sparred with her. (He fought like Azgeda. Of course he did.) Spoke on behalf of Echo, who she'd already banished publicly again. Said he'd go with her if she went.
Put Octavia on her back on the floor.
(He shouldn't have been able to do that.)
"We all have things to answer for, things that shouldn't be forgiven but are because we did them for our people, our family," he said. "Echo is no different. She was an Azgeda spy, but now she's with me, your brother who is trying very hard to understand who you are now compared to who you were six years ago. All I'm asking is for you to do the same."
But all that did was give Octavia an idea. She found Bellamy and Echo later, and told her to spy for her. They were going to stop anyone from going to Diyoza's ship, preserving the illusion that Wonkru was still unified. To do that, Echo would root out the traitors, bring Octavia their names before they defect - and her banishment would be lifted.
But of course it didn't go quite like that, either. Echo decided to have a conscience, and wouldn't give up the names. But she'd still defect, because Monty needed a thumb drive smuggled onto the prisoners' ship, couldn't hack the eye without it.
Octavia still had Cooper shoot the other defectors.
It had to look real, didn't it?
-----
While Octavia was in her office waiting for Cooper to report back, and reading ('The stars, whose ranks are shepherded by Lucifer the morning star, vanish, and he, last of all, leaves his station in the sky --'), there was a knock on her door.
And it wasn't Cooper. It was Madi, the girl who'd been so glad to see Clarke. Octavia had seen her again when Clarke had been tending to her arm, earlier in the day. "Madi's a big fan," Clarke had said. "She's heard every story about the girl under the floor who saved the human race." And Madi had survived six years on the irradiated ground. Because she had synthetic Nightblood, like Clarke. Because Clarke had taken her to Becca's lab and shared her bone marrow.
Except now Madi was here saying she needed to tell the truth.
She was a real Nightblood.
It wasn't hard for Octavia to guess why Clarke had lied. She'd spent the early days of the bunker battling with the knowledge that her blood would always be red, after all. Clarke was afraid she'd see the girl as a threat to her throne, a potential true commander to end the reign of the red queen. But this girl looked up to her, had heard all the stories, and said she didn't want to be commander.
Just in case, though... Octavia planned to keep her close. Train her. Keep her by her side where she could watch her. And so, she performed a blood ceremony. Cut both their palms and pressed them together.
Their blood was the same, and Madi was Wonkru.
[ooc: NFB, NFI. Taken from The 100 S5 episodes 5-6. Content warning for body horror.]
And, anyway. The sooner they secured the valley for themselves, the better.
But of course it wasn't that easy. They'd camped out for the night, sharing their rations, when Miller and Obika came back from scouting ahead, yelling for a medic. For a moment, Octavia was sure they were under attack, but no. Something had come up from the sand and gotten into Obika's body.
A parasitic bug.
He'd said they'd been everywhere, but Miller hadn't seen any. So Octavia decided they'd keep going at first light, regardless. And then the sandstorm rose, not directly on them but blocking their way back to the ruins of Polis, so it no longer mattered whether anyone objected or not.
But then Obika's condition worsened, and as those gathered in the tent looked on in horror, dozens of slithering worms burst through his abdomen. Everyone scrambled out, and Indra tossed a torch into the tent to burn it down, and the worms with it -- but Octavia had stumbled, and now there was a sharp pain in her arm, and the same kind of bite on it as Obika had had on his leg.
A hole, in her arm.
And she couldn't feel her legs.
The rest was a blur. Monty radioed in as Clarke was cutting into her arm, pulling the worm out of her flesh. The prisoners had an eye in the sky on the mothership, and a missile system on the Gagarin, and they were coming. Wonkru would have to hide, take cover. Bellamy and Clarke were trying to argue for retreating, and Octavia, with venom still in her veins, told them in no uncertain terms that Wonkru did not, would not retreat.
She drifted in and out of consciousness while her people huddled around her, using their own bodies to shield hers from the sandstorm, and the razor sharp shards flying about in it, crystalized in Praimfaya.
The prisoners didn't follow them there.
In the morning, once the storm had passed, there were eleven dead, and many more wounded. Including Indra, who Clarke said might have glass in her lungs. Octavia herself was still barely able to stand.
She told Cooper to sound the retreat.
But then a rover drove around the dune, and pulled to a stop. And from it, came a young girl Octavia didn't recognize but who ran straight into Clarke's arms. And Monty. And Harper - and Echo. Who Octavia had banished six years ago for the murders she'd committed when she'd meddled in the final conclave. For killing Ilian, for trying to kill her on that damned cliff.
Echo, who rushed to Bellamy.
And kissed him.
They went back to the ruins of Polis. Most of them were now living in what remained of the buildings, but there were several hundred who were refusing to leave the bunker, afraid they'd be bombed in the streets. Once Octavia had recovered enough to walk the streets, she could tell something had changed. Cooper had told her people needed to see her, but they could barely look at her.
Word had spread about their defeat in the wasteland, and it was starting to have an effect.
And then Diyoza's ship flew over them, and they took cover - only to find that they didn't drop missiles, but crates filled with fresh fruit and vegetables. And loudspeakers on top of each of the crates. Dioyza's voice crackled through as soon as they'd landed.
"People of Wonkru, this is Colonel Diyoza offering you a chance for peace. I know you all suffered, I know you're hungry, and so many of you are weary of Octavia's rule, but now you have a choice. Abandon your weapons, leave Wonkru behind, and join us in Shallow Valley. We have plenty of food and shelter for those seeking a better life. When our ship returns tonight, head for the wastelands. Anyone waiting for us outside the ruins will be rescued. But come unarmed. If Octavia attacks our ship, we will retaliate against your city with lethal force. We're watching everything, always. There is a place in the valley for all of us, so please chose wisely."
Dioyza's voice, yes. But Kane's words. Sowing dissent, just like he had in the arena. Octavia wanted patrols along the perimeter around the clock, and anyone caught beyond the ruins when the ship came back would be --
But Monty could blind the eye in the sky, and so they would be able to plan an attack. And so she gave her orders: Miller would get Monty set up.
And Cooper would shoot anyone who tried to defect.
Bellamy came to her when she was training. Picked up a sword and sparred with her. (He fought like Azgeda. Of course he did.) Spoke on behalf of Echo, who she'd already banished publicly again. Said he'd go with her if she went.
Put Octavia on her back on the floor.
(He shouldn't have been able to do that.)
"We all have things to answer for, things that shouldn't be forgiven but are because we did them for our people, our family," he said. "Echo is no different. She was an Azgeda spy, but now she's with me, your brother who is trying very hard to understand who you are now compared to who you were six years ago. All I'm asking is for you to do the same."
But all that did was give Octavia an idea. She found Bellamy and Echo later, and told her to spy for her. They were going to stop anyone from going to Diyoza's ship, preserving the illusion that Wonkru was still unified. To do that, Echo would root out the traitors, bring Octavia their names before they defect - and her banishment would be lifted.
But of course it didn't go quite like that, either. Echo decided to have a conscience, and wouldn't give up the names. But she'd still defect, because Monty needed a thumb drive smuggled onto the prisoners' ship, couldn't hack the eye without it.
Octavia still had Cooper shoot the other defectors.
It had to look real, didn't it?
While Octavia was in her office waiting for Cooper to report back, and reading ('The stars, whose ranks are shepherded by Lucifer the morning star, vanish, and he, last of all, leaves his station in the sky --'), there was a knock on her door.
And it wasn't Cooper. It was Madi, the girl who'd been so glad to see Clarke. Octavia had seen her again when Clarke had been tending to her arm, earlier in the day. "Madi's a big fan," Clarke had said. "She's heard every story about the girl under the floor who saved the human race." And Madi had survived six years on the irradiated ground. Because she had synthetic Nightblood, like Clarke. Because Clarke had taken her to Becca's lab and shared her bone marrow.
Except now Madi was here saying she needed to tell the truth.
She was a real Nightblood.
It wasn't hard for Octavia to guess why Clarke had lied. She'd spent the early days of the bunker battling with the knowledge that her blood would always be red, after all. Clarke was afraid she'd see the girl as a threat to her throne, a potential true commander to end the reign of the red queen. But this girl looked up to her, had heard all the stories, and said she didn't want to be commander.
Just in case, though... Octavia planned to keep her close. Train her. Keep her by her side where she could watch her. And so, she performed a blood ceremony. Cut both their palms and pressed them together.
Their blood was the same, and Madi was Wonkru.
[ooc: NFB, NFI. Taken from The 100 S5 episodes 5-6. Content warning for body horror.]