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

This might be one of my favorite chapters in term of what happens in it so I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did writing it! It took me so long because of how much action happens.

I was planning to publish it on Christmas but yeah, it took so long lmao This chapter is around 17k words or so shsjs still, I think this might be my new year's present to you guys!

As always, 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!

Thank you all of you for sticking around even after I was absent from here for so long. Im really trying to be more consistent. I love every single one of you so much :,)
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Somehow, you knew in your heart that things were only going downhill from here but still kept going forward. The moment you leapt into the water to go after Lo'ak, a weird feeling settled inside you that you didn't like whatsoever. But even so, you were certain about your decision and you knew in your head why you decided to go after the Lo'ak and join Neteyam to save his brother from another huge mistake, but somehow, there was a pit in your gut that told you that something was about to go terribly wrong in all of this, that going after Payakan would lead to something worse and get you all into all further trouble. There were reasons in your head that you were desperately trying to remind yourself of constantly and repeatedly, attempting to convince yourself that you wouldn't regret this even knowing what you were heading directly towards.

This includes Jake, staying unconditionally by your children's sides and not ever feeling like they would be alone in this world again, to fight for a better future for them like you two have always talked about. He always thought your loyalty to those you love would be the death of you, and he deeply admires that trait and it was one of the biggest reasons as to why he fell so deeply in love with you. It also included Ronal and Tonowari, to show them that no matter how many rules you break or that you didn't regret being there with Lo'ak when he wanted you to meet Payakan and to bond with him, that despite all of that, you had a responsibility bigger than yourself now. A family you'd never dare to let go of. Children of your own. A husband you love with every fibre of your being. And that now that you had all of these important people in your life, you would never turn your back on them if they needed you. You'd be a Tsahik that Eywa can be proud of, that your parents can be proud of, that Hahona can be proud of, and that your family can look at and say that they're proud to have as their role model to follow, mother, and wife. If it took them time to understand that, then you'll be glad to wait as long as it's needed to create an even stronger bond where you can get to know them more, and they can know the new woman you've grown up to be. You thought about all of this in your head, feeling more snd more sure of your decision than ever before.

What you were doing now was also for a new and special individual in your life, Payakan, and his spirit brother, your son. Not that you necessarily liked it at first that he ran off on his own, but you were starting to see why. He knew nobody would approve or understand and in his mind, as long as he and Payakan were there for each other, having each other's backs, that was all they really needed. And you understood that. You knew that Payakan's scars and wounds from the past were slowly starting to heal from the moment that he was able to give Hahona's final message to you at last, feeling like his final wish and promise was fulfilled. What Lo'ak was probably thinking was that after Payakan finally accepted his mistake and is finally starting to accept it, he wanted to do all and everything he could to let him live a life free of guilt and not with regret from years before. That was all Lo'ak wanted to give his spirit brother. A second chance at life, and even if Payakan didn't have a pod, Lo'ak brought life into his world that he desperately needed after so much loneliness, sadness, guilt, and so much regret following him his entire life. As for you, you'd repay what Payakan did for you and make sure that his wish is fulfilled.

And one of the most important reasons that was weighing in your mind was Eylti. The pain was still fresh, but instinctively buried deep inside you. You couldn't possibly grieve properly when you knew that whoever did this to her hasn't payed the price. She was one of the biggest reasons as to why you began to be okay with going out into what would eventually lead to battle, because you'd be able to avenge her and fight for what she stood for, what she loved, who she was, everything that made her the most incredible companion, and even what she lost along the way even after she passed. Her death was only hours ago and you only felt like fighting to make sure her, her mate, and the future she wanted to have didn't go to waste and that it can be remembered.

Every single one of those individuals remained in your mind as incentives to be okay with whatever happens from what comes of your decision to go after Lo'ak, to have no regrets, to be ready to fight if it comes to it and to make sure Payakan is okay and warned about the hunters. Every other concern, doubts, second thoughts you had in your head about your decision were pushed to the back of your head and you could only think about one thing, and that's what's right in front of you. As you and Neteyam rode underwater side by side, given that the both of you could see Lo'ak in the distance, both of you turned to look at one another and gave each other a sure expression that directly translated to not dare to let Lo'ak out of each other's sight, and the same message went to Rotxo, Tsireya, and Ao'nung to do the same right behind you and your eldest son.

As for your youngest son, Lo'ak did not turn around once and continued to cruise forward on his ilu further into the depths of the ocean, directly headed for outside the reef. He rode as fast as his ilu could take him, and he only did turn around when he wanted to see if you and everyone else were still on his trail. And just as he thought, he saw his brother and the rest of the group were right behind him, but what he didn't expect was to see you there too. He truly felt shocked, and guilty because a part of him already thought that he had already put you through enough and now, you were willingly going out of your way to go after him and put yourself in danger? But another part him did think that he should've known better than expecting you to sit back and do nothing. It wasn't like you. But, now there was a much bigger dilemma in his head that debated and truly hoped you didn't get dragged into his decision and choices. Still, it was much too late for that. You had become part of it long before and Lo'ak didn't know that you would stick by him and the rest of the kids until the very end.

He wasn't nearly as far enough from you and the others as he thought, but still, Lo'ak came up to the surface and took a breath while still continuing to steer his ilu forward. As he looked back, he could see you, Neteyam and the Metkayina kids all come up to the surface as well. "Lo'ak! Come back!" Tsireya yelled out to the boy, but he continued to move on and look in front of him and where he was going. Before he went back down to the surface, he heard two familiar voices comong from his left.

Lo'ak turned his head and he briefly saw Kiri on an ilu, with Tuk sitting right behind her. Not aware of what he was doing, Tuk smiled at her older brother and waved over at him. "There's Lo'ak!" She said, but her smiled faded, when she saw him leave the direction of the horizon, meaning he was leaving the reef. Tuk looked up at her older sister, who looked down at her too in confusion. "Lo'ak!" Kiri called out, but before she could say anything else, even after getting no response from Lo'ak, she stopped what she was about to say when she saw him ride even faster and submerge himself back into the water. Both sisters looked at Lo'ak with perplexity, but what they didn't know is that the only thing the boy cared about was getting to Payakan before he became a victim to the Sky People as well. He couldn't allow it.

Before Kiri and Tuk could say anything else, their thoughts were cut off when familiar voices approached from behind them. Tuk smiled when she saw you and Neteyam quickly emerge from behind them in the water with Tsireya, Rotxo, and Ao'nung close by, but Kiri only felt more confused. What was happening? When you caught sight of your daughters, you smiled in relief that they didn't get lost in the shuffle of the chaos and that they were okay, but your heartbeat quickened when you realized that they were about to get dragged into this too. They would likely go after Lo'ak without hesitation to help him like you and the others are doing, but it scared you endlessly of having Tuk there, and even having any of your children there at all. But somehow, the bigger part of you began to think don't worry, they'll be okay. You'll protect them and they'll be okay. You won't let anything happen to them.

Those were your inner thoughts. Were they necessarily set in stone? No. You couldn't possibly hold them back from being there for each other. But it didn't mean you couldn't make it come true. You could make sure all of these kids would be alright. All of them, right? That sounds simple enough. Didn't it? You debated in your head over and over, up until the moment Neteyam didn't waste another second to tell his sisters what was happening what they were all doing in regards to Lo'ak.
"Lo'ak's going to find Payakan!" Neteyam said, earning concerned looks from both girls, which was exactly what you expected. What didn't shock you either was how those concerned looks were wiped from their faces and were replaced by determined expressions, even little Tuk who you've learned has so much courage and bravery to spare. Even so, that still didn't ease your anxiety over their safety at all, which is why you'd make sure they came out of this unscatched, no matter the cost of it in the end.

No matter what happened or how much you fought to keep the kids safe, you've learned that your  children were darn good at looking out for one another and keeping each other safe. Which is why it's not surprising at all how Tuk only held her older sister even tighter without hesitation when Kiri said; "Wait up!" Kiri called out, quickly telling Tuk to hang on. Before they went into the water, you steered away from Neteyam and rode up to Kiri, who quickly noticed the presence of her mother and smiled. You always bring them just so much love and comfort in moments of crisis that they couldn't help but smile and feel okay.

"Kiri, keep your sister close, okay?" You said, and Kiri nodded without hesitation as the two of you rode side by side. You then turned to Tuk and placed a hand on her head lovingly, running it briefly through her braids. "You hold on tight, Tuk. Alright? Never let go of your sister, listen to her" You said, and your little girl smiled bravely and gave you a thumbs up. "Yes, mama" She said, making you  beam at your daughter widely and chuckle gently.

You turned to look at Kiri again and with one single look at each other, both of you took a breath and submerged back into the water to catch up to Neteyam and the others while kept close to your daughters and never letting them out of your sight, that also went for your sons too and Ronal's kids with Rotxo. In your head, the sooner Payakan can be warned without being noticed, the faster you could all come back. But again, that seems too good to be true. All the kids here seemed to know that this situation wasn't headed towards that direction.

As for Neteyam, he tried to get ahead as much as possible, but he knew that he had everyone else behind him too. He went underwater again  in hopes of being in even the same wavelength as Lo'ak and hopefully be able to reach him a lot faster. Neteyam had taken a long breath just as he was taught to do before going back into the water, all the while you, Kiri and Tuk rode together and the Metkayina kids were right behind the oldest Sully as well.

Even if that chaos was already in order, it wasn't much better for those still in the village. Like Jake. As soon as he finished speaking with Tonowari, as he usually did for some much needed comfort, he went to find you. And by adjacent, the kids. After discussing strategy with Tonowari and Ronal, he didn't like to admit it but he needed you to desperately tell him that everything would be okay. Even in your own turmoil, you would always still hold him, reassure him, and help him get back on his feet, just like he's always done for you. It was one of the things that he loved the most about your relationship. Being there for one another without a doubt or second thought. It was just instinct, and now that they had all decided to stay back to create a plan, he just wanted to be with you and the kids for a bit.

Though, that was becoming a little bit more difficult than he thought. For Jake, ever since he met you, he just couldn't help but feeling that whenever he was by your side, even if you didn't say anything at all, he felt like hope bloomed inside him again and that's what he needed. So, in that tableau, he just searched amongst the villagers and asked everywhere for you but he got the same response. No had seen you, or the kids for that matter. That simply made Jake begin to worry further because you couldn't have gone far...right? That's what he told himself even after he began to get the same reply over and over and his hope was beginning to diminish even more than it had before. Still, he continued asking around. He liked to think the kids just dispersed elsewhere after the gathering at the square of the village. But wouldn't have they been seen by now?

After once again recieving the response he'd been getting over and over again, Jake watched with defeat and frustration in his eyes as the person he asked walk away. He sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose, only to turn around and spot one of the head warriors that he had met before. Jake thought to himself that maybe this man had been alert and maybe had seen you and the kids even for a moment. Jake exhaled through his nose and started making his way over to the warrior, who thankfully had seemed to just finished up a conversation with another warrior, so that left an opening for Jake to come in and ask. In his mind, he prayed that this man had an answer.

-

Meanwhile, the ship of the SeaDragon was fast approaching Three Brothers Rocks, already having their next Tulkun target be around this area after firing yet another special tracker at the creature just like they'd done to Eylti that same day. It was also the same place where you and the kids were chasing Lo'ak towards. And, it also turns out this was no ordinary Tulkun either that was targeted. As the ship continued to approach Three Brothers Rocks, inside of the main base room, the table in the center of the room was showcasing a hologram of the Tulkun that was being targeted and was also swimming away actively, but stayed in the vicinity of the area of Three Brother's Rocks.

While the rest of the employees monitored the ship or the Tulkun on the screen, Scoresby was approached the table hologram actively looking at the green movement of the Tulkun, watching it with the desire to capture it and the Amrita it possesses. As the ship came around the corner, the SeaDragon was beginning to descend onto the water and powering off most of its turbines, and then to proceed to release the speedboats and machinery to go after the new target, with the same routine as they've have done before.

"All crews to stations," Scoresby ordered loudly, making the assistant pilot in the cockpit to begin the process of getting everybody else ready and then announce to other employees to sound the general call for the hunt. As for Spider, he was still held hostage by Quaritch and could not be let out of anybody's sight. The boy was was looking and gazing with just utter disappointment at the hologram, knowing that he'd have to see this gruesome and torturous process once again. He was disgusted by Scoresby and everybody there, and he wasn't shy about letting his facil expressions show that every once in a while, and even more when Scoresby yelled out; "Alright, people! Come on! Let's make some money!" The hunter yelled out, only making the man more and more unlikeable and hard to look at with every word he said. But, Spider did know that he had to stay put regardless, but either way he couldn't just keep witnessing this after knowing what these people did. He had to find a good and right opportunity to escape and leave this place and go meet up with the Sully's. Somehow.

And it was just then that Lo'ak had reached Three Brother's Rocks. He had reached the place as soon as he came up to the surface after trekking through a forest of kelp and algae just underwater. Lo'ak was elated to see that as soon as he came up to the surface, Payakan was there. The Tulkun leaped out the water when he noticed his spirit brother's presencec and then splashed back down onto the water with a loud wail. Only Lo'ak didn't know was a wail for help just yet. The boy raised one of the hands he had on the saddle of his ilu and waved around to the Tulkun. "Payakan! Brother!" Lo'ak yelled as he waved his arm around. He sighed with relief knowing that Payakan was still okay and in one piece.

But, just before he could head over to Payakan and check on him fully, Lo'ak turned his head back when he heard familiar voices coming from behind him. He could see everyone he saw tailing after him before leaping in and out of the water with their ilu's, and you with Pua, trying their best to catch up to him now that Lo'ak had slowed down. "Lo'ak!" Tsireya called after him just before leaping back into the water. He could see and hear Neteyam also trying to call after him to get their presence known and somehow get him to turn back, but they were all already here, so might as well help. Though, his face paled and eyes widened in surprise to see you hadn't left the group (since he hoped you would be the one to turn back to safety and to his dad) but no, you were right there, side by side to Neteyam as you called out for him too with desperation. Lo'ak could also see Kiri and Tuk right behind you in one single ilu as well, not to mention Ao'nung and Rotxo were there too. Still, he wouldn't let anyone convince him that he shouldn't be here protecting somebody he loves and that he wants to make sure is okay and safe.

"Wait!" Tsireya yelled out to him as she leaped in and out of the water. Once you leaped out of the water as well, you called out to him again too. "Lo'ak! Come back!" You yelled, knowing deep inside that this boy would not change his mind for anything, and had no regrets about being here with Payakan. You knew that Lo'ak only had one thing on his mind right now. Warning Payakan. And by now, you were sure everyone else did too and knew that he couldn't be persuaded at all at this point in time.

As you and the kids swam on your ilu's to catch up to Lo'ak, the boy himself saw Payakan get a lot closer all of a sudden, swimming up to his spirit brother as the creature wailed loudly and squealed in a high-pitched tone that Lo'ak could only percieve as a call of urgency. Even as you swam underwater, and could hear these wails, you could tell it was because Payakan had something urgent to show Lo'ak and it was indeed a desperate call for help. It made your heart beat quicken as you tried to fasten the pace of your Skimwing. As Payakan screeched and came out of the wateron his side with one fin out, Lo'ak's concern for his spirit brother was getting worse. "What is it? What's wrong?" Lo'ak asked quickly, signing at the same time, and it was just then that Payakan didn't spend another second before he turned to his side, giving Lo'ak a clear view of the RDA tracker embedded on his plated skin, making his face drop and pale at the sight.

As you came out of the water, somehow way ahead of everyone else. Your heart dropped at the sound of that damned beeping that you knew was also the cause Eylti's death. Your eyes widened and you stilled when you got closer and saw that Payakan had that very same tracker on him. It was an active beeper, too. He was being hunted right now. The Sky People must be near by, and Payakan was their next victim. Your breath hitched as you begun to command Pua to speed up and get to Lo'ak. No, you couldn't let this happen again. Not after everything Payakan has been through, what he's done for you, the friendship that he has built with Lo'ak, and the life he has ahead of him. You realized in that moment that Lo'ak was right. All of you needed to help this very much misunderstood Tulkun who deserved a much better life than he was given, now more than ever. If you don't do something about this, would that mean that Eylti would have also died for nothing? No. She had goals, ambition, interests, dreams. Just like Payakan. That was why you would do everything to help Lo'ak not go through the agony that you've gone through.

Once, you were close enough, you could hear Lo'ak's reaction to Payakan being tracked. "Shit!" The boy yelled out, not hesitating or waiting a single moment more to leap off of his ilu and swimming closer as fast as he could to the Tulkun, and once he was close enough, he climbed onto Payakan's fin and briefly got up to the creature's eyeline. "Stay calm! Stay calm! I got this!" He reassured this spirit brother, quickly moving over to the tracker and starting to wrap his hands around the base of it, and just pulling as hard as he can. But even with all of his strength, the tracker was too deep in Payakan's skin to simply yank it out. Lo'ak did not admit it, but he'd truly need the help of anyone around, including everyone else that came after him all the way out here.

As you were the first of the group to get to Lo'ak and Payakan, the moment you got close to the two of them, you called out to your son before doing anything else. "Lo'ak!" You yelled and your son was quick to whip his head back to look at you at the sound of your voice. He didn't care anymore about whether anyone followed him or not, because he just wanted to get the tracker off of Payakan. He'd take any punishment that came his way afterward, but now he couldn't spare another moment and he needed all the help he could get. At first Lo'ak only came all the way here to warn Payakan in hopes that they hadn't gotten to him yet, but now that they have, his goal was completely different. "Mom! Help!" Lo'ak called out to you and you sent him a single nod with a sure look on your face as you prepared to near Payakan.

"I'm on it! Keep pulling! Don't stop!" You called out to him, and Lo'ak visibly smiled in relief that you decided to help and went directly to continue pulling as hard as he could. In the corner of his eye, Lo'ak could see you leaping off of Pua and swimming underwater to hopefully communicate with Payakan since the Tulkun had only had half of his body above water. As you swam, you neared Payakan's eyeline and as soon as the Tulkun noticed your presence, his eyes visibly contracted and began squealing and wailing, crying and begging for help to get the tracker off. "Y/n! Help! Please!" Payakan wailed once more and your heart shattered at his urgency, but you were quick to sign back to him and reply as fast as possible. "Don't worry! We'll get the tracker and you'll escape. Stay calm!" You signed with as much promise, reassurance, and hope as you could to the Tulkun. You would repay your debt to this Tulkun no matter what it took. The Tulkun in response opened and closed his eyes as it let out another high pitched wail that you were able to interpret as a thank you, and you got closer to put your hand above his eye and tub it gently as a second yet silent promise, but little did Payakan know that you and Lo'ak would truly do anything and more for Payakan.

As soon as you gave that message to the Tulkun, you swam back up to the surface and when you climbed onto Payakan's fin, you could see Lo'ak still pulling on it as hard as he could. You didn't hesitate to make your way over and wrap your hands around the device as well, so now both of you were working together no questions asked. "Okay, it's pretty jammed in there," You said as you paused for a second, and Lo'ak did as well. You looked at your son and came up with an idea. "What we'll do is that at the count of three, we'll pull as hard as we can, alright?" You said, and Lo'ak nodded surely. He wrapped his hands around the top and you around the base, so when the two of you were ready, you began to count. "One...two...three!" You said, and when you got to three, both you and Lo'ak began pulling with all of your might, but it still wasn't budging.

It was only a few seconds of you and Lo'ak continuing to try and pull it out by yourselves that many things started happening all at once. As the two of you pulled, in the corner of your eye, you could see the rest of your kids and the Metkayina children coming closer, but also, it was also at the same time that both you and Lo'ak felt a looming presence deep in your guts. Both you and Lo'ak turned around at the same time and your eyes widened at the sight of a big ship rounding the corner of Three Brothers Rocks, getting closer and closer with every second. It was the Sky People looking for their target. They'd gave to get this off Payakan or they'd kill him just like they did with Eylti.

You could've put it together if you knew who Quaritch was, and you knew of him because of Jake, but you've never seen that man before in your life, only the Sully kids have. So, Lo'ak knew for a fact that the Colonel was on that ship and knew that they were in much bigger danger and trouble than they thought if he saw Lo'ak and his siblings out in the open like this, yourselves. Not to mention Quaritch would likely piece it together if he saw you and would target you as well. They needed to hurry. "Shit!" Lo'ak cried out again in distress, and right now, all you felt was even more panic and fear for not only yourself and the kids but also for the sentient creature seep into your veins, only making you pull on the tracker harder, but it was hopeless and the realization set in that the tracker was definitely too far in to pull out on your own, just the two of you. For now.

As if yours and Lo'ak's prayers were answered, you spotted Neteyam coming closer and closer until he leapt off of his ilu and was the first to reach Lo'ak and you. Neteyam was quick to get onto Payakan's back and settled himself next to you as he did a quick double take to assess the ship that was coming closer and was coming inbound straight towards them, but he quickly shifted his attention back to his mother and his brother trying to pull off the tracker, so he joined in as well. "Bro! Please, help us! Hurry, the ships coming!" Lo'ak asked urgently and with panic, but Neteyam was already settling himself next to you again, and with a silent look between you and your oldest som, all three of you began to pull again. In all truth, Neteyam was already going to help even if either of you didn't ask him to do it. That's what he was there for. If it was important to Lo'ak or to you, it was important to him too. You looked back at the ship as well, panic and anxiety rising inside of you even more as it felt like your imagination was playing tricks on you. It was getting closer and closer. "Hurry! Hurry!" You called out as you turned back around and pulled even harder, hoping the rest of the kids would get here soon enough.

You couldn't help but smile when you spotted Ao'nung, Tsireya and Rotxo all arriving at the same time as well, helping out right away. Once again, at the count of three, you, Lo'ak, Tsireya, Neteyam, Ao'nung, and Rotxo all started pulling at the same time, but once again, it was still wedged in there even with six people pulling. You hoped it wasn't your imagination that made you see come loose even a little bit. Tsireya settled herself in a better position on your other side and followed your lead. "Reya, pull as hard as you can, okay?" You said and she nodded, while the boys pulled as well but ocassionally watched the ship and how close it was getting. All of you could hear the rumbling that the ship made was only getting louder, distracting all of you briefly from the pulling, but it wasn't long before all of you were focused on the matter at hand again. "Hurry!" Tsireya called out, as everyone began pulling along once again. They needed another strategy, this clearly wasn't working out as they thought.

Before they could continue, and probably having the same thought as you did about needing a different strategy and even more help, Neteyam turned to Lo'ak with urgency painted all over his face. They needed to warn the Metkayina that the Sky People were close. "Call Dad! Call Dad! Just go! Do it!" Neteyam exclaimed through the anxiety he was feeling, and your head snapped up to look at Neteyam and Lo'ak with surprise. Oh, God...Jake You thought to yourself as you realized that he was still in the village and probably wondering where you and the kids were. You were so caught up in trying to get this off you didn't think about his reaction. You knew it was best to call him and let him know because there's no way you and the kids could fix this on your own, but what is he going to do? What is he going to say? Your heartrate quickened and your breath got shallower at the mere thought of Jake being all alone while being filled with worry and concern over his family.

Lo'ak seemed to be in a bit of a stupor too but he came back to his senses and nodded at his brother's words. But before he stood up again, he noticed how your movements had stilled and that you knew that you were worried about an infinite amount of things when it came to telling Jake, whether it was his reaction, what would come out of it, and everything in between. Lo'ak was feeling the same way, but he could see your resolve drifting just a bit.

He sighed and moved next to you, placing a hand on your shoulder, breaking you out of your clearly distressed look judging by your face and your body language. You turned back to look at your son upon contact and he could clearly see the stress and concern on your features now that you were looking at him. It was Lo'ak's turn to be there for you. He smiled gently and spoke up. "Don't worry, he'll understand Mom. I know he will" He said and you nodded, taking a small breath and nodding to yourself before turning back around to continue pulling with the rest of the kids. Even the smallest of reassurances kept you afloat, though your thoughts about Jake still lingered in the back of your head, reminding you constantly. You had to focuse on what was in front of you, and it only worried you further how you had no way to communicate with Jake yourself since you're never put on the comms he always insisted you got, but this whole situation was so sudden that you didn't even think to stop and put them on.

When he knew you were okay to go on and that Neteyam had clearly taken notice of your state and was getting you back on your feet after the brief moment of weakness you had, Lo'ak did not waste time ro immediately stand up and moved over to stand on Payakan's back as he eyed the Sky People ship getting closer. "Lo'ak, go! Hurry!" Tsireya said, knowing that it wasn't budging any time soon and this needed all of them, or at least for people back at the village to be notified of what was happening. Unlike you, Lo'ak did have his comms on the entire time to keep in touch with his dad like they're required to do, just like the rest of the Sully's.

Because Lo'ak did have his comms on him, he was truly hoping that his dad would answer right away and come quickly (also because he assumed that the kids would be gone from the village by now. He urgently pressed the buttons on the device and called his dad, waiting for a response with the little patience he had left. It was also then that you had also noticed that Kiri was also climbing up on Payakan, pulling Tuk carefully behind her. When he heard a static, Lo'ak began speaking into the device. "Dad- I mean, Devil Dog. Do you read me?" Lo'ak said through his coms, and not even two seconds later, he heard a response from his dad, and Lo'ak sighed in relief to himself.

For Jake, he had been talking to the warrior that he approached, and thankfully, the man did see where they went but when he mentioned what he saw to Jake your mate's face paled and a fear-stricken expression came upon his face. "I saw them all before leave to the outside of the reef, but I don't know where they were headed," The warrior said but Jake could only nod absentmindedly as his mind went into a blur. The warrior excused himself after giving Jake an answer, leaving your mate to bid the warrior goodbye with his mind elsewhere. But, the only thing that got him out of his own turmoil was the sudden static of his comms with his son's voice coming in shortly after. Jake tensed and pressed the button on his comms to answer back to his son urgently. He needed to know what was happening.

"Yeah, Lo'ak?" Jake asked with his voice stern and tense, and your mate could hear his son sigh in relief at his father's response. He could hear commotion in the background of his response and his heartbeat only quickened as his eyes darted everywhere anxiously while waiting for a response from his son. "Dad! We are with a Tulkun who is under attack right now! Gunships inbound, 2 clicks out!" Lo'ak explained with desperation in his voice while everyone continued to pull on the tracker behind him. You and the kids all pulled as hard as you could but the tracker wasn't moving an inch. Jake could feel his face paling at his son's words. We? He thought to himself as his mind and heart worked together in absolute turmoil.

If this was going where he thought it was then..Quaritch was after another Tulkun, most likely Payakan, and his children and his wife were there too. He shouldn't be surprised but he is. You and Lo'ak have grown such a bond with Payakan and after everything that has happened until now, he can't imagine you making any other decision other than being with the Tulkun and your son. It still didnt change the fact that Jake felt like his heart had plummeted at what he heard. This can't be happening, not again He pleaded internally, hoping this wasn't a repeat of what he tried so hard to bury and the wounds he had tried so desperately to have healed at last after you came into his life and into his family.

Jake's breath hitched as he gulped harshly and choked out, but still trying to sound strong for his children and probably his wife who were out there living one of the most stressful moments of their lives. He hated that he had to ask but he had to know or he wouldn't be okay with himself. "Who's with you?" Jake asked, knowing internally who was there after being told they were seen going outside the reef. Please, please, please...God, please, no Jake thought to himself as he waited for a response from his son who only seemed to be more distressed with every response. "It's all of us!" Lo'ak started, and Jake felt his heart stop as his suspicions were confirmed. His children. His wife. They were all out there, defenseless, unprotected, in avid danger. He truly did feel his breathing stop for a second and let out small choked breaths that he was trying to badly to conceal. He closed his eyes shut and his mind could only imagine the horrors. The enemy was heading directly towards his family and he wasn't there. He needed to go, now.

"Ao'nung, Rotxo, Tsireya....and Mom," Lo'ak continued, but to Jake it only felt like his words we're repeatedly stabbing him over and over, reminding Jake of what was at stae and just adding salt to the wound that Jake feared so badly would reopen if his fear got ahold of him. He scared, out of his mind. Still, Jake continued to hear what his son had to say about their location and where they were. This is where Jake put all of his attention and did not miss a single detail. "Dad! We're at Three Brother's Rocks," Lo'ak explained, and Jake immediately sighed, already knowing where this place was and how dangerous it really is, but nodded nonetheless quickly told his son what to do. Now they absolutely needed to tell Ronal and Tonowari knowing their children were out there, and you as well, surely in the verge of encountering even further danger.

Jake swallowed the lump he had in his throat and somehow managed to muster up a final response as he began gathering courage inside him once again, as small as it was. But he'd take whatever he could get to even let this even begin to be another repeat of the tragedy that befell his family and that he had only started to heal from. You, his wife, was out there, his beautiful children were out there, and as afraid as he was, he would fight like hell to keep what he found and what he has. There was just no tie to sit down and make a plan anymore. He had to do this and he had to do it now. Going after his family now was all that mattered to him and he's throwing everything he wanted to do out the window, focusing on taking down Quaritch once and getting his family back.

He would do what he didn't last time and would not allow himself to ever be separated from who he loves any longer, now more than ever. He would do things right this time."Lo'ak, listen to me. Get to cover right now and you do not engage. Alright? You hear me? Do not engage. I'm coming!" Jake instructed carefully, earning a 'Yes, sir' from Lo'ak and then quickly disconnecting from the line. And as soon as the line was out, Jake ran as fast as he could to find Tonowari and Ronal to tell them the situation, even with all of his concerns, fears, about you and his children in the back of his head. Please, don't take them away...Jake thought as he ran as fast as his feet could take them. Don't take her away He pleaded as he closed his eyes shut at even the thought of repeating what had happened in the past. He just won't allow it.

After Lo'ak finished the call, he felt even just the tiniest bit more relieved but, that still change the fact that Payakan still had the tracker on and him and the others had to get it off or not only would the Tulkun would be another victim of the Sky People, but you and the kids would be in even more grave danger. Lo'ak turned back to you and the others still trying to get it off but it wasn't working, and you were all using all of your combined force but it wasn't doing anything. You and Tsireya both looked back at the same time towards the ship to see it even closer, ao your faces paled and eyes widened simultaneously, only to continue pulling with all of your remaining strength, and the beeping of the device didn't help at all. "It's getting closer!" Tsireya cried out in distress as everyone heard Neteyam all of a sudden starting to count down from 3 for everyone to pull at the same time once again like you had done with everything they had. "3,2, pull!" Neteyam said, prompting Rotxo, Ao'nung, him, Tsireya, you, Lo'ak (who came back to the group once more) to pull at once.

Back in the village, Jake had gathered some warriors along the way when running to get Tonowari. Breathlessly after running straight towards the Olo'eyktan's hut, Jake spoke with urgency, which Tonowari and Ronal took notice of immediately when your mate reached their vicinity. Tonowari and Ronal immediately stood up, stopped why they were doing, and were on full alert even when Jake hadn't said anything yet, but they knew it was important. Once Jake stopped in front of their hut, the warriors he gathered were close behind and alerting others as well since they were to tell every other warrior in the village since they'd have to leave as soon as possible to get the kids and you out of the dire situation you were in.

Jake didn't even take a single moment to breath as he spoke up. "The kids are under attack! The kids are under attack, and they're defending a Tulkun. It's your kids, too! Y/n's with them too!" Jake said, feeling a pang in his heart as he mentioned you and Tonowari and Ronal's face's dropped at Jake's words. Tsireya, Ao'nung were there? You were there? They didn't even hesitate to begin preparing as well while Ronal immediately began gatherig hers and Tonowari's weapons. She didn't even think twice about heading over to save you and the kids, leaving behind any sort of problems and unresolved anger between you and her and Tonowari. Her kids lives were in danger. Your kids were in danger. You were in danger.

With certainty, she began to prepare for battle and swore to kill every Sky Person that came her way until she knew you and the kids were safe. She didn't care about what happened in the past, because all she could think about was safety of you and the kids. And the same thing could be said for Tonowari. To him, like Ronal, everything from before was forgotten because all he wanted to do now was eradicate the Sky People once and for all with no mercy. "The demon ship?" Tonowari asked to make sure, and knowing that Tsireya, Ao'nung, you and even your own children were out there right now in such dangerous and uncharted territory sent terrifying and horrifying gave him chills down his spine. Just like Jake, he didn't hesitate to start giving out orders as Olo'eyktan and prepare for the battle awaiting at once.

"Yes! We gotta go!" Jake yelled out, not even taking another second before he was running out towards your family's hut to get ready. He couldn't spare another moment without even thinking what you and the kids might be seeing and subjecting yourselves to right now. As Jake left for his hut, Tonowari's features hardened and as a true Olo'eyktan and a good leader, he began to hand out orders and prepared for battle. "Weapons! Now! Sound the alarm!" The clan leader ordered, and the warriors did not waste a moment to immediately do as told. The warriors ran off in groups across the village to tell others warriors and gather everything they needed to prepare for the incoming threats they'd face against the Sky People. They all yipped war cries as an incentive to fight and as a warning for battle. They needed to leave as soon as they possibly could, because who knows what would happen the moment that they let precious minutes pass. They couldn't

When Tonowari turned back around to grab his weapons, he could aee Ronal walking over to her rack of spears and grabbed as many as she could carry, even as a pregnant woman,she carried them with such stride that her mate could see how determined she was to get out there. She held them tightly and began to walk out with determination, but Tonowari stopped her and placed a hand on her stomach with caution. She was pregnant, carrying their baby, and if things turned south, he'd want her to be in the safest of places, and he knew she was more than capable of fighting. He didn't doubt her for one second that she couldn't, in fact, her courage and bravery are one of the things he loves most about her. But the battlefield was completely unpredictable and he didn't want to take any chances. He'd rather her stay, but if he knew his wife, he knew that probably wouldn't happen, but he could still certainly try.

"You should stay back," Tonowari said, placing a hand on his wife's belly, but the woman simply refused, as he expected. Ronal looked from her husband and then forward to where she was going with utter resolution and said; "I ride!" She said, more than certain to fight for her people, her children, for you, and the safety of future generations of Tulkuns that could be saved in this battle. To avenge anyone you've lost, like Eylti and Hahona. She would fight until the end and make up for any past and hurtful conflicts between you two. Tonowari sighed and removed his hand from his wife and placed it over her shoulder instead, deciding not to go against his wife's wishes or what she knew a lot better herself that she could handle.

He just had to trust that everything would work out and that fate would protect her and what she was capable of. As Ronal ran out, Tonowari then walked over to where his Olo'eyktan spear was propped up. He grabbed it, and walked out with authority, hearing the alarm of the village finally began to blare and ring loudly and intensely, alerting anyone who hasn't been informed of the situation quite yet.

As Jake quickly and hurriedly reached his and yours hut, he immediately started arming himself with everything he could. All of his weapons, ammunition, back ups, and all that he could need to face Quaritch again. He didn't even want to imagine what he would do if the Colonel layed his hands on you or the children. He didn't even want to think about it or he'd go crazy. Jake proceeded to grab his hatchet and then slipped it into his waist behind him, and then he slipped on his green military vest with all of the ammo he would need in the pockets as well. As he was in a hurry, he only put it on one side of his body, only through one arm. After that, he uncovered one of the mats and grabbed his rifle, loading instantly with bullets. He didn't think he would need it since he was trying to adapt to the ways of the Metkayina and he didn't want to expose such human things and items, but right now, he was truly more than relieved to have had it with him especially when facing Quaritch again.

As Jake had everything he had with him, the last thing he had to do was prepare the actual gun so he held it up, locked in the bullets from below and locked them in with a click. He cocked the gun from the top mechanism, and now he was finally ready. He didn't take a single moment to spare and as he held all of his weapons to him, he inahled shakily and then exhaled deeply and prayed to Eywa that you and his children would be okay. He couldn't let Quaritch see his weakness and his fear. He had to be strong for you, for Neteyam, Lo'ak, Kiri, Tuk, and everyone else he wanted to protect. He could do this, and all with the hopes he could have you and the children back in his arms, safe from everything. Pushing his doubts and fears to the back of his head, the need for battle was replaced inside of him and quickly ran outside to meet up with Tonowari and head directly towards the battle that was awaiting.

When Jake had made his way outside and towards the water, he could see all warriors including Tonowari and Ronal jumping into the water and calling their respective creatures whether it was an ilu or a Skimwing. Tonowari was the first of the crowd of warriors, since he was leading everyone else, to leap into the water and mounting his Skimwing with a powerful and loud war cry that didn't fail to motivate the other warriors even more. Ronal did the same, yipping and crying out with so much tenacity and even if pregnant, she rode her Tsurak with strength and the need to save her loved ones, holding her spears tightly in one hand while she gripped the saddle handle with the other as she rode underwater.

It wasn't long before Jake leaped into the water too, as well as other warriors beside him, and he got on his Skimwing as he connected his queue to the creature. With all the practice he's had Jake, held on tight and commanded the creature to go forward and soon enough, the Skimwing began swimming along with the rest of the clan. It was up until then that all of the warriors in their Tsurak's all came up to the surface so that the Skimwings could open their wings and take flight. It was a glorious sight.

The only sounds that could be heard were the splashes of Skimwings flapping their tails in the water and wings opening to their extent to start flying. War cries, yips, and screams could be heard from all warriors and as Tonowari and Ronal let out spirited war criew, Jake was suddenly filled with so much courage and so much purpose that he desperately needed and he reciprocated by doing one of his own too. Letting out a cry that expressed how badly he wanted to get his family to safety and get rid of Quaritch once and for all. Ronal, she moved to be on one knee on her Skimwing, she held her spear beside her, aiming it forward as many other warriors were doing. They were all ready to fight, and so was Jakw. For their children, for the Tulkuns, and to protect their home.

In the Sea Dragon, the Sky People were all preparing themselves for the hung, unaware of the entire clan that was after them right now.  There were ships, speedboats, machinery, and all kinds of weapons being prepared. There were designated teams that were supposed to fo after Payakan since he was their target at the moment, so they were all currently reparing the inflatable anchors and all the explosive harpoons, ready to repeat the same process as they had done with Eylti just earlier that day.

All RDA Men and women employees were boarding their submarines and preparing the controls accordingly as they usually did, guns were being readied and clicked into position, ready to hunt another Tulkun, unknown they had just sparked a war with the Metkayina clan. The hunter, Scoresby, was now walking along the area along the lower deck, inspecting and checking that everyone was getting ready as they usually did for the hunt. "Sub teams, hatches close! Two-minute warning!" The hunter announced, giving everyone the heads up at they'd all be commencing the hunt soon. Those who were in the Crab Suits connected their hands to the sensors that controlled the robotic hands of the suit, testing their functionality and ability to work properly.

Meanwhile, the kids and you were still with Payakan trying to get the beeping tracker off, but nothing was working, even when all 7 of you were pulling on it at the same time. It was only when yours and Neteyam's eyes landed on Pua who was swimming nearby (thankfully) and never really left. Your oldest son turned to look at you with a knowing look and you were quick to get what he was thinking. Sure, thwy could have used an ilu, but in a real strength comparison, the Skimwing won by a landslide and all of you needed as much strength on your side as possible. You took a moment to step away from the tracker and then stood up on Payakan's back to call for Pua to get closer.

You yipped, then and you saw your Skimwing quickly approached, so you leaped into the water and swam close to Neteyam who was already in the water. When Pua came closer, Neteyam handed you the rope and he helped you wrap it around your Tsurak's body. When you focused on the task at hand and continued to wrap it around Pua to make sure the rope was secure, Neteyam grabbed the other end of the rope and looked at Ao'nung who was still helping Lo'ak, Tsireya and Rotxo pull the tracker. This had to work or they'd be out of options. What else could they possibly do?

"Ao'nung!" Neteyam called out, getting the said boy's attention, and tossing him to the other end of the rope. Ao'nung got the idea quickly and caught the rope, so Neteyam was quick to turn around and help you tighten the rope as much as he could around Pua, but also being careful to not hurt or stress him out since Pua seemed to be pretty calm for Tsurak and wasn't as boisterous, thankfully. Ao'nung started to wrap the end of his rope around the tracker as tightly as he could with the help of the others while Neteyam and you got the other side ready. "Bro, hurry up!" Lo'ak said with so much urgency and distress in his voice, seeing the ship not looking to stop any time soon and also noticing what his brother and his mom were trying to do. A last ditch effort to save Payakan.

It was their best shot at getting the tracker off at this point. When both sides were now tied, you and Neteyam looked at each other and nodded, and then turned to look at Ao'nung, letting the Metkayina prince they were ready.
"Y/n! Go, go, go!" The prince urged, and you did not waste any time in mounting Pua and connecting your queue to the creature.

Eventually, the SeaDragon docked into the water, close to the children, you and Payakan. But that didn't mean any of you were safe, in fact, it meant the opposite. Forces from thw RDA would arrive now faster than ever. Both Picador and Matador boats were beginning to disembark from the lowered ramp on the ship with the intent of heading straight to where Payakan was since the tracker still wasn't off. Soldiers were now more than ready and armed at their posts and assignments, whether it was by manning a gun, or the sound wave machine that distorts echolocation, anything. In any case, you were all quickly running out of time and the boats would eventually reach them at any moment at an even faster pace than when the ship was moving. They needed to get it out.

Once Neteyam got back to being on Payakan's back, you started to immediately command Pua through the bond to start swimming using as much force and strength as possible to pull off the tracker. The Skimwing's fins splashed over and over in the water harshly, showing just how much strength and effort Pua was putting in. "Go! Now!" You yelled to the others, who began pulling on the tracker at the same time. The kids all listened and began pulling all at once, whether it was by pulling on the rope or the actual tracker. Either way, everybody helped. "Everybody! Together! Pull!" Tsireya yelled out, pushing the tracker with her feet as hard as she could while Ao'nung pulled on the device itself and Lo'ak and Rotxo pulled on the rope as hard as they could and nobody dared to stop now. It was only until a couple seconds of pulling that everyone who was helping could feel even fhe slightest bit of movement, and you could all feel it was coming off but it just needed a bit more movement and it'd work. They needed to endure it just a little bit more.

Unbeknownst to any of you, from the main platform next to the propellers on the ship of the SeaDragon, Quaritch now had his eyes on the kids and was looking through the lens of the binoculars attached to a gun on the side of the boat, smirking with disbelief at what he saw as he scoffed. This would be easier than he thought. With Payakan, the Colonel could see your kids and the Metkayina kids as well trying to get the tracker off the Tulkun desperately. He zoomed in on the binoculars and saw that Lo'ak was with Tsireya, Rotxo, Ao'nung and Neteyam, all trying to pull on the tracker.

"Well I'll be damned," Quaritch muttered with a smirk, looking away from the lens of the binoculars to look up at Lyle, who had a mirrored expression to his. But, what Quaritch could see once he put on his binoculars again to keep analyzing the sight in front of him, he could see you helping the kids as you urged Pua to swim harder with the rope attached to the creature. "Wait. Who is that?" Quaritch mused as he raised an eyebrow and removed his binoculars from his face to look up at Lyle who had noticed you as well. You looked much older as well, a full grown adult by the looks of it. And suddenly, a look came onto Quaritch's face that only spelled danger to anyone.

If you were there, and meant anything to Jake, he would use you too without even a second thought. It was even better. He would find out if you had any connection to Jake or these kids, which you probably did since you were helping his kids, and that would surely make Jake break. He knew about Neytiri's passing, which meant that she was no longer a threat, but it wouldn't be long before the Colonel put the pieces together. Quaritch smirked as he realized that he finally had leverage over Jake, knowing his kids were right there, and also probably even someone very dear to him too.

Spider could only express a confused look on his face as he heard what Quaritch said since he could barely see from a distance, but his next words shocked the human boy. "Sully's kids, and it looks like there's a woman with them too" Quaritch sneered maliciously, and Spider's eyes widened. Were his friends really right there? Lo'ak? Neteyam? Tuk? Even Kiri? And a woman? Who could he be talking about? It wasn't Neytiri because he knew of her passing, but he couldn't help but wonder.

Quaritch moved away from the binoculars and immediately started heading towards his Ikran. "Let's roll," Quaritch said with only one goal in mind, and starting to walk towards the main deck but raising his eyebrow at Spider once he saw the boy walking with him too. "Not you," He said to the boy, making the boy stop in his tracks and watch with frustration as Quaritch and Lyle headed to their ikrans announcing to the rest of the Avatar group to saddle up on their flying banshees. It was time to go.

Things started to become more and more serious from the moment that the Metkayina warriors officially left the reef and were beyond the borders of the village. For Jake, the farther that they were from the village, his desire to get his kids and his wife back and to just not let this be a repeat of the tragedy that befell his family a year before was growing stronger. He'd get them all back no matter what it took. The more they all got into open ocean, the tides  only got choppier and rougher since they were not in the vicinity of the reef anymore or the shores of their village's beach. It was unknown territory from here at this point forward, even for many of the warriors here. Still, none of that intimidated Jake, Tonowari, Ronal, or the Metkayina. They all continued to push forward.

Back at Three Brother's Rocks, all the speeboats that left the SeaDragon were in the water and were on their way to head straight towards Payakan, you, and the kids. The choppy and rough waters made the boat bounce with every landing that they made but somehow also made them go faster. Scoresby himself was on the main Matador boat like he was on last time, and he was looking straight at a scan of where the tracker showed that their targeted Tulkun was currently located. "Range is 700 meters. Pinger signal is good" Garvin said, who was on the boat this time around unlike last time, earning a nod from Scoresby.

As the kids continued to pull and tug on the tracker while Pua swam relentlessly on your command, Tsireya turned her head and was the first to notice that the demon ships were getting closer and closer now that smaller boats were after them. Her eyes widened and she panicked even more, relaying the message to the others. "They're coming! Pull harder!" She yelled, prompting you to turn to look at the smaller boats on their way so you guided Pua to put more strength into the pull. "Pull!" You yelled out, making everyone pull harder than they'd ever done before, until they did start to see it come loose more and more.

Before they knew it, a few seconds later, after all of your efforts and one last pull, the tracker was finally out but the kids were all sent to the water because of the strength they had put in before. Either way, it finally worked. As for you, you and Pua were sent forward a bit but you smiled as you noticed that it was finally out. As you turned to look back, you could see the kids were briefly scattered in the water and could hear Tuk's voice from afar. You could see your youngest daughter as you turned around have a beaming smile as she looked at Kiri. During the whole thing, both of your daughters had stayed right by Payakan and comforting him, right by his eyeline and reassuring him.

"It's out! Kiri! It's out!" Tuk exclaimed happily and excitedly, seeing the tracker fall into the water. Kiri turned to look at what Tuk was saying and she smiled softly to when she saw that the device had indeed been removed. As everyone began to gather their ilu's, you moved to be underwater for a second and swam to Payakan for a moment, close to Kiri and Tuk who were also there. His eye was above water now unlike earlier so you could sign to him from above the surface. The Tulkun caught sight of you and wailed happily in gratitude. You smiled brightly and signed a response. "Go! You're free. Escape while you can" You said quickly as you realized there wasn't much time left to leave the area before the all of the speedboats caught up. It was your cue to leave as well when Payakan squealed in happiness and you finally began swimming back to Pua.

As you mounted Pua, you could hear Kiri speak to Tuk to regroup and get their ilu. "Go, Tuk! Go!" Kiri said, guiding her little sister to their ilu. As you got your queue connected once again, you quickly guided Pua over to Neteyam who was already mounted on his ilu while also pulling on the long rope that had the tracker attached to it. You were about to head to your son when you heard a voice. "Mama! Where are you going?" You heard and your head immediately whipped around to see Tuk have a face of longing and concern as she prepared to leave with Kiri. She must have seen you head another way when she thought you might escape with them too. You smiled fondly and replied back. "Go! I'll catch up! Don't worry!" You said as Tuk gave you an unsure look but Kiri smiled with full trust in you as she lead Tuk over to their ilu to prepare to leave.

Kiri was the first one to get to the ilu and had Tuk swimming close behind so that he could sit behind her. Kiri got on the saddle and held out her hand to her little sister so that she could get on. "Tuk! Grab on!" Kiri exclaimed and shortly after felt her sister grab onto her hand and mount the ilu behind her just as they had arrived. Tuk didn't hesitate to hold onto her older sister as they both went underwater, and when they were below the surface, they both followed what you'd told them while everyone had already found their own ilu's as well and were soon to be riding them far away from the area before the speedboats could get there.

You turned back around to go and regroup with the older kids. You just wanted to ensure Kiri and Tuk were okay and that they could  get out of the vicinity while they still could. You had turned to look at your older son and you saw that he had the tracker in his hands while everyone else called their ilu's. "Come on, get out of here!" Lo'ak urged the Metkayina kids, his older brother, and you while swimming right behind them to get away together from this area and also let Payakan escape. You watched and analyzed what your son was doing. He was holding the tracker and already in a position where he seemed to be preparing to escape, but with the tracker? What was he going to do? Was he willingly going to be the distraction. "Neteyam!" You called out to him and your oldest son turned to look at you, and his facial expression told you everything.

Neteyam positioned himself better on the ilu, and by the way he was already going in the opposite direction, you began to panic. You watched in the corner of your eye briefly as Lo'ak, Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo swam underwater to find their ilu's on the kelp and algae forest beneath themc but you stayed up in the surface with your son while everyone escaped. "Go that way! I'll draw them off!" He called out, earning a nod from Lo'ak as he joined the Metkayina kids underwater and Tsireya called for the boy to follow but it was only when Neteyam noticed you hadn't left yet that he began to worry. "Mom! Go on!" He said but you shook your head vigorously, and you'd decided that you would gladly take his place if it came to it. What he wanted to do was too risky. What if they caught him if they are tracking wherever that device goes. No. No, simply you couldn't allow it to happen.

"I can't let you. Let me do it! Go! Escape with your sibkings" You said as you extended your hand out for the tracker, but Neteyam held it close to his body, refusing to give it up. "Mom, I can do it. Go with the others while you still can! A mighty warrior, remember?" He said with a soft smile and your eyes widened as you remembered all those training sessions with the boy, teaching him how to ride a Skimwing, how to hunt, and everything that created that bond with your oldest son. How could you take the chance that they wouldn't catch him if he has the tracker? But you know he's asking you to trust him, to believe in him and that he's capable of doing it and getting back to you and his siblings in one piece. The look in his eyes was begging you to believe in him and get to safety. It was only after a few seconds that you groaned internally and nodded, quickly turning around before you could regret your decision. I trust you, son. Please, come back. You thought to yourself, pleading to Eywa to protect him.

You immidiately dove underwater and began following after Tuk and Kiri like you had promised to do before. You constantly looked back to make sure the others were following. Neteyam had already gone the other way and Lo'ak was the only one left. When Tsireya asked him to follow him and her brother, he quickly approached Payakan to stand on his fin for a moment and was relieved to see that all tension had left the Tulkun's eyes and that they were finally able to get the tracker out in time, so now the Tulkun was truly feeling eternally grateful for the kids and to you. The debt you had to Payakan was repaid."Payakan! Go, go Dive!" Lo'ak said urgently, and the creature did as told as it wailed, immediately feeling much safer now that he could escape without being tracked. Payakan let out another high-pitched sound, submerging underwater to escape.

Somehow, everyone had managed to escape once they were all underwater, had mounted  their ilu's and you your Skimwing, and began swimming away into the kelp forest below. Once Payakan escaped, you joined Lo'ak, the Metkayina kids, and your two daughters who had already gotten a head start thankfully. Still, in the back of your head, you couldn't help but remember that Neteyam had left the opposite way on his own. But you remembered to trust him. That's all he asked of you. So you'd stay true to that as much as it kept nagging at you.

Currently, the boy was swimming away with thethe tracker in his right hand as he held the saddle holder of his ilu with his left. It still continued to beep relentlessly, and it hadn't stopped even after pulling it away like he thought it would. Neteyam still kept the rope they used to pull it off and left it wrapped around it, but now it was dragging behind Neteyam on his way through the water. Even if he was going to be the distraction, he made sure not to stray too far off too much and stay nearby so that he could regroup with the others later on when he was able to get rid of it.

As the speedboats continued to get closer, the hunter noticed that the Tulkun was set free and the tracker had been removed. Still, they knew that since it was still moving, something or someone still had it and Quaritch could have a guess on who it could be. They didn't know it was Neteyam specifically who had it, but just someone who was there to help Payakan. They were after the boy now rather than Payakan, on Quaritch's orders to capture the kids since the Colonel himself was patrolling from the skies on his Ikran and could see everything from the crystal clear waters from above. The Matador boat Scoresby was in continued to pursue Neteyam in the direction that the tracker was taking them, not giving up on capturing who it is that had it now. Just as he had promised, Neteyam wouldn't give up his words to you to make it back safely. . "300 meters. Ready depth charges," Garvin said, making Scoresby turn to the man who was manning the bomb launcher behind him to bark out the next order.

"Fire! Fire! Fire!" Scoresby yelled out as they continued to follow the tracker, and not even two seconds later, sound wave bombs were launched onto the water directly in Neteyam's direction just like they do to many Tulkuns. When the bombs landed near the boy's vicinity and they exploded underwater, Neteyam was slightly thrown off of his ilu for a second before he got back on to it to continue making his way through the reef without stopping. It really would take more than that to get him off his feet. He would carry on until he lost them.

As Quaritch stayed above water on his Ikran, he was watching to see if he could spot the boy himself through the water, but also noticed how Scoresby continue to order his soldiers to fire more sound bombs at the water, making Quaritch press his comms to leave something very clear to Scoresby. "Hey, no depth charges. Scoresby, you copy? These kids are worthless to me dead," Quaritch said through his comms to the Tulkun hunter. Scoresby rolled his eyes and scoffed at the Colonel's words, annoyed at this point beyond measure. "Hold your fire," Scoresby groaned begrudgingly as he said the orders, as much as he hated to go this way.

When Neteyam noticed that the bombs had stopped being thrown at him, he swam and maneuvered his ilu right above a cluster of corals so as he passed by, he found the perfect spot to leave it in and he dropped the tracker on it. He turned his head back around and the boy continued on his way to meet up with the others, urging his ilu to go faster unknown of the fact that Quaritch was already sending search squads to find Lo'ak, you and the other kids. The Colonel was still flying on his Ikran above the reef, and he continued to relay those messages to those soldiers that had the job of searching for the kids amongst the kelp forest.

"Circle out. Get a cordon around 'em. Get your subs in the water" Quaritch said to Scoresby, who knew that the Colonel was referring to the Crab Suits and the Mako Submersibles that are supposed to chase and corner you and the kids underwater. Scoresby was used to being the one giving orders, but even if he didn't like being ordered around, the man relayed the message to the others as much as he hated it. "Sub teams, get wet!" Scoresby ordered loudly through the noise of the boat running through the water, unknown to who was below the surface watching for the moment to escape.

Turns out, you and the kids didn't really have much time to escape fully from Three Brothers Rocks like you had hoped. From below the water, all of you knew that you had eyes on you and that it would be pretty hard to leave with so many boats above. Lo'ak, Tsireya, Ao'nung, Rotxo, Kiri, you and Tuk were all hiding in the algae, watching as the boats circled above them. You somehow had managed to catch up with the rest of the kids, and while they stayed on their ilu's, you still had and you hid with him amongst the algae like kids did with their ilu's. The creatures, both ilu's and your Tsurak made noises such as smal chirping and squeals that showed the worry of themselves but also the riders they were bonded to. You stayed right next to Kiri and Tuk and all of you were looking up as you started to see boats all of a sudden start to head off somewhere else. With confusion, you looked at the kids with a puzzled look and they looked at you with the same expressions. Not that you were really complaining or anything, but what made them suddenly leave if they were so adamant on chasing all of you down? Still, none of you wanted to stick around and find out.

Back on the SeaDragon, the reason that the speedboats left was because the Sky People were already sending in the Crab Suits and Mako Submarines to go after you and the kids below the water. The Crab Suits were walking off the platforms of the ship and dropping onto the water swiftly and tucking their long and robotic arms to their sides, and began to cruise through the reef as they propelled themselves. They were now headed your way and to the kids. The same thing was happening with the Mako submersibles because the submarines were dropped one by one from the lower deck of the ship, instantly and immediately starting to head straight to the forest of kelp where you the kids were hiding, hoping to find an escape.

Before long, you started to hear low whirring coming closer so you and Lo'ak were the first to turn your heads back to see that the Crab Suits and submarines were approaching all of you very quickly. So, taking the lead, Lo'ak took it upon himself to lead the group, he was the first one to start swimming on his ilu further into the kelp forest with Tsireya following behind, prompting the others to do the same. You also did the same while swimming right next to Kiri and Tuk's ilu. You kept a close watch on both of them and watched as Tuk held on close to Kiri, not daring to let go of her older sister and then, your younger daughter turned to look at you with worry on her face, and your eyes softened. Even in the chase, you reached out as much as you could and cupped her cheek briefly and lovingly, rubbing it gently. That seemed to calm Tuk down even just a bit, so you smiled and pulled your hand away as you guided Pua even closer to the two of them to make sure you could all get together to safety.

The pilots inside the Crab Suits and Mako Submersiblesbalready had a clear view of the movement through the algae and could tell it was exactly who they were looking for, and also knew those were the kids, and woman, that Quaritch was looking for. The Sully's and the Metkayina kids continue to swim through every nook and cranny available to them in the forest of algae and kelp in hopes of escaping the incoming threat of submarines coming straight at them with no means of stopping any time soon. It didn't help that these machines were equipped with bright and strong light to shine directly where the kids were trying so hard to be able to camouflage themselves.

And it also didn't matter how fast the ilu's and Pua were, the submarines were quick to catch up to you and the kids in no time. Even when they all tried to do some sort of maneuver to divert the subs in any way, it was almost nearly impossible to shake them off completely and all because of the fact that they always found their way back to being on their trail somehow. And also due to how fast they were going trying to escape, you started to see how Tuk was slowly beginning to slip off Kiri's hold behind her, but before she could, you reached a hand out and pushed Tuk onto Kiri so that your youngest could grab on tighter. Kiri noticed this and was able to grab onto her little sister even tighter, bringing her back closer to her back.

Still trying to get away while trying to stay aa a group, The Sully's and the Metkayina kids all wordlessly communicated with each other, so that led to all of you deciding to split off and then meet back up again if they managed to lose the fleet of sub teams right behind them somehow. So, when the group did separate (you stayed right next to Kiri and Tuk, and so Rotxo who had split off with you and the girls), it also made the submarines do so too, chasing after them separately like you and the kids had hoped would happe. "Crabs, flank right! Get around on 'em!" Said one of the pilots for the submarines as they relayed a message to the other soldiers on submersibles in his vicinity.

It seemed to be that you and the group decided to do a zig zag motion through the kelp to make it harder for the Sky People to keep track so you saw Tsireya, Lo'ak and Ao'nung every couple seconds on your other side. It seemed to be working somewhat but Lo'ak then turned his head back to see that the fleet of Crab Suits and submarines getting closer. He panicked for a second but then he turned his head forward again and he saw a bigger forest clump of algae that the group could pass through and that maybe the submarines couldn't get through, at least that's what he hoped. Seeing that the kids were moving further into the kelp, the men manning the submarines tried their best not to lose sight of the group of young kids and you.

Noticing this, one of the men in the Crab Suits narrowed his eyes at the maneuver the kids and you were trying to do. "Don't lose 'em! Don't lose 'em. Stay on them," One of the men relayed. Knowing that they couldn't get all th way through the forest with the submarines blades on the sides, the pilots made a move that the kids and you weren't expecting. Your eyes winded when you looked back and saw that they all made their machines tuck the blades to the sides of their submarines so that they turned into a torpedo-like shape that could easily pass through the algae and continue the chase. "Oh hell yeah!" One of them exclaimed, feeling more excited about their sudden advantage they over all of you.

Even as it was becoming increasingly harder to get through the algae forest, Lo'ak continued to lead the group through the clump of kelp, and as he passed through the underwater leaves, he continued to bump his face into almost every single one which made him place his arm in front of him to prevent that. Lo'ak was so focused on keeping his arm in front of him so that he could pass by, that when he took his arm off and turned around to see if the rest were still with him, he didn't realize that at the end of the forest, there was a man in a Crab Suit positioned on a leaf waiting to ambush him when he came out the other side.

As expected, when Lo'ak did turn back around, his eyes went wide when he saw a Crab Suit lunging right at him. As a warning, the ilu screeched and Lo'ak was able to swerve the clutches of the robotic suits claws just in time. The others who were right behind Lo'ak were also able to divert their ilu's away from the claws of the suit thanks to Lo'ak having had alerted the others since they were right behind him and could see the attack. All of them were swimming expertly around the clunky machine and avoiding it altogether successfully.

Unfortunately, you, Kiri and Tuk were the last ones of the group to come around, and even if the three of you managed to swerve the suit once, when you tried to swim and steer away in another direction , you three ended up straying from the group and going in another direction as the Crab Suit that attacked Lo'ak began to get close behind and target the three of you. As  you and your daughters tried to escape, the suit behind you was able to tear its way through the leaves and branches of the algae with so much ease that it truly began to worry and scare you.

It worried you even more when you saw Tuk still struggling to hold onto Kiri's arm as they had no other choice but to continue to speed up to lose the giant machine. You tried to get closer and keep Tuk close to her sister but it was truly useless since, eventually, you three girls passed through a big leaf, and because Tuk was only hanging onto Kiri's arm, your youngest daughter was hit by the leaf and was forced to tear her hand away from Kiri's as Tuk let out a small startled squeal and fell behind, left alone in the water. What's worse is that the Crab Suit came in behind her and made Tuk twirl and spin in the water, making the little girl attempt to gain her bearings once again.

Your eyes widened when you saw the sight behind you, but what happened to Tuk had distracted you so much that you didn't see the Crab Suit chasing you from behind and it ended up coming in so quickly that it barreled into Pua from behind and it sent you tumbling in the water as you were left without your Skimwing in open water like Tuk. Speaking of, once you got ahold of your surroundings, you immediately turned around and began to swim to Tuk using your finned arms, legs and tail to get to her as fast as you possibly could.

Kiri was the only one left still on the ilu, the girl's eyes widened in horror as she turned her back to see her little sister and her mother trying to swim away without an ilu or your Tsurak. Kiri saw you get to Tuk, grab onto her and help her swim. At least she knew Tuk wasn't alone and she had you to protect her for now. Right in this moment, Kiri just wanted to focus on getting away from this Crab Suit that was chasing her and then go look for you, Tuk, and the rest. Everyone was just scattered trying their best to get away but it seemed hopeless.

These machines were around every corner. As Kiri continued to weave through the kelp, she decided that she would have to pull an evasive maneuver if she wanted to swim around the Crab Suit without being caught and get you and Tuk back. You and your youngest daughter were alone right now, relying on the breathing techniques that Tsireya taught your daughter and that you knew of too. Not only that but another one of those Crab Suits would be able to find Tuk before she did if she didn't hurry.

As for the other kids, Tsireya got separated as well from everyone else. She was desperately trying to escape one of the submarines all by herself, having diverted from the group a few minutes ago as well. She kept looking back at the Mako Submersible chasing after her and she had a distressed look on her face, not knowing if she'd be able to shake them off behind her. They were so much faster and also able to weave through this environment much better than she thought. Even so, The girl just continued to swerve through the water until she met up again with Ao'nung, which was really relieved about because at least she wasn't alone anymore, but before she could get very far and catch up with her brother, the man on the submarine had entirely different plans.

Having his eyes on her and target set on the submarine directly at her ilu, he spoke up. "On lock. Launch!" The man said, pressing a button that ejected an inflatable anchor that is used for Tulkun hunts. That anchor shot directly at Tsireya's ilu and attached to its back fins. The creature wailed as it was being elevated up to the surface as the inflatable got bigger and bigger, leaving Tsireya alone in the water without her ilu. She began to panic as she saw out of the corner of her eye that many Crab Suits were coming at her at the same time, and she was defenseless with flashing their frontal lights directly in her face. Her eyes widened as she gulped, looking around desperately for help or anyone that could possible help her.

As if her prayers were answered, thankfully from around the corner, Lo'ak noticed Tsireya's situation and came to her rescue. He got there as fast as he could and guided his ilu until he could get to her, and when he was just close enough, he extended his hand for her to take, which she did, and pulled her with him in a swift and quick movement. Tsireya avoided the clutches of the Crab Suit in the nick of time thanks to Lo'ak as the two rode together. She moved herself to sit behind him as he grabbed her thigh and began to ride quickly through the kelp forest, but this time, with a different plan in their minds. They had to do this differently if they really wanted to lose these submarines.

When Lo'ak and Tsireya were really far after having ridden fast for enough time, knowing that the submarines would come after them, both Tsireya and Lo'ak dismounted and left the ilu at the same time, letting it swim freely on its own somewhere while they hid in a wall of big algae leaves beside them. At least they had lost them for now, and their ilu wasn't in danger of suffering the same fate as Tsireya's anymore. They were in the clear in the meantime, but tey couldn't stay in the kelp forest forever. They had to think of something quickly.

Kiri eventually did temporarily lose the Crab Suit that was after her as she left her ilu behind too and met up with Ao'nung and Rotxo shortly after. The three of them no longer had their ilu's so they began swimming towards this plant that was upside down and had a hollow inside with air to breath and to hide in the meantime. When all of them came up to the surface, Kiri took one big breath and didn't take another moment to express the worry she felt for her mother and her little sister. "Have you seen my mom? Where's Tuk? Did you see them?" Kiri asked Ao'nung and Rotxo, but the two boys looked at each other and then back at Kiri, shaking their heads in denial. Ao'nung was equally worried for you even if he didn't voice it. You've taken care of him and Tsireya his entire life, and he worries you might be in danger too. He worries for all of them.

Thankfully, you and Tuk were able to find a similar plant to the one where Kiri was in with Ao'nung and Rotxo. Tuk swam jusy above you and you pushed her up further so she could get to the surface first and breathe. She needed it more than you after you've grown up with it your entire life. After seeing a couple Crab Suits in the distance, you pushed her up further and when you saw she poked her head up first to get a breath, you came up next and took a big breath, to see that she was panting and breathing heavily because of the lack of air. You were a little more stable because of years of practice. But she has barely adapted and It saddened you, she was just a little girl and has already gone through so much to last a lifetime.

"Tuk, come on. Put your feet up on the plant so they don't see you. Put your hands on the side of the plant," You said, doing what you were saying and seeing that your daughter was doing the same. You looked at your daughter and could see clearly how tired and exhausted she was. You didn't know what to do now, your mind drew a blank and you hoped someone would find you two and help. After a few more seconds, with the accompaniment of the sound of water sloshing gently inside the plant and the dripping of water from above, as well as the silence and heavy breathing as Tuk caught her breath, you spoke up. "Tuk, come here," You said as you extended one of your arms.

And it seems that she was waiting for any sort of comfort or reassurance because she didn't hesitate to leap into your arms and wrap her arms around your neck. You reciprocated by using your free hand to put it in the back of her neck, cradling her head while you leaned your cheek against her head. You heard her breath out shakily and your heart burned with sadness at your daughter. How much could ahe really take? Though, her next words broke you. "Mama?" She whispered, and you hummed letting her know you were listening as you cradled the back of her head lovingly.

"Are we going to make it out okay?" She muttered and that was when you could quite literally heart your heart drop. How was she so young and already thinking if she and and those she loved would make it out of what seems to be a hopeless situation. She shouldn't have to. Still, even if she couldn't see your face, you breathed out shakily and put on your bravest smile to calm her down. "Y-Yes, of course. We'll all be okay. Your dad is coming to get us and then we'll all go home and be all together, alright? I promise" You whispered and you felt her nod against you as she only tightened her grip on you. You could only close your eyes shut tightly and pray to Eywa to give you strength to keep going, and the courage to continue to tell your children everything would be alright. You would fight against all odds to make sure that happens no matter what.

Just as Tuk was pulling away from the hug, you blinked away any stray tears and gave her a small smile that had a hint of pain behind it but you hoped she didn't notice. You patted the back of her head to get her to feel more at ease, but living daylights were scared out of you and Tuk when all of a sudden, someone popped their head inside the plant's air pocket, which made you and Tuk squeal and yell in surprise in unison. But, relief washed over the two of you when you both noticed it was Lo'ak. When your son noticed the presence of his mom and his little sister, he smiled in relief when he saw the two of them. "Tuk! Mom!" He exclaimed with relief, and it didn't take long for Tsireya to come up to the surface shortly after, smiling at the sight of you and Tuk too, safe and sound.

As all four of you stayed inside the plant's air pocket, there were submarines outside pf the plant in the kelp forest patrolling the area for any sign of you and the kids. In fact, one of the pilots turned a corner and could see one of the kids, and it was when Tsireya had made her way up and swam inside the plant where you, Lo'ak, and Tuk were, and all of your legs could be seen. In all the commotion, you forgot to have the kids hide them. The pilot manning the submarine smirked and got closer. "Target in sight," The man said, heading straight for the plant, unbeknownst to you and the kids, but that was until after Tsireya came up to the surface and then, a couple seconds later when she had greeted you and Tuk, asking if you and Tuk were okay, while Lo'ak took a second to do about what to do next, you all realized you didn't really have time at all to debate this.

Bright lights started coming from below the plant, making all of you be on high alert. All of you looked down at the approaching lights and Tsireya spoke up. "It is coming!" She said with worry and distress back in her voice. Lo'ak's eyes widened but he made a quick decision for everyone in that moment. "We gotta go!" Lo'ak said and you nodded wordlessly in agreement, turning to Tuk to help her take deep breaths to prepare to go underwater again. Soon enough, all of you took one big breath and submerged at the same time as you took Tuk's hand to help her swim faster with your help, hopefully.

Just as the Crab Suit took sight of you four again and began to approach the plant, tearing others in the process, the four of you began to swim away together as Lo'ak looked back at it and made sure to let you girls go first as he kept watch for how close it was getting. Tsireya grabbed Tuk's other hand in hopes of tugging and propelling her along with your help, since both of you were Metkayina and could swim with a bit more ease and Tuk needed as much help she could get. Her small body could only take so much. It was only when the four of you came into a clearing when a submarine came around the corner, making all 4 of you to start swimming the other way. But, it was absolutely and completely pointless because the sub that was after them only got closer to them and the woman manning it got close enough to capture all four of you. "Switch net. Fire," The woman said, and a second later, a capsule was quickly launched which opened into a net and was shot directly at the four of you at an insane speed.

With no time to look back and react, you felt rope against you and you realized that you, Tsireya, Tuk, and Lo'ak all got trapped inside a large net. Somehow, Lomak was able to slip out before it closed completely but you, Tsireya and Tuk were still inside. You immediately pulled Tuk closer to you and held her against your own body with a protective grip and extended your other arm to wrap close around Tsireya, holding them close. You noticed your dayghter's distress as she tried to wiggle out of the net but you pressed your cheek against her head and you held the back of her head close, nuzzling her against your neck. And the hits just kept on coming because in the corner of your eye, you saw two Ikrans swoop down into the water and with two men, who looked like forest Na'vi, on full camo riding them, headed straight towards the net with menacing and threatening looks. This would get ugly, very fast. More than it already has.

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First update of 2024! Omg it feels so weird to say that but happy new year everyone! I cannot express how frustrated it was to make this chapter because of how long action sequences take- but I did it! There is even more angst coming, and dare I say, even more than tha movie so yeah shsj starting off the year strong lmao anyway, I really do hope you guys are as excited as I am for the finale chapters of this book

I've said this before in other author's notes but I know a couple people have been asking but yes, 'Call of Silence' will be the next book after this one and I cannot express how excited I am for that book! I had the concept in my mind months ago and since then I have had so many ideas for scenes that Im hope you guys will love! Im slowly getting back into writing and a more consistent updating schedule like before so yay! I hope college doesn't get too tough tho so I can stick to that :,)

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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