Bang!
Jake Sully's head—more precisely, his Avatar's head—exploded, sending skull fragments and brain matter splattering everywhere like a watermelon dropped from a height.
Thud!
His headless body fell heavily to the ground, limbs still twitching from the spasms.
Looking at his body, it was clear that not only had his head been fatally shot, but his chest also had four gaping holes from the .500 Magnum.
"No! No! My Jake!"
Neytiri, still reeling from the shock, witnessed her beloved's head being blown apart right before her eyes. She hurriedly embraced the headless corpse, sobbing uncontrollably, her cries hoarse and devoid of any will to fight.
At this moment, several ARS soldiers without mechanical exoskeletons emerged from the nearby forest, slowly approaching the bewildered Neytiri.
One of them, reloading his custom revolver, used his mask communication device to report, "This is Arthur. I've taken out Jake Sully's Avatar. Search team, be on high alert for Jake Sully's real body."
Arthur Morgan, who had executed the fatal shot with his .500 Magnum, had arrived earlier on Samuel Young's orders to lay in wait.
Just after he gave the reminder, a response came through the communication device: "This is the search team. Following the Boss's instructions, we successfully captured the target before he could escape. We're preparing to transport him now."
"Good."
Relieved that the search team had completed their mission successfully, Arthur reloaded his custom revolver and aimed it at Neytiri, shouting, "Surrender immediately, or you'll end up like that traitor!"
"You killed my Jake... you killed..."
Clearly, Neytiri had lost all sense of judgment, only staring blankly as she clutched Jake's Avatar's body.
Seeing this, Arthur signaled to the hunters beside him to use tranquilizer guns to capture her, making it easier for the technicians to take live blood and tissue samples later.
"Roar!"
The Banshee, initially pierced by a metal spear, suddenly surged with newfound strength, its crimson eyes fixated on Arthur, the one who killed its master.
It seemed ready to avenge Jake Sully.
However, before it could get up, a white blur descended rapidly from the sky, diving towards the Banshee.
Boom!
With a dull thud, the Banshee, hit in the head, let out a pitiful wail and collapsed completely, its massive body slamming into the ground.
When the white blur touched down, its form became clear. It was Saint Gilles, also dressed in black combat gear with a breathing mask but with white wings sprouting from his back.
This young Primarch folded his wings, walked around the Banshee, and grabbed the spear's tail with his right hand. With a slight effort, he pulled out the silver metal spear, his own weapon, from the Banshee's body.
He flicked off the blood and pressed a button embedded in the spear handle, retracting it to a manageable size. Then, pointing at the Banshee, he addressed Arthur and the others, "Uncle Morgan, this beast was still restless, so I took care of it. But... can someone transport it? I think it would make an excellent experimental subject."
"Of course," Arthur had no objections. He immediately called for a Red Eagle to package and transport the Banshee along with Neytiri and other Na'vi prisoners, and then reminded, "Kid, don't get cocky. Be careful."
"Don't worry, Uncle Morgan!"
Saint Gilles said, spreading his wings again and disappearing from Arthur's sight.
"..."
Hearing Saint Gilles always call him "Uncle Morgan," Arthur couldn't help but recall what his father had mentioned about a lazy, good-for-nothing "uncle" living on their boss's estate a century ago. Through his mask, he rubbed his beard and muttered to himself, "I should shave when I get back."
Before long, a Red Eagle hovered above the forest, searching for a suitable landing spot.
Glancing at the Red Eagle, Arthur's demeanor turned serious. He spoke gravely over the comms, "All units, Hunter Platoon's third combat squad is about to launch a raid. We have twelve minutes to seize control of the situation once they complete their objective. Ensure there are no mistakes."
"This is Third Company, understood."
"Second Company, roger."
"Fourth Company, copy."
Responses from various units came through the communication channel.
Leaving Arthur's position.
High above the battlefield, avoiding interference from the strong magnetic field.
Two Atlas-modified AC-130 gunships circled, providing continuous fire support to the ground forces.
Inside the well-sealed cabin.
Robert (Guilliman), also clad in black, stood behind several observers, overseeing the entire battlefield through the holographic screens.
It was evident that the scales of victory had tipped decisively in favor of the RDA and ARS units, with no suspense left.
Yet Robert keenly sensed that every action, every moment of intervention and battle progression, had been meticulously timed.
Moreover, the high morale had pushed the RDA ground forces deeper, exposing their backs to the ARS units, effectively surrounding them.
Based on the operational plan and the detailed orders given to each team and squad, it was as if his father had rehearsed this countless times, knowing every detail.
"."
Realizing this, Robert furrowed his brows, pondering whether to question his father about this strange situation once the battle was over.
—
…
South of the Na'vi sanctuary.
About forty kilometers away.
Located here was the RDA's mining base, Hell's Gate.
The base was pentagonal, with a security perimeter about 12 kilometers long on the outermost edge.
Inside, more than one-third of the area was taken up by airstrips and VTOL helipads.
The remaining two-thirds included a maintenance and vehicle shop for armored units, a light industrial plant, and a refinery. Command posts, barracks, apartments, storage facilities, and a comprehensive complex for entertainment were located on the western side of the base.
Every enclosed facility had air filtration systems, allowing RDA personnel to live and work normally within the base.
However, what should have been a well-guarded base against external threats was now in chaos due to internal conflict.
Rebellious scientists had seized the storage facility, arming over twenty Avatars with machine guns and rockets, sparking a mutiny.
The RDA mercenaries left to guard the base, fewer than fifty and scattered throughout, were unable to respond effectively.
The intense internal strife left both sides oblivious to a combat squad rapidly approaching Hell's Gate's perimeter through the jungle.
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