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Italics: (Na'vi language or Jake's inner thoughts or narration)
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War had finally started between the Omaticaya Na'vi and the Sky People. After Eytukan and the rest of the tribe were told about what happened back in the Tree of Voices, and about the fact that they were getting closer, this only made the clan rally angrily.

At the main entrance of Hometree, Eytukan, Mo'at, and Tsu'Tey were surrounded by warriors and other villagers who were taking part. Grace was watching all of this happen in her Avatar form, concerned about the situation that has created and presented itself.

You and Jake had just made it back to Hometree, and your headache subsided on the way there, which made Jake feel extreme relief knowing you weren't in pain anymore at least for the time being. Eventually, you convinced Jake to let you walk by yourself since he was holding onto you the entire time. He let you down but still walked into Hometree with his hands intertwined with yours.

Walking in and seeing the chaos, that had ensued. In the corner of her eye, Neytiri turned to see Y/n walking in with Jake. She sighed in relief that she was okay and wasn't in the eye of the storm from all the danger in the forest.

"Tsu'Tey will lead the war party!" Eytukan proclaimed, making the warriors in the crowd raise their bows and arrows into the air with a war cry. Tsu'Tey raised his weapon and did the same thing, yipping with the other warriors. Not wanting the situation to escalate more than it already has, Grace walked through the crowd until she was at the front.

"Stop, please!" She started speaking in Na'vi as everyone's attention was now on her. "This will only make it worse" She warned, knowing what her kind was capable of doing.

Tsu'Tey was not happy with this. "You do not speak here!" He spat, pointing his bow at Grace. Turning back towards the people, Tsu'Tey continued. "We will strike them in the heart!" He yelled, raising his bow above his head again, sparking war cries from the others.

Y/n led Jake through the crowd with their hands still together. The two of them stepped forward, gaining the attention of the villagers, Tsu'Tey, your parents, and Neytiri.

"Tsu'Tey, don't do this!" Jake warned, letting go of you and peacefully trying to approach the future Olo'eyktan. Tsu'Tey only seethed in anger and stormed over to Jake. "You!" He pointed in anger towards the Avatar, charging at Jake. It bothered him that he saw the two of you holding hands, but he didn't feel something for you romantically, it was because he cares about you as a friend and failed to protect you from getting close to a Sky Person.

He knew the two of you had disappeared together the night before, and now that you two returned holding hands, it was not hard to make the connection of what happened.

"Listen, brother," Jake started, putting up his hands defensively, not wanting to fight Tsu'Tey, but the warrior had different plans. He got Jake and forcefully pushed him down to the ground, all the while you had to stand in between the two men to keep him from getting to Jake and hurting him.

Tsu'Tey was angry. Very angry. "You mated with this woman?" He spat with a face full of hatred, his voice cracking at the end of his sentence. Grace's eyes widened at what she just heard, and so did the others around the crowd.

"Oh, shit," Grace said, not liking what she was hearing. Everything was just spiraling into chaos and it would only get worse from here on out. She knew that after the talk she had with Jake, something would happen between you two, but she didn't expect this.

Y/n felt a hand come onto her shoulder, seeing her sister Neytiri look at her with a facial expression that indicated that she wanted to know if it was certain was Tsu'Tey said. You looked away from your sister, looking down, but that gave her the answer she needed. Instead of moving away, Neytiri stayed close to Y/n's side. She did not disapprove, because if this man made her sister happy, it didn't matter if he was from the Sky People, she would support you and the decision you made.

After hearing what Tsu'Tey said, Mo'at stepped up to Y/n and looked at you with a stern look. "Is this true?" She asked, and you nodded, proceeding to stand firmly and linking your hands together with Jake's proudly.

Discreetly, before you said anything, Jake gripped your hand in his and rubbed his thumb against your knuckles to give you strength.

"We are mated before Eywa. It is done" You stated, but your words made Tsu'Tey turn away from you in disappointment and sadness. The warrior turned to walk the other way, not wanting to be a witness to this anymore.

He quickly stopped, with his back still turned toward you and Jake. "Y/n was promised to me!" Tsu'Tey started, turning back around to face Mo'at, but also you and Jake. "Everything is changing. Everything is being destroyed!" He continued, then turned to look at Grace and Jake with anger. "These aliens kill everything they touch, like poison!" He spat.

Mo'at turned back to you, her facial expression showing nothing but disappointment. You had been preparing to become Tsahik, and now all of that went down the drain. "Y/n, If you choose this path, you can never be Tsahik! Your life will be wasted!" Mo'at continued, but you could only turn to look at Jake. He was looking at you too, so he was waiting to hear your answer as well.

You two looked at each other with longing. After last night, it was all the proof you needed to know that you two were meant to be with one another. You wanted to stay by his side, and he wanted to stay by yours. Tsahik was never what you wanted to do, and it just wasn't a position that was meant for you, but you knew deep down that this is what you wanted.

You couldn't have been more grateful for him coming into your life the way he did. Being with him is all that matter to you. As for Jake, he would stay forever in his Avatar form and spend the rest of his life with you without a second thought in his mind.

"I have chosen..." You said softly. Mo'at, after hearing this, only walked away with shame and disappointment. You didn't regret your decision at all, and you knew this is what you truly wanted.

"Brother, please. Do not attack the Sky People. Many Omaticaya will die if you do" Jake insisted. He knew he wasn't his favorite person at that moment, but this wasn't about them, this was about their lives being in danger.

Tsu'Tey turned back around and he was still seething in anger and pain. He wanted to be the one who you were mated to, but only so that he could protect you like Sylwanin would've wanted. To Tsu'Tey, Jake will always be the person who took that away from him.

"You are not my brother!" Tsu'Tey yelled out, not bearing to hear Jake's voice any longer. The warrior took his dagger and charged at Jake. Your eyes widened, but before you could do anything to stop Tsu'Tey, Jake gently nudged you to the side so you wouldn't get hurt in the process. She didn't deserve to be in the middle of their brawl, or any of this.

Before Tsu'Tey could reach Jake, the Avatar shoved him away to the ground. Jake then pulled out his knife from the holder strapped to his chest and stood in a defensive stance in front of everyone.

"And I am not your enemy!" Jake yelled back, throwing his dagger into the ground, leaving him with no protection from any incoming attack from Tsu'Tey and the other Omaticaya. "The enemy is out there! And they are very powerful!" He continued, his nose scrunching at his stern facial expressions and voice tone.

Back at the camp, Norm looked outside as he heard a helicopter flying in and landing outside their small base. Norm started to panic when he suddenly saw many soldiers leave the aircraft and start heading toward the camp. Something was going on, and it wasn't going to end well.

"I can talk to them!" Jake insisted, still trying to convince Tsu'Tey and the Omaticaya. Tsu'Tey growled at his words. "No more talk!" The warrior yelled, running at Jake and beginning to spar. You gasped when Tsu'Tey's blade slashed Jake's chest.

You tried to stay back but Neytiri held your arms back. "Let them handle this, Y/n. This isn't your fight..." She said to you, trying her best to calm you down.

"Tsu'Tey!" You yelled, with anger laced in your voice. Tsu'Tey tried to run again towards Jake, but the Avatar ran towards the warrior and kneed him in his stomach, then punched him hard in the face. Tsu'Tey doubled over at Jake's attack, falling to the ground. Eventually, the warrior stood up and wiped the blood that was leaking from his nose and his mouth.

"I am Omaticaya. I am one of you. And I have the right to speak," Jake started, panting and breathing heavily. "I have something to say. To all of you..." Jake said, speaking in Na'vi. Before he continued, he turned to face you and his eyes softened. He didn't want to tell you the truth now of all moments, and if you ended up despising him after this, he wouldn't blame you at all. You looked at him with worry and concern, not knowing what he would do.

"The words are like stones in my heart..." He said softly, looking directly at you. He loved you way too much to keep this from you any longer. He dreaded to see a heartbroken and betrayed look on your face, instead of the loving and beautiful one he has had the pleasure to see since he met you.

Back at camp, the airlock chamber opened and the soldiers, along with Quaritch, charged inside. Knowing what was about to happen, Norm came up to them to stop the troops.

"Sir! I'm sorry. No, no, no. Hold on!" Norm said, trying his best to keep Quaritch back from the pods and the link room. "You can't interrupt a link in progress!" Norm insisted, but he just got pushed harshly into the wall while the Colonel continued to make his way to stop the links.

"This is very dangerous!" Norm yelled out, ignoring the pain in his arm from being slammed into the wall and then pinned down by the other soldiers.

Quaritch reached Grace's pod and slammed his hand down on the red button to stop her link. Because of this, back inside the village, Grace's Avatar body went unconscious and collapsed to the ground. Seeing this, you and Neytiri rushed to her side to see if she was okay.

"Grace!" You and Neytiri exclaimed with concern. She still had her vitals, so she was just unconscious for now, making you sigh relief.

As soon as Grace's body collapsed, Jake realized what was about to happen. "Oh, no.." He muttered, realizing that he had to do this now or he would never have the chance again.

"Okay. Look," Jake started hurriedly, but what he didn't know is that Quaritch had pressed the button of his pod, shutting it down. "I was sent here to-" Jake said, but couldn't finish his sentence, as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his Avatar body collapsed to the ground, unresponsive. The crowd murmured at this with worry and confusion.

You gasped, wanting immediately to be by Jake's side. Before you could reach him, Tsu'Tey got to him first and stood over his body, putting his dagger under Jake's throat.

"You see? It is a demon in a false body!" Tsu'Tey yelled out to the rest of the Omaticaya that were watching the scene unfold.

Right before he would slash Jake's throat, anger towards Tsu'Tey consumed you. You leaped over and jumped on his back, tackling him off of Jake. Y/n hissed menacingly at Tsu'Tey, as a warning, while rolling onto the ground. Getting back up, you took out your dagger and hovered over Jake's body protectively as you hissed, baring your canine teeth at anyone who dared to come and hurt him. Your tail swished back and forth, as a sign for Tsu'Tey to back off once and for all.

Seeing you be so defensive over Jake, sparked something negative in Tsu'Tey. The warrior frowned and walked away while you narrowed your eyes at him as he left.

At the camp, Jake's pod opened suddenly and he sat up, breathing heavily as if he didn't have enough air in his lungs. Once he noticed Quaritch and other soldiers standing there, Jake's eyes widened at the realization that he was the one who pulled him out.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" Jake yelled, but Quaritch didn't budge. The Colonel simply smirked. "You crossed a line," He said, punching Jake square in the face, leaving him unconscious and unresponsive.

"Wheel this meat out of here" Quaritch commanded his soldiers, who complied instantly with his orders.

"Jake! What the hell is going on here?" Grace yelled from across the room, but she didn't get a response given that he was knocked out. She was also getting handcuffed and taken away.

Leaving their small camp, the scientists and Jake were taken back to the main base of operations of the RDA. When Jake woke up, he was put in front of the monitor to watch the footage of him destroying the cameras.

"You let me down, son," Quaritch said. "So, what, you find yourself some local tail and you completely forget what team you're playing for?" Quaritch smirked, and Jake's eyebrows furrowed. He didn't like you being disrespected like that, you didn't deserve it. Quaritch simply had no idea what was happening.

"Parker, there is still time to salvage this situation. Parker-" Grace began but was immediately cut off by Quaritch.

"Shut your pie hole!" He yelled at her, but Grace looked at him incredulously and scoffed. "Or what, Ranger Rick? You gonna shoot me?" Grace said, standing up to the Colonel.

"I can do that" Quaritch replied, and Grace shook her head at him. "You need to muzzle your dog," She said, seeing as Parker was approaching the group.

"Yeah, uh, can we just take this down a couple of notches, please?" Parker said, trying to relieve the tension that was taking over the whole room.

"You say you want to keep your people alive?" Jake started, making Quaritch look at him. "You start by listening to her," He said, gesturing with his head to Grace.

"Those trees were sacred to the Omaticaya in a way you can't imagine" Grace started, but Parker scoffed and started making his way around the room.

"Oh, you know what? You throw a stick in the air around here, it's gonna land on some sacred fern, for Christ's sake!" He laughed in disbelief.

"I'm not talking about some pagan voodoo here! I'm talking about something very real, something measurable in the biology of the forest" Grace said, pointing to the window that overlooked the Pandoran jungle.

"Which is what, exactly?" Parker asked, only feeling more confusion sink in. "What we think we know is that there is some kind of electrochemical communication between the roots of the trees. Like the synapses between neurons. And each tree has ten to the fourth connections to the trees around it. And there are ten to the twelfth trees on Pandora" Grace explained, recalling what she learned from her research these last couple of months.

"W-Which is a lot, I'm guessing," Parker said cluelessly. "It's more connections than the human brain. Get it? It's a network. It's a global network, and the Na'vi can access it. They can upload and download data. Memories. At sites like the one you just destroyed" Grace finished, hoping she finally was able to make her case.

There were a few seconds of silence before Parker started to laugh. "What the hell have you people been smoking out there? They're just goddam trees," He laughed, making Grace's face drop at his ignorance.

"You need to wake up, Parker!" Grace said, already having enough of these people. "No, you need to wake up" Parker retorted.

"The wealth of this world isn't in the ground. It's all around us. The Na'vi know that, and they are fighting to defend it. If you want to share this world with them, you have to understand them" Grace argued, wanting them to listen to her for once.

"I'd say we understand them just fine, thanks to Jake here," Quaritch started, clicking a button on the monitor to play one of his latest video logs that he recorded. At the Colonel's words, Jake turned to look at him with surprise, not aware that they had gotten ahold of his video logs. "Hey, Doc. Come have a look" Quaritch said, calling over for Grace.

"They're not gonna give up their home. They're not gonna make a deal. F-For what? Lite beer? And blue jeans?" Jake chuckled in the video, with a hint of a scoff. "There's nothing that we have that they want. Everything they sent me out here to do is a waste of time. They're never gonna leave Hometree" Jake said, shutting off the camera.

Grace placed her hand on Jake's shoulder and squeezed it gently. She was upset that he hid what he thought from her, but at the same time, she understood what kind of position he was in. Jake fell in love with Pandora, just like Grace did, and got pulled along into this sick game that he didn't want to be a part of anymore. She lowered her head to look at the ground. He didn't deserve to go through this. He was just doing what he thought was right to protect the forest and the one he loves.

"So, since a deal can't be made, I guess things get real simple. Jake, thanks. I'm getting all emotional. I might just give you a big wet kiss" Quaritch said mockingly with a smirk, making Jake sigh in defeat. This wasn't how he wanted things to play out.

Selfridge started to walk out of the room with Grace continuing to protest. "Parker, we need to talk like rational people, here!" Grace continued, not sure how much more of her arguments this man was willing to hear.

"Yeah, I cherish that. But, unfortunately, you're all out of here on the next shuttle tomorrow. All of you. I'm shutting down the Avatar Program. Effective now." Parker said sternly as we walked past them to get to his office, earning gasps from Grace and Norm, but Jake stayed silent, dealing with inner turmoil.

"What?" Norm said with shock. "You can't do that!" Grace said, not believing all of this was happening. Parker did not change his mind whatsoever, no matter how much more protest the scientists tried to get through him.

"These gentlemen will escort you to get your personal belongings. And I just did." Parker said coldly, stepping into his office.

One of the men Parker instructed to escort the scientists out was Lyle and he was standing there with a cocky smile on his face. "Sorry, Doc. It's over" He smirked, and Grace rolled her eyes at him before leaving the room.

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That same night, the Na'vi had taken it upon themselves to send a message that war had begun to the RDA. Many warriors were on their Pa'li's burning down bulldozers to the ground, not leaving much behind. They were rioting and war cries could be heard from across the forest as a sign that things have taken a turn for the worse.

The next day, Lyle and a couple of other soldiers arrived at the scene. Quaritch, Parker, and many other officials were looking at a transmission that was being sent from the forest. The damage was extensive, but the RDA was not intimidated. They had the manpower and machinery to defeat the Na'vi to get them to move, or so they thought.

"Talk to me, Lyle" Quaritch asked, seeing the soldiers walk around the field filled with fallen RDA soldiers. "It looks like they hit it with the banshees first. See the angle's steep?" Lyle inferred, pointing at the position of the arrows that impaled the deceased.

"They set an Ampsuit on fire. Driver's toast" The soldier on the field continued as the camera of the transmission showed the metal suit. It was still in flames from the night before.

Quaritch proceeded to ask what happened to the rest of the squad, but Lyle sullenly replied saying that all of them were decimated and that their equipment is totaled from the riot. Parker didn't let it show, but what he was seeing, intimidated and scared him. This only made him want to get this over and done with. They were here for one reason, and one reason only.

Later in his office, Parker sat in his chair and fidgeted with the small rock of Unobtanium on his desk while Quaritch stood there telling him their plan. "I'll do it with minimal casualties to the indigenous. I'll drive them out with gas first," Quaritch paused, trying to make Parker feel a little more inclined, given that the Colonel noticed how hesitant he had become. "It'll be humane. More or less" Quaritch said.

Parker pondered for a few more seconds before sighing and turning to Quaritch. "Alright, let's pull the trigger" He ordered, and with that, the plan was in motion for the Colonel.

Meanwhile, Trudy heard some disturbing news from a few of the other pilots in the hangar. She was running through the base trying to find Grace, Norm, and Jake to warn them about what was about to happen.

In the science lab, everything was packed up and ready to be shut down. Grace was drinking to drown her sorrows and Jake sat there looking into the distance, not believing any of this was happening. He hadn't even started to think about the fact how you'll react when he tells you what he did. What are you going to do? What are you going to say?

"Come on, people! Let's get it packed, let's go!" An employee all the way on the other side of the room yelled but the scientists refused to move. Jake's gaze moved to Grace's book on Pandoran Botany and sighed in frustration.

"This is how it's done! When people are sitting on shit that you want, you make them your enemy. Then you're justified in taking it" Jake scoffed, taking Grace's book and throwing it to the ground, burying his face in his hands.

Trudy eventually made it to the science lab where the scientists and Jake were sitting. She panted slightly from running across the base but eventually got to say what she needed. "Quaritch is rolling up the gunships. He's gonna hit Hometree" She said, making everyone's eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh, my God..." Grace muttered, standing up and heading to the main base of the operations room with Norm, Jake, and Trudy following close behind as well.

At the main base, Parker was watching out the window, seeing the Pandoran forest in all its glory. A part of him did start to feel guilty, thinking whether this was all worth it. Destroying a home with families, children, and everything in between. They were invaders that came into their territory. The other part of his mind convinced him that they've gotten this far to get Unobtanium, so they can't stop now.

Grace arrived in the room, with a soldier close behind her trying to get the scientist to leave. "Dr. Augustine, you cannot be up here!" The security soldier said as he tried to catch up to her. She shoved him away as she approached Parker by the window, getting his attention.

"Back off!" She started, turning to the security guard who was trying to get her to leave, but she refused. "Parker, wait, stop. These are people you're about to...I said back off" Grace said sternly, feeling the soldier try to grab her again for the third time.

Parker exhaled in annoyance. "No, no, no, no. They're fly-bitten savages that live in a tree! Alright? Look around! I don't know about you, but I see a lot of trees! They can move!" He yelled at Grace, but she could only sigh exasperatedly at him, frustrated that he didn't understand that it wasn't as simple as he was making it out to be.

"Can you guys just...please?" Parker said, pointing to Jake and Grace so that the security guards take them away. Before that could happen, Grace continued to make her argument. "There are families in there, Parker. There are children. Babies. Are you gonna kill children?" She asked, not believing that the man in front of him would be capable of something like this.

"You don't want that kind of blood on your hands. Believe me," Jake interjected, and Parker looked at him as he considered what the ex-marine was saying. "Just let me try to talk them out. They trust me" Jake assured, and somehow it worked because they were making their way towards the science lab again.

"Calibrate fast!" Grace yelled out to the employees still hanging around the science lab. Parker and Jake followed close behind her as she went into her pod while Jake went into his.

"Calibrating three and four!" A nearby scientist yelled while Jake laid down on his pod while Grace was having hers closed down. "Run sequence!" Grace yelled out urgently before her pod closed and was ready to be transported.

Max announced that the link was initiating in thirty seconds, so that meant Jake had to hurry up and get back to his Avatar as quickly as possible to try and prevent a crisis.

Parker hovered over Jake and his pod, giving him direct instructions. "Listen to me, you've got one hour. Unless you want your girlfriend in there when the axe comes down, you get them to evacuate. One hour" He said sternly, and Jake nodded as his pod closed and he felt his consciousness being transported.

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Hello! As I'm writing this, "barricades" has officially hit 5k reads! :,) This story has grown so much the last couple of weeks and you all have no idea how grateful I am <3 Thank you so much 🤍

The day I post this, I will have gone back to school so I will be doing weekly updated instead. Mostly once a week, but maybe 2 chapters, itll depend. Also, I love including all of these deleted scenes, they add so much depth to the story tbh, theyre so interesting.

Anyway, I don't have much to say, but I do hope you guys look forward to the sequel, bc Im already planning it! I think that The version on disney+ of "The Way Of Water" will come out soon so that's good news (:

As always, don't forget to vote and comment! I love reading them and replying to them, they make my day :,) 🫶🏼 See you all in the next one!

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