ix. retribution [part. II]

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chapter 9 - retribution
[part. II]

➳ ➳ ➳

"Finn, you need to get out of here." Bellamy spoke, heading towards them from the opposite end of the hallway.

"Wait." Clarke stopped him. "Where would he even go?"

"The drop ship."

"No! You know that this is the safest place for him right now."

"It isn't anymore. They're beginning to turn on him." He replied frustratingly. "We can protect him at the drop ship until we figure this thing out. Grab your gear and meet at Raven's gate in five. She's already working on cutting the power to the fence."

"Okay." Finn finally spoke up. "But nobody's coming with me."

Bellamy paused from leading them down the hall, so that he could face him. "That isn't up for discussion."

"Guys, we are surrounded by grounders." Clarke reminded them both.

"We split up and take the low ground, we'll make it through. Meet at the drop ship."

"There he is!" A random man shouted from a few feet away, pointing at Finn. He had a small posse following him closely behind, as he approached the three. "You are gonna get us killed." He stated gruffly, before raising his pipe-like weapon in hopes of striking the boy. Fortunately, Bellamy was quick enough to use the end of his gun to hit the man, sending him down to the floor with a loud grunt.

"Anyone else!?" Bellamy threatened, glaring at the small crowd of residents.

When no one answered, Clarke turned to back to Finn. "Bellamy's right. We have to go. Now!"

Finn nodded, and allowed the blonde to drag him down the hallway with Bellamy entail, as they escaped the Ark Station.

________

A while later, Abby nervously stood in the open field, waiting, as Indra stepped off of her horse and slowly approached her.

"Why have you come, leader of the Sky People?" The warrior questioned her.

"To talk. Leader to Leader." She replied. "We've both seen too many of our people die."

Indra furrowed her eyebrows and approached the chancellor, where she quickly grabbed her and aimed a blade at her throat, causing Abby to gasp. "You came to lie." She spat. "We have seen your killer in the forest. You ordered him to run, and then you came here to distract us."

"I'm just trying to keep my people alive." The chancellor spoke, slowly, yet anxiously. "Same as you."

"You told our riders you were ready to fight." Indra reminded her, while still holding the blade dangerously close. "If we don't find the boy soon, you'll get to prove that."

"You kill one of ours, we kill two of yours." Abby threatened her, gaining a bit of confidence. "That only helps the Mountain Men. There has to be a way to end this without bloodshed."

Indra stared at her for a moment longer as she contemplated her words, before backing up and drawing back the blade from Abby's throat. "You have courage." She told her sincerely. "But courage isn't justice. Only the boy can die, for what the boy has done."

And with that, she turned around and retreated back to her camp. Leaving Abby alone in the field, to ponder over her words.

➳ ➳ ➳

(Dakota's POV)

"I'd like to speak with Lexa." I stated firmly, causing both Lincoln and Octavia to look at me in confusion.

"For what?" My brother questioned me.

"I need to speak with her personally, about certain matters. However, I also would like to know her honest opinion on the current situation with Finn."

"What makes you think she would even want to speak with you? We're still traitors in her eyes."

"Maybe so. But Lexa and I had a little heart to heart before I was captured by the reapers." I informed them. "I realized that even after all that's happened, we still have a mutual respect towards one another, and believe it or not, I'm actually one of the few people she trusts."

"I still don't think it's the best idea," He replied warily. "But do whatever you need to do, Sis."

"Wait." Octavia stopped me next, and I noticed the concern that was evident in her eyes. "I'll come with you."

I could tell that she was nervous for me to leave her, and it was completely understandable. The last time we were together like this, I ended up getting taken away from her. I know that she's scared to let me out of her sight. But at the end of the day, we're both two strong women, and I know that no matter what, we'll always find our way back to each other. Besides, the world we reside in is full of dangerous threats, and the ground we walk on will always be cursed with the unexpected. We just have to remember not to let our anxieties of the unknown, control the lives we live and prevent us from moving on.

"Octavia." I spoke gently, placing my hands on both of her shoulders. "You have to stay here. After everything that's happening with Finn, it would be best if you stayed here where I know your protected. Trikru currently wants nothing but justice, and I'm fearful of how far they'll go to get it. Besides, I have to face them all on my own."

"Fine." She sighed, furrowing her eyebrows in frustration. "I just don't know why you want to face them by yourself. You might need me there to help if they turn on you again."

I smiled at the cute expression currently on her face, and brought her closer in a hug. "I appreciate your concern Octavia, I really do. But I need you to stay here with your people, while I try to make amends with mine."

"But you didn't do anything wrong!"

"I know." I replied with a shrug. "However, I'm still viewed as a traitor in their eyes, and I don't blame them for being misinformed. Don't worry though, I'll be okay. I will come back to you this time. I promise."

She nodded and gave me another hug, before slightly pulling back and kissing my cheek.

"I love you." She whispered, looking up at me with a certain spark in her eyes.

I grinned, and kissed her forehead lovingly. "I love you too."

After we released each other, I glanced over to my brother, who subtly smirked and gave me a discreet nod of approval. I chuckled lightly feeling a bit embarrassed, and with one last look at the both of them, I exited the room and made my way outside of the Ark Station.

________

"You have some nerve showing your face here at Trikru." Indra stated dryly, as soon as she saw me. "If you think that all is forgotten just because of your dealings with the reapers, then you are sadly mistaken."

Unable to take her snarky remarks right now, when there was more important matters to attend to, I just looked up at her with a irritated expression. "Indra, when will you learn that holding onto anger and unnecessary grudges is like holding onto an anchor and jumping into the sea? If you don't let it go, you're gonna drown." I pat her shoulder lightly, feigning sympathy. Her mouth hung open slightly in disbelief as she glared at me, while I just walked right past her and into the Commander's tent.

"Leksa, may ai speak kom yu?"Β  [Lexa, may I speak with you? ] I asked, making my presence known whilst slowly approaching the throne.

She raised her head in surprise at the sudden sound of my voice. "Koda, chit laik yu doing hir?" [Kota, what are you doing here? ]

"Well, we never got the opportunity to talk after the whole reaper situation, so I wanted to speak with you if that's alright?"

"Of course," She nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I mean, I've been a little achy here and there, but other than that I'm doing okay physically..."

"Alright...and how are you feeling mentally and emotionally?" She pried, making me chuckle dryly.

I went quiet for a while as I contemplated on how to answer that. I didn't want to burden her with my problems, much like I didn't want to bother anyone else with my issues either. I know that they want to help, but there isn't much that they can do for me except continue to lend their support.

"I'm managing..." I finally replied, before quickly trying to change the subject. "I was just wondering, if Trikru were to succeed in obtaining Finn, would you still proceed with the torture punishment?"

"That's the plan, yes." She answered. I knew she realized that I didn't want to continue talking about my current state, and so I appreciated her dropping the subject for now. "Koda, we've always used those methods when dealing with matters of justice. I'm sorry but I will not abandon what we know, just because you feel as if Finn is your friend."

"That isn't what I was necessarily concerned about." I quickly replied. "Yes, Finn was a friend and part of our former attempt at a peace treaty, however, he still massacred a village. My village, to be exact. I know that he requires a punishment for all that he's done. What concerns me is the fact that I'm feeling indifferent about his fate, and that scares me because I've never appreciated violence or torture."

I sighed as she listened intently to what I was saying. "I'm trying to remember all the good that he has done instead of focusing on the bad, but it's just so hard because no matter what, Trikru will always be my people and it hurts me to know what he's done. I'm getting mixed feelings because even though I'm greatly disappointed in him, I just wish his death didn't have to be so gruesome."

Lexa took a minute before replying, which made me grow nervous because I began to wonder if I had said something wrong. Then, she surprised me further when she stood up from her throne and made her way over to where I was standing. "I understand Koda." She spoke softly.

My eyes instantly widened. "You do?"

"Yes." She replied, nodding lightly. "You've always been a kindhearted person, and our most recent conversations are enough to prove that. You're torn because your mad and disappointed in Finn for what he has done, but you're still someone who hates violence and despises merciless deaths so you're conflicted. Your heart is pure Koda, and that's a good quality to have."

I smiled shyly, looking down to the ground. It felt nice to gain approval from the Commander.

"However," She continued, making me look back up. "If you want to continue surviving in this life, then your heart will unfortunately have to endure a few tarnishes here and there. This situation with Finn being one of them. I'm sorry, but no matter how badly I crave for peace just as much as you, in the end, our people come first. And justice must be served for all of the fallen."

"Of course, Heda." I sighed again. "I wasn't expecting you to shy away from retrieving justice. This whole situation with Finn is tiresome, so I was just curious on what your real thoughts were on the matter. Thank you for speaking with me. I'll take my leave now."

I bowed my head slightly in respect, before turning around and proceeding to exit out of her tent.

"Koda, hod op." Lexa called out for me to wait for her, as she walked towards me once more. "Why do I feel like you had more to discuss?"

I bit my lip nervously before meeting her eyes. "I also wanted to speak with you more about my situation with Trikru. I'm not expecting for you to take me back, I'm not even sure I want to be back to be honest. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you could assist me in clearing my name. I can't stand living with the thought of everyone here believing that I betrayed them, especially when you now know good and well that I didn't. I mean, you said so yourself in our last conversation back at Tondc. I didn't want to say anything because of everything that's going on right now..."

"I actually agree with you, and I'm glad that you brought it up." She replied, shocking me with her words once again. "Forgive me for formerly misjudging you Dakota. I've had time to realize that you were indeed acting true and loyal when it came to the mission, and you did have Trikru's best interest at heart. It was my mistake for doubting you, and for confronting you when there were others in the room who could have swayed me from taking a different approach. If it's alright with you, I would like to make an official announcement to everyone as soon as possible."

"That would mean a lot to me," I grinned happily. "Thank you so much."

"Of course." She nodded. "My hope is that their respect for you will return, just as mine has."

"I'd like to think that as well once the people hear that you've cleared my name. However, I'm not expecting to be back in everyone's good grace so soon. " I spoke, hinting at the warrior that I passed on my way in here.

"Indra is not one you need to worry about." Lexa replied, realizing exactly who I was referring to. "I know there is bad blood between you two, however as long as you continue respecting one another, I'm sure she won't have much to say about you."

"I doubt that." I scoffed lightly. "Loyalty and respect go both ways, Lexa. If she can't return it, then she doesn't deserve it. At least not from me."

"I suppose that's fair. Speaking of loyalty," She stated, a bit hesitantly. "If I made you a member of this clan once again, could I ever expect you to devote your loyalty only to your Commander?"

Her question caught me off guard at first, but I soon managed to give her an answer. "You know, it is possible to show loyalty to more than one person, and yet, still remain respectful all parties."

"Perhaps..." She nodded in acknowledgment. "Do you still have respect for me even after how I treated you?"

"The only people I owe my loyalty to, are those who never made me question theirs." I responded giving her a smile of assurance. "Loyalty doesn't just mean following whoever's in charge though. It means I will listen to you no matter if you're wrong or right, however, I won't be afraid to tell you when you're wrong, and I won't hesitate to help you get it right."

"My loyalty is to my people and to the flame." She mumbled in thought. "But Koda?"

"Yes?"

"No matter if you're apart of this clan or not, I want you to know that I will always continue viewing you as part of my people because you are my friend as well. You've proven yourself in more ways then one and I have an utmost respect for you."

"Thank you, Heda." I smiled. "That means a lot to me. And in case my words weren't clear, what I was trying to say was that I respect you too."

She grinned and held out her arm for me to grab. "I'm glad you're back." She stated. "Now, let's go inform the people of your return. You can choose whether or not to stay with us but I want them all to know that no matter what you choose, you will still be considered a member of Triku, and as part of this clan."

And with that, we released the grip that we had on each other's forearms, and departed from her tent in order to deliver the hopefully good news.

➳ ➳ ➳

I had assumed that once Lexa and I finished speaking, and she made the announcement that cleared of my name, then I would leave for now and head back to the Ark Station with Lincoln and Octavia. However, I couldn't have been more wrong. As soon as we stepped foot out of her tent after our conversation, we were met with the sudden scene of a few warriors returning back to camp, dragging a restrained Finn with them.

My heart instantly dropped because they had actually managed to capture him, and that meant that more was in store for him before the night came to an end...

"Finally, you managed to catch the boy!" Indra called out to the warriors, but they just shook their head.

"We surrounded the ship where they were hiding, but the boy offered himself willingly." One of them spoke up, surprising us all.

Finn and I managed to lock eyes before he was eventually dragged to a nearby post where they tied him up. And in that moment, as I stood in shock and watched the scene unfold, I saw two things depicted in Finn's brown eyes. The first thing I saw, was the unavoidable fear for the unknown that swam around his guilt ridden expression. The second thing I saw, was a hint of something else. I couldn't put a name to it at first, but it seemed as if he was almost okay with the inevitable. Maybe 'okay' is the wrong word. How could anyone be okay with being executed? It was more like he was content, with his fate. Almost like he knew it was the only way.

And because of that, he gained some of the respect that I had recently lost for him back. It was the least I could give him for having the courage to take responsibility for his actions, no matter how painful the outcome was for his retribution.

All of a sudden, I heard the sound of a familiar voice. I furrowed my eyebrows and when I turned around, I saw Indra's spear digging into Clarke's abdomen, causing blood to seep from her shirt, as the blonde stood her ground.

"I'm here to talk to your commander." She spoke with determination. "Let me through." At first Indra wouldn't budge, but Lexa soon caught sight of the scene and let her pass.

"You bleed for nothing." She informed the blonde, as the fire burning around the camp reflected in her eyes. "You cannot stop this."

"No. Only you can. Show my people how powerful you are. Show them you can be merciful. Show them you're not a savage." Clarke begged.

"We are what we are." Lexa spoke, not seeming phased. Although, I knew she was hurting on the inside and just wanted the execution to be over with.

"Then I'm a killer too." Clarke stated. "I burned 300 of your people. I slit a man's throat and watched him die. I'm soaked in grounder blood. Take me instead."

"But Finn is guilty." Lexa informed her.

"No!" The blonde cried. "He did it for me!" She then look towards the boy, with tears welling up in her eyes. "...He did it for me." She whispered.

"Then he dies for you." Lexa spoke softly, but it didn't seem to make Clarke feel any better.

"Clarke," I finally cut in. "Finn offered himself for a reason. It wasn't for a selfish motive like trying to quickly wash the blood off of his hands so that he can be remembered as some sort of innocent. He knows what he did was wrong and he's taking responsibility knowing that we can actually have a chance at peace. Its so much more than just him going out without a fight. He's willing to die, not only for taking lives, but for choosing to protect the remaining ones as well."

"What do you mean?" She mumbled, as tears slowly poured from her eyes.

"I mean, just think of all that comes out of his death, Clarke. We can all come together in an alliance and finally go after the Mountain Men. We can get all of our friends back, and finally be at peace with one another. Please Clarke, let his sacrifice mean something and not be in vain."

"It must be easy for you to say." She spat. "But what if it was Octavia that was the one tied up and waiting for her execution?" She questioned, throwing me

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