❛ empire now ❜
★ ₊˚. ❪ the coalition ❫
˗ˏ⋆ ˎ˗⠀┊ 4x2⠀┊ ⠀❝ xxxviii ❞
▅▅▅ ▅▅▅ ▅▅▅ ▅▅▅

"LEXA KOM TRIKRU..."

"And now, myself, Anakin Kom Trikru." Anakin gave a small glance towards everyone who was gathered around him in the thrown room, which was dirty and messy and showcased the war that had taken place only hours ago. "I am the rightful commander, and the coalition my sister started still stand."

The coalition his sister had started, was to unite the clans and create an understanding of peace and to unite against the reapers and the mountain men who picked them off one by one. And now, he was the commander and things were going to change. 

"What about Skaikru, they brought death to us!" Someone shouted from the crowd, he assumed an ambassador but couldn't see who it was due to the squished together bodies. "My wife is dead, heda."

"Skaikru is no longer apart of the coalition, but they are not our enemy. They are banished from our lands until we can trust them, until they prove themselves." Marie announces with permission, her body aching as she stands beside Anakin which causes a small crack in her voice. "There are those who have proven themselves, and they have been given the gift of free passage and shall not be harmed."

"We will mourn our losses, together." Anakin spoke to the crowd, eyes landing on John Murphy, who had Daisy by his side, hand in hand in a protective way. "We will preform the death ritual when Skaikru no longer remains on our lands."

When the room filed out to complete what he had ordered, Marcus, Marie, John, Daisy, Octavia and Indra all stayed behind together.

It was Indra who spoke first. She was trusting of the now young man, whom she had helped raise and train into the commander. "Anakin — "

"Heda." Anakin interrupted her, and held her gaze until she readjusted her stance and shifted almost uncomfortably. "I am the commander, Indra."

"Yes, Heda." She nodded in apology. "I would like you to reconsider your alliances. Azgeda will not be faithful to you, they proved it when they killed Costia and sent her head to Lexa. When Ontari tried to assassinate Daisy, and when Azgeda was ready to start a war with you only hours ago."

"The king is faithful to me, and my leadership. He will bow before me when he is awake, and then so will all of Azgeda." Anakin told Indra, and his words left no room for argument.

But she chose otherwise, there was still room for more discussion. "You're allowing those you care about to become targets."

The room stilled as Anakin stood and extended his sword to it was pointed towards Indra. Anakin — the heart and soul that Indra had helped raise, would never have drawn a weapon on her. She didn't know who he was, corrupted by the power he now held.

She remembered the first time that he had been sent into a village to massacre everyone on the order of the commander. He flawlessly carried out the order he was given, and nothing was left but a bloodied field.

She knows his estimated death toll, and she did not want to join it.

"Are you telling me that I am putting those I care about at risk." Anakin kept his sword pointed towards her, steady and unmoving despite its weight in one hand. "Indra Kom Trikru ... am I putting Marie and Daisy at risk. Octavia and others too?"

"Anyone close to the commander is a target," Octavia spoke softly, slowly, with caution and patience as she looked towards Anakin. "You weren't a target because everyone was scared of you. You are the commander, you are death, you are the successor of the blood."

"And yet, those under my protection are still targets?" Anakins shoulders seemed to loosen as he shifted and placed his sword back in his hold against his side. "Those under my protection are not targets, make no mistake. Those who have any intention of harming the ones I care about, will pay with more than their lives."

Indra walked away, having turned on her heals with no other words to speak until she reached the door. Then she turned around, already regretting what she was about to say. "Love is weakness."

"THE SUN HAD ..."

barely set, the moon casting a soft, golden hue across polis. Anakin Kom Trikru, the commander, stood tall, despite everything that had pushed his body past its point, and despite the commanders in his head screaming at him. This was his first meeting as the commander, and the stakes couldn't be higher.

The room filled with the leaders and ambassadors of the various clans—Trikru, Floukru, Trishanakru, and the others—each of them carrying the scars of a prolonged war and the grief of lost kin. Their eyes were filled with a mix of hope and fear, looking to Anakin for guidance and assurance.

Roan of Azgeda stood to the side, his presence a reminder of the tenuous alliance that now bound them. Marcus Kane and John Murphy, watched with guarded expressions. But it was the ambassadors from the other clans who seemed the most uneasy, their glances flicking nervously between Anakin and Roan.

Anakin's voice cut through the murmurs, strong and resolute. "We gather here today, not just to mourn our losses, but to forge a path forward. The coalition stands, and we will face our enemies together. Azgeda has pledged their loyalty and will provide warriors and resources. Any who challenge this will be met with death."

The ambassadors shifted uneasily. An elderly representative from Floukru, her face etched with worry, spoke up. "Heda, how can we trust Azgeda after all that has happened? How do we know they will not betray us again?"

Anakin's eyes blazed with intensity. "Trust is earned through actions. Roan has assured me that Azgeda will stand by us. We will hold them to their word, and they will face severe consequences if they fail us."

Roan stepped forward, his voice steady. "Azgeda knows the cost of betrayal. We will prove our loyalty through our deeds. This I swear."

The tension in the room was palpable, but Anakin's presence and determination began to steady the nerves of those present. He had inherited a coalition built on fragile alliances and the dream of unity his sister, Lexa, had envisioned.

Octavia, sensing the unease, spoke up. "We must also strengthen our bonds with the other clans. Show them that we stand united, that our strength lies in our unity."

Anakin nodded. "Indeed. We will convene with each clan leader and reinforce our alliances. The coalition must be unbreakable."

Indra, ever the vigilant protector, added, "We must also prepare for any who might take advantage of our current state. We must be ready."

Anakin's gaze swept across the room, landing on each clan leader and ambassador. "Prepare your warriors. Strengthen your defenses."

The ambassadors slowly nodded, their fear giving way to determination. They had faced countless challenges, and now, under Anakin's leadership, they saw a glimmer of hope.

As the meeting progressed, plans were made, and strategies discussed. The room, once filled with uncertainty, now buzzed with a renewed sense of purpose. Anakin's leadership was tested, but he proved unwavering, guiding them with a mixture of his sister's wisdom and his own fierce determination.

Finally, as the meeting drew to a close, the air grew heavy with the weight of unspoken truths. Anakin, having steeled himself for what he knew must be said, took a deep breath.

"There's one more thing I must tell you," he began, his voice steady but somber. "In six months' time, or at the dawn of the seventh full moon, the world as we know it will end."

A collective gasp filled the room. The ambassadors looked at him with wide eyes, fear and disbelief etched on their faces.

"This is not a prophecy nor a prediction. It is a certainty," Anakin continued, his expression grave. "We face a threat greater than any we have known—a force that will not be swayed by our alliances or our strength."

Roan's face hardened, and Marcus Kane leaned forward, the weight of Anakin's words sinking in. "We have six months to prepare, to find a way to survive. We must put aside our differences and unite as never before. The fate of our people, of our world, depends on it."

The room fell silent, the gravity of the situation hanging heavily in the air. Anakin looked at each of them, his resolve unshakable. "Skaikru is no longer apart of the coalitions, Marcus, you stand with me or alone."

The meeting ended on that solemn note, and as the leaders departed, the sense of urgency and determination was there. Anakin remained in the throne room, knowing that the true test of his leadership had only just begun. He was the commander, and he would do whatever it took to save his people.