*1 month later*
*Marshall POV*
"Mom I need to do this" I say to my mother.
"No you don't Marshall, you are going to get hurt" she pleads with me.
"I'll be fine, trust me, the ships leaving soon I've got to go" I say and place a kiss on her head before grabbing my bag and leaving the house.
I get in the cab waiting outside for me and say to the driver "RDA site please"
He nods and starts driving.
I sigh as I pull out the old picture from my pocket. I examine it again like it's the first time in seeing it. It's a photo of me mother, father and my little brother.
After a short drive the driver pulls up outside the RDA site and I thank him. I walk up to the huge garden gates and show my ID badge and they buzz me in. I walk through the gates and am greeted by the general.
"Marshall, great to have you on board" he says shaking my hand.
"Glad to be here sir" I say politely.
"Ready to get to work?" he asks.
"Sure am" I smile and we walk on to the huge building ahead of us.
We walk through the entrance and there's so much going on. Huge crab suits, armoured suits, boxes of guns everywhere and helicopters. We walk through the workshop and head to the back of the facilities. The general opens the huge double doors and there it is in front of me. The ship thats going to fly me to Pandora.
We walk towards the huge contraption and i'm greeted by the familiar group of soldiers ive grown to know the last few months.
"Marshall, good to see you again my boy" Lyle says and fist bumps me. The others say hey in random order.
"Ready to get this mission started?" Gomez asks me and I nod.
"Your father would be so proud of you" Lyle says and hugs me.
"I hope so" I sigh and we all walk to the ship too board.
My father was Colonel Miles Quaritch. Killed in action. He was killed by the na'vi living on Pandora. My plan is to go to Pandora and study the indigenous so we can identify weaknesses and find out how to beat them once and for all... for my father. I dont remember him well. He died 20 years ago now and I was only 10 when we got sent back to Earth and his human body was killed. I never got to meet his Avatar body because it was sent straight to Pandora when it had fully matured. I dont remember my brother either. He was only a baby when we left and he couldn't come back to Earth with us so he's been there ever since. Lyle said father found him when they went back but after the na'vi killed him they don't know what happened to Miles.
My thoughts are interrupted when the ship jolts ready to take off. I strap in and try to remember my training in space travel.
"Who's ready to avenge the colonel" Gomez shouts to everyone as we take off.
"Hoo Yaa" Lyle says.
The ride is bumpy and long. I feel like my head is going to blow up several times and then we finally enter the space atmosphere. Everyone starts to unbuckle their belts and I do the same. I unbuckle the belt and I start floating in the ship.
"Gravity incoming!" someone shouts and I look round wide eyed as the gravity button is pushed and I go flying to the floor. Everyone chuckles as I stand and dust myself off. They all stand up and start walking round going about their business. I head straight for the avatar chamber to check out the avatars. I get there and look round in amazement. Lyle's avatar is floating in fluid in a cylinder and so is Gomez's, ive never seen an avatar in person. They're huge!
"Cool right" Lyle says appearing behind me.
"Very" I say still looking.
"You know, when your dad got put in his avatar, he had no idea what was going on, when he woke up he attacked us all, three of us! He got me good" Lyle chuckles joining my side.
"I wish I could imagine that" I say.
"Hey kid, he would be proud of you for what you're doing" Lyle says then smiles "Hey let me show you something, it was meant to be a surprise" and leads me to the back of the room.
I gasp at what I see.
"Is that me?" I ask astonished.
"Yep, you're very own avatar" he says.
"Wow" I say looking at the body floating in the fluid.
"Lets head to get something to eat" Lyle says and we head out the room and go to the cafeteria on board. We grab our rations and sit down on the school like benches.
*A couple days go by*
"Ladies and Gentlemen arrival time to Pandora estimably 10 minutes, please take your seats and get ready for landing" a voice calls over the radios and we all scurry round the ship making our way back to the seats we sat in to take off. I breathe in and out carefully as we descend onto the planet.
The ship finally comes to a stop and we all look at each other.
"Welcome to Pandora" the radio calls and everyone cheers. They all unbuckle and grab a oxygen mask from a box at the end of the ship. As we all get our masks on the back entrance of the ship opens and my eyes adjust to the brightness.
"Welcome to Pandora" I say to myself as I look round and walk off the ship.