A New Mission: Ash to Fire

The Edge

After his conversation with Spider, with swirling, turbulent thoughts, Miles made it out to the airfield where to his surprise and confusion, the Ash Na'vi were no longer there.

"What the hell??" he uttered aloud.

Miles then looked up and saw Lyle flying above. He heard over his comms, "Oh, Colonel. Sorry. They didn't like the pavement. They're setting up camp at the undeveloped peninsula that's south of the harbor."

Miles flapped his arms on his thighs, frustrated. He whistled for Cupcake so he could go see this new, preferred camp location.

Miles and Lyle flew out to the peninsula and he thought it surprising that the RDA left such an undeveloped little patch in the interior of the city, but he wasn't a city planner and Bridgehead certainly didn't have the resources to do anything with it now. The warriors had already set up their tents and had fires going in anticipation of the nearing eclipse. The peninsula, though vegetated and soil-covered, was a little rocky, but yeah, Miles supposed that sleeping here would be much more comfortable than concrete and asphalt. Even the many cliff Ikran were comfortably resting on the rockier parts of the piece of land.

Miles landed at the edge of the camp, the water behind him, and quickly hopped off Cupcake. Zu, emerging from behind some tents, eagerly ran up to him, playfully jumping on his body, which Miles didn't expect, letting out a "Whoa-ho," as he caught her under her thighs and stumbled back a little.

"Damn Zu, it hasn't been that long," he said with a smile.

Zu just nestled into him while he held her. "I missed you anyway, My-ulls."

Miles gave her a sweet look. "I missed you too," he replied and kissed her on her nose, then gently set her down. Miles then looked around at the camp and asked, "How you feelin' about some lunch, princess? Where's Mansk?"

"Hey, Colonel," Mansk responded, as he walked up to Miles, Zu, and Lyle.

"Ah, just the man. Think you can rustle us up some grub, son?"

Mansk smiled. "Yes, sir."

Eclipse fell overhead, the four enjoying a meal under the dark in the firelit camp. They were chatting and laughing around their small fire when to their surprise Ta'zem came and sat on the ground next to Miles.

Zu smiled warmly at him. "Hello, Ta'zem."

Ta'zem nodded kindly at his best friend, smiling with his eyes, but Miles could tell that he had something he wanted to say and wasn't just here to hang out. He looked at him with anticipation.

The young Olo'eyktan asked, "So you are warriors... you have killed before, yes?"

The three Marines scanned each other with serious expressions. Zu looked at them, then at Ta'zem, her orange eyes glowing from the fire.

Miles answered, "Yes."

Mansk and Lyle also nodded.

"You have killed many people?" Ta'zem followed up.

Miles moved his mouth to the side and again replied, "Yes."

Mansk and Lyle just glanced at one another.

"How do you do it? Does it get easier?" Ta'zem asked with almost a childlike innocence about him.

Miles pulled his lips in and paused before answering, "A part of your heart becomes numb to it... and you view it as a task. Part of your mission as a warrior. Something necessary for your goals. Like anyone with any other task."

It was a blunt, cold response, but it was the truth. And it was only a part of his heart. Miles was not entirely immune to the death that he caused. There was just a level of justification for it. A minimum threshold of necessary that killing reached for him to be unbothered by it.