32 - EXPLANATIONS

[ EXPLANATIONS ]

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   Murphy just wanted to sleep.

   But no, of course not. Because the world seemed to hate him.

   He opened his eyes, glancing around to see no Titus. But then he heard movement from behind him. Oh, great.

   Murphy's gaze fell down, and he pulled on his restraints, the chains rattling loudly. He stopped when he saw Titus' figure pass him, a deadly look in his eyes.

   "Now you've had time to think," Titus began and Murphy wanted the ground to swallow him whole. "Shall we continue our conversation about this?" He held up the chip again.

   "I already told you everything I know the first ten times you asked me." Murphy told him angrily.

   "What you told me doesn't make any sense." Titus argued. "How did a Sky Person come to be in possession of our most holy symbol?"

   "Holy?" Murphy repeated. "It's a corporate logo." He spat but he immediately regretted it when Titus shoved him back harshly against the chair he sat in, his hand tightly curled around Murphy's throat.

   "Wrong." Titus seethed. "This is the sacred symbol of the Commander to whom I've dedicated my life." He gripped Murphy's throat tighter. "Now, how did you get it?"

   "Again," Murphy breathed heavily. "Jaha gave it to me."

   Titus was silent before he released his hold on Murphy's throat harshly. "This would be Chancellor Jaha?"

   "Yes." Murphy replied as Titus began to pace around him. "He told me it was the key to the City of Light and that if I swallowed it, the woman in red would take me there."

   "The woman who's not a woman?" Titus stuttered like he was mocking the words.

   "Yeah. That's right." Murphy stated dryly. "She's a computer program, but I get that's hard for you to grasp, considering you pray to garbage," Titus turned to glare at him. "No offense, obviously." Murphy added quickly.

   "Tell me more about this computer program that ended the world." Titus demanded.

   "Come on, I—I don't have any details, okay?" Murphy spoke. "On the Ark, they just told us it was countries, politics." He scoffed. "Big surprise, they were wrong."

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   Sayah was harshly pushed forward as well as Octavia, gags in their mouth as they entered the throne room. "Octavia? Sayah?" Clarke's voice questioned as she stepped forward. Sayah's eyes darted between her and Lexa.

   "Commander, forgive me for intruding on this holy day." Semet began, as he got him from where he knelt. "I am Semet of Trikru, and I come seeking justice."

Sayah glanced over to Lexa as she spoke. "Explain yourself. Why do you hold Octavia and Sayah of Skaikru prisoner?"

"They are prisoners of war, Commander." Semet began. "Brought here to bear witness to the crimes of their people."

Clarke rushed forward. "What crimes? What happened?"

"Skaikru attacked their village." Titus explained. "Because their warriors were lost when your people massacred the army we had sent to protect you, their village was defenceless."

"Please, Commander." Semet begged. "I beg you. Avenge us."

Sayah eyed the commander before something else caught her eye. Someone else: Indra. Sayah quickly nudged Octavia as she kept her eyes forward and then glanced over to Indra. Octavia followed her gaze as shouts and calls began to erupt from the crowd.

"Blood must have blood! Death to Skaikru!" More hollers.

"You will show respect in this chamber!" Titus silenced them.

It was silent before Lexa spoke up.

"The decision will be made after a discussion."

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"Today, I call upon the armies of the twelve clans to march on Arkadia." Lexa spoke as she addressed the crowd. Murmurs of agreement filled the room.

"Not to attack, but to contain." Lexa announced. "We will blockade the thirteenth clan. We will keep them from the lands they wish to possess. We will give them time to take out their leaders from within." Sayah shared a look with Octavia.

"Once they rise up against them," Lexa continued. "Then we will welcome them back as one of us." She then glanced over to Titus, who didn't look pleased at all.

"You heard the Commander, send riders." He ordered. "Tell your armies to set up a buffer zone around Arkadia. Five miles should keep them away from our villages." He turned to Lexa. "What are their orders, Heda?"

Lexa turned to look at Clarke for a moment before answering. "Any Skaikru caught across the line will be subject to a kill order."

Sayah's eyes widened as she and Octavia both turned to look at Clarke, who's face held great disappointment.

"Heda, I do not understand." Semet spoke up. "How is this vengeance?"

"It is not vengeance, my brother." Lexa replied. "It is justice."

"Skaikru killed my sons and my brother and my wife!" He exclaimed. "If the spirit of the commander will not protect us, then what will?"

"You mind yourself, Semet." Titus' tone was warning.

Semet turned and yelled. "Death to the Commander!" He then turned back around, pulling out his blade and running towards Lexa quickly. He was interfered by Titus, who grabbed his knife and instead attacked Semet with it, slicing his chest before stabbing him in the throat.

He pulled the knife out and Semet dropped to the floor, people crowding around his dead body as blood poured out of his wounds. Titus then turned back to Lexa. "Blood must have blood." He told her sternly.

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Murphy wasn't giving up.

Because he didn't really feel like dying right about now. He had survived death's clutch for too long, and he would not have his story end in a stupid chair, with stupid restraints and a stupid bald torturer.

He grunted as he continued to pull again and again on his restraints that were attached tightly to his chair. He had been doing that for what felt like ages. He bent down, biting the rope and pulling them off of his wrists before fiddling with the rest of the restraint. He slipped his other hand out with a grunt. Then he did his ankles.

Stupid Titus. Who the hell uses rope? Murphy laughed internally as he easily pulled the rope away that attached his ankles to the chair. He got up quickly, rushing to the first double doors he saw and trying to pull them open. Locked.

Just his luck.

He grunted in frustration, hitting his palms against the doors angrily. He was always tortured and trapped somewhere, huh? Murphy looked around the room, eyes scanning over the art on the walls before his gaze locked onto the small pod/ship. He approached it, grabbing a steel pole that held the pod door up, "This will do." He grunted and pulled the pole towards him, effectively pulling it out as the small pod door closed with a hiss.

He then paused once he read the name on the pod door. "Polis." He muttered to himself before getting closer and scratching the dried dirt that had been in the gap between the letters.

Then it hit him.

The pod. The name.

"Polaris." He mumbled out in realisation.

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Sayah grumbled as she and Octavia followed Clarke into her. . . room? Sayah didn't know. She didn't particularly want to ask either. She rubbed her painful wrists where the restraints had once been.

As the door closed, Sayah sighed in relief. Octavia glanced around the room. "No wonder you wanted to stay." She commented.

"Stop. You know why I'm here." Clarke replied to her as she took over her jacket and placed it on her bed. Sayah and Octavia sat down beside each other.

"Are you two okay?" Clarke questioned seriously.

"Yeah, we're fine." Octavia replied. Sayah nodded in agreement. "We saw Indra in the crowd. Why wasn't she with Lexa?"

"Indra's not doing so well." Clarke pursed her lips. "We can't deal with that right now."

"Okay, so what do we do?" Sayah asked as she got to her feet and moved to sit next to Clarke on the bed.

"I have to talk to Lexa." Clarke stated.

"You just did that and came out with a kill order on all of us." Octavia spoke up as she approached them. "That's the second time that she left us to die."

"The twelve clans want a war. You both know that." Clarke glanced between the both of them. "Lexa's just trying not to wipe us out."

"Why am I not surprised that you're still defending her?" Octavia muttered as she turned around.

"Via." Sayah sighed. "Clarke knows her better than we do. Maybe she can get through to her." Sayah looked over to Clarke, but the look she gave her was: You have to get through to her.

Clarke inhaled deeply before nodding. "I'll see what I can do. Stay here." Then she left the room.

Octavia scoffed. "Yeah, right." Sayah stood up quickly.

"No, no, no. I know that look, Via." Sayah raised her brows. "What have you got planned?"

Octavia grabbed Sayah's hand in hers. "Let's go." She simply said before pulling a displeased Sayah out the door.

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Murphy knew this was a dumb plan.

But he went with it anyway.

He snuck out of the pod, pole in hands and swung just as Titus turned to him. Tirus ducked and Murphy swung again. Titus ducked that time too.

Murphy then shoved Titus back into the pod, pole pressed against his chest. They fought for strength until Titus pushed forward, grabbing hold of the pole and flipping it, causing Murphy to flip as well. He landed harshly on the floor.

But he wasn't giving up.

He got up and ran at Titus again, throwing punches. Titus blocked them easily and somehow—Murphy wasn't truly paying attention to how he did it—Titus had flipped Murphy onto his back again.

Next thing Murphy knew, Titus was pulling his arm and his knee was directly on Murphy's chest and throat. Murphy choked on his words. "I'll tell you what you want to know about the chip, okay, please, but you think it has something to do with Polaris, right?" Titus snarled as Murphy clutched onto his leg. "It's the space station it came down from. I could show you." Murphy gasps as Titus put more pressure down.

"Please—I could show you. Please—" Murphy choked and gasped for breath. . .

And suddenly Titus was off of him. Murphy coughed and panted, rubbing his throat as he stared back up at Titus. Murphy got to his feet as Titus waited impatiently for an explanation.

Murphy, clutching his stomach, began to talk. "I'm guessing you think it's 'Polis' because the 'A' and the 'R', they burned off during re-entry." He pointed out. "You see, okay? You see that?"

Titus was silent. And Murphy hated it, because he didn't know what it meant.

"All I see is a man who'd say anything not to die." Tirus simply said.

"That may be true," Murphy admitted. "But so is this. Polaris, that's part of our story, too. It was our thirteenth station."

"My faith has got nothing to do with yours." Titus told him.

Murphy nearly rolled his eyes. Faith? What was he, Jaha? "Trust me, I have no faith, but look. I can prove it to you." He brushed past Titus and grabbed the log with a flame on it. Murphy approached the first artwork. "The end of the world, the mushroom cloud. It's why we had to stay in space. You guys called us Skaikru, right? That's why."

"Polaris, as the story goes, was the only station that wouldn't join Skaikru," Murphy continued. "So they blew it up."

"That's a novel concept. Continue." Titus replied.

"Anyway, I'm thinking that maybe this person," He looked back up to the drawing of a woman. "She somehow got out in time, right, because look—Here she is again." He moved over to another artwork that showed the woman. "She's surrounded by all those. . . uh, I don't know. I don't really know what those are."

"The first natblida." Titus spoke up.

"Natblidas," Murphy repeated, arms raising in the air. "And there—there she is, this woman who fell out of the sky, right? I mean, that's—that's just like us." Murphy continued to stare up at the art.

"It's nothing like you." Was all Murphy heard before he was struck hard in the back of the head by Titus, with that stupid pole and everything went black.

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Sayah noticed that Clarke was silent as she and Octavia entered the room again. Clarke stood by a window, gaze not on them.

"She told you that you can stay, didn't she?" Octavia questioned as both girls approached Clarke. Clarke's silence was enough of an answer.

"What did you say?" Sayah asked Clarke.

"Nothing." Clarke replied.

"Clarke, we both know that Pike won't obey the blockade. We need to stop him before more of our people get killed." Octavia told her.

"What if I can do more for them by just staying here?" Clarke asked.

"You can't, Clarke." Octavia said harshly. "We don't have time for this." Clarke lowered her head.

Octavia then took Clarke's hand in her own. "Look, we need you. The kill order goes into effect at dawn. You have an hour to say your good-byes." Then she turned away. But before she left, she stopped. "If you're not there, you're not the person I thought you were." Octavia stated. "I'll wait for you outside, Sayah." Then she left out the door.

Sayah pursed her lips before pulling Clarke into a hug. She felt Clarke almost melt beneath her before she embraced her back. They both needed this.

"You do what you think is best, okay?" Sayah whispered to her. "Octavia may. . . give up on you. But I won't."

"Even when you should?" Clarke sniffled as she pulled away.

"Even then." Sayah gave her a sad smile before tucking a strand of hair behind Clarke's ear. Clarke simply stared back at her and Sayah felt something twist in her stomach.

"May we meet again, yeah?" Sayah cleared her throat.

Clarke pirsed her lips, snapping out of her daze. "Yeah, may we meet again."

Sayah left the room quickly, ignoring how her heart raced.

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It was silent as Octavia and Sayah waited for Clarke.

"Maybe I should go back—" Sayah began.

"No." Octavia shook her head. "She made her choice." Sayah let out a sigh as Octavia brushed past her and began to leave. With one last glance at the tower, Sayah followed after her.

"Octavia kom Skaikru." A voice suddenly called out and both girls turned to see Indra approach them. Octavia and Indra clutched each other's wrists respectfully before Indra joined the girls as they walked out of Polis.

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a/n

BAM DOUBLE UPDATE

MURPHY N SAYAH WERE IN THE SAME CITYAND THEN AS SOON AS SAYAH LEFT THE TOWER, MURPHY WAS IN CLARKES ROOM THEY DIDNT EVEN SEE EACHOTHER ONCE

I HATE MYSELF FOR DOING THAT BUT AAHHHHHHHHHHTHEY WERE SO CLOSE pleASE.

what are we thinking abt the lil thing between clarke and sayah? now , before u go crazy, they wont become a ship. theyre close but just as friends.soooo :) any ideas

also the whole next ep has no octavia/sayah/murphy, its based only at arkadia so i will be skipping that ep n going to the next ep after that in the next chapter

...does that make sense what-

^ titus when murphy was explaining everything