#AT-TE Walker | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pandorafallz · 6 months

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Vampire AU | West Frontier

Quaritch was feeling pretty much pissed off for a few reasons, and this was now becoming a common occurrence directing it to Parker Selfridge of all people but the report sent to him had him both angry…and worried.

He was well aware of Frontier West as a base for the RDA’s oil extraction. He knew the Colonel running its security personally and their version of Selfridge distantly. His job had been about Hell’s Gate but he took interest to make sure people of the other bases were safe or at least secure enough. He never had to worry with Colonel Harding in charge.

The fact that Director Mercer and a good number of men and women were going to be coming back in body bags left him feeling….mixed. Colonel Harding was in Frontier West’s Medical bay in critical condition from having her throat cut by a glass bottle. No doubt she’d be rotated back if she wanted her voice back. Even then, she’d most likely be medically discharged from the RDA.

The report had been….unexpected. A group of scientists roofied a portion of the SecOps at the mess, doing a full-out mutiny before escaping with a shit-load of supplies after killing Mercer and those who stood in their way. An avatar driver included also vanished, which surprised Quaritch to find out. The Driver in question was…dead. Or supposed to be.

Alma Cortez had supposedly died 17 years ago in an attack from some Na’vi clan. Satenoo-something clan. He knew little and didn’t care for those alien details on that. But… the fact she was alive for the last 17 years was a lot of unaccounted time and Quaritch was concerned about what that meant and Selfridge had been very vague on why there was an expensive avatar driver there to start with which was why he was annoyed at the guy.

Frontier West had its own share of Na’vi Clans and Mercer was known to…temperamental. More so than Selfridge in the last few months. Selfridge himself was harmless in the grand scheme of things. Mercer was not. Which, to some logical degree explained the homicide. Not everyone was drugged so conflict arose naturally. No one who had left Hell’s Gate so far had a reason to kill or…were caught or stopped; nothing here instigated a gun show. Desperation killed.

They had to be careful. He wasn’t going to lose any of his men because some people wanted to go play Rambo in the jungle, but he certainly couldn’t just allow anyone to waltz off with thousands of dollars worth of equipment like it was nothing. He knew the line was there and he also knew to pick his battles if he wanted his men to choose between their lives or some replaceable equipment. What had been taken in Hell’s Gate was all but replaceable, aside from the avatars. Selfridge though was acting as if they were outright kidnapping people instead of how insistent he was on getting them back.

With Frontier West down a director and head of security, there were a lot of open spaces that needed to be filled. Selfridge couldn’t manage both and Quaritch had made sure the guy kept his focus on what was important; the dozers and their future mine, they had other areas for other resources.

He had combed through his men already for replacements and most were loaded with him for the refill and change-over of staff at the base.

The trip was long but he was making do of the time by the reports and going over potential candidates for running this place. It’d take years for a new RDA leader to arrive to replace Mercer so they’d have to make do with promoting a few of his guys.

He was okay with that; they had been at his side for years and most were happy to be at his side as loyal soldiers. Some would need to move on and up eventually. Loyalty had its rewards. He took care of his own.

Mansk would have been his go-to for running the base as a supervisor. He was very good at his job and…had an edge for leadership that was kept away from most of the group but Quaritch could spot his potential beneath the surface.

Except… he needed Mansk at Hell’s Gate. His patience and training were far better suited to help hunt down the new rogues. So the pin was held on him for now; he’d keep him open for it.

Walker was another candidate, for the same reasons but she was far sharper and less patient than Mansk. Not with as many leadership qualities but…there was potential that could be trained with experience…if he was to push her. She could start as a supervisor until the next director was installed and then no doubt she’d make an excellent Head of security. She was his best option after Mansk.

Z-Dog was more of a follower than a leader but could…make do with a supervisory role over security for a temporary measure at best. Either she or Ja would suit. He trusted Wainfleet to run the team but… not a base. He didn’t have the same integrity to command, not that Quaritch thought the man would take it, even if he had offered. His loyalty kept him at his side.

Quaritch knew it was…a little biased to not look outside his own group. There were a ton of soldiers that had their training as his squad, like Zheng and Brown who were looking to make good into getting into higher places but…he could trust his squad more. He knew them. None of them had devastating secrets. While Mansk hadn’t come out, it was a known secret that no one addressed or Z-dog’s hidden porn stashes and contraceptives that they all dipped into at one point or another. She found ways to refill and no questions were asked. He was certain Walker’s little secret of sleeping around was not something she would talk about when she tried to keep a smooth exterior over her personal life.

None of that affected their work or quality of work. It kept them happy and as a unit. It would be a shame to break them up but…needs must on a hostile planet like Pandora. His team were needed more than just fighting the hostiles at his side.

“We’re five minutes out, colonel.” Captain Chacon spoke from the front of the ship.

“Copy that,” He slipped his tablet away in favour of surveying out of the window of the Samson.

The…differences of the forest weren’t as obvious as Hell’s Gate by the time they got to Frontier West, bypassing over the old TAP-Con 1 Facility (which had since been shut down due to structural flaws fifteen years back according to reports). The forest was still a forest but he could see, to his untrained scientific eye the differences in some of the plants. Not all familiar which made him more cautious. Were there any scientists here?

Frontier West was open as they landed. Quaritch took the lead out with Lyle and his unit to fully secure the base and headed inside.

It was a vastly different building, or at last atmosphere as he strode through the hallways to the medical bay for his…first point of order. To see the loss of life first-hand.

Inside lay gurneys lined up in the morgue. It was not a small room but not too large but it had enough space for the ten body bags to rest with comfort room to stroll around. For the sake of space, Quaritch allowed Lyle and Walker with him to meet the doc and let a few others get reacquainted with the current leading staff on base.

“This all of them?”

“Yes, Colonel Quaritch.” The doc said, “Eight of them are our soldiers and two were part of the get-away team that were shot when they were aiding those escaping.”

“Mercer?”

The woman nodded, leading the way to the first gurney where she unzipped the bag to…reveal the somewhat familiar and dead face of Director John Mercer. From the looks of it from the sewn autopsy incision, Quaritch could see the wounds of the bullet in his chest.

“Just bullet wounds?”

“Yes, Sir. Two bullets to the chest. None an immediate kill. The shooter wasn’t…well trained.”

“Do you know who shot him?” That sounded like someone who had never handled a gun. Enough to kill but not the decency to do it well.

“Dr Alma Cortez. We found the video footage of the attack she planned on the base and her murder of Mercer and the attempted murder of Colonel Harding. Mercer was able to shoot her in the back moments before his death. The feed was cut so the chances are the people who came back for her only took her body.”

“Can you be sure of that?” Wainfleet asked, peering over his shoulder to the corpse.

“With the amount of blood we found on the floor, coupled with the fact that they had no trauma centres in the jungle. Even if she survived a little longer, they have nothing to help in saving her from those sorts of wounds. No good supplies, at least in-depth medical supplies.”

“Alright.” Seemed very cut and dry, two people killed each other. But that still left the rest of the people that had left. Quaritch zipped the bag back up over the man’s face. “Get the bodies cremated for the return trip. We’ll take ‘em when we return back to Hell’s Gate.” It’s saved space in the Samson for sure; he hadn’t planned to bring the Dragon Assault Ship just yet until he had a full list of names and open areas.

“That’ll take a few days, sir, with the quantity of bodies. We only have three cremation chambers.”

“Why not bury the traitors outside? They don’t get to come back with honours.” Wainfleet suggested. “No place for them on our ship, they were bailing anyway.”

The doctor’s eyes slid to him for approval.

Quaritch exhaled in annoyance. “I don’t care. As long it’s not gonna bite ya in the ass later. A few scientists in Hell’s Gate have opted for a terrestrial burial rather than return if they die before they return. Cheaper on the RDA, so it’s not discouraged. I’ll send you the paperwork for that.” He honestly couldn’t care less what happened to them. Dead wasn’t his problem…nor his responsibility. But he knew with families of the deceased on Earth that was a quick trigger for shit he didn’t wanna deal with. As long it was by the books with all legal paperwork, then the families would have no claim of ire.

His next trip took him to MedBay where Colonel Harding was.

She looked fucked up, he noted. Tubes sticking out of her neck and mouth were keeping her airways clear as she healed up in her induced coma. She was in for a rough few weeks until she could be cleared to be returned.

He knew she was a hardass and would be throwing a fit if it was possible and would certainly find the adjustment hard. Walker would probably handle the woman’s ire in her recovery process. There was little reason to hamper the woman’s healing by moving her back to Hell’s Gate to recover with more doctors about.

She had a lot more scars than before; a lot more down her arm and left shoulder and it looked to go up and hide under the bandages and dressing.

“How is she doing?”

“Better,” Dr Malik spoke as he picked up the medical tablet. “She lost a lot of blood, and almost died on the table but we were able to resuscitate her and stabilise her. But… the damage to her larynx forced the med team to do a laryngectomy. Now, right now it’s permanent and will lead to a medical discharge but… there is a chance she could stay with a few medical procedures.”

“What sort? Reconstruction? Some of that stuff you have to rotate back to Earth for.”

“No, not for synthetic replacement. Harding had no next of kin who could consent on her behalf, we could wait till she wakes up to ask but we’d still need authorisation from a supervisor. That would have been Mercer but he’s...in no position to make choices on the account of being dead so, that leads to Selfridge.”

“I know Harding, She ain’t gonna leave easy,” Quaritch said, because he knew without a doubt what he would do, they were very alike in their passion for being here. Finding Duty here. She would take the operation. “What’s the replacement?”

From the tablet, Dr Malik showed what looked to be a metallic voice box implant, very new but…it looked very high-tech. Her voice wouldn’t be the same, of course. But it would function and…well if he was looking at this well, it would work off pre-recorded variations of her voice. They’d need consent for her video log footage to get her voice uploaded to the software but that was later’s problem.

“This will work?” He swiped across the screen for the schematics. “Look’s…expensive. The RDA won’t shell out for it.”

“Harding was on a permanent basis in her contract. She can pay half of it. If she can consent, then we can get a dual payment agreement on the replacement and operation.”

That wasn’t an uncommon deal. Still…it was gonna be rough. She was gonna be so pissed off.

“I’ll talk to Selfridge about it. Prep the files to him.” He gave a final look to Harding’s unconscious body then took his leave.

“They’re hiding something,” Walker said behind him as they headed towards Mercer’s office. “All the soldiers here are anxious and have been since they saw you.”

Quaritch turned his attention to the few people still milling about, a few met his eyes and nodded, a few did not but now that she had mentioned it, there was…a coolness in their postures; the appearance of trying to be collected as they carried on with their business. While it didn’t look odd, it now tickled the sixth sense he had long since honed in training. Something was…off.

“About what?” Wainfleet asked, “Nothing much to hide. They focus on Oil and gas extraction. Nothing more.”

Walker’s eyes flickered about, her head tilting off to one direction thoughtfully. “I can’t know for sure but… I overheard someone mentioning clearing out Mercer’s office. Harding’s too?”

“Then go get there first, Walker. Take Z-doc and Brown with ya’”

“Yes sir,” Walker peeled off and went the other direction as he quickened his pace along the hall to where he opened up the door, almost knocking back a guy with a trolley.

Quaritch’s eyes narrowed, bending down and pulled the guy back onto his feet but didn’t let go of his sleeve. “What are you doing here, son? Director Mercer’s office is off limits to anyone who’s not me.”

“Ju…Just cleaning, sir. I’m a janitor!” the guy spoke, wide-eyed and alarmed and looked far too nervous for his liking. Quaritch eyed the man then to the trolley, not filled with cleaning supplies or even a goddamn broom. The trolley was secured, even. “Give me ya keys and fuck off.” He let go of his arm, holding his hand out for the keys which took another hard glare to get before Wainfleet dragged the man out.

Quaritch rolled his eyes, pushing the trolley back in with him and pushed it straight to the desk and sat down in Mercer’s chair heavily. The Trolley was…mostly paperwork but for some reason, he found…trinkets. Na’vi trinkets by the looks of it. One looked like a cord of beads with little attachments of tasselled items, some looked like…toys, even. Large by their hands but he imagined they’d be small in Na’vi hands.

He set them onto the table surface but shoved the paperwork to Wainfleet to look over as he accessed the table’s main monitor.

The first few records began to appear… and Quaritch could feel a headache start to arise.

“Ah…fuckin hell….”

Grace knew something was up by the email that appeared in her inbox. From Quaritch of all people which made her weary as she sat down to address them. Her eyes took in the data of Na’vi clans that…the other base had been in contact with within the last decade and a half. She knew a few in passing from word of mouth from Mo’at years back.

The Aranahe clan were renowned for their weaving and art skills, the Sarentu were nomadic and travelled from clan to clan with stories and the Kame'tire were considered the best healers while the Zeswa Clan were a warrior clan. Beyond that, she knew little of the clans and their leaders. The fact that the RDA’s west base knew that many were…a little concerning.

“Wait, what?”

Her head cocked to the side, not unsurely sure if she was reading this correctly or if Quaritch was just…making this up or something.

“What’s wrong?” Norm seemed to appear beside her.

Grace looked up from her monitor with a frown. “Look, does this say what I think it says?”

He bent over her shoulder, his eyes flickering over the screen. “…conflict saw the major loss of native lives in defence of RDA interests before extraction… Wait, what?!” Norm blinked, “How… that sounds like the RDA killed a bunch of Na’vi over something.”

“We don’t know the context,” Grace said, “We’re still getting files but Quaritch sent them to me. I think he’s trying to tell me something given my position here. The west base is a resource extraction facility. They probably ran into a clan protecting their lands.” Something she already dreaded to think. Poor loss of life.

Norm looked uneasy. “Just like they’re gonna do with Hometree.”

Grace didn’t pause as she continued to read, making a soft note of sound, putting in a claim for Na’vi trinkets that could have been found. She could keep them safe for now better than SecOps “Right now, the dozers are shit at their job. It’ll take months longer than planned before they get anywhere close to Hometree. We should be…lucky that that’s happening. Long-hauls wear people’s morale down. There’s still plenty of time to warn the Na’vi later. Selfridge might just give up with the Hometree’s location if it keeps happening and head in the opposite direction to the next-best option.”

“Here’s to hoping.” Norm scratched at his chin. “I hope that clan was okay.”

“Me too.” Grace hoped, “Quaritch will be looking into it. He’s a son of a bitch but…he’s head of security. If the facility’s at risk because of some idiot he’ll be pissed off, straighten it out then come back like nothing was wrong.”

Walker eyed the hallways carefully, her ears picking up the distant chatter of the soldiers and workers around.

‘…look, we weren’t involved. Just…we’re all good. We’re innocent…’

‘…I told you, find a fucking condom or anything. I can’t raw dogg…’

‘…It’s fine. They won’t find out about it. We already scrubbed the locations off the system. For all they know, the Sarentu attacked us and we were left with their orphans. What, we were supposed to leave them there? It was really a kind thing to do. Take them in and...’

Walker frowned, focusing more on the last woman’s voice as she whispered to her comrade about their pitiful excuses for covering up what sounded like…genocide. Marginal, but still genocide at the least of a single clan and their culture, then they kidnapped the kids instead of dumping them off at some other clan.

That explained… the mess the base was in now. Logic dictated that the scientists got the kids out. Something had motivated them to do it now after so many years. Why, didn’t matter really. This was mostly military run for the base's protection but the TAP Program was a concern. It…was bullshit for a lot of reasons.

As a soldier, Walker knew to follow orders and not put emotion into her work. It made her a good soldier. Follow orders, do not question them.

It made her not care.

As a vampire, she cared even less for the nature of the RDA and the work that they did. She wasn’t going back to earth; her existence was living on this planet now and trying to keep her fellow vampires in check and her belly full. If she was condemned to eternity on Pandora, she at least needed to keep some level of…peace between her kind and the Na’vi. Which is why she had to care. A little bit.

“This place is weird,” Brown remarked dryly, eyeing a passing soldier who was off duty and pushing a trolley of food and clearly unbothered by their presence like the others of his units. “Everyone’s so paranoid. Except for that guy.” Thumbing to the guy they passed. “He looks like he knows where the alcohol bar is.”

“Later.” Z-dog chuckled, her hand disappearing into her pocket and pulled out a fresh stick of gun.

“Ooh, a group drink sess. I’m down.” Brown nodded eagerly.

“Think you’ll be up for it, Walker?” Z-dog asked, setting in pace beside her. “Still on that alcohol-free nonsense?”

Walker rolled her eyes a little. “It’s perfectly acceptable to not drink alcohol. I haven’t drunk alcohol for nine years. I won’t be starting now.”

“Boo,” Brown remarked. “Maybe waiting till you hit the double digits then you celebrate with a nice big whisky. Bet we could get the colonel to give it to ya?”

“I’d rather not.” Walker deflected, “Chances are my tolerance had…fucking tanked now.” The thought of stomaching a mouthful, even if she didn’t swallow it, made her first stomach churn in dread. Nope. No, thank you.

“Oh god, I bet you’d bet drunk off...fucking champagne! Lightweight!”

Finally breaching Hardin’s office, she was met with… a somewhat unpleasant décor choice that looked to put even Selfridge’s collection of stolen artefacts to shame.

“Are those severed heads?”

“Yep.”

Walker wrinkled her nose a little.

One side of the wall had the heads of many Pandoran animals. Na’vi Artefacts of no doubt near clans and tusks as well laid across a few shelves and on the desk where the monitor was. Walker went straight to it, but her frown grew as…the computer system looked to have been wiped as she began to investigate its content

“Damn.” Brown had wandered towards the wall. “Who has taxidermy these days? Or…trained to do taxidermy bull shit these days. Let alone on Pandora.”

“It’s a four-thousand-year practice. I doubt it’ll die down.” Z-dog remarked, examining some of the tusks. “On earth, at least. Anyone with a fat wallet can get the body of some extinct animal.”

Walker looked up sharply. “You think this poaching is Harding’s money-maker?”

“We sell a lot of alien artefacts off on Earth for the RDA, so what if it’s a few animals.” Brown shrugged, “Plenty more animals after all.”

Walker hummed in agreement though she sighed as she came to a dead-end but looked into other possible locations of possibility. “This isn’t Harding’s only office. She has another up in the Upper Plains. Bet she had more heads for her collection for sure. Fortunately, that base is currently running on a skeleton crew so it’ll be an easy withdrawal.” If they decided that.

“Think Selfridge would allow that?”

“Another base is costly. It’ll be cheaper to shut it down if it’s not providing anything useful for the RDA.” Walker said. “There’s nothing we can get from here. She doesn’t have paperwork.” She added, opening a few of the woman’s desk draw to check. Still, didn’t mean there was nothing.

Jake looked forward to his human days at Hometree. He didn’t expect that he would but Neytiri was no kind teacher. Good, not kind. Thrown into the deep end left to learn how to swim

He was sure his Dreamwalker also needed the days off as well; his feet were getting stronger and faster. Even more exercises than he had ever pushed it before but now, even a week in he could tell the difference. He could go further and he felt…trust in it—or his body’s capabilities. N’deh’s teachings on tracking, along with Neytiri’s helped. He felt…more functional in his position at came than just a helping hand.

Mentally, he was a little more drained on those days but he was glad to work with people to keep his spirits up. He liked feeling useful and productive and he had been put into deshelling large (relative to human hands) nuts into baskets with Zeke and Kim.

Jake found himself enjoying Zeke’s voice alone as the two scientists conversed, just listening to the guy’s almost comical edge and the way the guy’s voice was lower and had an undertone that sounded like he was mad but…wasn’t. He was smiling and talking happily. It wasn’t until a kid in passing tripped in trying to step over Kim’s tail and dropped a bowl of fresh Teylu down his back did he screamed in pure surprise and boy, Zeke did not disappoint as he jumped straight to his feet, his scream hitting b-flat which was surprising with the booming volume his lungs had.

“Get ‘em off! Get ‘em off!”

Jake began to laugh hysterically into his bowl of nut shells until his lungs ached and he had tears in his eyes as Kim, even though her own giggles tried to pull the little creatures off the disgruntled guy’s back. The kid watched them with wide eyes but smiling and also amused.

“What?! What’s so freaking funny?!” He sounded so mad, looking mildly displeased. “Come on, you guys!”

Jake clutched at the rim of his basket. Trying to take deep breaths as the last little caterpillar was plucked off Zeke’s shoulder and put back into the bowl and Kim handed it back to the kid.

Jake managed to calm himself a little, taking a few breaths but the tears as long since fallen. He took a deep breath and pulled up his face then hurriedly wiped his face and set the seal back into place.

“What was that sound?” Eytukan of all people seemed to appear down the spiral, looking mildly alarmed. “It reached to the sleeping hammocks. Was someone hurt?”

Jake cracked up again, earning an irked look from Zeke.

“No, Zeke just has impressive lungs. Teylu was dropped down his back by accident…and by surprise.” Kim sniggered out. “Sorry for disturbing you.”

“Yeah, Sorry.” Zeke apologised sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Eytukan nodded once. “Perhaps you’d be better suited to working with the animal tamers.” Was all that the Olo'eyktan said before he took his leave back up.

Zeke looked like he didn’t know if that was a suggestion or something to be offended about but he got back to deshelling very quickly with his knife.

Neytiri seemed to appear with two new faces which made Jake pause and then lean into Kim’s side.

“Did you know we have more people?” He asked. Two women; one clearly a soldier then the other looked...far from it. They looked related, so he had to assume mother and daughter…which was rare to see. Most people didn’t take their kids with them to an alien world.

“Yes.” Kim nodded, passing the two a quick glance. “They were discovered the other day by Neytiri when she was running a patrol. They have a camp under some large tree.”

“Oh…”

“You were conked out after training with Neytiri. I forgot we didn’t tell you.” Kim shrugged though waved as the youngest of the women were directed to them so with a nod and departed from her mother—pausing to add something to her mother which brought a scowl to the woman’s face but begrudgingly went towards the weaving circle where Ruby and Wu were.

“All good?” Kim asked the girl.

“Yes, thank you.” The girl said brightly, coming to sit between Kim and Zeke who moved to make more space. “I figured my Ma needs to learn other skills other than killing animals and cutting them up, ya know.”

“Marines?” Jake asked.

The girl’s brown eyes slid to him for a moment, a little surprised to see him but she nodded nonetheless. “My mother’s a second generation of military upbringing. My grandparents had her between tours and she was raised in that environment.”

“Ah.” That explained enough of the woman’s clear attitude and soldier energy. “I’m Jake, as you’ve probably guessed.”

“Oh, I know.” The girl grinned, “I’m Bree Kung. Just call my Ma Kung if you talk to her. She hates her first name.”

Not like the girl provided the woman’s first name but Jake opted not to point that out as Zeke was handed another knife and showed Bree how to deshell the nuts they were working on.

“Alright, hopefully, I won’t stab anyone with this in the process.” Bree added, “Or a premature caesarean.” Eyeing Kim’s belly.

Zeke sniggered a little at that. Kim’s ears pinned a little but shifted away a fraction which made them chuckle a little as they got to work.

Bree struggled a little when she got to doing it herself, almost slipping with the blade a few times but adapted herself with the grip a few times until she was comfortable and deshelling the nuts rather quickly.

“So, if you don’t mind us asking, why did you leave the RDA?” Jake opted to say, to fill the little silence that had arisen. “Can’t be an easy choice.”

“it was.” Bree shrugged, pausing her knife work. “it’s…quite personal.”

“You don’t have to tell us the details if you don’t want to.” Kim said, “Most of the other groups have said enough to validate their reasons but they’ve kept the details close to their chest. We don’t ask if they’re not wanting to share.”

Bree took a look at the other groups that were all around Hometree that she could see. “You know… Technically I’m twenty-six, not sixteen. Ma says cryo years don’t count because I didn’t physically age.”

“You were in cryo for ten years?” Zeke asked.

Bree nodded softly. “Six of those was…the travel. I got sick a few months after I got here… so Ma had them put me into a pod in medical cryo storage until they could find a way to fix my condition. It took…four years for them to fix me.” Her tone turned down a little. “Ma found out that…the RDA was holding back on medical research that could have been used to fix me sooner. I could have been out three years ago but… it wasn’t considered a priority of recourses and I could be fixed on Earth. The only reason I got fixed a few months ago was because Ma blackmailed the science and medical team into giving me the cure.”

Jake stared at her for a moment but felt a deep sense of sympathy. So many years stolen away when…it didn’t have to be. Certainly…showed a few more unpleasant lights. They didn’t try and save this girl when they had the power to. Because… what? It took up resources and money.

“Freaking hell… Sorry, that happened to you.”

Bree shrugged. “My Ma’s drive for the RDA pretty much tanked after my twin sister died—fraternal twin so we weren’t identical. She was her favourite daughter. All she had after that was me and…she wasn’t gonna let me die for stupid reasons like Raina. Raina was…just like Ma. Soldier in heart.” Her eyes lowered in sadness. “It feels weird. Thinking about her. She…died about a year before I woke up. She was fine when I was put to sleep…gone when I woke up.” She blew out a heavy breath.

Jake felt another pang in his heart. Another twin. Split apart.

“I’m sorry,” Jake said, “Losing a sibling…a twin sibling is…hard.”

“What would you know?” Bree’s voice wasn’t harsh for the question, just…soft.

“I had a twin brother. Identical twin. He died a week before he was supposed to come here.” Jake explained, his heart heavy. “A mugging. He didn’t need to have died but…he did. Senseless. But… the RDA saw an opportunity with me. The avatar I have…was his. I was brought in because it meant they didn’t have to waste an avatar. His death was…just an inconvenience to the RDA. To SciOps. To Augustine and anyone who wanted to use him like a tool.”

Bree stared at him with a heavy gaze that should not belong on the face of a teenager. “How…long has it been for you?”

“About…almost two months, I suppose.” Jake pondered, “But…I got his ashes. I’ve got to find a suitable resting place for him still.”

Bree nodded, “Ma had Raina’s ashes. She buried her in this…beautiful little clearing beside a river that was close to camp. Didn’t wanna keep her waiting on a shelf, you know.”

Jake nodded softly. Tommy was the patient soul, he could wait until Jake found a great spot. He wouldn’t want to disappoint him.

“Is…what why you two left?”

Bree nodded, “Some of the reason. I got better and stronger but…My Ma was…disillusioned of the RDA’s loyalty to its people and its mission….and she used to be the most loyal soldier to the point she was put into the head of MineOps for her efficiency of getting people to work. She was caught stealing information on Scientific papers, the circumstances of what happened to me and cross-referencing other people who had died or suffered illnesses that could have been fixed by the RDA but didn’t. She had planned to send this information back to earth for maltreatment and malpractice of RDA Personnel on base. People were…shocked to learn of her arrest.”

“You got her out.”

“Hell, yeah I did. I had nothing on earth. My Dad died the day after our conception and my Grandparents would be too old or dead by the time we rotated back. We weren’t going back and…it made sense to live in the woods since you seemed all alive that we could survive out here.” Bree shrugged, getting back to her knife work. “It’s been an interesting experience. But…kinda glad we’re not alone out here.”

“What were your specialities?” Kim asked.

“Xenolinguistics and software engineering.” Bree perked up a little more as she said that. “I love languages. I was developing an App for our tablets that could translate Na’vi to English and vice versa in real-time with little delay. Not everyone knows Na’vi and there are a lot of Na’vi who don’t know English so… I thought this app could reduce miscommunication if the soldiers had a tablet on hand and encountered the Na’vi.”

“Wow.” Zeke looked impressed, “How far did you get?”

“I’m still working on it. I was developing the foundational linguistic algorithms when I got sick and it hit a pause. Harder to do with camp chores.” Bree reasoned. “I know seventeen languages but if anyone got any more, I’d love for them to teach me.”

“What languages do you know?” Jake asked curiously. “Excluding English.”

“I know Spanish, Russian, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Latin, Dutch, Afrikaans, Korean, Italian, American Sign Language and Na’vi. In other non-standard languages….High Valyrian, Dothraki, Klingon and Vulcan.” Bree listed off the top of her head. “I wanted to learn Euskara, Hawaiian, Greek, Old English and Arabic but Na’vi came along with a leaving-Earth deadline so…I turned my attention to that. Fortunately, I bought and saved a bunch of lessons before I left.”

Jake and Zeke stared.

“So…only a few languages,” Jake remarked.

“Yeah, just a few.”

“I am never playing scrabble against you.” Zeke decided, shaking his head.

“Mind helping me with Dothraki?” Kim asked, “I studied some of that language when I was studying High Valyrian but it’s been a long time. I could do with a refresh”

“Do you know the other Low or bastard Valyrian dialects?”

Kim nodded, “I do.”

“Great.” Bree brightened up. “You know, if our camps are close, it’d be easier to come to you or vice versa than rely on our Na’vi friends for Taxi Service.”

“We can come to you. I’ve managed to acquire a Pa’li for our camp so travel will be easier.” By acquire, it was ‘stolen’, technically. But the Pa’li tamers didn’t seem to hold too much of a fight since Kim used it to come back and forth from camp.

Jake just watched the interaction and then shook his head at the prioritizing a fictional language over a proper language. “Nerds.”

Masterlist

#avatar #avatar au #avatar james cameron #grace augustine #avatar the way of water #jake sully #neytiri #avatar rda #norm spellman #miles quaritch #vampire au #vampire #vampire grace #neytiri te tskaha mo'at'ite #eytukan #maria walker #avatar walker

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