A New Mission: Ash to Fire

Survived

Miles Quaritch's Banshee, in addition to feeling his physical pain, could feel his desire and desperation to reach Bridgehead City through her tsaheylu connection with him. The physical pain in his face, limbs, body, and lungs— that she could understand. Nevertheless, the pain was not hers, so she could still fly in spite of it, though uncomfortably and with great concern; as much as her limited banshee mind could muster for her "Na'vi" companion. However, her companion had emotions she could not comprehend, emotions that to the beat-down, bruised, and bloodied Colonel were swirls of failure, rage, revenge, relief, and sadness.

Miles failed his mission to capture and kill Jake Sully, and he felt rage at him and his wife, whatever her name was, for killing his fellow recombinant Marines. His Marines who had all quite literally gotten a new lease on life, only for it to be cut short on this harsh alien moon. Miles was vengeful and not tempered in his ideas of killing Jake Sully and his woman, such desires for vengeance were even more magnified.

Miles also had feelings of relief, however. The last thing he remembers was being caught in a sleeper hold under the wreck of the sinking Sea Dragon, Jake's arms gripped firmly, painfully around his neck. He felt overwhelming panic and fear and just couldn't comprehend the nature of the quick switch around. It all happened so fast. He had him. He had Jake by the neck in the clutches of his legs, but then there was a sudden pulse of underwater pressure and confusion. Jake now had him. And then... darkness.

He remembers suddenly waking up at the surface of the water, a small force lurching him towards some rocks. Relief. There was sunlight, there was air, and there was the opportunity for survival. Even greater relief overcame him when he realized that it was his son, Spider, who had saved him. After all that happened, a boy saves his father.

However, Miles' relief shifted to a great sadness knowing that, despite this effort, and the months they spent together—months of Spider teaching him and the others Na'vi, and sharing in light-hearted 1st Recom Unit adventures and shenanigans, as well as sincere moments of bonding—his son spurned him in favor of his enemy. Now, Miles was beaten, cast down, and ashamed. Through his swirl of pain and emotions, his banshee knew to just keep flying straight and steady.

Miles' Banshee continued to fly smoothly over the great blue ocean so as not to aggravate her companion's wounds. Bridgehead was about a half day's flight from the Sea Dragon wreck, the scene of his failure. Miles, tired and thirsty, leaned in pain over her neck to grab a water canteen from her green ops pack. Miles' Banshee was a being he had come to love, though his mind would not let him overtly admit that. He could feel that she cared about him, and he cared for her. Miles also developed a lot of pride over having his banshee. With her beautiful dark indigo skin and colorful patterns, he knew that she was a unique color morph given the fact that he'd never seen a banshee like her in his previous life's memories of fifteen years on Pandora. Miles had come to affectionately refer to his banshee as Cupcake, though quietly, based on a jeering joke and reminder from Z-Dog.

[Flashback to the the Recoms and their banshees in the Hallelujah Mountains]

The recoms were atop the floating mountain where they had just all finished claiming their Na'vi mounts. The feelings of shock and sadness at the thought of their Colonel having plummeted to his death on the back of a banshee turned to a proud, celebratory environment where each Marine was excited at their achievement and the prospect of being able to fly around and travel much more easily.

The first volunteer after the Colonel was Prager who claimed his banshee actually having found a way to tie its mouth shut using the unclipped sling of his rifle. After him, it was Z-Dog, Wainfleet, Ja, then Lopez, and Mansk was last. Mansk was taking time to really scope out the selection of banshees, wanting to make sure he got one that suited him—if it chose him of course. The whole thing took about two hours, the next Marine up when the other was getting in the bond sealing flight time with their new companions. Then, once all were claimed, they flew to another floating mountain, one with a grassy top, to rest and plan.