The Rise of Hope (part 4)
Pairing: Teylan x Fem!Ke'awa Reader
Genre: fluff, slow burn, prob yearning
Summary: The arrival of the first Sarentu was enough to cause some uprise in the clan, but when more arrived, it was your curiosity that grew. You had been drawn to them all, but it was Teylan who held your attention. You found yourself inventing reasons to linger, watching as he messed with strange tech or guided Tamtey through the comms. He always seemed too consumed by his duties to notice your presence, or maybe he was just content with letting you stay.
Word count: 2,878
A/N: oh my gosh I’m sorry this part took so long life really slapped me in the face, and I have to borrow a laptop rn to post and that was another hold up but we back in business clan!! Hope you enjoy and as always oel ngati kameie
Teylan walked so close to you that your shoulders occasionally brushed against each other.
“What if she looks at us and sees only what the humans made us?” Teylan’s voice was so worried as he whispered to Ri'nela. “What if she doesn’t want to see us because of that?”
Before she could offer a word of comfort, Tsu'lo, the Ke’awa leader, finally came into view, his back to you all. He didn’t turn when you approached, but his ears flicked in acknowledgment.
“Something tells me you all have some questions,” Tsu’lo chuckled as he turned.
You stepped forward, your hand reaching back to find Teylan’s. “Ri'nela says there is a woman. Rasi. You’ve known these peaks longer than any of us and better. Tsu’lo, is it true? Has there been another Sarentu out there all this time?”
“I knew there was another Na’vi, a loner, one who kept to themselves and the wind, doing no harm. I did not know they were Sarentu. I would have said something to our guest sooner had I known.”
“And none of the scouts ever talked to her?” You pressed, ears flicking back, desperate for an answer for the Sarentu you were quickly becoming fond of. “Not even once?”
Tsu’lo’s eyes got a knowing look in them as he placed his hands on your shoulders. “Easy now, child. She has been evading our scouts and hunters. Like I said, a loner. Never giving us a reason to bother them, so why should we?” He asked and glanced at the two behind you. “I am sorry that I am not more help. Maybe your friend will bring more news.” He offered his condolences in few words, causing you to let out a heavy sigh.
The air in the caves felt heavy to you after Tsu’lo’s words, the flicker of hope you had moments ago now gone, crushed by the reality of Rasi’s solitude. Teylan’s hand was still in yours, his grip tightening a little to offer you comfort, which made your heart squeeze. You felt like you should be the one comforting him.
“I thought I could help you more…” Your tail gave a frustrated twitch.
“So she really doesn’t want to be around anyone,” he murmured, his voice sounding small.
A screech echoed, the distinct call of a returning ikran. You all turned as Tamtey stumbled into the fire-lit caves, her eyes landing on her friends with a mixture of relief and exhaustion.
Ri’nela and Teylan didn’t hesitate; they were at Tamtey's side in a blink. Ri’nela grabbed her arms gently. “You are okay. We were so worried; they said they saw you get shot from the sky. We looked everywhere.”
Tamtey's eyes crinkled a bit as she smiled. “Not everywhere.” She glanced down at her hands, and Teylan finally spoke up.
“Is it really true? Another Sarentu?”
You stayed close enough to listen, your curiosity too intense even though you knew it was rude to eavesdrop.
“I do not want to imagine how she survived. All she witnessed. It must have been terrifying.” Ri’nela’s ears flattened, and she shook her head, her hand waving in front of her as if she could wipe away the thought. “Alma’s memories were bad enough, but she just watched. Rasi had to endure it. And then live with the pain.”
Tamtey frowned, and she looked at her friends solemnly; it was clear on her face that she was unsure what to do, and you couldn’t help but speak up.
“Maybe you could all talk to her, show her who you are now,” you suggested, taking a few steps forward to join their conversation.
Ri’nela nodded in agreement, standing straighter. “Show her we are no longer scared children under the RDA’s control. We survived too. After all she’s been through alone. She needs to see how strong we can be together.”
Tamtey’s eyes sparkled with a bit of mischief. “Sounds like you have a plan.”
“The beginnings of one.”
Ri’nela shared a glance with Teylan, and suddenly, despite the topic at hand, he started to brighten, his eyes lighting up as he spoke.
“You know how the RDA are using those aerial convoys to transport mountain materials, right?”
You watched Teylan speak, his tail swishing back and forth almost rhythmically. However, you were lost on most of what he was saying beyond mountain materials. Regardless, the more you saw of Teylan, the more you wished to be close to him. Even now as he spoke too quickly, you were absolutely enamored with the passion he had.
“That 3D printer they built is a pretty big deal. Get this. It’s called a 'Grinder.'” Teylan’s voice carried a level of awe as he continued, “It churns out components for the RDA, but not just here. All across the Western Frontier. AMP suits, weapons, even aircraft.”
You were still incredibly confused with Teylan’s information dump, and your eyes flicked to Tamtey, whose face was neutral as Teylan spoke besides the occasional ear twitching, before you responded anything, “So, we shut that down and… no more sky people in the Spires?” You were starting to get the hang of the plan, or at least you hoped.
Teylan interjected, happy his idea was being heard and understood. “Exactly!” But as quickly as he said it, his face sort of fell. “I wasn’t able to get much info on the grinder. I got distracted trying to fix my radio…” You watched his cheeks flush, and your heart was suddenly pounding in your ears. “But there are a few RDA sites with comm links to the base. They’re sure to have a lot of daily logs. Maybe they’ll have what we need.”
“Then let us go. No time to waste,” So’lek suddenly interjected, looking at Tamtey with softening eyes, happy to see her.
“Good to see you, So'lek,” Tamtey greeted. “Glad you’re joining us.”
“When have I ever said no to a fight? Good to see you are still standing,” he spoke with an almost amused tone.
Ri’nela gave both of them side eyes before speaking up. “Let us take a location each and radio when we find something.” She gestured to you, “Tsu’lo’s people already agreed to support us in the search.”
By the time you and Teylan reached the perimeter of the RDA comm site, the new day had come and gone, leaving the sky draped in a heavy, bruised violet dusk. You crouched low behind a ridge of damp stone, the air stinging your lungs. It had been another grueling trek, and you were glad for a chance to catch your breath, especially now as you neared the strangely fluorescent-lit outpost. The ground itself seemed to be dead yet vibrating the closer you got. It made your ears flatten, and you instinctively got in a more defensive position.
“Are we going in the right direction?” you whispered to him. It was a silly question, but you clearly didn’t like where you were going.
Teylan felt an urge to comfort you and moved closer. “It is okay; I am scared too,” he admitted, his breath ghosting against your ear, making you shiver as he looked back towards the outpost. “The terminal is inside.” He was pressed so close to your side that you could feel the rise and fall of his chest. Teylan pointed down toward a small, reinforced metal cabin topped with a spinning dish. “If I can get to it, I can hack into the system and find something useful. But I don't know how we're getting around the guards…”
You turned your head, finding his face so close to yours that his amber eyes seemed to swallow the dim light of the dusk. The faint pulse of his bioluminescent dots was the only beautiful thing in the shadows of the RDA. He looked terrified, yet there was a stubborn, fierce determination in his posture that made your heart swell. You didn’t have to ask him to know. He was doing this for the Sarentu, his family.
A beam of light cut directly toward your position, and thinking quickly, you lunged backward, pulling Teylan into the narrow crevice of a split boulder with you. Your breath hitched, and you could hear how Teylan’s had caught in his throat as the light washed over the outer edges of the rock, just inches away. It was horrible timing to suddenly be taken with the fact that he had gripped onto you, pulling you flush against him as you both pressed tightly to the rocks. The light finally passed, leaving you both in the dusk once more. Teylan let out a shaky exhale, his forehead briefly resting against yours.
“Too close,” he whispered, a nervous, breathless edge to his voice.
“I have you,” you breathed back, your hand sliding up his arm to give a reassuring squeeze before peering out around the edge of the boulder. “Come. Before the light returns.”
Slipping out of the crevice, you both became shadows among the shadows. You kept yourself low, your eyes scanning the area for any way in or any soldiers looking your way. You darted behind another large rock, inching yourself closer and closer to the outpost, Teylan quick on your heels; the only giveaway that he was following you was the fall of his footsteps on the gravel, quiet but unmistakable to your sharp senses.
Peering around the edge of the rock, you zeroed in on the cabin door. Your ears flattened. Standing right in front was an RDA soldier, an assault rifle resting casually against his chest. He was shifting his weight from foot to foot idly. He wasn't going anywhere on his own. Teylan took in the obstacle from behind you.
He looked at you; his tail twitched. Sharp and anxious. A silent, frantic question written across his face. You could only give him a small, reassuring nod before you turned your attention back to the problem at hand. You spotted a loose pile of discarded metal pipes sitting just at the edge of the floodlights close by the cabin. Keeping your body pressed to the rock, you crouched down. Your fingers swept across the gravel until they wrapped around a heavy stone. With a deep breath, you angled your arm and sent the rock sailing.
CLANG!
The stone struck the pipes squarely; the sharp ringing sliced through the quiet. The guard jumped, his hands instantly snapping to his rifle.
“What the hell was that?” he grunted, stepping away from the door to investigate the corner where the noise had come from.
“Now,” you whispered.
Before the guard could even take a third step toward the noise, you and Teylan ran across the open gap, melting into the deep shadow right next to the cabin. Teylan didn’t waste a single heartbeat. He pulled out a small hacking tool. You stood flush against the cold metal wall, your bow gripped tight as you kept your eyes trained on the path for the returning guard.
Despite the gravity of your situation, you couldn't help but let your gaze drift back to Teylan. His intense focus and brilliance when he was in his element completely captivated you. Your heart pounded against your ribs all over again, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the RDA soldier wandering nearby. You snapped your attention back to the path when you heard a soft hiss of air.
“I'm in,” Teylan whispered, a triumphant, quiet thrill in his voice.
You slipped into the small, sterile cabin right behind him, the heavy door sliding shut with another soft hiss. It smelled strongly of something awful that you could never really place. A scent that was unique to the Sky People's structures. Flickering lights from the computer terminal threw shadows across the metal walls. Teylan didn't hesitate; he moved directly toward the console, his fingers immediately flying across a keyboard with speed that left you slightly breathless. You kept your back pressed near the entrance, an arrow still resting against your bowstring as you watched the small window on the door. Out in the night, the silhouette of the guard was still visible, pacing slowly back toward his post, completely oblivious.
You once again let your attention drift back to Teylan, who was muttering under his breath, the blue glare of the monitor reflecting in his wide amber eyes while his tail flicked in concentration. Watching him have such fierce confidence made that familiar warmth pool in your chest. Earlier, he had seemed so weighed down by the ghost of a clan he didn't know how to find. But here, you were seeing he was a force of his own. Suddenly, a progress bar flashed across the screen, and a low chime echoed through the quiet room. Teylan let out a triumphant hmph.
“I've got th—”
A heavy clunk rattled the cabin door. You both fell quiet. You snapped your head around, holding your breath. Outside, the shadow of the guard was right at the glass. He had finished checking the pipes and was back at his station right outside the door. If he stepped through that door, he’d see you and Teylan, raise the alarm, and the whole base would obliterate you before you could take a step. Instinct took over.
You motioned for Teylan to get low and out of sight, just in case. He was quick to listen, curling himself a bit under the metal desk, the freshly downloaded drive clutched tightly in his hand. You spun back to the entrance, flattening yourself flush against the metal wall right beside the door frame, melting into the blind spot. You dropped your bow; no room to draw an arrow here.
Pssssshhhhh.
The automated door hissed open; the human soldier stepped inside, cursing under his breath. “Stupid automated locks,” he grunted, walking in without bothering to look around.
You didn’t give him the chance to either. Before the door could even begin to slide shut again, you lunged from the shadows. With a swift, practiced motion, you drove the hilt of your knife against the side of his head and, with a groan, the soldier's body went entirely limp in your arms. You held his weight for a breathless second, listening intently. No one seemed to be alerted.
“Teylan,” you whispered, voicing a shaky breath. “It is clear. We need to move.” You dropped the human to the side, into the corner you had hidden in, hopefully keeping him out of sight until you were both long gone.
Teylan scrambled out from beneath the desk, his hands trembling slightly as he looked from the unconscious soldier back to you. The starry-eyed awe you were growing so fond of began to replace the fear in his eyes. He swallowed hard, his cheeks flushing a faint violet even in the dark as he held up the data drive.
“I—I have it,” Teylan stammered, his voice dropping to a tense, worried whisper as he remembered what was going on. You didn't have much time before someone noticed the guard was missing from his post.
You peered through the small window of the door, watching the floodlight do its sweep again waiting until it left their path of escape in darkness once more.
“Then we leave. Now,” you said, pulling him toward the door.
The night air hit your face once more; you practically scrambled over the gravel before the patrol headlights could sweep across the path, both of you staying low and holding your breath again as if that would help keep you hidden. Once you hit safety, you finally let out a ragged breath and leaned against a large boulder. For a long moment, the only sound was the ragged pattern of your breathing. The adrenaline finally began to ebb, leaving you trembling slightly.
“You… you were amazing,” Teylan whispered from beside you, and a blush crept up his neck. “When that door opened, I thought—I thought it was over. I thought they had us. But you didn't even hesitate.”
A genuine smile tugged at your lips. Seeing him look at you like that made your heart do a strange, fluttery kick. You shifted closer, your shoulder catching his, offering your warmth.
“I told you I had you,” you replied back. “And you were amazing too. We would not have done any of this without you, Teylan.”
“I just… I kept thinking about what Ri'nela said. If Rasi is out there, and she's survived all this time alone… We have to show her who the Sarentu are now.” He held up the drive, his face lighting up. “I got the layout for the entire base. The full schematics. It’s all here, and I think it will help us.”
His radio crackled to life, a voice coming through the speaker with an air of hopelessness. “Teylan. Ri'nela and So'lek are with me. The base with the grinder is protected by air turrets; there is no way through. We’re hoping you two have some good news.”
“I think I got something. I’ll need more time to look it through, but if I’m right, this should give us all the information needed to stop the RDA.”
“Then we still have a chance. We’ll come to you.”
With that, the radio went silent.
