Hahaha chapter 16 is going in a different direction, different but still good. I might make some people mad with this one but I enjoy chaos! Enjoy!

(Sophia's POV)

"Take a left!" I think, ducking as a large hammer-head swings at us. Manova slides around a tree, her hind legs hitting the bark but we stay up, her body moving in between the beasts.

My eyes flicker up as a bird-like call echoed above us. I see a flash of green, Neytiri was above us on her dragon, bow pulled back and fires, startling the beasts back a bit.

A second dragon follows, another warrior I didn't recognize, also firing. The beasts slow as they look up and crash into trees around them.

"Sophia," Neytiri yells "when you see the white flag jump!"

"What?"

"When you see the flag ahead, jump!" she pulls another arrow.

We bolt up the hill, my eyes catching a white cloth attached to an arrow in a fallen log. I could smell a sour sap in the air, Manova's nose twitches.

"Jump!" I think.

Manova leaps over the log as a horn sounds, my eyes flickering to the brown sap slathered across the grass and see a flicker of yellow. The arrow flies past my head, the flaming fabric hits the tar and explodes in a loud bang. We hit the ground in shock, Manova's body sliding as she struggles not to roll. I'm still tossed off, my eyes watching the large line of fire ignite and the hammerhead's sliding to a halt in fear.

I hit the ground, rolling to a stop and feel pain radiating down my shoulder. I wince, grabbing my arm as people land around me, arrows drawn and we wait.

"Sophia!" Jake slides to my side as well, a smile on his face "You are crazy girl!"

Neytiri lands with two bird calls, dismounting quickly "Sophia!"

"are you okay?" she asks, catching my face and body as I sit up "are you hurt?" I cry out as she grabs my shoulder and freezes.

Jake's hand slides down my arm, squeezing the muscles gently "Can you close your hand."

I shake my head "I can't do anything with it."

"I think it's dislocated."

My eyes flicker to Manova "Manova, are you okay?"

She shakes out her body slowly, checking each limb and nods after a minute.

"Come, come. You fly with me." she pulls me up "Mother will set this at home-tree."

..

..

We had exited the lab, Jake and I splitting off in the hallway.

"Hey kid, never change." he grins, lifting a fist.

"And let you have all the fun? Never." I bump his gently, smiling at his wink. I sigh, rolling my tender shoulder as I enter the military offices. I pull out my pony-tail and shake out my hair. My eyes flicker to the computer, noticing the softer curling ends and fight back my sneer.

I'd have to fix that later.

I roll my shoulders again, hands massaging the tense muscles "Hi dad."

He turns, sending me a glance "Hey kiddo."

My chin rests on dad's shoulder, enjoying that familiar body-wash and glance at his desk "Are you ready to eat?"

He sighs, pen scribbling more words "In a few minutes. I want to get through these first." I glance at the stack of black stickered paper "The ship will need them to send the bodies home."

"How many did we lose?"

"Fourteen." he sighs "Fourteen brave souls."

I wrap my hands around his shoulders "I'm sorry you have to do that…" despite my best efforts I feel my eyes grow misty.

His hand holds my forearm "It's part of life kid. With love comes loss."

"Still doesn't make it easier." I stand glancing at my pager before wincing

"Everything okay?"

I didn't miss the danger lurking under those simple words.

"I'm supposed to see Grace before dinner." I lean against the computer desk "She wants to meet with me after every link so we don't have another 'Engagement incident' on our hands"

"And your avoiding her?"

"Like the plague." I wince "After my day, the last thing I want to do is get cross-examined…"

He lets out a throaty chuckle "Why don't you go find Lyle then. He was supposed to be back here twenty minutes ago." my eyes snap to him, humor in his voice "but he's sorting out some new recruits in hanger 6."

I couldn't hide my smile. Lyle could be as mean as dad sometimes…

"We'll meet you in the mess hall."

..

..

I walked into the hanger, seeing a few people lying on the ground panting loudly.

"Uh, guys?" I smile, seeing two people still running laps "Have you seen Corporal Wainfleet?"

"That's what… I.. want to.. know!" One male pants

"He said… to run.. laps till.. he came back…"

I lift a hand "At ease gentlemen!" they glance at me "As Colonel Quaritch's daughter I'm relieving you of your punishment."

They fall down as well, the seven of them panting like fat dogs in the heat.

"When did he leave?"

"About… fifty… laps ago…"

"Why?"

"He… got a… call!"

I nod, grabbing my phone "Thanks boys!" I walk towards the door, fingers tapping the keys.

'I released the boys from their eternal punishment. Where the heck did you go?'

The phone buzzes soon 'I had to grab a few things upstairs, care to give me a hand?'

'Wow, manual labor? You sure know the way to a girls heart.'

'keeps the body strong.' I could practically see him grinning behind the screen.

'which hanger?'

'Bay 9.'

I glance up the stairs, seeing the long platform to bay nine. It was one of the smaller storage units for mech repairs and start my trek up the metal steps. After about five minutes of walking I entered the hanger. I glanced at the lock, seeing the green light and push open the door.

"Lyle? You in here?" I glanced around the darker room. Only a few lights were on, some open wooden crates -there contents half sorted on carts "Lyle?" I ask louder.

My phone buzzed.

'I'm on the roof.'

I glance at the far door, seeing the red warning light and swipe an air-mask from the table. Checking the levels I put it on, suctioning the rubber to my cheeks and pull the switch. The loud hissing fills my ears and I spin the door, hearing it beep. After sealing it shut the second door opens and I walk up the lit staircase to the roof-top. My eyes flicker out over the base, glancing out at the bright search lights and the few people doing their rounds.

Three flights of stairs brought us six stories up.

"Lyle's lucky I'm not afraid of heights..." I whispered under my breath and push open the heavy door. The gas hits my face and I wait a moment for it to fade "Lyle?" I step out, shutting the door and hear the beep, the older filtration system would take at least five minutes to open again.

I click on my shoulder light and freeze. Lyle was on the far side of the roof, a makeshift noose of plastic hose around his neck and red wire around his frame.

"LYLE?!" I bolt forward

"Woah woah woah! little bird, Little bird, little bird," a male voice purrs. A figure stepping out from behind him, a knife pointed at me "Let's not make any rash decision here…" the blade turns to Lyle, running along his cheek gently "Not when I have so many plans for us…"

(Quaritch's POV)

I grabbed a tray, filling it up with foods that tickled my nose and smile as best I can. This set of papers had been a rough one, the body count had tripled in a bad ambush. Military personal were one thing, we knew what we signed up for but the twelve miners they had been transporting… most of them were in there early twenties.

They were children.

Babies.

They had barely started living and it was extinguished in a single moment. The four bodies inside the rig were worse, burned alive.

"Colonel, over here!" Paz says with a smile.

I feel the corner of my mouth twitch in happiness. The younger woman was my secret lover. She had come to pandora three years ago and had rose through the ranks quickly. She was a fiercely loyal woman and one hell of a pilot.

I set down my tray, listening to the chatter of the people around me and can't suppress my grin when a figure appears behind me. I knew who it was the second the talking stopped. Instead of talking I wait, grabbing another spoonful of food.

She makes it ten long seconds.

"I know you see me Ranger Rick." Grace states.

I grab my cup, taking a sip of apple, orange and celery juice and glance back slightly.

"What can I do for you Doc?"

Her eyes narrow slightly, jaw ticking in annoyance "Are you really playing dumb right now?"

"Well… I am just a trigger happy moron with a gun, so you tell me." I take another sip of Juice as her eyes flicker around the table briefly

"I know you have her."

"Have who?"

"Do not make me repeat myself Ranger rick." she growls "I know over fifteen samples in my lab that can kill you in minutes."

"Minutes?" I grin "I'm a marine Doc. Do you know how much damage I can cause in a few minutes?" when her glare darkens I chuckle, spinning back in my chair and grab my radio, clicking it three times "Hey Lyle," I say with lazy humor "I have the ice queen riding my ass here. What's your ETA to the mess hall over?"

When he doesn't answer I check I have the right channel.

"Corporal Wainfleet, what is your current location over?"

I feel more eyes on me at the continued silence.

"Lyle! Come in!"

At the silence I push the chair back, flipping my radio to the last setting and hear the intercom squeak "This is Colonel Quaritch. All personnel fan out and search the base. Corporal Wainfleet and Sophia Augustine-Quaritch are MIA, I repeat corporal Wainfleet and Sophia Augustine-Quaritch are MIA."

I catch Graces look of shock "How do you know Sophia's missing too?"

I can't help this feeling in my gut "Haven't you been paying attention doc, thirteen years of trouble and Sophia's always at the heart of it."

..

..

(Sophia's POV)

The blade turns to Lyle, running along his cheek gently "Not when I have so many plans for us…"

I tried to slow my beating heart "Us?"

His head cocks to the left and my eyes follow, finally noticing the second figure on the smaller landing pad above "… Trudy?"

"Oh do I have plans for us…" he smiles "Do you like games Sophia?"

"What?"

"I asked if you like games? It's a simple question Sophia. Yes, or no?" the knife tilts back and forth "But if you say no, I'll have to kill them right now and that won't be any fun." my eyes tear up slightly "Yes… or no?"

When I don't answer his hand lifts, pushing a button on a small remote.

The box to his left sparks slightly, Lyle's face twisting as he lets out a muffled scream of pain, his body shaking rapidly before it stills.

"YES! YES I LIKE GAMES!" I shout, taking a step and freeze when the knife spins back to me.

"Good," he grins, releasing the button and Lyle pants, knees shaking.

Trudy's grunt of pain has my head turning. My eyes flicker between them, noticing the massive amount of coloured wires, tubing and tape. My feet glance down at the small pail Trudy was balancing on, seeing the red wire hooked to the end of it, when Lyle's body lowers it jiggles, Trudy's feet shifting. Like Lyle her body was bound in wire, hose around her neck and tape over her mouth. Both of them had clearly been worked over. Trudy's left eye was swollen shut, blood leaking from her temple and nose inside the mask.

"Have you figured out my game yet?" he grins.

"If one dies, so does the other…" I whisper.

"Correct," he grins "I knew you were a smart cookie." he reaches behind himself, pulling out a gun "The game is simple. You choose. Shoot one and I'll save the other."

"What?"

"Fail to choose one and I'll kill them both."

The tears stream down my face "Why are you doing this?"

HIs head tilts "Because you took everything from me Sophia… I'm just returning the favor."

I looked at the male, trying to place his face from anywhere and drew a blank.

"I have never seen in my life! How could I possibly-"

This time Trudy screams, her muffled shout as her body jolts.

The shaking stops, his knife shaking my way "YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" I shut my eyes, my back hitting the wall and I feel the blade at my throat "YOU, AND YOUR WHORE OF A MOTHER."

I sob, my eyes opening "My mother was-"

His hand flies back, Lyle yelling this time and I sob, legs shaking

'YOUR WHORE OF A MOTHER!" he roars in my face "SHE SPREAD HER LEGS LIKE A SLUT, BEDDING A MARRIED MAN AND BIRTHED YOU! THE ULTIMATE SIN." the blade pushes against my throat but I didn't dare move, not with Lyle and Trudy in the cross-hairs.

A squeak came from the left "Hey Lyle," Dad's voice says with lazy humor "I have the ice queen riding my ass here. What's your ETA to the mess hall over?"

I glance over at the two radio's tossed across the room and fight the urge to run to it.

"Corporal Wainfleet, what is your current-"

He twists, shooting both radios. They clatter to the ground in pieces, sparks flickering in the air.

After a few moments the intercom squeaks "This is Colonel Quaritch. All personnel fan out and search the base. Corporal Wainfleet and Sophia Augustine-Quaritch are MIA, I repeat corporal Wainfleet and Sophia Augustine-Quaritch are MIA."

The male rolls his eyes "He just doesn't quit does he?" he smiles, holding the gun to his temple "I guess we have that in common."

"So your saying your my half brother is that it?" I flatten my hands against the cold stone behind me, trying to calm my tears and fail "He's dead. That man died before I was born." my shoulders shake "How could I possibly have taken-"

I shout in fear as Trudy screams, her body twisting and cover my face as best I can.

He stomps over to me, fury in his gaze "DO YOU THINK I GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THAT MAN?!" when I turn my head he grabs my throat, twisting it back to him "oh no… you took something much worse than that. You and those two assholes over there. You three took everything from me…"

Read and Review, peace.