Intertwined [Neteyam x OC]

Chapter 21

I heard that you're happy without me
And I hope it's true
(I hope, I hope it's true)
It kills me a little, that's okay
'Cause I'd die for you
You know I'd still die for you
- 'Die For You' by Joji

The cuffs were aching against Aliyah's skin as she quietly tried to pull herself free from being stuck to the ship's rail. She caught Tsireya's glance, whose eyes were filled with fear. Tuk was panicking and failing to keep her emotions under control.
Lo'ak encouraged his youngest sister in a hushed but surprisingly strong voice, "Be brave."

Suddenly, a soldier called out, "Na'vi inbound!" The teens' heads whipped around toward the horizon, where warriors of the Metkayina clan, led by Tonowari and Ronal, were advancing with great speed toward the ship. Their war cries could be heard all the way to the ship's deck.
Another soldier ordered, "Weapons up!"
Tuk's face lit up at the sight, "Dad!" Aliyah squinted her eyes and indeed noticed Jake with a determined look on his face. Her heart filled with hope, and she was sure Neteyam would also come and save them. Tsireya mumbled something under her breath and her eyes widened as she noticed her mother and father. The Sky people, however, positioned themselves with a full army alongside the edge of the ship, ready for battle. Aliyah furrowed her brows, locking eyes with Lo'ak. She shook her head and he pursed his lips, as they both knew the Na'vi wouldn't survive if they tried to fight them like this. But all of a sudden, the warriors stopped moving forward. Quarritch roughly ripped the communication device off of Lo'ak's neck.
He held the device close to his mouth, "Jake, tell your friends to stand down. If you want your kids back, you come out alone."
He pulled his gun out of its holster around his waist, holding it up in the air so that Jake would see it, "You know better than to test me." He pushed the barrel of the gun to the back of Lo'ak's head. Tsireya gasped in worry, begging him to leave Lo'ak alone.
Aliyah tried to get up, "No! Don't you dare hurt him!"
Carter pushed her down again, "Or what, princess? You're gonna hiss some more? I"m sure the boss will be scared to death." Some of the other soldiers laughed, boosting Carter's ego.
Aliyah shot a death glare at the cruel man, hating the way his fingers wrapped around the back of her neck to keep her down. She spoke in a low voice, staring into his eyes, "I swear to Eywa, I will try everything in my power to end your life today."
Carter tilted his head, a devious smirk appearing on his face, "That's cute. Good luck, sweetheart."

Quarritch continued talking to Jake, still holding Lo'ak at gunpoint, "I took you under my wing, Jake. You betrayed me. You killed your own, good men and women. I will not hesitate to execute your kid." Aliyah's heart pounded out of her chest, hoping Quarritch was bluffing. 
Jake's voice was heard through the communication device, "Just wait!" The next few seconds of silence were deafening before Quarritch spoke again, pressing the gun harder against Lo'ak's head, "Offers's fixing to expire. What's it gonna be?"
Jake sounded defeated, realizing he could only save the children by obeying Quarritch, "Check your fire, I'm coming out." He put away his gun and slowly made his way over to the ship. 
Aliyah sighed, "No...He can't just give up like this." She knew Quarritch would never let Jake live after everything that he did.
A bald avatar pointed his gun at Jake, "Easy shot." 
Quarritch placed a hand on the barrel, pushing it down, "If you hit him now, they attack. Wait until he's on board." Lo'ak's face was filled with anger, and he let out a frustrated groan.

Just as everyone thought the fight was already over, a giant tulkun burst through the water's surface right next to the ship, landing its huge body on the deck and crushing several Sky people. Tuk shouted out, "Payakan!"
Aliyah let out a surprised laugh, followed by a war cry as she saw the tulkun flap its fins around and hit the people that were attacking him. The soldiers started shooting relentlessly at the thick shield of the animal, "Open fire, open fire!"
Lo'ak saw Payakan struggling, "Brother!" He kicked a soldier straight under Payakan's fin, who was easily crushed by the extreme weight of the animal's limb. Payakan used his tail to unhinge some sort of crane, which caused more destruction in its path. This sudden event sparked new hope in the Na'vi, who gave up on waiting around and started closing in on the ship again. Payakan kept whipping his fins and tail around, demolishing large parts of the ship and killing several Sky people in the process. The bullets fired at him couldn't damage him enough, but they did seem to cause him pain, as he made squealing noises in response.