Storm over Pandora- In Eywa's Shadow

Started by Lehrrap Uniltìranyu, February 06, 2010, 09:01:40 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Lehrrap Uniltìranyu

Kelutral
1030 HRS.

Jax was trying very hard to keep himself composed. Alex had really gone off on him, and it was bothering him, a lot. Was Jax really not... himself anymore?

He firmly shook his head as Hometree got even bigger as they got closer. No. He wasn't just some Navi that happened to share the same name. He was still Jax, he still had all the skills and military knowlege he built up on Earth. He could remember how to sing several songs he loved, he could remember the first girl he had liked enough to give a valentines to, back in middle school.

He was still James Logain, Pilot and Marine, just with a new name and face, right?

At least, this is what he told himself. Deep down, he was afraid that what Alex had said was true. Jax sighed and muttered to himself. "Dammnit Gears. I swear to god, if we live though this I am going to knock you into next week when we meet next."

Jax felt a little dark, and his mind was slowly turning towards 'not going to take any bulls**** territory.' He had finished his knife during the remainder of the trip, which pleased him. It was beautifuly curved, thanks to the help of his teacher, and the handle was nice and heavy, but he wasn't quite sure how to test it.

Jax was a bit worried. He wasn't quite sure how the Na'vi would react to him, but he hoped that they would be more or less welcome. He pondered this over when Twonyu came up to Jax.

As Twonyu  walked past the Pa'li that Jax was mounted on he badly suppressed a laugh.
"<< You ride that Pa'li like a child, I'll be surprised if the warriors even let you sawtute into Kelutral, as it is obvious that you are not Na'vi>>"

"Yeah well at least I didn't make my pa'li run off or get thrown off by the second one as soon as I made tsheylu"

"<<You speak with demon words, I don't understand>>"

"<<You ride Pa'li worse than me, I can see why you are not a hunter yet, little Skxawng.>>" Jax said in Na'vi, pleased with how the insult came out.

Twonyu stared at Jax with murder and fire in his eyes. He used the only curse he had learnt in inglisi
"Fuk ou" "<<You will never be hunter, You will never be Omatikya, never be my brother and if you speak to me again I will kill you Sawtue!>>"

"<<YOU will kill me? I'm so sure. And what will your next trick be?>" Jax said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He was tired of this little bastard trying to act like some bada**.

Twonyu hissed at Jax and his hand shot to his knife.

Jax contemplated drawing his new knife and turning Twonyu into Blue Lunchmeat, but decided against it, instead ignoring the idiot and spurring the Pa'li past Twonyu.

"<<You speak big words for a skxawng and a coward. Speak another stupid attempt at a insult and you'll find yourself on the ground, with your own knife to your neck.>>" Jax said back, not even bothering to look at Twonyu as he dismounted the Pa'li.

Twonyu was already charging by the time that Jaxs' feet hit the ground.

"<<Skxawng! coward! You don't say things to me tawtute! Now I WILL kill you!>>"

Twonyu lowered his shoulder to slam Jax to the ground, charging at the small of Jax's back.

Jax turned and saw Twonyu charging to tackle him. He sighed softly to himself. Somehow, he had known it would come to this. Waiting until the last possible moment, Jax twisted around Twonyu, shoving him hard in the back to add momentum, tripping him up and practicly throwing him into a cleared area, where the Na'vi gathered when there was a discussion, though Jax didn't know that. He just thought it looked like a good place to beat on the little punk.

"<<About time you learn manners.>>" Jax said with a low growl, then a loud hiss at Twonyu before he walked over to where the teen was picking himself up off the ground.

"<<You disrespect me, and all that I am, because I have had this thrust upon me. Skxawng, you try to dishonor me for the last time.>>" Jax cracked his knuckles. "<<Come if you dare, and I will teach you what it means to respect your betters!>>"

Jax fell into MCMA fighting stance, bringing his left foot fowards along with his left fist. He twisted the hand around and waved at Twonyu in the international symbol for 'bring it on'.

Na'vi were gathering, Tsu'tey and Sek'mut doing nothing to stop to the two, though Jax could dully hear the protests of the others to keep him from fighting. Tsu'tey had to phyically halt Arik from running out into the ring to try to talk to Jax.

"This is his fight, for his honor. Do no interfere! It needs to be done."

"Damn right it does." Jax muttered, watching Twonyu carefully as he waited for him to make a move.

Crouching low Twonyu circled Jax, but he kept his distance now that he knew that this tawtute knew  how to fight. Twonyu had never seen Jax's style of fighting before so every so often he would dart in, hiss and retreat quickly.

Again he tried to charge Jax but just like the first time Twonyu was sent sprawling to the ground, Standing and spitting dirt out of his mouth with his back to Jax he slowly drew his knife.

He turned making sure that the white of the blade could be seen. He was holding it so the blade was parallel with his forearm, which was Twonyus preferred grip when he had to slash. He stepped forward within range of Jax and lashed out with the blade three times slicing it where Jax's face should have been. But each time the blade hit nothing but air.

Flipping the blade in his hand Twonyu went for a stab. Jax grabbed Twonyus wrist, stepping to the side to avoid the blow, and twisted. The blade went flying but the desired effect of the wrist breaking didn't happen, out of nowhere Twonyus other arm came at Jax and backhanded him across the face.

Jax rotated around, rolling his face to ward off most of the hit, though Twonyu connected solidly. Jax was a bit surpised, but not much.

Twonyu didn't know how to fight. Not entirely. He had some of the basic skills, but these wern't honed skills. He was more of a hunter, not a warrior.

Jax knew Twonyu could see him. The world seemed to slow down as they glared at each other for a moment before Jax grinned. His message had gone across them. "You are about to die."

Jax fell back, as if the backhanded hit had done a bit more damage, using the rotation to whip his body around into a heavy snap kick into Twonyu's gut, throwing the Na'vi back. Jax had felt a small crunch. He didn't break anything, but Twonyu would be feeling that kick for a little.

Jax went all offence, dashing at Twonyu and unleashing hell. It was a flurry of blows. Jax punched Twonyu in vulnerable parts of his body, blocked any counter that Twonyu tried to throw, and threw Twonyu around like a rag-doll.

"<<Whats the matter, Skxawng?!? I thought you fight, not be beaten!>>" Jax taunted, waving his hands at Twonyu, who had been knocked to the ground.

Twonyu yelled out and charged Jax again. Twonyu had recollected his knife and he brought it up towards Jax, as if he was trying to run him though.

Jax's Fist connected with Twonyu's face, creating a clothsline effect, Twonyu hitting the ground hard and his knife going in the air. Jax snatched it and slammed it down into the ground, right next to Twonyu's face, Jax's knee on the Na'vis chest. "<<Surrender now or I kill you. I have no reason not to, Skxawng. Learn your place.>>"

Twonyu had been beaten, badly. The Na'vi coughed and spit out a comdination of blood and siliva to the side. "<<Kill me then, Tawtute. I have been shamed and beaten.>>"

Jax was a little suprised at the request that Twonyu made. He was sure that the Na'vi would beg for his life or had tried to insult him. Jax thought about and bent close to Twonyu, pulling the Na'vi's knife from the ground and flicking it up and around, bringing the hilt forwards.

"<<Remember this when you are recovering. I let you live, Skxawng. You are a worthless little peice of Pa'li waste, and you will remain that way. Respect your betters.>>" And with that, Jax slammed the hilt of the blade into Twonyu's head, knocking the young Na'vi cold.

"Guess you couldn't handle the truth." Jax muttered as Twonyu hit the ground, KO'ed but good.

Jax quickly inspected the damage he had done. He had really done a number on the poor kid. He shook the last part of that thought out of his head. Poor Kid or not, the little bastard tried to kill him twice and deserved the beating he got. Shows him what for fighting a trained warrior.

Twonyu had a broken rib and a whole lot of bruses, plus whatever cuncussional damage was delivered by the knife handle blow Jax had delivered to Twonyu's head. Jax wasn't proud of what he had done, but he had to admit he felt a lot better.

Jax rolled his neck and looked around. The gathered Na'vi were looking at him in a mix of awe, fear, admireation, and above all, seclusion.

He had seperated himself by beating on Twonyu. Jax sighed to himself. "Looks like it's back to the river to me...."



-----------
"Ta'em 'eko!!!"
-----------
"Better to have fought and died then never to have fought at all"
-----------
Bionic Arms and Pandora, The most read FanFic on Learnnavi.org! Read it here! -Shameless self promotion-

El Jacko

Near Site 25
1100hrs

   Shep had been trekking in the general direction of Site 25 for 3 hours now. According to his map, the distance was 8 miles, or thereabouts, but he must have hiked at least 12 by now. The sheer impassablilty of the forest floor to something as small as a human proved an annoying handicap, and every now and then he would gaze up, longingly, at the bands of Prolemuris that periodically hurtled overhead, wishing he could swing through the treetops with the same effortless style. But for now, he was a 6'5" human scientist, and would have to walk.

   Shortly after, he noticed that the group of prolemuris that had been following him had departed, leaving an eerie silence. He froze, hoping that the cause was slightly smaller than yesterday. From the bushes to the right, he heard several maniacal cackles, like a deranged hyena, then the pained bleat of an injured animal.

   Viperwolves. A strange piece of work, roughly the size of a Rottweiler. Like everything else on this planet, they had six legs, and like Terran dogs, they had a snouted head with large teeth. This is where the similarities ended, though – viperwolves had no hair, dextrous 'paws', and a raging bloodlust. Fortunately for Shep, this particular pack was busy, but if they were as ravenous as they sounded they wouldn't be for long.

   He set off at a sprint for the mobile site. All he had to do was cover the few hundred remaining yards, and the pack of demonic freaks would be well and truly stumped. Bursting into the clearing in a shower of leaves, he hammered his access code into the keypad and dived into the airlock. Standing up, he heard the various air filters and pumps begin to cycle as the first of the Viperwolves shot into the clearing. It stopped, momentarily, sniffing the air and scanning the vista. Satisfied, it seemed to leave, retreating to the treeline, but then stopping again.

   The Viperwolf's tactics became clear as it turned again. Its ears flicked back, lips curled up, revealing vicious black teeth, and charged headlong at the triple-reinforced Lexan porthole in the airlock. Shep gritted his teeth, prepared for a sticky end, and flinched as he heard the crunch. The airlock indicator pinged green, but Shep didn't leave. Not yet. The smear of blood on the window confirmed his suspicions, and the broken body of the alien wolf lay twitching on the floor outside. "Good riddance", he muttered, and entered the shipping container of a laboratory.

  Site 25 was far better equipped than his bolt hole in 24 – the security force used to use it as an outpost for their various expeditions. It was long since deserted (the incident involving the bulldozer fire was the probable cause), but still well stocked.
Wonder why they left in such a hurry...the place still looked serviceable. He'd have to stay here for a few hours, make sure the Viperwolves weren't waiting for him to leave. He sat down, and began to release the straps holding his exopack on, before breaking the seal and breathing deeply. Breathing your own damp breath for hours on end was an uncomfortable experience, real air was so much more refreshing.

   Several seconds later, he choked, coughing furiously. The room began to spin before his eyes, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, faster and faster. His lungs felt like they were being ripped out by the very air he was trying to breathe. The CO2 would have him unconcious in less than a minute if he didn't do something about it. Limply, he pulled the mask back over his face and opened the valve, before collapsing onto the desk.
'Look at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us...on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam' - Carl Sagan

Tanhìyärina'

Kelutral,
Later that Day





The reunion between Tireamokri and Nef'Tys had been delayed by the brief fight between Twonyu and Jax.  Nef'Tys, for her part, was somewhat relieved by the distraction-- it delayed her inevitable confrontation with he rmentor about the strangers she'd seen.

Tireamokri, for her part, noticed a distance in the younger girl's demeanor.  She gave Nef'Tys an inquisitive look, missed by the younger Na'vi, and watched with detached amusement at the struggle between the young Na'vi before them.

"Lumpe Hun'narìl Twonyuti 'eko?" Nef'Tys asked.

"Talun Hun'nar ke lu," Tireamokri said. "Poan lu Tawtute syaw Jax,"

Nef'Tys looked back at her, blinked, and looked back at Hun'nar-- no, at Jax.  "Niwotx?" she asked.

"Lam niwotx," Tireamokri informed her. A cloud of sadness swept over Nef'Tys's features. "Hun'narìri ngayä 'eylan lìmu?  Yawne lìmu ngaru?" the older Na'vi asked.

Nef'Tys said nothing, but her look was unabashedly serious.

<<So,>> Nef'tys said suddenly, a forced grin flashing from her features, "Arikri piveng!  Tìngay lu, poan lu skxawng?" Nef'Tys asked.

Tireamokri pretended she didn't see the sadness behind Nef'Tys' grin.  "Poanru tsun rikx na'ring-mì, <<not quite as noisily as the other Uniltìranyu,>>" she said.  "Slä mi, na prrnen, ke tsun tivaron, ke tsun sìltsana tìspivang si, ke pxasul sivi ye'rik."

<<But he likes adventure, yes?>> Nef'Tys asked.  "Ke txopu si?"

"<<Unafraid,>> srane," Tireamokri replied. "Txura txe'lan, slä..."  She gave a *tch!* of exasperation.  "Txan nìhawng txura ronsem <<sometimes>>."

"Ngari fpìl poanti Aniuketur sìiltsan livu srak?" Nef'Tys asked quietly.

Tireamokri looked over at the Uniltìranyu who had watched the fight break up, annoyed displeasure on his face. He was searching the traveling party, looking from face to face, consternation growing.

"New säswey tuteru," Tireamokri said.  "Txo 'eylan si fko, fko yìleawne lu poanur.  <<He would never knowingly hurt Aniuket, but I could see him doing something stubborn and childish for what he thinks to be the right reasons, and hurting her or someone else that way.>>"

"Has anybody seen Alex?" Arik asked suddenly, seemingly to no one.

Na'ama looked around as well, from the back of the pa'li they'd been riding.

"Piveng poeti," Nef'Tys asked.

"Nì'ul skxawng," Tiremokri said.  "Poel omum nì'ul lì'fya leNa'vi, slä kenì'ul Na'vi, awnga pak!  Ulte ke tsun tivarängon!"  She paused, relaxing her hands, which had tightened into fists, and gave Nef'Tys a somber look.  "Poel poanyä tsmuke.  Ke... hrrap lu Aniuketur."

"Tafral poanil poer eltu si, talun poel tìkin srung," Nef'Tys said.

Tiremorki nodded, and the two women fell silent for a moment.  Arik, meanwhile, went from pa'li to pa'li, looking for Alex.

"This isn't goddamn funny," Arik said, "Hey, Damien, you seen Alex?" he asked the Tawtute in the shield-walker. The human shook his head and shrugged, the shield-walker suit amplifying the gesture to absurd proportions.

"'E was 'ere last night," Chris said, looking around.  He, too, began to look concerned.  "Bugger... did 'e get left behind somewhere?"

"Jax!" Arik called out. The young Na'vi teen looked at Arik, and Nef'Tys stepped back.

"Peu lu?" Tireamokri asked her.

"Poanä tìrikx, tìran, menari," Nef'Tys said.  "Nìwotx kemuiä!  Poan ke längu!"

Hun'nar-- no, it was Jax, in Hun'nar's body-- wiped blood from his nose and looked over at Arik.  "What?" he asked in easy English.  Nef'Tys's face went blank with shock.

"Oel omum," Tireamokri said quietly to Nef'Tys.

"You seen Alex?" Arik asked.

Jax stood carefully still, and caught his breath.  His eyes darted around, and he licked his lips nervously.

"Arik," he said, "We need to talk..."  Na'vi and Uniltìranyu walked away from the group, and the conversation quickly became heated, even though no one could hear exactly what was being said.

Tireamokri looked down at Nef'Tys with soft eyes.  "Nef'tys..." she murmured soothingly.  Nef'Tys looked up at her, shaking her head.  The young Na'vi choked back tears and ran off.
Fitseng lu oe, tìftia kìfkeyä seri.

Txontaw

Kelutral
1040 HRS


Txonunilyu had been silent for the rest of the trip back to Kelutrel. She had barely spoken when she helped Jax carve his knife, except for some harsh reprimanding when he did something wrong. She would walk ahead of the group, sit in a tree twiddling her knife, staring off into space. When everyone was almost past her, she would climb down and repeat the process.

By the time they got back to Kelutrel, there were small cuts on her fingers where she had absentmindedly stuck her knife point. She let herself get swallowed up by the crowd of people welcoming the troupe back. She observed the relieved siblings reunite, the devastated parents see their child's body. There would be a large burial tonight. Suddenly, Txonunilyu jerked her head up at the sound of yelling. Jax was starting a fight with Twonyu, murder in their eyes. She watched, interested, as Jax easily blocked and reciprocated each blow by Twonyu. She watched carefully as the knives came into play. Twonyu was more skilled with the knife then Jax, but he had the defensive training, she could tell. She would have to fix that sloppy, sloppy positioning. He was not used to using a curved bone knife. She wondered if they even had bone knives on their planet at all. They require an entirely different attitude than what he was giving. Txonunliyu knew who would win the fight before it started. Very soon, Jax was holding Twonyu's own knife to his throat.

Txonunilyu slipped quietly to the central spiral and her k'sey nivi, desperate for some sleep.


***
Txonunilyu decides she must teach Jax proper knife fighting techniques.



---



Hell's Gate Warehouse
1040 HRS


((Please tell me if this is okay, I just thought that a side story would spice things up a bit.))

Joy slipped silently into the warehouse, her heart beating a rhythm worthy of a marching band in her chest. Making sure there was no one there, she made her way quickly to a large grey cargo container with "MONDAY, JOY" printed in block letters on the side. She scanned her ID card and slipped inside, letting the door click behind her. Feeling blindly around on the wall, her hand found a light switch. *Flick*

The illuminated world that unfolded would have brought about five cop cars of police to the door in a matter of seconds. A full size amnio tank was set up, with a practically full grown avatar in it. There was also a link pod, slightly dented and with many scratches, lined up against the back wall. A computer system sat on a simple card table. There were wires strewn all over the place, hapazardly connecting everything.

Oh, it had taken years to pull this all together. And the link pod she had obtained only a few days ago, when the other drivers had escaped in the dragon. It was a bit beat up, though, and she'd have to fix it up a bit to avoid splitting herself. She had easily gotten the computer. They had plenty of extras in storage.

Growing her avatar was no easy feat, though. First she had to steal the research documents to figure out how to actually make one. Then she had to scrap together the tech to do it. Then she needed to actually get the tank, let alone the fluid to fill it up with. That poor legitimate avatar driver. I hope he had that avatar insured, she thought.

She had always been technically inclined, but she had never been able to get anywhere in the world. But what about a different world? Perhaps now she could be somebody. Joy Monday... I hate that name. That was my mother's name, the b****. If only they allowed people to change their names anymore.

She walked toward the tank and pressed her face against the glass. Oh well. Soon we'll be together, and you and I will create a new Joy Monday. Together, we can do anything.
"You're not in Kansas anymore. You're on Pandora, Ladies and Gentlemen." - Colonel Quaritch


Ikranä mokri

#104
Kelutral
1100 HRS


Twonyus eyes opened and the world blurred into focus. He was on his back in the middle of the assembly area covered in dust and bruises. he hurt all over, he was tired and grief was starting to catch up with him. Mo'at knew where Twonyus' father was and his body, and that of others who had died would soon be brought back for a proper burial. He sat up and grimaced in pain. He let out a small gasp of air as pain from one of his ribs on the lower right of his body moved slightly. He knew at least one was broken.

He looked around and saw Sawné standing off to the right. In his hands he was holding a bow, it had been snapped clean in 2 and the string was still attached to the knocks at the ends. The look on Sawnés' face made Twonyu think that it was Sawnés' bow that had broken, but how could he have done it, Sawné was one of the most conservative bow shots in the Omatikya, he never fully drew his bow for the exact reason that he might break it as it was a gift from his father, just as Twonyus had been. Sawné started towards Twonyu when he saw that he was sitting up. He cam close and crouched with the broken bow still in his hands.
<< I am sorry ma 'eylan, you didn't remove your bow before fighting the tawtute...>> he trailed off. Twonyu now recognised the bow that was in his friends hands was his. Twonyus' hand moved up to the scar on his left cheek, this is what had happened the first time he had broken a bow, but this time he hadn't just broken a bow, he had broken a gift, a memory, a mark, the feeling of utter loneliness descended upon him.

He swung out and smacked the broken bow out of Sawnés' hands, pain shot up his side again but he ignored it. He stood up ignoring all the pain. He clenched his fists then unclenched them. He looked down at his chest where his knife should have been but the stained brown handle was missing, Twonyu cast his gaze around the floor hoping to spot the white of the blade.
<< where is my knife>> said Twonyu to Sawné
<< I don't know, the last time i saw it the tawtute knocked you out with it>> said Sawné
<< so the tawtute has my knife, that is more painful than the beating he gave me>> Twonyu said this calmly but Sawné could see in his eyes total loss and hatred.

Twonyu started towards the spiral centre of Kelutral, but he hadn't taken more than 5 steps before he fell on one knee clutching his side. Sawné ran over to him
<<ma 'eylan you shouldn't be moving, I will go and find one of the healers>> with that Sawné ran off in search of either Mil'Ani or Tsamsiyu Atsteu.

Walking down the spiral centre of Kelutral came Hanu. he stopped in front of where Twonyu was now sitting.
<< oel ngati kameie>>  said Hanu in the traditional greeting

<<oel ngati kameie ma Hanu>> said twonyu respectfully

<< I am sorry about your fathers death, he was a good hunter>>

<< I hope to be as good or better than him someday>>

<< Twonyu now that you have no teacher, i was wondering whether you would become my student?>>

<< ma hanu i would be honoured to be your student but i have no bow or knife since i fought that tawtute and he stole my knife and broke my bow>> as Twonyu said this his frustration clearly showed

<< tam tam ma student, you have your fathers spirit, but we are going to have to train you to control your anger, now we will wait for a healer to come and discuss what i will be teaching you>>

Hell's Gate Link room
1111 HRS


Nick wandered through the wreckage of the link room. Why did they do this? what drove them to sabotage our work? childs' says that it was the EFF but it was those new pilots who were in here at the time and didn't see any bodies he thought to himself, Nick had alwasy been loyal to the RDA but things were just too odd not to be suspicious Although that's not all that's suspicious? we seem to be missing one of the link pods, even if it was damaged with a bit of TLC it could be brought back on-line. Its the same with all the cable as well all of this was floating around in the back of his mind at the moment, at the forefront of his mind was the problem of the dead avatar that had died because of the fluid leaking out of it, the fact that he had just recognised someone had been hacking into the secure systems and researching how to grow AVATARS and now that the link room had been damaged badly he couldn't trace the hack using the computers. Nick continued to pace.





Tirea Tskoyä has a new look see it[url=http://forum.learnnavi.org/fiction-

El Jacko

Site 25
1200hrs


   After some time, Shep began to stir. Blind luck had kept his mask sealed over his face while unconscious; when he moved his head, he felt it begin to re-pressurise with toxic air. With his eyes clamped shut, he fumbled with the fittings until it was tightly fitted, before twisting the purge valve and feeling the cool rush of breathable air. He lay there for a few moments, trying to sum up the willpower to lift his pounding head and open his eyes. The few short breaths of Pandoran atmosphere had left a lasting impression – his throat was sore, breathing stung slightly and his eyes were itching furiously. But he was, mercifully, still alive, and his training began to dribble back, stirring his thoughts into a rough coherency

Where am I...? Site 24?..no...miles away...25? Yeah, that fits...looking for...Aug...August...Augustus...no, Augustine.

   Slowly, he lifted his head, braced for the inevitable wave of nausea. He braced a supporting hand against his visor for a few seconds, before prying open his eyes to the dusty sunlight and looking around.

25...what did I hear about this place...THINK DAMNIT...military site, used for expeditions...and no Terran air?...must be a broken filter...no rebels though...

   As he suspected, this was not a research site. Not any more, anyway. The pod he had collapsed in was relatively bare, some computers and bunks, but nothing special. The next pod along was an altogether different story.

   'Weapons Cache' would cover about 3 feet of this room. 'Armoury' still didn't quite cut it. The place contained a veritable arsenal of explosives, guns, armor, combat supplies, even a sink. You could run a small army from this place, and still have kit left over for when the army ran out of steam. This presented Shep with an opportunity, and one he was loathe to miss.

   Shep bustled through the assorted racks like a child in a sweet shop, examining every piece of kit in excruciating detail, set on only taking what he could put to good use. He lingered for some time by the rifles, trying the fit of just about every one, but more for fun than use. He already had a rifle, far superior to these in just about every way imaginable. And the armour. Ohh, the armour. Riot shields, Kevlar vests, polymer spaulders, gauntlets, bracers, helmets, and assorted peripherals. This place was heaven...

   After about half an hour, all he'd managed to decide on was a Kevlar vest, armoured gauntlets and bracers, and a large stash of replacement ammo. After seeing how effective the Flashbang grenades were on the locals, he felt a few more wouldn't hurt, along with a single fragmentation grenade. (A small trick he'd picked up from the Spetsnaz: you remove the pin, and then keep the grenade live in a small pocket. Enemy captures you; you simply open the pocket and blow them all the way to Timbuktu, thus not giving away your identity. Slightly messy though.) Suited up, he looked like a riot officer in a lab coat. Not the best for concealing an identity, but he'd remove the armour once he got back to his bolt-hole.
   
   Satisfied with his new toys, and content that the rebels weren't hiding amongst the various racks, he checked the treeline for signs of the earlier Viperwolves and set off, flashbang in one hand, revolver in the other.
'Look at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us...on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam' - Carl Sagan

Mako

Kelutral
1200 Hours


Chris was worn out from the day's travel. Upon arrival at hometree, Chris found a quiet place to lie down and drift off into slumber. He had come to anticipate the jump back to the link pod, so he was ready for it this time. He quietly slid out of his pod, making his way to one of the storage rooms. He passed the other Avatar drivers in their pods, taking a moment to check each one's vitals. These were his family here on Pandora. He would do anything for them to protect them. He passed Arik, the last pod, and then slipped into the back room to catch some shuteye.

--------

The mind is as interesting a concept as the whole Avatar program is. Chris' mind drifted back to Earth, the scarred hellhole that it had become. He strolled down a busy street, nudging through the crowd. Overpopulation and industrialization had stripped the Earth of all it's beauties. He had only seen documentaries of what it had been and even trees were a scarce find, existing only indoors in climate-controlled environments. Suddenly he was standing in his room in the old complex he lived in. His brother Cole was busy with his Naval academy studies.

It had been nearly 17 years since he had last seen his brother. Cole was only 3 years younger than Chris, but had entered the Naval academy at a later period of time along in his life. He carried the same height as their father, and the same bright blue eyes, but Cole was not as well built and had sandy blonde hair laced with white, and odd feature for one as young as he. He was the more studious of the two brothers, Chris preferring the grunt work than the education. He wondered who had been right in the long run and felt a pang of regret that his brother hadn't joined him on Pandora. Chris had been given the chance to have new life, but Cole was damned to live out his life on a dying world.

About this time, Cole looked Chris straight in the eye, sending a chill down Chris' spine.

"Chris?"

"Yeah little bro. It's been a while."

Cole looked down at his work, then back at Chris.

"Where did you go for so many years?"

"Ah, you know mate. The military had me busy on several tours and such. You'll see bloody soon enough."

"Oh, right."

"How's mum?"

"Last time I spoke with her, she had remarried and moved to Europe. You know da died."

Chris' heart dropped into his stomach. He didn't know that his father had died. This may have just been a dream, but somehow Chris knew it was true.

"He did?"

"Yeah. There was an explosion in his district in one of the munitions factories, wiping an entire square mile of city out."

In Chris' mind's eye, he saw a massive explosion, people running from the district flaming, screaming.

"And mum just left you?"

"She thought I was capable enough. In hindsight, she must have known what you know about the military and figured that I would be out of here soon enough."

"But you're alright?"

"I look alright, don't I?"

Chris smiled at the firey attitude. Cole hadn't lost it since he had last seen him.

"Can't argue with that logic mate."

"So, a corporation has been looking at picking me up. Said they had some important work for me that would perhaps get me off this bloody planet. The RDA."

Chris bolted upright in the back room. He tried to shake off the feeling of horror and surprise that he had, but it was too real. It was only a dream, right?

--------

Lehrrap Uniltìranyu

#107
Kelutral
1223 HRS


Jax looked at Twonyu's knife. He didn't realise that he had brought it with him in his retreat from the other groups after the fight.

He had talked with Arik after the fight, explaining where Alex went off to and that he had decided to go back to the Hanger. They had a bit of a talking match, but afterwards, the Na'vi girl that had gone running at top speed, who looked like she was about to break down and cry... her words stuck in his head.

"It's all wrong! It's not him!!!" The words penitrated Jax's skull, rebounding endlessly in his head. Jax had looked around. The Na'vi were... scared of him. He could see it, in the way they walked, the way the talking turned to muttering when he walked by.

The girl must have loved the Na'vi boy that Jax had 'replaced'. That was the only thing that Jax could think of.

Jax had made his way away from the other Na'vi by climbing upwards, going as high up as he could reach. He looked around and sighed. He had been filled with hope, before. He was foolish to believe that he was ever going to be 'accepted' as a Na'vi.

Jax took a deep breath, stabbing Twonyu's knife into the trunk of Kelutral and looked up. It felt like the world was collapsing in on him, everything he knew clashing with everything that he needed to know, which in turn was fighting with his humanity.

He slowly shook his head, looking down for a few moments before he looked up.

He had been sitting there, thinking, for a while. Time had passed quickly, and he could see stars. He didn't know when he started singing, but the words just slipped from his lips.

I heard there was a secret chord,
that David played and it pleased the Lord
but you don't really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah...

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Well your faith was strong but you needed proof,
you saw her bathing on the roof
her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you...
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and She cut your hair
and from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch!
But love is not a victory march...
it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah!!!

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Well there was a time when you let me know
what's really going on below...
But now you never show that to me do you?
But remember when I moved in you
and the holy dark was moving too
and every breath we drew was Hallelujah?

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Well, maybe there's a God above,
but all I've ever learned from love,
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you...
It's not a cry that you hear at night,
it's not somebody who's seen the light!
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah!!!

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...


As the final words slipped from his lips, Jax smiled for a moment, looking up at the glowing stars. "When was the last time I acually sang a song, huh? Not bad for a dead man." Jax said with a chuckle, quickly wipeing away a small tear.

He didn't feel so bad anymore. It had been a long time since the last time he had sung, and it had sounded good, at least, in his head.

There was a sound behind him and he whipped around, caught off guard. The Na'vi girl that had run off as if she was about to cry was standing a few steps back and down from Jax. Jax blinked as she looked at him.



-----------
"Ta'em 'eko!!!"
-----------
"Better to have fought and died then never to have fought at all"
-----------
Bionic Arms and Pandora, The most read FanFic on Learnnavi.org! Read it here! -Shameless self promotion-

El Jacko

Site 24
1423hrs

   Out of breath, and remarkably intact, Shep stumbled through the airlock of his mobile site and dived headlong into the chair in front of the workstation. He'd been thinking on the way back, and thought now was the time to know for certain. He haphazardly clattered through the systems in the computer, changing just about every setting related to the communications he could, until he was fully satisfied it would do the trick. Short range, all frequencies, force loudspeaker, no encryption. Every radio system, AMP suit, com unit and computer within 15 miles would blurt out anything he announced into the microphone. Hopefully, the Avatar drivers were listening.

"Avatar team, please respond. This is mobile site 24. Requesting secure com channel. Over", he said, before pausing, awaiting a response. Dissatisfied, he repeated the message every few seconds for about the next 5 minutes. Just as he was about to give up, the incoming speaker crackled into life.

"Site 24, this is the Avatar project. Sending frequency details. Out"

   The returning message would strike most as odd, but not Shep. After all, they had recently been attacked, so it would make sense to scramble both their voice and their trace. Technically, it was very well done; even a professional linguist would struggle to identify an accent or even the gender of the voice. Looks like he wouldn't be finding them easily...snapping back to reality, he decoded the frequency and initiated the communications link. Before he could speak, the voice on the other end piped up.

"What?"

   It sounded annoyed. He'd best stick to the details.

"I've got a cooler full of samples here for Dr Augustine. Seeing as I don't know your location, can you send Jax over to pick them up?" Hopefully they wouldn't see that as suspicious.

"I can arrange that. You've done us a big favour by finding those samples...why Jax?"

Quick, make something up...his mind frantically ran rings around his head, desperately trying to invent an excuse...for once, it came up trumps.

"He's an old friend...it'd be nice to see him one last time, before he vanishes again"

"Alright, I'll give him a shout. We'll contact you once we know what time Jax can drop by. Out."

   Shep blinked as the screen went blank. Why couldn't everything be this simple?
'Look at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us...on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam' - Carl Sagan

Mako

#109
Kelutral
1841 Hours


Nef'tys shoved past Chris, nearly in tears and made her way to the central shaft of Hometree. Chris' gaze followed Nef'tys as she sprinted out of sight.

"Uhh, Jax mate?

Jax jolted slightly.

"What?"

He said, a bit confused now as this girl had come upon him twice and both times had sprinted away from him after a few moments.

"What was that about?"

Jax sighed and looked over at Chris.

"Which, the girl who keeps running away or the singing?"

Chris looked confused.

"You were singing?"

Jax blinked and coughed.

"No, whatever gave you that idea?"

"Forget it. You seemed to have gotten on Nef'tys' bad side."

Jax blinked again.

"Who?"

"Nef'tys. The young Na'vi girl that was just up here."

Jax sighed.

"As far as I know, she's a girl that totally freaks out whenever she sees me, and was crying something about how I was... 'not him'. I think she was the lover of the Na'vi Boy who died and I... replaced."

Jax shifted. It was weird to talk about Hun'nar, the Na'vi he had never met but had died and who's body had been given to Jax, like something that could be replaced. Chris could somewhat understand Jax's plight. It hurt him to see his friend in so much pain.

"Nef'tys is a headstrong young girl. I'm sure she'll listen to some explanation."

"Explanation or no, what about the other Na'vi?!? Did you see some of the looks I got today? Especially after I pretty much destroyed Twonyu..."

Jax muttered.

"The Na'vi have always been nervous about outsiders. We can just as easily leave and never return, but you, on the other hand, can't. And I don't think they like that."

Jax sighed.

"This sucks."

He shook his head slightly and stood up, his tail whipping around in agitation as he looked up towards the stars in the sky.

"You know, back on Earth, I used to look up at the night sky when I was on rest back home in Colorado. It's one of the few places that you can still see the stars, and I always thought to myself..."

Jax took his right hand and reached out towards the stars and clenched his fist as if he grabbed the starlight in his hand,

"One day, I'll leave this place and explore the sky, and no one will ever drag me back to the ground. I will be free from everything and no one will ever be able to tell me what to do."

Jax chuckled at the thought.

"And here I am, finally gone and free to explore the skys, and I'm pulled back down and chained to the ground, like Icarus when he lost his wings."

Chris chuckled.

"Maybe not for too long mate."

He threw an arm around Jax. Almost on cue, one of the Ikran in the rookery stirred and crowed softly. Jax blinked and quickly looked away from the Ikran.

"Don't look 'em in the eye. They get pissed off when you do that."

Jax said, thinking about what Chris had just said.

"Almost found that out firsthand mate. Eanataw's Ikran Txep is a particurlarly feisty one."

Jax chuckled.

"Personally, I don't think the Ikran really like me that much. They've ignored me for the most part, but still...too many teeth."

Chris knew Jax was lying a bit. He would give anything to fly again, but he wasn't quite sure what to think of the Ikran's.

"Haha, you'll find one I'm sure. Or rather, one will find you."

Jax sighed and stood up, turning his back on the rookery and started making his way down the spiral towards the sleeping pods and the ground.

"I don't know Chris... What am I supposed to do now? A few days ago, when this whole thing started, I thought I knew who I was, where I am, all of that jazz, even after the shock wore off, but now... I don't know. What if the Na'vi never get used to me?"

"It never hurts to make an effort."

Jax snorted.

"Hah. I make an effort and some skxawng ends up almost dieing."

He muttered.

"It's so unfair! You and Arik and Na'ama and... everyone! You can go home once the day is done! When this war is over, you can choose what you want to do! Alex is afraid of me, the Na'vi are afraid of me, hell, even YOU guys are afraid of me to some extent!"

"What in the bloody world makes you think that??"

Jax looked over at Chris.

"Oh don't bulls*** to me, Chris. Not now. You aren't afraid of me as much, but the others? I can see it, I'm not stupid and despise how I look now, I'm still a Gunnery Sergeant. I know Fear, and fear that someone may not be who you thought they were is still a kind of fear Chris."

Chris gaze dropped a bit, his tail flitting in distraught.

"I've got nothing to say to that mate other than that as much as I hate admitting this, it is somewhat true. The Jax I knew was a light hearted pilot, loved the sky like it was family. But now you're becoming more depressed, more serious, and it's nothing like the Jax I knew."

Jax thought on his words.

"...I guess I'm not used to the idea of being stuck on the ground."

"Won't have to be used to it for long. On that note, how's your knife coming?"

Jax smiled. The one thing he had to be proud of.

"Check it out."

He said, drawing it smoothly from the sheath on his shoulder, flourishing it as he brought it around.

"Though for a human it's more like a longsword..."

"Too true mate. You just keep making progress and you...and I...will be flying soon. And I can't wait for that day."

Jax sighed.

"Come on, lets get some bunkrest. You can bet your ass that we're back in boot, and I'm sure that your human body needs some rest as well."

Chris suddenly had a far off look in his eyes.

"I've already rested some today, but I could definitely use some rec."

Chris stood and helped Jax up. It was definitely time for some rec.

--------

Tsamsiyu Atsteu

Kelutral
1223 HRS

Tsamsiyu Atsteu looked at Aniuket, before patting the woman's good arm and smiling softly. <<I'll be back later to check your arm again, Aniuket,>> she said before moving off. The young Na'vi stretched the kinks from her back and looked around. Twonyu and Jax were both nowhere to be seen at the moment. She'd heard the commotion of their fighting while she tended Aniuket's arm, and wondered how badly injured the two combatants were. It had not sounded good.

Tsamsiyu's ears pricked up as she caught a sound of someone approaching. It was Sawné, who was looking (desperately, it seemed) for a healer, most definitely for one of the fight's participants. Tsamsiyu quickly made her way over to Sawné. It seemed that the young warrior's healing skills were in demand this day. <<I'm a healer. I just finished with Aniuket. What do you need?>> she asked gently. Sawné smiled gratefully at the other Na'vi. <<It's Twonyu. He got injured badly in the fight. Did you see it?>> she asked, her tail flicking rapidy side to side. Tsamsiyu shook her head negatively. <<No, I did not. I was with Aniuket, but I heard it, it was hard not to, with the shouting,>> Tsamsiyu told her. <<It was bad. Come, follow me, quickly,>> Sawné directed, and she and Tsamsiyu headed to where Twonyu was resting.

"Oel ngati kameie, Twonyu," Tsamsiyu said to the young Na'vi, stepping forward.
To live in the past is to die in the present.

Mako

Kelutral
0600 Hours


Chris had tried to throw his dream as far out of his mind as possible, but it still haunted him like a morning fog. He pulled out his knife and began working on it again. It was almost finished, so he worked steadily on it for nearly an hour before it finally took it's final form. It was roughly 13, 14 inches with a curved blade and a single handed hilt, wrapped in the fibers of a scorpion plant that Eanataw had showed him how to use. They provided a nice grip, a hand grabbing texture not unlike that of a shark skin, but not nearly as rough on the hands. Speaking of Eanataw, she strode into the clearing across from him, and spotting him, walked up.

"Oel ngati kameie, oeyä Chris"

Oel ngati kameie oeyä Eanataw. Ngaru lu fpom srak?"

"Srane, srane... nga?"

"Srane."

He held up the finished knife, his tail twitching anxiously, reflecting his feeling of sheepishness. But he was immensely proud in the same instance.

"Ah! Síltsan!"

She took it into her hands carefully, running a long blue finger over the blade with a satisfied smile.

Chris smiled, pleased with her reaction.

"I like the feel of it. It's nicely balanced, unlike anything I ever felt on Earth."

"Bone," she said softly...then handed the knife back to him carefully. "Carved with txe'lan."

"Irayo. So, can we go somewhere or do something? Sitting on my bloody can isn't going to do much."

She smiled at him, as if trying to understand his choice of words. 

"Ngati kä tul neu, srak?  Kä ne ayutral?"

Eanataw took his hand, weaving her fingers through his, and stood up. 

"Sìltsan." 

Then she looked over at him, grinning, let go of his hand, and took off through the na'ring.

"Srane, running sounds like a nice change in scenery."

He followed.

--------

Pandoran Wilderness
0700 Hours


The trees flew by in a blur. He had no idea how far they had run or where they were headed, but he was beginning to tire. As if an answer to his prayer, they slowed as they approached a large gap in the trees, overlooking a massive cliff. Less than 50 yards to his right, a waterfall emptied over the cliff, spreading out into a fine mist before it hit the ground some miles below.

"My god!"

Eanataw smiled, sitting down at the edge of the cliff. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She wiped some dirt off of her bare leg, looking back at him, then back out to the openness in front of them.  In the distance, the land resumed, and they watched as a group of forest Ikran took off over it, their calls reaching them after a few seconds. The sight of the Ikran brought a sense of longing into Chris' heart.

"Za'u, sit."

He obeyed at the word, a moment of unease as his legs dangled over the edge of the rise. The rolling forest of Pandora opened up below them. It truly was a breathtaking sight. She hooked an arm through his and rested her head gently on his shoulder.

"Sevina ."

There was no mistaking the calm admiration in her voice.

"Srane, it is."

"Tell me, ma Chris, why so quiet?"

He thought back to the dream he had had after arriving at Hometree earlier.

"I had a dream about my brother back on Earth."

"What?"

She turned his face toward hers with two fingers.

"My brother, Cole. He lives back on Earth, and I had a dream, or a premonition, heck I don't know which. But I'm worried about him."

"Ngeyä tsmukan? Unil?" She frowned slightly, looking at him.  "On Earth?  How?"

"Earth is still habitable...barely. He lives in what's left of our homeland of Australia."

"Oh," she said softly, snuggling up to him again.  "What happened to make nga worried?"

"My dream ended with him talking about joining with the RDA and leaving Earth, and I know where he would be coming if this was a premonition. But the problem with this dream is that I don't know if it's true or not."

"RDA... people who made scar in ground?" She frowned more. "It might be true."

"Srane, the people who made the scar in the ground. And it's because of that fact that I'm afraid."

"Afraid for ngayä tsmukan or here?"

"I'm not sure. I'm torn on that."

Chris felt guilty admitting that. The fact that he could have come to love Pandora more than his own family. He mused on that thought for a few minutes before Eantaw spoke up.

"But... you want to see him again, srak?"

"Srane. I miss him."

"Then, no worry."

Chris watched the sun come over the horizon, letting the calm of the morning filter in. His mind was troubled, he couldn't make sense of anything. Best just let it all float away and enjoy the morning and the company of the one he loves.

--------

Ikranä mokri

#112
Kelutral
1223 HRS


"Oel ngati kameie, Twonyu," Tsamsiyu said to the young Na'vi, stepping forward.
Hanu stood saying <<Twonyu, when Tsamisyu has seen to your wounds, I will meet you up at the Ikran roost where you will have your first lesson on controlling your emotions tomorow.>>
<< Irayo ma karyu, i will see you later>> With that Hanu walked off towards the spiral centre of kelutral, Twonyu watched his new teacher until he had walked out of sight.

He turned his head back to Tsamsiyu << kaltxì ma Tsamsiyu, oel ngati kameie>>
<<ngaru la fprom srak?>>

<<kehe>>

<< where is it painful?>>
Twonyu indicated the area that was giving him pain, very gently Tsamsiyu placed her fingers over the area and pushed down gently. Twonyu yelled out loud as pain shot up his side.

<< you have a broken rib, unlike an arm or leg i cannot tell you not to move it, I am sorry but you will just have to wait until it healed.>>

<<how long will it take and will it affect my training in any way??>>

<<It will affect your training, you wont be able to move your body as effectively until it has healed, so i would refrain from very hard activities and drawing your bow will be hard now, but in about 3 months you should be fine>> Twonyu looked the other way at the mention of his bow so that the healer wouldn't see his tears.

Still looking away he stood grimacing a little <<irayo ma tsmukè, oe will listen to your words>> with that Twonyu walked off towards the spiral centre of kelutral. with each step pain shot up his side but he carried on determined not to let it hinder his training. He reached his k'sey nivi and lowered himself down into it slowly but with a lot of pain, he lay down and was quickly asleep.


Hells Gate server room
1421 HRS

Nick typed quickly, he only had 5 minutes until the sever room operator came back, this was the worst thing nick had done by most standards. Numbers, letters and symbols flashed up on the screen as nick traced the hacks in the systems. who ever had done this was an amateur. they had left so many trails of their hacks it was easy to trace. so far over 13 different locations had been detected as to where this person hacked from at least they had that much sense thought nick as his fingers flicked across the touch keyboard in front of him. all the locations had one thing in common they were all originated from around warehouse 13 and 14. The computer beeped as it finished it last trace, Nick unplugged it and closed it. those years in MIT weren't wasted he though to himslef as he leaisurely walked ou tof the sever room to correlate teh data and work out where this hacker was.

he would be a hero he would single handedly stop an EFF agent, but at the back of his mind was the nagging feeling that there was mpore to this than met teh eye.


Kelutral
0600 HRS


Twonyu had been awake for a while although he had just been staring at the canopy of kelutral far above. He hated the way that he now had to do everything slowly even the most simple actions like sitting up were a hassle. He did slowly sit up before standing and using only his left hand pulled himself up onto the branch above him. The pain that it cause him was extricating but he carried on and started to walk off towards the roosts

Kelutral roosts
0640 HRS

Twonyus progress had been slow as he climbed to the roosts. When he was younger it was one of his favourite spots in Kelutral. He could hear Ikran crying in the branches around him, At the end of teh limb stood Hanu next to his Ikran.

The Ikran was nothing special in terms of colouring. It was brown with white spots which had lighter brown outlines. He was standing next to its head stroking its head. The Ikran itself was crooning as Hanu did this. As Twonyu got closer the Ikran raised its head and did the hissing roar that all Ikran did towards strangers. Twonyu looked away quickly so as not to provoke the Ikran into attacking him by looking it in the eye.

<< mawey, mawey Eros>> said Hanu to the Ikran as Twonyu walked ever closer. Hanu held up his hand when Twonyu was about 3 meters away from the pair. Hanu walked around to the head of his Ikran (called Eros Twonyu thought to himself), Pointed his arm out to the open sky and said <<neto>>. The Ikran cried out before spreading its wings and taking flight off the side of the branch they were on.

<<Kaltxì Twonyu, Oel ngati kameie>>

<< oel ngati kameie ma karyu>> twonyu faltered <<ma Karyu, how do you make your Ikran do this, it is something i have never seen before>>

<<Ma Twonyu me and my Ikran have a strong bond even without tsheylu, but we are not here to talk of Ikran, we are here so that you may control your emotions, and until you can do that you will never be a great hunter>>

Before Twonyu could start talking Hanu continued <<You may have heard the story of the taronyu who never took a mate becuase of the connection with his Ikran, you were probably told this as a child but i will retell it to you now becuase it will teach you what happens when you heart rules over your head and instincts>> he motioned for Twonyu to sit and he began the tale.

He spoke of how the taronyu always wanted to become one with an Ikran and when he did he found the feeling overpowering, the connection he had with his Ikran was very strong and he found himslef falling in love with the Ikran, the taronyu in question was an eligible mate for many of the female tribe members and many of them wished to be but he chose to stay with his Ikran instead
<< Is this not about the dangers of tshelyu and what it can do to a mind unprepared?>> Interupted Twonyu

<< No it is about how the taronyu let his feelings take over, do you remember the rest of the story and how he eventually forgoes eating and sleeping just so that he can be with his Ikran all the time and how this eventually leads him to kill himself and the Ikran?>> rebuked Hanu

<< of course I remeber that part...>>

<< then you must see how it is his feeling of love that makes him eventually die>>
Twonyu thought about his teachers words carefully before answering << so You are saying that my anger, and the way i let it govern the way I act is the same sort of thing that this taronyu went through srak?>>
<<srane twonyu srane, this is exactly what i mean, but just because you undersatnd it, does not mean that you can control you emotions, we will meet here every day until i think that you are ready to start to finish your training as a hunter>> he stood and started to walk away from Twonyu saying

<< I must check on the sawtute and make sure they are not causing any trouble, oh and Twonyu...>>
Twonyu swivelled himself around so as not to move his injured side too much << I found this embedded in Kelutral, I believe it is yours>> he threw something white at Twonyu and it landed just by Twonyus feet. It was his Knife totally intact but now slightly stained with the sap of Kelutral. Twonyu lifted his head to thank his teacher but Hanu had already gone. Sliding his knife into his sheath and feeling much happier now Twonyu stood with a griamce of pain and left the roosts.





Tirea Tskoyä has a new look see it[url=http://forum.learnnavi.org/fiction-

Tsamsiyu Atsteu

Kelutral
1223 HRS

Tsamsiyu watched Twonyu depart, most likely to rest and shook her head sadly. She knew such physical restrictions would cause the young hunter to suffer mentally, but it could not be helped. A broken rib was a serious thing. If he moved about too much, he could puncture a lung, or worse. Sighing, Tsamsiyu padded off, heading back down to where she had last seen Aniuket. <<Is Twonyu all right?>> Aniuket asked. Tsamsiyu shrugged her thin shoulders. <<He'll live, but needs to rest and be careful for a while. Three months at the least, for his ribs to heal,>> she told her friend. <<Ahh. That is unfortunate.>> Tsamsiyu nodded, patting Aniuket's shoulder. <<You heal nicely, ma tsmuke. You will be well soon,>> she said before departing. She climbed up Hometree and easily slipped down into her k'sey nivi. Curling the hammock over her, Tamsiyu was soon deeply asleep, worn out from the day.

Kelutral
0645 HRS

Tsamsiyu stretched in her k'sey nivi and slipped out, shimmying up a branch and down Hometree. She trotted off, and got some dried fruits to munch on as she sat and readied for the day. Perhaps she would hunt today, if the tribe needed it. Other than that, she wanted to work on her new bow.
To live in the past is to die in the present.

El Jacko

En Route to Site 24
0105 HRS

"O-dark thirty and all's well." Jax muttered, a old marine leftover from the nights that felt like months that Jax and every other marine spent guarding barracks and partroling during Boot.

It was dark, the stars and the beautiful glow of the forest guideing Jax forwards. He could feel the forest, really feel it. He was suprised how much it felt like home after such a short time, even with with everything that was going on.

Jax physically and mentally shook his head. "This is no time to be thinking about home... you've got work to do Marine. Hoorah."

Jax sprinted off the rest of the way to Site 24. He was a bit caught off guard to see that the airlock-doors were hanging wide open. "Shepard?" He called out, looking around carefully and felt his right hand slide to the handle of his shortsword-like-dagger, which he had slung across the small of his back with the handle pointing out to the left for easy combat draws.

- - - - - - - - - -

Site 24
0042hrs


   Shep looked up from his workstation, and itched nervously at the seal on his exopack as he stared at the clock. The transmission he received earlier stated that Jax would be here any minute, so he'd depressurised this unit of the site. Na'Vi lungs couldn't cope very well with the Terran levels of nitrogen - it gave them a severe form of Diver's bends very quickly - and Shep preferred to meet Jax face to face. Intercoms can be hacked, after all. Seeing nothing on the treeline, he went back to his work.

   The 'work' in question was quite unfitting for a scientist, and he would rather it not be found out. Shep had spent the last hour and a half trying to strip down the two WASP revolvers he had in his possession. After all, what sort of pistol needs a laser sight and an optical scope? It's a damn REVOLVER! The recoil alone would make both methods null and void, removing all (if any) use there was for them in the first place. Besides, he didn't like the added weight.

   The first one he had finished only 10 minutes ago, and he was impressed at how light a weapon it was without all the baggage. It sat comfortably in his hand, perfectly balanced...almost as good as his Glock. He had to admit though; the WASP was far more useful on this planet. The small, relatively low-power 9mm rounds were excellent for full auto bullet-hoses, but had very limited effectiveness on the larger Pandoran wildlife. Next to the .44 Magnum WASP, it was a peashooter.

   The second WASP was much easier than the first, now that Shep had sussed out how to remove the mounting screws. Honestly, it was as if they didn't want people to remove all this crap. Satisfied with his handiwork, he stowed both of the pistols inside his lab coat and began to strap a gauntlet and bracer to his left arm. This would either go badly or painfully...either way, he had to know. Features set, he waited patiently for Jax to arrive.

- - - - - - - - - -
   
   Smiling, Shep beckoned young Jax over towards the cabin.  The avatar approached slightly nervously; evidently the open airlock doors had struck him as odd.

"Jax! Good to see you again! Come on in, the compressor is on the blink..." he shouted. Hopefully the 'excuse' would disguise the purposeful sabotage of the internal air. This thing would take nearly half an hour to re-pressurise later...

"Er...hi. I came to get Grace's samples?" replied the Avatar. Scanning every surface on the way in, he slowly edged into the mobile site. At his current height, this wasn't a problem. Given a few months, he might have to duck.

"Yeah, they're in the back, I'll go get 'em. Have a seat over there...", he nodded towards the table. Obligingly, Jax stepped up and vaulted over the table into the far chair. Shep caught himself staring at this blatant display of agility, and shook his head to clear the image before cycling the airlock into the other pod, retrieving the cooler he'd stowed just inside. As he turned to re-enter the main pod, he offered a cautious glance towards the bunk containing his Ghillie suit. Hopefully it wouldn't be needed today, but he'd made sure it was all in order just in case.

   As Shep lumbered back into the room with the enormous cooler, Jax figured he'd better pipe up; "So why did you ask for me, anyway?" He hesitated, as if to continue, but thought better of it.

"It concerns one James Logain," he said as he sank into the chair opposite, "otherwise known as Jax"

"He's dead," stated Jax, bluntly and in a guarded tone, "I already told you."

"And yet I'm faced with a Na'Vi adolescent who shares his name, can write backwards and talks like an American?" Shep pushed, nudging for an answer. Getting information was like a war effort; you had to press your advantage until you got the desired result.

"Avatar. Not Na'Vi. Not yet." Jax sighed, acting as if he was just another Avatar pilot, caught in events beyond his control. It was a thin façade, but it kept him cool.

"Bollocks, I know an Avatar when I see one. You're about 4 feet too short and lacking the necessary digits." Shep smiled as he said this. The Na'Vi Jax was clearly knocked off balance by the 'scientist's hasty deduction.

"Heh. You think I'm a Na'vi?" Jax said with nervous chuckle. "You feeling ok? Maybe you need to get someone out here with you, so you don't end up too deep in the woods."

   Still smiling slightly, he rose to his feet and walked slowly around the table, before placing a supporting hand on each of Jax's shoulders and leaning close to his ear, voice dripping with trust and honesty. "You can tell old Sheppard anything, Jax. I don't exist...not anymore..."


"Sheppard, I have no idea what you're talking about. James Logain is dead, you saw his grave, I buried him. My Avatar was taken out of status early, that's all." Jax said, doing everything he could to prevent referencing himself. He felt a plate of hard material graze across his shoulder slightly, but didn't regard it as threatening.

   Before Jax could react, Shep dug his gauntlet deep into Jax's shoulder, forcing his head down onto the table. His right hand quickly drew a pistol, and he wedged it painfully into the pressure point beneath the native's queue. With Jax pinned, he reached around and removed his knife, driving it up to the hilt in the aluminium table.

Jax hissed and let out a yowl of pain and anger, his body moving into high gear. It was a trap after all!

"I got this strange feeling of Deja'vu...how does it feel, Jax? Your life, in another mans hands? Or rather-", he twisted the gun, sending a bolt of pain shooting down Jax's back,"-these hands."

The words leapt from Jax's mouth before he could stop them, brought about by his survival training and the 'fake' POW compound he had to survive. "Gunnery Sergeant James Logain, MFR medical 1717"

"Don't give me that crap. Logain's dead, you said so yourself. And last time I checked, the Na'Vi don't do ranks" Shep growled, inches from Jax's twitching blue ear.

"Gunnery Serge – AARRGH,", he screamed as Shep rammed the pistol yet further into the back of his head. Spasms of pain shot down his back, out to the very tips of his fingers, toes, down his tail. It felt as if everything was on fire, burning from the inside out.

"AUUUGHRAHHHH!!! I'LL TALK!" Jax hissed. The pain was too much. Nothing had ever hurt this much before, not even breaking every bone in his body. Or being lit on fire, or almost being left for dead. "I'LL TALK! I'M JAMES 'JAX' LOGAIN! I DIED WHEN I WAS SHOT DOWN BUT WAS RESSURECTED BY THE NA'VI AND PUT IN AN ADOLESCENT BODY THAT THE AVTR PROJECT HAD BEEN GROWING!"

"Good," said Shep in satisfaction, relieving pressure on the pistol. As fast as the pain had arrived, it receded. "We'll start at the top, I think: How many was it, Jax? How many souls fell before the Reaper?"

"On...One hundred and twenty-five sorties. Plus the gunner kills...", he trailed off slightly, before continuing, "Every time, I – we – did everything possible, used every trick in the book, just to save that one precious life...and every time, we failed...damnit, why are you doing this?!?"

   Keeping pressure on the gun, Shep started to lose concentration, staring off into space. 125 sorties...so 200 deaths, easily...and I tried to end it all, he thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jax's hand twitch towards his left knee. Absently, he twisted the gun, muttered something about not trying anything clever over the yelp of pain. The hand retreated, reluctantly, while his thoughts ran wild.

"Tell me, Jax, have you ever killed a man? Destroyed a life, intentionally, in cold blood?" Shep asking, testing the waters, find out how this marine...ticked.

"Yes...it's awful...I still see the faces, at night...why do you care, anyway?"

"I was one of the best...tens, hundreds even, perished in my sights." Shep muttered, hesitantly, dwelling on every few words, "Towards the end, it got worse...I didn't even need a weapon. Convincing a grown man to willingly take his life...it does things to you..."

   How many have I killed? All of them, just another target, but this one, I couldn't kill...not in Nigeria, not here...but why? Why him? Why ME? It didn't make any sense...with a shout of rage, he gave the pistol another twist in to Jax's head, before hurling it across the mobile site. He ignored the sound as it clattered behind one of the workstations, and began to stump back round the table, still deep in thought.

   Seizing the chance, Jax jumped to his feet as quietly as possible, gripping the handle of his knife firmly. He took a final glance at Shep, then wrenched the knife free and began to turn, intent on making a hasty exit. A small grunt of annoyance escaped his pursed lips as the polymer armour of a gauntleted hand struck the side of his face, sending him sprawling. Reacting fast, he sprang to his feet, only to find himself staring down the barrel of another revolver.

"I thought I told you not to do anything heroic? Sit down..." said Shep, the pistol levelled at the bridge of Jax's nose. It stayed pointing at his nose until the Na'Vi had sat down and relinquished his knife again. It was some time before he spoke again.

"Why are you so damn hard to kill, Jax? That's twice now you've cheated death. Thrice if you count my reluctance to kill you here. Each time, you face certain death, and each time you reappear a few months later"

"I don't know...the Devil's luck probably," said Jax, and paused for a moment, thinking hard about what Shep just said, "So how do you know so much about my luck? Who the hell are you!?"

"I won't keep up the charade any longer, Jax. No more lies." He took a deep breath, then began his story, "This isn't the first time we've met. That happened 8 years ago, about 27 trillion miles away. I had just passed selection and joined the SAS as Sgt Alan Sheppard, and was packed up and sent out to Nigeria to 'remove' various important rebels, while the US and UK armies provided the necessary distraction."

"SAS? You're British SAS?" Jax's mind raced. "But the SAS was deactivated well before Nigeria..."

"We still exist, trust me. Selections a bit tougher nowadays...anyway, my brother was a corporal in the Royal Dragoon guards, escorting convoys through the eastern sectors. In October 2143, a trigger-happy fool from the US Air Force-"

"-They aren't total idiots..." Jax cut in. Shep ignored him, and continued regardless.

"-strafed my brother's convoy, killing 14 British soldier and injuring a few dozen more. You were sent to mop up." Shep stopped for a moment, allowing the information to sink in. The slightly troubled expression on Jax's blue face said almost all he needed to know.

"That was a hard day. The first time someone actually opened up on a Meivac helo in years..." Jax muttered, "I remember the boy who died there. Good kid, didn't want to die. We were just patching up and getting the rotors in gear when the dumbass on the turret opened fire on us. He died a fast and probably painless death."

"That patient was my brother," Shep said firmly, "and after his death became another strike on your tally, I vowed to do something about it." Jax's blank expression started to turn to horror as he realised the implications of this last statement.

"Y-you...it w-was you!? The RPG? And the watch?"

"Ye-"

"W-w-what about the c-convoy?"

"Me again. But not directly." He said. Jax had gone very quiet, and Shep realised he'd better keep talking. "The US command evidently weren't going to stop sending you out, so I took it upon myself to end the pain each of your flights inevitably caused. When I shot your Samson down, I was convinced you'd perished, but I went to scan the debris anyway. And lo, I found you, and took aim. But I couldn't do it...I couldn't bring myself to finish you off, not directly. Almost funn-", he said, cut off as Jax stood up abruptly, knocking the table back.

"FUNNY? You think it's funny? How the f*** do you think I felt, being sent out again and again to bring back a corpse? What is this, some sort of game?" He regained control of himself quickly, finding himself once again staring down the barrel of a revolver.

"No games," said Shep, calmly, "Let me finish, then accost me. You were still, in my sights, an easy target. But I couldn't bring myself to kill you, yet at the same time couldn't let you live. Then, as if on cue, you raised your arm and I saw your GPS watch. I figured without that, you'd be without rescue for some time, so I took aim and removed it. That done, I couldn't face hanging around. So I left my problems behind and ran. I ran 27 trillion miles to get away from you, and 8 years later you drag up, good as new."

"You spared my life? Why, damnit? I could've died there and then, and I'd never have had to put up with the memories..."

"I don't know. Honestly, if I had a reason I'd tell you. I simply couldn't do it, not then, not now," he trailed off slightly, "probably not in future..." He visibly slumped back in the chair, relaxing his grip on the firearm and rubbing his temples with his free hand. Now is not his time...that's what went through his mind, the day he could've killed James Logain... and 8 years later, someone else did the honours. He braced for the impact as Jax rose to his feet, but none came. The former marine, now Na'Vi, retrieved his knife and hefted the cooler of samples, turning to leave.

"I won't tell the others about this...I suppose I owe you..." said Jax. The voice sounded small, very distant, lacking the usual willpower. "But I'll tell you this much, Sheppard, or whoever you are. I know how you SAS spooks operate. And you know what? I'm disappointed that you flew into a rage and tried to kill me and ended up killing good men and women because your brother was killed by someone else. I guess it's true, people like to shoot the messenger." Shep didn't move, just simply stared at the gun on the table. As the Na'Vi stepped through the open airlock, he rose and shuffled over.

"Jax...thanks. I needed to get rid of that," he nodded to the cooler, "and the demons. And remember: This never happened. Logain is dead, Sheppard never existed. Got it?"

   Jax knew that he had just done Shep a huge favour. "Forget what I said before, you owe me a favour for this one Shep. Yeah. You never existed." He turned to leave before he called back over his shoulder, "For what it's worth, your brother was one hell of a soldier. He fought to the bitter end. Just remember that everything we talked about before was the truth. James Logain is dead, and Sheppard... we could always use another man. Don't give me a reply, just think on it." Jax looked over at the other man with sad eyes. He could've sworn that the once-blank face showed a brief flicker of emotion. "Because one way or another, this old debt of ours is going to be paid, in blood and in full."

   After finishing, Jax turned and left, taking off at top speed with the cooler. Watching as the striped blue form dissolved into the night, Shep's face began to crack. 8 long years had passed since he failed to kill Jax. For the first time since, he felt the bloke deserved a chance to start over, after all that he'd been through.

- - - - - - - - - -

Hometree
0641 HRS


Jax had successfully delivered the samples to Trudy, who, somehow, had slipped a Scorpion out from Child's nose. "Jesus Jax, you seriously are blue." Trudy said with a chuckle when she saw him. Jax had sighed at her and handed her the cooler. "Give the old bat my regards, and tell her she's buying the next round, with Love from the Marine."

Trudy nodded and bumped arms with Jax. "Hoorah sir, I'll let her know. You're still Jax in my books."

Jax sighed as he thought back on the memory. His day had started out pretty black, and knowing his luck, something else was going to get started soon.
'Look at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us...on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam' - Carl Sagan

Txontaw

#115
Hell's Gate Warehouse
1424 HRS


A spasmodic beeping from the computer in her crate jolted Joy awake from a cat nap in her crate. She jumped up, and quickly scanned the warning. So, someone had found her hacks. If she wasn't mistaken, she would get a beep from the sensor by the warehouse door any second now. She had to work fast. Using the data from her hacking, they could easily pinpoint where she was. Suddenly, her computer gave another little beep, and a small monitor flashed to the hidden cameras by the warehouse door.

"So, Nick, you're the one behind this..." she muttered, watching him walk in, taking frequent looks at a portable screen he was carrying. That big MIT brain of his might be able to use computers well, but not as well as she could. Fifteen years of hacking banks, casinos and government computers was surely more useful than a college degree. She had been stupid with the hacking, though. She had gotten in such a state of anticipation that she had gotten sloppy. No time to be sloppy now. She quickly scanned for the surrounding frequencies for the wireless internet that all of the portable screens had. She opened a hole in the data stream, and quickly found an address that seemed to be his. To test it, she made the screen flicker for two seconds.

"Damn, wrong one," She cursed, and tried a different one. "There we go! That's what I'm talking about, b****!" she exclaimed when she saw his screen turn on and off a couple times. This was going to be fun.





---





Nick looked at his screen. That was strange. The flag he had marked with the location he was going to investigate....surely it had been nearer the back of the warehouse? Suddenly, it changed to right where he was, then to the entrance. The hacker! he thought. He's making it impossible for me to find where he is! Soon the flag was jumping everywhere.

He desperately tried to trace the hack, but he was being blocked completely. This was a much more experienced hacker than he thought. He would have to be more clever to catch him.

Nick pressed the power button on his pad, and walked out of the warehouse, thinking up a better way to catch the hacker.





---





The computer gave another little beep as Nick walked out. Even though she had won the battle, she had not won the war. Now that Nick knew the general location of where she was, there was no telling how long it would be until he found her. She would have to relocate. But where? Where could she go that would be large enough to let her finish growing her Avatar and somewhere that no one would find out about? She'd have to sleep on that one, and maybe pull up some floor plans for Hell's Gate. She settled back into her cat-nap, satisfied with her work for the day.




***




Kelutrel
0750 HRS


Txonunilyu just came back from her worst hunt ever. In this period of time, she would usually get around twelve yerik, and she had only gotten five. She dumped her kills near the cooks, disappointed, and walked up the central spiral, almost in a daze. She needed to get over her Eanswizaw's death soon, or she'd forever be consumed by this depression. She'd tell Jax. That's what she'll do. She needed to tell somebody.

She found Jax talking with the pilot of the big kunsìp that she had seen. She waited patiently for them to finish, then she approached Jax and said quietly, "<<Oe need to talk to nga... in private>>."
"You're not in Kansas anymore. You're on Pandora, Ladies and Gentlemen." - Colonel Quaritch


Tanhìyärina'

#116
Tireamokri looked on in shock as Nef'Tys fled, too surprised and stunned to know what to do right away.  But others from the Omatikaya were approaching, Pa'li handlers who were rounding up the mounts, and Tireamokri turned her mount over to them.  She stared off in the direction that her friend had fled, ignoring the arguing Sawtute.

The younger Na'vi had left a trail even an Uniltìranyu could follow, and Tireamokri walked slowly through the camp and into the tall grass on the other side of Kelutral.  There were voices-- and another song.  She paused, waiting behind a tree, listening.  It was one of the Uniltìranyu, singing in 'ìnglìsì, and it was so different from what Arik had sung.  Was he making Tsaheylu too?  How did they do it, was it something in the notes, in the words?  They did not have queues-- well, not as Sawtute.  At least, she thought, none that she had ever seen.  As Uniltìranyu, of course, they did...

She heard a little gasp in a familiar tone, startling her out of her reverie, and then came the sound of quiet feet running away.  Tireamokri peered out from behind the tree and caught a glimpse of Nef'Tys fleeing once more.  She softly climbed up the tree as she heard two Sawtute voices begin to speak, and wove through the forest following the Na'vi.

She didn't know if she should have been surprised to catch up to Nef'Tys at the site of the crashed helicopter that had delivered the Sawtute refugees into their hands.  It felt like so long ago, before the ceremony, before these Sawtute had, in their Uniltìrantokx, insinuated themselves into Omatikaya life.  Into her life too, she thought.

Nef'Tys was sitting beside the wreck, sobbing.  Tireamokri slipped down from the branch to approach the young Na'vi, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.  The girl looked up at her, her eyes full of... was it fear?  Tireamokri was taken aback.  She had never known Nef'Tys to be afraid of anything.  Something must be terribly wrong.

"Nef'Tys," she said soothingly, seeking out her friend's eyes, "Peu lu, ma hì'itu?"

"Ngal stìyi," Nef'Tys hesitated.

Tireamokri sat next to her.  She looked down at the tsmuke bracelet Nef'Tys had given her.  She was filled with regret, momentarily, that it had taken her five mooncycles to reciprocate the gesture, but now she took Nef'Tys' arm and held their wrists together.  "Nga lu oeyä tsmuke," she said.  "Pivlltxe fra'ul.  Oel ke stìyi.  Ke tsun stìyi."

Nef'Tys looked at her, full of trepidation, and Tireamokri met her eyes with compassion.  Finally, she sniffed, swallowed, and spoke.  "Ke Omatikaya sutehu pamlltxe," she said.

Tireamokri felt the world shift.  Nef'Tys saw the look in her eyes.

"Amomum ngal tsatrrti zaya'u," Nef'Tys said, her voice breaking again.  "Ayforu ngal omum, srak?  Ulte ngati tengfya-- <<the hair, the stripes.>>"

"Fyape ayfo säpyaw?" Tireamokri asked softly.

"Samsiyu," Nef'Tys said, wiping at tears.  "Syamaw Sengtsil.  Ngal omum, srak?  Ayfol ngayä sute lu," she asked, knowing the answer in her heart but fearing it at the same time.

Tireamokri sighed. "Srane," she said.  "Ayfoyä tstxoru pamlltxe srak?"

"Ayfol eyktanri syamaw san Ray'iun sìk," Nef'Tys said.

Tireamokri's face froze into a stony mask as her thoughts crashed like a windstorm through her head.

For a long time they sat together, each knotted up inside in different ways.  Finally, Nef'Tys looked up at her, and her face this time betrayed a different kind of emotion-- sadness, tinged with anger.  <<They asked for Tseylian,>> she said.  <<That's you, isn't it?  That's your name, isn't it?>> she demanded, then backed away from the older woman. <<Why didn't you tell me!? Why did you lie to me? Who are you and why did you... become... say...?>> she spluttered, angry, hurt, betrayed.  She began crying again.

Tireamokri reached out to her, but she recoiled.

<<I was given the name Tireamokri in my Uniltaron,>> the older Na'vi finally said.  <<It is me, it is who I am now.  It is what led me here, to you, to the Omatikaya, to the Uniltìranyu.>>

<<You are like Arik,>> Nef'Tys said, <<Except he is honest.  He wears his Uniltìranntokx outside, where everyone can see.  He does not pretend to know our ways.  He admits he is a stranger.  You lied to me.>>

It was Tireamokri's time to blink as tears began to form in her own eyes.

<<I am sorry,>> she whispered, sorrow running from her voice as surely as the tears flowed down her cheeks.  <<It was never my intent to-- I felt Eywa guiding me here, after I received the name.  I used it to remind me always that I am doing Eywa's will.>>

They sat, looking at each other, sorrow and tears flowing freely; the air thick with tension.

<<Who are you really?>> Nef'Tys asked, breaking the silence.

"Oe lu Tireamokri, fyaw Sengtsilyä Tseylian," Tireamokri-- Tseylian-- said plainly, as if claiming the words as her own for the first time.  "Sengtsilyä Tsahìk layu.  ulte Ray'iun..." she continued, her voice breaking slightly.  "<<There was a time when we were to be mated.>> Ulte txo poan fìtseng lu, fwew oeti, <<that means that something bad is happening at home.  And it may already be too late.>>"
Fitseng lu oe, tìftia kìfkeyä seri.

Lehrrap Uniltìranyu

Hometree
0755 HRS

Jax waved to Trudy as she took off and away for the homebase for the Avatar Pilots and turned to his karyu. "Srane, ma Karyu. Peu si aynga neu ne plltxe hu oe?"

Jax looked at his teacher steadly, waiting for her to respond. She seemed a bit... of balanced, as if she was hurt. What could have caused the look in her eye, a crushing depression? Could he have caused it?

Jax kept a steady, neutral face as he watched his karyu, shoving his problems out of his head so he could focus on his karyu.



-----------
"Ta'em 'eko!!!"
-----------
"Better to have fought and died then never to have fought at all"
-----------
Bionic Arms and Pandora, The most read FanFic on Learnnavi.org! Read it here! -Shameless self promotion-

Brainiac

Oscar watched the commotion. Everywhere around him, people were active. He'd seen Jax leave a while ago. He looked up at Kelutral. The huge tree took up a big portion of the sky. Flopped on his back, and bumped his head. His queue stung like hell. Lying down was always a pain. He relaxed, and let Kelutral fill his mind. He never did like the sky all that much, but he didn't like small, enclosed spaces, either. This sight, half sky, half nature was... Relaxing, in a way he wasn't used to.

He tried to sit up, and came across a problem. His tail was somehow wedged underneath a root. He was sure he'd be able to yank it out... If he'd had his hands free. He couldn't move, of course. The sheer silliness of the situation made him grin. In between trying to sit jump up, he started laughing. That didn't take too long, and he took care of his composure, for the sake of all the onlooking Na'vi, completely unaware of his predicament. He didn't want to call for help. This wasn't the way to meet new people, and he didn't see anyone he knew. He tried a trick he was good at in high school. He folded his legs underneath him, still with the small of his back on the floor.

His knees protested, as did his thighs, but it seemed to work.
This is gonna hurt.
In one, sudden movement, he stretched his legs as hard as he could. The result was... Effective. So effective, in fact, that he shot up more than a meter and a half into the air. He seemed to float for a sec, like he was in orbit, but Pandora caught up with him. The rocks looked jagged. He panicked. He also managed to brace his arms for impact, and landed on all fours.
"Whew. That was o-"
As the tension was released from his mind, his arms joined along. He faceplanted. Not as hard as he would've, but it still hurt. He pushed himself up with his shoulder, onto his knees.

Christ, I'm useless. No, not Christ. It's Eywa now, isn't it? A deity with scientific proof. Never thought I'd live to see the day. If Eywa could tell me what the hell I'm supposed to be doing around here, that'd be swell.
He got up, and looked around. Everyone here was not only doing something, but being someone. They meant something to people. Family. Hell, they meant things to themselves. What was he? A diplegic. Useless. He ran.
He ran into the forest. He got as high as fast as he could. He'd become adept at avoiding the branches he couldn't use, letting his feet do the thinking. All of a sudden, he was above the green sea. He halted. He looked around. He'd more or less circled Kelutral. He looked around, and screamed. He yelled at the planet. Bargained with it, that he might be able to see his sister again, his parents. He insulted it for kidnapping him. He raged, for all the forest to hear. No-one listened.

Panting, out of breath, he carefully made his way down, from one tree to the next. He reached Kelutral, and saw Twonyu stepping outside. The guy shot him a glare, and turned to him.
You have GOT to be kidding me.

Twonyu looked him up and down, and sneered.
"Nga lu vrrtep. Pehem si nga fìtsengemì, ulte pesu fpìl a lu?"

"Look, I'm not in the mood right now. I don't even know what you're saying, but I can pretty much guess. Jax already curb stomped you. Want to get your ass kicked again? The state you're in, I bet I can take you on with both arms tied behind my back." Oscar grinned.

Twonyu looked like he was going to do something very painful to someone really close by. Oscar swallowed. He'd just done something really stupid.
I need to keep my mouth shut.

Twonyu walked forward, and drew his knife.

Okay, not good.

Oscar took a fighting stance, while Twonyu accelerated a bit more. He drew back his knife,  and stabbed Oscar in the chest. Or, he would have, if someone hadn't stopped his wrist.
Chris gave it a twist and the knife fell out of his hand. With a *thup*, it sank into the moss, and stood upright. Twonyu spun around. He realized that wasn't one of his best dieas and grabbed his side. Chris just took a step back, and looked at Oscar. He didn't even have the hint of a smile on his face. He stepped towards Oscar, and punched him square in the face. He fell over

"Look, mate, you're a funny dag, but you were about to make a bloody big blue. I've been teaching you how to fight, not to pick up on the sick. This bloke ain't exactly fit as a Mallee bull, and his ego ain't all that, either. Get up."

He offered him his hand, but Oscar just looked at him.

"Mate, if you're feeling too high and mighty, I don't..."

Oscar interrupted him.

"Chris. I can't lift my arms."

"Oh, yeah." He smiled, sheepishly. He put an arm under one of Oscars, and pushed him up.

"Thanks. Now what about him. I still wanna kick him in the face, and he still wants to cut out some of my organs."

Twonyu looked at them. He got his knife out of the ground, sheathed it, and walked towards Oscar.

"You will never be one of us. You can not leave. This is a problem. You will never be my brother. But you are not my enemy."

Oscar looked at him.

"Amen to that."
Speed is a ppoor sbubstitue fo accurancy

Check out my blogif my presence on this board isn't weird enough for you.

Mako

Kelutral
0800 Hours


Chris walked back into the Kelutral clearing just in time to stop what would have been a nasty confrontation between Twonyu and Oscar. Only one thought was running through Chris' mind. Had Oscar and Twonyu been allowed to fight, all of the negotiations with then Na'vi may have well have been for naught. He held Oscar in an unrelenting grip, he was going to have to find time to talk to the boy.

--------