A New Mission: Ash to Fire

Cyclicity

(art by Edgardo Garcia)

Miles was in shock. Shock at the RDA's total disregard for Zu and his service discharge. The RDA leadership for all of its posturing, all of its alleged goodwill towards the Ash People, in the end, they really could give a shit. And his military discharge was a devastating wound. Miles had dedicated his entire adult life to his career. He was a man of honor, duty, and loyalty. He never would have foreseen an involuntary discharge from service for himself, private security or not. He quite literally died for the RDA's security and protection efforts and this is how they repay him?

None of these feelings trumped his despair and devastation for his Zu. Above all else, he was terrified for her. She was out there right now with the enemy—the enemy that his people just laid waste to in battle and on their warpath. He shuddered to envision how they were treating his yawntutsyìp at this very moment. The thought was enough to make him stagger a bit with dread and fear as he, Lyle, and Mansk walked through the corridors of the Operations Center to exit.

Lyle noticed his Colonel's stagger and, from behind, just gently put his hand on his Colonel's shoulder. Miles looked back, mildly startled from his stressed thoughts by the comfort, and Lyle just gave him a soft look, one that said I'm here for you, Colonel. Miles appreciated it and reached his hand back to Lyle's on his shoulder. He then looked back at Mansk who was being a total trooper with his wound. He could tell he was in pain, he was looking down at the floor with his ears back, but he walked on. Strong.

These two... they grew to be so much more than the Colonel's Marines. They were his family. They were Zu's family. And they worried for her just as much as he did.

As Miles, Lyle, and Mansk walked through the stark corridors they looked around at it all with a deep growing seething hatred. And what Miles hated even more than the RDA at this moment in time was that Sully was right. The RDA used him. He truly was a tool. A means to an end. He and his Marines were resurrected in an ethically questionable manner to perform a duty. Indeed his existence—every happiness he's achieved in his new life... and every misery, was owed to the RDA, but did he not have autonomy? He believed he had the right to his own destiny and he realized now that such is incompatible with his misplaced loyalty to this company and its goals.

Miles and his two Marines made it outside and called their Ikrans down to fly back to the war camp on the peninsula. As they flew over, Miles looked around at the devastation of Bridgehead. Smoke, fires, and destroyed structures everywhere. Jake's forces may have suffered heavy losses and retreated, but such destruction and lack of supply chain networks could in theory take years to recover from if they can't recuperate lost resources.

As they flew, Miles looked up to see eclipse was soon to be falling. His heart dropped. He had just a little over a day before Neytiri said she would kill Zu. And she would do it. He remembers Neytiri on the Sea Dragon. She was going to kill Spider, no doubt in his mind. Miles desperately needed to develop a plan to rescue Zu.

As he flew in silence he weighed his options. Could he utilize his surviving Ash Na'vi forces to go rescue her? No, he has no idea where they retreated to, only that they seemed to be going north. And Neytiri said no warriors. Plus he wouldn't want to cause more casualties for his people who, all things considered, seemed to have fared decently in the battle. Could he try to go find them alone and plead with them? No. They would only kill him on the spot and then kill her. Miles' heart rate increased, his breathing grew elevated, his tail started thrashing, and he clenched his jaw just shy to the point of his teeth cracking. Cupcake let out a low hiss. Miles realized at that moment there was only one solution that could save his Zu's life.

He had to free Jake Sully.

Zu, her armor still on, was gagged with her hands tied behind her back and her ankles bound, and was on her stomach behind Tonowari on his tsurak. Her legs and head were facing outward, the journey making her nearly drown with her face constantly being dunked in the water as they swam at the surface, Tonowari paying it no mind. Some ocean Na'vi warriors were laughing at her squirming, choking, and gagging as they traveled.