A New Mission: Ash to Fire

Departure

The twin engines of the Kestrel revved on. The pilot, a Captain named Bob, and a single door gunner, Mike, a Private, were going to be escorting the Marines on their voyage. Normally, there are more security crew in these Kestrels, but Bob and Mike had a special, low-danger detail of transporting the surveyor and geology crews to the archipelago. Miles, Lyle, and Mansk were ready to go and in a light and comfortable amount of tactical gear. No vests. No slung rifles. They figured they didn't want to look too aggressive or lethal when they landed to offend any of these allegedly "non-hostile" Ash Na'vi.

For Miles, it was his usual RDA-issued green tank top and camo pants, along with his utility belt which had his knife on the back, and his revolver holster hanging down the side of his left leg. Lyle had on his typical sleeveless, collared camo T-shirt, cropped pants with kneepads, and his utility belt with his knife and handgun. No machete today. Mansk as per usual was decked in head-to-toe long-sleeve camo, and he even had his gloves on, but only had a knife on him. He wasn't a fan of handguns, so he figured why bother? Regarding his long-sleeved gear, Miles amusingly wondered if Mansk knew they'd be going someplace hot...er.

All their gear was loaded in the gunship and they let their banshees out of the hangar getting them prepared to fly and follow the Kestrel on their long journey to the archipelago they'd be spending the next three months in... Just the thought of spending three goddamn months with an unknown Na'vi tribe made Miles' stomach turn... if only his past life could see what was in store for his recombinant self.

Miles got to his usual spot hanging out of the front left side of the aircraft, Mike on the left door gun next to him. Miles then looked at both Lyle and Mansk who were on the other side, sunglassed up and ready, Lyle at the front right, Mansk at the right door gun. Miles gave them a thumbs up which they returned, since he didn't want to yell over the loud rotors. Miles then leaned out of the cabin and hit the glass of the Kestrel's cockpit to indicate to Bob the pilot that they were ready to go.

Bob gave a firm nod and he lifted the Kestrel and headed south, tracing along the mainland and the ocean, their three banshees following behind, the gunship going much slower than its top capable speed so that their mounts could keep up. As they left the region, the Marines were looking at the landscape below them. The forests, the open ocean, the plains, and the beaches. They looked up at the sky, the daytime watch of Polyphemus being just as impressive as its nighttime presence.

Each was thinking about their place on this moon. Their renewed state. Miles, in setting out on this brand new mission, was thinking about how truly apt "Project Phoenix" was for them. It was cheesy, on the nose, and he didn't really like it, but it certainly fit. The only question was at what stage in a phoenix's mythological life cycle were they in given their abject mission failure and team losses? Miles sighed and looked back out to the sky. The daily eclipse was coming soon.

After a good bit of flying, boredom setting in under the Polyphemus-induced darkness, Lyle, knowing full well Mansk wasn't gonna tell him, amusingly yell-asked over the rotors, "Yo, so are you gonna reveal if your banshee is named for the day or the dessert?"

Mansk named his Banshee Sunday, or perhaps it was Sundae... None of the recoms were ever able to pull it out of him which one it was.

Mansk, who still had his sunglasses on even under eclipse, shrugged and replied, "Don't worry about it," then smirked and looked out of the Kestrel's right doors to the mainland, the bioluminescent glowing forests along its sandy, sea-cliffed shores.

Lyle snickered, shook his head, and leaned back against the cabin's forward interior, crossing his arms. Amused. Lyle actually named his banshee Rocket because of the way he shot straight up into the sky when he first mounted him. Lyle wasn't very good at naming things, but it was cool enough. Rockets are also how they all got to Pandora.