A New Mission: Ash to Fire

Punishment

The three banshees, their injured surviving recombinant riders, and the caravan of lifeboats cruised along for a few more hours. Night had fallen before they finally set their sights on the glinting of Bridgehead City's metal buildings and the rocky breakwaters of the harbor and marina illuminated by the great blue Polyphemus above. The boats entered the open sea gate and the three banshees and their riders circled above the water ensuring that the human crew made it to safety. Miles had figured that the boats must have sent in their own communications that they were coming in as large emergency and medical teams were waiting on the metal docks of the marina, ready to service the injured, surviving Sea Dragon crew members.

Miles, though shamed for his mission failure, was a disciplined military man and knew that the appropriate thing to do now was also to call in his arrival to General Ardmore which he could now that he was in communication range. He worried though, given how the mission went. With an almost child-like fear of being scolded by a parent after breaking an object, the Colonel radioed into Bridgehead's main Operations Center while gliding slowly above the dark harbor, Wainfleet and Mansk flying in circles above him, the bioluminescent glow of their banshees like painted streaks of light in the night sky.

Miles placed his fingers to the comms piece on his neck and exhaled through his nose. "Bridgehead Command, Blue one on arrival. We have suffered heavy casualties and are in need of medical assistance, over." He got nothing. He paused and radioed again, "Bridgehead Command, Blue One on arrival. We have—"

"Copy that, Colonel," the General's voice said over the radio, monotone. "Medical assistance will be awaiting you at the airfield's East Hangar entrance," the General followed up.

The East Hangar was where the recom team had secured their banshees for the times that they briefly convened in Bridgehead City with their mounts. First to get special tactical saddles made for them, and also when Miles sought out a ship and aircraft to hunt down Jake amongst the ocean Na'vi clans. At the time, all of the 1st Recom Unit's banshees actually fit and behaved quite contently in the large gunship and aircraft hangar, lofting in the exposed metal structures and rafters of the ceiling.

They had to secure them in there as they couldn't have unsupervised banshees flying over an under-construction human city. At least now there were only going to be three banshees for however long they were there. They didn't know it yet, but the hangar's pilots and staff were going to be much happier with three banshees to be aware of and clean up after, instead of seven.

The three defeated and injured recoms landed their banshees inside the hangar, medical staff waiting for them and even had three Na'vi-sized stretchers ready to be moved by SecOps personnel on Skel Suits. Miles saw the stretchers and scoffed, but as soon as he tried to get off Cupcake he collapsed momentarily onto one knee, overwhelmed by the pain and strength it took to try to stand.

Mansk, the 'least' injured of the three recoms, who was only knocked unconscious when Jake hurled a whole human guard at him and then laid him out with his bulletless rifle, ran up to assist his Colonel. He grabbed Miles by the upper arm and supported his back, helping his commanding officer until he was able to stand on his own.

"Thank you, Marine," Miles said sincerely.

Mansk returned a kind nod, though he had one hell of a headache and a busted face.

Wainfleet weakly got off of his banshee last, rubbing his head and right shoulder with his left hand and wincing. After getting beat up by Sully's woman with her bow, Lyle confronted Jake and even disarmed him, but he was bested and hurled into the water over a railing, but not before slamming into the hull of the ship. Lyle came to when the ship was gone from the surface. He swam to some rocks and his banshee found him in the remaining darkness of eclipse where he then flew off to escort the boats and rafts of survivors away from the wreck and fuel fire.