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Italics: (Na'vi language, or Metkayina sign language, and Jake's inner thoughts)

I wanted to give a DT to these beautiful people :,) Thank you for being here and being so supportive all the way throughout this story because it truly means the world to me <3 go give them some love! and everyone who read this book! :,)
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As always, I mention this in every chapter but don't forget to comment and vote <3 I love reading and replying to all of your comments and they truly make my day 🤍 Without further ado, I hope you guys like it! Like I said before, I just want to thank you all of you for sticking around and being so supportive of this story up until now :,) I love every single one of you so much 🤍
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Jake had to speak up and answer Quaritch once and for all, but his words were getting caught up in his throat because he was truly horrified that whatever he chose would end in the worst possible outcome. He knew he had to be smart and strategic about this, even if all and everything he had right before his eyes was weighing in his words and how he wanted to do about this. You had a gun pointed at you, your children, you and Tsireya were all cuffed to the ship, there was an army of Metkayina warriors behind him waiting for orders on how to proceed, and Tonowari and Ronal were just as expectant to see what Jake would do to save the kids and you from this situation and then go into battle with the Sky People. There was pressure, fear, anxiety, guilt, coercition and constriction all inside of Jake, and it didn't let him think straight, even if the only thing he knew was that seeing you in a position in where your life could end with the pull of a trigger made him want to give Quaritch what he wanted as long as you and the kids were safe.

He knew you'd disagree and not allow him to turn himself to the enemy like that. After all, the two of you had promised each other already weeks before, knowing that this conflict would escalate and that Quaritch would eventually find them, that you'd fight to avenge those you've lost and fight for a better life for your children. He kept reminding himself what you and him had been hoping to make sure that they didn't die in vain because of the Sky People and Quaritch. But there was a fine line right now between Jake's reasoning and what his mind was impulsively telling him to do that was the opposite of what he thought was right and went against everything you promised each other. Even if he was far away, the moment Quaritch sensed his weakness and
vulnerability by seeing from Jake by seeing his family in a life threatening situation, it would ruin everything. But how long can he keep up appearances? He had to act now.

Even in the military, Jake always knew what to do, he always had the answers and never let his emotions cloud his judgement but this whole situation made all his senses freeze. You'll lose your mate again. He thought. Quaritch and the Sky People will break apart your family again. He continued to ponder, letting his thoughts run free. You'll fail your children, your wife, and everyone around you. He shut his eyes and his breaths were short and even if he was outside, he felt suffocated. He was terrified of his past having to repeat again once again because he made the wrong choice. He thought he was ready to make the right choice when this conflict got to them like he had been expecting it to, but why was he frozen? Why can't he act accordingly? Why doesn't he know what to do? He needed time. Just more time.

He cut himself off in words that were cominf out rushed and desperate from his mouth, and simply sighed as he gathered himself to speak up again. "J-Just wait one..." Jake trailed off, pressing onto the buttons of his comms, and then staying silent for a few seconds as he breathed heavily with distress and anguish that was coursing through him. He felt eyes on him from the enemy, from his family, from those who relied on him, and those who expected him to have a plan. He breathed heavily and lowered his gun as he turned to look at both Tonowari and Ronal, who were looking straight at him to see what he would do, just like every other warrior behind him. He turned to his other side to see Zara and then looked back at those very warriors who came along and were ready to fight under his orders and were willing to give their all against the Sky People.

Jake slowly looked forward again and he knew he had finally made his decision. He wouldn't let his emotions get in the way at a time like this, because if a leader with a plan is what they needed, then that's what he would be. In the end, he knew that a leader has to be ready to make a decision that would be best for all and everyone around him and also the outcome it would have, so knowing that this was solely Jake's fight and his alone against Quaritch, he knew and is aware he had to take matters into his own hands. The Metkayina and his own family didn't have to be dragged into this more than they already had. His wife and children didn't have to suffer any longee, or anybody else for that matter. No more blood had to be shed, no more lives have to be lost and there was only one way he could ensure that.

As he was about to communicate his response to Quaritch, Jake locked eyes with Ronal and he started to remember how your relationship with them had been dwindled for weeks up until now without a proper reconciliation. They were here to fight for you, to save you and let you know that everything in the past was forgotten and that everything could go back to how it used to be. Jake could see in Ronal and Tonowari's eyes how deeply regretful they are for what happened and Jake in that moment made a mission to get you and the kids back to safety above all else so that you can get back to them and tell them that all was well. So that you can tell them everything you've told him about how badly you wanted them in your life again. He would make sure of it. He knew that for Tonowari and Ronal seeing you up there, it would make them feel as if they've failed you, and failed to be the role models you have always believed them to be. Letting them live with that guilt is something that Jake would never let himself live with. He will  settle everything that needed to be done and said right then and there no matter what it cost. But it needed to be done by him and him alone.

He sighed shakily and put on his most determined expression that hid the fear behind his eyes and looked at Tonowari. "Hold here," Jake said, holding his hand up, and hesitantly starting to move forward on his Skimwing alone. But from the ship, you were slowly gaining your bearings but felt like you were seeing things and hallucinating when you started to see Jake come forward on the water on his Skimwing. By himself. You felt your heart painfully plummet inside of you. In, panic, you tried to move your body and see if you were seeing things correctly but your body protested and you felt all of your senses painfully remind you not to move a muscle. "Jake..." You whimpered as every part of your body hurt immensely and agonizingly, but what stung most was seeing your husband willingly prepare to go on his own to face Quaritch and the Sky People on this ship on his own. He knew you'd be against it because you knew there had to be another solution, but you also knew how his mind worked. Jake would not hesitate anymore. He would save you and the kids, even if it cost him his life. But that fact made your heart burn in pain as you didn't even want to imagine what that would be like.

But you couldn't help but smile weakly when you saw Tonowari lift his spear and block Jake's path, not allowing him to move any further. Jake saw this and turned to look at the Olo'eyktan and saw the deadly expression in his eyes that said that if bloodshed needed to spilled to make sure Sky People never show up again and that they stop terrorizing Tulkun and their people, then that's what they needed to do. Without hesitation. "I told you we couldn't let you bring your war here, and I didn't want to believe it when I saw the two of you grow closer every day. I should've known this would happen, and just as I thought, you brought not only my daughter into this, but your own wife and your children. These are killer of Tulkun, they must die. Here. Today. You must make this right, Jake. For your family's sake. And I'm asking you to not let her down or fail her, because trust me, its not something you want. We certainly didn't" The Olo'eyktan said as Ronal kept her head down, knowing her husband was speaking for both of them. And Jake considered his words thoroughly and after hearing Tonowari's resolve and stern tone, he knew that there was no possible way that the actions Sky People have committed will not go unpunished or unreciprocated.Anyone who hurt his people or anyone who's dear to him had to come through the Olo'eyktan first.

Jake let out a shaky sigh as he already had a quick response as he had also made up his mind even before all of his started. He knew what had to be done. "It's me that they want. That's what all this had been about. Right? The-The hunting of the Tulkuns, the taking of our kids....the taking o-of my wife" Jake trailed off shakily and choking on his words, still not believing deep inside his mind that history was repeating itself and Tonowari stayed silent. The difference this time around was that Jake knew what to do and he wouldn't rest until you and the kids were safe. After that, he'll never let you go ever again. But it seems that Ronal was finally letting out that anger that she's been harboring for how this situation escalated into what it is now. Your adoptive mother didn't hesitate to speak what she had in her mind.

"You brought this upon us! You! We warned you from the beginning that we couldn't let you bring your war here. Now, look what you've done!" Ronal said, reasonably angry for him involving her people into this, her loved ones and Jake only looked down in shame but deep down he knew, even more, he knew what was the right thing to do now and that he had the do what he didn't do in the past. "Well, then it's me who has to do this," Jake said, looking at Tonowari with resolve. The clan leader nodded with no hesitation at him, moving his spear at his side to point up, leaving it all up to Jake.

From the ship, you were breathing heavily as you tried to get your body to cooperate snd gain your strength back, even if you could still feel Quaritch's barrel of his gun pressed at the back of your head. Lo'ak looked on forward in fear in between his father, and you, his mother, who's life hanged in the balance. He wished he could know what his dad would do, but he couldn't make out anything they were saying at all. Especially since he didn't have his comms anymore. You could see, through distorted and blurry vision, that Tonowari had lowered his spear, letting Jake come forward alone once again and your eyes widened as your heart stung in agony and worry for Jake. He was going to come forward alone, and there was nothing you could do about it. "Offers fixing to expire, Sully. What's it gonna be?" Quaritch said, pressing the gun more to your head, making your head nudge forward due to the pressure of the gun against it. He could shoot you at any moment and you wouldn't know.

In that thought, you just wish you could hear his voice one last time, to be in his arms again at least once, to see him up close, to hear him laugh, to watch be with the kids and tell him how much you love him. You begged Eywa in your head to at least grant you that very wish. You despise that you have been reduced to this when you vowed to protect who you love and be someone your parents would've been proud of, someone Tonowari and Ronal are joyful to leave in charge of the village and someone your kids could see as their role model.

But right now, the opposite is what you felt. You couldn't move a muscle and couldn't do a thing. How did this happen? Why was this happening What you didn't know is that while you tried not to make another move the more you felt the barrel of the gun press more and more against your head, you could see Quaritch in the corner of your eye smirking with pure evil and then you looked forward and saw Jake coming forward again on his own, without Tonowari stopping him at all this time.
"Check your fire. I'm coming out," Jake said as he pressed the button in his comms, and little did you know that those were the words that Quaritch had felt incredible satisfaction for.

Jake moved his gun to be behind his back and his decision made your face pale and your mouth fall agape. "No, no, no...please. Ma Jake..." You whimpered painfully under your breath as heat gathered behind your eyes and tears gathered in them while watching your husband turn himself in willingly. You didn't understand why, but that only made your distress for him grow. The clan was all sitting still behind him, all trusting what he was about to do. If this was the only way, why was your heart twisting in agony the way it was? But what you don't know is that his love for you and the children ran deeper than you'll ever know. If he had to fight everyone that came in his way completely alone, he'd do it a million times over when it came to you and the kids.

You stayed silent, not only because you had to or it would probably cost you your life if in this position your were in but still attempting to sit up on your own but it was too painful. You don't know how he did it, but these Avatars really did a number on you. Though, your mind kept being fixated on Jake. Your mind going to a frenzy of questions and what will go wrong if he really goes down this path? What was he thinking of right now?What was the plan? Why was he going alone? Why did he want to do it alone? He was obliging to Quaritch's request in return for the kids and you but you couldn't lose him like that. And who's to say Quaritch will keep his end of the bargain. You wouldn't allow this monster to trick him and take him away. What kind of ultimatum was this? It was so cruel and unfair. You knew now that he was clearly surrendering to prevent further deaths, but there had to be another way. Right? It couldn't just unfold this way, could it?

Everyone was watching Jake's every move as he came closer to the ship in silence, but with so much resolve nonetheless. Quaritch and his recoms, you, the kids, Tonowari, Ronal, all of the Metkayina, and everyone in the vicinity had their eyes on him. Scoresby and his crew were stationed nearby as the hunter was watching through his binoculars every move that Jake made, in case they needed to retaliate. He had a cocky smirk on his face as he told everybody to stay tense and to keep their weapons close, and everyone did as such. The only one who truly felt out of place was Ian Garvin, the marine biologist who's goal was never to try and go after Jake, his family, the Tulkun, the Metkayina or anyone else. He wanted to study life on Pandora and the only way to do that and have the funds is to somehow on this side of the conflict. Every part of him wished it never had to turn out or escalate this way and even sometimes that he was part of it at all.

As everyone is focused on Jake and what he would do next, nobody was aware of what was going on beneath the surface. No one was bothering to look at what was lurking. There was none other than Payakan swimming right below the Sea Dragon and beneath everyone else above water. He had never truly left Three Brothers Rocks when the kids and you saved him and now, he was glad he stuck around.

As he swam through the reef below, his eye caught something that made his eye constrict and dilate with anger. Not only did he see Lo'ak with Tuk and Tsireya next to him, who helped Lo'ak get the tracker off of him, but what really boiled Payakan's blood was the state you were in. You had a gun pressed against the back of your head and even through the ripples of the water, he could see how beaten and injured you were, barely able to stand up on your own and visibly struggling by how you've been treated.

Seeing bruises upon bruises everywhere in your body, your face just looked distressed and defeated. His heart sank, but it was quickly replaced with that familiar sense of justice that got him exiled from his pod in the first place, and like last time, he wouldn't sit around and do nothing and he'd take the consequences that came with it if he had to. While Lo'ak seemed to be more lively and with more energy to fight against his restraints, Payakan could see how much life they've been able to take out of you by doing who knows what. You were far too brave, kind, and compassionate to be taken advantage of this way, as well as Lo'ak and the kids who Payakan knew you put your life on the line for. With no regrets, Payakan knew what to do and he would enjoy every minute of fighting against the Sky People who continue to hurt significant figures in his life and his home.  Payakan's eyes narrowed at what he was seeing and let out of low guttural growl as he began he began to circle the water under the ship to gain impluse and start to put in motion his idea.

His promise to Hahona didn't stop with simply delivering his message to you, but he would see it through to the end that you lived a long life with your children and your husband and the newfound chance to start over. That was what Hahona would have wanted and with the bond Payakan has created with you and Lo'ak, this was not going to be the time he stood by and not doing something, nor will it be the first. He made a promise, and he'll honor it to the end. The Sky People haven't seen the last of what he can do or what Pandora can do in retaliation when threatened, and Payakan would take the step to show the Sky People not to mess with their home and their people any longer.

Back on the surface, Jake continued to get closer to the Sea Dragon on his Skimwing, all by himself, planning to give himself up to the Sky People if it was necessary. From the ship, Lyle had his rifle aimed at him, and he was looking through the lens of the weapon to look at Jake at a closer glance to see his position. With intents of firing, Lyle adjusted his rifle in his hands. "Easy shot," The Avatar second in command said, preparing to shoot Jake since he was all alone. But the Colonel had a very different plan in mind. Just as Lyle prepared to shoot, he was soon stopped by Quaritch slowly lowering the Avatar recoms' aim. Lyle turned to look at Quaritch with confusion as to why they couldn't take him out right then and there.

The Colonel shook his head and looked on forward again to make sure didn't back out of the choice he made. "You hit him now, they attack. Wait until he's on board," Quaritch said, knowing that even if he was coming on forward alone, he still had an army of Na'vi behind him to back him up. Hearing this, you slowly felt yourself start to regain your bearings and your strength, so you lifted your head and opened your eyes to see that Jake was in fact turning himself in and heat started to gather behind your eyes but you blinked them away as you sighed shakily in defeat.

You turned your head to see how your kids and Tsireya were taking the news of Jake willingly turning himself in, and just as you had expected, Lo'ak was hissing in anger and fighting more against his restraints trying to do something, and not just standing around letting his dad give himself up to the enemy. The frustration was building up on the boy and the two girls were just as riddled with fear as you were, but you couldn't even describe how afraid and helpless you felt after everything that it took to get here. But still, as soon as you felt like you'd regained your strength, you wouldn't rest until your family was back together again in one piece. You just needed more time to recover from the beatings you took and not let Jake come any further. But little did you know that a certain Tulkun would come to your family's rescue soon enough.

Underwater, to gain some momentum and strength, Payakan began crashing his tusks against the sand and some corals while also thrashing around his whole body and tail in the sea floor while loudly wailing and preparing to head to the surface, all the while Jake got closer to the ship while Tonowari, Ronal and all the Metkayina watched and waited for any signal to fight. With all the strength he gained, Payakan growled loudly and howled, with the sound reverberating in the depths of the water as he began to quickly use his fins to give him the impulse to start swimming upwards with as much power and strength as he could, keeping you and your family in his thoughts with every second he got closer to the surface. He didn't regret as second of it as he swam faster and faster up to the top, and seeing the ship get even closer to him the more he put power into the strokes of his fins, using everything that has led up to this moment to give him courage.

And soon enough, before Payakan knew it, his body leaped high out of the water and it caught the attention of everyone. The Metkayina, Tonowari and Ronal who's jaws dropped open and Jake who stalled in his tracks on his way to the ship, the Avatar recoms and Quaritch (who out of shock finally moved the gun from your head) as their faces were blank with disbelief and at last, the kids celebrating as bright smiles came upon their faces in amazement at seeing Payakan's feat. You had gained the strength to look up as you had heard the splashing of water and a big shadow looming over the ship.

But what you saw brought your eyes to tears, but this time, in the best way possible. Payakan was there in all his glory doing his part and fighting for the home and the people who wrong him and those who have been there for him and accepted him even through his mistkes. He was putting himself right in the vicinity of those who could take his life away like any other Tulkun who have been killed in the past, but you admired the outcast, for not being afraid whatsoever. That brought to tears.

And it's also the fact that Payakan's appearance made Jake stop in his tracks to his advances to the ship altogether. You smiled and began cheering with the kids as the act of bravery of the Tulkun was enough to restore your own strength. You cheered and laughed with glee and noticed Lo'ak's eyes were wide and a smile graced his face while Tsireya and Tuk beamed at the Tulkun. "Payakan!" Tuk beamed and cheered happily, her innocence still radiating at the sight of the Tulkun she's met briefly.

Payakan began to fall back onto the deck of the Sea Dragon and let out a loud wail that quickly sent many recoms into panic. Payakan is just so big that even if the recoms and soldiers tried to run away, the Tulkun landed on its back and still landed on top of them, killing them all of instantly as the soldiers themselves were just wasting bullets trying to shoot him, not taking into consideration and knowing that Tulkun had plated skin that those bullets didn't even manage to scratch. The moment those recoms and RDA soldiers were killed and Payakan slammed down on the ship, the weight of the Tulkun and the water Payakan brought with him landed on you and the kids and made you all stumble. But you all quickly sat up again and watch Payakan take care of the RDA soldiers as if it was childplay, swatting them like flies when any of them tried to shoot him.

Neither Quaritch, his recoms or any RDA soldiers bothered to even look after you and the kids to make sure you didn't try to escape because Payakan is holding all their attention now. "Open fire! Open fire!" A soldier yelled out, making every soldier around start to shoot but Payakan didn't even feel them. But still, he tried to block the bullets themselves with his plated skin and try to keep them ocuppied. As a soldier that was close to Lo'ak was shooting consecutively with his rifle at Payakan, your son took notice of this and thought he could help in a way. "Brother!" Lo'ak yelled out as he used his free leg and kicked the robotic legs of the soldier, making the man stumble forward, and in turn, the soldier tripped so far forward that Payakan was able to take the hint fairly quickly and soon crush him with his fin.

At the sight, you couldn't help but look at your son and Payakan working together with so much pride coursing inside you. After taking out that RDA soldier, the Tulkun wailed and screeched a very high-pitched howl that left a particular biologist in awe of what he was seeing. Ian Garvin was watching with so much utter amazement that he was seeing a Tulkun this up close from the boat a couple feet away from the Sea Dragon, but it turns out that Scoresby had a completely different reaction upon seeing Payakan at such a close range that in his head, he could take out Payakan right then and there. He saw it as an opportunity

Not wasting another second, Scoresby then began to maneuver the boat around and then stood in front of the harpoon launcher, not hesitating to get into position. "Come about! Get me a round! Get me a shot! Go! Go! Go!" Scoresby suddenly yelled out as the soldiers manning the boat started to circle the Sea Dragon on the boat to try and get a clear shot of Payakan. In the ship itself, it was still just complete chaos escalating with every passing second and Payakan using anything around him to his advantage. He swung his tail from side to side, which managed to knock into a hook structure that was holding Crab Suits, and those that he knocked over landed on nearby soldiers, killing them instantly.

As for Jake, a grin came upon his face as he brought his rifle to the front of his body again and let out a loud war cry that made you turn your head around amidst all the chaos that was happening with Payakan. Your heart leaped and you gasped when you saw Jake command his Skimwing to move forward, open its wings and head right into battle, with his eyes set on you and the kids. You knew that he finally took the distraction that Payakan offered as an opportunity to finally begin the battle and that now he had the chance to usefully utilize the backup he brought without putting them all at risk. Quaritch and his team was distracted so you knew he wasn't going to let the chance slip away. You watched as he rode in the water for a few seconds before his Skimwing took flight and raised its wings even higher. Jake got on one knee on the saddle and yelled out with everything in him as he aimed his gun forward.

Seeing Jake take off, Ronal and Tonowari did the same, as well as Zara, which incentivized the other Metkayina warriors to do the same. They all took it as a sign that the battle had begun. Ronal lifted her spear in the air and yipped as she commanded her Skimwing while Tonowari did the same as he let out war cries that the rest of the warriors reciprocated. The sounds of their cries and yells all mixed together, raising the spirits amongst each other to fight until the end and with no mercy. All of their Skimwings took flight like Jake's and as their tails grazed the water, their wings opened and the Metkayina had officially joined the fight at last. Your eyes went from Jake to seeing Tonowari and Ronal right by Jake's side ready to fight back and your heart got caught up in your throat. Things were still rocky between you and them, but you begged Eywa to let everyone you love come out of this alive, because now that the battle had started, everything was unpredictable but you hoped the odds were in your favor this time.

While Jake, Tonowari, Ronal, Zara and all other Metkayina warriors were headed to the ship's direction to fight, it was clear that it became chaos in an instant on all sides. The Metkayina were all crying out and carrying themselves with pride and not an ounce of hesitance as they rushed for battle. They believed they could have the upper hand against the Sky People and they were truly more than capable. Jake had his gun raised high in the air to rally all other warriors behind him, while Tonowari and Ronal had their spears raised high as well, as their people responded with confidence and the need to fight. They knew they had the people on Scoresby's side to fight, the recoms, the RDA soldiers and anyone on their side, but none of that deterred their determination or want to fight for their land, their homes, their people, their wildlife and everything the Sky People have threatened ever since they stepped foot in Pandora. It was time to make it right.

As the Metkayina charged to battle, while you and the kids were still cuffed to the railings, Payakan was still splayed on the main deck of the SeaDragon while all soldiers shot at him from every direction and all decks. But even if they fired as many bullets as they wanted, due to the Tulkun's plated outer layer, it would be a long time before any true damage was done. Annoyed that he was being shot at, Payakan wailed and lifted his giant, sentient tail, and broke the platform above him that had soldiers standing there and were shooting at him, which eventually knocked them all off in an instant. The men were sent flying out and that same platform bridge broke completely.

Taking the opportunity that a Tulkun was right there just a couple feet away from him, being the hunter that he's proclaimed himself to be, Scoresby hurriedly commanded the hunting boat he was in to move to a position where he could launch the harpoon to Payakan. "Get me rounds! Let's go! Go! Go!" Scsoresby yelled out as the boat rounded a corner, positioning itself and turning to be right in front of Payakan.

Scoresby was hurrying to get a good shot because this could be his only chance. Only then was when Payakan roared at the own chaos he wss facing on the boat, opening his mouth, giving Scoresby the perfect opportunity to shoot the harpoon directly at him. Scoresby had a smug smile on his face as he angled the trajectory of the harpoon. "Get in there! Get me in range! Go! Go Go!" Scoresby yelled out to the crew, feeling the boat finally turn at the perfect angle, and the hunter took this as his chance to release the harpoon at last.

When it did, the anchor was launched while Payakan still had his mouth open, but being the smart Tulkun that he is, Payakan was able to notice the harpoon in time enough to close his jaw entirely and turned his head sideways to use his hardened skull to deflect the shot. Because of this, instead, the harpoon shot right toward one of the inner structures of the ship, damaging it completely with an explosion.

When Payakan felt like he'd finally done his job and created the diversion needed for the attack to begin, while also doing his part for you and Lo'ak, soldiers continued to fire at Payakan and then the Tulkun roared and soon began to inch himself closer to the edge of the ship and then landed back into the water, submerging himself below once again out of the reach of Sky People. Even when he was going back into the water, soldiers fired at him up until the very last moment. On his way back down from the surface, Payakan's tail hovered dangerously over top of the Avatar recoms. "Down!" Lyle yelled, warning everyone to lie down or they'd be crushed by the tail. On Payakan's way down his fins and tail actually managed managed to make a little bit more damage by breaking a crane that was on the edge of the ship itself.

Once Payakan was back in the water, out of reach from the Sky People's attacks, his tail made a big splash and everyone was just left completely dumbfounded. While watching this happen, Scoresby was absolutely speechless at what the Tulkun just did and how he managed to avoid the harpoon so easiley and be able to so much damage while leaving unscathed. The hunter, as well as his team, stayed in place with his eyes wide and with nothing to say. "Bloody hell," The man said with utter shock and so much confusion. Unlike Scoresby, Garvin was in absolute awe of Payakan's feat. To him, this was exactly the type of behavior that he had been wanting to study and see on Tulkuns for ages, and he finally got to see it in person with his own eyes, right in front of him. Still, these weren't the perfect circumstances but he would take any opportunity to appreciate how truly majestic and incredibly smart Tulkuns were.

With the diversion Payakan created working perfectly, Jake, Tonowari, Ronal and the rest of the Metkayina warriors had made incredible headway into finally initiating the battle. From the shock Payakan had left, soldiers, recoms, and everyone on the ship started to fumble to fight back and gain their composure upon seeing the incoming group of Na'vi warriors coming their way. They were approaching quickly towards the Sea Dragon ship on their Skimwings, crying out loudly their war calls that showed just how determined they were and how they were going to give it everything they had. Jake had his gun raised high in the air, encouraging everyone behind him. This was all while Tonowari and Ronal were doing the same, giving their people the spirit they needed to fight as they held their spears raised high in the air and after recovering from his shock, Scoresby soon watched as the army of Metkayina approach faster than ever so he gave immediate orders to proceed to attack them.

"Open fire! Open fire!" Scoresby yelled, and the soldiers in the boat with the hunter quickly got their bearings as well and began manning the rifles began to relentlessly shoot bullets at the incoming Na'vi warriors. The machine guns and rifles shot quickly and almost in the blink of an eye, but the Metkayina were even faster. Before any of the bullets could reach any of them, Jake, Tonowari, and Ronal all dove in the water beneath the surface while having their Skimwings take on a torpedo shape as the creatures tucked their wings to their sides, and this had the rest of the warriors behind them do the same. None of the bullets reached or managed to harm any Na'vi, and this angered Quaritch greatly. The Colonel snarled at the strategic attempt Jake had the Na'vi behind him do in attempts of trying to avoid the barrage of quick gunfire shot at them.

"Sully's inbound! I want all eyes on him! Don't let him out of your sight!" Quaritch yelled out, walking away from you and the kids, and still leaving you all cuffed to the railing while the action took place. While the kids all watched Quaritch walk away, and assumed that since nobody was paying attention to them anymore because their focus was on the warriors, the kids took this opportunity to try and pull in their restraints and to set each other free.

You would've done the same and try to escape, but you were far too worried about Jake. Your eyes were trained on the horizon in front of you where the battle was taking place. You were trying to look for your husband amongst the warriors who had yet to come out of the water. You sighed and you adjusted your position on the ground, slowly feeling your strength return with each passing minute, but you discreetly pretended to be as weak and helpless as they'd left you to not raise any suspicions. You just wanted to take advantage of that fact in order to think of a plan. You already felt a lot better and you'd join the fight as soon as you were set free and got the kids to safety. Lyle then turned to the other Avatar soldiers to relay orders. "Come on! Saddle up, we're up!" He yelled out as the Avatar recoms began to all get on their own Ikrans, including Quaritch as well.

After the soldiers mounted their Ikrans and then took flight, a helicopter came around and appeared from behind the ship and through the clouds, only to begin to shoot from above at the warriors below the water. But thankfully, the water itself stopped the bullet's speed and impact so none of them were able to do any real damage to all of the Metkayina below the surface. And also since the water decreased their speed, the warriors were all able to dodge the bullets easily and swim around them. The ocean was the best environment for the Na'vi to fight in. They knew how to use it to their advantage a lot better than the Sky People and they would use that in their favor to win.

Many Na'vi were using the water as their playing field and coming up to the surface unsuspected by the Sky People. For example, Tonowari decided to first target this one boat nearby and rode on his Skimwing below the water at full speed with a vengeful expression. As he held his spear with one hand, he looked upwards and saw the speedboat he wanted to go after first. He found the perfect opportunity to start to make his way up, and in the blink of an eye, he leapt out of the water with a war cry as his Skimwing screeched, quickly stabbing the man commanding the boat, and taking the body back down with him into the water.

Ronal was no different. She was underwater as well, riding through the currents with the same strength and determination, just as her mate was doing. She looked up to the surface and saw a similar boat that Tonowari had gone after riding above the water, and she took this as her chance. Ronal leaped out of the water unsuspected, raised her spear and then lunged it with so much strength at one of the men in the boat, killing him instantly. At her own feat, she yelled out victoriously and with pride while going back down into the water, on her way to repeat the same thing to any other Sky Person.

It was absolute chaos from that point forward and more and more blood was shed on the Sky People's side. The same strategy that Tonowari and Ronal were using, by taking the RDA by surprise from the water was used by many of the other Metkayina warriors that were in an arduous battle against the men on the Picador and Matador boats. None of them could ever see coming the spears, arrows or jaws of the Skimwings coming at them. It was absolute bloodshed at that point, and the Na'vi had the upper hand. The Metkayina were going as far as even having their own Skimwings to rush in from below the water, leap out of the surface and then grab the soldier between their jaws, razor-sharp teeth, and jaw strength.

The Na'vi were winning and the Sky People knew it, even if the battle was just beginning. They had no idea how much the Metkayina were mourning in anger for their home, their people, and their Tulkun and that these were all incentives for their strength in battle. It was their reason to fight. Forces were being taken down one after another in the blink of an eye, but even they knew that they couldn't get too confident. The battle only just started, and It was far from being. But they'd still give it their all until then. They'd take out as many forces as they could first and make sure to let the Sky People not to ever mess with them again.

As for Jake, even from your place on the boat, you exhaled in relief and smiled when you saw he finally came up to the surface. He took flight on his Skimwing and then moved to kneel on the saddle of the creature he was on while he sent a barrage of gunfire to enemy gunships from his rifle while he held the saddle holder with one hand and held the gun with the other. He continuously shot at the boats and after a couple seconds of consistent shooting, Jake set the speedboat on fire and flames, watching as a big explosion followed afterwards. Your eyes had been following him this entire him and something swelled inside you as you watched him fight, and simpy be so determined. You didn't know what it was but you did know how proud of him you were for fighting so hard to defeat the Sky People once and for all and to simply get his family back. You couldn't wait to tell him all of that when you get back to him.

The battle continued and the Sky People were dropping like flies. ThenMetkayina warriors, over and over, continued to lung their spears and arrows at the men on the speedboats with incredible precision that nobody ever saw them coming. Dead bodies of RDA soldiers plagued the waters below them, and it was becoming incredibly clear who was winning. Sky People were becoming so outmatched since this wasn't their usual environment of battle, and Scoresby was so in shock that their numbers were just dwindling the way they were . "Somebody just shoot something!" Scoresby yelled out at the same time as an arrow landed on his boat right behind him. Even he didn't know what to do.

After that, It seems there was switch in some of the soldiers minds because Scoresby's words must have triggered the soldiers in their heads and men on the boats actually started to react to the Metkayina's attacks, which helped them get their bearings and fight back. It still was not a matched battle but, this time, even for just a moment, they were able to shoot directly at the Na'vi warriors who were coming straight at them. Sound bomb rounds were launched from a couple of boats and some landed near Na'vi warriors, knocking the warriors off their Skimwings mid-air. Jake saw this and his eyes hardened. He was in the direct eye-line of a man launching the bombs, so Jake expertly moved and maneuvered his Skimwing to fly through the bombs' landings across the water. When getting close enough to the boat that was launching the bombs at him and other Na'vi, Jake raised his gun and then shot directly at the man controlling the boat, killing him.

And because of this, since the pilot of the boat was now dead and nobody was controlling the vehicle, the speedboat itself was running out of control and driving straight toward a cluster of sharp rocks because nobody was manning the boat anymore. Seeing that they were heading straight towards a rocky formation ahead, the other men on the boat panicked. "Stop!" The man launching the bombs sitting right behind the pilot on that boat called out, seeing that they were about to crash. Since the rock had some sort of elevated structure, and obviously pointy and deadly edges, upon the boat finally reaching it, the ship went high in the air and exploded just upon landing on the rocks. The two men were flung off and died at impact.

As he watched the explosion, Jake looked back at the scene and felt that his work was done with that one boat and was off to take care of others. He needed a second to double check his weapons and to change his ammunition if he needed to. Jake guided his Skimwing to go higher up in the air and then removed and then refilled the empty barrels and bullet cartridges, then proceeding to drop the empty ones. He stocked his rifle with new ones, cocked the gun, and then headed back into the battle below, continuing to ride his Skimwing to take care of more ships just like the one from before.

From your spot on your ship, you were almost completely back to normal and your returning strength was making sure that none of the collateral damage got to the kids. You watched as Tsireya kept Tuk close and how Lo'ak simply continued to try and break free because that was quite literally all that was left to do for the 4 of you. There were a couple times you gave it a shot as a well, when you felt you had enough strength to even attempt it. You looked down at your restraints and began to pull on them as well or try to maneuvre your own hands and wrists around them. But as you expected, it was completely futile. After a few more attempts, you exhaled with defeat and looked over to your son, Lo'ak, who seemed to be using all of his strength, as well as kicking the railing up to the point where the metal was bending.

You sighed and worried about him getting carried away by not being careful. "Lo'ak, be careful. You're going to get hurt" You warned, and that seemed to get his attention instantly. Your son turned to look at you for a momemt and the distressed look on his face dissolved into a softer one as he heard his mother's concern and worry. "I'll be fine, mom. I have to try. We can't just stay here doing nothing" He said and quickly resuming to pull on his restraints, albeit a bit less harshly than before. You sighed and then looked over to Tuk and Tsireya. The Metkayina princess looked over to you and yo locked eyes at the same time.

The look in her eyes told you how terrified she was but was desperately trying to stay strong for your youngest daughter who was staying as close Tsireya as possible. Your heart twisted in sadness at just how barely they were hanging on, and if you had your arms available to you, you'd wrap them in the biggest hug and never let them go through any more of this ever again. But they knew and you knew that this fight was far from being over, yet, if you all stuck together, you could make sure all of you made it out of this. You sighed softly and turned your head back around to the chaos in front of the ship, trying to spot Jake anywhere. But then your heart sank when you looked up and your eyes dilated with fear and horror. Quaritch was flying straight towards you and the kids on his Ikran with his gun raised.

Your breath hitched and your first thoughts went to the kids. You looked at them and saw that none of them had noticed the imminent danger that was befalling them. Though, what you didn't know is that Quaritch didn't plan to have you as a target in that moment but he was certain that if it seemed like he would harm you or your family it would draw him out of the  battle ground that he seemed to be lost in. But you didn't know that, and neither did the kids. As Quaritch got closer, he kept a periferal look around him and realized it would only be until the last moment that Jake would appear, simply knowing how calculating and attentive Jake was about every detail in the heat of battle. As expected, only in the last second, as Quaritch was about to reach you and the kids, you did the only you could think of. "Kids! Get down!" You yelled out to them as desperately as you could and their heads all snapped up to look at you but then did as told without a second thought. You realize that it wouldn't protect you completely but it was better than waiting for the imminent attack itself. Quaritch smirked and just as he aimed his gun, who he was expecting arrived in the nick of time.

Quaritch swerved away from the SeaDragon as Jake appeared from around the corner and began firing at the Colonel, driving him away from you and the kids. Just as Quaritch was expecting, if he couldn't get Jake to appear, all he had to do was go after the people he loved the most, which just happened to be his wife and his kids. As you waited for anything to happen, nothing did and you hesitantly looked up to see the coast was clear. Your head was swimming with confusion and you looked over to the kids who were timidly and carefully looking around to see if they were safe for the time being since nothing happened after your warning. You sighed in relief and then turned to the kids to reassure them that all was fine.

"Are you alright? Don't worry, he's gone" Yo smiled gently seeing Tsireya and Lo'ak nodded but your smile soon dropped when you noticed Tuk's eyes brimming with tears and you hated these restraints for keeping you from being there for your daughter. "Tuk," You whispered softly to your daughter who was sniffling and you could practically hear your heart tearing. "We're okay. He wasn't going to hurt us, he just wanted to scare us," You cooed softly and she looked up at you with her big, golden, doe eyes. "That was really scary, mama" She whispered and you nodded instantly in agreement.

If you had felt your heart stop in that moment out of horror, you can't imagine what it must've been like for her, or even Tsireya and Lo'ak who were trying to stay strong. "I know, I know. But I promise we will go home soon, okay? I give you my word" You smiled gently and your words alone seemed to reassure her because Tuk sniffled and mustered up a weak yet genuine smile. "Okay, mama" She said and you exhaled shakily as you watched her lean against Tsireya for comfort while Lo'ak kept a lookout so there wasn't a repeat of what just happened. They needed to all be alert now more than ever before. Anything could happen.

As for Jake, his blood boiled the moment he saw Quaritch go as far as to head straight for his family defenseless on the boat. Though, while knowing it must be a ploy, he couldn't help but feel so much hatred inside him at the fact that he would even think of trying to lay a hand on his family. He would never let or allow anything happen to you or the kids, much less while you were all out in the open as you were or even by Quaritch's hand. The moment Jake saw Quaritch close in on you, he only saw red and began angrily firing and shooting at him with a relentless barrage of bullets, effectively diverting him from you and the kids on the ship. If Quaritch wanted to draw him out of hiding, then he got what he wanted, but if he dared to lay a hand on his wife and children, the Colonel had to go through him first.

Jake continued to go after Quaritch relentlessly, which had been what the Colonel wanted, but luckily you had never been the real target so you and the kids were safe for now. After that, Jake and the Colonel were out of your sight and their own fight began. As Jake continued to shoot, the Colonel moved his Ikran to fly in a zig-zag motion while Jake just continued to let his own anger drive him as he let out a yell of hatred and rage that came from deep inside of him as he continued to go after the Colonel. And it was only after chasing each other for a while on their Ikrans, and with Jake not daring to stop relentless fire of bullets at Quaritch, the fight had taken a turn. Suddenly, while Jake was shooting, his rifle stopped and he realized he was out of ammunition once again. He groaned and discarded his empty cartridge, "Ah, shit..." He muttered as he then began to start searching in his military vest pockets for more. Quaritch looked back at Jake and grinned sinisterly when he saw quite the predicament that Jake found himself in.

When Jake realized that he had no more ammo, he decided to drop his gun and simply discard it. He let it fall onto the water and he was officially without a weapon. The Colonel obviously took notice of this and immediately tried to shoot him now that he noticed that Jake was weaponless. But, your mate quickly responded by taking a deep breath, laying on his stomach on his Skimwing and then diving straight into the water as he had done in the beginning of the battle. But being underwater didn't stop Quaritch from continuing to shoot at your husband, and thanks to the clear waters of the reef, the Colonel was able to follow Jake's every move from above. Though, as luck would have it, Quaritch ran out of ammunition as well and was forced to stop shooting before taking a few seconds fo refill the cartridges, leaving Jake with the perfect opportunity to get away and try to get the upper hand on him.

Underneath the surface, in the algae forest the kids had been previously hiding in, was still littered with submarines from before that had been released earlier to search for the kids, and they were stilk looking for the ones that weren't caught in the net. But as you, Tuk, Tsireya, and Lo'aknall got caught up in the net, Kiri, Rotxo and Ao'nung still happened to be down there and were trying to find some sort if refuge for the time being in the forest of algae. As the three of them swam in the depths of the water, one of the submarines shone a light below and spotted the three kids swimming away in a desperate manner, trying to get away.

After spotting Kiri, Rotxo and Ao'nung, the people in the submarine didn't hesitate to go after them. "Get after them! Go," The pilot in front said, quickly starting to swerve around to the side and head straight toward Kiri, and the two Metkayina boys who were following her lead. Seeing that a submarine was after them, the three kids continued to swim further into a rocky wall that was littered and filled with giant sea anemones with large tentacles on them. Simply by looking at them, Kiri got an idea and looked back from the submarine approaching and then back to the anemones.

She reached back to grabbed her braid and then connected her queue one of the stems of the anemone just as the submarine seemed and continued to get closer. Almost instantly, her own freckles all over her body began to dim on and off while all of the anemone plants in the wall began to react and glow simultaneously at the contact of Kiri's queue as the plants all stretched their tentacles and came alive. While she was waiting for the perfect moment, as the submarine got closer and closer, Kiri tried her best to concentrate as she closed her eyes and summoned her deep connection to Eywa to control the underwater flora. She truly hoped it would work and it could buy them some time.

When the submarine was only a couple feet away and about to get to Kiri and the two Metkayina boys, the girl moved her hands forward and used her hands to control the anemone as the tentacles wrapped around the submarine and began crushing the vehicle with immense pressure. After the tentacles were secure and tightly around the submarine, Kiri decided to finish it off by commanding the anemone to crash the sub against rock wall where the rest of the plants were, shattering it entirely. It was the moment that the submarine made contact with the rocks that the glass up front shattered and water started to rush inside of the capsule. Out of sheer panic, the pilots began to rush to get their masks on and not drown at the water that was quickly filling up the vessel. "Breach! Masks on!" The main pilot yelled out to the other men in the back of the sub, but the truth is that they barely got any time to put them on because the water was rushing in so quickly from the outside. But, in the nick of time, they were able to seal the masks and leave the submarine through the hatch at the top. But that wasn't all.

The moment that the two men began to leave the sub from the hatch, Kiri had already anticipated that and waited for them to leave the bessel in order to control the anemones again to have them wrap their tentacles around the men to suffocate them while they scream for help up until they both died and Kiri had done her job. What she didn't notice is how Rotxo and Ao'nung had witnessed her feat and looked at one another dumbfounded and then back to Kiri in shock at what they witnessed.

The battle up in the surface didn't seem to get any better or start to wind down, in fact, it seemed to only get more intense by the second. Payakan was continuously doing his part in the battle even if he was a clear target for the RDA and all other enemy ships, and most of all, Scoresby and his team. One speedboat had their sights on Payakan in the water and was pursuing the Tulkun, shooting relentlessly and not letting him out of their sight. But, Payakan was smart enough to get them off his trail and just get rid of them once and for all. He's come too far just to let himself get captured.

So, as the speedboat was rushing towards the outcast Tulkun with relentless machine guns, the boat rushed right over Payakan above the surface, and the Tulkun lifted his tail and swiped the jetboat that was after him, sending it flying directly into one of the Sea Dragon's tilt-rotor engines that, causing a massive explosion. This action not only got rid of the boat that was after him but it also damaged the larger vessel of the SeaDragon that was essential for its function. The men on the speedboat were all sent off screaming into the air from the heigh they were falling from, with some even dying in the actual explosion itself.

Having the explosion happen so close to the control room, Spider was able to see first-hand what was happening outside from the main rook of operations he was being held captive in. The chaos was all ocurring dangerously close to where Spider was in the room, so the human boy could see the Tulkun fight back even from the room he was in on the ship, watching as flames began to spread right outside the large window. Because of the damage on the rotors and turbines, most monitors were beeping frantically because of the malfunction the ship was having in many areas of it. The destroyed engines were showing failure warnings on the screens and Spider wanted to take advantage the fact that nobody was paying attention to him in order to be helpful in this entire battle somehow. He needed to use this chaos and all
the commotion as a chance to escape this place once and for all and meet up with the Sully's.

Just as he thought, everyone was distracted by the beeping monitors and the explosions outside to even give Spider a glance, so he looked across the room to see if he could use anything to turn this around and when he spotted a fire extinguisher attached to the wall, he raced over to grab it. When he did, he didn't waste a single moment and ran over with the fire extinguisher in his hands all the way to where the pilot commanding the Sea Dragon was. Spider acted so quickly nobody knew how to react. He brought the fire extinguisher down on the pilot's head, hard, and knocked him out cold. Once people tried to stop him and noticed what he'd done, Spider continued to do what he needed to so and pushed forward the all of the control levers of the ship, making the turbines right where the explosion happened start to run and operate again.

When Spider had the turbines running again, it caused the fire from the flames of the previous explosions to get caught up in the engine when they started to wind up again, only causing the fire to grow more intense and more powerful. Spider was a quick thinker so to prevent the controls from being moved again and not allow them to go back to normal, with all of his strength, Spider began knocking the fire extinguisher over and over onto the levers, breaking them completely and rendering them utterly useless. Even those who tried to come in and stop Spider were all met with a hit on their face or to the head by the fire extinguisher  on Spider's part. Many RDA employees were trying to get him away from the controls, but at this point, the boy was far from even allowing himself to be taken away and giving up.

There was nothing to be done now and Spider had done his part, and because the boy had broken the controls of the turbines, the ship was now moving forward with no control and nothing could stop it. Even Spider had done enough damage, the employees had gotten to him and multiple men had a grip on him that he was desperately trying to get out of as the ship continued to go straight forward and directly towards a large segment of sharp rocks that was protruding from above the surface. It was obvious that one crash in that area and the ship would no doubt go down with everyone in it. That is not doubt as to why so many RDA employees in the room began to rush over to the broken levers and tried to bring them back to how they were before, but none of them knew how much energy they were wasting.

And just as expected, the Sea Dragon ran over those rocks at full speed and scraped the bottom base of the ship along way. The moment it was in the air, gravity seemed nonexistent for just a moment as you, Lo'ak, Tsireya and Tuk all levitated from the deck while still being cuffed to the railing with all of you screaming into the air. Eventually, the moment the ship landed back down on the water, you all did too with hard thuds and loud yelps onto the deck. Your first instinct was to check on the kids to see if they were okay and if they had any injuries from what just happened. But your youngest daughter beat you to it.

"Mama! Are you okay?" Tuk asked worriedly, and your heart warmed as you looked up and saw Lo'ak and Tsireya looking over to you to see how you were holding up since they knew you were still recovering. Just because you had regained most of your strength didn't make it any easier to withstand the fall all 4 you just endured. Upon hearing your daughters' voice and the concern from Lo'ak and Tsireya, you smiled tiredly with a small nod as you made sure to let them know you were okay.

Lo'ak smiled and sighed in relief at your reply while Tuk beamed at your confirmation. Just the fact they had endured through so much physically and emotionally, which is already too much for how young they are, makes your heart swell at how concerned they were over you first. But you hoped your children truly knew that your priority is and always will be them before yourself and their safety and happiness came before anything else.

It was silent for a few second's after that since everyone was truly just trying to process what just happened. It was started and ended in an instant. But it seems that nobody on the ship was aware of the fact that the fundamental part of the ship had ruptured and that water was rushing in from the bottom of the vessel, which meant that ship was sinking now, slowly, but surely and it would soon be underwater.

At least nobody in the top decks knew, but for those in the boiler, engine and very bottom decks of the ship, they were drowning from being washed away by the harsh waves of water rushing inside. They were screaming and had nowhere to run to, nowhere to hold onto, and not a single place to hide. Even when they tried to hanh onto something, the currents washed them away in an instant, without a chance.

On the other hand, in the top deck, the main room of operations was still in chaos and the news of the breach hadn't even reached them yet, but as if on cue, the blaring of alarms delivered the news perfectly. Employees were running around the room frantically to see what can be done. "Damage report?" A man yelled with urgency as he came up to the supervisor sitting by the monitor, but she looked back and shook her head with distress and fear. "There's a flood in compartments 2 and 3!" The woman exclaimed anxiously.

Spider continued watch as all employees get swept and taken away by panic and quickly start crowding the monitors, so he smirked and began to make his way to the exit to escape like he wanted all along. His plan worked after all. He truly felt that his success was due to the luck that the outcome brought, since eventually everyone was so focused on the breach that nobody noticed if he tried to leave. Now, all
he had to do was find the right moment.

Back with you and the kids, once the massive waves of water had finally cleared out, Lo'ak spoke out and you heard him say "You okay?" Lo'ak asked his little sister with concern, and Tuk nodded assertively, with so much drive and determination. The boy then turned to Tsireya and gave her a look that prompted the same question, so she nodded with a gentle smile. He then turned to you and spoke again; "What about you? You okay, mom?" He asked and you smiled and nodded as well, which seemed to leave him satisfied enough. He was very happy to know nothing major happened during the ship collapse. It wasn't long before your son took charge and had all of you were simultaneously try to pull on your restraints at the same time, despite how incredibly hard it still was. Nothing was making it any easier.

You and Tsireya encouraged Tuk as best as you two possibly could. It's simply because she was the youngest and although she had already had so much motivation and drive already as an 8 year old, Tuk truly needed all the help she could get to be the first of you all to get out of there and to safety. You needed to continue to give her the strength to keep going and to continue to help her believe that she would make it out of here and not lose hope, just like Tsireya and Lo'ak would. All 3 of them needed to have hope to make it out of here.

The fight on Jake and Quaritch's end was still going on while the Colonel pursuited Jake from up above in his Ikran while Jake continued to ride through the reefs on his Skimwing, that could still be seen in thr crystal clear ocean waters. All of his training with Tonowari had payed off and Jake was moving skillfully around every corner of the reef that he could find as the bullets being fired at him just barely passed by him. He was avoiding and dodging every single bullet, just as as he was able to find a small opening where he could sneak into and the depth of the reef increased, giving Quaritch less visibility on him from above. Jake was able to be out of the Colonel's sight for a couple of seconds, so Quaritch snarled when he no longer had a visual on Jake and was forced to stop shooting. He couldn't waste the ammo he had when he had no idea where the ex-marine was. He could take him by surprise at any time.

The Colonel not being able to spot Jake in the water anymore now gave your husband a good advantage. As Quaritch tried to spot Jake from up in the surface, he had no idea that the ex-marine was now following the Colonel just below him in the water through a path that allowed him to not be seen. Giving himself a couple seconds to gain more speed and catch the Colonel off guard. As a surprise attack, Jake began to lead his Skimwing quickly back up to the surface and didn't give Quaritch a chance to react when he leapt out of the water.

Before he knew it, Jake's Skimwing opened its jaws, using its razor-sharp teeth to then bite onto the neck of the Colonel's Ikran as the banshee screamed in agony, which Quaritch was able to feel as well because of the bond. The pain that the Ikran was feeling directly shot through the Colonel's nerves and they mirrored each other's reactions of pain.

To finish it off, while Jake had a hold on Quaritch and his banshee, your husband took advantage of the fact that he had the upper hand now and used all of his own strength to maneuver his body to turn the Ikran and the Colonel around in mid air while using all of his upper body strength. Because of all the muscle and strength of his own that he was using, Jake yelled out loudly as he bared his fangs and effectively managed to knock Quaritch off of his Ikran and directly into the water.

Jake went back down into the water as well, but he was still on his Skimwing securely all the while the creature he was on still held the Ikran in its jaws, and now, Quaritch was left stranded and defenseless in the rough ocen waters as Jake left the scene. The Ikran swam away as far as it possibly could, while being and feeling incredibly startled and pained at what happened, leaving the Colonel to float on the reef by himself as Jake rode away on his Skimwing, feeling satisfied. As for the Colonel, he began to swim upwards to the surface while he still held his gun in his hand, and gasped when he came up for air. As an immidiate reaction when he got his own bearings back, Quaritch raised and aimed his gun upwards at anything and anyone he could see, but the battlefield was deserted. He heard a screech and turned his head back to see his Ikran flying away into the distance, leaving him behind.

As the battle was narrowing down to two groups; Jake and Quaritch and Payakan and the hunters. The Tulkun continued to single-handedly take care of Scoresby and those who were still after him. As he kept reminding himself, Payakan had been through too much to just let himself get captures and not make sure that you and your family got out of this mess. Hahona's wishes wouldve been in vain and his mom would've been killed if he didn't fight back with every fibre of his being. The Tulkun was swimming right up to the surface, just a couple feet away from Scoresby's boat that was sailing just beside Payakan. As he has been the entire battle, Scoresby was still
standing on the harpoon launcher with another one already loaded and ready to shoot.

Being very well aware that the hunters were on his trail, Payakan roared and splashed a fin onto the water, catching the attention of Scoresby and his team. The boat started to turn towards the Tulkun in hopes of another chance of capturing him. "Open fire!" Scoresby yelled out as he moved the harpoon launcher, and then angled his shot directly at Payakan while a soldier on the side continued to try and shoot at Payakan from the machine gun attached to the edge of the boat. "Get me a shot!" Scoresby yelled out to his team frantically, not wanting to lose another chance like he did before. He was very frustrated that he wasn't getting a clear shot. Having heard this, Payakan then narrowed his eyes at Scoresby and had an idea of what to do when they tried to launch it.

When Scoresby was finally able to concentrate, he grinned maniacally as he finally released the trigger. "Got you!" The man yelled out as the harpoon launched at last. But, just as the Tukkun had been planning, Payakan swiftly swerved and dodged the harpoon smoothly, letting the harpoon and the wire be redirected somewhere else, but to still be close enough.

The Tulkun howled and wailed underwater as he turned around in the water, hooked the wire onto his frontal tusks, did a full turn and then bit onto it with his jaw. When the metal rod was secure around Payakan and he had a good hold on it, the Tulkun began to quickly swim forward, which caused the entire wire to start to unravel as the Tulkun swam away with it. In an instant when the rod was pulled entirely and the other end was still attached to the boat, from the force, the boat was beginning to be harshly pulled forward in the water as the Tulkun tugged and dragged on the metal rod. Scoresby and his team all held as tightly as they possibly could, stumbling forward because of the angle and position that boat was in as it continued to get pulled with the strength of a full grown Tulkun. "Cut us away" Scoresby yelled out frantically to the captain of the boat as he tightly held onto the launcher, trying his best not to fall off the boat. They needed to detach the rod from the ship somehow.

"Not responding!" The man replied, telling Scoresby that the wire function that would detach it from the boat wasn't working, but the hunter was not happy with that at all. Still, the hunter did not stop barking out orders to get them out of this situation that would most likely lead to their demise."Who's got the harpoon now?" Garvin said cockily, with an 'I told you so' tone, remembering the previous conversation he had with Scoresby a few days ago, or even just with any conversation pr interaction about Tulkun hunting in general.

Meanwhile, under the surface, Payakan then began to steer and tug on the cable to the left and brought the boat with him, causing it to be at an even steeper angle. Going forward with his plan, the Tulkun swam far enough until he came across rock formation that appeared above the surface, which turned out to perfect for his plan and what he planned to do.

As Payakan dragged the boat, the Tulkun managed to bring it so close to the rocks that the speedboat actually went over the rocks and ramped itself over the formation. No matter how much Scoresby tried to steer the boat away, there was no denying the damage that had been done to the boat already. When the boat landed back down in the water, the vehicle had yet to show signs of its damage in the base underneath, so that is why as soon as Scoresby and his team thought they were in the clear, the hunter was barking out orders once again.

Since the boat had gone up so high from going over the rocks, when  falling back down to the water, many men, including Scoresby landed somewhere else on the boat or even in te water from where they were originally standing on the boat. Not even thinking about it twice, the hunter stood up again and was back up on his feet as he headed back towards the harpoon launcher. Feeling more and more irritated about how Payakan kept getting away from him. "Reload!" Scoresby yelled out to the crew, and they all frantically began to prepare. But, when Scoresby saw that the crew was changing the cable and not the harpoon itself like he asked, he mentally facepalmed. "Not the cable, you idiot!" The hunter said, already having someone else take care of the explosive harpoon being reloaded automatically.

The moment that the harpoon was loaded and ready to be launched, Scoresby started to make his way around the boat to get back on the launcher platform, all the while Garvin moved to be on the other side to where he was before. "Take your water pumps on," The pilot said to the rest of the crew. While he was standing on the platform, Scoresby did not waste a single moment to yell out orders for everyone to man their weapons and to be ready to strike again. Garvin, hearing this, scoffed at the situation and the hunter's words, knowing the situation that Scoresby was putting himself in. The Tulkun had proven multiple times how much smarter he was than any of them and how he was not going to let himself get captured so easily, so Garvin wondered why Scoresby wanted to go again and continue pursuing Payakan. "I thought you were the intelligent species here, Scoresby," Garvin loudly pointed out enough for him to hear, which he did. Scoresby looked back and scowled at the biologists' words, telling him to shut up, but Garvin only laughed in amusement.

Payakan stayed beneath the surface with the cable still wrapped around his tusks, waiting for the perfect moment to deal with the final blow. It was still eerily silent on the surface, and Scoresby was aiming at any movement in the water that could indicate the presence of Payakan. There was only silence as Scoresby and his team waited. "Where are you, cheeky bugger? You think you're pretty clever, don't you?" Scoresby muttered, and it was as if he called upon the Tulkun because, not even a second late, once his back was turned, Payakan leaped from the water right behind the hunter. Upon feeling the large presence looming behind them, Scoresby and his team on the boat all turned around and saw Payakan soar over the boat with the cord still on his mouth. While everyone else looked at the sentient creature with fear but Garvin had pure awe on his features. Just knowing for the rest of his days that he'd gotten this close to a Tulkun in all its glory without having to kill it in the first place, he felt like he could die happy at this point and his work payed off.

As he leapt over, Payakan still had the cord in his mouth and when he landed back in the water, the wire wrapped around the back of the boat and in a genius way, when he started swimming away again, the Tulkun began to drag the boat to the point where the bottom of the boat was tightly pressed against the large rock formations. The boat was now pinned against the rock while Payakan only tightened the wire that held it there.The more that Payakan swam and pulled on the rope, the cord began to level the boat slowly as the cord made its way to the front, breaking everything in its path. Seeing this, the only logical thing was to take cover. "Get down!" Garvin yelled out to everyone on the boat, telling all of the remaining crew on the Matador to drop to the ground just a second before the cord finally broke through and there were no obstacles in the way anymore, especially for Scoresby who was not so lucky. He wasn't so fast as the rest and when the cord ended up reaching him the more Payakan pulled on it, the force and pressure was simply so great that it pinned the man's arm to the gunner's platform attached to the edge of the ship with no warning. He groaned and yelled in agony as he tried to move his arm away, but the strength that Payakan was putting in was too great, that it only brought more pain to the hunter. Even moving the slightest bit trying to get free brought just as much agony to his entire arm.

Realizing that he only had one thing left to do and he soon wouldn't be able to pull anymore, with one final tug, Payakan pulled on the cable and the pressure that the Tulkun put on the boat at last caused the cable to tear the gunners platform off the boat, and in turn, chopping off and severing Scoresby's arm. Not only that but along with the platform, he was sent flying off into the boat along with it while letting out an agonizing and pained scream. The satisfaction that Payakan felt in that moment was definitely one of the best moments of accomplishment in his life. His team and all of the other whalers took his mother and his fin away, so now he was able to reciprocate it even if it was years late. Even so, he did what he always wanted to do. An eye for an eye. Payakan finally avenged his mother, took revenge on those who killed Hahona and was able to do what he wanted to do those years ago with the other Tulkuns. He truly made it all count.

In the Sea Dragon, on the main room of operations, the alarms did not cease and continued to blare, continuously reminding the cabin crew members of what had happen and what little time they had left on the ship. Every single employee was running around frantically trying to fix the situation, even if they knew that there was just no way to fix what happened now that they knew that the ship was sinking. It was truly beyond hope now for them. "The pumps aren't working!" The supervisor said, pushing every button available to her disposal but nothing would undo the damage. Upon the realization that they could not stay on the ship anymore, the man that was watching over the loudly beeping monitor began to bark out orders to everyone in the room, along with what to do with Spider as everybody began to head out.

"Abandon the ship! Abandon the ship! Get him on a boat! Come on, people! Let's move, people! Let's go!" The man called out loudly as two men who were instructed to escort Spider out carried away the boy to the nearest exit. All employees were starting to evacuate as fast as possible simply because they all knew that ship was not salvageable at this point, so the only option left was to get everyone out and leave while they still could. As for Spider, he was just about to find a way to leave on his own, but turns out he simply didn't need to. People were evacuating, and now that he would be escorted out, the part of him trying to leave the room had been done for him and he only had to find a way to distract those in charge of escorting him out. Once he was out in the open, he knew he could find a better way to escape as opposed to a confined place like the room he was in

The situation for you and the kids back on the deck had changed a lot. You could see how the environment in the battlefield had changed and not only were there almost no Na'vi fighting anymore or any boats fighting against the Metkayina, but you couldnt spot Jake fighting Quaritch anymore so you knew they must be off somewhere else.

Which, you had to admit did worry you, but you knew Jake was okay. After the ship crashed and landed the way it did, you knew everyone's perspectives for this battle had changed. You knew that there was nobody coming back for you and your children, so you and the kids had to take matters into your own hands. You could vaguely see other humans start to evacuate and you and the kids were left unattended and still cuffed to the railing. If no one would set you free, the 4 of you had to do it by yourselves. There was a noticeable feeling of the ship sinking, which started to fill you and the kids with concern, which is why all of you started to fight against the restraints even more than before.

At this point, you finally had enough strength to stand up and pull on the cuffs with the kids, something you weren't able to do before. So, you started kicking the railing with everything in you, and having the strength of an adult really helped the kids out in trying to remove it and to try and bend the railing.

You and Tsireya tried your best to help Tuk while Lo'ak was continuing to kick the railing over and over again until it was starting to look bent and could somehow free themselves through any possible opening. At that point, sitting by and doing nothing was the last thing they could do. You continued to encourage the kids as best as you could to continue pulling, kicking, and putting all of their energy into freeing yourselves and getting out of this ship. It was no longer an option to wait around anymore, but somehow, your prayers were answered.

At last making an appearance in this battle, after dropping off Payakan's tracker somewhere, your eldest son Neteyam finally came onto the scene. And he wasn't alone. Somehow along the way after the battle dispersed he encountered Zara and after she heard where he was going, she didn't hesitate to tag along to make sure you were okay. The battle was arduous and she took care of as many Sky People as she could, but now she wanted to focus on helping getting you and your family to safety like she vowed to do.nHe didn't forget to come back for you and his siblings and he rode all the way back from the reef, only to see his mother, Tsireya, and his younger siblings cuffed to the railing trying desperately to free themselves. Zara wasn't very pleased to see the condition you and the kids were in either, seeing how worn you looked.

At first he panicked but he realized he was probably the only person around to get you all out of this mess, and Zara reassured him that he wasn't in it alone and that he would help him get his mom and siblings out of there. They rode up to the ship, with Neteyam on his ilu and Zara on her Skimwing all around the ship up until reaching the nearest deck, and when they got to the closest opening, Neteyam and Zara then picked up speed on his ilu and her Skimwing and maneuvered the creatures to allow them to leap upwards, jump off the both of the creatures, and grab onto the ledge of the Sea Dragon. Just as you were all pulling on your restraints, you all felt a presence behind you, so simultaneously, you all turned around and noticed the arrival Neteyam and Zara running towards you and the kids. Your faces all lit up with relief and happiness as you all saw your son and your best friend leap over the railing and start to make their way over to you and the kids. They were truly blessings in your life.

"Ma'Itan! Zara!" You exclaimed with happiness as you beamed at your eldest son and then at your best friend, feeling involuntary tears of relief to see your son and your closest friend began to cloud your vision.  "Neteyam!" Tuk beamed excitedly as well, happy to see her older brother, while Lo'ak and Tsireya gaped in surprise at his appearance. You were so glad to see your son was okay and that he came back to you unscathed like he promised he would. As well as Zara who you hadn't seen since leaving the village and you couldn't believe she was here, At your calling at him, Neteyam smiled and got to you first, kneeling by your side. "Hi, ma" He greeted and you couldn't even speak through the incoming tears threatening to leave your eyes. Neteyam's eyes softened at the sight, and he knew you had been worried about him the moment he had to take a separate way from everyone else. He placed a hand on the back of your head and smiled.

"Mom, please don't cry. I am came back like I said I would. I'll get you guys out of here" He reassured as you nodded and sniffled with a gentle smile on your face. He was here to help and you could not explain how insanely happy you were to see him. Almost all of your children were here in one place, which made you think if Kiri was okay with Rotxo and Ao'nung. You won't be at ease until you could see they were all in one place. You just wanted this to be over already. You looked up and saw Zara tearing up as well, you laughed a bit as you felt those rogue tears threaten to fall. Before you knew it, she knelt down and wrapped her arms around your neck and if you could you would hug her back but you simply tucked your head in her hair and laughed tearfully. Nothing had to be said as she pulled back and put a hand on your shoulder. Zara then turned to look at the kids next to you and could feel such a relief of seeing you alive and in one piece, as well as the kids. All of this was so close to being over.

Before you knew it, when Neteyam finally cut your cuffs free, you immediately had your hands go to your wrists at the relief you felt. You stepped back from the railing and turned to Zara again to embrace her properly as she immediately returned the hug while the two of you swayed from side to side. After peeling yourself away from the hug and sighed shakily, Zara stayed right next you, waiting by your side until Neteyam set everyone free to be able to leave all at the same time. "Hey, baby brother. Need some help?" Neteyam said with a bit of amusement and a gentle smile as he looked up at Lo'ak for a split second and he used his dagger to cut Tsireya free right after you. Tsireya was then quick to move right next to you.

After that, you watched as he moved onto Tuk to set her free and Tsireya massaged her wrists as well from the discomfort. "Yeah, come on, get us loose," Lo'ak said as he watched his older brother cut Tuk free, and he knew he was the the last one. As Neteyam cut Tuk's restraints at last, your youngest daughter immediately ran over to stand next to you, Tsireya, and Zara. Before Neteyam turned to him to cut the last of the restraints, Lo'ak quickly checked to see if there was anyone else coming since the deck was empty and they just couldn't be too careful, especially with so many people evacuating.

Before proceeding to set Lo'ak free, there was one thing left to do before he forgot, so Neteyam turned to look at Tsireya who had Tuk nuzzled up in her leg between you and her. "Get Tuk out of here, okay? Far away" He said, and the Tsireya nodded, taking the youngest Sully's hand to start to head out. But before that, knowing that they'd need an adult, Zara put a hand on Tsireya's shoulder, causing the girl and Tuk to stop in her tracks. They both looked up to lock eyes with Zara who was looking at them with concern. "I'll go with you two, I can help you get to safety" And at those words, the two girls instantly nodded and began to follow Zara's lead.

Before your best friend would leave once again with Tuk and Tsireya, she turned her head back to you and gave you a reassuring look, knowing that she had in her hands the safety of two very important people in your life. "I'll take care of them don't worry. Stay with the boys," She said and you nodded with a soft smile as the two of you pulled each other into another hug that lasted a couple seconds until you had to pull away because there was no time to waste. The reunion and catching up could come after. "I'll see you after, okay? Thank you for being here" You smiled and Zara nodded as she began to head over to Tuk and Tsireya. "I promised i'd always be there for you and your family, didn't I?" She said loudly enough for you to hear as she began running over to the edge with the two girls in tow. You smiled softly to yourself, and watched as Zara, Tsireya and Tuk all leaped off the ship and began to swim away to safety. You had faith in her.

You and Neteyam were both brought back to reality when you and him heard Lo'ak's urgent voice. "Bro, hurry up!" Lo'ak said urgently, worried they might get caught, so without wasting another second, Neteyam soon moved on to Lo'ak since he was the last one cuffed. You stayed as the lookout and stayed alert for anybody that might come by. But, before Neteyam could set his little brother free, he looked up at Lo'ak with an amused expression. "Who's the mighty warrior? Come on, say it," Neteyam teased, making Lo'ak roll his eyes with a smile grazing his face. You couldn't help but chuckle at your son's words, feeling happy that they were still able to make each other laugh and happy even at a time like this. Soon enough, Lo'ak was free of the cuffs. "Bro!" The boy said with a smile to his older brother, who patted his head with affection.

When both of your sons were able to stand up, in your head the logical thing to do was to get the hell out of there. Your eldest son gestured his head to the edge of the ship from where he came from. "Come on, let's go," The older boy said, and you nodded in agreement as you and Neteyam started to head over to the edge of the ship, but you slowed in your steps when you noticed Lo'ak wasn't in tow with you and Neteyam so you turned around to see where he was going, and you stilled when you saw him heading straight towards a gun that was laying across the deck. Your eyes widened when you saw him grab the rifle from the fallen soldier and you were about to say something but Neteyam beat you to it. "Lo'ak!" Neteyam whisper-shouted, not wanting to waste any more time trying to get out of there. You watched with disbelief as Lo'ak began to inspect it. "Lo'ak! Put that down, it's dangerous, we have to go!" You whisper-shouted, not wanting to waste any more time trying to get out of there and not wanting to spend more time here than you had to. What did he need a gun for?

You and Neteyam ran over to Lo'ak and kneeled by his side, and held the gun in his hand as he stood up while you and Neteyam stayed crouched on the ground. "They've got Spider. We've gotta get him. Come on," Lo'ak said, and your head cocked to the side in confusion as you heard the unfamiliar name. You looked back and forth in between your two sons as they seemed to have a silent conversation. Neteyam looked incredibly doubtful and hesitant while Lo'ak looked hopeful. "Who's Spider?" You asked and Lo'ak was quick to turn to you and answer. He realized you never really met Spider so he understood your confusion in this moment. "Mom, we grew up with him. He's human and he was captured by Quaritch and he's here. We need to go get him. We can't just abandon him and leave him with that guy. We'll explain later, but he really needs our help" Lo'ak explained and you really began to understand even if Lo'ak gave you the short explanation of it.

Neteyam was looking at you expectantly to see what you would say. He did think it was a bit unfair to make a decision like this in such a situation as this one, but you didn't need time to think about it. It was truly a no-brainer. If this human boy was important to your family, you would do anything to get that boy to safety too. It didn't matter if you didn't know him, but if your sons trusted him, then you did too. "Come on, bro. Mom? We can't leave him," Lo'ak reasoned, hopeful you and Neteyam would agree. He couldn't do this alone. You and Neteyam looked at each other and nodded, huffing a bit before standing up and following Lo'ak to the inside of the ship. You would stand by your sons through everything and if this was important to them, then it was worth it to you too. It was a miracle there was nobody around here, and you should take advantage of that to save Spider and get him out too.

As the three of you stealthily headed inside the ship, you were confident about getting Spider out, but what you weren't sure about was Lo'ak holding a gun so casually, but you didn't question it. You worry about anybody you cared about, especially your sons, with a gun. Lo'ak seemed to notice your hesitance whenever your eyes landed on the rifle on him and he was quick to reassure you "Mom, I got this, trust me," He said, but it wasn't convincing at all. You hummed and sent him a small and gentle smile as you put your hands on your sons' shoulders, in order to guide them to start walking in a more bent down position and not be seen, as well as moving to walk in front of them, to shield them both. But the more you got further into the ship, the more unsettling feelings you felt growing inside of you. Sky People have always felt foreign to you, but going into the belly of the beast had you expecting the worst and you had no idea what the outcome would be.

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This took me ages to finish but Im so glad I finally did :,) I think Im pretty happy with it since the big battle scene is over and we're heading into the more angsty part of the movie so I can't wait. I think I mentioned this before but, there's only a couple chapters left in this story so Im planning to hopefully finish it by the time summer officially starts and then Ill have the entire summer to get started on 'Call of Silence' and dedicate my time to that one after this book! Im so excited! 🤍

I only have a month or so left of uni for my first year and then it'll be summer vacation! I can't wait to finally take a break from college craziness because its taken a toll on me lol. Anyway, did you guys like this chapter? I know maybe in some parts it must've been not as fun because of the action scenes we already know from the movie but I hope my ideas for story inserts made it better! From this point on, we're moving onto the finale ive been planning for months so I really hope you guys enjoy it as much as ive been looking forward to you guys reading it! :,) Im trying to stay consistent, but I really am trying to find a balance between everything going on.

As usual, I put these at the end of every chapter I write, but there's not much else that I have to say now. As always, I'll add other news in future chapters if there are any at all or if anything changes. Anyway, I'll see you all in the next one! 🤍 Have a good rest of your week everyone! :,)
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