chapter twenty-nine | the commander & the truce
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Clarke, Hunter, and Finn hurried back to the camp, desperately searching for Abby. "Mom!" Clarke's voice echoed as she called out.

Abby and Jaha rushed over, their faces filled with urgency. "Where have you been? We're leaving," Abby informed them.

Clarke wasted no time in getting to the point. "I know how to stop the attack," she declared.

Jaha seemed puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

Clarke explained her plan, her determination shining through. "We haven't been able to negotiate with the Grounders because we haven't had anything to offer them. The biggest threat they face is from the Reapers, and I think we may be able to eliminate that threat for them once and for all."

Abby took a deep breath, absorbing the gravity of Clarke's words. "How?"

"Abby, you can't seriously—" Jaha began, but the Arkers around them started pointing and murmuring. Hunter and Clarke approached the fence, and they soon found themselves surrounded by torches.

The Grounder army had arrived.

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In the council meeting room, Hunter, Clarke, Finn, Abby, and Jaha huddled together. Major Bryne and Sergeant Miller stood guard at the door.

"They're not attacking yet," Hunter observed. "That means we still have time."

Abby calculated their remaining time. "We have two hours until dawn."

Clarke and Hunter proposed a plan to approach the Grounder Commander. "Let us talk to the Commander," Clarke suggested, referring to herself and Hunter. "She was Anya's second, and maybe she'll listen."

Jaha voiced his reservations. "We don't even know if the Commander is here."

Finn stepped in, advocating for their plan. "You have to at least let them try."

Abby appeared conflicted but hesitant to make a decision. Jaha pressed for urgency, slamming his hands on the table. "Abby, we're wasting time. Give me the authority now."

Abby tried to maintain control of the situation. "Hold on."

Clarke made her case, emphasizing the urgency of their mission. "Abby, you said that Lincoln is going through withdrawal. We don't even know what he's withdrawing from, and the detox alone could kill him."

Hunter's tone was resolute. "That's where you come in."

Abby expressed her concerns. "And if I can't save him?"

Clarke made it clear that failure was not an option. Jaha questioned their decision. "We are risking everything on a bluff? Abby, we have an out. We have a way to save the lives of our people."

Finn added his perspective. "Not all of them."

Jaha's frustration grew, and he implored Abby to take action. "Abby, we're at a crossroads. If you do not give the order to begin the Exodus, you are killing us all."

Abby struggled with the weight of her decision, looking at Clarke, Finn, and Hunter. She finally made her choice. "I'm sorry. I can't give that order."

Jaha felt compelled to assert his authority as Chancellor. "Abby, give the order."

Abby remained resolute. "No."

Jaha, determined to save their people, reached a breaking point. "I am the elected Chancellor of the Ark, and I am not gonna let you risk the lives of my people. Do you understand? I'm gonna ask you once again: Give the order to begin the Exodus."

Abby held her ground. "No. Are you through yet?"

Jaha addressed them one final time, his voice heavy with conviction. "Abby, give the order."

Abby's response was unwavering. "No."

Jaha made his decision and turned to the guards. "Sergeant Miller, Major Bryne. I am relieving Dr. Griffin of her command." He then directed his attention to Hunter, Clarke, Finn, and Abby. "Place these four into custody, but make sure they are ready to leave with the rest of us within the hour."

Hunter exchanged a worried glance with Clarke, realizing that the guards were not moving. "Right now! Major, or the blood of everyone in this camp will be on your hands too."

"Major Bryne, Sergeant Miller, put Chancellor Jaha in the stockade," Abby ordered, her stance firm.

"Yes, Ma'am," Major Bryne attempted to apprehend Jaha, but he flinched away, casting a final look at Abby.

Jaha confronted Abby with a plea. "Everything we did to survive, you're just throwing it all away. Why?"

Abby held her ground, her determination unwavering. "Because I have faith too. In my daughter."

Clarke stepped forward, expressing her gratitude. "Thank you."

"I'll send a guard detail with you," Abby offered.

Hunter stepped in, understanding the necessity of their mission. "No, they'll see it as a threat. This is something we have to do alone."

Finn reiterated his commitment to their cause. "Finn will take you to Lincoln."

Hunter couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation as she held Finn's hand tightly. 

"If you're wrong, all of us are gonna die." Abby spoke.

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Hunter and Clarke, accompanied by Grounder escorts, arrived at Commander Lexa's tent. A tall, imposing Grounder stood before them, issuing a menacing warning. "If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I will slit your throat," he threatened, making their mission even more daunting. Clarke reached for Hunter's hand, and they both entered the tent together, their fingers intertwined.

Inside the tent, Commander Lexa sat with black war paint around her eyes and her hair braided in a warrior's fashion. She nonchalantly twirled a knife between her fingers as she addressed the newcomers. "So you're the ones who burned 300 of my warriors alive."

Clarke responded without hesitation, her voice unwavering. "You're the one who sent them there to kill us."

The Commander pointed her knife at the armrest of her throne. "Do you have an answer for me, Clarke and Rylee of the Sky People?"

Hunter spoke up, determined to present their offer. "We've come to make you an offer."

The Commander seemed unyielding. "This is not a negotiation."

One of the Commander's generals harshly voiced her opinion in Trigdesleng. The Commander raised her hand to silence her. "We can help you beat the Mountain Men," Clarke asserted.

The Commander's interest was piqued. "Go on."

"Hundreds of your people are trapped inside Mount Weather, kept in cages. Their blood is used as medicine," Clarke divulged.

The Commander questioned the source of Clarke's knowledge. "How do you know this?"

"Because I saw them. My people are prisoners there too. I was one of them," Clarke confessed.

The General was quick to dismiss Clarke's claims. "Lies. No one escapes the mountain."

Clarke provided evidence to support her claims, reaching into her pocket and producing a braided piece of hair. It had belonged to Anya. "She told me you were her second. I'm sure she'd want you to have this," Clarke handed the braided hair to the Commander.

The General remained skeptical. "We don't know if it's hers."

The Commander, moved by the memento, acknowledged her connection to Anya. "Anya was my mentor before I was called to lead my people. Did she die well?"

Clarke assured her of Anya's bravery. "Yes, by my side, trying to get a message to you."

The Commander pressed for more information. "What message?"

Clarke proposed their alliance. "The only way to save both our people is if we join together."

The General remained unconvinced. "Those who are about to die will say anything."

Hunter and Clarke awaited the Commander's response, their fate hanging in the balance.

I'm still waiting for an offer, Rylee," the Commander's voice was stern and unyielding, shooting a glare at a quiet Hunter.

Hunter stepped forward, her determination evident. "The Mountain Men are turning your people into Reapers. We can turn them back."

Indra's eyes blazed with anger. "Impossible. Commander, I beg you, let me kill them." She spoke in Trigdasleng

Clarke spoke up, trying to find a way to reason with the Commander. "I've done it, with Lincoln."

Indra's hand moved toward her sword, and she walked purposefully toward the two girls, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. "That traitor is the reason my village was slaughtered by your people," she seethed as she approached Hunter.

The tension in the room grew palpable, and the Commander finally intervened. "Enough!" she commanded, her authority unmistakable. Indra reluctantly stepped aside, her eyes still locked on Hunter.

The Commander rose from her seat and walked over to the two girls, her expression thoughtful. "You say you can turn Reapers back into men?"

Hunter nodded firmly. "Yes."

"Then prove it," the Commander declared with a hint of curiosity. "Show me Lincoln."

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Hunter and Clarke were led by Grounder guards to the dropship, their nerves on edge as they prayed that Abby had managed to save Lincoln. They reached the exterior of the dropship and glanced back before leading their entourage inside.

Clarke ascended the ladder first, with Hunter following closely behind. Their hopes were soon dashed when they heard cries of despair. Octavia was weeping over Lincoln's lifeless body. Clarke exchanged a worried glance with Abby, who shook her head, signaling that things had not gone well.

The Commander and her guards ascended the ladder, witnessing the somber scene before them. Hunter stepped back, her hand finding Finn's as a wave of panic surged through her.

Lincoln was dead.

Bellamy instinctively moved to reach for his gun, prompting the Commander to order her guard, Indra, to attack. "Kill them all," Indra declared, unsheathing her sword. Abby gripped a shock lasher, and the standoff between the two groups ensued.

Clarke pleaded with the Commander to avoid bloodshed. "Please, you don't have to do this."

The Commander, however, felt betrayed by Clarke's earlier deception. "You lied," she accused. "And you're out of time."

Abby suddenly had an idea and quickly approached Lincoln. She used the shock lasher as a makeshift defibrillator, administering a shock to his chest.

"Hit him again," Clarke instructed.

Miraculously, Lincoln gasped for air, causing a collective sigh of relief from those in the room. Hunter held Finn's hand tightly, overcome with emotion. Lincoln turned to Octavia, their eyes locking in a poignant reunion.

"Lincoln," Octavia whispered.

"Octavia," Lincoln replied softly.

Clarke and the Commander shared a nod, and both sides cautiously holstered their weapons, signaling an end to the tense standoff.

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Hunter and Clarke found themselves standing around Commander Lexa's war table, relieved that Lincoln had been revived. "Lincoln's recovery was - impressive," Lexa acknowledged, her expression softening.

Clarke shared the details of their successful treatment. "It's not complicated, really. We just have to keep them alive long enough for the drug to leave their system. I know we can do the same for others."

Lexa nodded in agreement. "You may have your truce."

Hunter and Clarke exchanged glances, their gratitude evident. "Thank you," Hunter expressed.

"I just need one thing in return," Lexa added.

Hunter was wary but willing to hear her out. "Tell me."

"Deliver me the one you call Finn," Lexa requested, her tone firm.

Hunter's heart sank at the prospect. "Our truce begins - with his death," Lexa declared, leaving them with an agonizing choice.

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- y'all already know I'm scared