A/N: Hey guys, here's chapter 8. I'm sorry for the delay in posting, but as I am out of school for the semester and currently unemployed; I have more or less become my Dad's errand boy. Anyhoo, the big meet finally happens and well I don't want to spoil it for you :)
I also want to thank everyone for their reviews. I never get tired of reading them, and it really encourages me to continue knowing that others are enjoying my story, and by my story I claim no ownership...again Jimmy Cameron! :)
Chapter Eight: Arrival
Adjusting her straps, Alejandra secured herself in cockpit of Valkyrie One-Six. She was seated behind the two pilots who were currently running their preflight checklist. Behind and below her, relatively speaking, the cargo bay was loaded with several months' worth of food and medical supplies. Her avatar was secured in there as well. She looked around the cockpit, noting the flashing lights and computer screens as the pilots droned on their diagnostics. In a few moments, they would disconnect from the Dark Star and begin the process of reentry into Pandora's atmosphere.
Reentry, Alejandra thought. Wouldn't it be better to refer to it as entry if it's your first time entering the planet's atmosphere, she asked herself. Shrugging at her thoughts, she decided it didn't matter because most of the space terminology that was used had been around since circa 1950, and it would break with tradition to change it now.
"Everything's green light Captain," Allen announced as he finished running through the startups for the Valkyrie shuttle. "We can leave anytime you want."
Alejandra nodded. "Patch me through to Commander Fisher first."
The other pilot, a man named Patrick McKnight, gave her thumbs up. "Roger that Captain, patching you through now." An instant later, Fisher's image flickered onto the ship's status monitor.
"Gosh Captain, aren't you gone yet," Fisher said playfully as he tried to lighten the mood that was circulating throughout the ship. Alejandra smiled slightly, which was the response he'd wanted to elicit from the commanding officer.
"I'm on my way out the door Darren. I just wanted to wish you luck as you will be in command during my absence, and I wanted to remind you that even though I'm not here, my orders still stand. Let me negotiate with the Na'vi, and only resort to our contingency plans as a last resort. And remember, absolutely no nukes." Alejandra knew that Fisher would follow her orders, but she wanted to emphasize her point one more time.
Fisher nodded and saluted her. "May the wind be on your back Captain, and a safe re turn," her first officer stated before the transmission was cut.
Tapping the commands to power up the Valkyrie's engines, McKnight released the shuttle from the docking umbilical. "Umbilical disconnect complete," he reported as he pulsed the Reaction Control System thrusters to gently push the shuttle away from the Dark Star. As the shuttle cleared the larger ship, he used the RCS thrusters to rotate the shuttle along its horizontal axis until the Valkyrie's bow faced the parallel to the Dark Star's bow.
Using his left hand, he continued to make attitude adjustments while his right hand grasped the primary control stick. Pushing forward on the stick, the main engines engaged allowing Valkyrie One-Six to fly past the Dark Star and begin its reentry maneuvers. As they passed the larger vessel, Alejandra watched on screen as they passed underneath the massive radiator fins, which continued to glow red from heat dissipation. The ship's radiators would continue to glow an angry red until the matter/antimatter reactor cooled down for approximately two weeks. By then, the reactor would only be running at a tenth of its current capacity since they didn't need as much energy to simply remain in geosync orbit around Pandora.
A few moments later the Valkyrie began to enter the atmosphere, and the ride transitioned from a smooth as glass glide to a jolting, barf if you dare hell ride. The jolting increased as the air continued to thicken causing the heat-resistant ceramic tiles to glow an angry red then orange as the external temperature rocketed over 1,600 °C. Alejandra watched their velocity decrease from the friction until it was just above supersonic.
Being past the worst radiation and heat, the view port covers retracted allowing light to flood the cockpit. McKnight tapped a few commands that switched his control scheme from a spacecraft layout to an aircraft layout. His control sticks now controlled the shuttle's rudders, flaps, and ailerons. Like the shuttles of previous centuries, the Valkyrie had become an aircraft.
As McKnight piloted the shuttle toward Hell's Gate, Lieutenant Allen accessed the radio and announced their approach vector to Hell's Gate control. "HG control, this is Valkyrie One Six. Requesting permission to approach from southeast," he announced over the radio. For a moment there was only silence over the channel.
"You think they left the desk," McKnight asked as he slowed the craft to subsonic speeds.
Allen shrugged. "I don't know, maybe…" he began but was cut off.
"This is HG control to Valkyrie One-Six. You have permission to approach from south east but do not deviate from your course. Escorts will arrive and guide you in six minutes, HG control out," a stern voice replied on their channel.
"Well he sounds happy to hear from us," McKnight added as he continued to fly the shuttle along its present course. "I bet he's only grumpy because he's not had any in a while."
"Shouldn't be too difficult Mc, there's plenty of blue tail to score down here if you know where to look," Allen continued.
McKnight grinned, "Yeah, but it's just too bad that he'd have to marry one of 'em for life. The blue guys don't like having multiple partners like we do. They wouldn't last too long at a college frat party."
"Alright gentlemen, cut the chatter," Alejandra announced from behind them. "Keep your eyes sharp, I'm sure they have AA set up through here."
"Copy that," they both acknowledged as they returned to their duties.
Alejandra eased back into the chair. Her head was aching from the night before. She hadn't drunk much, but Jericho's homemade vodka had definitely earned a proof rating of Knock You on Your Ass. Only three shots and she felt like she had thrown into the Dark Star's reactors and shit out the Faster Than Light engines.
After the party, McKnight and Fisher had practically carried her back to her quarters and laid her down on her bunk. She never threw up, but Alejandra knew it couldn't have been more than seconds after her head hit the pillow that she was out cold. That night as she lay in bed, she dreamed a familiar dream.
It was almost the same dream that she'd had days earlier when she was running diagnostics on the Valkyrie. It began in the same city on Earth before, except this time she recognized her surroundings. Alejandra had found herself walking down streets of Los Angeles at night. She was going to one her and Trudy's favorite local restaurants known as The Drunken Crab. It was a small dive in the heart of LA that served decent food and cheap drinks.
Alejandra had agreed to meet Trudy here late one evening eight years ago. It had been the first time in nearly two years since they had last seen each other. The time before had been at their father's funeral two years prior. It wasn't that they hadn't kept in touch. Trudy was assigned to an American airbase in British-occupied Moscow. Her job was to ferry diplomats safely into and out of the Moscow Green Zone. Since Russia had degenerated into civil war twenty years earlier due to a failing economy. The United States, Britain, and China had moved troops and money into the ailing country as a means of stabilization.
Alejandra, by contrast, was a Captain in the US Navy. Her former command, the super carrier USS Appalachia, was tasked with patrolling the waters near Brazil for terrorists belonging to the South American group known as the Soldiers of Eden. That night was the first time they had both been on leave so they had agreed to meet.
In the dream, Alejandra arrived at the restaurant to find Trudy waiting for her at a small table inside. However, Trudy was once again in the form of Alejandra's avatar. Joining Trudy at the small table, she ordered a beer from the waiter.
"Been a long time," the Trudy-avatar had said to her.
"Far too long sister," Alejandra had said. This was the night that Trudy had told Alejandra that she was going to Pandora. They had talked about her decision over a meal and few drinks. Then, they had gone back to a hotel room that Trudy had rented for the night to sleep off their booze. The next day, they had gone shopping together.
Trudy-avatar took a drink from a beer she had already been nursing at the table. "You know it's a damn shame Alejandra," Trudy-avatar began.
Alejandra shook her head puzzled.
"Oh you know sis, humanity," Trudy-avatar continued. "All this technology, all this understanding of how the world works, and still they couldn't save themselves." The dream shifted. They were still in the restaurant, but now the city was in ruins. Above, acid rain fell from black clouds in a brown sky. "They had every opportunity to stop this, but like every other earlier generation, humanity thought they could pass this," Trudy-avatar gestured to the ruined world around them, "on to the next generation. They didn't realize that another generation would never come."
Standing from the table, Alejandra took the nightmarish scene in. "What happened here," she asked. "How…When did this happen," she continued looking on, her eyes wide with horror.
Trudy-avatar walked over to her sister and placed her large avatar hands on Alejandra's shoulders. "Shh," she said comforting the smaller woman, "what, when, and how this happened is not important." Her tone was the same soothing tone her mother had used when they were children. "Preventing this from happening is all that matters." The dream shifted once more. They were now in the control room of the Administration building at Hell's Gate. However, like the dead Earth city, the scene here was the same.
"Does what happens to Earth happen here as well?" Alejandra walked toward the shattered windows of the control room. She had never been in this room, but Trudy must have visited this place many times.
Trudy-avatar nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid that Pandora will share Earth's fate should the human world die." Alejandra only looked on in horror, as the only thing she could see past the broken perimeter fence was dust and dirt.
"Will this happen for sure, or is only a possible fate," she whispered. Trudy-avatar joined her at the window and placed her arm around her sister.
"This has already happened before. You must prevent it from happening again." The dream shifted again and they two were on the lunar surface of Pandora's closest moon. "You must usher in the New Dawn, it's the only way."
"New Dawn," Alejandra asked puzzled. "How can I usher anything in, if I don't know what I'm looking for." Trudy-avatar only laughed at Alejandra's puzzlement before she snapped her fingers and the scene shifted to the CIC onboard the Dark Star.
"How blind you are my sister, just like all tawtute. Everything you need to fulfill your duty is before your eyes. All you must do is see the world around you," Trudy-avatar had said gesturing with her eyes. Alejandra had been about to ask her something else when she had awoke in her quarters this morning.
"Valkyrie One-Six, this Jonathan Myers. Escorts are now arriving on your six. Follow all instructions, or you will be shot down," a voice said over the radio as six Samsons intercepted the shuttle from behind.
Allen replied to Myers on the same channel, "Transmission acknowledged. The Samsons formed around the shuttle as gunners in the passenger compartments trained man-portable missile launchers at the larger shuttle. "Detecting multiple target locks," he announced. "I don't think they're here to ensure our safety, eh?"
Taking command of the situation, Alejandra removed her restraints and moved to stand over Allen. "This is Captain Alejandra Chacon. We will comply with your instructions, however I would advise HG control to note that if this shuttle is destroyed, there will be serious repercussions. I have not authorized the use of nuclear devices, but I cannot speak for my crew in the event of my demise."
The voice that responded on the radio wasn't Myers. "Captain Chacon, you will not deviate from your course. If you do not comply, I will take personal responsibility for any repercussions against my people," Jake Sully's voice boomed over the radio. "And Captain, it will be nice to finally meet you."
"Likewise Sully, likewise," Alejandra responded.
Jake Sully handed the portable COMM unit back to Max as his picked up on the sounds of Samson rotors and Valkyrie thrusters. A few seconds later, the convoy of aircraft came into site. He knew the SAM sites he'd ordered set up, as well as the Samson escorts had the Valkyrie sighted in as the perimeter fence's automated AA guns tracked the larger craft. The Valkyrie slowed its velocity as her thrusters angled down for landing maneuvers. Like nearly all the aerial vehicles the RDA employed on Pandora, the shuttle was capable of VTOL, or Vertical Take-Off and Landing.
Easing down on its wheels, the Valkyrie touched down. A few seconds later the engines cut; everyone could hear the characteristic whine-down of jet engines. In space, the Valkyrie's engines used a self-oxidizing compound for fuel that didn't require free oxygen for combustion; however, once in the atmosphere of an oxygen-rich planet the shuttle switched to more conventional jet fuels for sustained flight.
As the Valkyrie's engines powered down, the Samsons, AA guns, and SAM positions continued to monitor the craft. A band of Na'vi warriors and Na'vi-loyal marines approached the craft with bows and rifles drawn while maintaining a safe distance in case the shuttle was destroyed.
Looking to the people present beside him, Jake saw Norm in his avatar body to his left, Neytiri to his right, and Max to Norm's left. Norm was hefting a Na'vi sized assault rifle while Neytiri was armed with her bow. Max merely held a small tablet that was equipped with a device that could scan for radiological materials. Motioning for them to remain behind the perimeter, Jake stepped forward and began walking toward the shuttle, which sat their silently with the cargo bay ramp still up and sealed against the fuselage.
As he neared the Valkyrie, the ramp began to slowly descend revealing three human figures wearing exopacks, one female and two males. The woman cautioned her companions with her hands. Jake stopped a few meters from the ramp and looked toward the now open bay. Be hind the figures, were several large crates that supposedly contained the promised supplies, and behind the crates a lone avatar floated in its chamber.
In response to Jake's approaching of the shuttle, the woman stepped forward and proceeded down the ramp. She stopped within reach of Jake, which Jake took that she wasn't going to allow him to intimidate her. After a tense moment of silence, she broke the silence. "Jake Sully, Captain Alejandra Chacon," she said sticking her right hand out in introduction.
Hesitantly, Jake took her smaller hand and grasped it with his larger one. Jake thought she'd looked like Trudy before, but seeing her in person reinforced his assessment of her. To his Na'vi eyes, her every curve was identical to Trudy's, her stance was the same, and through his heightened Na'vi sense of smell he smell her nearly identical scent. "Alejandra, I was hoping you would be the negotiator," he replied. He'd known she would be the negotiator from the behavior she'd displayed every time he broached the subject.
"Happy to please," she responded in return before looking to the guns trained on her position. "Is this really necessary," Alejandra asked gesturing around them. "I have teeth, but I'm not stupid enough to bite when I'm outnumbered fifty to one."
Jake looked back to his people and nodded. The warriors and marines lowered their guard slightly. He then motioned to the Samsons above, they responded by dispersing and landing nearby. However, the AA guns and SAM sites maintained their positions. "Walk with me Alejandra," Jake requested as he turn his back to the human woman.
He noticed her hesitate and look back to her men. "What about them," she asked gesturing to the two pilots still standing in the Valkyrie's bay.
Jake nodded and pointed to Norm and Neytiri. The two came up to join Jake. "Neytiri, take these men to Max and aid them in unloading their supplies. Max will know what to do with the equipment," Jake instructed Neytiri. She grasped his arm and nodded. The men heard Jake, and cooperated with Neytiri as she walked up the ramp.
Looking over to Norm, Jake moved to whisper in his ear. "Norm, get one of our Samson pilots to take care of the Valkyrie," he whispered quietly enough to prevent Alejandra from hearing him. Norm nodded and headed off to where the Samson pilots stood near their craft. She wouldn't like what he'd planned, but there was no way she would be able to say no.
Jake looked back to the human captain. "What about now," he asked in a placating tone. Alejandra nodded and began to follow him across the concrete surface. He led her toward one of the Samson hangers, which stood empty at the moment.
Entering the hanger, he walked to the back of the building where small, sealed break room resided. Jake opened the room's airlock and stepped in, watching as Alejandra cautiously followed suit. He didn't blame her, if he were in her position he'd feel awkward as well. He sealed the door behind her and allowed the airlock to cycle. Alejandra removed her exopack as the status light flashed green and followed him into the break room where Jake leaned against the back wall.
He watched her pull a seat from the nearest table and sit down. "So Jake, why are we alone in a break room alone in the middle of a hanger? I know I'm hot, but last time I checked you're already taken. If I'd known you'd wear your nicest loincloth, I would have worn my dress uniform."
Ignoring her jibe as to why he'd chosen to bring them here, he simply nodded. "I wanted to bring you here to talk in private."
Leaning back in her chair, Alejandra crossed her arms. "Okay, so let's talk. That is why I'm here after all," she continued, her tone sarcastic.
Knowing that she'd be much more than annoyed in a moment, he dared to continue. "I brought you here for two reasons. One is that I'm altering our agreement. I'm not going to allow your pilots to return to the Dark Star."
Without missing a beat, Alejandra interrupted. "So, Jake, are we your prisoners? Are you going to try to ransom us to my crew, or do you intend to take the Valkyrie and board and take over my ship?" She appeared to be neither angry nor surprised. However, her demeanor was much more defensive as she was no longer leaning back in the chair, and her palms were flat on the table as if ready to push herself up on a moment's notice.
"No, nothing like that," Jake began. "You and your pilots are guests here…unless your behavior proves otherwise. However, I will require you to have an escort everywhere you go with the exception of the dormitory wing of the Administration building, and you will not be allowed to leave this base unless under the direct supervision of me, my mate, or Dr. Spellman. I am merely appropriating your shuttle as a means of asset denial, Jake continued.
"With only two remaining shuttles, your crew will be much more hard pressed to preserve their remaining assets rather than use them against us." Jake's face was as solid as stone. He wanted her to understand that he was telling her the truth. In response, Alejandra smirked slightly and nodded her head.
"How you never made past Corporal, I'll never know," was her reply. "Fair enough, I know when I'm beat. Asset denial, eh," Alejandra continued. "You know, I'd have done the same thing in your position Jake."
He was surprised that she was taking this as well as she was. Her mood seemed to lighten some. "You're not angry," Jake said questioningly.
She shook her head. "Hell Jake, I won't lie. I'm pissed off," she hesitated for effect then continued, "but I'm not surprised. I will need to speak with my XO since he's expecting Valkyrie One-Six to return shortly."
"I can arrange that Alejandra."
"Good." She stood and walked over to one of the room's rectangular windows. As she neared the windows, she noticed a small bobble head figure of a famous actor from a few decades back and picked it up. "You said there were two reasons for bringing me here," she stated.
"Yes I did," he responded hesitantly.
"So what's reason two?"
"I know why you're here, Alejandra." Jake moved to stand beside her. Outside the room, he could see past the open hanger doors and the activity going on beyond them. She turned to face him, still holding the bobble head, her face calm.
"Yeah, I'm the best person for the job, and I don't want to endanger my crew. I'd rather risk myself as one of my men. If I were a better pilot, I'd have come completely on my own." Alejandra turned to face the wall to her left, as if she was hiding her face.
She suspects where I'm going with this, Jake thought to himself. He didn't want to do this to her, but it was the only way he knew to crack her resolve. "No Alejandra, you're not here be cause of your selfless sense of duty, at least that's not your main reason for coming here your self. I know about Trudy," he revealed to her.
She spun around to face him, her face showing surprise, anger, and desperation to know the fate of her sister. "What do you know about her," Alejandra inquired sternly. Jake could see that all of her previous civil mood had disappeared. Her face was tense, as if carved from granite, but her eyes were wild with desperation.
Though she had never said anything before, he knew that Alejandra had been in communication with the Venture Star's captain almost daily for any updates regarding Trudy. He also knew that every time she spoke with the other captain, Renaldo gave her the same response. She had lost all hope that her sister was safely aboard the Venture Star, and in her desperation she had taken matters in her own hands and came to Pandora herself. Here, she hoped to find some answers. Here, she hoped to find Trudy.
Looking into her eyes, Jake could tell she was going to be crushed by what he had to say. However, he didn't know how she would react. Would she throw herself at him in anger, would she collapse in grief and tears, or would she go numb and shutdown altogether, these were the questions that raced through his mind. He would prefer if she chose the former of the three most likely possibilities as opposed to the later. If her anger prevailed, he could restrain her. He was unsure how to comfort an enemy who had succumbed to her grief and either wept uncontrollable, or simply sealed herself within her mind and blocked the pain by weaving a tapestry of denial.
Alejandra's eyes continued to burn into him as she waited for him to continue. She already expects the worst, his inner voice said. Jake took a step toward her and placed his hands on her smaller shoulders.
"I know you came here hoping to find your sister, but I'm afraid you're too late. She was one of my closest friends, but we lost her during the battle. I'm so sorry, but there was no way to save her."
…but there was no way to save her, echoed through Alejandra's mind and stabbed into her consciousness like knives. Her rapidly beating heart slowed to a near stop as her breathing slowed to a very deliberate space. The very world around her seemed to slow to a stop as the colors were drained from it at Jake's revelation.
She's dead, Alejandra thought in shattered and fragmented mind. She felt her hands ball into fists, the nails digging into her palms until they broke the skin. Crimson blood seeped from the self-inflicted wounds as she dropped to her knees. She's dead, stabbed through her mind again.
She could hear Jake saying something, but she couldn't hear him. All she could hear were those two small but significant words echo through her mind. Alejandra could also see her memories of her fallen sister fly past her. Memories of their childhood at their family home in Texas where they used to play together. They never played games like Tea Party, or Dress Up like other girls used to. Trudy and Alejandra were always pretended they were soldiers fighting off terrorists, or knights who went to slay the evil monsters that were terrifying the kingdom. The two were definitely Tomboys.
As they grew, Alejandra and Trudy played sports on their high school's basketball team and participated in martial arts together. They were each other's best friend. Perhaps it was be cause they were twins, but it didn't matter to them. When they reached adulthood, they both en listed into the military after high school. Trudy joined the Marines and Alejandra had joined the Navy.
Alejandra's mind shifted to the last time she had seen her sister, when Trudy had said goodbye before leaving for Pandora. Alejandra had promised that she would follow her soon, and then they could be together on a new world. Then her mind flashed to more recent events.
It was only a few months ago that Trudy had sent her a series of messages…the last mes sages she'd ever receive from her sister. The first message Trudy sent had said that she had made a couple of new friends. One of them was a Marine Corporal named Sully and a science geek named Spellman, and how she found the scientist attractive.
The next several messages she had received told of how her friend Sully and Spellman were working in Dr. Augustine's Avatar Program. She had told how she flown the group to a remote location in the Hallelujah Mountains to conduct their work. Sully and Augustine spent most of the time in their avatars while Trudy had spent time with Spellman who was tasked with monitoring the other two scientists while they were in the field. She had told Alejandra in these messages that she and the scientist were starting to get fairly close, and she could see something developing in the future.
Alejandra had been happy for her sister. However, the last message she'd received from Trudy told a different story. Trudy had said that Quaritch had all but declared war on the Na'vi, and that things were getting tense. Trudy had said it might be a while before she was able to send another message. The last words Trudy said to her were, I love you sis, and I'll talk to you when I can.
However, there would never be another message. Trudy would never be able to pursue her relationship with the cute and nerdy scientist she talked about, nor would she be able to introduce her to him. Trudy would never be married, nor would she have children. All that was left of her was a few undeleted messages on the Dark Star's mainframe, and maybe a few personal effects scattered about Hell's Gate.
Alejandra felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. It felt very large, but she didn't know who it was nor did she care. Suddenly she felt very claustrophobic. All she wanted to do was step out for a breath of air and reassemble the shattered pieces of her existence. She found that she was on her feet an instant later, and that same person was saying something to her, but she didn't hear him.
Her hands found the door and she noticed they were bloody. For a moment, she wondered why they were and why she hadn't noticed before. However, her hands didn't bother her at the moment as she pushed through the door and another a few seconds later. The voice called out to her again with more urgency. Alejandra heard an alarm behind her as she did, but she didn't care. Walking, or was she running? Alejandra didn't know as she left the break room. It felt good to be outside that small cramped room as she continued. However, as she continued it became hard to breathe and she felt herself become lightheaded.
A few seconds later, she found herself flat on the concrete gasping for breath as that same figure was running for her as he screamed her name over and over. Oh, she thought. She had for gotten her exopack, but she was too far gone to care. Her vision was beginning to tunnel and darken as he caught up to her, and the last thing she heard before everything went black was him saying her name as he placed something on her face.
