A New Mission: Ash to Fire

Feeling

Miles' morning call with Bridgehead was brief and he slowly meandered through the main village path trying to put on a happier demeanor than the one he walked back with. Miles was looking at this canyon, at its tall walls with vines and other flora hanging over it. He looked at each hut, each workshop, each cultural art. He looked at the bustling villagers, getting ready to start their days. These gray-blue, long tuft-tailed, huge canine teeth having folks that he came to feel a great comfort in being around these last four-ish weeks. And just like that the RDA was prepared to pluck him away, casually doing with him and his Marines as they pleased.

Suddenly, Miles saw Zu down the village path. She was chatting with three villagers, who were all smiling at Zu—and of course they were, she was the popular and beloved princess of her people after all. He stopped walking and stared at her, growing ever more distraught internally. Zu then looked over and saw him and smiled gently, but her smile disappeared when she saw his despondent face. She excused herself from the villagers she was talking to and approached Miles.

"My-ulls... what is wrong?" she asked with care and concern.

"Miss Zu... we are leaving. In two days. Just got the call from Bridgehead," he said, trying to mask how he was really feeling.

Zu's hairless eyebrows furrowed and she stepped back from him slightly, almost like a stagger. Her orange eyes flicked around in all directions.

"Will you be back?? ...I... we... need to learn more about how to use your weapons."

"I'm not sure. It's... possible. But I don't have a timeframe," Miles replied, uncertainty in his voice.

Zu was silent for a few seconds. "My-ulls. My father and mother were planning on a clan dinner tomorrow. To celebrate our warrior's training. I guess... now it is a goodbye dinner," Zu said coldly and abruptly turned around and glided away.

Miles watched her disappear into the village, a sadness overtaking his eyes and ears.

Miles returned to their huts where Lyle and Mansk were sitting in their usual spots on the hearth logs. Both looked at their Colonel, noticing his downcast expression and body language.

"How'd the call go, Boss?" asked Lyle, worried.

Miles paused for a moment. "Marines, we are leaving."

Mansk and Lyle stood up quickly with surprise.

"What??" Lyle said with a softened alarm.

Mansk said nothing but gave an expression that captured the same energy.

"In two days. Just us. Our stuff. We're leaving the weapons. Bridgehead is in DEFCON 1. Sully is itchin' for imminent attack," Miles replied.

Lyle and Mansk looked down and around, then at each other. They too were processing countless emotions. They've spent a month in this village. They made relationships, acquaintanceships... friendships. They learned village life and just spent a whole bunch of time training the warriors on weapons—good folks whom they developed a kinship with. Now they'd just be abruptly torn from that, no guarantee that they would be back.

But they were Marines. They wanted to follow a mission, no doubt. They longed for action and the idea of succeeding in getting Jake Sully—getting justice. But this... this stung. It hurt. However, Lyle and Mansk knew this couldn't be hurting them as much as this was hurting their Colonel given what they knew about him and his feelings for Zu. His dejected expression said it all.

Miles then neutrally said, "Clan's preparing a dinner tomorrow night. Our last night. So... start packing up soon Marines."

Lyle and Mansk just decided to take the rest of the day to really take in the village. To start saying their goodbyes. Miles, however, went to rest in his hut to brood and prepare a final report for Bridgehead on his tablet.