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Italics: (Na'vi language or Jake's inner thoughts or narration)
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At the RDA's main base, Quaritch had taken it upon himself to gather every soldier they had available and official to be part of the mission to go against Jake and the Na'vi. The attack of Hometree had been a few weeks before this meeting he was about to have with the military unit of the RDA. As of now, there were only a few hours left until they had to leave.

Quaritch had noticed how much the numbers of the natives had grown over the past couple of weeks. It was concerning how they went from just a few hundred to thousands in practically no time. But, those statistics did not intimidate the Colonel. He knew they had the manpower, strength, and advantage to win against the Na'vi easily.

Quaritch now stood in the meeting room in front of everyone, relaying the plan to the soldiers and everyone on the RDA military branch so that everything is clear. He stood tall and looked at the faces of those who were going to be part of this assault, but what he didn't know is how nervous the soldiers were by the statistics shown to them.

They thought it'd be a piece of cake when it was just about 100 Na'vi left, but now that they'd grown in numbers, they all started to doubt their resolve. Of course, they didn't let that show to the Colonel, because that's practically having a death wish.

"Everyone on this base, every one of you, is fighting for survival, that's a fact!" Quaritch started, then behind him, the blinds closed and a projector showed on the wall exactly what they were up against. The scans showed the activity from the Na'vi these past couple of weeks.

"There's an aboriginal horde out there massing for an attack. Now, these orbital image scans tell me that the hostiles' numbers have gone from a few hundred, to well over 2,000 in just one day. And more are pouring in," Quaritch said, switching images to show the startling difference in population increase in the forest. The yellow spots, that represented the Na'vi, quadrupled in the second image. Many couldn't believe what they saw. It seemed abnormal.

"In a week's time, there could be 20,000 of them. At that point, they will run over our perimeter. Well, that's not gonna happen! Our only security lies in a pre-emptive attack. We will fight with terror." Quaritch said, explaining the fact that the RDA could not wait for the numbers of the Na'vi to grow larger, because that would leave them at a disadvantage, so their solution is to attack first.

"Now, the hostiles' believe that this mountain stronghold of theirs is protected by...their deity," Quaritch said scornfully, believing it was a silly concept for a deity to protect that area, and this made the soldiers snicker.

"And when we destroy it, we will blast a crater in their racial memory so deep that they won't come within a thousand klicks of this place ever again. And that, too, is a fact" Quaritch concluded. At his words, all soldiers cheered and were filled with pride and confidence.

It wasn't long before aircraft and other ships were starting to be prepared for battle. Explosives stacked on top of one another and secured with rope were being loaded into the cargo ships that will be taken to the mission. Ampsuits were being prepped as well, along with those who were manning the weaponry.

Later that day, at their small base camp up in the mountains, Jake, Norm, and Trudy were double-checking their weapons as they talked to Max through a video call. The scientist back at the base had to be very discreet when relaying messages to the group, knowing it wouldn't end well if he got caught.

"Jake, it's crazy here. It's full mobilization. They're rigging the shuttle as a bomber. They've got these huge pallets of mine explosives. It's for some kind of shock-and-awe campaign," Max said, and Jake could only look at the monitor with a thoughtful glance.

"Fucking daisy cutters..." Trudy scoffed. She couldn't believe they would take it as far as destroying the Tree of Souls. The RDA had a goal when attacking Hometree, but this was just out of spite from Quaritch at this point.

Jake's jaw clenched with anger fueling inside him at what Quaritch was planning, and even if he had gathered immense forces from all over the region, he knew the Colonel tended to be aggressive and threatning when something doesn't happen the way he wants to.

"Quaritch has taken over. He's rolling, and there's no stopping him now," Max said with an underlying tone of worry in his voice. Jake stayed silent for a few more seconds before speaking up. "When?" Is the only thing the ex-marine asked, and Max knew what he meant.

"0600 tomorrow," He said, and was about to say something else, but a woman came into view behind him and he panicked. "I gotta go!" He said, hurriedly ending the call.

There was silence for a few seconds as the three digested what Max had just told them. This was going to be much more difficult than they thought it was going to be. "We're screwed," Norm said, raising his hands in the air and then letting them drop on his lap again.

Trudy laughed dryly, looking down at the floor, and then turned her eyes to the two men in front of her. "And I was hoping for some sort of tactical plan that didn't involve martyrdom. We're going up against gunships with bows and arrows" She said, lowering her gun to her lap and setting it there as she exhaled.

"I have 15 clans out there. That's over 2,000 warriors. Now, we know these mountains. We fly them. You fly them," Jake said, pointing outside. "They don't. Their instruments won't work up here. Missile tracking won't work. They'll have to fire line of sight. If they bring the fight to us, then we have the home-field advantage." Jake said with full confidence.

"You know he's gonna commit that bomber straight to the Tree of Souls," Trudy said, looking at Jake, who only seemed to be debating in his head what their options were. "Yeah, I know," He said, knowing what it means for you if that tree is destroyed.

"Y/n's mind, body, and soul are connected to that tree. If they get to the Tree of Souls, it's over. It's their direct line to Eywa, their ancestors. It could kill her, Jake," Norm pointed out, and the ex-marine's face paled at the mere thought of something happening to you. He wouldn't allow it.

"Then, I guess we better stop them," Jake said with a small smirk, and Trudy smiled with a soft exhale grazing her lips. She was all for this plan, but she wondered just how many of them would come back alive after this.

-

The battle was coming soon, and it was now the night before the big assault. You felt that it was only fair that Jake should know that you were pregnant. You knew that he had a lot of responsibilities now as Toruk Makto, but this was a big deal and you had to tell him about it as soon as you got the chance. He also had the right and deserved to know. This could either strengthen your relationship to an even bigger level, or it could diminish it completely.

There were invasive thoughts that crawled into your head. What if he wasn't ready? What if this wasn't the right time to become parents? What if he didn't want it at all? You loved Jake with everything you had and you would be a fool as to not want to welcome into the world a creation that is the result of your love.

Even with all of his duties and with so many people like Chiefs from the clans he recruited and warriors from all over need to speak with him, he always managed to be there by your side and spend every waking moment he could with you. When he did, his gaze locked on you like you were the only woman in the world, and held you as if you were made of porcelain and didn't want to break you.

It was nighttime, the night before the big battle that is, and Y/n eventually found the perfect opportunity to tell him the news. When you were looking for Jake, he wasn't anywhere around your hut or in the village, so you went to the last place you'd think he would be, and as it turns out, you were right. He was walking straight to the base of the Tree of Souls.

Knowing he probably has some things to get off his chest and needs a moment alone, you stay back until he's done relieving his worries. Jake approached the tree and kneeled in front of it and began to let out his thoughts.

"I'm probably just talking to a tree right now," Jake started, not even knowing how exactly to go about this. "but if you're there, I need to give you a heads up," He said, taking his braid and letting his queue attach to a couple of vines.

"If Grace is with you, look into her memories. See the world we come from. There's no green there. They killed their Mother. And they're going to do the same here," Jake said, knowing Earth was completely decimated by human greed and selfishness. Humans took their home for granted, and still haven't learned their lesson, so that's why Pandora is their next target to destroy just like Earth. When humans have no use for their planet anymore, they set out to find another one to destroy.

"More Sky People are gonna come. They're gonna come like a rain that never ends. Unless we stop them," Jake said, looking up at the tree to whatever his eyes could see and reach. Hearing this, your heart ached for Jake. You began to start walking where he was to accompany him and let him know that he wasn't alone in this.

"Look, you chose me for a reason. For something. I will stand and fight. You know I will. But I need a little help here..." Jake sighed, hoping Eywa was listening to everything he had to say. As you got closer behind him and brushed through a couple of vines, you stood and admired his courage and tenacity. All leaders have their fears, but it only makes them stronger, and Jake was a perfect example of that. To you, he is perfect in every way you can think of.

"Ma Jake..." You said softly, coming up behind him, and you could see his back muscles relax at the sound of your voice. Given that his back was facing you. Walking behind him, you placed your hand on his shoulder as he detached his queue from the vines and stood up with a sigh. "Our Great Mother does not take sides, Jake. She only protects the balance of life" You said gently, lifting your hand to cup his cheek. He leaned against your palm and exhaled deeply. He was happy you were there.

Jake looked up and saw many Atokirina floating peacefully up in the branches before turning back to you with a small shrug. "It was worth a try," He said, feeling a bit defeated, but his spirit and hopes hadn't wavered at all.

You looked deeply into his eyes, just as he gazed at yours. Studying them. Ever since Jake met you, his favorite feature has always been your eyes. They're beautiful, unique, and mesmerizing. He could look at them forever if he could. You're perfect to him.

You and Jake simultaneously pulled each other closer, resting your hands on each other's arms and resting your foreheads together. As your noses pressed together gently, you and Jake inhaled and exhaled, breathing each other in. The skin-to-skin contact made your heart race. Before separating, he nudged his nose against yours, making you laugh softly with a smile.

As you separated, you remembered what it was that you came here to do. Looking at him, he knew you had something to say judging by your expression so he waited for you to talk. "I came here looking for you. There's someplace I want to take you. We do not know what will happen tomorrow, so I want to spend tonight with you" You said, smiling at Jake. Without hesitation, Jake wordlessly nodded.

With an excited look on your face, you grabbed his hand and started to lead him away from the tree. You had discovered this beautiful spot that you had been anxiously trying to show Jake, so with this news, you figured it would be the perfect opportunity to go. It wasn't far from the Tree of Souls, so the trek there wasn't very long, and you arrived in no time.

When you and Jake got to the spot you wanted to show him, you felt him come to a stop. Turning to look at him, the priceless look on his face made you giggle to yourself. The place you brought him to was a small cliff that had the most surreal view of the Pandoran jungle, especially now at nighttime.

"Do you like it? I found it a few days ago when I needed to clear my head" You said to him, making him turn to you incredulously, not sure how you could be asking if he liked it because he did. Of course, he did. This place was gorgeous. He had no words to describe it, and he's glad you brought him here. It makes him feel at peace with you before such an important day, and he wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

"I love it. It's beautiful," He said, not knowing what else to say, and that no other words will do it justice. The planet that Pandora orbits could be seen in the sky, giving the night sky an ethereal view, and the bioluminescence of the nature around him only made it even better.

Jake got too caught up in noticing that you were spacing out, and a worried expression came across his face. He walked towards you and grabbed your hands, intertwining them. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked, and his voice cut you out of your thoughts and brought you back to reality. You turned to face him and had a shaky breath release from your lips.

As soon as you said the next few words, it could either destroy what the two of you have worked so hard for, or it could be the start of an entirely new chapter in your lives. Jake noticed your hesitance and placed a finger under your chin, making you look up at him. He sent you a look that said, 'It's alright', and that gave you the courage to continue.

You placed a hand over your head, exhaling softly with wavering eyes and a weak smile. "Jake," You started, trying to find the right words to say, mostly because you don't want to freak him out if you say the wrong thing.

"I brought you here to tell you that...we are soon going to be a family of 3," You said, and his eyes widened. He understood what you meant, and if it is what he thinks it is, he's going to need to hear you say it again.

"W-What are you saying, Y/n?" He breathed out, letting a small, but noticeable, and hopeful smile grace his lips. "Jake...you're going to be a father," You said, beaming at Jake. Even if it was what he wanted to hear, the ex-marine was frozen on the spot. He prayed that his hearing wasn't messing with him.

"I'm pregnant, Jake," You said gently, grabbing his hands and pressing them over my bare stomach. His skin touching yours made the situation much more real, and he started to let out small laughs as tears of happiness brimmed in his eyes. "Y/n...you're not messing with me, are you? Because if you are, it's not funny" He laughed through his words.

"I'm not. I found out a few days ago. I could not wait to tell you" You said, your smile never leaving your face. Words could not express how happy you were in the moment. Jake cupped one hand on the back of your neck and another cupped your cheek, then he leaned down to connect your lips with his in a kiss full of love and tenderness that you could have melted right then and there.

His hand that was on your cheek made its way down to your waist and hips, then he tilted his head to deepen the kiss even more. When he started to see that you were gasping softly for air, he pulled away and pressed his forehead against yours, sighing with a smile, and his eyes closed, taking in the moment.

"I can't believe it," He breathed out, making you giggle a little. "I wouldn't want this with anyone else but you, Y/n," He said, pressing his hand against your belly with care. His words brought tears to your eyes, but they were happy tears that fell without meaning.

"You make me so happy, Jake. I cannot wait to have this baby with you" You said, and he smiled at your words, feeling the same way. Before you could say anything else, he bent down in front of you and got on one knee, pressing a loving kiss to your belly. It was surreal to him that there was somebody in there that was half him and half you.

"I am relieved to know that you're happy. I worried that you would not be so thrilled " You said bashfully, and Jake stood up, towering over you once again as he looked at you with so much reassurance and love.

"As I said, there is nobody else I would rather do this than with you. You're the woman of my dreams and you've made me happier than I ever thought I could be," He said sincerely, and his words made your heart leap.

Before you knew it, Jake laughed and lifted you by your waist to spin you around as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. Both of your laughs resonated amongst the trees and other fauna that were surrounding you two.

"I love you, Y/n," He said, putting you down so that your feet touched the ground at last. "I love you, too, Jake," You whispered loudly enough for him to hear, lifting your hand to press your hand against his cheek.

-

It was finally the big day. The next morning arrived faster than you would have wanted to. For both you and Jake, that is. The two of you spent the night close together, while Jake muttered sweet nothings in your ear, soothing you to fall asleep peacefully.

Your back was pressed up against his chest as his arm draped over your stomach to softly caress your belly. Up until you passed out, he continued to narrate to you everything he has thought of doing when the baby comes and your family starts to form.

The village was frantic when the two of you woke up, and while getting ready for battle, Jake was treating you so gently and with care, already feeling his fatherly instincts come in. Eventually, the two of you were separated because he had to discuss his plans with the other warriors, giving you time to prepare Nana, your Ikran, for battle.

As you put on your coms around your neck and strapped on a saddle onto Nana's back, Jake came back from speaking to the warriors and wrapped his arms around you from behind, leaning over your ear. "Where do you think you're going?" He started, laughing softly against your ear, his breath tickling you.

"I am going to fight," You said nonchalantly, continuing to strap on the gear of your Ikran onto the body of the banshee, securing it.

"No, you can't go. I need you here, safe" Jake said, making you spin around to face him in disbelief. Yes, you were pregnant, but it did not mean you couldn't fight. You would defend your people to the end, no matter what.

"I am coming. I'm supposed to fight too. I need to fight for my people, for you, for our baby" You said sternly, but Jake sighed, knowing you wouldn't back down from the battle. He knew you were more than capable of taking care of yourself, but he worries about you, even more now that you had precious cargo with you.

"I need you to come back to me. Don't die on me. We're so close," He whispered, and your eyes softened. He couldn't risk losing you, especially since you two were so close to winning and getting the peaceful life he's been dreaming about with you by his side.

Smiling, you leaned over and kissed his cheek, holding his other cheek with your hand. You pulled away and stayed close to his face, merely inches apart that is. "I will come back to you. You will never lose me. We will have each other's backs, won't we?" You said.

He nodded at your words, letting a small smile come upon his lips. "Okay..." He muttered, taking advantage of the fact that you were so close to him, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours in a short but sweet kiss.

It was able to show all of the love and affection that he held for you, and just how much he wanted you to return to him unscathed. He pulled away and looked into your eyes, as a silent plead for you to be careful, and you wordlessly looked at him to tell him the same.

Jake had also taken the time to do your war paint all over your body. One significant part of it was a big hand print with 5 fingers printed on your chest with white paint. It was a clear sign that he did it, and somehow wanted something of his with you at all times while being separated in battle. He did his best to paint intricate patterns on your face, your arms, legs, and even your stomach where your child was growing inside.

After some moments, of spending as much time together as possible, the two of you separated and went your separate ways to board your Ikrans for battle. Having saddled up Nana, she was all ready to go, so you hopped on and connected your braid to her queue, effectively creating the bond between you two.

All of the other warriors had boarded their Ikrans, while the ex-marine hopped onto Toruk as well and were waiting for Jake's signal to take off. Eventually, everyone took off and followed Jake's lead while they flew through the mountains. Jake was at the front, with you flying by his side, Tsu'Tey beside him, and Neytiri flying beside you on your left with Seze.

The plan was in motion. Jake turned to you to send you a look with his eyes as a sign that he wanted you to be careful, and you nodded in return. He then turned to Tsu'Tey as well and the warrior raised his bow in the air, as a sign of strength and determination. Everything was going smoothly right now, but that obviously wouldn't last and peace would be disrupted the moment the RDA arrived.

Speaking of, as for the RDA themselves, all of the aircrafts and ships had been ready for takeoff and were now flying toward the Hallelujah Mountains where the battle would take place. From the watchtower, Parker watched all of the military branches of the RDA fly into the distance with an unsure look written all over his face.

Had it really been the best decision to take it this far? Was it worth it to let all of this happen? He was conflicted to say the least, especially with all of his employees behind him watching the ships take off as they cheered for them. At this point, he was just letting it happen because there is no other choice.

Back with the sea of airships and aircrafts flying through the mountains, Quaritch was in the main cockpit with the pilot of the biggest ship they took to battle. Much like in the first attack, the Colonel had a calm look on his face that showed how sure he was of himself, as f assuming automatic victory. "This is Group Leader. We are entering the Flux Vortex. Switch to manual flight mode," The pilot said, knowing that if they were entering this area, the Tree of Souls was close.

"This is Papa Dragon. I want this mission high and tight. I wanna be home for dinner," Quaritch said, taking a sip from his coffee as if a massive battle wasn't approaching. "Suit team, go" He commanded through his coms.

A few of the helicopters that were brought on the mission landed on the ground in the middle of the forest, meanwhile, the other spacecrafts continued to stay in the air. As ordered, the ground team in the helicopters dropped down from the aircraft and to the jungle below surveying the area.

The bigger aircrafts that had the soldiers inside their Ampsuits were dropped down to the forest as well once the latches on the bottom opened, leaving them to land on the ground.

When they landed, due to the heavy machinery and weaponry of the Ampsuits, the ground shook and trembled. "Alright, ladies! Let's bring the pain!" Lyle said, being one of the soldiers manning an Ampsuit.

Eventually, one more aircraft landed and the ramp of it opened, letting even more soldiers powering Ampsuits come down the ramp and down to the forest, along with regularly equipped soldiers coming behind them.

While moving through the forest and surveying the area for any incoming threats, the soldiers didn't stray too far from one another, staying in direct eyesight from each other. "Bravo 1-1, move left. Watch formation, keep moving." An Ampsuit Commander said through the coms, relaying a message to the others.

"Eyes up. Check that overhead. Watch those thermal scans" Lyle said to his fellow soldiers, telling them to be alert at all times.

"All call signs. Papa has lead, pushing to target" Quaritch said calmly and surely. "Escorts, stay close on my shuttle," He said, receiving messages of confirmation through his coms.

"We're gonna lose some paint in here," One of the pilots said, surveying the terrain around them to get the ships through the mountains.

"Gun crews, keep your head on the swive. Make no mistake, people, they're out here" Quaritch warned his soldiers. There was a group of them that had small compartments and spaces on top of the ship that was out in open. They have guns attached to the sides of them so that they're able to shoot more precisely than if they were inside.

Before they knew it, the Tree of Souls was coming into sight for Quaritch, making him smirk satisfactorily. He knew Jake and the rest were around here somewhere, and he would drive him out if he had to. As for the Omaticaya themselves, The Na'vi were hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike down the ships.

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Hi! Only about 2 or 3 more chapters left! One thing I wanted to ask you guys is if you would prefer for me to continue the sequel on this same story or make a separate one for book 2?

I'll do whatever you guys prefer, and also because I'm super indecisive lmao I need you guys to let me know so that I can start prepping it and I can release it right after this book is done!

Anyway, I don't have much to say for now, but I do hope all of you are enjoying this book. It's been an amazing experience writing it and seeing all of your guys' feedback <3

For now, I hope you guys are having a good week so far! And have an even better day tomorrow! :,) 🤍

Also Ill be reviewing this chapter later for any errors. I already ran it through grammarly before posting this but I just wanted to make sure it was okay shsj

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