Storm over Pandora - Those Left Behind...

Started by Lehrrap Uniltìranyu, June 29, 2010, 11:34:47 PM

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Lehrrap Uniltìranyu

The Path
2203 Hours
Jax

-ONE MONTH LATER-

The forest was quiet as the Crew made their way onwards. The north was getting closer, and the days had gone from warm and tropical to slightly chilled, and a cold wind blew with a harsh bite as they forged onwards.

Jax watched the group from one of the trees, carefully scanning the foliage with a trained eye, bow following his eyes so that he could strike at the moment he spotted trouble.

He had gotten taller in the month that had passed, maturing quickly as all Na'vi Children did, he suddenly found himself to be about 7'8", which was a little confusing considering that only a few weeks ago he had been a smaller 6' something.

Nef'Tys had been growing right along with him, though he estimated she was just a bit shorter then he was, though she was indeed starting to look more like an adult... or a Teenager.

Jax blinked, realizing that his train of thought had wandered and he had focused on Nef'Tys. he shook his head once to clear it before looking back over the foliage, bringing his scan back around.

The trip had gone well so far. One small skirmish with some viperwolves, some easy hunting, and some arguments to be sure, but it had gone well. Jax didn't like it. He didn't like how easy the trip had been. Being a Marine, he was taught that if things were going well, things were about to go tits up and all hell would break loose.

He hoped he was wrong.

He quickly moved forwards, scanning again before leaping out of the tree and dashing up to the group. "Nothing. It's getting late, we should make camp."



-----------
"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-

Mako

The Path North
2200 Hours
Chris


Chris brought up the rear of the crew, providing rearguard for the Na'vi and Avatars alike. He was drowsy, barely getting the R&R he needed the previous night. The Viperwolves had been pesky, allowing for little downtime. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, taking in every sight, smell and sound. Eanataw had taught him well, so it seemed. No detail was too small for him to consider. He heard the distant call of an Ikran on the wing and smiled. He had grown, not as much as the younger Na'vi in the group, but still finally reaching the average hight of a Na'vi at about 10 feet. His muscles were toned and well defined from the physical training that the Na'vi underwent. He now carried a bow slung across his back along with his knife and displayed the markings and trinkets of a young Na'vi warrior-in-training. He looked every inch Na'vi. And he felt it as well, no longer considering himself human. The human race had become to him a scourge, a disease that he didn't want to associate himself with. He clenched his fists tighter at the thought. His eyes scanned the trees, noting Jax providing overwatch. The boy had grown as well, quickly reaching a height of at least 7 feet. As much as he looked Na'vi, the boy had had trouble adjusting to his new life, and Chris wasn't sure if he had ever fully made the switch. The growl of a Thanator close by brought Chris back into focus. They padded on quietly, eyes on the undergrowth.

--------

Ikranä mokri

Twonyu watched the party from a distance. Across his back was slung his new bow and his knife was still in its sheath. He had been following the party for over a month, keeping to the shadows, sleeping high up and avoiding things like fire.

He had survived by picking up scraps of meat from the camps that were left behind but most of his diet had been wild fruit and berries. His rib was getting better but it still wasn't perfect. The night of the viperwolves attack had shown him that when he had collapsed in agony only just managing to protect himself.

He was very surprised that he hadnt been found with so many good hunters such as Eanataw and Hanu around. It may have been because they were busy training the skypeople and dreamwalkers but maybe that had already noticed him and were just leaving him to his own devices hoping that he would go back to kelutral.

Jax and the others seemed to be competent hunters now and a firm part of the group. deep down Twonyu was jealous of him but a month of living wild had taught him many things, things that a hunter could learn only from experience.

Twonyou stood looking down from his high branch over the whole group. He had grown and was now the same size as many of the hunters. he promised himself then and there that when he got back to kelutral he would become a hunter and take a mate, then he would fight Jax again and regain his honour.

Crouching slowly he took hold of the branch below him and began to climb down as the group would be moving off soon.





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

Tanhìyärina'

#3
As their journey took them farther and farther north, Tseylian watched the world around them shift, growing colder and harsher.  Even though she did not remember the entire journey, having made it under the effects of the mind-altering drugs, the cocktail she had drunk to undergo the last rite of passage in her tribe to mark her as the next Tsahìk, it still felt familiar.  Nef'Tys was proving herself to be a fine travelling companion, even if she was a bit overeager to prove herself.  And the Ayuniltìranyu, they were managing as well.  The one called Jax, the one in Hun'nar's body, was a decent scout.  Arik was, of course, spending much time with Aniuket, but she had been wise enough to see that he still needed much training.  On those days, Arik was with her, Nef'Tys rarely far behind.

Jax-- she was finally beginning to remember his new name-- was the evening's scout, and was calling for-- "make camp," he'd said.  She was slowly learning more of the Sawtute language, even if it felt like stones in her mouth when she tried to speak it.  Kxawm aylì'u skxe a kllkulat lu teng, she thought.

Tseylian looked around at the group with her.  "Pongo Tseylian," Nef'Tys had begun to call it, and Ray'iun teasingly picked it up.  "Eywa ayoengahu," she whispered as she joined the others in making camp.
Fitseng lu oe, tìftia kìfkeyä seri.

Lehrrap Uniltìranyu

#4
The Road
2207 HRS


Jax twirled one arrow between his fingers nimbly, twisting it this way and that as he thought. Sek'Mut started giving some quick orders to the Omatikaya Na'vi, the avatar pilots, and him. "<<Jax, stay here and keep guard duty, watch for anything funny.>>" He ordered.

Jax nodded at Sek'Mut and scanned the foliage as the rest of the group spread out to scan the area and hunt for food. They would probobly be eating it raw now that they were getting so close to Tan... Tseylian's tribes, clans, whatever they called it, territory.

He thought back on Hell's Gate, on the last two months that they have endured, the whole ordeal. He was more comfortable in his body, he felt like himself, everything felt more natural, more... real.

He took a deep breath as he looked around, holding one arrow carefully in his right hand, his bow poised in his left. He clutched the arrow between two knuckles, just below the tip. A makeshift melee weapon, he had actually killed one of the Viperwolves that way during the small skirmish.

His mind focused back in on the task at hand as he waited and watched, waiting for the rest of the group to return...

-----------------
Doc
Hells Gate - Medical Bay 2
2030 HRS


"Sheppard... Sheppard... SHEP." Doc's yelled, trying to wake up the soldier, standing far enough away that he couldn't reach him.

"Come on you bloody dolt, wake up before I come over there and whack you, you need to take your meds and I need to check your bandages." Doc said impatiently, tapping one foot against the ground.

Doc looked at the beaten up Sniper with a sigh. Sheppard had been a hard patient to treat. Didn't accept treatment easily, wasn't very cooperative at times, and very tight lipped with information, which was to be expected from a S.A.S sniper. Doc double checked himself, making sure he had his Shotgun and WASP pistol, just double-checking that he hadn't forgotten them.

He didn't know why he was so on edge. Sure, the Na'vi attack on Hells Gate had startled him a bit, and he was nervous about the death of Selfrige and the theft of the Dragon, but still...

He shook his head. "No time for stupid thoughts Andrew, you got a patient with you right now."


---RESULTS

Jax ponders his acceptance of his new body and calms down a bit

New character, Doc, is introduced, and he tries to wake up Sheppard.



-----------
"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

#5
Hell's Gate Medical Facility
1140hrs (~7 hours after his nightmare)


  Slowly, Shep forced his leaden eyelids to open, wincing at the glaring light of the Pandoran day. Three blurred figues hovered over him; as his vision cleared and the heavy blur faded from his mind, he recognised them as the two medics from earlier – the corporal, John something-or-other, and his silent assistant – and Colonel Quaritch.

"...colonel," acknowledged Shep, too tired to bother with a salute.

"Nice to see you're awake and patched up, Sheppard," he said, before turning to the waiting medics, "Could you leave us for a moment? I still need to debrief him."

"Aye, sir," replied Steve, and the two medics busied themselves tending to another ward.

"Now, Sheppard," Quaritch started, pulling up a chair. Shep, ignoring the bed controls, heaved himself up slightly to listen, "I've been doing some homework, as you suggested, but as far as it seems, the S.A.S. don't exist," he paused, glacing back over his shoulder before continuing, "but I've spoken to a few of the mercs here that have a background in special forces, and they're adamant it's real. So I'll take your word for it, Staff Sergeant."

"Alright, but make sure this stays between u- wait, what? Staff?"

"Yep...I did mention I put you in for promotion. Childs confirmed it as soon as his saw the memo. Your recent actions haven't exactly gone unnoticed..."

"Slick....anyway, as I was saying. This stays between us. Possibly the medics if it's of importance. I don't want half the base to know what I used to do, for fear of exposing the division," finished Shep, his brain slowly speeding up after the effects of the sedative the medics used on him last night.

"OK Shep, I'll keep it quiet. Try to get well soon – we might need you again." said Quaritch, standing to leave. Shep responded with a strained salute, still recovering from the muscle relaxant.

  No sooner had the Colonel left, the two medics returned, appearing at the bedside like some double act.

"Did you have to use the muscle relaxant as well? I can barely move!" complained Shep.

"Well, you tried to play Russian Roulette with a temperature sensor. We didn't want you wandering around and finding something more expensive to use," replied Steve, his dry humour flaking through, "And as for that little ruckus...we'll keep that under wraps for now. But just in case it isn't an isolated incident, we want you to stay here for a few weeks so we can keep an eye on you."

"Oh joy," Shep responded, "Do I at least get to do something useful with my time in between?"

"You're free to go wherever during the day. We just need you to sleep here under surveillance until we can rule out the chances of another episode."

"Alright, I'll put up with it," Shep said, somewhat disgruntled, "But for pete's sake, avoid the muscle relaxants. It's not as if I'm gonna get far with this contraption," he continued, and gestured to the knee brace.

"Fine. Just keep in mind that if you try to top yourself again, we'll have to sedate you. Again."

  Without a word more, the two medics drifted off to tend to their other patients. Pandora wasn't kind to the troops here, and most of them had come off significantly worse than Shep. A grim reminder that he could really do without. After last night's events, he knew he wasn't right. He'd watched a fair few people dragged off the field of battle frozen in shock, but never once thought it could possibly happen to him.

  As much as he knew he had some degree of PTSD, he refused to openly admit it. He would deal with this himself – even if it meant dealing with the enemy.

- - - - - - - - - -

- ONE MONTH LATER –

Hells Gate Medical Facility
2030hrs

"Sheppard...Sheppard...SHEP!!"

...

"Come on you bloody dolt, wake up before I come over there and whack you, you need to take your meds and I need to check your bandages."

  Eyes closed, Shep continued to feign sleep, although a smile may have escaped at the last statement. The other medics would have ignored the fact he was asleep and begun work regardless; lately, and earthquake would be hard pressed to wake him. This one, however, was slightly younger and had only started having to work with Shep quite recently, and consequently lacked the background knowledge.

  There was some degree of concern in that voice though, so when a hand whistled up to slap him awake, he merely caught it by the wrist instead of twisting the medic to the floor (Steve still had the bruises from that last event). Obligingly, he let the young medic get on with redressing his wounds and took the assorted medicines when offered. Sleeping pills, mood stabilizers, and a few other concoctions to deal stave off poisons that may be present, after the day's incident.

  For several weeks now, Shep had been busying himself by training some of the newer mercenaries. Nothing too major – marksmanship mostly, some forest survival – but infinitely useful all the same. Unfortunately for Shep, it wasn't without its hazards, and his current situation was testament to that. Of all things, he'd managed to fall out of a tree, hitting several branches and a particularly spiky bush on the way down, resulting in a multitude of cuts and grazes and some considerable jesting from his 'students'. And now he'd been assigned this upstart of a medic to patch him up.


Results:
- SSgt Sheppard
- 'Doc' knows not to sneak up on Shep
- Shellshock under control, still unknown to those outside the medical wing; all but the medics and Quaritch know his background.
'Look at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us...on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam' - Carl Sagan

Lehrrap Uniltìranyu

#6
Hells Gate - Medical Bay 2
2043 HRS


Doc sighed. He hadn't been thrown to the ground, but he had fully expected to have been. He looked over Sheppard's injuries with a critical eye, examining the several varying types of wounds he had. The puncture wounds were healing slowly and bleeding slowly, not too much of a problem because they were shallow and didn't get any major blood vessels or anything, but he wasn't going to be happy moving for a little bit longer.

The Lacerations were healing quickly, but they would not seal up, no scabs, nothing. They just grew smaller, bleeding the whole time, like a shallow road rash.

They were pretty superficial though so it only required some gause and some expert wrap. "Alright, don't freak out now, I'm going to apply your new bandages, and you know I need to wrap 'em tight. Don't freak out on me or anything."

Doc slowly started applying the new bandages, taking his time to ensure that he didn't waste any of it as he started. "So, Shep, what brought you out to Pandora?" Doc asked, his voice starting to speak, falling into his line of 'keep them occupied'.



-----------
"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-

Coyote

#7
The Road North









For weeks, Arik had buried himself in his new studies-- his new life, as he saw it. He payed attention to Tseylian --still getting used to that name-- but spent most of his time with Aniuket and Nef'Tys. He spent less and less time with the rest of his "fellow castaways".

"Nobody really wants to be Gilligan," he mumbled one day, smiling at Aniuket's confused look in return. And I just don't fit the 'Skipper' mould, he thought. Or at least, I hope not...

Aniuket, other hand, had proven to be more adept than she had given herself credit for. True, she was neither the best hunter nor warrior, but she was at home with the forest, and fit in the woods with a comfortable ease that Arik was doing well to emulate. A lot of field-craft he was picking up from her... which was for the best, because it was all Tseylian could do to make sure Arik could be a good warrior and hunter, and to craft his own weapons.

"You are at home more, now?" Aniuket asked one night.
Arik looked around at their small camp. Was he more at home?
"I am... at the home I have chosen," he said. "I feel..." he trailed off, then shook his head. "Enough philosophizing. Yes. I feel at home."

She smiled at him, and he smiled back. "I will bring food," she said, and moved towards the fire.

Arik sat, and took out his M-60 machinegun, which he kept wrapped up in a leather skin as they traveled. He took it apart, cleaned it, inspected it, and put it back together as Aniuket interacted with the others, and gathered some food for them to eat together.Tseylian looked over at Arik, and back up at Aniuket, and over at Arik again, as if to ask 'are you alright?' with her eyes. He smiled and nodded at her.

He just neded some alone time.

A big step, to leave one's home and society behind, Arik thought. It felt right at the time, but I can't help but second-guess myself, even though in reality I know I made the right decision. There was something about knowing, really having it sink in, that he'd never again feel the cold, wet, filthy concrete of home beneath his feet again. He'd never see the 'overcity' again; the buildings that stuck up over the roiling smog and bathed in the sun... but then, who am I to think I'd ever live in the overcity? he asked himself. His father could certainly see to it, but he that would mean owing something to that man.

Better to die free in squalor than to live... like that.

He was startled by a sudden rustle of reeds nearby. He spun, crouching, his recently-made bone knife glinting in the evening light of Polyphemus.
"Hee..." a familiar voice said with a throaty chuckle, "You make learn lots these days, Ah-rik," Nef'Tys said. "Time was, I would sneak up on you."

"I'm getting better," Arik said casually, sheathing his knife. He glanced at the fire circle, where the others were laughing at him. But... I didn't see her sneak away from the campfire, though... he mentally scolded himself.

"Still much time in thought," Nef'Tys said. "You know what? You right for my sister. She spend lots of time in head, too."
"I need to snap out of it," Arik said with a shy smile.

"You do," Nef'Tys said, "Why I come. You want food? Come back to circle."

And a good idea it was, too.

She took him by the hand and led him over to where the others were gathered. He sat next to Aniuket, with Tseylian on the other side of him.

"How goes it?" Jax asked.
"It goes," Arik said.
"Better than the alternative," Jax replied with a nod.

Arik had to agree this was the case, which he acknowledged with a smile and a nod. Aniuket handed him some of their barbecued meat.
"Here, what you call it? Stuff face?"
"With pleasure," Arik said. He chowed down and looked at Tseylian, who was looking back and forth at Ray'iun, and the campfire, or the stars. Much was writ between their looks. Now there's a relationship I can't figure, Arik thought. Obviously there was something between them, but it seemed destined to go unsaid.

Not that he was in any position to criticize what went on in people's heads...










Results:
Arik begins to re-integrate with the team more after spending a long time lost in thought.

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

Tsengtsil Territory










Captain Jean-Cameron Donjou wiped the snow from his visor and watched as the Tsengtsil Na'vi manhandled the sledge back up into position. The two sledges looked like the old Eskimo dog-sleds back on Earth; long and narrow, but these "dog-sleds" were about the size of cars rather than the smaller versions he'd seen in museums.

<<Hurry! Back into position!>> the Tsengtsil warrior said as he and his comrades put their back into pushing the sledge back up to the crest of the small ridge.

The sledge reached the top, and the crew pushed it up just enough to even out flat and balance on the precipice of the small ridge.
<<They are still there!>> the lead Na'vi said, his face a feral grin of the warrior who knew he had the upper hand.
Captain Donjou merely nodded, and waved for them to continue.

The lead warrior hunched down behind the sledge while his three mates braced the contraption with their shoulders, their leather-wrapped heels dug into the snow and mud. As the leader reached for the control handles, he controlled his breathing, muttered directions to the others-- push up more.... push forward.... let back some... Finally he had the sight picture he wanted, and squeezed the trigger of the GAU-30 autocannon.

THUMP!THUMP!THUMP!THUMP--! the cannon bucked and roared, pushing the three bracing warriors back as the leader let out a barking laugh of triumph. Captain Donjou raised his field glasses to his face mask to examine their work.

White puffs of cottony snow and smoke had erupted from the battlefield where th erounds had hit. In some places, red cherry-blossoms of blood had sprayed from the targets, Na'vi of another minor tribe that sat on land the Sengtsil had coveted. This was the second spray of fire from the AMP suit cannon that had been given to the Sengtsil in a gesture from Warren Childs, and it was being put to increasingly good use.

<<Good shots!>> Donjou congratulated his Na'vi students.
<<When we started firing the thunder-guns, all we could do was make noise!>> the warrior gun-leader said, <<Now, we fell them like dried sticks!>>
<<You do, indeed," Donjou said wistfully. The Na'vi were, indeed, quick studies. <<What is it you want in this land?>> he asked again.

<<The water-of-spirits is here,>> the Na'vi that had braced the left track of the sledge said. He waved his blue hand towards the plain before them, where steam hung low over the field, obscuring the horizon of nearby trees.

Mineral hot springs, Donjou realized. Of course. Very useful in a snowy wasteland. Pandora was nothing if not tectonically active. His ruminations were interrupted by a call on his personal comms. He held it to his facemask, letting the binoculars dangle from the strap around his neck.

"Danjou here," he answered.
"This is Director Childs," the expected voice said, "How goes it? Are they wrapping up their little border skirmish, and are they doing well at it?"
"They are, and they are indeed," Donjou said, "They will make excellent allies, and they will have a grasp of technology that will catch any arriving Earth force by complete surprise. Your position will be assured, sir."

"Excellent," Childs said. The Director had not exactly revealed the full extent of his plan, but Donjou was no fool... the Director's drive to build up a Na'vi ally with technology to enhance their ability to move naturally on the surface gave certain advantages that had limited application otherwise. "Be warned, despite weeks of searching, we still cannot locate the traitors and their local allies."

"Do you think they'd be headed up here?" Donjou asked. A worthy fight, he briefly contemplated.
"I don't see why they would," Childs said, "But better safe than not. They've dropped off the radar quite awhile ago, and if they are headed towards you, they'll be reaching there in a matter of days."

"We'll keep our eyes open."
"And I will try to send some recon flights in your area to see if we can spot anything unusual," Childs assured. "Besides, I may stop by myself to see how progress is coming along. Remind ol' Chief Kai'iu who Santa Claus is."
"We'll leave the light on for you," Donjou assured as the circuit closed.










Results:
Sengtsil becoming more adept at technology use and weapons use.
Captain Donjou warned that rebels may be approaching, but not sure.

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

Hell's Gate
FLASHBACK:
One month ago










Julia Childs, niece of "Director" Warren Childs, had looked at the heavy piece of steel in her hands. It wasn't the first time she'd held a firearm, not by a long shot --she chuckled inwardly at the pun-- but the last time she'd held a gun she'd been unable to actually kill anyone.

And then, she herself had felt what it was like to be shot.

Julia instinctively grabbed her side, squeezing as if she'd been running too long.... even though it had been her Avatar that had taken the bullet, she'd felt it, vividly, and the memory still haunted her. She fought down the memories of pain, fear, and confusion and stood, dusting herself off, and went out the hall towards the maintenance bay.

"You alright, ma'am?" the young Security man, probably a former Marine, asked.
"Yes," Julia said simply. "Let's just get this out there," she said, with a twitch of her hand, the hand that held the Wasp revolver. "Yes'm," the young man said. Julia frowned. The man was younger than she was, but she didn't feel like she was someone who should be addressed as "ma'am". Not just yet, anyway. He took her to the service lock, where they put on breather masks, and he guided her outside.

"Tool shed here's a good spot," he said, pointing out a small tool storage bin at the base of the facility.
"Hm," Julia grunted her assent. The SecOps guy opened the lock, and she tucked the pistol inside, hidden under some loose tools in the bottom of the crate. The SecOps guy closed it, but left it unlocked, and they returned to the inside of the building.
"Thanks," she said almost shyly.
"Yes'm," the young man said, nodding. He didn't even see her as an attractive young woman, but as the Director's daughter. Dangerous. She briefly missed the lack of what could have otherwise been a fun and harmless attempt at flirting, even if it had been nervous and fumbling on his part. They parted company and she went to the drivepod room; him back to ignominious obscurity.

"Miss Childs," Dr. Patel said, nodding at her, his face neutral but his eyes critical.
"Doctor," she said. "Is it ready?"
"Yes," he said. "The Avatar is fine, too," he said with some coolness to his voice.
"That was what I was referring to," she said. She sat on the edge of the drivepod and swung her legs up and lay down, pulling the lid down over herself.


Her Avatar awoke, and she sat up... her side stitched somewhat, but it would continue to do that for some time, Doctor Patel said. She'd resumed control of her Avatar about a half-dozen times in the past few days so she could feed it and do some rehabilitative exercises. Now she was going to take it outside for more than just a walk. Patel suspected, but did not know, for sure if that was the case.

Julia got up, stretched, checked her bandages, and walked around the room a bit, regaining her balance and re-adjusting to her heightened center of gravity.
"Heading out," she said cheerfully.
"Yeah-up," Dr. Patel said, frowning through the glass at the tall female Avatar. She pretended not to notice and walked outside, heading quickly towards the tool shed where her pistol was kept. Let's just get this over with, she figured.

She grabbed the pistol and double-checked it-- untampered, still loaded-- and headed towards the Avatar barracks.






***To Be Continued***


***
In Libertarianism, there is no Government, so the Bosses are free to exploit the Workers.
In Communism, there is no Government, so the Workers are free to exploit the Bosses.
So in Libertarianism, man exploits man, but in Communism, its the other way around!


VIDEO LOG DAY 8:
Attempted to pee on Viperwolf to test reaction. Please see attached medical file.
WARNING: Attached medical file exceeds gigabyte limit. System failure.

Lehrrap Uniltìranyu

The Road North
2249 HRS


Jax loved the night time on this planet.

He loved the way the shadows lit up in the bioluminescence, He loved the soft sounds of a living, breathing world, he loved how the night felt, calm and mystical...

He loved it.

He ate quickly, eating his fill before he stood up. "<<I'll take first watch.>>" He said, getting a nod from Sek'mut before he double-checked his bow and slipped out towards the forest, looking back at the rest of the group.

Sek'mut looked around the group. "<<We should send another scout. Who wishes to join Jax?>>"



-----------
"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-

Tanhìyärina'

The Road North
2249 hrs by Sawtute reckoning


"Jax hu pesur kiyevä?" Sek'mut was asking.

Tseylian looked around the camp.  Na'vi and Ayuniltìranyu were sitting together, taking food, talking.  Some were singing, some were laughing, and some were simply being silent in each other's company.  Her eyes fell on a few of the other Dreamwalkers.  Arik was next to her, of course, as often was the case-- he was close to Aniuket and she was close to Nef'tys, and the bonds of sisterhood run deep. 

The firelight caught one of the beads on her bracelet.  It felt like ages ago that Nef'tys had gifted it to her, and almost as long that she had given Nef'tys one in return.  And now here they were, Nef'tys and Aniuket and the Ayuniltìranyu and some Omatikaya, all journeying with her north to her homeland.

And there, just a little ways away, was Ray'iun.  He kept looking over at her, and she at him.  There was so much between the two of them.  So much passed between two people who grew up together, so much history, that you could look into the eyes of your childhood friend and see beyond what most people saw.  Ray'iun's eyes tonight were a jumble of emotions, all gone unsaid.  Tseylian only imagined that hers were the same.

"Ma Sek'mut," she said softly, "txo Uniltìranyul kenew kä, oel kìya.  Ulte Arikìl kop kìya.  Tìnumeti new nìtxan."
Fitseng lu oe, tìftia kìfkeyä seri.

Mako

#10
The Road North
2249 Hours

Sek'mut looked around the group. "<<We should send another scout. Who wishes to join Jax?>>"

Chris looked around. No one seemed too anxious to join the scouting party. He glanced at Eanataw and she nodded her approval.

"Looks like it's me then."

He turned to face Jax.

"Right then mate, lead the way."

--------

Niwantaw

Hells Gate Medical Bay 2
2300HRS


Steve "Jinx" Blackwood walked into medical looking a little battered to say the least.
"What happened?" one of the medics asked
"Never ever ever trying to drive an AMP suit, ever again" Steve said
"You didn't..."
"Yep managed to trip over, bounce down the side of a hill and nearly drown someone but I'm fine... I think just thought I'd better get someone to check as I feel like crap"

"You live up to your nickname don't you" the medic laughed
(OOC: Bit short...)
Only mostly AWOL.

Lehrrap Uniltìranyu

#12
Hells Gate Medical Bay 2
2101 HRS


"Alright guys, I got this one. I'm almost done with Sheppard here and I can start the basic prep while I'm finishing up." Doc said.

"Go for it Doc, we'll leave it to you." The other medics said, walking off as Doc sighed, finishing up Sheppard's bandages. "Lets see here... Jinx Blackwood right? The bad luck guy with mechanical stuff." He asked, looking over at Jinx. "What the hell happened to you?"



-----------
"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-

Niwantaw

Hells Gate Medical Bay 2
2301 HRS


"I bounced me and an AMP suit down a cliff" Jinx said
"So I doubt anything massive just want to be sure because it was a fairly big hill..."
Only mostly AWOL.

Tanhìyärina'

The road north
2250 hrs, Sawtute reckoning


Tseylian looked up as the Uniltìranyu named Chris stood to stand watch with Jax.  She nodded slowly, taking another bite of food, before fixing her eyes on Arik.

"Oengìl muvea tìtse'a sayi," she said plainly, leaving no room for argument.

Aniuket bent her head near Arik's and translated Tseylian's words.  His Na'vi was improving, but Aniuket enjoyed speaking with him, and would still translate even if it weren't strictly necessary.

"Oel tìtse'a sayi nìteng," resolved Nef'Tys.

"Kehe," interjected Aniuket sharply.  "Tsamsiyu keslayu!"

Nef'Tys twisted her head and snarled in frustration.  "Kawkrr ngal tung ke'u!  Pelun?  Taluna Iknimaya ke sami?  I am good hunter!" she finished in English for emphasis, fixing her gaze on Arik as well.

"Mawey!" Tseylian snapped.  "Sek'mut paye'un.  Poan mengeyä tsmukan lu."

They fell silent again, a bit uneasy.  The journey was long, and the close company in which they traveled had left everyone's nerves a little frayed. 
Fitseng lu oe, tìftia kìfkeyä seri.

Coyote

#15
The Road North
2345, Sawtute Reckoning











Tseylian and Arik took the second guard shift. Arik knew he should have napped while he could, and caught up on some things back at the Remote Site where his human body lay, but he decided not to. He stayed awake, sitting around the campfire. He resisted the urge to mention marshmallows --partially because he had no idea how to explain them-- and instead enjoyed the night sky of Eywa'evenga.

<<Not bad,>> Tseylian said of the knife Arik had made. He'd just finished it recently and was still putting finishing touches on it. She swiped the blade at a few blades of grasslike something-or-other that Grace Augustine would have identified but he could not. The grass fell as easily as if a lawnmower had passed over them.

"My next project...." he started to say, but Tseylian looked at him through narrowed, critical eyes. He smiled, cleared his throat, and tried again in his haltingly bad ninavi. <<My next try will make to be Tawute-make weapon, is tomahwk,>> he said. <<Always did I want tomahawk in days before...>>.

Tseylian fought to keep a derisive grin from her face, but she did wince at his horribly mangled words.

Arik was thinking of an appropriate smart-alecky and self-deprecating comment to make when the brush nearby them began to move. Both of them crouched, ready to confront whatever came for them, but it was, once again, Nef'Tys.

<<Nef'Tys!>> Tseylian said, <<I thought Sek'Mut told you to stay in the camp! You are not to scout ahead!>>
<<I did not scout ahead,>> the younger woman said. <<I went to pick some berries and just happened to see something interesting,>> she said with an impish grin.

<<Some berries,>> Tseylian said, nodding. <<Yes, of course. So what did you see, then, tsmuke?>>

<<Far ahead, there is a Sawtute camp,>> Nef'Tys said. <<One of the box-es they use to live in when they are away from Scar-in-Ground. And there is a giant leather skin piled beside it!>>

Tseylian and Arik looked at each other. Arik, however, was only catching about one in five words and was having difficulty stringing meaning together. Nef'Tys got him caught up in her broken English, which was still better than his struggling ninavi.

"A giant leather skin pile?" he asked aloud, puzzled. His mind raced with possible interpretations, but came up blank. <<You can to me show this?>> he asked.
<<It is too dangerous,>> Tseylian said.
<<Come on, we can get teeth!>> Nef'Tys said over her shoulder, already charging off down the path.

I'm not sure I heard that right, Arik thought as he went after her, his M-60 and bow both slung across his back. He realized that if he needed either of them, it'd result in a tangle, but he put it off, trying to keep up with Nef'Tys while remaining relatively silent. Tseylian, behind them, made an exasperated noise but quickly caught up.
 
<<There, there,>> Nef'Tys said, pointing. "Look, see it?" she added.
Arik looked at the small camp. It was as she'd described, a metal container with a few windows in it, much like their own Remote Site in Iknimaya. But beside it was no pile of skins, but rather...
"A fuel bladder."

"What is it, blah-dur?" Nef'Tys asked.
"It is a giant... water skin," he said, seizing on the first thing he could think of. "Except it is full of fuel. For kunsip."
Nef'Tys translated this for Tseylian.

<<Why is it here?>> Tseylian asked, keeping her words simple. <<There are no kunsips here,>> she added, looking around, worried.

Arik contemplated the answer for a bit. Then, he realized what he was really looking at. "We took the Dragon," he said. "The Iron Cloud. So now all they have left are the little ones. This is a refueling stop."

Nef'Tys looked up at him, her lips pursed in confusion. She didn't fully understand what he said, and could not translate it properly to Tseylian. Arik drew diagrams in the dirt, and, coupled with his bad ninavi and Nef'Tys slightly better Inglisi, they got the concept across that the bag was full of fuel to allow short-range kunsips to fly farther than they normally would.

<<But to where, out here?>. Nef'Tys asked aloud.
Tseylian had an idea, and her face was worried.

Arik was scratching his chin, and looking at the images in the dirt, thinking.

"If we could capture this fuel bladder... we can keep our Dragon flying for, well.. a long damn time," he mused aloud. "Right now, fuel is our biggest limitation, we have only what's in the tanks now..." He looked up, and realized both women were looking at him strangely. "We have to talk to Jax," he said, grinning. "First thing in the morning..."











Results:
Pongo Tseylian finds a fuel station for Childs's gunships.
While this means the chances of finding Sawtute in Sengtsil land sis almost certain, it is also an opportunity.

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

Remote Site 26A
Iknimaya








"He's waking up"
Oscar was swimming up through a haze. He heard the faint sound of a heartbeat monitor.
I've been here before, he thought.
Most action movies have a scene like this one.
He tried moving a little. It seemed to be working. It also seemed to be splitting his head with a concrete mallet. He groaned.

"Slowly, Oscar. Don't rush anything."
Rush what? He wasn't doing anything tangible. He strained, tried getting up.

"There we go," the soothing voice said as Oscar sat up. "Shh, not too fast." A warm hand landed on his shoulder. He smelled stale cigarette smoke from someone's clothes. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head.

Someone gasped.

"Ohhh, my head," he moaned.
"It will hurt for a bit," the voice said. "We did some surgery, and believe me, it wasn't easy."

Surgery? Oscar asked through the dull thudding of his cranium. He opened his eyes and looked at the people around him. Grace Augustine, Blake Goodson, Na'ama Shaham... it was Na'ama who had gasped, looking at him. They were all wearing breather masks, even though they were in a room.

"Where are we?" he asked.
"A surgical suite we made," Grace said. Oscar looked around. Nearby was another body, a blue body, laying supine on a table. He recognized Grace Augustine's Avatar, still heavily bandaged.

"Surgical?" he asked. He realized he was basically saying the same thing over and over again. He smiled at the thought. "How long have I been out?" he asked, looking around, scratching his head. It felt good on his scalp.

"Quite a few days, actually," Grace said. "You don't remember some of the neurophysiology experiments we ran the last few weeks?"
"Not really," Oscar groaned.
"Your memory will come back," Blake said. "Easy, now."
"That's not all that's coming back," Na'ama said, smiling.
Oscar blinked in confusion. He sat on the edge of the bed, leveraging himself to dangle his legs over the edge and lift himself towards--

"Holy--!" he exclaimed.

He was using his arms.








***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***


Hell's Gate
FLASHBACK:
One Month Ago











Julia walked to the Avatar barracks, WASP in hand, and stood at the door. Her hand hovered just above the latch, as a wave of deja vu and second-guessing washed over her. Finally, after a deep breath, she opened the door.

Inside, the Avatar bodies of Blake and Liz lay, helpless, on their cots. Liz had an IV bag attached to her arm, and a few empty IV bags were stuffed in the trashcan... along with a number of protein bar wrappers and other food residue.

Someone's been busy, Julia surmised, frowning. She turned back to the bodies and raised her revolver when she noticed something slightly different.

Blake Goodson's Avatar was awake, and looking at her.

For a moment, they froze in time and place, staring at each other.

"Please don't," he said quietly, his eyes flicking towards Liz's Avatar body, laying helpless on the cot. Julia pointed the gun at him, then back at Liz, and back at him.

"Don't move," she said.
"Can I sit up?" Blake asked. "If you're going to shoot me, can I at least be sitting up? Or standing up and facing you? I mean... is it so much to ask? I don't want to go out lying down. Like an execution."

Julia stood there, looking at him and mulling the words. She backed up.

"Um, okay," she said, "Stand up, then. But no funny stuff."
"No funny stuff," Blake said, standing up. He stood slowly, an came to full height before her. He looked her in the eyes.

"Are you ready?" she asked, thinking in the back of her mind how foolish the question sounded.
Blake nodded. "Yeah," he said, standing squarely in front of her. "Yeah. Go ahead."

She pointed the weapon right at him, her hand trembling a bit. She reached her other hand up to steady it, squaring off towards him. She bit her lip and tried to ignore his eyes, concentrating on the alieness of his body; how it wasn't a "real" body, but a thing, a construct, not even a real Na'vi, and that his real body would be alive and well in some hidden location.

She grit her teeth and squeezed the trigger, closing her eyes before the shot rang out.

The sound reverberated in her eardrums, tinny and ringing, and smoke curled around her arms like a snake, reaching up for her head. She turned her face back towards Blake --did I turn away, too? she wondered-- and cracked an eye open, wondering what she'd do when she saw all the blood, and the body... But I didn't hear him fall. I would hear him fall, right? she asked herself. The smell of the cordite stung her sensitive Avatar nose, and she came back to reality.

Blake Goodson stood there, unharmed, looking at her and down at his own body, a sheen of sweat unmistakable on his forehead.

"You missed," Blake said, looking at her.
"I'm ten feet away!" she wailed. It's not fair!
"You tensed up," he said, his voice mostly calm but with a bit of a crackling edge to it. "You squeezed, and the barrel drooped and went to the side," he said. "It's a common mistake."

"So what do I do?" she asked. Do I have to do it again?
Blake took in a deep breath. "You have to keep your eye on the target," he told her, "You have to keep the barrel pointed right at the person you're trying to kill. Otherwise, you'll do this every time. Miss, even from arm's length sometimes."

She swallowed the saliva-bile mix in her mouth and winced. "Okay," she said, her voice shaky, "I'll try again."
"Okay," Blake said calmly, serenely, as he looked at her. "Remember to keep looking at your target. You are drawn to your target," he said, and pointed to his own eyes.

Julia drew a couple of deep breaths, and rotated her shoulders a bit to try to relax. She raised the gun at pointed it at Blake's face, and began shaking.

"Do you really want to do this?" Blake asked quietly. "Once you do it, you can't take it back."
"Yes," she said, "I can do it." She gripped the gun in a tight, white-knuckle grasp.
Bake blinked at her. "Then go ahead and squeeze the trigger," he said. "Make it quick."

Julia deflated like a balloon. Her muscles gave out and she sank to her knees, feeling rubbery and limp. A warm feeling coursed over her body as she began to sob.








***
In Libertarianism, there is no Government, so the Bosses are free to exploit the Workers.
In Communism, there is no Government, so the Workers are free to exploit the Bosses.
So in Libertarianism, man exploits man, but in Communism, its the other way around!


VIDEO LOG DAY 8:
Attempted to pee on Viperwolf to test reaction. Please see attached medical file.
WARNING: Attached medical file exceeds gigabyte limit. System failure.

Mako

The Road North
0700 Hours


The wind whipped by as Chris flew across the branches that intertwined the canopy of the forests. He glanced to his right at the other blue blur that ran along side him, Eanataw. She had taken to his idea of an early morning run, and now accompanied him each morning. Old habits die hard, so they say. He had gotten lazy in the hospitality of the Na'vi, but life on the road had brought back his old military habits. He felt, alive, to say the least, happy, even. He leapt into the air between two branches, grabbing an overhanging branch and vaulting back into the air. Trusting his body, he turned a completed a full somersault before landing lightly on the next branch. He lifted his head skyward and laughed his pleasure. Alive indeed.

--------

Tanhìyärina'

The road north
2350, Sawtute reckoning



"If we could capture this fuel bladder... we can keep our Dragon flying for, well.. a long damn time," he mused aloud. "Right now, fuel is our biggest limitation, we have only what's in the tanks now..." He looked up, and realized both women were looking at him strangely. "We have to talk to Jax," he said, grinning. "First thing in the morning..."

Tseylian caught "talk to Jax," and "morning."  But not much more.  She looked, again, to Nef'Tys.  As much as she may disobey rules, Tseylian thought with a little smirk, she is very helpful in situations like this.

"Ayuniltìranyuri kin fyul pla-trrit, Sa'leng atsawl, futa tswivayon hunsìp," Nef'Tys explained. 

"Ulte tsakrr Sawtute ketswivayon," Tseylian finished the thought, her face again clouding with darkness.  "Zene pivlltxe Ray'iunur.  Pxiye'rìn."  She paused only to stamp out Arik's drawings before turning and running quietly through the forest back to camp.



In camp, not long after


Tseylian approached Ray'iun's hammock with silent feet.  "Ma Ray'iun," she whispered.  He did not stir.  "Ma Ray'iun!" she repeated, this time more harshly.  He twitched, and his eyes opened.  "Fnu," she quickly added.

"Ma Tseylian?" mumbled Ray'iun with sleep in his voice.

"Srane.  Rìmun 'uo.  Sa'leng atsawl sì poks.  Sawtutea hunsìpä syuve.  Sresame'a srak?" she asked quickly.

"Sa'leng atsawl?" Ray'iun asked, sitting up.  "Sì poks?"  He thought hard for a moment.  "Kehe, ketsame'a."

Tseylian described its position.  "Arikìl paylltxe Jaksur mirewon.  Slä kepey oel.  Ma Ray'iun, ngay lu srak?  Fi'u lu tsa'u a txopu sängi oeng?

Ray'iun did not have to speak.  Tseylian knew his answer from the way he cast his eyes down towards the earth at her feet.
Fitseng lu oe, tìftia kìfkeyä seri.

Lehrrap Uniltìranyu

Campsite
0035 HRS

Jax looked at Tseylian. "<<Talk to me about what?>>" He said in smooth Na'vi. His speaking skills had gotten much better during the traveling time, so he could understand most of what other Na'vi said usually. He didn't know a few words, but he could figure it out based on what else had been said.

He slipped out of the tree that he had been trying to rest in when he had overheard Tseylian speaking with Ray'iun. "Jeez, Nef'tys is a terrible influence. Now I'm doing the easedropping thing." He thought to himself until he said, "<<Food for the kinships? A 'Fuel Bladder'. What in the world is a refueling station doing all the way out here?"



-----------
"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-

Tanhìyärina'

Campsite
0035 hrs, Sawtute reckoning



Tseylian looked up from beside Ray'iun's hammock.  Jax was standing there.  He had obviously gotten used to his Na'vi feet, he was moving so silently now.  And his words, too, were rather good.

Slowly, the Sengtsil woman stood, Ray'iun climbing out of his hammock to stand beside her.  Both fixed their eyes on Jax, and Tseylian spoke.  "Oengeyä mìhelku Sawtute srekrr lu."

Ray'iun nodded, his face steely with forced stoicism.  "Tafral oeyä fitseng kamä.  Tìkawngìri sìlpey kepamate tsatsengur."

A few crashing noises heralded the approach of Arik, with a quiet Nef'Tys close behind.
Fitseng lu oe, tìftia kìfkeyä seri.