Lost fic: Council of War
Title: Council of War
Author: sedauny
Rating: G
Characters: Charlotte, Miles, Juliet, Sawyer, Rose, Bernard
Summary: How the second War with the Others got started (and where the Bad Things began)
Spoilers: Season 4
Word count: 976
Disclaimer: Not mine, never mine
“You knew they were here to kill us all.”
Surrounded by wolves of the human sort, Charlotte straightened her back and refused to look afraid. “I didn’t involve myself with the soldiers’ mission; I had my own work to attend to. As far as I heard, they were to take care of Ben’s people. After that little matter of the mass murder that Ben Linus, apparently, uniquely survived-and knew how to repeat-I wouldn’t be surprised if Keamy had planned to do unto others first.”
“Ben said you were here to kill everyone-‘every living thing’ I think was his phrase-on the Island,” Juliet commented softly, dangerously.
“And you consider him a trustworthy source?” Charlotte parried.
“Everyone on Flight 815 is officially confirmed dead, so they naturally would not count as ‘living’,” Miles put in from the other side of the fire. Charlotte tried to cover her start, wondering when he had showed up. “The only living people on the island were those with Linus. Keamy had no orders regarding any plane crash survivors.”
“You know that?” Sawyer snapped.
“Part of Naomi’s job was to make sure he never had reason to ask for instructions concerning anyone else found here. Communications with the outside world went down before the ship made contact with the island.”
“How did you know that?” Charlotte asked, then caught herself. “Oh, right, you talked with her. Dan said that.”
“So, there was no rescue planned?”
“That was Naomi’s call,” Charlotte answered. She wasn’t absolutely sure of that, but when she glanced at Miles, he confirmed it with a faint nod. “We didn’t have the rank to go against Keamy or make decisions for Captain Gault.”
“And Locke blew our chances of rescue to hell yet again.” Sawyer looked disgusted, but not surprised. “Would she have?”
“I-I’m not sure,” Miles said, carefully. “She thought you were safe, at first. Things changed in her mind when she realized how little her life was valued after Jack had her sat phone and instructions how to use it.” Sullen anger flickered behind his eyes as he met Sawyer’s glare.
Rose headed off that confrontation. “From all I’ve heard, there was no attempt to protect civilians in the attack at the barracks. No one asked what side anyone was on, they just came in guns blazing.”
“Anyone at the barracks would be assumed to be Ben’s people,” Charlotte commented, angry and uncomfortable with both Keamy and the survivors.
“We aren’t Ben’s people!”
“You live in houses provided for Ben’s people, you eat food and use supplies provided for Ben’s people, you protect Ben--”
“Pound cake,” Miles put in softly.
“Of course you’re Ben’s people as far as the soldiers care. It doesn’t take much sense to guess that the barracks would be the first place anyone looking for Ben or his followers would go.”
“Locke said the barracks would be safe,” Bernard protested.
“And he’s reliable?” Charlotte asked with disdain.
“Locke says he wants to protect the island, not the people on it,” Miles remarked. “He was after Linus’ job-and the whispers I hear say he’s got it.”
“What? Locke’s with the Others? Those goddamn murderers, kidnappers,--” Sawyer sputtered with indignation at the idea.
“So, it’s no skin off their backs if you and your friends are killed off in mistake for them?” Miles asked with patently false innocence.
“And that’s why Richard and Ben didn’t mind Locke leading his group to the barracks,” Juliet said grimly. “They were to be the bait, so that Keamy wouldn’t realize that his targets had escaped.” She leveled an appraising stare at Miles. “I wouldn’t mind knowing whose whispers you’ve been hearing.”
Miles gazed at her with an expression of carefully neutral amusement. Charlotte wondered if their interrogators would smack him for it, and whether she could stop herself cheering if they did. Miles was part of her team, and she knew he was right to want to spend as little of their information as possible, but he was too good at being infuriating and she had experienced it oftener than she liked. She was far enough in her own thoughts that she twitched when Miles answered.
“I hear things. I listen-in the jungle, in the camp, in the barracks back then. If I think I can get an answer safely, I ask. I don’t ask who’s talking.”
He was being cagey, which told Charlotte that his informants were probably post-mortem. That offended her research instincts; ghosts were not considered reliable sources of information among her teachers and colleagues and all the cultural relativism in the world could not make her comfortable with the idea.
“No matter who’s been talking, one thing I am sure of. I’m done being bait.” Sawyer looked at his comrades, making sure to catch everyone’s eye. “We’re all done with that. If Locke comes around for help, it had better be good for us as much as for his people. In fact, it had better be better for us than for him. I would never say I’m the man to hold a grudge, except I am. I’ll give the Others a little bit, ‘cause Kate said they helped her and Sayid, but I’m not forgetting what all else they’ve done. Are we agreed? Us first and them if it’s safe?” Narrowed eyes, then nods of agreement, first from Rose, then Bernard, Juliet and the rest shortly after. Sawyer turned his eyes on Charlotte and Miles. “What about you?”
“Screw over Locke, I’m on board with that,” Miles answered promptly. He glanced at Charlotte. “Shall we have a suspension of hostilities for the duration?”
“Sure. Team first, allies after, natives maybe,” she replied. Miles nodded agreement. Sawyer smiled, bright and feral.
“Allies,” he echoed. “Welcome to the war.”
Author: sedauny
Rating: G
Characters: Charlotte, Miles, Juliet, Sawyer, Rose, Bernard
Summary: How the second War with the Others got started (and where the Bad Things began)
Spoilers: Season 4
Word count: 976
Disclaimer: Not mine, never mine
“You knew they were here to kill us all.”
Surrounded by wolves of the human sort, Charlotte straightened her back and refused to look afraid. “I didn’t involve myself with the soldiers’ mission; I had my own work to attend to. As far as I heard, they were to take care of Ben’s people. After that little matter of the mass murder that Ben Linus, apparently, uniquely survived-and knew how to repeat-I wouldn’t be surprised if Keamy had planned to do unto others first.”
“Ben said you were here to kill everyone-‘every living thing’ I think was his phrase-on the Island,” Juliet commented softly, dangerously.
“And you consider him a trustworthy source?” Charlotte parried.
“Everyone on Flight 815 is officially confirmed dead, so they naturally would not count as ‘living’,” Miles put in from the other side of the fire. Charlotte tried to cover her start, wondering when he had showed up. “The only living people on the island were those with Linus. Keamy had no orders regarding any plane crash survivors.”
“You know that?” Sawyer snapped.
“Part of Naomi’s job was to make sure he never had reason to ask for instructions concerning anyone else found here. Communications with the outside world went down before the ship made contact with the island.”
“How did you know that?” Charlotte asked, then caught herself. “Oh, right, you talked with her. Dan said that.”
“So, there was no rescue planned?”
“That was Naomi’s call,” Charlotte answered. She wasn’t absolutely sure of that, but when she glanced at Miles, he confirmed it with a faint nod. “We didn’t have the rank to go against Keamy or make decisions for Captain Gault.”
“And Locke blew our chances of rescue to hell yet again.” Sawyer looked disgusted, but not surprised. “Would she have?”
“I-I’m not sure,” Miles said, carefully. “She thought you were safe, at first. Things changed in her mind when she realized how little her life was valued after Jack had her sat phone and instructions how to use it.” Sullen anger flickered behind his eyes as he met Sawyer’s glare.
Rose headed off that confrontation. “From all I’ve heard, there was no attempt to protect civilians in the attack at the barracks. No one asked what side anyone was on, they just came in guns blazing.”
“Anyone at the barracks would be assumed to be Ben’s people,” Charlotte commented, angry and uncomfortable with both Keamy and the survivors.
“We aren’t Ben’s people!”
“You live in houses provided for Ben’s people, you eat food and use supplies provided for Ben’s people, you protect Ben--”
“Pound cake,” Miles put in softly.
“Of course you’re Ben’s people as far as the soldiers care. It doesn’t take much sense to guess that the barracks would be the first place anyone looking for Ben or his followers would go.”
“Locke said the barracks would be safe,” Bernard protested.
“And he’s reliable?” Charlotte asked with disdain.
“Locke says he wants to protect the island, not the people on it,” Miles remarked. “He was after Linus’ job-and the whispers I hear say he’s got it.”
“What? Locke’s with the Others? Those goddamn murderers, kidnappers,--” Sawyer sputtered with indignation at the idea.
“So, it’s no skin off their backs if you and your friends are killed off in mistake for them?” Miles asked with patently false innocence.
“And that’s why Richard and Ben didn’t mind Locke leading his group to the barracks,” Juliet said grimly. “They were to be the bait, so that Keamy wouldn’t realize that his targets had escaped.” She leveled an appraising stare at Miles. “I wouldn’t mind knowing whose whispers you’ve been hearing.”
Miles gazed at her with an expression of carefully neutral amusement. Charlotte wondered if their interrogators would smack him for it, and whether she could stop herself cheering if they did. Miles was part of her team, and she knew he was right to want to spend as little of their information as possible, but he was too good at being infuriating and she had experienced it oftener than she liked. She was far enough in her own thoughts that she twitched when Miles answered.
“I hear things. I listen-in the jungle, in the camp, in the barracks back then. If I think I can get an answer safely, I ask. I don’t ask who’s talking.”
He was being cagey, which told Charlotte that his informants were probably post-mortem. That offended her research instincts; ghosts were not considered reliable sources of information among her teachers and colleagues and all the cultural relativism in the world could not make her comfortable with the idea.
“No matter who’s been talking, one thing I am sure of. I’m done being bait.” Sawyer looked at his comrades, making sure to catch everyone’s eye. “We’re all done with that. If Locke comes around for help, it had better be good for us as much as for his people. In fact, it had better be better for us than for him. I would never say I’m the man to hold a grudge, except I am. I’ll give the Others a little bit, ‘cause Kate said they helped her and Sayid, but I’m not forgetting what all else they’ve done. Are we agreed? Us first and them if it’s safe?” Narrowed eyes, then nods of agreement, first from Rose, then Bernard, Juliet and the rest shortly after. Sawyer turned his eyes on Charlotte and Miles. “What about you?”
“Screw over Locke, I’m on board with that,” Miles answered promptly. He glanced at Charlotte. “Shall we have a suspension of hostilities for the duration?”
“Sure. Team first, allies after, natives maybe,” she replied. Miles nodded agreement. Sawyer smiled, bright and feral.
“Allies,” he echoed. “Welcome to the war.”