Hey, I'm finally back. Sorry it's taken so long to get this story going again. I've been studying Swedish and it's required a lot of my time. But I finally found a chance to squeeze some time in for the awaited sequel. Here's a brief summary of what it is about.

Seven years have passed since the Na'vi and humans of Pandora made peace. But new probelms begin arising. Philip and Jake, who are living comfortably with their families, are now the targets for a conspiracy to remove them from power and open up a new frontier on Pandora. With enemies coming from all directions, Philip, Jake, and the people they love are in serious danger. Not only that, but a new discovery is made which raises more questions and even greater mysteries. You wanna' know? You'll just have to find out.

To all those who have stayed with me thus far and waited so patiently for this final installation, thank you. Without you, this story means nothing.

Enjoy!


Chapter 1

The Arrival

Miranda opened her eyes as she regained consciousness. Her mind was momentarily blank as she tried to figure out where she was. She was lying on a bed within a small compartment with not much room to maneuver within. Then she suddenly remembered that she was in her cryo-chamber. There was a low hiss as her small compartment slowly opened and her cot slid out of the compartment. All around there were other small chambers opening as the passengers awoke from their long trek through space.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a physician in a light blue suit called out. "We have arrived at Pandora. You've been in cryo for five years and eight months, and 29 days. You may feel hungry and weak. That's perfectly normal. If you're feeling nauseous, please use the sacks provided for your convenience. If you feel like something is wrong, please let us know and we'll help you out."

Miranda floated through the gravity-absent environment to her locker, where she drew out her camo-uniform. The men and women around her stripped themselves of the patients' outfits without much prudence as they slipped back into their normal attire. Within moments, they were filed into the shuttle. Many of the people gave a nervous yelp as the shuttle broke away from the ISV, preparing to enter the atmosphere of the world that they had heard so much about. Miranda didn't even flinch. She had been through worse as a soldier. Almost nothing could surprise her anymore. She just sat in her harness, looking straight ahead at nothing. She thought about the world she would soon be stepping on, about the humans and aliens that had changed so much.

The shuttle shook and bounced as it descended into the atmosphere. The minutes passed and the turbulence subsided. Now the Valkyrie began its slow descent. They flew over the green land miles below them. The pilots of the shuttle could see, amongst the overpopulated greenness, a few shimmering spires that stuck out. They decreased speed, switching their engines to hover as they approached the base. The shuttle flew over the perimeter fence and over the pavement of the landing area, where several men were directing the craft as it touched ground.

Within the cargo hold, a man came marching down the aisles. "Okay, exo-packs on," he shouted in an authoritative manner. "You lose that mask, you're unconscious in twenty seconds. Dead in four minutes. Do not step off this ship until we say you can." The passengers slid their exo-packs over their faces and clicked the pressurization buttons. They undid their harnesses as they stood up, ready to step out onto this new world. The rear ramp slid open as the toxic vapors poured into the shuttle.

A woman with dark skin dressed in a military uniform marched up the ramp from outside. "Ladies and gentlemen," she said to the crowd. "Welcome to Pandora. I am Lieutenant Beverly Hopkins. In case they forgot to lay it out for you on the transport, I'll just say it now. Before anyone is allowed to roam around on this base, we have strict security procedures to check the profiles and identities of every newcomer on this base. Once your identities have been approved for clearance, you will proceed to the commissary inside the Main Complex for briefing." She turned her hell and marched back down the ramp.

Miranda snatched her pack like the other passengers and threw it over her shoulder. The people marched out of the shuttle and into the new world. They passed through the courtyard and into the main complex ahead. Miranda looked the base over carefully. It reminded her of Earth, though in a comforting way. She overlooked the perimeter fence in the distance, where the trees grew as tall as buildings, stretching onward with no end in sight. It was hard to picture a small city in the midst of a safari that engrossed an entire moon. Humans had lived for so long without the presence of forests that it seemed alien to them. Not that she didn't think it was beautiful. It offered something different to look at versus steel rails, concrete pavements, and metal buildings.

The arrivals stopped in a line just outside the pressurization door, where several soldiers stood, along with Lieutenant Hopkins, observing every person that passed through clearance. After several minutes of waiting, Miranda finally reached the check-in. A soldier stood behind a desk with a data-screen in front of him.

The soldier asked, "Name, please?"

Miranda swallowed as she said, "Private Miranda Swanson."

"When is your birthday?"

"September 15, 2130."

"State your occupation."

"Marine, sir."

"What is the duration of your contract?"

"Eighteen months."

The soldier overlooked the information that Miranda told him on his data-screen, making sure that it matched. "You're information checks out. Please put your bag on the table for inspection."

Miranda did as she was told. Two soldiers unzipped her bag as they rummaged through its contents, coming across clothing, a few mementos, and other things. Miranda felt a little flustered when they began handling her underwear, looking it over inside and out. Her possessions were deemed safe and placed back in her bag.

"Please proceed to the commissary for briefing. Welcome to Pandora."

Miranda was handed back her bag and she proceeded into the main facility of Vatican's Royale. She passed through several hallways until she came at last to the commissary, where the new arrivals were filing in and finding their seats. Several soldiers stood guard near the entrance with their hands behind their backs. Miranda found a seat as the rest of the arrivals poured in. The hall was alive with chatter as they waited.

"At attention," a soldier shouted. The entire assembly grew silent and stood. Soldiers looked straight forward while miners and scientists simply looked around themselves.

Miranda could only guess that he had arrived, but she didn't dare risk a glance. They had taught her in training to look forward and never break her stance until permitted.

"At ease," a new, more senior voice said. "Please be seated."

The arrivals sat down and turned their heads toward the center aisle. There stood a senior officer with a light colored hair, a muscular build, and a prosthetic arm. Miranda instantly knew who that was.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said. "I am Captain Philip McCoy, head of security and, coincidently, director of mining operations. This-" he pointed out the window toward the grounds beyond "-is Pandora. Quite possibly the most hostile place known to man and home to a race of humanoid people called the Na'vi. They are twice your size, four times stronger than you, and take it very personal when people screw with their land. As I'm sure you are well aware, we have had a difficult history with them. However, over the years, we have been able to fix some of our relations with them, but old wounds die hard. We live in relative peace, but that doesn't make it any less dangerous. Some people call the Na'vi 'treehuggers', and that may be. But these treehuggers are the most bad ass warriors you will ever encounter if you make them angry. Our job is to ensure that doesn't happen.

"The ones who ensure that peace is sustained are myself, Jake Sully, and the Avatar program. Now you may have heard that Jake Sully and those like him are traitors. That may have been once, but now Mr. Sully and his companions at Hell's Gate work with us to avoid conflict. It is thanks to people like them that we are allowed to mine for unobtamium and that the Na'vi listen to us. I'm not joking, people! Our planet's prosperity depends on what we do here. One wrong move could destroy everything we have worked so hard for. If you want to survive and not have a six foot shaft sticking through your abs, you must respect the rules. Pandora rules!

"Rule number one! Respect the Na'vi and their land. Although we live in peace with the Na'vi, that doesn't mean there aren't any misunderstandings that can happen. That is why we keep to ourselves. You don't bother them, they won't bother you. Only avatars and people granted diplomatic rights may interact with the Na'vi. If in the event anyone without those rights do encounter a Na'vi, just smile, back up slowly and walk away. Do not taunt them. Do not insult them. And most certainly don't challenge them! Anyone who is caught trying to stir up trouble with the indigenous will be severely penalized. I am not kidding! I will not tolerate anyone who endangers the people of this base."

Out of the corner of his eye, the Captain caught a soldier smirking and whispering to his friend. "Hey there!" he said in a raised voice. The soldier instantly dropped his smile. "Yeah, you! I'm talking to you, rookie. Do you think this is funny?" The rookie shook his head, his face almost going pale. "Good. Then wipe that smirk off your face and pay attention."

The Captain resumed his briefing. "Rule number two! Stay away from the jungle. Again, only those with special privileges may explore the jungle. Pandora's forests are known to have the most dangerous animals that make the dinosaurs look like pussy cats. Our zoologists would be happy to point out which ones to especially watch out for.

"Rule three! Keep your exo-pack on you at all times. Although this facility is pressurized, that doesn't mean accidents can't happen. Our scientists and engineers have also developed a smaller version of the exo-pack just recently." The Captain dug into his pocket and drew out a black mouth-piece connected to a small black cylinder. "This little work of wonder I simply like to call the 'inhaler'." A few people chuckled at the comment. "But this is not intended for extensive use. It is only meant for emergency situations. Never go anywhere without this gadget 'cause your life depends on it."

"And rule four! If in the event you decide to have a child, you must first consult me. Although we have children on this base, conceptions are strictly regulated. Having a child demands a lot of responsibility and a heavy price. And also remember, if you have a child and are intending to return to Earth in eighteen months, forget it! Putting an infant through cryo is a big risk that none of us are willing to take. A child may only pass through cryo when he or she turns seven years old. Very important!"

Philip scanned the crowd. They all stared at him intently. Some even looked a little nervous. Good, he thought. I've got them where I want them. "This is a harsh place, people. It's a tough world, but that doesn't mean you can't survive it. As long as you stay in line, I promise you'll make it home. Now, Lieutenant Hopkins will be giving you a short tour of the base. After that, I suggest you head to the dormitory to get some rest. You're gonna' need it. Dismissed."

The people rose from their seats and proceeded out of the commissary. Beverly showed them out as she began her tour. She stole one last glance back to the Captain. Philip merely smirked amusedly. He knew that she wasn't a babysitter, which is why he chose her to show the arrivals around the base. Beverly still had to learn to cope with situations she didn't like.

As the people were led out of the commissary, Miranda stole one last glance at Captain McCoy. She had been told of him. His appearance matched the description she had been given before shipping out to Pandora. He was the one who had joined with Jake Sully to fight for the Na'vi. News of their actions had spread fast on Earth. Some on Earth looked upon them with reverence, others with deep loathing.

I found you, Philip McCoy.