The thing about happiness is it can vanish in a heartbeat. A new star in the night, it could only mean one thing… The sky people had returned. They must eliminate the ‘hostiles’ before they can establish Pandora as the new home for humanity because Earth is dying.

One year later

The RDA had established a primary base for supplies, but Johnny’s increasingly frequent attacks and the close coordination of his ground and air forces prevented their supply systems from reaching their outlying sites.

A maglev was transferring supplies to their base with gunships guarding it before a war party that Johnny led destroyed it and ransacked everything. In the process, your two sons were near the explosion caused by one of the gunship’s missiles—Everyone mounted their direhorses and Ikran, fleeing to safety.

Back in high camp, Omatikaya stronghold

Johnny dismounted his Ikran. “Fall i.” He barked, looking over his shoulder before scolding your sons, “You’re supposit tae be spotters. Ye spot bogeys an ye call ‘em i. From a distance!.” He hissed in frustration. “Daes any o this sound familiar? Jesus. A let ye twa geniuses fly a mission, an ye disobey direct orders.”

While your eldest son was being patched up by your mother, the Tsahìk. Johnny was maintaining the weapons that were stolen, noticing the tip of your tail swishing from the corner of his eye. Expressing the emotions you held. “Whit?.”

You glanced over your shoulder. “Neteyam and Lo’ak try to live up to you. It is very hard on them.” Only for him to say, “A know. I’m their father. It’s ma job.”

You knelt beside him. “You are very hard on them. This is not a squad; it is a family.” It made him speechless for a moment. He lowered his firearm, sighing, and looked at you. “A thoucht we’d lost thaim.” He whispered, displaying a rare vulnerability in his eyes.