May We Meet Again

Chapter Twenty-Five

"That we can help you with," Jasper said. "After this meeting, your afternoon is clear, and you can do something with Edward."

"Is his afternoon clear?" I asked, arching a brow.

"No, but it can be," Lauren chirped. "Both of you work too hard. I know that you feel like you need to work yourself to the bone be an effective leader, but allow us to help you."

"You do help me. This place would not run as efficiently if it weren't all of you," I breathed. "We wouldn't have the alliance with Amun and his tribe without ..."

"You and Edward," Rose said. "You two made it possible. Amun and his people have been invaluable, especially when it came to surviving the winter. We would have starved to death."

"That's unlikely, but their preservation techniques did enhance our food stores," Jasper agreed.

Emmett and Edward walked in. "Sorry, we're late. We were helping a hunting party deliver their latest kills inside."

"Let me call into the Ark," Lauren said. With a few swipes of her fingers, the Ark council came into view, with my mother sitting in the chancellor's seat. She was the voice of the council. Carlisle, Esme, Sinclair, Commander Blake, and my father finished out the council from the Ark. My father became the head of mechanics station, taking over Daniel Hale's role.

In the center console, my mother said her hello. "It's been too long," Mom chided. "How's my baby girl?"

"I'm fine, Mom," I said. "How are things at the Ark?"

"The crops we planted have taken root and the installation of the refrigeration units is well underway," she answered. "We've also finished construction of two more Rovers. It'll make the commute back and forth to the mountain much easier."

"That's excellent to here," I grinned. "How are things going with the school?"

"Classes are rigorous. We have two levels of classes as of now," Esme began. "A primary group, for students up to the age nine. The secondary group is from age ten to seventeen, which includes specialized training in their chosen field. A number of Amun's tribe are curious about mechanics and engineering. They're taking to it like a fish to water. They're so eager to learn."

"Where is Amun?" Edward asked.

"One of the women in his tribe went into labor and he needed to be there with Kebi to help deliver the baby," Carlisle answered. "I'm on standby if the labor goes awry."

Amun and his people were transient, but they had three locations that in which they resided. The largest residence was in Washington D.C., using what used to be the Smithsonian as their homes. There were also smaller homes that were used as well. Another location they used was outside Anapolis, which they used in the summer since it was close to the water. The final location was halfway in between Washington and Anapolis, near where the Ark had landed. Most people stayed there, or with us in the Mountain.

"The reason for calling this meeting is that we need to decide regarding our justice system. Have you chosen your representatives for the tribunal?" Mom asked. "We've chosen Eleazar Sartori and Carmen Delgado."

"Tyler Crowley and Katherine Dowling," I answered. "They expressed interest in the justice system, wanting to represent the mountain. When will the trial for Jacob, Paul, Sam and Quil happen?"

"We need a tie-break," Marcus said.

"How about someone from Amun's tribe? They'd be an impartial judge," Edward suggested. "Nahuel?"

"I can speak to him," said Huilen, Nahuel's mate and advisor seated on our council. "I'm certain he'll say yes."

"Okay," I nodded. "We have our tribunal. We also have representation for the four accused. We just need to set a date for the trial."