a child of two species FIN.

[Niwantaw]

right started a new thread with the story. Plz do not post in this thread post in the comments thread instead

comments thread link http://forum.learnnavi.org/fiction-fanfiction/a-child-of-two-species/

intro stuff
A CHILD OF TWO SPECIES
Written by Christian Irving
Grammar fails fixed by Yeya Swizaw
NOTE: <text> marks where the characters are speaking in Na'vi
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * marks POV change
Krìstiän would be the Na'vi pronunciation and spelling of Christian
Will include a list of all Na'vi words at the end with translations

[Niwantaw]

Chapter one – the beginning
Heh. I've always been an odd person. Not odd as in mental, odd as in different. Well I suppose it was only to be expected. I'll start at the beginning. I am quite simply a result of a crazy scientist's obsession with the planet Pandora. My father was a genetic scientist who was one of the major creators of the AVATAR project. He managed to combine the first string of human DNA with Na'vi DNA. He was also one of the few who wanted to take things further. Not only make an avatar body, but actually create a half Na'vi half human child. Well I was the result of this mad scheme. He injected Na'vi DNA into his unborn son to create me. I never knew my mother's thoughts on the matter as she died giving birth to me. The results were rather unexpected as the only difference that was at first apparent was my eyes which were amber like a Na'vi's and that I only had four digits on each hand. As I got older more changes were apparent though. I quickly grew to be six foot tall and for the first few years of my life I lived on my father's estate which contained one of the last few forests on earth. I would spend days in that forest and, at night, after I had been there a few days, I would start to glow just like the Na'vi do. I also had an empathy with animals. Straight away I could tell if they were hungry or scared and for that animals liked me. I had a pet cat then, called Ozzy, who would sit wrapped round the back of my neck all day as I wondered through the forest. Anyway, on my tenth birthday everything changed. My father had been caught in some sort of accident and died, and his estate was claimed by the RDA, who until then didn't know about me. The day they found out they sent in a team to kidnap me. Ever been shot by a tranquiliser dart? It hurts. A lot.
If anyone ever makes a guide to scaring ten year olds senseless then this is what should be at the top of the list: shooting them with a tranquiliser dart and then waking them up in a place that they have never been in before and which looks like nothing they have seen before. Because when I came to in a small observation cell being watched by a large group of scientist with clipboards I was so frightened that I very nearly sh*t myself. It took them two hours to realize how frightened I was. It took another hour before they managed to find a way of stopping me being so frightened. And that was an odd one too. When they had shot me with the tranquiliser dart Ozzy had leapt off me and hid in the Sampson that the RDA team had used to get to my home. He hadn't been noticed and had somehow managed to get to my cell. One of the scientists who had worked with my father saw Ozzy and let him in thinking that maybe my father's cat would calm me. Needless to say it did calm me a little. But I still would not speak. They kept asking me questions like "what is your name?"
After a few hours of this they gave up, and just put a large jug of water and some cold food on a tray on the little table in the cell. Then they left. 
Being a hungry ten year old, the food didn't last long and I quickly started to feel claustrophobic as I wasn't used to being confined to such a small space. I started banging on the walls and door trying desperately to get free. Ever realised just how strong you are when you hit something a hell of a lot harder than you expected to? In this case I have, because I put my fist clean through the observation window. And I mean straight through it. The entire window exploded outwards such was the force of the blow, scattering the scientists who had been nearby.
"Quick somebody, tranquilise him!" one of the scientists yelled.
"On it!" one of the nearby guards shouted while trying to bring the cumbersome weapon to bear on me. "Got him," he shouted as he fired the tranquiliser gun. Twice in one day. Things were definitely not going my way.
I woke up to the familiar sight of trees overhead.
"Oh, it must have been a bad dream" I thought to myself .Then I looked around and saw the chain fence around the perimeter of the trees. "Huh? Where did that come from?" I mutter and climb to my feet. I quickly run round the perimeter and realise that there was no way I could climb the fence and, only the one gate which was locked.
"Don't be frightened" a voice from behind me says softly. I spin round hunting for where that voice had come from.  "Over here" the voice says. I look at the source of it and immediately relaxed slightly as I noticed who it was: Dr. Michelle Steyner, one of the scientists who had worked with my father, and who had often been round the house. "My, you've grown" she said.
"Michelle, what's happening?" I asked her.
"Well Christian, you see the RDA are very interested in you, and they wish to study you" she replied, "I'm sure it will be fun when you get used to it" I realised then that this was probably not going to be a temporary thing.
Chapter two – Leaving home

A square kilometre sounds like a large amount to run about in. But when it's been the same square kilometre for six years you get kind of bored with it.  Now, they were finally going to let me out. Yesterday, Michelle came to me and said,
"They are going to take you out from here, and take you somewhere new."
"Where?" I asked her.
"Someplace you are going to like a lot" she replied, but no matter how much I tried, she would say no more than that. Well, the Sampson had landed and there was someone coming over so I assumed it was time to leave. The person who came over was one of the regulars who came every week or so to gawk at me.
"Time to go" the guy muttered as he unlocked the gate. I followed him, ignoring the funny looks I was getting from passers-by. I could hardly blame them; I mean, I was now nine feet tall and, as it was quite dark, glowing as if I was covered in fairy lights. I climbed into the back of the Sampson while the pilot just stared at me.
"Let's go then" then guy with me told the pilot as he climbed into the seat next to him. I took one last look at the place that had been my home for ten years. And then my prison for six. As it faded into the gloom I started to think,
"Where was I being taken to?"
A twelve hour ride in the back of a Sampson is not the most comfortable journey known to man. But it could have been worse. God I would hate to have been under it about an hour ago. What? I really needed a pee! It was only over some city or something. Anyway we got to the spaceport a little late, so didn't get as much chance as to say hi before I was taken into a shuttle and blasted off into space. Saying I was the centre of attention was a bit of an understatement. In fact it was a massive one.
"What the hell are you?" the poor guy jammed in next to me asked
"Who, me?" I asked
"Yeah, you," he replied
"Well I'm just me, you know, a person."
"Well you're the first person I've ever met who is nine feet tall and glowing in the f-ing dark!" he nearly shouted.
"Well at least you can see me," I replied "And I could double as a torch, as well as a nine foot tall person. Anyway, my name's Christian."
"Mine's John."
Heh, funny how you can make friends sometimes by having an argument. By now the shuttle had reached the docking bay on the ISV so we were herded off and led into the cryo bays. As I climbed into the cryo pod I thought,
"Well at least I don't age in here, and who knows, I might end up somewhere fun".
Chapter three – Waking up

Waking up from cryo is like having the worst hangover ever.  It's a damn good thing that I got over claustrophobia, as if I hadn't, I would have been screaming so hard they would have heard me back on Earth. When the pod opened it took my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the sudden brightness of the overhead lights.
"Hey are you okay?" one of the doctors who was waking people up asked me as he floated over. "Yeah, I'm fine why wouldn't I be?" I replied confused.
"Well we didn't know how you would react to going into cryo sleep and then waking up as you're the first half Na'vi hybrid we have put into cryo sleep," he said over his shoulder as he went off to check on the other passengers. I went over to the airlock to get onto the shuttle.
"Hey wait!" someone behind me shouted. I looked around.
"Oh, it's you John," I smiled, "looks like we're on the same shuttle again!"
"Oh no, not jammed in next to you again," John groaned.
"Heh, I can't be that bad! Anyway, we need to pick up our conversation again. Now where were we?" I grinned, climbing into the shuttle. "Well come on, tell me about where you come from, John, because I've been on my own for absolutely ages!"
"Why?" john asked as we sat down.
"Well, look at me. I don't exactly blend in, and most of the last six years the RDA have been studying me, and keeping me locked in an area that was about a kilometre square so I didn't meet many people. Anyway, I'll tell you from the start."
And I told him.
"That is one hell of a life story!" John exclaimed when I had finished. "It beats mine, anyway."
"Well, let's hear yours then," I said.
"There isn't much to me," he replied.
"Tough. I want to hear it anyway."
"Well, my father was a marine in the military, and my mother was one of the field doctors. Shortly after I was born, my father was crippled by a mine, which meant he had no control over his left arm or his legs so he spent almost every day after I was six training me to be in the military. When I hit ten, I was sent to a military boarding school and spent the next four years training. Then, I moved up to the main training base of the RDA military. Four years after that, they shoved me on the shuttle, and sent me out here." John looked at me. "See? Fairly boring in comparison to yours."
"Better boring than painful," I said, looking at the other people on the shuttle. "And anyway, where exactly is here?" I asked.
"What, no one told you?" John looked at me like I was crazy. "It's Pandora!"
Chapter four – Going blue

"Come on people, get those exopacks on!" the CO shouted.
"Sh*t," John muttered, "Mines cracked!" I looked at his exopack.
"That isn't going to work," I say quietly to him, "Here, swap with mine, as I don't think they will work for me anyway." 
"Why not?" John asked.
"My face is bigger than the mask" I replied. John shoved the mask on and was about to say something when the door opened. And I got my first look at Pandora. As the air from outside replaced that which the shuttle had previously been filled with, I realised that the mask didn't work at all. I started to panic, and then took my first breath of Pandoran air. It was almost soothing. I didn't choke or fall unconscious. All that happened was my skin started to tingle. I pulled away the pathetic excuse for an exopack. And as I did I noticed my hands. They were changing colour. They were literally going blue. "Okay now that's kind of creepy" I said which drew everyone's attention from leaving to looking at me. "What the hell! Why has he turned blue?" One of the scientists rushed over.
"Come with me, now" he said quickly." I followed him out of the shuttle and into the base. Somehow, despite everything else going on at the same time, I still managed to be the centre of attention. "Where are we going?" I asked him.
"All will be explained shortly," was the only answer I got. We entered the airlock and the scientist removed his exopack. "We were expecting you to change colour," the scientist stated simply
"Why?" I asked.
"Well, have you noticed when you were in the forest for a few days you started to get small bioluminescent spots, yes?"
"Yeah" I responded
"Well basically, your DNA is fighting itself because there is both Na'vi and human DNA. The spots were the result of your Na'vi DNA taking over your human DNA. And your turning blue is the next step. We believe that it may be connected to your environment, and therefore expected you to change more when we brought you to Pandora."
"Right, I think I understood that," I replied, more than a little confused.
"Don't worry, in time it will become clearer. But for now, I think you would like to eat and then have some proper sleep. We will discuss why we brought you here more tomorrow." He turned around to face me. "Corporal John Price will be assigned to you as your escort, and he must be with you whenever you leave your room. Goodnight. Some food will be sent with the corporal shortly." He left without another word, leaving me on my own in the small set of rooms they had set up for me.
Chapter five – The camp

"Wake up!" John shouted next to my ear.
"What's going on?" I asked him, getting up and pulling some clothes on. "You're going to be late! You have to go see the professor!" he said handing me some food and a jug of water.
"Oh, sh*t!" I ate the food and downed the drink in a couple of mouthfuls then we almost ran to the research lab.
"You're late." The scientist who I had talked to yesterday said angrily as we entered the lab. "Anyway, you're here now, so let's begin." He called one of the other scientists over. "This here is Dr Thomas Redfield. He will be overseeing your stay on Pandora." 
"Err, hi," Thomas said quietly.
"Hi," me and John said together.
"Well let's get started, as there is much to do, and not much time to do it in," Thomas said as he turned away. "Follow me to the Sampson, as we need to be out as soon as we can."
The flight was beautiful. As we flew over the jungles and lakes of Pandora we saw trees the size of tower blocks, and animals that were both strange and wonderful. We set down in a clearing miles away from Hell's Gate, where there was a pair of portable buildings and a shelter built from wood. A security fence surrounded the clearing, with a large gate in one side of it. There were sentry guns set up at regular intervals.
"We'll be staying here for most of the next few months," Thomas said as he flipped some switches on the generator.
"Is there anyone else here?" I asked him.
"No, but a supply run comes every couple of days with a technician and a couple of guards on board to check everything over, and make sure we are all okay. One of the buildings is a lab, the other is living quarters for me and John, and the wooden hut is for you as we thought you would be more comfortable in it."
"I bagsy the top bunk!" John said as he walked over to the living quarters.
"Fine," Thomas replied "But you're cooking then."
As I walked over to my hut, I saw something, just faintly, beyond the perimeter. A face peering from behind a tree. I looked again, but it was gone.
"I must have imagined it," I muttered and climbed inside, dumping my bag by the bed, then leaving again. I walked to the middle of the camp and started stacking some of the wood to light a fire. Thomas and John came over from the living quarters with some pots and food.
"Right, let's make some dinner, because I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" John announced, lighting the fire.
"Good what is it?" I asked
"Hexapede stew" Thomas answered for him. "With real fake potatoes and real fake dumplings!" he grinned. "They almost taste like them too!"
"Wonderful"

Chapter six – The fall   

Three months have passed since we came to the camp. We've been on a dozen or so short walks into the forest, and I never once saw that face again. Today we were going to go quite some way away from the camp.
Or at least we were, until a call came in over the radio.
"All personnel return to Hell's Gate for evacuation, I repeat all personnel return to Hell's Gate for evacuation." We looked at each other.
"What's going on?" John asked
"I don't know," Thomas replied, "But we better get back to Hell's Gate." We quickly loaded our gear onto the Sampson and clambered aboard. "Right let's go then." We took off. A few hours into the flight, we saw a banshee. It was heading straight at us.
"Look out!" I shouted. Then the banshee hit the Sampson. Thomas and John were alright because they were strapped in.
I wasn't.
"CHRISTIAN!" John shouted as I fell. "We have to go back for him!" he shouted at Thomas
"Be realistic! There's no way he could survive that fall! And even if he did, we don't have enough time or fuel to look for him." Thomas replied. "But at least the banshee has lost interest in us".
"I'm going to get them for this," John muttered angrily. "You hear me, you Na'vi sons of b****! I WILL GET YOU FOR THIS!" he screamed out of the side door. The Sampson flew onwards towards Hell's Gate. It arrived there with no further incident, and they boarded the evacuation shuttle and left Pandora. When they were on board the ISV, John said to himself, "I will return one day, Christian, and I will avenge you, I promise you that." Shortly afterwards he entered cryo sleep. The ISV venture star left Pandora's orbit and started the long journey home.
Back to me. As I fell, I hit many of the large leaves that the Na'vi use to slow their descent.  I fell about ten meters after hitting the first few leaves, and smacked my head into the hard part of a tree, which knocked me out. And then went tumbling into a river. While I was unconscious, I heard a voice. It said, "Do not fear, my child. I will care for you. Now sleep, my child, sleep and dream."
Dreams. Crazy things dreams. You never know quite what to expect.

[Niwantaw]

Chapter seven – Reawakening


Not remembering how you got somewhere, and barely remembering who you are, is a fairly unpleasant experience, especially when you just woke up looking like a drowned rat on the bank of a river. I sat up and looked around. There were two small faces peering worriedly at me from the cover of some bushes. "Hello" I called out. The faces vanished. I climbed to my feet. "Huh?" I looked at myself again. I had a tail. "Okay, I don't remember having that."   There was very little on the riverbank. Just me and a few trees.
Then the faces reappeared. With a third one that was obviously much older. "Hello?" I called out again. There was some discussion between them, which I could only make out a couple of words from, and those were in an unfamiliar language.
"Vrrtep?" one said. The other ones said something between them, and then one looked back to me and said
"Who are you?" I tried to find my identity in the tattered blur of memories.
"I don't remember" I answered, looking confused. They talked between themselves.
"Come," the oldest looking one said "Come. I will take you to the Tsahìk." He turned and started to walk away. I followed, and the other two came along behind.
As we went through the jungle, I realised that we were following a faint track through the forest.  
"Up here," he called, as he started to climb a long vine.
"Okay." I started to climb. We reached the top branches of the tree, and then I looked around. There was a village hidden among the branches. I could see the Na'vi scurrying from place to place, and the small children playing.  
"Come on this way" I looked at the Na'vi I had been following "Quickly, you must see the Tsahìk." I followed him along a branch, to where several other Na'vi were standing. My guide said something to one of them, who replied quickly to him, and then looked at me.
"I am Tsawatay te Rimaw. Tsahìk of the Paysiswotulu clan. Who are you?" she stared at me as if she could peel away my skin and learn all of my secrets with just that look.
"I can't remember. All I can remember is my name, Christian."  
"Well Krìstiän, you seem to be Na'vi, but you know not our tongue nor our ways. But you are not dreamwalker, what are you?" I struggled to try and get some order to my fragmented memories
"I think I was changed near here, for some of my memories remember me looking different, and many are of a place unlike here. But that is all I can remember. That and my name." I paused. "Can you help me?" The Tsahìk looked thoughtful for a few moments. "It will be as Eywa wills. For now, we will help you, for Eywa must have guided you to this place."
"Thank you," I replied.
"Eana Tanhì will remain as your guide, and she will teach you our ways."
Eana Tanhì looked at me.
"Come, I am sure you are hungry and tired, so I will take you to get some food, and then to where you can rest." She gestured for me to follow her, and led the way across the branches.  We came to a platform that stretched between a pair of trees where there were several other Na'vi around a fire. Eana Tanhì pointed to a space away from the others. "Go over there, and wait while I get some food for us." I sat down where she had indicated, while she went to the fire. She started quickly talking to them in the strange language again.  She was handed two bowls of food, and then she walked over to me. "Here. Eat" she said handing me the bowl.  It was surprisingly nice. Eana Tanhì watched me as I ate. "You look different," Eana said. I looked at her.
"What do you mean?" I asked her.
"You move differently to the others I know" she replied, looking away.  I finished the food quickly and asked her where to go to rest. "I will show you. It is not far." She led me across several branches, before we came to a series of hammocks suspended between the trees. "Here, we will sleep." She climbed into one of the hammocks and pointed at one of the ones next to her "You have been given this one." I climbed into the hammock and looked up at the stars. They seemed to spell out something, but I couldn't make it out before I fell asleep.
Chapter eight – the hunt

Two years later..........
Well this is it. The big one. I have been with the tribe for two years now, learning everything from scratch. And now I am finally ready to go on the great hunt. Every child goes through it as the final trial before manhood. They have to spend a month out in the forest to prove they can survive on their own, and then they must return with a corpse of an animal they have hunted. I am not looking forward to it, as often several of the children who set out do not return. But I do have a plan, as I have spent a while spending every free moment exploring the nearby area, and have found somewhere to stay not far from where the Yerik herds are. I climbed down to the clear area at the centre of the village, where the great fire was. There were another ten children there,  waiting with their bows.  They were also going on the hunt.
< Are you ready young ones?> the Eyktan, Txura Tsamsiyu asked us
<Yes, eyktan,> we replied
<Go with the rising of the sun, and return in one month's time,> he told us.
We all set off going in different directions. I wasted no time in reaching the small cave I had found, and then started to collect berries and other edible plants from the nearby forest. I did not try to hunt an animal that day. I only tracked them for I knew if I killed one now, the others would not return for a while and I would have to search for many days to find another.
The first week was spent mostly with foraging for fruits. Then on the eighth day I set a trap up to try to catch a Yerik without scaring the others off.  It had an odd outcome. I was watching the trap for about two days before a Yerik blundered into the pit. It's yelling scared the others away, but I knew that they would not go too far, because they were not hurrying. They were simply staying away from the pit as if they knew that they would fall in as well if they tried to help. Anyway, I was about to get up and kill the Yerik when I saw a shadow move. I froze. No. It couldn't be one. Not here. The Palulukan stay away from the tribe. That is what we had been told. But one here? This was not good, as a Palulukan is a great predator, and one could kill many hunters before it was stopped.
Then a crazy idea formed in my mind. What if I could bond with one?  With that thought in my head I came up with a plan. I waited for the Palulukan to leave and then I followed its trail. Night fell while I was tracking it. I watched as it lay down in a small cave. I waited until I was sure it was asleep. Then I made my move. I crept up to it without making a sound. I was almost close enough to form a tsaheylu with it when I stepped on an old bone. SNAP! It echoed like a gunshot. The Palulukan leaped to its feet and looked at me. ROAR! It went. I ran trying to find a place to climb up and away from it. I spotted a vine that vanished up into the branches and leapt onto it, climbing for my life. I was just out of reach of another vine or branch when it ended. There was a branch above me, but it was too smooth for me to get a grip on. I looked down on the Palulukan. Then another crazy thought entered my head. I let go, falling onto it. I hung onto its neck while trying to form the tsaheylu. Then I managed it.
<Calm my brother> I told it. It stopped struggling.
<Who are you?> a voice echoed in my mind. I hadn't expected that.
<I am Krìstiän of the Paysiswotulu clan. And you are?> I asked.
<I am Fkewa Ioang, brother>
<Let us go from this place my brother and rest.> We started to walk to the small cave that I had seen the Palulukan rest in. When we had reached there Fkewa Ioang knelt down so I could get off, and then curled up falling instantly into a deep sleep. I walked over to him and lay resting against his flank thinking about the events of the day. The next few weeks went by quickly, as we learned about each other. We had travelled far and then we came across a Talioang.
<If I could return with that beast,. I will be seen as a mighty hunter> I said to Fkewa Ioang
<Well, my brother let us hunt it then.>
I strung my bow. <I like your thinking.> We crept towards the Talioang. <I will try to cripple it with my bow, then you go in and deal the killing blow,> I told Fkewa Ioang
<Yes, my brother.> I drew my bow and aimed at the rear leg of the Talioang. I released the arrow, watching it sink deeply into its leg. Fkewa Ioang charged at it quickly pinning it to the ground. Despite the grave wounds to it the Talioang fought on. But it was no match for a Palulukan.
<Well done my brother. You will have my eternal gratitude for this, but now we must hurry if we wish to be back to the tribe in time,> I told him.
<Let us not delay then, my brother.> I cut down some vines with my knife and tied them to the Talioang, and then turned to Fkewa Ioang.
<Will you be alright pulling this?> I asked him.
<I will be fine.> Without a further word, I leapt upon his back, and we set off back to the clan. It was a long trip. But it was worth the journey here for what I had got.

Chapter nine – The feast
Eana Tanhì was worried. All of the other children had returned with a kill and had become hunters. But Krìstiän had yet to return. He was two days overdue and the hunters who had gone out to look for him had found Palulukan tracks around a trap that was made by him. Or at least none of the others had claimed to have made it. Night was falling. Soon she would have to return to her hammock and rest until the morning. She stood up. And was about to leave when she saw a lone Na'vi walking in from the edge of the forest. It was Krìstiän. She dropped down from the branch that she had been perched on and ran over to him.
<Are you alright?> she asked him.
<I am fine,> Krìstiän replied. <And I have done better than I had expected.> Eana Tanhì looked around but could see no kill.
<What have you killed? I can see nothing with you.>
Krìstiän grinned. Then he whistled. Fkewa Ioang leapt into the clearing and roared. <Well, I caught a Palulukan,> he pointed to the vines that had been tied to Fkewa Ioang <,and I have brought enough meat for everyone!>
The look on Eana Tanhì's face when Fkewa Ioang had leapt into the clearing was brilliant. And when I told her I had bonded with him it was even better.  
<Does this make me a Palulukan rider?> I asked her. The roar had brought all the other Na'vi running from across the village with their bows. <Don't shoot him!> I shouted to them, <We have bonded.> I walked over and formed the tsaheylu with Fkewa Ioang to illustrate this. The other Na'vi's faces went from anger to sheer amazement.  Txura Tsamsiyu climbed down and looked at me.
<You have done well Krìstiän, few have bonded with Palulukan, and none that I know have done so on their proving hunt.> Then he spotted the Talioang. <You have indeed done well; you will be a great hunter>
The whole tribe had gathered around the fire where we cooked the Talioang. They had got all the fruits and nuts they could find and we were going to have a great feast. Me and Fkewa Ioang sat at the edge of the clearing. Eana Tanhì came over to us.
<Why are you not with the others?> she asked us.
<We are not comfortable among so many people at one time,> I answered. She sat down next to me.
<Well now you are a man you must get used to it more,> she smiled, <you cannot spend all your time in alone in the forest.>
I smiled back. <I know, but for now I would like it to be just us> I wished that night had never ended.

[Niwantaw]

Chapter ten –The return


"Twelve years have passed since we left this place, and now we are back for revenge." John thought, as he looked down from one of the viewports on the ISV.
"Sergeant" John turned around and saw Mark who was a member of his squad.
"What?" he asked.
"Time for us to get on the shuttle sir,"
"Are we bringing the scientists and technicians then?" John started towards the docking bay and Mark floated alongside him
"Yeah, it looks like it."
"Damn."
They reached the docking bay and climbed into the shuttle taking seats with the rest of the squad.
"It looks like we're looking after the science team guys," John said.
"This is going to be bloody boring; I thought we were in the assault team?" one of the new guys, Alex, moaned. "Look on the bright side Alex, if we're with the scientists we get first choice on bunks..."
John was about to add onto that when the scientists arrived and started to take their places among the empty seats.
"Hey!" a voice shouted that sounded vaguely familiar.
"Thomas?" John asked.
"Yeah, it's me!" Thomas replied. He was at the back of the group of scientists and pushed his way over to take a seat next to John.
"Long time no see!" John said, "I didn't know that you were coming here as well"
Thomas smiled "What! And miss out on a chance to go to the craziest eco-system we know of!"
"Stop with the..." the rest of John's sentence was lost as a loud voice came over the intercom:
"Right everybody - this is what the plan is. The scientists are to set up in Hell's Gate while the soldiers watch the perimeter. The scientists will first reactivate the power and then the perimeter defences before they sort out anything else, and then they will see to the rest of the complex's computer systems." The scientists nodded they all knew what to do. "Meanwhile, half the soldiers are to watch the perimeter and the other half are to sweep the complex ahead of the scientists. Is this understood?" The pilot didn't wait for a response as he fired up the engines, blasting us off towards Hell's Gate.
* * * * * * * * * * *

I looked about the ruins of Hell's Gate, already regretting coming. I had come here to find out what I could about the Sawtute, and to see if there was anything useful. But apart from trivial things I had found little of use.
<Come on Eana> I said softly to her <We should go now.> A lot had happened in the last few years. Me and Eana Tanhì had become mates in the night after the great hunt. Now we went everywhere together on Fkewa Ioang.
<I am coming>she said from somewhere above me. She appeared a few moments later and we started to head out of the complex to where Fkewa Ioang was waiting for us.
We had nearly reached Fkewa Ioang when I heard the Ayshah-tell coming in
<What's that?> I ran the last few meters to the exit. I looked up and saw the Ayshah-tell head for the stretch of open ground between me and Fkewa Ioang. <Run, Fkewa Ioang!> I shouted and then looked at Eana <We will have to try and find another exit where the Ayshah-tell will not be able to see us, come on!> We started running towards the opposite end of the complex looking for another way out. There were none. Every potential exit was blocked by a locked door or some other impassable obstacle. <We're trapped!>

Chapter eleven – an unexpected meeting

"Second, third and fifth squads sweep the building first, fourth and sixth will set up around the perimeter" Victor – John's commanding officer – said over the radio.
"Okay you heard the captain! Second squad, let's move up!" John shouted, and started heading for the buildings. The others spread out keeping everywhere covered. "Alex, Mark, check the garage. The rest of you form up on the main entrance" John told them over the radio.
When they had reached the airlock John looked at the others and said "When we're inside, pair up and check the corridors. Me and Matt will take the central one; you lot take the other three." They nodded and entered the airlock with their rifles at the ready. The airlock went through its cycle
"Well, at least something still works" John muttered
"Yeah but didn't you notice the holes in the walls? This is pointless at the moment" Matt muttered back. John opened his mouth to reply when the door opened "GO!" he said, and started heading up the corridor. "Check the side rooms" he said while checking one of them. "Clear! Now move on!" they carried on up the corridor like this, until they reached a door that hadn't been closed when they had first seen it. John flattened himself against the wall next to it and Matt did the same on the far side. John held three fingers up, and slowly lowered them one by one. When the last one dropped he kicked open the door and went through with his rifle held at the ready, Matt right behind him. There was no one there. Then john looked up.
* * * * * * * * * * *

We had climbed up among the roof supports and hidden as the Sawtute had entered the complex. We had thought that they had left when suddenly the door was smashed open and the two Mesawtute had entered with their hun held at the ready.  I was willing them to turn around and leave.
Then one of the Mesawtute looked up. "UP THERE!" he shouted and brought his kun to his shoulder. The other Tawtute also pointed his kun at us. "If you understand us, come down and stand with your hands in the air."
We looked at each other.
<We have no choice, we will have to do as he says> I whispered to her. We climbed down from our dark perch among the roof supports and stood in front of them.  The Tawtute who had spotted us was looking slightly confused for some reason.
<I like this not, Krìstiän> Eana Tanhì said to me.
* * * * * * * * * * *

John's day was getting fairly confusing all of a sudden. First, he finds a couple of Na'vi hiding in Hell's Gate. Then, for some reason, one looked familiar. But it couldn't be. He's dead isn't he? No one could have survived that fall... But it looked like him. Hang on. Wait, no. He didn't have a tail. Johns mind was running in circles. Then the other one spoke to the one who looked familiar. He recognised one word. "Christian?"
* * * * * * * * * * *
Okay. That wasn't expected. "How do you know my name, Sky-person?" I asked. The Tawtute looked slightly surprised
"It's me, John! Don't you recognise me?"
Now it was my turn to look confused "I know no John..."
John took a step forward. "Don't you remember how you got here?" he asked.
"I remember nothing. But I am no sky-person."
John looked at me. Then something must of clicked "Of course! The fall! You must have smacked your head into something."
I looked at him blankly "What fall? What do you mean?" I said. Then I spoke quickly to Eana Tanhì: <I will grab him, you get the other Tawtute> John took another step forward and so did the other Tawtute also took a step closer.
"Look just come with me and..." I leapt forwards and grabbed him, cutting off the rest of his sentence. The other Tawtute just managed to get his kun up before Eana Tanhì smacked it out of his hands. "Now tell us how to get out of here!" I asked him, pulling my knife from its sheath with my free hand. "Enter the code' nine-oh-six-four-one-seven' on that panel," he muttered, defeated. I carried him over to it and started to enter the code when the other Tawtute shouted "HELP!" and elbowed Eana Tanhì. He dived for his kun as I finished entering the code. I charged into him and knocked him to the ground while the door opened, and then I saw the others coming down the corridor.
<RUN! Eana Tanhì, RUN!> I shouted, and started to head for the exit. Eana made it out and sprinted for the cover of the forest. I just got out as the others entered the room and saw me. They started firing at me with their hun. The shots were not even nearly hitting at first, but then one clipped my leg making me stumble. Then another hit my other leg causing me to fall over. I hit the ground with a loud thud. I tried to get back onto my feet but my leg would not move. Then they reached me.
"Night night," one said mockingly and then there was a sharp pain in the back of my head. And then. Nothing.

Chapter twelve – imprisoned

A bright light shined over me. Am I dead? My eyes adjusted to the light. No. This was not the afterlife. I was in a fenced in area, not far from the edge of the Tawtute camp. I tried to climb to my feet but although I could move my leg it was still too weak for me to stand on it.
"Hey doc, the blue monkey has woken up!" a voice sounded from somewhere on the other side of the fence. Rapid footsteps. "Ah good!" another voice said. I heard the gate open and looked round to see who was there. There was the Tawtute from before - the one who called himself John. He was with two others I did not recognise. One was another Tsamsiyu with a kun but the other had no weapons.
<How are you?> he asked me.
<You speak Na'vi?> I asked, surprised.
<Yes I do. And so do some of the others> I hadn't thought that any of the Tawtute would speak Na'vi. But then there was the uniltìrantokx so some others must speak it as well then.
<Will you let me go?> I asked him looking around.
<No, if we released you now you would die before you reached the others. And also we can't...> he looked away <It is not our decision to make>.  <Anyway, drink this it will make you feel a lot better> he held out a steaming cup. I took it and drank it. It was foul. When I handed the cup back I suddenly felt very sleepy. I saw him leaving as I fell into a deep sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"What are we going to do with him?" John asked Thomas as they left the enclosure.
"I really don't know. The colonel seems to have plans for him, but I don't know" Thomas replied.
"What do you mean the colonel has plans for him?" Thomas checked to make sure there was no one near them. "Look it's only a rumour okay and I'm not too sure but we might not want to keep him here."
John was shocked: "What - you mean betray the colonel?"
"If that is what it takes. Anyway for now I'm going to try to get his memory back"
"Let's hope something works..."
* * * * * * * * * * *

Eana Tanhì had found Fkewa Ioang just beyond the perimeter fence.  She leapt upon his back and formed a tsaheylu with him.
<My brother, we must hurry to the clan. Krìstiän is in trouble, quickly we must get help> Fkewa Ioang started to run in the direction of the Paysiswotulu clans village.
<I will get us there swiftly my sister>

Chapter thirteen – prison break

Eana Tanhì had reached the village just as the sun had started to rise the next day. Fkewa Ioang had run through the night. He stumbled the last few steps into the village and collapsed, his exhaustion washing over Eana Tanhì through the tsaheylu.
<Do not worry about me sister> he said <I will be fine after a rest>.
Many of the other members of the clan were gathering around her.
<Where is Krìstiän?> a voice asked Eana turned to face the source. It was Tsawatay te Rimaw, the Tsahìk. <The Sawtute have returned!> Eana replied <They trapped us, and while I escaped he was not fast enough. They have caught him, I ask for your help to rescue him.>
The Tsahìk looked at her <I will do what I can to help you. Now rest my child, I will speak with the Eyktan and we will see what we can do> Eana Tanhì looked grateful. She left, heading for somewhere to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Two days later.....
"We are going to have to break him out it seems," John said "It looks like whatever the colonel is planning will not do Christian any good, and will quite probably kill him. I won't let that happen."
"Well, he has probably recovered enough to make the cover of the forest, where we'll be able to hide. But if we do this we'll have to go with him." Thomas replied.
"Sod it, let's do it!" John smiled, "Tonight, just before the guards of the perimeter changeover." John turned to leave. "And you better start getting ready now." He left, leaving Thomas on his own
"I hope this won't turn out to be a bad idea..."
* * * * * * * * * * *
I was getting angry at my confinement. I wanted to run free, not sit in a prison and be hardly able to move around. It was getting late on the third day of my confinement when the Tawtute who called himself John returned, with the Tawtute who had given me the drink that made me sleep.  I started to rise to my feet as they approached the guard on the gate. John smacked the back of his kun into the side of the guard's head knocking him unconscious.
<Quickly come with us> the unnamed Tawtute said. I quickly ran up to the gate as they opened it and followed them as they started to head for the edge of the Tawtute camp.
"Thomas this might be a problem" the one called John said.
"What?" the other responded
"The guards are switching later than normal!"
"Sh*t! We can't wait for them to change, we're going to have to make a run for it and hope we can reach the forest before we are noticed"
"Wonderful" was Johns only response. We had reached the fence when we heard something coming from the direction of the forest.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Eana Tanhì had been waiting not far from the camp for nightfall when one of the lookouts came running <Something is happening! Mesawtute are taking Krìstiän towards the fence, and they attacked another Tawtute to release him! What should we do?> he asked her. She ran silently to the edge of the forest where she could see the Tawtute camp. She watched as Krìstiän and his new friends ran towards the fence. She made her decision.  <We will go to them and help them to get here, as Krìstiän looks badly injured, and I don't think they will make it unaided.> The others immediately formed up on the edge of the forest ready.
<'EKO!> she shouted, and they charged. The pair of guards patrolling the fence had just enough time to look surprised before a pair of arrows thudded into them.
<Quickly! Over the fence!>
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Holy sh*t" John shouted in front of me as the war party climbed over the fence, killing all the guards that were near. They formed up around us and Eana Tanhì ran out from the midst of the group.
<Are you alright?> she asked me.
<My legs are weak but these Mesawtute are helping me. I do not know why they are helping though> I replied. She called over a couple of the others over to help me.
<We will have to come with you> the one who had yet to tell me his name said. <We cannot stay here>
<Why not?> Eana asked
<We had to attack several other Sawtute to free Christian>
<Okay. For now you can come with us> Eana Tanhì replied <Now let us hurry Fkewa Ioang awaits us he will carry you, Krìstiän> We started moving as fast as I could go.
We reached the fence without any problems, but then the first problem appeared.
<Kunsìp!> The Tsamsiyu watching the rear shouted. John spun round, not understanding what was said, but hearing the rotors of a Scorpion.
"Sh*t! I thought that they hadn't set any of them up yet!" The other Tawtute also looked
"It's not yet got operational missile racks, but the MGs are all working." The Kunsìp was approaching rapidly. "I have an idea!" john shouted. "Everyone this way" he led along the fence in the direction of one of the old watch towers. The Kunsìp fired its hun at us.  The bullets went wild and missed us but it was lining up a second burst.
<Hurry!> I shouted. John had reached the base of the tower and was climbing the ladder. "Almost there!" he shouted. The Kunsìp fired again. This time it cut down two of the Na'vi. <NO!> I shouted, looking back at them falling to the ground.
"MY TURN" john shouted from somewhere above me. There was a whine, and then a torrent of bullets smacked into the Kunsìp, destroying it.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"OH YEAH!" john shouted. He switched off the minigun sentry gun he had activated and used on the scorpion. He leapt onto the ladder that lead back down to the ground.
"Now would be a very good time to go!" he said as he reached the ground.
"That opinion is seconded!" Thomas shouted his agreement as he looked at the fence. "We could cut through here - the fence has partially come off the wall of the watchtower, and would probably collapse if we tried to climb it anyway." One of the Na'vi – the one who had spoken to them leapt onto the fence. It collapsed clearing the way for the rest of them. "Or we could do that"
<NOW GO!> she shouted and with a couple of the Na'vi helping Christian along we ran without looking back until we reached the jungle. We had gone maybe a mile into the jungle when we heard a roar.
"That does not sound good" Thomas muttered. John brought his rifle up to his shoulder. He heard the sound of something heavy running towards them from ahead of them. Then a Thanator burst out from the undergrowth. And stood there just in front of them.
* * * * * * * * * * *
I smiled when I heard that roar. It was a very familiar sound.
<Don't shoot, you ignorant Tawtute.> I said while I walked up to Fkewa Ioang and formed a tsaheylu with him. <It is good to see you live and well, my brother,> he said to me.
<It is good to see you too, brother.>
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Wait. He rides that?" John asked, surprised, as they set off with Christian on the Thanator.
"It looks like it" Thomas said.
"Krìstiän is palulukan Maktoyu, now who are you Tawtute?" Eana said to him
"You can speak English?" John and Thomas both asked at once.
"Yes I can, and so can many of the others. Now who are you?"
John and Thomas looked at each other "Well I'm called Thomas, and I'm a biologist. That means I try to find out as much as I can about the animals and the plants."
Eana smiled at that, "Well, you may not be so hard to sort out then"
John looked slightly guilty "My name is John, I was a warrior in the marines." he said.
"Well, you helped us and I will forgive you for anything you have done. But the others may not. I am known as Eana Tanhì, now we must hurry." she headed off to where Christian was.
"Well that was different"

[Niwantaw]

Chapter fourteen – Blood and ashes

The rest of the journey back home was quiet, or at least the only sounds that punctuated it were those of the jungle. Well one of the Ayshah-tells flew over them but that was to be expected now as the Ayshah-tell were ferrying things down still.
We could smell burning. We were not far from the village but the smell was overpowering.
<Wait here> Eana Tanhì said to me and the Mesawtute
<No, I am coming with you.> She looked at me.
<But you are injured...>
<And on a palulukan, don't worry about me.> Eana smiled at that
<Let us go then> We moved forwards heading to of where the village is.
Or was. Now there are only charred trees and corpses. <NO!> i shouted, <Txura Tsamsiyu! Tsawatay te Rimaw! Anyone?!> No reply other than a crackle from the few still burning fires.  Eana ran to one of the bodies not far from where the centre of the village had been. `<sa'nok!> she shouted shaking the body. <sa'nok!> she cried. I rode over to her <Eana, I'm sorry but we must go we cannot stay here, the aysawtute may return> she looked at me pure hate in her eyes <They will pay for this slaughter> she said coldly. <THEY WILL PAY!> she screamed at the jungle. She stood up.
<Eana we must go, we are too weak alone to fight them> she looked at me <I do not care anymore for i do not want to live>
<but i want you to, don't leave me, not now, not ever> i reached out to her <come on, the aysawtute will get what they deserve, but not if we do not get away first> she took my hand and i pulled her up and onto Fkewa. <We will head north but first we....>  a tawsìp flew overhead. It was heading away rapidly. But as it passed i glimpsed who were in it. The two who had helped us as well as several others. It vanished from view heading in the direction we had been heading.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"you got some music Thomas?" john asked, he was getting bored "Yeah hang on" Thomas replied fiddling with something in his bag
"We must run......"
Preferably something more cheerful" john said, "sorry" Thomas changed the music to something a little more cheerful. "Anyway any idea what's happening?"  he asked. John was about to answer when they heard a Sampson rapidly approaching. "SH*T!" john shouted diving into cover.
It landed where they had been standing and a group of scientists got out. Only one was armed and he wasn't looking comfortable. "hey!" one shouted "don't worry we're not here to kill you" john stepped out of cover his rifle aimed at the armed scientist. "Why are you here then?"  John asked suspiciously. The scientists all looked at him. "we were flying nearby after a visit to one of the southern tribes and we saw the smoke, we then spotted you in this clearing and thought we'd ask you if you knew what was going on"  the scientist gestured at the one with a gun, who put the gun down. "Wait you visit the tribes?"
"of course we've been doing it for years, why?"
"i thought no-one was left here"
"what do you mean? How else would we have got here?"
"the same as us two on the ISV's that arrived a few days ago"
"oh sh*t, we better tell the others, and you better come with us"
"Why we're fine we've been with a group of the natives who are friends"
"Yes but if you meet any other ones like that they will shoot you first, worry about the others feelings later"
"how do you know that"
"because they shot at us the first few times, look we'll take you to where there are friendly Na'vi and many of us too, well a few dozen of us"
"But what about our friends we don't want to leave them"
"don't worry you'll see them again, come on lets go" the scientists started climbing onto the shuttle john followed and Thomas emerged and climbed on as well.
"Well then what's your name" the scientist asked as they flew away heading to the north.

[Niwantaw]

Chapter fifteen – The Start of the journey

<Sh*t!> I shouted as I saw them carried away in the tawsìp. <We cannot go after them, we have our own journey to make> I looked across the ruins and saw the samsiyu scattered all over the place. <Quickly come over here!> I shouted to the dozen or so samsiyu who had helped to release me. all of them had scattered throughout the ruins looking for their families. Hoping not to find them. It looked like all had found at least a few of their families because all had tears down their faces. <I know that you're tired; I know that you're afraid, and I feel your sorrow but we cannot let the Tawtute defeat us, we must be strong and we must fight. And we will have our vengeance, now come my smukan, my smuke, we must travel a long way for our journey is far from over> I turned from them and started heading north east. To the Ikran tribe of the eastern sea for they were the nearest clan, and also one of the largest.
The others followed, <where are we going?> Eana asked <We're going to the Ikran tribe of eastern sea for they are both the nearest and among the ones who can help us the most, the only worry is that it was a long while ago that we last had contact with them > I replied <but if they are gone it is likely all the other clans are as well, and then we may be the last> we carried on. The only sounds were the rapidly fading crackling of the fire and then when that faded. Just those of the jungle.
We had been travelling long into the night before we stopped to rest. Many of the samsiyu who had come with us simply collapsed where they stopped. Too tired to move any further.
<We will have to hunt as we go soon because we don't have enough food to last much longer> I said to Eana Tanhì as we climbed off Fkewa Ioang. <Tomorrow I will take a few of the samsiyu and we will look for a yerik, now I will keep lookout, you rest and I'll wake you half way through the night to take over, because the others are too tired> Eana Tanhì nodded <Be safe> she said before finding somewhere to sleep. I climbed up onto a rocky outcrop and settled down for the night.
As I sat there, watching the darkness I started to think. On what we would have to do, and on where we would have to go. I shuddered. It was not going to be an easy journey. I turned my thoughts away and started to think on what had happened to the mesawtute who had helped us.
* * * * * * * * * * *
John and Thomas had been in the Sampson until just before sunset where it had set down in a small clearing with several other Sampsons in it. "Come on follow me" the scientist who had called himself Richard said. "our home is not far from here" John and Thomas followed him and the other scientists along a small dirt path. It wasn't far before they came to a small cave mouth that was sealed off with a large steel door. One of the scientists walked up to the door and hit a couple of buttons. The door slid open revealing a large airlock. "Everyone in" he said and John, Thomas and the scientists entered the airlock. The scientist walked over to the next door and started the airlock cycle. A few seconds passed and then the inner door opened. "Welcome to the Tawtute caverns" Richard said as the door revealed a small chamber with two tunnels leading off it. Strip lights lit the cavern and there were computers and machinery everywhere. Richard pointed down one of the tunnels. "That leads to the labs and tech bays" he pointed at the other "and this one leads to the control room and living quarters" he started heading down the first one "we'll sort you out later but for now I have to tell  max what has happened and you better come with me" they started heading down the tunnel.
"Max!" Richard called when they entered the main lab. "Richard you're back" Max shouted from under a complex looking array of test tubes and flasks. "still haven't got it working again?" Richard asked him. "no but we'll get it working" he got out from under it. "who are they?" he asked when he got out. "we found them not far from where one of the tribes were, alone so we picked them up?"  
"where the hell did they come from? I thought everyone who stayed behind was here" john stepped forwards
"I think I can explain that, we didn't stay here."
"What?!"
"We came in maybe a week if that, three ISVs full of mostly troops a few dozen scientists" he said "I am Sergeant John Price, and this is Thomas Redfield a scientist."
"Oh crap" several of this scientist in the lab muttered
"great, do you have any idea what they are planning?"
"not much of one, all I know is that only the top ranked military personal have any idea of it, the rest only know the orders they are given, so whatever it is they don't want anyone to know"
"we better tell Jake"
"I think he already knows"

[Niwantaw]

Chapter sixteen – An ending for some

It was dark as the small group entered the area around where the Eastern Sea Ikran tribe had lived for many years. Some of the lookouts around the tribe ran to them. <What happened to you?> one of them asked me <the sawtute have returned, they destroyed most of our tribe, we are all that are left> I replied <Please, we have been travelling for many days now and we have not been able to gather much food as we travelled> they looked at each other <We should take you to the Eyktan, she is not far> we followed them as they led us to their Kelutral. The Eyktan was waiting for us. She was standing with several other Na'vi discussing something while a Tawtute looked on. <eyktan! These Na'vi have just arrived from the forest, they have grave news> The Na'vi stopped their discussion. <What!?> the eyktan asked. She looked at us <Who among you is the eyktan?> I stepped forward <The eyktan is dead, so is the Tsahìk and most of the others, we are all that remains of the Paysiswotulu clan.> the Na'vi looked stunned and the Tawtute more so. <What do you mean? How?>  The eyktan asked <about two weeks ago I was searching the ruins of the Tawtute home, while I was inside the sawtute came down in their Ayshah-tell and trapped me and Eana Tanhì. We managed to capture tow of them and get them to open one of the locked doors out but one managed to call for help, Eana Tanhì managed to escape but I was injured by one of their hun, Eana Tanhì left to get help from the clan when I was captured and returned a few days later, two of the sawtute released me and we started to make our escape, Eana Tanhì joined us with the war party and we escaped into the forest, when we reached our home we left the sawtute outside and entered our village. It was destroyed and a tawsìp flew over carrying the two mesawtute who had helped us. Then I led us to here and after many days of travelling reached here, we have not eaten well for days because hunting was poor along the way> I took a breath to calm myself <one of my friends is still outside of the village for we did not think it would be a good idea to bring him with use straight away> the eyktan looked at me <why?> she said her voice filled with suspicion <he is a palulukan> I said simply. The eyktan looked surprised at that. So did many of the other Na'vi who were within earshot <you are palulukan Maktoyu?> she asked
<yes> a mix of fear and awe was displayed on most of the Na'vi's faces. <Bring him!>the eyktan shouted <We will have a feast to honour you and your palulukan> I smiled <I will fetch him> I turned and started running towards the forest, limping slightly.  
<Fkewa Ioang Where are you?> I shouted when I was in the forest. I heard something running through the forest not far from me. Then I heard gunshots. <FKEWA!> I shouted and started running towards the source of the noise. I pulled my bow off my back and drew it back, arrow ready on the string. The noise was close now. Then Fkewa Ioang burst through a bush in front of me, obviously injured. <Fkewa Ioang are you alright> I asked him his only response was a low growl before he collapsed onto the floor. I faced the way he had come from hearing voices on the other side of the bush.  I stopped moving and aimed at the bush. Waiting.  
* * * * * * * * * * *
Eana was getting impatient. <where is he?> she muttered. <I am going to go find him> she left and started heading into the forest. Carefully she started searching for Krìstiän.  
* * * * * * * * * * *
The first Tawtute came straight through the middle of the bush. I released the arrow watching it thud into the Tawtute's chest. He went flying backwards without even making a sound. The next one came round the bush "NA'VI" he shouted just before I could release the next arrow. He dived for cover but the arrow caught him in the shoulder, pinning him. The last three came all at once. One was put down by an arrow to the throat as he came into view. The second brought his rifle up but a second arrow caught him before he could fire. The third opened up. Forcing me to dive for cover behind a rock. I drew back an arrow while the Tawtute advanced. THUNK. An arrow caught the Tawtute in the side of the neck. As he fell to the ground Eana Tanhì emerged from the forest <you were taking a long time> she said. <Fkewa Ioang is hurt> I said running over to him. <This is not good> I said looking over his wounds I formed the tsaheylu with him <can you walk?> I asked
<I will try my brother but I cannot make it far> he answered.
We reached the tribe again an hour later.  They rushed over to us on seeing Fkewa Ioang and his injuries. The Tsahìk run over. <There is something that could of healed these wounds but> the Tsahìk looked at me <it is too late, he will not make it>
<NO!> I shouted <he can't die!> I muttered that line over and over, crying.
I ran up to him and formed the tsaheylu with him again.
<this is the end for me my brother, I cannot last much longer> he said weakly through the tsaheylu.
You will be with Eywa my friend> I muttered between the tears
<Do not cry for me brother, do not just think of now, Think of the greatness that we were, and the greatness waiting for you, I may not be beside you in flesh but I will always be with you in your heart, goodbye my brother>
he took one last breath.
And died.

[Niwantaw]

Chapter seventeen – Anger and hope

I stood there. Next to him, tears dripping from my face. Unmoving. <Eywa ngahu ma 'eylan... ma tsmukan> I said. And walked away heading towards the forest.
<Krìstiän!> Eana Tanhì shouted running after me <Krìstiän!> she grabbed my shoulder. I shoved her away <Leave me alone.> I shouted shaking with anger. <Krìstiän, calm down snap out of this rage> she replied <They did all of this, first they imprison me, then they kill my tribe, and now my friend> I broke down. Just lost it, and stood there shaking and crying. Eana Tanhì just held me. After maybe a few minutes maybe an hour I'm not sure which I calmed. <Thank you Eana Tanhì, I know what I need to do now> I smiled weakly <come let us return to the tribe there is much we must do> I took her hand and we started to run back to the tribe.
Everyone was silent as I walked towards the center of the Kelutral. The eyktan was waiting for me. <they have killed a group of our hunters and your palulukan, we will make them pay> she gestured at the activity around us <The whole tribe is preparing for war, the sawtute will pay, but I have one question for you> I looked at her curiously <what?>
<can you ride Ikran?> she asked me
<no, there are none near where my clan was why?>
<I was going to ask you to lead the attack but unless you have Ikran, my clan will never see you as a tsamsiyu>
<Then I must get an Ikran>
<it will not be easy>
<nothing ever is>
We had left without saying anything else. The Ikran cliff as they were known was where we were heading.  Where the Ikran nested. It was a fairly short trip but a hazardous one because the path was narrow and one side was a sheer cliff straight down to the sea. <How far is it?> I asked her <not far now you must be chosen by Ikran you will know this> I nodded <we know how to choose and be chosen but few ever got the chance> we walked around a small outcrop of rock and the ayikran came into view. <I have never seen so many in one place> I muttered.
I walked forwards on my own towards them. The first few looked at me but as I approached they flew away, then a large Ikran with much darker than usual colouring stood its ground. Not retreating as I drew nearer. Then it took off heading away. I was about to move up when the eyktan shouted <look out!> the Ikran was coming around to attack me from the air. I dived out of the way and climbed up a small pile of rocks. And waited it to come round again. As it was about to hit me I jumped up into the air, going over its claws and landing on its back. It screamed in rage and started trying to shake me off. I hung onto it while it flew. I managed to turn myself to be facing the right way before it dived down vertically making me cling onto its neck and hope. It started to level off so I seized my chance and reached up. And formed the tsaheylu.  <Stop!> I shouted with my mind at it. Not thinking too clearly. And it did. We plunged downwards like a stone. <Fly!> I shouted quickly realising what I had done.  We started to fly smoothly along, <over there> I said more calmly, <who are you?> a voice echoed back <I am Krìstiän> <It is good to meet you, I like to call myself nawmatìlor > we landed in front of the eyktan who had mounted her own Ikran <let us return to the tribe, we have a war to fight> we took off heading back to the village.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jonas was franticly setting up a comlink to max while the Eastern sea Ikran tribe was readying itself for war. "Max, listen the Ikran tribe are going to attack the RDA troops that have landed in a few days, they'll be slaughtered without help."
"I hear you Jonas; I'll see what I can do"
"Thanks max"

[Niwantaw]

Chapter eighteen – Preparations

"John I'm going to need your help" max said to john when he entered the control room
"one of the tribes are going to attack the landing zone in a matter of days, I'm trying to get Jake and the Omaticaya to help as well" he continued
"why do you need my help if the Omaticaya are helping?" john asked
"They have Flak cannons that will tear through the ranks of the Na'vi, I need you to take one of the Sampson s which we'll fully equip with missiles, then you could fly in with the attack and knock them out" max answered. "how do you know that?"
"because they had them before but they had not been set up"
"Oh" John thought for a minute "I'll do it" he said finally. "But I'll need door gunners" he turned. "Thomas you up for it?"
"sure, I've never used a gun before but it's hardly brain surgery, is it?" he smiled.  Richard, who had been standing in the corner of the room doing something on a computer, ran over.  "I'll go on the other gun" he said. "anyway we need Jake's help if we are going to succeed"  max and the others nodded. "Jake has set a location for the meeting, we'll take one of the other Sampsons while the other is being outfitted for combat" max said.
"Okay let's go then"
They took off in the Sampson; heading towards the point Jake had set for the meeting.  "He should be here" Max said as they landed in the clearing. "Hello?" john called out. No response. "He's not here" john jumped down and max followed. Thomas stayed in the Sampson. "We should wait for a while, he might turn up"
John was about to reply when he saw a pair of banshees coming towards them. "Is that him?" he asked Max "Yeah looks like he's brought Neytiri with him as well"
"Neytiri?" John asked
"Jake's mate and the Tsahìk of the Omaticaya" Max answered
The two banshees landed a short distance away.  Jake and Neytiri climbed off their Ikrans and walked up to Max. "Why did you want to see me Max?" Jake asked
"You know that the RDA have returned right"
"Yes."
"Well they wiped out one of the smaller tribes –"
"what?" Jake butted in
"And the survivors went to the Eastern sea Ikran tribe"
"i can see where this is going"
"The Ikran tribe are going to attack the landing zone, in a few days"
"and you want us to help, yes?"
"Yes."
"I'll do what I can to help" Jake replied. He returned to his Ikran. "We'll attack when the Eastern sea Ikran tribe attacks, now I have to go, goodbye"
Jake and Neytiri took of f.
"well that was friendly"

[Niwantaw]

Chapter nineteen – For better or worse it begins

Three days later...
<This is it my smukan, my smuke> I said to the assembled samsiyu. <We will either die today, or we will destroy the sawtute and gain vengeance for our fallen smuk> Without a further word we mounted our Ikrans and started heading towards the Tawtute camp.
* * * * * * * * * * *
John powered up the rotors on the Sampson "are you ready?" he said over the comlink "Let's do this" Thomas answered clutching the mounted machine gun in the back. They took off and so did the warriors of the Omaticaya who had joined them.
* * * * * * * * * * *
We attacked just as the sun had reached its peak diving down towards the sawtute below. <ATTACK!> i shouted as i released my first arrow, which smacked into one of the guards at the perimeter. The arrows started to rain down like a storm.  The sawtute had been caught unaware but already i could see them rushing to combat stations preparing their weapons of war.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"GET THOSE SENTRY GUNS FIRING"  Victor  shouted to one of the technicians "AND WHY IS THAT FLACK CANNON NOT FIRING" his speech was punctuated with bursts from his rifle "KILL THEM ALL!" he fired again killing another one of the attacking na'vi. "Sir the automated defences are powering up now!"
* * * * * * * * * * *
We were winning, the defences weren't on! <Come on! We can do this> I released another arrow which smacked into a technician. Then the sentry guns opened up and the air was filled with bullets. <No!>i shouted watching my friends die.  Then  the large kun at the centre of the camp fired. The roar of it firing was monumental and i watched as a single shot killed a dozen of the samsiyu who were with me. This was it... we were all going to die.  No. We must not. I screamed out in anger and dived towards the tawtute who was seemingly guiding the others. He turned just before nawmatìlor grabbed him in her claws. He tried to shoot her but she tore his arm off before dropping him to the ground. But this victory had come too late, most of the others were dead, <It has been good to be friends with you nawmatìlor but it seems this may be the end.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The base had just come into view when the flak cannon had opened up "We must hurry" John shouted. He pushed the Sampson to its limits squeezing out every bit of speed he could. They started to be able to make out figures in the air and on the ground. It was not looking good. "Are you ready Thomas? Richard?" they flew into the battle with the omaticaya's warriors behind them. Thomas and Richard opened up with the door guns while John lined up the missiles on the flack cannon. It turned to face them.  Then he fired all eight at the base of it. It fired just before they hit. The shell went straight into the left hand rotor of the Sampson and detonated.
"Sh*t" john shouted as the side of the Sampson was blown away killing Richard and exposing him to pandora's atmosphere. "Thomas, we're going down... we aren't going to survive this" he said using what little control he had left to steer them towards the control room. "Goodbye john" Thomas said. The Sampson exploded as it hit.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The sentry guns stopped firing as the Sampson hit the control room. Now i could see the sawtute running towards their ayshah-tell. We had won. But as i looked around i started to wonder, was it worth it? I asked myself realising that so many had died for this.
I landed just a short distance from the ayshah-tell. Eana tanhì landed next to me. <It's over> she said as the ayshah-tell took off heading for the skies. <Yes, it is> i turned and looked at her <But was it worth it?> i asked her. She looked around <Yes, it was worth it> she answered <and now we must look to the future>

THE END
(maybe)

[Niwantaw]

and the na'vi in the story so all the people as bad as me can understand it!

words direct from dictionary (more or less reliable)

vrrtep:n. demon
Tsahìk:prop.n. matriarch, high priestess, interpreter
yerik:n. hexapede
eyktan:n. leader
palulukan:n. thanator
talioang:n. sturmbeest (c.w. from ioang animal)
Tawtute:prop.n. Sky-person, human (c.w. from taw sky and tute person)
uniltìrantokx:n. avatar,dreamwalker body
tsamsiyu:n. warrior (c.w. from tsam si make war and –yu agent suffix)
'eko: v. attack
sa'nok: n. mother(from sa'atenukC)
tawsìp:n. sky-ship (loaned from Eng. ship)
tsmukan:PF n. brother
tsmuke:n. sister
Eywa ngahu: intj. goodbye, Eywa (be) with you
Kelutral: rop.n. Hometree

plurals (most likely wrong)

sawtute: multiple sky people
mesawtute: multiple(duel) sky people
smukan: brothers
smuke: sisters
samsiyu: warriors

unofficial words (so will be replaced as soon as an offical one appears)

kun:n. gun made from Kunsìp (gunship)
hun: guns (plural)

Names i have made (with a little help)

Tsawatay te Rimaw = Tsahìk's name (lit. tomorow's sun of the yellow arrow family)
Paysiswotulu =  clan name (lit. sacred river that flow)
Eana Tanhì  = a female Na'vi's name (lit.= blue  star)
Txura Tsamsiyu = the eyktan(lit. strong warrior)
Fkewa Ioang = the palulukan's name (lit. mighty beast)
nawmatìlor = the Ikran's name (lit. Great/Noble Beauty)