Wait for me
Pey si oel
•—————•—————•—————•—————•

This is it.

Back to who she used to be. She had been up all night making sure she had everything for her gun. She had thirty reserve magazines and each was a twelve round extended magazine. She painted herself, practically bathed in black paint to blend into the shadows.

She made sure she was well stocked with weapons, but light enough to move quickly. She would have to send Srriri to hide so that she wouldn't be spotted.

It was all to keep her mind off of the battle. Quaritch would be there. She'd have to face him. Or his body.

"No. Stop that." Tsu'tey near commanded. He had taken one look from the cave entrance.

"Stop what?" She asked, almost hissing it out. A tightness formed in her chest. Her eyes flicked up at him and back to the pain she was using.

"You aren't coming with us." Tsu'tey said, crossing his arms.

"You cannot stop me." She said, her eyes flicked up at him, icy and full of anger.

It was tense. Neither would let down.

"You aren't going." He said again, firmly. He stepped forward, cornering Hia into the cave.

She turned as his hand reached for her gun.

"Haah!" She hissed and clutched the gun.

Their eyes locked. Tsu'tey was firm, but unrelenting. Like a rock.

"I won't loose you." Tsu'tey said with unwavering firmness in his tone. It was like Soren when he'd give orders that he knew she'd disagree with. She's had this disagreement before.

"You aren't going with me this time." He said. His brows pressed together and his eyes cut through her, dissecting her body language with ease. She had tensed and prepared a response.

"You don't order me anymore. This is Captain's orders." She said icily, picking up her bag and moving past him. He grabbed her arm.

"If you're going, I can't promise I'll still be here." He said firmly.

"That's selfish. You know I don't have a choice." She grit her teeth.

"It is." He said with no shame, "if you go, and you die-"

"No one is dying this time, Soren." She said calmly, above a whisper.

"What happened to those boys was not your fault." She whispered.

She remembered how he crumpled in her arms. How they were all reassigned into the task force. How wrong she was.

Her expression softened. Tsu'tey sighed and took the gun from her hands, replacing it with his hands.

"You won't loose me, Tsu'tey." She reassured, "I want to keep an eye on you. And I have to see him eventually." Hia said vaguely, eluding to her biological father.

"I will be safe. You know I am capable." He takes her hand and pressed it softly against his cheek.

"I am more useful out there than here. I need to do this. You know I do."

They shared a silence for a while, comfortable and warm.

"Fine." He breathed the answer out.

He stood and grabbed her hand.

"Come." He commanded.

Outside the cave, they were at the tree of souls.

•—————•—————•—————•—————•

"Bond with the tree. Eywa will keep your memory, your spirit alive." Part of me knew he was keeping something from me about it. Why would I need to keep my memories here?

But I did as he said. He has blind faith in me and I him.

That night as we fell asleep, I wondered how, if I could, reach my father. And then, how would I get him to change his mind? I don't want to see him dead.

•—————•—————•—————•—————•

At dawn, the sun had only just begun to rise. And with its glow spreading across the valley, they were there. The clans together in the skies and on the ground.

In the sky, the Ikrans had hidden in the mountains above. On the ground, the groups were positioned and waiting, finding random places to hid in the trees. The mighty herd was not far behind.

Hia had hidden, a small mountain with a lot of cover so that Srriri could be with her, have eyes out while she did her thing. Her thing being murder. And she would do it no matter who it was.

Tsu'tey was with Tse'huk and their group, far in the back as Jake's group, and Ikeyni's group waited just above the thunderous sounding machines below.

There had been no parting words that morning.

On the ground, amp suits were dropping like flies. The human forces began to panic and scatter, but when they found where the arrows had come from and calmed down, many of the guerrilla fighters fell to the gunfire. A whooping call echoed throughout the forest as the calvary made their charge. You could almost hear it from the mountains.

"I'm gonna hit a hole, Ikeyni, follow me through. Tsu'tey, you'll be right behind." Hia heard Jake's voice through the com.

"Let's ride." Tsu'tey answered, it clicked on again for a second and Tsu'tey was talking to her.

"Be safe." He ordered.

"I will. Don't get yourself killed." She replied, watching them begin their descent. As Jake grabbed a hold of one of the scorpion ships, Hia steadied her aim as she settled for the bomber ship. It's glass was thick, but they don't test bullets like this on that glass.

Her first shot made a huge crack but it ricocheted and didn't puncture. Either way, there was now a leak. Her next target was a little Sampson. She ejected the shell and aimed down the driver. A red mist filled the cockpit, the secondary driver was blinded by blood.

They broke formation and the gunship next to it had spotted her. She ejected a shell and aimed, fired. More red mist. They went down too. She caught the eye of her father's dragon ship. She adjusted her aim again and fired into the secondary cockpit, taking out the driver. Someone was quick to replace him, but it was a warning shot.

A gun fired into her direction and a scorpion spotted her.

Panic flooded her system as she reached for Srriri. They took to the skies, but it was on her too fast. Her stomach dropped as she felt the bullet enter Srriri. It was just one. A smaller caliber than her rifle, but it stung so painfully. Her face contorted with pain and they both cried out. The gunfire ceased, but an explosion rang out and she was thrown from Srriri.

Her eyes searched frantically for her companion. She was engulfed in the explosion, knocked from the sky. Too big of a hole in her wing.

"AAH! SRRIRI!" Hia screamed, her throat was raw from the cold air slicing her airways. She fell. She kept falling until she caught a leaf, a few vines, another leaf, and then she landed hard on her feet. Disoriented and on the battlefield, she hid and checked herself.

She managed to hold onto her bow, arrows and her rifle which was strapped onto her, a few medical supplies, and her knife.

"Fuck." She cursed. Above her were bodies hanging from the cords they used to stay in place while focusing on the battle. Hanging from their feet or their waists.

Many were hidden and too afraid to fire back.

"Brother!" She called to a na'vi. It was a Huyuticayan man, a leader. Most of his group had fallen.

"I see you, Alien!" He called back, he reached down, extending a hand as Hia climbed up.

"Do you know how many metal aliens are left?" She asked above the gunfire.

"Not many now, the pa'li charge took most. Now we are facing the survivors. The herd hasn't regrouped yet." He said.

"Leave them to me." She hissed and drew her bow. She only had so many arrows. She fired once, an amp suit, a hideous scream and a thump. Again, a fearful private, struck from the battlefield. And then the calvary returned. But with them came fearful cries and screams. The clans were evacuating. Fire spread throughout the forest and explosions rung out loudly.

It was the scorpions. And as one came near, she dropped onto it, forcing her knife through under the glass, she pulled it off and grabbed the pilot, pulled him out and leapt from the falling helo.

He was dead when they hit the ground.

But the explosions kept coming.

"Jake, ground forces are pulling back. There's too many scorpions." She said.

"What are you doing there!" Tsu'tey hissed into the com.

"I fell. Lost Srriri. I'm doing what I can." She responded while running.

"Copy, get out of there." Jake said.

Her head flicked around and she went silent. There were humans all around her. Aimlessly wandering, trying to find something to kill.

"I'm surrounded." She whispered into the com.

"Wait for me." Tsu'tey said. He was still in the air. She could hear the wind through his mic. He was about to take out the men on the bomber.

He had launched himself in, confident, but not thinking too much about the threat. He shot the first and threw out a second striking and taking down as many as he could. But as he drew his knife to take the last, he let his eye stray from his target as the gun was raised. Pain flooded his body as he fell back, knife and bow in hand, he regained some form of consciousness while in the air.

He sheathed his knife and held his bow so it wouldn't be broken.

But as he landed, he knew he was too weak to fight his way to Hia. His breaths were deep and calm. He had to stay calm.