Indra and Sheidheda is the relationship between Indra and Sheidheda. They are portrayed by cast members Adina Porter and JR Bourne.
Summary[]
Unlike Clarke and her friends or most of the Grounders, including her own daughter, who only know of the Dark Commander from stories or their interactions with him through Madi Griffin and the Flame, Indra has personal experience and hatred for him. Having seen his atrocities as a child, Indra is well aware of the danger that he poses and bears a grudge as her father died fighting him when Indra was a child and her mother bowed before him. Indra's experiences with Sheidheda allows her to see through the Dark Commander's guise as Russell Lightbourne when nobody else can and she makes it clear that as soon as she can, Indra will take pleasure in personally killing him. Due to her pragmatic nature, Indra doesn't take her revenge right away, knowing that it will just cause more problems and, with Eric Jackson's help, instead ensures that Sheidheda can never be resurrected again when she does kill him.
Once the Dark Commander takes control of Wonkru, Indra only bows to him in order to save Madi. However, while Indra retains her hatred for the Dark Commander, he treats her a degree of respect. Indra secretly supports John Murphy and Emori's efforts to protect the survivors of Sheidheda's massacres and to rebel against him.
The arrival of Bill Cadogan and the Disciples, as well as a Red Sun Eclipse ends the Dark Commander's reign over Sanctum and leads to a brief alliance between the two mortal enemies, although Indra makes it clear that she still intends to kill Sheidheda once their mutual enemy is gone. At one point, the Dark Commander even saves Indra's life while Indra's hallucinations from the Red Sun toxin causes her to finally understand that her mother had bowed to Sheidheda in order to save Indra's life and not out of cowardice as she had always believed. With the Dark Commander severely wounded and neither Eric Jackson nor Gabriel Santiago willing to treat him, Indra chooses not to kill him and instead to banish Sheidheda from Wonkru to die of his wounds.
However, Indra's act of mercy backfires when the Dark Commander makes a deal with the Disciples to trade them information on the code for the Anomaly Stone that they're looking for in exchange for his life. Sheidheda assaults the Second Dawn Bunker to kill Madi, mortally wounding Gabriel before finally being taken down in combat by Indra with the help of her daughter Gaia. Before Indra can kill the Dark Commander, he manages to escape back to Bardo.
During the test for Transcendence, Sheidheda disrupts Octavia's attempts to stop the war that has broken out and countermands Indra's orders. Seizing her chance, Indra finally kills her mortal enemy with an Eligius sonic cannon, declaring it to be for her mother and shocking both warring factions into stopping fighting. With the Flame destroyed and Indra having earlier removed his Mind Drive, thus leaving his consciousness with nowhere to escape to this time, the Dark Commander's death at Indra's hands is permanent.
Throughout the Series[]
In The Blood of Sanctum, after learning that Sheidheda is possessing Madi Griffin, Indra reveals that she saw the Dark Commander once as a child and the atrocities that he had committed. Indra warns that they can't let Sheidheda command Wonkru, and Gaia reassures her mother that she will kill Madi if it comes to it. Although Raven Reyes manages to save Madi by activating the Flame's kill switch, the Dark Commander's consciousness manages to escape to an unknown location.
Quotes[]
- Indra: "I saw him once -- Sheidheda. I was only a girl when he took Trikru. He went from village to village, butchering anyone who refused to kneel, their families, too. We cannot let this creature command Wonkru."
- - in The Blood of Sanctum
- Sheidheda: "My, my, my. What foolish little lambs you are. The last thing I want is for all of you to die. In the same night that your uprising stayed my execution, you thought it wise to sacrifice yourselves?! You're the only thing keeping me alive!"
- Trey: "Please forgive us, Russell."
- Sheidheda: "You want forgiveness? Then show me your fealty."
- Trey: "Anything. Tell me what to do."
- Sheidheda: "Kneel. All of you, kneel or die."
- Emori: "Indra, what's wrong?"
- Indra: "I've heard that before."
- -- in Welcome to Bardo
- Indra (in Trigedasleng): "There's a spider on your shoulder."
- Sheidheda (in Trigedasleng): "Too bad you can't kill me."
- -- in Welcome to Bardo
- Indra: "Now we know what happened to the code when we saved the Commander."
- Sheidheda: "Hm. She was too weak to be a Commander and you know it. (in Trigedasleng) I've been wondering... did your parents kneel when I conquered Trikru?"
- Indra (in Trigedasleng): "If you must know... my father had already died in the battle. When it was over... yes, my mother did kneel. I thought her weak for it."
- Sheidheda: "Ah. And you know what happens if you make me a martyr."
- Indra: "Yes. The same thing that happens if anyone finds out who you are. Only then, as the people riot for the loss of their god, I can slit your throat."
- Sheidheda: "What's the meaning of this?"
- Nelson: "Up."
- Indra: "I might not be able to kill you, but I can make sure when I do, you don't come back."
- Nelson: "Death to Primes."
- Eric Jackson: "For the pain."
- Indra: "No. Let him feel it... for Abby."
- -- in Welcome to Bardo
- Emori: "Indra, what is it? Let us help."
- Indra: "Sheidheda."
- Emori: "What? In Madi? But I thought--"
- Indra: "Not in Madi. In Russell. When we removed the Flame from Madi, Sheidheda's consciousness disappeared into the computer. From there, it jumped into the..."
- John Murphy and Indra: "Mind Drive."
- John Murphy: "Yeah."
- Emori: "So kill him."
- John Murphy: "We can't. Fanatics think he's Russell. They'll burn it all down. Of course, if we tell them he isn't Russell, they'll still burn it all down. Either way, their god is dead."
- Emori: "Which will be the least of our worries because if we tell them, Wonkru will know Sheidheda is back."
- John Murphy: "You really think they'd follow him?"
- Indra: "Sangedakru would, and eventually, the others would kneel. I've seen it before. That's why we need Madi."
- -- in Nakara
- Indra: "Do not open these doors. You might hear disturbing things, but these are my orders. Is that clear?"
- -- in The Flock
- John Murphy: "Indra, what are you doing?"
- Indra: "Killing a demon. Do you have a problem with that? Good. Get some rest. You've both had a long day."
- Emori: "We should go, before they come for us. What?"
- John Murphy: "This is what he wanted. Open the door!"
- Penn: "Only on Indra's word."
- John Murphy: "Listen. It's not one man screaming. Sheidheda's killing them."
- Knight: "What did you just say?"
- Sheidheda (in Trigedasleng) "Open the door! My fight is just beginning!"
- -- in The Flock
- Sheidheda (in Trigedasleng): "Friends of the Twelve Clans..."
- Indra: "He's broadcasting from the palace."
- John Murphy: "Madi, come with us."
- Sheidheda (in Trigedasleng): "I have something important to tell you. You have been lied to. The one you have chosen to follow..."
- Indra: "Let's move! We know where he is."
- Sheidheda (in Trigedasleng): "Indra kom Trikru... told you the time of the Commanders is over..."
- Indra: "I gave you an order!"
- Sheidheda (in Trigedasleng): "She lied to you. All this time, she knew that a true Commander was among us."
- Indra: "Keep Madi safe."
- Sheidheda (in Trigedasleng): "She kept me in chains. But no more."
- John Murphy: "Go get the bastard."
- -- in A Little Sacrifice
- Sheidheda: "I saved your life, Indra. Surely that is worth something?"
- Indra: "Yes it is. I don't need to kill you because you're already dead. (slashes Sheidheda's face) No one treats him."
- Eric Jackson: "Wasn't planning on it."
- Gabriel Santiago: "Me neither."
- Indra: (in Trigedasleng) "Your fight is over."
- -- in Blood Giant
- Indra: "You."
- Sheidheda: "Me. Us."
- -- in A Sort of Homecoming
- Indra (in Trigedasleng): "Your fight is over."
- Sheidheda: "Not today."
- -- in A Sort of Homecoming
- Sheidheda (in Trigedasleng): "We charge! We breach the wall! We kill them all! On my..." (turns to see Indra holding a sonic cannon)
- Indra (in Trigedasleng): "For my mother." (kills Sheidheda)
- -- in The Last War
Notes and Trivia[]
- Sheidheda is the final character to die in the series.
- With the Flame destroyed and his Mind Drive removed, Sheidheda's death is permanent even if humanity hadn't transcended.
- Indra killing Sheidheda is the final kill and death of the series.