chapter thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-Two
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Yitì arrived back, Ìweii hot on his heels. Your relief at seeing them both well was short lived, as it quickly became apparent why they’d returned, and why they were looking for you. Beside them, an unfamiliar Forest Na’vi stood slightly to the side. You recognized him as one of the Ikran People that you and Ìweii had helped. Ronal’s expression fell, but she nodded stiffly, her eyes a little watery as she told you to go. You kissed her, caressing her face as a farewell.
At your approach, Ìweii launched into a quick explanation, “Taweäng was telling me about a spot he knows—the Sky People have a lot of their machines there. If we go, we can destroy it.”
You glanced at the stranger, assuming him to be Taweäng. “You know the way?”
He nodded shortly. “Yes, I will take you there.”
You exhaled slowly. “I’ll get my things.”
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You sat behind Yitì, feeling deeply unsettled as you watched Ìweii climb on Taweäng’s Ikran. It was a stunning creature, a vibrant purple with splotches of green. You were not one for flying. You much preferred the comfort of the ocean, the security of the waves. Given the choice, you would have liked the promise of drowning over falling.
Your arms tightened around Yitì’s waist, and he quipped, “She will not fall.”
You spared him a glance. “It’s not her I’m worried about.”
“You will not either,” he chirped, sounding a little too pleased for the situation.
“What’s got you so happy?” you asked, desperate for a distraction. Fear for Ronal and Tonowari circled your mind, clouding your thoughts if you let yourself dwell too long.
Yitì directed his tsurak onward, following the path Taweäng was setting. You couldn’t see his face from your position, but you were almost certain Yitì was laughing at you.
Butthead.
“Felix is with the others,” he said finally, lowly. You understood immediately, bobbing your head. Yates, Ava, and Claire had all decided to make there way to Hell’s Gate. From your understanding, the Avatar drivers had taken over there, and for the most part, the base was safe from the RDA. If Felix was with them, he would be safe.
“How do you know?” you asked, a little curious about how he had come across this information. He nodded upwards, toward Ìweii’s form in the sky.
“She checked,” he said. Your heart warmed a little, affection for Ìweii filling your chest. She was remarkably annoying sometimes, but Ronal had excellent taste in people, and she wasn’t wrong to like Ìweii.
“I’m glad,” you admitted. “Felix is important to you.”
“It is okay to admit he is important to you too,” said Yitì. You knew he was right, that nobody would fault you for caring about him, looking out for him. You’d been close. Those simple moments with Felix, Ame, and Ava were some of the best memories you had, and you would forever hold them closely. Ame felt the same, and you thought that maybe Ava and Felix did too.
You just, you didn’t know if you were ready yet. Tsonu’e’s wound was still bleeding, it always would. No matter how close you and Felix had been, Tsonu’e was your mother.
“I know,” you agreed.
Yitì fell quiet, and you weren’t sure what he was thinking as the bunker came into sight. It was half in the water, half on land. You didn’t know any codes for this place, getting inside would be Ìweii, Yitì, and Taweäng’s responsibility. You were here to keep everyone alive long enough to make it back to Awa’altu, and to detonate the bombs.
You were a marine biologist—it said a lot about the effects of war that you were now considered a demolition expert and a trauma surgeon.
The wounds you assisted Ronal with usually consisted of broken bones with the occasional cuts and scrapes. You’d assisted with a few concussions as well. Officially, you weren’t a healer. You knew the bare minimum, enough to keep someone alive long enough for the experts to take over. Ronal and the other tsahìks could not leave the People, and anyone injured would need to be brought to them for assistance.
“Ìweii likes him,” said Yitì suddenly, his voice low as he came to a spot behind some rocks. You would go on foot from here. Taweäng’s Ikran landed, Ìweii dismounting and approaching.
You laughed a little. “I thought she seemed chipper.”
You and Yitì shared a grin, your face quickly smoothing out once Ìweii got close enough to see your expression.
“Comms on,” you said, you reached into your bag, pulling out an extra one for Taweäng. Ìweii assisted him with putting it on, a little embarrassed look on her face.As you and the rest of the team got ready to move out, you couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle in the pit of your stomach. You knew what was at stake and what needed to be done, but the weight of it all was almost suffocating.
You took a deep breath and reminded yourself of your purpose here. You were here to protect your people and make sure the RDA didn't gain any more ground. It was a daunting task, but you were determined to see it through.
As you made your way towards the bunker, you kept a sharp eye out for any signs of danger. You were in hostile territory, and you knew that the RDA could be hiding around any corner.
It was a relief when you finally made it to the entrance of the bunker. You watched as Ìweii unceremoniously broke the window with her spear, forcing the door open.
The bunker was dimly lit, and the air was thick with the smell of dust and stale air. You could hear the sound of dripping water in the distance, and it made your skin crawl.
Yitì took the lead, and you followed close behind. You could hear your own heart pounding in your ears as you made your way deeper into the bunker. Every step felt heavy, and you couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong.
But you pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand. You had a job to do, and you were determined to see it through
You rounded the corner, shrieking in surprise at the sight of a breathless Yates.
“What are you doing here?” you managed to say, calming down Yitì and Ìweii with a wave. Taweäng remained a little tense, not familiar with friendly humans.
Yates rolled her eyes, scoffing.
“I could ask you the same thing,” she retorted. “I came to help. We all did.”
“Who is we?” you demanded, switching to Na’vi so the others could understand. Yates followed in suit.
“Claire, Ava, and Felix,” she said. “I knew about the tanks here. I wasn’t about to let that asshole Quaritch destroy another village.”
You couldn’t dwell on her words, but your heart sank a little at the reference to the Omaticaya Hometree’s destruction.
You nodded, understanding. You didn’t want to ask what they were doing specifically, not wanting to reveal any unnecessary information in case there were spies or RDA soldiers around.
“Well, we appreciate the help,” you said warily. “We’re headed to the bunker to set up the explosives.”
Yates nodded, looking serious. “I’ll come with you then.”
You didn’t protest, happy to have another pair of hands to assist with the mission. You set off again, this time with Yates in tow. You walked in relative silence, Yitì hot on your heels as Ìweii pacified Taweäng.
When you arrived at the bunker, you were met with a few more familiar faces. Ava and Claire were there, looking a little worse for wear but determined. Felix was with them too, looking surprisingly calm considering the situation.
“Ava,” you said, relief palpable. Yitì’s eyes danced to Felix, their eyes meeting in an intense sort of stare off. It was the look between two mates, silently checking the other for injuries.
“Good to see you,” she said, her smile bright. “I thought you were back with Ronal.”
“I was,” you explained easily. “I couldn’t ignore this.”
Ava nodded in understanding, and you found yourself faced with Claire.
“Blondie,” you greeted, smiling a little.
“Smurfette,” she quipped. And that was that. You shared a grin with her.
You filled them in on the plan quickly. The main issue, it quickly became clear, would be getting everyone out. With the Rig, there had been boats. Yates, Ava, Claire and Felix had all managed to get to one in time—escaping that way. This bunker didn’t have much beyond some Samsons.
You glanced around. “Can any of you fly one of these?”
Ava sighed. “Kind of. My friend Trudy talks about it enough I think I could pull it off. I’m not a pilot though, I’m just a grunt. If I can get into contact with her, I might be able to pull it off though.”
You bobbed your head. “Ava, work on that, we’ll start setting up the explosives.”
You issued out tasks, watching in satisfaction as everyone fell in line. The group worked efficiently, each person taking on a different task. You set the charges, Yates and Claire rigged the detonators, and Felix helped secure the bombs in place as Ìweii, Yitì, and Taweäng guarded the doors.
Once everything was in place, you turned to Ava. “Did you make contact?”
She nodded shortly, mumbling to herself. “I think I got it.”
“We’ll met you outside, once we spot the Samson, I’ll detonate it,” you said. Ava nodded, and you all moved quickly, scrambling into place. The rendezvous point was the rocks you’d dismounted Yitì’s tsurak. Your group arrived first, and with bated breath, you watched as Ava steered the Samson toward your location.
You took a deep breath, steadying your nerves. This was it.
“On my mark,” you said, holding up a hand. “Three, two, one…”
The explosion was deafening, the force of it knocking you off your feet. You felt a rush of adrenaline, your heart pounding in your chest. When you stood back up, you saw the bunker was completely destroyed, rubble and dust clouding the air.
Yitì cheered, Ìweii laughing in jubilation. Taweäng’s eyes were wide with shock. You patted his shoulder in comfort, assuring him, “They won’t be able to hurt us with anything in there now.”
Taweäng nodded slowly, joining in with Ìweii’s laughter as she threw her arms around him in an embrace.
“Good job, everyone,” you said into your comm, grinning despite the chaos. “Let’s head back to Awa’altu.”
The second explosion was unexpected, and you screamed as the Samson’s wing exploded, the blast knocking you off your feet.