Okie dokie, this is the long awaited sequel... well the sequel to pandora a different time. This follows the adventures of Jake Sully and a certain warrior princess. Enjoy!
btw the warrior princess I am reffering to is not Xena, just so we're clear.
bbtw please review, i love hearing from you guys...okay on to the story.
this means speech in na'vi. (italics in case you were wondering :D)Chapter One
Grace te ska'a Ngay'swizav 'ite crouched in bushes near a river where talioang grazed. Her fingers itched to release her bow but it wasn't time. Any premature attack could send the herd running and she couldn't afford to come back empty handed.
"You move too slowly." Aneet whined in a hushed whisper.
The talioang bull paused raising his head. Grace held her breath watching him carefully. He let out a loud bellow of warning running in the opposite direction pulling up the rear as the talioang stampeded across the shallows to the opposite bank. Grace cursed and gave chase. Nocking an arrow, she released her arrow hitting a smaller talioang in the rump. It had not been her intention to take the life of one so young but Kelutral could not go hungry this night. The other hunters around her whooped with victory but to Grace it was a bitter one. The small animal mewled, its mother watching on the bank but fearing for her own life, she abandoned it. With her dagger, Grace plunged it into its heart ending its life swiftly.
"Oel ngati kameie, ma tsmukan, ulte ngaru seiyi irayo. Ngari hu Eywa salei Tírea, tokx 'ì'awn slu Na'Viyä hapxì." She whispered the Na'vi prayer as the beast's spirit joined Eywa. Grace's ears twitched, swivelling in the direction of the approaching footsteps.
To'itan walked towards her with the same pained expression. Crouching beside her, he eased the dagger from the talioang's heart wiping the blade against his loincloth. Grace was distracted from her sorrow by the arrival of the male Na'vi. He was taller and leaner than most males but his body rippled with leashed strength. The beads hanging from his braided Mohawk teased her skin as he stood over her. She could feel his heat at her back and could barely breathe as he touched her shoulder.
Looking at his hands, she gazed at his four digits, which dug gently into her flesh. He had cyan blue skin with an array of darker blue stripes. Bioluminescent spots ran up the length of his body and could be found on his face, thighs, chest and back. Her own hand crept up and touched his briefly before getting up. Her tail quickly brushed his thigh and she blushed at the contact.
"Will you love birds hurry. It is almost dark." Aneet called destroying the intimate moment. Grace gave him a small smile as he reached for the animal. They both dragged it to where their pa'li where tethered.
"That was a fine kill Grace." Li'uy remarked, inspecting the creature.
"No it was not. If they had not been startled I could have gone for a bigger one." Li'uy shrugged his shoulders as she refuted his praise.
Mounting her pa'li Grace took the long queue hanging in a long plait down her back and attached it to the pa'li's antennae. The act was called tsahaylu, it linked her with her mount. All Na'vi had the ability of making tsahaylu. Through animals and specific plant's they could make the bond. With her pa'li, she was able to command it with her thoughts and could feel its temperament. Sending a calming thought to the pa'li, she led the party back to their home.
It was a short ride back to Kelutral where her clan lived. Some people came to greet them when they arrived, taking their small burden. Grace didn't stay long as the others celebrated. The kill would barely be enough to feed everyone and she felt ashamed that she hadn't been able to provide more. Grace walked to the alcove where her family would congregate during the day. She found her younger brother playing with his su'shiri t'acto sa, a toy ikran and smiled as he imitated noises of the flying beast, running around the space in a tight circle.
"One day I will ride you ikran, and we will be one!" He said with exuberance.
"And what of when Toruk comes?" Grace asked giggling when her brother stumbled. He had recently fashioned his hair like many of the other hunters. It was shaven at the sides, the remaining hair short and braided. Grace thought the look suited him.
"Then I will become Toruk Makto!" He yelled. Grace didn't know where he had got his energy from but as he tackled her to the ground she was glad for it. He had enough joy for the both of them.
"Fko'itan." Grace laughed as her brother ran behind his sister using her body to block him from view. Grace schooled her expression as her mother entered the alcove. She wore several beads draped around her body concealing her breasts and several strips of material around her hips. Hitched to her waist was a dagger. At her back was her bow and quiver, which was fashioned with feathers.
"Oel ngati kameie, Sa'nok." Grace said touching her forehead with two fingers in a sign of greeting. Anna smiled and repeated the words back at her.
"Have you seen Fko'itan? He was supposed to be helping with the talioang." Her mother asked in English.
Anna would usually insert English into their conversations so that her children never forgot that part of their heritage. Grace could feel her brother pinching her so that she wouldn't give his position away. Normally she would have lied but this was something Fko'itan needed to learn. Though he was not of age, he still had duties amongst the Omatikaya and one day he would have to clean his own meat.
"He is hiding behind me." Grace said, taking a step to the left and revealing Fko'itan. Fko'itan scowled sending Grace an angered look that read 'sleep with one eye open'. Grace gave a sympathetic shrug. She didn't enjoy outing her brother but she had to be responsible.
"What are you doing here. I thought I told you to be ready for when the hunters arrived." Anna scolded snatching Fko'itan by the wrist.
"But mamma I was just playing. Don't you want me to be a prime hunter like you?" He asked sweetly. Grace groaned as her mother's grip turned lax, her frown turning into a smile. 'Don't fall for it' Grace silently pleaded but knew that her brother had won when Anna giggled.
"A hunter like me. Oh Fko'itan you are so sweet." Then she began to cuddle and kiss him, cooing over just how lovely he was. Grace rolled her eyes picking up the fallen su'shiri t'acto sa and returning it to its rightful place.
"Papa will not be happy to know you are shirking your duties." Grace quipped when she had grown weary of the giggling. Both Na'vi tried to hide their smiles but it couldn't be helped and they both laughed.
"I do not see why you are laughing." Boomed a deep voice. Grace smirked as her mother and brother instantly stopped with their laughter. Pushing aside the hanging vines her father walked into the alcove a firm frown on his face. His large amber eyes flashed as he noticed that Fko'itan was in the room.
"Why are you not outside?" He asked. Fko'itan was reluctantly pushed towards their father by their mother.
"I was practicing to become a great warrior like you." Fko'itan said looking up at his father through his lashes. Though he looked very cute, with a look that was effective in felling in the most stubborn of talioangs, their father was harder than that.
"To become a great warrior you must first learn how to serve the clan." Grace smiled at her father's soft words. The impressive headgear on his head and authoritative stature reinforced the fact that he was first and foremost their olo'eyktan. Fko'itan nodded stubbornly, picking up his small dagger. Their mother gave him an encouraging pat as he dashed out of the alcove.
"Grace I have seen the kill you brought back. I cannot say I am pleased." Ngay'swizav said. Grace watched as her mother placed a hand on Ngay'swizav's shoulder then shot her daughter a smile before leaving.
Grace settled herself on the floor and began playing with the tuft of hair on the end of her tail. Whenever she was nervous, she would begin to rummage through the hair as if looking for something of great value. She heard her father take a deep sigh and she knew that this was not her father she was speaking to but the olo'eyktan, chief of the Omatikaya.
"What happened? I know you are an accomplished hunter." He asked. Grace winced as she heard the disappointment in his voice. She wanted to tell him the truth, that Aneet had made too much noise and startled their quarry, but that was not the way of a true leader. She would not destroy Aneet's reputation in order to save her own.
"I was not concentrating father. I made too much noise in the bushes." She said.
"Because of your clumsiness the Omatikaya will go hungry." Grace flinched as his voice rose but she would not break. If she wanted to be as great as Ngay'swizav then she had to learn to sacrifice herself for others.
"Forgive me olo'eyktan." Grace rose on her knees and hung her head. For a while, she heard nothing but a gentle rustling then felt a cool hand on her head. Looking up she saw that her father had removed his headdress and was kneeling before her.
"To'itan told me what happened. You show great strength Grace. I am proud of you." Grace forced tears back as her father kissed her gently on the cheek.
"Smile, I frown enough for the rest of this family." Ngay'swizav said nudging Grace gently. Grace giggled as her father began to tickle her.
"I knew it. In secret this is what you get up to." Grace smiled as her mother walked in carrying a plate of various fruit. Ngay'swizav stood up catching her by the waist quickly transferring the platter to Grace. Anna squealed as Ngay'swizav nudged her throat with his nose biting gently on her skin. Grace quickly left them to it. She didn't know how they could still be so active after twenty years.
"Oel ngati kameie." Grace dropped the platter at the sudden voice. To'itan chuckled joining her in collecting the fallen food. Grace blushed at her foolishness. Clumsiness was not an endearing trait but whenever she was around him she didn't act herself. Their hands touched as they reached for the same yellow fruit. To'itan looked into her eyes and smiled softly. Grace couldn't do anything but smile back.
"Sevin nìtxan lu nga nang." He said huskily inching further.
Grace couldn't control the speed in which her heart beat. To'itan drew closer to her and settled his lips on hers. Grace stopped breathing as gentle flutters rose in her belly. As soon as it had happened To'itan pulled away and gave a bashful grin before helping her to her feet. Grace took the platter from him and hung her head before scurrying away. Her cheeks felt hot and her breath came out in small pants. To'itan had kissed her. It was something she had fantasised about for years but she never thought it would happen. He was a great warrior and many of the females had their eye on him yet he had chosen her. Settling by the fire pit where the Na'vi sat waiting for their meal, Grace noticed that more game had been caught and felt disappointment weigh heavy in her stomach. Next time she led her hunting party she would not fail.
That night Grace took a walk away from Hometree. Before she was born, the Omatikaya had been near a tree called the tree of voices. There they had been able to contact Eywa and their ancestors. Now there was nothing left of it but fruit trees and bushes. Walking further into the forest, she heard gentle humming coming from a grove of trees. Treading carefully she walked to where an elderly Na'vi woman sat.
Her eyes were shut in meditation and she swayed to the song she sang. Slowly Grace sat besides her not wanting to disturb the Tsahik as she communed with Eywa. Shutting her eyes Grace attached her queue to strobe tree roots, joining the humming of the Tsahik. Her mind was instantly cleared of all the worries that had been plaguing her for the last few years. Her inability to strive for anything less than perfection, her status amongst the Na'vi and her role to play in the future.
Her brother was the future olo'eyktan and Grace wasn't resentful of that. She was to be the future Tsahik but Grace felt that her personality was too brash for that. She wanted to be more like the woman beside her. Yet she couldn't envision herself devoting her life to Eywa and the people on a spiritual level. Grace felt more comfortable with a bow and arrow in her hand than leading prayer. The Tsahik knew this and though she knew it pained her, her grandmother was content with the fact that her granddaughter didn't feel the calling of Eywa.
Grace felt a hand upon hers and opened her eyes slowly looking in the slightly rheumy gaze of her grandmother, Mo'at. The older woman smiled, wrinkles rising like archways bracketing her mouth.
"Grace what are you doing here?" Mo'at asked. Grace rested her other hand on Mo'at's squeezing it gently.
"I needed to make some time for myself." She said. Her grandmother didn't probe her any further and for that she was grateful. She did not want to have to explain her reservation to her when there was enough on the Tsahik's shoulders.
Lately Mo'at had suffered from visions. She claimed that the peace they had would soon be destroyed. No one took a vision from a Tsahik lightly. If Mo'at was having a vision it meant that Eywa was warning her of things to come. Grace, though not comfortable of the role of spiritual leader, believed wholeheartedly in Eywa. It did not matter that Mo'at had been having these visions for several years without a hint for them coming true. Each year they became more distressing and she could see the toll it was taking on her grandmother.
"And you, grandmother. It is time for feasting yet you are here. I do not recall you eating at breakfast." Grace said taking in Mo'at's lean figure.
"Oh child, how can I eat when I know what is coming. The sky people have not forgotten us." Mo'at sighed before returning to her meditation.
Grace left her grandmother soon after giving the woman the distance she needed.
"Tawtute." The word sounded strange on Grace's lips. T
he only sky people she knew of were the ones living in Hell's Gate. The human compound had once been the base for an operation which had sought to rip Pandora of all its resources. Thanks to her parents most had returned to their home planet. The few that remained were from twenty years ago. She didn't think her Uncle Norman was capable of bringing harm to Pandora. He loved this world as much as the Na'vi. What she knew was that Earth had given up on this planet, having found an uninhabited planet that they had colonised or so said her Uncle. Grace paused deep in thought. Her Uncle would never lie to the Omatikaya nor would the other humans who felt more like an extended family than friends. Shaking her head Grace lifted her head to the sky in an attempt to clear her thoughts.
"Kerusey tanhi." She whispered noticing the death of a bright star as it blazed through the sky. Closing her eyes Grace made a wish.
Jake Sully woke with a start as alarms blared through the cryo tank. Blinking rapidly he tried to block the out the noise. It was pointless. Some idiot had thought it a brilliant idea to install alarms within the tank and through his eyelids, he would see red lights flashing. Cursing he pushed against the lid with all his might. It took a lot of grunting but he finally managed to get it open. Perhaps if he still had his legs…there was no point on dwelling on could've, that wouldn't get him anywhere. The anti gravity tugged at his lethargic body and Jake felt bile rising in his throat. Concentrating on his breathing Jake used the contraptions around him to navigate the small spacecraft. It wasn't that hard getting around. Since he had no use for his legs they had drastically lost weight.
"Captain this is Corporal Jake Sully." Jake said into the intercom.
There was nothing but static. Again he pressed the intercom but there was no response. Beta-Star 1 housed over one and a half thousand personal yet all around him there was nothing but the blare of the alarm. Jake knew next to nothing about space technology. He had been a marine, the universe something you heard about on holo-vids. Yet here he was heading to Pandora. Looking at his useless legs Jake felt melancholy take a hold of his chest and remembered the events that took place before his voyage.
He along with his entire platoon had just come back from their tour in Venezuela. He and his men were having a celebratory drink in the local Den when a fight broke out. One of his sergeants had been making eyes at the girlfriend of a biker. The biker and his buddies planned to make an example of him. Jake flinched as he recalled the fight. Everyone had gotten involved and only one hadn't made it. Jake supposed he was lucky. He could have been murdered like Sergeant Peters but on some days he had wished he was dead.
"The Avatar programme is worth a billion dollars. We can't just dump it in a river somewhere. At least you can use your legs in that body." That had been little consolation but when he had seen his Avatar the prospect was enticing. In the end, he had chosen to board the shuttle bound for the alien world.
"Hello…Hello!" Jake jerked as a voice came through the intercom. Quickly Jake returned to the device.
"Hello. This is Corporal Jake Sully. Just what the hell is going on?" He asked. There was a long pause and he thought he heard a quite sob before the voice came back on.
"We were caught in a meteor storm. I'm…I'm not even qualified to be manning this thing." Came the quite voice. Jake cursed under his breath.
"Then where is your superior?" He asked fearing the answer.
"Dead. They are all dead. Most of the cryo chambers are still in order. I think the storm damaged the circuitry." He heard the sob again but didn't know what to say. Apart from his team, there had been a thousand souls onboard. How could some have died?
"Ok, what is your name kid?"
"Su…Suzy." The voice hiccupped. Jake bit his fist as he thought of what to do.
"Ok Suzy I want you tell me where you are. Stay put do you hear me. We'll figure this out." Jake hoped his voice came across as calming.
"Yes…Yes sir. I am in the cockpit. I can see you on the camera, the door is to your left."
"Okay I'm on my way." He said.
"By the way don't look up." She said.
The intercom went dead and Jake smirked at her words. What could possibly frighten him? Jake jerked his head to the ceiling and almost wished he had heeded the girls warning. Several of the Intel in charge of operating the shuttle floated in the air around him. Decaying flesh hung to their skeletons, lab coats stained over time.
"Next time listen." He told himself
Jake found the girl floating over the controls muttering to herself. She barely looked legal and Jake felt extremely sorry for her. He doubted if she even had a certificate in space travel. Clearing his throat as not to startle her, Jake pulled himself into the room. Suzy looked up, her eyes bloodshot and tears straining her cheeks.
"I'm Jake." He said offering her his hand.
For a while, she just looked at it. Jake sighed when she finally shook it, her eyes darting to his useless legs briefly before turning away. Slightly put out by her behaviour Jake looked through the glass into the endless void of space. The ship shuddered slightly before righting itself. Though Jake was no expert, he doubted a ship like this was meant to travel at the velocity in which they were moving. A blue gas giant loomed before them, yet it was the small moon that caught his attention. It looked so much like Earth and Jake felt a small bout of homesickness.
"How long have you been out here?" He asked her noting the slump of defeat in her shoulders.
"Three months." She whispered a lone tear trickling down her cheek. Jake gulped and wondered how one so young could mange such a feat.
"Why didn't you wake the…survivors?" He asked. Suzy shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing at the motion.
"There is a password and I don't know it." She said her fingers flying over the interface.
Jack cocked his head looking at the display. Without a thought he smashed his fist against the screen, grateful for the old fashioned equipment. Working against the gravity tired him out but luckily he kept his upper body in shape since he didn't have to compensate with his lower half. Shaking away the bitterness Jake sighed as the alarm stopped blaring and the cryo units began to hiss releasing the incubated men and women. Suzy looked at him as if he was crazed but she didn't say anything. Leading the way Jake went back into the room he had been in before and smiled as his squad yawned and stretched from their long sleep. His smile faltered as the other cryo chambers opened releasing corpses that had withered away into nothing. Jake counted all of his squadron manoeuvring in the anti- gravity to salute his superior, Lieutenant Corporal Stevenson.
"Corporal." Stevenson said returning his salute. "What is the situation here?" Jake led Stevenson to an area further away from the recovering infantry.
"It's bad Sir. Some of the guys didn't make it, damn meteor shower. There are roughly a thousand people left. Fifty of which are scientists.
"We had fourteen hundred men on board. Four hundred doesn't make such a big dent in our platoon." Stevenson said. Jake flinched at the callous way Stevenson spoke about the lost lives but didn't call him up on it. Jake only ordered a few guys, and he wasn't prepared to start a mutiny in deep space.
"Susan Marshal is the only one left who can control this thing and that's not all." Jake said. Just as he was about to break the news to Stevenson the loud blaring continued. The shuttle shuddered and jerked. Jake hissed as he was slammed into the hull, blood spurting from his nose.
"Brace yourself men!" Stevenson yelled. Everyone clamoured to find something to hold onto. Some weren't so lucky and Jake could only watch and stare as several people were thrown against the shuttles apparatus. Blood congealed in the pressure less air as more bodies joined the throng above his head. Shutting his eyes, he just hoped his death would be swift.
Na'vi Translation
Grace te ska'a Ngay'swizav 'ite- Daughter of Ngay'swizav
Talioang- Sturmbeest
Kelutral- Hometree
"Oel ngati kameie, ma tsmukan, ulte ngaru seiyi irayo. Ngari hu Eywa salei Tírea, tokx 'ì'awn slu Na'Viyä hapxì."- "I See You, Brother, and thank you. Your spirit goes with Eywa, your body stays behind to become part of the People."
Tsahaylu- Neural bond
Oel ngati kameie- I see you
Sa'nok- Mother
Olo'eyktan- chief
Tsahik- spiritual leader
Sevin nìtxan lu nga nang – you are so pretty
Tawtute- Sky people
Kerusey tanhi- Dying star
So how was it? I wont know unless you tell me :)