Chapter 8: The Assault

Author note: I use { } to separate Na'vi and English when it's appropriate for the scene.

Kiri and Spider had managed to press their way to the front of the throng just prior to Jake's speech. A dozen of Jake's most trusted warriors stood with him, including Kiri's siblings, Mo'at and Neytiri, who had just returned. The tension was so high that a dropped pin could cut through the still air.

"{My fellow Omaticaya. Brothers and sisters,}" Jake said, clearing his throat as he looked at each of them in the face. "{I address you with a dire message. Our home is once again under threat from the invaders.}"

There were loud gasps from the crowd, and Spider and Kiri exchanged a glance.

"I warned you we couldn't trust that thing," Spider whispered to Kiri.

Kiri shivered as she looked toward her tent, where she had stashed her radio. Betrayal was something she had never experienced before, and it made her uneasy.

Jake's words jolted Kiri out of her daze. "{Our enemy has been spotted approaching our camp from the north, and they will soon arrive,}" he said with a somber expression on his face. "{They'll be here in less than thirty minutes.}"

"{Then let us strike before they arrive!}" One of the warriors screamed from the crowd, and there were loud shouts and hoots from everyone else. Lo'ak and Neteyam cheered that sentiment.

As Kiri glanced at Spider and saw him applauding along, she felt like she was the only person who did not share that sentiment. Behind the cheers, she was aware that battle meant more death and destruction.

Jake stepped forward and extended his hands, thereby silencing the assemblage. "{We will strike them with everything we have before they arrive,}" he said, nodding firmly. "{However, as a precautionary measure, I am ordering the immediate evacuation of the camp.}"

The audience once again reacted with audible murmurs and disapproval cries. Kiri and Spider did not speak but were disappointed with the news as well.

"{We can't just run again like before,}" an elder cried out. "{We have already lost our home!}"

Kiri inhaled deeply upon hearing this because she remembered the day of the sundered flames all too well, and she couldn't help but glance at the healed burn marks on her left arm.

Once more, Jake raised his hands, and the crowd fell silent. "{Our home is not just a village or place, but amongst our people, with Eywa,}" he said, looking at each of them around him. "{I know this decision is difficult. But understand that our enemy will attack day and night until we are all killed. To keep our families and our children safe, we have to move.}"

The audience became silent, taking in Jake's words, and Kiri took a few moments to look around. Some Na'vi warriors, Lo'ak, Spider, and Neteyam, were clearly dissatisfied with Jake's remarks. On the other hand, most villagers and Mo'at were saddened, but Neytiri's wore a combined expression of fury and sorrow. Nonetheless, Kiri felt in her heart that this was the appropriate course of action. She was aware of how destructive human technology could be.

Yet Kiri felt enormous shame as though this were her fault, and she hugged herself. Spider saw this and placed a soothing touch on her arm.

"{Now, gather all the belongings that you can carry, and we'll make our way towards the Ayram Alusing,}" Jake said, referring to the Hallelujah Mountains, and he gestured to one of the male warriors next to him. "{Tarsem and Mo'at will lead the evacuation.}"

Tarsem took a step forward and bowed to everyone. He was a youthful warrior, wise beyond his years, and well-liked by the majority of the clan. "{We will load everything we can onto the Pa'li before departing, and our warriors will defend our people,}" he said to the gathering. The word Pa'li was the Na'vi word for the direhorses.

After Tarsem finished and stepped aside, Jake spoke once more. "{Neytiri will lead a pre-emptive strike from the air,}" Jake said, looking towards his mate. "{Where they are coming from, she knows the area well.}"

When Neytiri's name was mentioned, Kiri looked in her direction. Neytiri stepped forward to confront the audience, her tail swaying in anticipation of battle. "{All Ikran riders picked by me must now accompany me,}" she stated firmly before proceeding towards her Ikran, which was positioned near the cave's exit. A dozen riders promptly joined her, preparing to depart soon after. Amongst them, Lo'ak and Neteyam attempted to follow suit, but Jake made a silent gesture, refusing their approach. The two brothers, shocked and frustrated, fell back in line.

After watching them prepare to leave, Jake addressed the crowd. "{I will organize the defense of the camp if the sky people make it this far,}" he said. "{All warriors. Sharpen your weapons and be ready to fight to protect your families.}"

The crowd swiftly dispersed as people rushed to their camps to collapse their tents and gather their provisions while warriors prepared for battle. Outside, the dire horses were arranged in a caravan, ready to transport everything.

Once the humans turned on their two Samson helicopters inside the cave, the cave became deafening with helicopter turbines. Neytiri and her war party had also just left, and the air was filled with the cacophony of fluttering wings and the shrill cries of banshees as they headed north to intercept the invaders.

Kiri and Spider, however, did not leave with the crowd and instead approached Jake, who had stepped aside and appeared to be arguing with Lo'ak and Neteyam based on their body language. What they were saying only became audible once they were behind them.

"Why don't you trust us?" Neteyam screamed over the roar of helicopter turbines.

"I need you here to help evacuate the camp!" Jake shouted back in frustration.

Kiri could only cover her ears to muffle the helicopter noise, but she heard enough of their conversation to sigh in irritation since now was not the time to argue. Spider simply shook his head.

"We should be out there with mom!" Lo'ak scowled. "Not being babysitters!"

The helicopters lifted off the earth, flew out of the tunnel, and hovered outside above the camp in quick succession. Around two of the outlying human dormitories, human laborers began the process of attaching cables so that they could be transported.

The noise had gone down by now. "Enough!" Jake shouted at Neteyam and Lo'ak. "Our people need us! Now, stop your bitching and start acting like grown men!"

Neteyam stiffened and hung his head low. Lo'ak huffed, rushing past Kiri and Spider without uttering a word and heading towards the exit. All around them, human employees began to pack up as much equipment as they could carry before proceeding outside. There was still a great deal of seized RDA property that would have to be abandoned.

Jake then noticed Kiri and Spider standing there. "I'm sorry for my language."

"I've heard worse," Kiri said, looking down afterward. She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry about this. This is all my fault."

"Kiri," Spider said, startled, looking up at Kiri.

Kiri's statement caught Jake off guard. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Kiri took a deep breath before looking up to meet her father's eyes. "I found something in the swa-"

Kiri was cut off before she could finish as two warriors approached quickly and spoke to Jake. After the words were exchanged, Jake looked at Kiri. "We can talk about this later," he said. "Do what you can to help evacuate outside and be ready to leave."

That remark infuriated Kiri, but she remained silent before Jake left to join another group of warriors to assist in organizing the camp's defense. Spider saw her annoyance and reassuringly touched her arm again.

"Were you about to tell him about the drone?" Spider asked with surprise.

Kiri frowned and nodded. "Yes," she said, looking him in the eyes. "I need to speak with Ghost."

Spider shook his head in disapproval. "Why? We know it turned us in."

Kiri's hand wandered to her mother's necklace. "I…I'm asking for myself."

Spider exhaled and nodded. "All right, I'll meet you outside then," he responded, going outside to assist with the evacuation.

Now on her own, Kiri paused and surveyed the chaotic scene around her. Jake was barking orders like a general, instructing certain Na'vi warriors with human guns to go elsewhere and others with bows to assume various positions. Outside the cave, the last cable was connected to the infirmary, and it was hoisted away by the helicopter.

Kiri then turned and headed towards her tent. After reaching her tent, she quickly retrieved her hidden radio and turned it on.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" Kiri asked over the radio urgently.

"Audibles at 15," responded the familiar synthetic voice over the radio seconds later.

Kiri then knelt down on the floor and looked around, making sure nobody was watching. "The RDA is coming."

"Acknowledged."

Kiri could barely contain her anger. "Did you tell them where we live?"

"Negative."

Kiri clenched her teeth, reigning in her irritation. "Then why are they coming here after we met?"

"Data inconclusive," responded over the radio, "however, my recent scans have detected a signal of 1176 MHz being broadcast from your position."

Kiri hesitated a bit. "What do you mean?"

"The signal matches the same signal strength and frequency of a L12 GPS device."

Kiri immediately stood up, realizing what this meant. They were being tracked. "You've known that the entire time?"

"Negative. Only after recent repairs."

When Kiri peered around the cave's interior, she felt a wave of apprehension set in as she assumed the tracking gadget was in one of the stolen RDA shipments. She had more questions, but this was not the time to ask them. "I must leave," she stated over the radio before securing it to her midsection.

"Acknowledged."

Kiri then started desperately looking for Jake in the cave. She knew he was outdoors because he was no longer inside. As she made her way toward the exit, she halted when she saw Lo'ak approaching.

"Have you seen dad?" Kiri asked Lo'ak urgently.

"He's outside," Lo'ak replied shortly, indicating backwards with his palm and kept walking.

Kiri blinked at his response and was about to leave when she noticed Neteyam approaching them. "Bro, hold on!" Neteyam shouted after catching up.

Lo'ak did not stop until Neteyam grasped his arm and pulled him to a stop, at which point Kiri stood there confused.

"Let me go!' Lo'ak protested and yanked his arm free before turning to face his older brother. "I've made up my mind."

"You heard what dad said!" Neteyam shouted.

Kiri's heart began to tremble at that point. She knew that Lo'ak wished to join Neytiri in battle.

"Yeah, he called us little bitches," Lo'ak said, throwing his arms up in frustration. "We should be men fighting out there, not staying here. I'm going whether you like it or not."

Kiri stepped in front of him. "Lo'ak, please think this through."

Neteyam stepped next to Kiri. "Bro, listen to your sister."

Lo'ak stared at Neteyam. "You're either with me or not," he said shortly as he walked backwards toward his Ikran in the cave.

"Damnit!" Neteyam exclaimed, almost tearing his hair out in frustration. After deliberating a short while, he walked toward his brother. "I can't leave him," he said back to Kiri.

"Please don't go!" Kiri tried to protest, but she knew there was nothing she could do.

"We'll be fine, Kiri," Lo'ak said with little reassurance, and before she could respond, her two step-siblings took off on their Ikrans and flew out the front entrance, heading north.

"Shit," Kiri muttered to herself as she dashed for the exit.

Outside, innumerable Na'vi hastily dismantled their tents and loaded goods aboard the direhorse caravan. The scream of the helicopter turbines filled the air for a few moments as the last chopper took away another of the human barracks.

Kiri swiftly made her way towards Jake after spotting him in the camp's center. Getting through the crowd was difficult, and she almost slipped and collided with the workers who were unpacking everything several times.

Jake, Mo'at, and one of the male human workers were discussing the evacuation when Kiri collapsed in front of them, panting.

"{Child, are you okay?}" Mo'at kneeled down and asked Kiri.

"Kiri, what are you doing here?" Jake asked next, looking down at her in frustration. "I told you to help with the evacuation."

"Dad!" Kiri said, catching her breath and looking up, "There's a tracking device in the camp!"

Jake's face fell flat. "Oh shit."

"What is this 'tracking device'?" Mo'at asked Kiri.

"It's how they found us," Jake said to Mo'at before asking Kiri. "How do you know this?"

"I'll tell you later," Kiri said, mirroring what Jake had said to her earlier. "We have to find it, or they'll know where we go next."

The human worker spoke up. "I'll grab my equipment and go check it out," he said to Jake.

"Do that now," Jake replied before looking at Kiri. "Help with what you can, then ride off with your Ikran. You got ten minutes."

Ten minutes felt too short. Too many people needed Mo'at and Jake's attention, and Kiri, still trying to catch her breath, felt like her urgency was taking a backseat to other people's concerns. Immediately, Mo'at had to turn away to give further instructions to several concerned workers. Jake issued a few more orders before heading off himself.

"Wait!" Kiri said, stopping him. "Neteyam and Lo'ak have gone to join mom!"

After hearing that, Jake walked back and forth with the veins on his forehead about to burst. "These kids. I swear to god," he gritted his teeth, looking at Kiri. "I'll deal with them later. Now go."

Kiri frowned and nodded. "Yes, sir," she replied before turning and noticing Spider waiting nearby for her.

Far to the north, the sound of helicopter rotors hummed over the forests of Pandora as the lead ship, a Dragon Assault Ship, roared by with a dozen gunships in tow. Even though the clouds were thick and heavy, they could still see the mountain in the distance, which was where their target was hiding.

Inside the cockpit, the pilots and a dozen crew members labored in perfect unison.

"General, this is Delta Scorch," a Major called out over the radio. "Target is in sight. ETA is eight minutes."

"Copy that, Major," General Ardmore repeated back over the radio, "we are twenty minutes out from your position."

"Sir," one of the co-pilots called out next to the Major, "we have multiple contacts on radar."

The Major moved aside and stared at the radar screen, which showed a swarm of red dots coming at them. He instantly peered up through the cockpit, and through the thickening fog ahead, he could see the distant silhouettes of Ikrans.

"All gunships, we have incoming," the Major called over the radio. "Break formation and engage at will. Don't take excessive risks; our task is to draw them away."

"Copy that," came over the radio, as the accompanying helicopters split off into smaller squadrons.

"General, Sully has joined the chorus," the Major said next over the radio, referring to them taking the bait of attacking his forces.

Now flying through another heavy cloud, the Major's cockpit view was completely obstructed, and suddenly the radar screen blinked out.

"Sir, we lost the targets on radar," the co-pilot called out, and after exiting the cloud, the expected Na'vi fighters were nowhere to be seen.

"Where did they go?" the Major asked, looking at the screen.

There was a tense moment in the cockpit as everyone looked around.

"Above us!" was heard over the radio from one of the escorting gunships.

Up above, a wave of Na'vi warriors descended upon them like a tidal wave. At the tip of the deadly spearhead, Neytiri released the first arrow, piercing one of the escorting cockpits and instantly killing its pilot.

Kiri and Spider were helping an elder climb onto a direhorse when a loud boom alerted everyone. All eyes turned north to see a fireball and a dark cloud rising. They were too far away to see what was happening, but they were aware that the battle had begun, and some individuals started to panic. Kiri immediately thought of her two knuckle-headed siblings, and she herself felt a mounting panic. Meanwhile, Mo'at and Tuk were at the front of the caravan, ready to leave when instructed.

"{Calm, my people,}" Tarsem said as he rode his direhorse down along the caravan, accompanied by soldiers. He is effective at calming people, so despite their worries, they went back to work.

Soon, there was nothing for Spider and Kiri to do because all of the non-fighters had been loaded into the caravan. Less than a third of the camp had been dismantled, with workers now lighting fire to everything that could be useful to the RDA. Jake ordered scorched-earth tactics: give the enemy nothing, as they will give you nothing in return.

Jake divided the Na'vi fighters into squads, with some defending the caravan and the remainder covering their withdrawal. With his own squad, he stood at the entrance of the cave with his rifle at the ready, surveying the area. The human workers had discovered the tracking device and promptly destroyed it, which provided Kiri with a sense of relief before they left on their helicopters.

After Tarsem reached the end of the caravan and was satisfied that everyone was there, he went to the front and gave the order to depart. They were traveling west, away from the camp, and under the canopy of the jungle as they made their journey. The trail was challenging to traverse, and the direhorses could only proceed in a single file.

Kiri and Spider left and headed towards the cave to leave. Passing by Jake, he made a quick head gesture for her to get inside. Standing amongst him were Txoum and his father, and all of their Ikrans were stationed close by. A few Ikran riders were already flying above the camp, keeping watch.

Another loud explosion rang out in the distance, making Kiri and Spider jump, but the seasoned fighters didn't even flinch, and some laughed at their reaction. When they entered the cave, Kiri's radio abruptly went on, alerting both of them.

"Respond."

Kiri's and Spider's eyes were drawn to the radio by her midsection. After retrieving it, Kiri spoke. "I am here."

"Reporting signal detection on an incoming hostile force," Ghost was heard over the radio with a bit of static. "Grid nine dash one east of your position. Threat assessment is alpha."

"Did it just say the east?" Spider asked Kiri, "The RDA is to the north?"

Kiri thought it was strange as well. "You said the east? We're fighting the RDA to the north. Can't you hear the noises?"

"Affirmative," Ghost responded back. "Current assessment is hostile force in grid eight dash seven being contained is diversionary. Hostiles in grid nine dash one are in negative containment status and rapidly escalating."

Following those words, a large flock of pink, six-winged birds flew in from the east, attracting the attention of everyone in the camp. Even Jake sensed that something was amiss.

Kiri and Spider stared at each other again and then looked towards the caravan in horror. Only about half of the caravan had made it out so far.

"We've been tricked," Spider mouthed, "and they're all going to die if we don't do anything."

Kiri ran without hesitation towards Jake. He was in the process of issuing additional orders when she interrupted him.

"Dad, the real attack is coming from the east!" Kiri shouted.

Jake turned his gaze to Kiri and then to the east. Because they did not understand English, Txoum and the others found her words confusing. Instead of interrogating her, Jake activated his radio. "{Wrrho, fly east and search for sky people.}"

With Jake's commands, two Ikran riders headed east. He then went to Txoum's father, named Lesawtak, and ordered, "{Send every warrior to fortify the eastern part of the camp.}"

"{Yes, Olo'eyktan,}" Lesawtak responded, and the warriors gathered around and raced down to the camp.

After Spider joined her, Kiri spoke over the radio again. "How long until they get here?"

"{You five, get ready to take to the skies,}" Jake said, gesturing to Txoum and four others, who all nodded and seemed eager to fight.

"ETA is calculated at five minutes and thirty-two seconds," was the reply over the radio.

When Jake heard the radio, he turned and glanced at Kiri. "Who is that?"

"Uhhh," Kiri said, swallowing again, "It's Ghost. They said the RDA will be here in five minutes."

Jake stared at her. "This isn't the time for games."

Spider then stepped forward. "Sir, listen. This is going to sound really strange," he said. "We lied about what happened. We went into the swamp and found some kind of rogue RDA drone."

Kiri simply nodded quickly, riding an adrenaline high.

Jake stared at them, as if about to blow his top, when his radio abruptly rang. "{Olo'eyktan! There are many-}" was heard over the sound of gunfire.

The distant gunshots were heard in the camp seconds later, and the familiar, unnerving sound of the droning helicopter rotors was now barely audible, but it was rapidly gaining volume, and more birds began to fly away from their direction.

Jake then peered towards the caravan, which was beginning to panic, and issued orders to Txoum and the four others. "{Get to the sky! We need to slow them down before they get here,}" he shouted before ordering his second-in-command over the radio. "{Tarsem, the sky people are coming from the east. Make sure you keep our people safe.}"

Txoum and the warriors promptly mounted their Ikrans and ascended into the sky, while Tarsem proceeded to ride up and down the direhorse caravan, barking orders in impressive succession to speed up the evacuation process.

Seeing Jake about to leave, Kiri rushed up to him and grasped his arm.

"Dad, be safe!" Kiri shouted, "I love you."

"I love you too, baby girl," Jake said, patting her head affectionately, "Now get out of here."

Kiri took a step back and watched Jake depart to confront the approaching threat.

General Ardmore, clad in her Skel Suit, stood at the helm of her own personal dragon assault ship, which was a few miles to the east of the camp. She watched the last surviving Na'vi scout do some remarkable aerial feats before they were shot out of the sky.

"General, we're three minutes away," one of the co-pilots said.

General Ardmore activated her radio. "All ground assets prepare for a hot landing zone."

"We got more inbound, General," a Captain, also wearing a skull suit, said while pointing out the window.

The general grabbed a pair of binoculars and observed numerous Ikran riders heading in her direction in a loose formation. Despite their size, she had a force that was far superior to them. Jake was at the head of the formation.

"It's Sully," the General said, which got everyone's attention.

The two lead assault helicopters had already moved to intercept and launched a missile volley. The Ikran riders dispersed, evading the missiles that detonated behind them, while Jake flew fearlessly between the helicopters and peppered one of the cockpits with a close-range volley from his rifle. The left helicopter lurched violently to the right and collided with the other helicopter, causing them to both fall into the ground with an explosion.

Jake, evading gunfire from multiple directions, then flew directly towards the General's assault ship and pelted the cockpit with gunfire, leaving only minor dents and fissures in the sturdy cockpit glass in front of the General.

The General looked up and watched the underbelly of Jake's Ikran sail straight by without even flinching at the gunshots. She peered out the side glass and saw him fly south, taunting them by lifting his weapon numerous times.

"General, shall we pursue?" the Captain asked.

The General pondered for a few seconds. "No, he's trying to lure us away," she said confidently, "continue on as planned."

"Yes, General."

Back in the cave, Kiri and Spider were rapidly prepping Gracie for flight against the backdrop of now incessant explosions and gunfire, and the swarm of helicopter turbines was so loud that it was rattling their bones and stressing out Gracie.

"Come on Kiri," Spider said nervously.

After completing her final preparations, Kiri attached her queue to Gracie. Spider helped Kiri mount her on account of her broken arm. She could feel Gracie's heart pounding just like her own.

Outside, every warrior was now prepared for battle and in position. The rear of the direhorse caravan was still trapped in a bottleneck, and instead of waiting, panicked families simply gathered what they could and fled on foot.

The swarm of low-flying helicopters and the massive assault ship were now visible, and Jake and his riders were harassing them in the sky. Despite this, transport and VTOL helicopters descended toward the ground, while the attack helicopters continued forward towards the camp.

"Oh shit," Spider said.

Kiri was about to instruct Gracie to fly when the camp center was hit by a volley of rockets from incoming helicopters and exploded, scattering dirt and metal shards everywhere. Several Na'vi were immediately killed, and Kiri and Spider watched in dismay as they heard people scream for assistance for the remaining injured.

The camp erupted in gunfire as Na'vi warriors with firearms opened fire on the helicopters that fired the volley. One of the helicopters was shot down and fell into a stream, but the remaining ones continued to discharge more rockets into the camp to repel the incoming fire. Their missiles razed the human barracks into a pile of scrap and damaged numerous Na'vi structures, but the warriors refused to back down.

Gracie, who was plainly not battle-trained like the other Ikrans, backed into the cave.

"Gracie! No!" Kiri called out, but her commands were ignored.

General Ardmore calmly strode out the back exit of her assault craft, which was unloading its troops, and other equipment. Her subordinate Skel-equipped officers were issuing orders to the grunts, and they were dispersing and securing the landing zone. A squad of AMP-suited heavy infantry was being unloaded by another VTOL, and four Bearcats, eight-wheel armored personnel vehicles with a powerful dual-fed 30mm cannon, were being loaded with men.

The General witnessed Sully narrowly escape two helicopters hunting him, but one of his less experienced riders was easily shot down. After everyone was offloaded, the helicopters and VTOLS rejoined the fight, and the AMP suits spearheaded the charge with the APCs behind them, with exposed troops using them as cover. They were moving forward like a steel wall.

The steel wall had made it within firing range of the Na'vi camp when they were ambushed by a hail of arrows, and gunfire from the trees surrounding them. Several exposed soldiers were slain instantly, as was the pilot of an AMP suit by a well-placed arrow.

The General shot back with her pistol. "Return fire and keep moving!"

All the soldiers shot back at the ambushers, and the heavy guns of the AMP suits and APCs tore the trees they were using apart like cardboard. Several Na'vi ambushers were slain, but many others continued to return fire. Under a barrage of gunfire and arrows, the RDA forces advanced regardless of their casualties.

A troop of Direhorse riders headed by Lesawtak charged into battle ahead of the steel wall, their hooves shaking the earth and their battlecries frightening. Several were slain by a salvo of rockets fired from a hovering helicopter before they reached the halfway point, but they continued to advance courageously.

The AMP suits fired on them at close range and quickly killed some more direhorses, but Lesawtak rushed ahead and slammed his spear through the cockpit of one of the AMP suits, which collapsed over, while another warrior used his direhorse to knock over another. The warriors who were shot from their direhorses continued their onslaught on foot and fought the human soldiers hand-to-hand until they were all killed.

Suddenly, Lesawtak's direhorse was shot, and he fell into the mud. The driver of one of the Bearcats attempted to run him over, but he rolled away to avoid being struck. Behind the vehicle was General Ardmore, and the soldiers next to her raised their weapons.

Before they fired, the general lifted her hand. "This one is mine," she declared before holstering her pistol and detaching the large knife affixed to the suit.

Lesawtak rose up, spat on the ground, and hissed before drawing out his hatchet and charging towards the general. She evaded his attack and gave him a quick stab to the chest. Despite the wound, he swung again and knocked the general down.

While they fought, humans and Na'vi traded bullets and arrows. Jake had also sprayed the group from the air with his rifle, killing several soldiers, but it was evident he could do nothing to stop them all, so he returned to the camp to rally the defenders on the ground.

The soldiers surrounding the downed general were about to shoot Lesawtak when he came in for a finishing blow, but the General gave him a swift kick to the midsection that sent him back. After that powerful blow, she sprang swiftly up and into a kickboxing stance. "Is that all you've got?" she taunted.

Lesawtak spat blood in her direction and rushed in for another blow, but before he got close, she used her suit to kick him in the face with a loud metallic pang. The impact of the strike rendered him unconscious, and he fell to the ground with force. All of the soldiers surrounding the general stared in awe before she moved in with her pistol to deliver a lethal shot to the head.

Txoum, flying overhead on his Ikran and witnessing the execution of his father, screamed in anger and pointed an arrow at the General, but a helicopter shot him down, and he fell in the jungle.

The general then shouted. "Press on, you apes!"

After a few minutes, Kiri persuaded Gracie to head towards the cave exit. The combat outside was considerably more chaotic than before, with an army of RDA soldiers and equipment converging on the camp's perimeter. Explosions on both sides were common.

After the rear of the caravan had left, Jake ordered his forces to retreat to the cave for cover and higher ground since the defenders were sitting targets in the open. When necessary, they could then escape via a smaller back exit or subterranean tunnels.

Kiri was ready to take off again when one of the patrolling helicopters lined up and began firing at her. She instantly directed Gracie to take a short flight further into the cave to avoid it. They had no way of leaving through the front entrance now.

"Shit, what do we do now?" Spider said with concern.

Kiri looked around and spotted the rear exit, but it was barely wide enough for Gracie. "There!" she pointed out and Gracie started heading towards there. They were almost there when she observed numerous injured Na'vi being carried into the cave with the other combatants.

"Halt," Kiri said to Gracie and she did.

"Kiri! What are you doing?" Spider asked.

"I have to help the wounded!" Kiri said before looking at Gracie, and patting her reassuringly. "Find somewhere to hide." She said before dismounting, albeit a little clumsily.

"Fuck," Spider muttered before climbing down. Gracie then went to the rear of the cave to hide.

Outside, the combat raged as the RDA soldiers penetrated the camp's perimeter and began moving inside. Jake and the surviving defenders made it into the cave, and when he saw an AMP suit trample over one of the Na'vi wagons outside, he clicked a button on his detonator and set off some concealed explosives to disable the machine. That tiny victory made numerous defenders celebrate.

"{Hold them off as long as we can!}" Jake yelled as he reloaded his rifle and continued firing with the other defenders around him. As the RDA returned fire, limestone and rocks flew everywhere as they struck all around him.

Gathered near the cave's rear, the injured were given first aid by Kiri and Spider, who administered medication and bandaged their wounds. However, many were already dead or beyond their care.

After spreading throughout the camp, the RDA soldiers surged upward toward the cave, meeting fire and carnage at every step. The helicopters lined up in support and fired rockets into the cave, hitting the old helicopter maintenance facility in the process with a thunderous explosion. Despite the clear advantage, the helicopters held back their maximum firepower to avoid killing their own infantrymen.

When the ammo for the Na'vi defenders' weapons ran low, many of them turned to utilizing their bows, which they were equally lethal with. The human soldiers were suffering significant losses and were getting so close that Jake and a few other Na'vi began tossing grenades at them. Each grenade explosion maimed or killed several more, but the general brutally pushed them ahead into the meat grinder.

Jake, now on his final magazine, was moving positions and directing others to follow him when an explosion burst nearby, knocking him down. Several warriors ran to his side and pulled him away, while many more screamed in rage as they continued to battle.

Despite a broken arm, Kiri was more than capable of administering first aid. Kiri had just finished bandaging the head of one of the injured defenders when she noticed Jake being carried over. "Dad!" she yelled before running to his side. He was awake and alert, still yelling orders, but there were multiple bleeding wounds in his back, some of which had shards of smoking metal sticking out.

"{Keep fighting!}" Jake directed his soldiers before noticing her. "Kiri, what are you doing here?!"

"You're hurt!" Kiri said as she began extracting metal fragments from his back and preparing bandages.

Jake then took Kiri's left arm and drew her in close. "Get out of here! That is an order!" he said, coughing.

Kiri stared at him. "No, I will not leave you like this!"

The RDA had made it up the bloody climb towards the cave door and started storming through the front entrance, and the defenders moved further into the cave. When Spider saw the approaching soldiers, he stopped treating the wounded and grabbed one of the rifles left over by one of the injured Na'vi fighters before joining the fight.

As Kiri and Jake glanced at the oncoming soldiers, stray shots went over their heads. Jake immediately pulled Kiri to the floor and embraced her tightly to protect her.

"You have to go," Jake said to Kiri. "I'll be right behind you."

Kiri fought back tears and gently stroked Jake's face before standing up. She turned to face Spider, who was taking cover behind a rock before returning fire. "Spider, let's go!"

Spider looked back and screamed over the gunfire. "I'll hold them off! Don't worry!"

"I'm not leaving you too!" Kiri screamed back with a flail of her tail.

"Kiri, go!" Jake yelled, coughing up blood before rising up and returning to the battle, reenergized with the will to defend his daughter.

Kiri hesitantly went to the rear exit and found Gracie. They both managed to escape via the back exit and onto an open area without any RDA soldiers or helicopters around. Behind her, explosions were almost continuous inside the cave as both sides traded grenades.

Kiri quickly mounted Gracie and commanded her to fly, but she kept falling back to the ground after only a short distance in the air, and Gracie made frustrated jaw-clicking sounds. Her heart sank as she witnessed this, and she rubbed Gracie's backside reassuringly. "Try! Try harder!" she commanded.

Gracie attempted to take off with greater force, and after many forceful flaps, she was able to gain flight. However, she was going excruciatingly slowly, and as they reached above the treelines, Kiri turned back and was astounded by the number of helicopters hovering over the camp.

When Kiri glanced to her right, she noticed one of the transport helicopter's door gunners firing at her. She instantly commanded Gracie to fly away to safety, and the helicopter gave chase. More gunshots whizzed past, and her heart began to pound.

Gracie was panicking, and her wings' mending burn wounds were ripping apart. This caused her to slow down and became an easy target for the door gunner, who was close on top of her.

Kiri locked eyes with the door gunner and watched as they fired another salvo of shots that hit Gracie in the side, causing her to scream and dive for the ground. Kiri was flung from her back, and her fall was eased by landing into some vines, but Gracie hit the ground terribly. They had fallen into the swamp not far from the main battle near the river.

"Gracie!" Kiri yelled from the tree before jumping and rushed to her side. Kiri touched Gracie's face as she took her dying breaths and began to cry, but there was no time to mourn since she could hear others approaching.

"They fell over here!" a human soldier was heard shouting nearby. Kiri immediately noticed a squad of soldiers hacking their way through the foliage, and before they noticed her, she hid behind the tree.

There were loud metallic footsteps as one of the lieutenants in their skel suit pressed forward. Kiri held her breath as she heard twig snaps and loud cracks from adjacent soldiers.

"Over here!" was heard behind Kiri as the lieutenant approached Gracie. "No rider; look around!"

One soldier circled the tree and lifted their rifle in surprise at Kiri, but she shoved them down to the ground and ran.

"Contact front!" The pushed soldier yelled, and other soldiers surrounding them began firing at Kiri, but she managed to duck behind a fallen tree.

"Flank around," the Lieutenant ordered, and the men rushed towards Kiri from all sides. She was trapped and looked in all directions for a way out.

Kiri peered up from behind her cover and saw a soldier aim just then, and she managed to duck before they shot and sent wooden splinters into her cheek. She quickly covered the wound which started to bleed.

Another soldier leapt from the opposite side of the log and aimed at Kiri, causing her to scream, before a large Na'vi arrow struck them in the chest and knocked them to the ground.

"Contact in the tree-line!"

Kiri's eyes darted forward, and she witnessed Txoum taking aim while perched in a tree some distance away and discharging another arrow, which struck another soldier. The group of humans returned fire, and Txoum was hit by the volley and fell off the tree.

"No!" Kiri screamed out.

"Target is down," the lieutenant called out, and the soldiers stopped firing. "Move forward. Keep your eyes open for more monkeys!"

When the soldiers drew close, Kiri jumped up to attempt to flee again, but the Lieutenant in the Skel suit grabbed her by the braid and forcibly threw her on the ground before he stepped on her arm and held her down.

"Where do you think you're going?" the Lieutenant taunted.

Kiri could do nothing but moan as the wind was knocked out of her.

After sweeping the area, the soldiers returned. "We couldn't find the one from the tree," the Sergeant said before looking at Kiri. "What about this one?"

Kiri looked up helplessly.

The lieutenant pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Kiri's head. "General's orders, no prisoners," he said coldly.

Kiri closed her eyes and began mouthing a prayer to Eywa.

"Sir," the Sergeant said suddenly and pointed down towards Kiri, "look at her hands."

The Lieutenant looked at Kiri's hands. "Well, I'll be damned. A half-breed?" He said, holstering his pistol next, "This must be one of Sully's kids."

Kiri hissed loudly at being called a half-breed.

The soldiers exchanged glances as if they had captured some kind of princess from a rival king.

"General, I think I have one of Sully's kids here," the Lieutenant said over his radio. "Please advise on what you want to do with her."

There was some radio chatter back, which Kiri couldn't hear. "Copy that, General," the Lieutenant said, before gesturing to the Sergeant, "She wants her taken back to Bridgehead."

The sergeant then knelt down and tried to forcefully pull Kiri's arms behind her back so they could tie her up, but she was resisting. "Stop fighting you, monkey, before I break your arm!"

"Go screw yourself!" Kiri hissed as she was placed in zip-tie handcuffs, and the sergeant deliberately put them as tight as he could.

The lieutenant then forced Kiri to stand while holding her by her braid. "I need a helicopt-," they said on the radio before a hail of bullets struck them from behind.

Kiri was stunned when the Lieutenant dropped to the ground dead with a loud thud from their exosuit. "Repeat that?" was heard over their radio before it went dead.

The soldiers instantly dispersed and took cover to face the threat from behind.

"Contact rear!"

"The Lieutenant is down!"

After recovering from her initial shock, Kiri was about to attempt to flee once more when the sergeant stood up, pointed their gun at her, and pushed her back. "Get down and don't move princess," the much smaller soldier said.

"Don't call me princess," Kiri snarled while she sat down behind the log at gunpoint. Her wrists were starting to become numb.

"You watch her," the sergeant ordered one of the privates, and they swapped spots. This soldier was much younger, perhaps on their first mission, and seemed to be intimidated by Kiri.

Another barrage of gunfire from a different direction struck down two more soldiers. The remaining squad returned fire, making noticeable metallic plinking sounds as they impacted their target, yet they continued firing.

"What the fuck is that!" one of the soldiers called out between changing magazines.

"Keep firing!" the sergeant shouted back before ducking down.

One of the soldiers threw a grenade, but there was a loud pang as it was knocked away, and it exploded in the distance. The concussive force caused several loose tree branches to fall to the ground.

"General," the Sergeant spoke over their radio, "our lieutenant is down, and we have multiple casualties. Requesting immediate reinforcements and air support."

Several more troops were shot and screamed in pain. Kiri counted only four uninjured survivors, and the one holding her at gunpoint began firing at the attacker. When gunfire was returned at them, they instantly ducked before getting up and shooting back.

Kiri looked around and realized no one was watching her, so she turned and kicked the soldier who had been held at gunpoint next to her out in the open. Almost immediately, he was shot down and collapsed back towards her. When she noticed a knife in their vest, she spun around, grabbed it with her zip-tied hands, and stealthily cut herself free while the sergeant was distracted.

"Pull back! I'll cover!" The sergeant shouted to his troops, and they began to evacuate. After the remaining troops withdrew under gunfire, the sergeant moved to leave before Kiri grabbed them and gave them a nasty left hook that cracked their mask and knocked them unconscious. If Lo'ak was there, he would be proud.

The gunshots ceased soon after.

Kiri shook her hand and stayed hidden behind the log. She was glad that she was about to be rescued, assumingly by one of her clan's members, but when she heard mechanical footfall again, she caught her breath, thinking another Skel suit soldier was approaching.

The approaching individual came to a halt, and it sounded like they were searching for something. Kiri peered through one of the bullet holes in a fallen log and was surprised to see the GHOST 001 emblem.

Kiri then took a big breath before sitting up and staring at Ghost. She couldn't even say anything when the drone reacted and leveled its gun arm straight at her face, and she found herself staring down a smoking barrel.

Kiri simply froze, expecting her world to darken, but as the arm was lowered, she felt relief. Ghost didn't say anything, instead staring at her with its menacing crimson optics. The radio chatter was starting to pick up from the deceased soldiers' radios.

"W-what are you doing here?" Kiri finally broke the awkward silence.

Ghost then looked down at the deceased Lieutenant's Skel suit and then at Kiri. "Remove the EXO-32's battery banks."

Kiri looked at the suit and then Ghost. "How?"

Ghost didn't say anything, and its gun arm changed into its hand shape before they went around scavenging for anything they could find. They grabbed several weapons and slung them over their arm, grabbed a drum of ammo for a machine gun, and put a bloodied PDA inside a compartment.

While this was happening, Kiri crept over to the Skel suit, whose operator was in a pool of blood, and discovered a lever to pull out the battery bank. There were two of them, and they were surprisingly heavy, but she got both of them out.

As the RDA prepared to return with additional reinforcements, nearby shouts could be heard. They were also receiving support from two attack helicopters.

Kiri stood up with the batteries. "We need to leave - now," she said nervously.

"Affirmative," Ghost replied, snatching one more thing before noticing one of the injured troops reaching for a sidearm. Kiri watched as Ghost crudely stomped on their head, instantly killing them.

"Why did you do that?!" Kiri cried out in disgust and horror.

"Warfare is my primary function," Ghost said before turning and walking into the swamp away from the approaching RDA soldiers.

Kiri caught up to Ghost. "Wait! We need to go back and help my dad!"

"Negative," Ghost replied, and it was clear they weren't stopping.

"Please!" Kiri begged.

"Negative."

When the attack helicopters began sweeping the area they were just in, Kiri could no longer protest as they couldn't go back.

Moving farther into the swamp, safely away from the soldiers, Kiri spotted fresh blood drops on one of the plants and stopped to peer along a path, where she discovered a trail of them.

"Wait!" Kiri called out to Ghost.

Ghost stopped and turned to look back at her. "Report?"

Kiri then began following the bloody trail. Ghost and her followed it for some distance before spotting Txoum slumped against a tree while holding a bleeding gunshot wound on his side. He was in a great deal of discomfort.

"Txoum!" Kiri called out, and she ran to their side.

"{Kiri, I'm sorry I failed,}" Txoum said, groaning in agony, and when he saw Ghost approaching from behind, he promptly stood up and drew his dagger. "{Look out!}"

Ghost responded by aiming one of the rifles they carried at the threat.

Kiri pushed the dagger down. "{Txoum, they're not here to hurt us,}" she said. Txoum simply looked perplexed, and Kiri stared back at Ghost before they lowered their gun.

Kiri then began bandaging his wound, improvising a makeshift Na'vi bandage out of plants and tendrils, just like how Mo'at taught her. Still hemorrhaging, she placed her hands on the wound. "{Keep putting pressure on it.}"

Txoum did so with his hands without taking his gaze away from Ghost. There was a soft, steady hum of helicopters in the far-off distance. As the noises of combat noticeably died down, it was evident that the RDA had won the conflict.