Post by Toruk Makto on Apr 10, 2010 20:42:18 GMT -5
Pandora
3 months after the War
3 months after the War
Things were getting back to normal with the Omatikaya Clan, if normal is what you would call it. Jake had taken over the reins with Neytiri, Mo’at and Eylikan'a's help. He had stepped up as olo’eyktan for the Omatikaya people.
They had several clan meetings regarding the clan's new home , on whether it should be closer to the Tree of Souls or closer to Hell’s Gate. With the regional Na'vi numbers knocked back by over sixty percent the answer became obvious. They would move to a kelutral farther from the base. Jake also implemented a few earthly military tactics into his clan: there would be a posted fire watch at BOTH the Tree of Souls AND overlooking the Base.
Their engineers got to work the day they moved into their new Hometree, building fire pits and hammock tie-downs and everything else that makes a house a home. The hunters went out and started mapping and memorizing new hunting ground, which would turn out bountiful.
Jake, alongside the remaining humans and avatars, cleared the base of weapons and ammunition and destroyed the equipment they could no longer use, such as the Samsons and the AMP suits. He started training several of his new warriors in the ways of rifles and similar weapons, sparing the ammunition should it ever actually be needed.
All of the remaining avatars were accepted as students into Omatikaya ways and had begun their training much the way Jake had, with one single Omatikaya acting as teacher, and always of the opposite sex.
Norm’s avatar was saved after the Na'vi routed the humans three months ago and had completely healed, with a few nice battle scars to show for his effort. And after much consideration, Norm had chosen to have his soul transferred into his avatar the same way Jake had. Peyral, his teacher - like he really needed one in the language and cultural department - had taken to him and not a month ago they had became mates before Eywa.
Jake had been monitoring space-bound ship traffic these last three months and after a month out, the Venture Star had all but stopped in open space. One of the human counterparts that was allowed to remain behind on Pandora had basic skills in the base tower and had discovered that three more ships were in convoy and less than a month out.
Jake hadn’t heard of any other bases on Pandora so he came to the same conclusion that everybody else had: they were coming here. RDA had apparently learned of more deposits in the area and tasked the ships here. The sixty million dollar question was what was the manifest, was it mining equipment? Or something entirely different. Either way, that equipment could easily be altered to become war machines if necessary.
In the meantime, Jake had made it a point to take personal time at least every eight days with Neytiri, and on the fourth day, he was away doing who knows what. He would take several ikran aymaktoyu with him and they would be gone the entire day, sometimes into the night and never return with anything.
Then one evening on their eighth day he took Neytiri up the tree and called his ikran. Neytiri followed suit, calling hers. Eywa had granted her a new ikran after another trek up Iknimaya. A young, beautiful silver and lavender female whom she named Nimue. As they took to the air, she followed behind ever so slightly because Jake would not, no matter how hard she tried to get it out him, tell her where they were going. It was a surprise.
Into Iknimaya they went, into a region that she rarely visited because it was far out of her usual hunting grounds. Jake steered and slowed his ikran, whom he had named Txur Tsyal, for a landing on a fair sized floating mountain, maybe thirty square acres' surface area. It had a peak to one side and a two-tiered pool with a twenty or so foot waterfall from the pool above into the pool below. Behind and to the left of that was a small fracture that went maybe fifty feet into a rocky outcrop and had plenty of head room.
Jake walked Neytiri towards the pool, which was now illuminated by the bioluminescent plants which grew all over the floating rock. They stopped briefly by the pool where Neytiri playfully dipped her feet, creating iridescent trails. Jake looked into her eyes with a deep smile, the smile Neytiri loved. It was a smile of carefree youth, not of olo’eyktan, not of tsamsiyu, echoing the look of love in his eyes. She had rarely seen that smile since the Venture Star had stopped in space.
He motioned towards the cavern near the waterfall, and she could see the flickering glow of faint firelight inside. As they walked towards it Neytiri began to smile. She had figured out what this was: a place for them and them alone. Her parents had had a similar place, although no one ever said where it was.
Jake led her into the cavern and with his free hand reached down, grabbed a log, and tossed it onto the fire pit.
“I plan to cook you things up here,” he told her.
"Since when did you learn to cook?" She threw her arms around his shoulders, kissing him.
They spent the night there, in the hammock made especially to his specs for them.
Elsewhere on Pandora.
About eighty kilometers to the southwest of Hell's Gate was a remote research site. Very remote. The forest was extremely thick here, even in the day the plant life's bioluminescence glowed brightly. The canopy of the forest roof was too thick for even the best Samson or Scorpion pilots to breach. You either flew in under the forest roof from a great distance away or you walked. The ground here was rugged, littered with rock outcroppings from geothermal upheaval or massive roots from the equally massive trees supporting the black roof high above, blocking any possible route via tri-axe vehicle.
It had been over three months now since the single occupant of the outpost had received any news from Hell's Gate. The last message received was from Max Patel and so broken, garbled and frantic he could only make out snippets of what people were saying before the comm was severed.
Now, three months later he was entering the Vlink Pod from the outside carrying some of the last of his supplies. Canned foods and dehydrated packets. Some water which was abundant here but needed to be trapped by use of a sheet tarp and a bucket as his Pod filtration unit had crapped out over a month earlier.
The larger pod visible through the front windows of the human Pod contained his avatar. And once George had had his dinner he would be once more linking into his blue and taller version of himself.
Several minutes later and after a very unsatisfying meal, George was in his avatar and stepping out into the thicket from the larger AVTR Pod designed to sustain and protect his blue body when it was resting. And having that Pod here was a must. Part of the reason for setting up this outpost was to try to figure out why there was such a concentration of Viperwolves and Thanators in the region. They never did get a true answer as to why because every time anyone or even any team ventured out of the thicket they were promptly forced back into it's protective and familiar territory.
This time however, there would be no turning back. George was determined to leave this area at all costs. He was cut off from the base and everyone he possibly knew. He was running out of supplies. He might as well have been marooned on a jungle island.
Armed with his avatar issue heavy rifle and a daisy chain of rounds slung over his shoulder as well as his side arm WASP issued for this particular station and two K-Bars he intended not to return without humans to extract his driver body.
He rubbed his right forearm where just minutes before on his human body he had applied a saline drip to sustain him with sugar water should he not return for some time. Ghost pain transferred through the link. It went away.
He left the thicket and was into the jungle in less than ten steps and, one last look over his shoulder he sighs under his breath and said goodbye to the home he knew for over eight months.
He had brought a halo-pad that contained a geological map of the region and used that to get to the nearest stream flowing northeast some twenty minutes hike through the thick under-forest. It was a fast flowing and very narrow slit in the ground about twice his height in depth so he followed the ridge of it as best he could till the forest closed in too tightly forcing him into the ditch to continue following the water down stream. It would not be long before he found it dumping into a larger creek and half is long till that creek poured into a small river.
The river was his way home as it flowed near the Hell's Gate mine and on to the northeast again into the western sea.
As the crow flies it was just shy of fifty miles back to base. As the river flows, quite a bit more. He stuck to the shores as best he could but there was a point where he had to take to the forest as the river poured over a ledge into a vast continental tear. Here several rivers conjoined to form one massive body of flowing water on to the sea. It was extremely rugged here and after consulting the map, George decided to take his chances in the jungle once more.
This is where he made his first mistake because it was not long till he was lost without landmarks and with night setting in, inside the jungle once more, Polyphemus was not much help as far as light. The bioluminescence was somewhat helpful and the ground formed trails of dim blue light. Easy to follow but of no real direction.
Several hours later he was still following the trails of light, occasionally taking to the trees as the ground would at times simply drop away several hundred feet. Then just as suddenly and drastically as it had disappeared, it would reappear and he would continue on, westward as his compass depicted. But he was far too south and walked right by Hell's Gate by only a few miles in the next valley south. By the time daylight entered the forest he was well beyond the base and heading north.
The following day
Now that the halo-pad map was useless and he knew it he folded it closed and slid it into the AVTR issue pack on his back and continued on. There were many more research outposts closer to the base, odds were in his favor that he should find one and hoped that it was manned.
As George continued on a wide game trail that was now overgrown with grasses and other plant life the air was growing stale. Hazy. The smell of smoke filled his nostrils the farther up the trail he went. A few kilometers ahead the horizon disappeared into a gray green haze. As he crested one last ridge the forest fell away into a black void.
Charred stumps and fallen logs littered his view for miles and miles all around. A vast fire had burned literally everything to the ground. Even the mightiest of the forest tree trunks had succumbed to the wrath of the flames and the towering trees were no more than tall burned out stumps acting as chimneys as the fires had burned down into their roots and was protected from Pandora's rains. These fires had been burning for months.
One advantage to the forest being vacant for just a brief moment was that George was able to make out a road through the charred ruin far into the distance. He pushed on, stepping into the black and muddied ask and burned leaves and bits of wood. About an hour later he arrived at the road, unused for months, probably since before the fire.
Once he stepped onto the not so blackened roads dirt surface it finally hit him. This area was dead, completely dead. Not a blade of grass, not a bird in the sky. Just the smell of smoke.
He had a choice now, he could turn left and follow the road to the south or right and follow it to the north. His decision to take him into the jungle away from the river had completely turned him around and even his compass was now acting erratic. He had completely forgotten about the Flux and how it effected typical instruments, even something so simple as a compass was completely useless to finding ones way as he or she got closer to it.
He chose right. Starting north up the road. Hours passed, not a bird, forest banshee. Mountain banshee... nothing. No animal tracks in the dirt of the road. “This place is dead.” He said aloud.
In the distance he could see the charred remains of several bulldozers and earth movers. Once he arrived there he also found the hulk of a burned out AMP suit and arrows imbedded into roots and logs as well as the suit and the vehicles. The forest fire itself spared the devastation of the attacks so many months before.
This was the end of the road. It was the back of a valley rimmed by a shallow ridge and to the east, a flowing stream and clear pool. He stepped into the water about knee deep to rest his black feet and legs and to wash the smell of smoke and soot from his face.
After that he sat on an overturned log and opened his pack. He needed to eat. AVTR rations were much more than human rations as the avatar body burned through calories like crazy. A very high metabolism. It was still in the same fashion as a human meal. Dried bread, dried meats, condiments. Putting this all together he had quite the sandwich. It was also filling. As he ate he gazed out over the pond he had washed in and for the first time since before getting even near the burned area, he saw life. Fish in the water skimming near the surface. Must be bottom feeders or plant eaters, since there were no insects of any kind flying over the water.
He tossed his pack back over his shoulders after putting his avatar sized socks and boots back on and rolling down his trouser legs. Looking up he can see Polyphemus on the horizon and two of Pandora's three suns high in the sky. It is now mid day. He has been walking over twelve hours, minus stopping for lunch, and he is beginning to think he took a wrong turn back at Albuquerque.
If trying to get your barrings in the jungle was hard. Without any landmarks at all, as in, they are burned, it was near impossible. The map made no sense so again he put it away. “To high ground, then.” he started up the side of the shallow hillside enclosing the pond and destroyed vehicles.
He is greeted by a sight he never expected. In the far distance and down the hill is a large river flowing gray blue through the black earth. On the far side is a massive tree on it's side the likes of which he had never seen. The trunk was a burned out U shaped tube. Top having caved into the bottom as the fire ate away at the inside of the furnace created by the tree being hollow. Massive limbs larger than any one tree back on Earth lay strewn about where the top of the tree lay.
“My God!” he whispered. He started down the hill towards the river and the fallen tree to get a better look.
Once he got across the river on a natural rock bridge he found the terrain near the tree almost impossible to cross. Massive roots had been pulled out of the ground as the tree fell creating huge pockets for water to fill in and make the earth so soggy he dare not try. In other places the roots had burned out into the ground with the same result.
Unlike the pond he had recently washed in and the other sources of water, there was the beginnings of grasses and small bushes trying to come back along the river bank. George opted to follow the river down stream a ways to clear the impassible ground around the tree.
“What the hell happened here?” He asked himself. Even in his wildest dreams he would not have come to the proper conclusion of what caused all this.
He crossed back over the river and went up the hillside he had come down moments before and back tracked a bit till he found packed earth, a trail. Even under the ash and black mud he could make out the trail. The first good sign he had had since finding the road. Perhaps it is a way back to the base or a Vlink Pod.
Up the trail he went, Polyphemus to his due right, he was going north. After almost two hours he finally came to a treeline and stepped happily into the foliage. Even though the smoke was still thick in the area, he could also make out the smells of the plants, the fresh moisture and the aromas of flowers fighting to keep the smell of death and desolation at bay. Not a hundred feet into the new green and he could not even see the damage, the jungle had closed in around him. He was happy and alert at the same time. 'Once more into the void'.
The trail was being taken back by the jungle here. Whoever used to travel this path had long ago stopped. Probably a result of the fire. It was still distinguishable however and George continued to follow it, further and further into the jungle.
He looked at his watch. Late afternoon now. He would need to find a place to hunker down for the night soon. Last night was more than enough for him.
Earlier that morning at new Hometree
It was well into morning when they returned to the Kelutral. The clan was in an uproar. “What is going on here?” Jake asked with a tone more like a demand.
The exo-masked human who had been trying to monitor the space bound ships spoke up. “They masked their signatures. I had no idea they were this close, but they must have come into orbit last night. The first of the Valkyries landed this morning. Just like you thought, it is ALL military.”
“Alright, we knew this day would probably come, just not this soon. But we are ready if this turns bad. I want the riders to go to the clans that they are appointed to and give them the news. I wouldn’t imagine that they’d be ready either, but they should know all the same.”
Jake continued, “I also want no less than six teams of three to watch the base. Get your radios and have them on the frequencies I showed you to use if this happened. They are my eyes: no one is to attack.” With Jake's Na'vi still not flawless, Neytiri translated the words he did not know yet.
Jake then turned to Neytiri. “And I want you, my beloved, to remain here, at least for now. I need you and Mo’at to keep the others calm.” Neytiri regarded him calmly, but he could see she kept her own counsel. She would do what she thought was best.
After the climb up Kelutral with the other aymaktoyu high into the tree top, he watched as his messengers left, then mounted his own ikran. He and his fliers left in the direction of Hell’s Gate. Several pa’li riders also left for the base.
Outside Hell’s Gate
Jake directed his ikran aymaktoyu to land on the closest utral near the base and go the rest of the way in on foot, as teams of three spread out to all sides of the base to watch the actions of the humans inside as best they could. Even before they could get into their places three more Valkyrie ships had landed and two had taken off, back for more supplies and personnel. Obviously, they planned to stay.
He chose a tree with thick foliage and adequate height to see well into the compound. To his dismay, he noticed about thirty AMP suits and operators standing near the hanger entrance. A line of Samsons and Scorpions was being loaded into the bay. When the doors were open he also noticed a crowd of humans working on the machines that had been left behind, which he thought had been adequately destroyed.
He got on his throat microphone and opened it to all teams. "They aren’t going anywhere. Watch, but NO arrows. Stay hidden, you know how to do that.” He caught himself as he finished the sentence, and thought to himself how long had Neytiri been following me that day before she saved me from the aynantang?
As night approached Valkyries were still landing, and Jake lost count after twenty. The equipment was piling on. They were well over one hundred AMP suits, thousands of military personnel and supplies for each, dozens of aykunsìp.
He got back on the radio after sunset. “I am going back to Kelutral to update the clan on what is happening.” He didn’t need to tell them to stay out of sight anymore, he knew they would. With the numbers of sawtute, there was no choice. There was nothing they could do now; it was not like they could take down a Valkyrie in transit. Even toruk was not that strong.
While Mo'at had the clan chant to Eywa as a way to calm everyone down, Neytiri became restless. She couldn't get her mind off Jake and the clan members who went with him. She wondered if the sky people were coming back for another war. Would they be able to stop them this time?
Taking her father's bow in hand, she stood up and silently made her way to the edge of the gathering. Mo'at kept the clan chanting but motioned to Neytiri to return to her place among the People. Neytiri shook her head, and pointed with her chin to the forest. With Jake gone, she could not sit by while her people were in possible danger. Mo'at hesitated, then gave her a slow nod and Neytiri ducked into the foliage, careful to be stealthy. She closely skirted tree trunks and moved swiftly through the forest.
It was extremely early morning when Jake returned to Hometree. The flight from Hell's Gate to Hometree took the better part of two hours on a hard ride. Txur Tsyal, Jake's ikran, was exhausted. Jake sent him down for water and food near the base of the Hometree... fortunately, there was a small river near the Kelutral just as there was by the destroyed Hometree.
Jake made his down the spiral to the main level and the eyktan dais.
She had not gone too far when Neytiri saw his ikran returning and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She ran lightly back through the forest to the clan, after slinging her bow behind her back. As she returned, the people stopped chanting, and Mo'at stepped forward. "What have you found out?" she asked Jake, and he could hear the shade of anxiety in her voice.
Neytiri wove her way through the clan members who began to stand up in anticipation of an announcement. She was somewhat out of breath as she stepped to Jake's side.
"Ma Jake, what's going on?" There was worry in her voice. The people were silent as they waited for his response.
Speaking in a low voice meant only for Neytiri, he said, “Well, for starters, they have arrived en masse. Just like I told you,” making a nod in the direction of their floating hideaway.
He turned to Mo'at, “There are many, ma tsahìk." Mo'at's sharp intake of breath revealed her fear.
Addressing the clan now, Jake pulled Neytiri towards him gently, and spoke in a voice somewhat subdued. “They have returned, my clan. The Sky People have returned and there are many.”
Several cries of Kawng! rang out.
“No, my people. Remember, I have trained you for this. We wait for THEM to make the first move. The watchmen are at their posts at the base and at the Tree of Souls.”
He looked into Neytiri's eyes, and she could see his brow furrow with concern.
She nodded, her face mirroring a similar feeling. She looked at her people as some hollered, and then glanced over at her mother. Mo'at hid her emotions well, not wanting to worry the clan members, though she did not fool her daughter. Neytiri did her best to do the same, and gripped Jake's hand tighter.
"We will follow you wherever you go," she said with a slight smile. She grabbed her bow and thrust it into the air. "oooooWa!!!"
Jake approached Mo'at. Softly to her, loud enough that only she and Neytiri could hear it, he said, “You know I am new to this, I do not want the Omatikaya worried. Can you calm them while I talk with Neytiri and my aysam'eyktan?”
Mo'at nodded as Neytiri followed Jake to converse with his captains. Standing before the people, Mo'at said, "Mawey, ma oeyä Omatikaya, we have trained long and hard for this day. Do not fear the Sky People. We have taught them to fear US!" She gestured to everyone. "Our olo'eytkan will lead us bravely and we will fight for our home and make them realize the Na'vi are not People who can be easily destroyed!"
Several Na'vi hollered and pumped their fists in the air. Neytiri smiled at her mother's speech but then turned her attention to her People. As her eyes then swept the crowd, she saw Peyral and smiled. Peyral was one of their better samsiyu.
Jake walked towards Peyral, holding Neytiri's hand. “You've heard the news. But I also noticed you just returned. Any sightings, ma tsmuke?”
"Kehe", she said. No. She wasn't as good with 'ìnglìsì' as Neytiri was.
“Alright, well, gather up a few of the hunter archers and ikran aymaktoyu. Meet me in the high branches in one hour.”
He continued on toward the war leaders in the underground chamber beneath the spiral.
Neytiri smiled at Peyral, explaining Jake's words. "Makto ko!" As Peyral took off with the young hunters, Neytiri thought how much Peyral reminded her of her sister Sylwanin. She smiled, and then followed Jake as he made his way to the eyktan council.
After roughly a half an hour with the war leaders, addressing them on the issues and giving them the facts as though it were a military briefing back on Earth, Jake stood up. He took his mate's hand and headed back up the spiral with her.
“It is not my choice to bring you along, but I know that I cannot keep you away. So this promise from you I must have. If things go badly, I need you to head back here, get things ready.
“Remember, I chose this tree not only because it is close to the Tree of Souls, but because it is in a good defensive location, inside the Flux. And I will not let anything happen to you.” He placed a hand on her belly. “And I will not let anything happen to our child.”
She placed her hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I must protect my people in any way I can. I made this promise to oeyä sempul when he gave me his bow." She looked into Jake's eyes and nodded. "I promise, ma muntxatan." She gave him a slight smile, and gripped her bow, "Oeyä sempul Eytukan, oeyä tsmuke Sylwanin, and Eywa watch over us all. Our people will be victorious. You must go reassure them." She smiled, took in a deep breath and leaned into him, kissing him reassuringly.
He returned her kiss just behind her ear, where she liked it.
“It is the warriors on the front line that I am worried for most right now. If they get the base thermal scanners online then they will be seen without our being able to see them. And whether I like it or not, I need to go there. We need to form some sort of diplomatic relations with the new commander before they up and come out here and try to destroy us entirely.
She smiled, "I would've come even if you hadn't asked. As tsahìk numeyu it is my duty and I will follow you wherever you lead." She reached for his hand. "Come, let us go," she said to him as she headed back towards the clan. "I'm sure that this new person in charge will be more reasonable than that other one and if not..." she raised her bow and smiled at him. "With you as our leader we will remain victorious."
“You know I was a Marine, it's really the only thing I ever knew, ever did well. Until my accident. And this job is something right up my alley. But I still need yours and Mo'at's guidance from time to time.” He smiled at her.
He and Neytiri walked to the main dais to address the People. ~in Na'vi as best as he could ~ “My People, I am taking a small party of ikran aymaktoyu with me to the Gate. As it is late, we will not be back until tomorrow at which point I will have more information. Just ready yourselves the way I have taught you these last few months. And take comfort that I stand with you always.” Once more he took Neytiri's hand and turned towards the central spiral to go to the high branches.
Neytiri wished her mother well, and her mother returned the sentiment for them and their hunters. She followed Jake as she climbed up the branches. "You've improved greatly with your movements," she said as she continued to climb. When she got to the top branch she smiled at him and called to her ikran. Peyral and the other hunters were already waiting for them. Peyral ran to them and stood attentively, ready for her next orders.
“We ride to the Gate. We will land at the lookout Hometree there,” Jake said. It was a substantially smaller hometree, still hollow, but only about twice the height of the largest trees next to it. “From there, Neytiri and I will go to the base, but I want you all to remain there until we return or until I radio. IF I radio an attack, it's one flight across with arrows and then you return to the Flux... NOT two flights, I won't have you dying when you can protect the clan another day. Makto ko!”
As the others swiftly departed, Jake remained there a few minutes with Neytiri. “I don't want to imagine this going badly, but if it does, you do whatever you can to get out of there. Now, all five gates were still down when I left after sunset, there should still be ways through the fences.
But I am hoping that it won't come to that. Eywa help us.”
She hollered putting her bow in the air. She then looked at Jake and nodded, "Eywa will protect us. If things go south I will make sure to get the other hunters to safety and inform the clan." Her fear had disappeared completely, "You have instilled hope into our People and we will use that as our driving power." She chuckled softly and ran to her ikran, leapt onto its back, and swiftly made tsaheylu.
Jake jumped onto Txur Tsyal and they took to the air all in one fluid motion. He looked back towards Neytiri, knowing full well that she was either above or so close behind him that her ikran could bite Txur's tail.
“And the long flight begins.”
She follows behind, her ikran Nimue crowding Txun Tsyal, and occasionally forcing him to bank slightly to avoid a collision. Peyral and the other hunters grew anxious as they closed in on the base, their actions revealing their nervousness, but all were brave. As they flew Neytiri began to run the plan through her head and the possible scenarios that could occur. She hoped and prayed to Eywa that all would go well with the sky people.
They timed their flight to have dawn at their tail when they arrived. They landed at the scout tree that Jake had left just last night to return to his muntxate and their People.
The posted warriors were where they needed to be and none had been spotted... at least they had not been sought out. The base thermals were likely online now. They would know there were Na'vi in the area.
The warriors left their ikrans in the tree and headed down its smaller spiral and out into the jungle towards Hell's Gate. It was a place they had visited many times after the forced sawtute exodus.
As she ran down the spiral and entered the nostalgic area, Neytiri couldn't help but place her hand on her belly as a smile crept onto her face. But not for long. She stayed close to Jake while still keeping an eye on the young hunters behind them. "How do you propose we enter Jake? Will we not be brought down as soon as we're spotted?” She was not anxious, she was angry that they should have to fight again, so soon. Some of the young hunters, including Peyral, were beginning jostle one another nervously.
"I think that our arrival will be anticipated. I hope," he said, as they walked briskly toward the gate.
“If there is a cool headed commander there, then we should be alright.” Jake took Neytiri's hand in his. “We will be fine, ma oeyä muntxate.” She held onto him firmly, but without fear.
As she followed him through the gate, she was constantly alert. Her ears twitched back and forth at the slightest sound. She prayed to Eywa, that all of this would end diplomatically and not result in many casualties. She nodded as she listened to him. "I trust you my Jake."
"I will not let anything happen to you,ma sa'nok ma oeyä 'evengä", he said referring to her as the future mother of their child.
They approached the gate with their party cautiously, but also with a demanding demeanor.
Neytiri nodded and smiled at Jake as they entered the gate. She looked around at all the odd structures, the people who stared at them and whispered amongst themselves. She looked over at the young warriors and noticed Peyral was giving the humans fierce looks. Neytiri caught her eye and with one look quashed Peyral's apparent hostility. She looked forward and gripped Jake's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Because he had ordered the accompanying warriors to remain calm, Jake knew that they would. Restraint was hard but they were all disciplined very well. They entered the gate slowly, bows slung across their bodies in a Na'vi peace sign.
They waited for a gate guard, someone, to approach to speak to them.
As she waited with Jake, Neytiri continued to look around. Suddenly she heard people walking, the sounds getting louder. Her stance became light and she shifted her weight to the balls of her feet, ready for action. She trusted Jake, and knew he wouldn't bring her people here if it meant them risking their lives. Nevertheless, a warrior should always be on guard.
Feeling the change in her, Jake said, “We will be fine. Remember, ma muntxate, we have hunters watching us as well.
He turned to face the approaching men who were wearing exo-masks. He noticed that amongst those walking briskly toward them, there appeared to be an escort of military who were not quite as 'peace seeking' in appearance as the Na'vi were.
He signaled the other Omatikaya to remain where they were and stepped forward with Neytiri at his side.
Peyral grew tense at the oncoming humans, almost to the point of attacking, but she controlled herself. She wouldn't jeopardize this mission. She clenched her fists as she watched the two approach the humans.
Feeling his hand squeeze hers had reassured Neytiri that Jake was also on his guard and aware of her. She eyed the more hostile humans, glaring slightly at them. She and Jake moved forward to the advancing humans.
They came to a stop well inside the Hell's Gate entryway, the other Na'vi several paces back waiting for any sign of hostility and being quite resilient in their personal restraint.
The humans stopped maybe fifteen feet away from them. One lone man continued forward and Jake recognized the rank insignia as that of a two star general in the Marine Corps. And what's more, Jake knew him personally.
"Greg?"
Neytiri stopped along with Jake, not moving her gaze from the humans. She watched as a lone human made his way towards them, obviously high in rank by the demeanor of the men around him. When she heard Jake speak the uniform officer's name she glanced at him and then back at the officer.
In Na'vi Jake spoke over his shoulder to her. “This is a good man; I was in his command back on Earth before I got wounded in battle.” He turned to face the general, and said in English, “What the hell are you doing out here?” Almost a humorous question to ask.
She relaxed at his answer, his composure helped ease her as well. She smiled slightly at the officer, but her thoughts flitted to the relationships between Jake, this man, and his warriors. Her eyes focused on the humans behind him as they shifted positions. She then laid her eyes on the officer awaiting his response.
“I requested this mission right after I found out that you had taken over your brother's mission. It appears that things have been getting out of hand for some time.
“Quaritch was due to be sent back and they needed a leading officer, myself, to take over this position. I'll tell you, the money is great, but that's not the point.
“The point is, I wanted to make sure YOU were safe, son. You were probably the best Marine to work under me. The general smiled to himself. "I see you got your legs back.”
“Yeah. And I'll be frank, sir. I wouldn't have it any other way." His tone now more serious, Jake said, "There is a lot we need to talk about. But first let me introduce my mate, Neytiri. She was princess of the Omatikaya and my teacher before everything went to hell... she is the reason that I learned to love this place. To love her." His arm around her waist urged her slightly forward.
"If I hadn't come here when I did things would be a hell of a lot worse,” Jake said, hoping the general would understand that it would be a good idea to talk more and now.
Neytiri listened to their conversation. Her body tensed at the mention of Quaritch, her mind filled with the images of the war and the feeling of the arrows being released from her bow and thudding into his chest. She snapped back to attention at the moment Jake mentioned her, her face hot as he mentioned her lessons. She felt him pull her closer to him which caused a small smile to form upon her lips as she gazed at the officer.
Addressing the general, Jake said, “When will you have the intel that YOU need to understand what's been happening that led up to all this being so screwed up?”
“Soon. My guys are going over the vid logs and transmissions and are going to report this evening.” As he eyed Jake, he noted the deference given by the Na'vi to his former soldier, and realized that Jake was the only one of the group speaking with the human leader. He was also dressed in a style which indicated high status. “Are you the leader now?” the general asked. Things were starting to make sense even in this very brief meeting.
“Yeah, you can say that. I am olo'eyktan fpi Omatikayaru. I stepped up after my mate's father was killed in the attack on Hometree and after Tsu'tey went down in the War. All that should be in your reports.”
To avoid being heard by the entire group, Jake bent slightly and leaned toward the general. “I will return in two days at midday. And I will have terms for you with regards to the mines and the no fly zones.” He was frank with the general as he was aware from prior experience that was how the man worked. “See you again soon, Greg. Hayalovay - until later."
As she continued to listen to their conversation she grew confused. Video logs? Her ears twitched at the mention of her father, and her face fell recalling his last words. She clutched her mate's hand and held back the pain. As Jake ended the conversation, she grew relieved. Things were going well and looked like there wouldn't be another war. Not yet, anyway.
“And with that, sir. I take leave. We will return in two days to hash all this out.” Jake motioned toward Neytiri to start back to the others and then motioned for the other Omatikaya samsiyu to depart.
He turned back to the general. “I do not want war. But I will not let anything happen to my mate, or my People.” He hoped that was all the warning needed to get things moving in the right direction. With that, Jake turned and strode out the Gate behind Neytiri and the others. Back to the Lookout Tree.
“Make haste, my brothers and sisters. Return to the clan. Celebrate."
Once on their ayikran and airborne, Jake said, “I should like to spend this night with you, my mate, in our place.”
Neytiri gave him an appraising look, then a warm grin. She was relieved at the way things were turning out. She had nodded to the officer as they were leaving. At the news of the exchange, Peyral and the other hunters had cheered with excitement as Jake went back for a final word with the officer.
They remained quiet during the flight into the Flux. It took another hour's flight as the distance from the Gate to their retreat was about the same as the distance from the Gate to Hometree.
Jake landed Txur Tsyal near the waterfall where his and Neytiri's ikrans seem most comfortable. This area is behind the double pools and their waterfall.
Neytiri loved flying her ikran, the sensation of the bond, the atmosphere. She had wondered why Jake was so quiet throughout this flight; maybe he was thinking about what he should do next about the humans. Mirroring Jake's movement, she landed her ikran and hopped off, patting Nimue. She smiled as it shivered, reminding her of Seze. She turned to Jake, smiling, and grabbed his hand. "Why did you want to come here?" she asked curiously.
“I just wanted to be here with you. To discuss this whole thing.” Once in the cavern, Jake tossed some wood into the fire pit and brought the fire to life, putting some yerik onto the flat stone to cook.
As he crouched down near the fire, he said, “Like I said before and I imagined you gathered, I know Greg from years back. He is an honorable man, but he is working for the company now, which makes me wonder where he really stands.
“Now, in two days when we return there I am going to have a few terms that are 'take it or leave it'. Don't get upset here...” he said, realizing his words might do just that. “I am thinking of letting them reopen the existing mine. That will keep their interest and hopefully not lead to more 'misunderstandings' in the future."
Neytiri's sharp intake of breath made him hurry along.
“And depending on how things go, I am also thinking of letting them have the land that was burned out after Quaritch destroyed Kelutral.” He knew she would not be happy at this. An understatement. “The road is already there, the land is dead. Eywa has not even started healing that spot.
“When they are done with the mines they will be required to fill them back in. To make them as if the sawtute were never here.
“There will be only science flights into the jungle,” he said with a shrug. “That's nothing different. It's how I ended up with you that first night.
“I know that they have many aykunsìp built and more being worked on, but I did not think that they would have all this equipment so soon. I will highly encourage Greg that only three Samsons will remain for science missions. No Scorpions. And the Dragons will be taken out of commission. If they refuse these terms then I will hold them to the base alone. No mine, no science treks, no road.
“The Flux, where we live now is out of bounds: no aircraft will enter, ever. And only after we, the Omatikaya, decide whether an avatar may come into this place.
What do you think, ma muntxate?”
She hated the idea of the humans entering their land, she didn't trust them at all. Her jaw clenched and he could see the muscles flex as she tried to keep her lips clamped. The sawtute had desecrated their land and attempted to kill their Mother. She looked up at Jake, angry tears welling at the corners of her eyes. She trusted Jake, but couldn't shake the distrust of the sawtute. However, she knew he wouldn't allow them into their land if he didn't know in his heart that everything would be okay. Not after what he had done before. She turned away from him for a minute to compose herself before taking a deep breath and reaching for his hand. "I trust you, ma Jake. I know you wouldn't do anything to harm our people or any of the other clans."
“Yes. No. I will not let anything happen. This is my life now, the life I wish I had been born into in the first place.
“You are also my life now. I love you more than anything I have ever loved before. And our child.” He stood up and placed both hands on Neytiri's belly. “It is also the most important thing.” She drew him closer until their noses touched.
“As for the general,” he looked into her eyes, “Right now, I trust him. Like I said, we will see in a couple days. For now we will be together.
“There is always a 'just in case'. I guess that is why I brought you here rather than to Hometree. There is I imagine much celebration for the four-month anniversary of the War and our win...”
She was slightly confused, "Well then why not be celebrating amongst our people? You were the one who led us to victory. It is because of you we defeated them." She cocked her head and her left ear twitched. "Why be alone with me?" She smiled at him.
“Because you are my mate, and our people's tsahìk. And the mother of our child.” He smiled at her.
"You sure that's the only reason?" she teased, taking some of the cooked yerik meat. She took a bite as she handed Jake another piece.
Jake took the meat and said, “Yes. Because I want to be with you. I love you and you know that. Unless you would rather return to Hometree?”
She shook her head and smiled warmly, "I'm happy here with you." Her hand went to his face and she stroked it lightly, fingers lingering on his lips. Then she placed her hand over Jake's, squeezing it firmly.
“Then let us enjoy this meat, and the fire. And in the morning we will return to Hometree.”
She agreed happily and turned her attention to the meal. "Delicious as always. " She smiled at him and leaned back, yawning slightly. "Now what ma muntxatan?"
“Now we should rest. I am happy, as long as you are in my arms. And I am always happy when you eat. It is good for you and the baby.”
Jake put his arm around her waist, and leaned toward her for a kiss. They walked to the sleeping hammock and he allowed her to climb in first, then moved over and lay down with her, pulling her into his arms.
She lay her head on his chest and smiled happily. Kissing his shoulder she whispered softly, "Oel ngati kameie my Jake" and slowly drifted to sleep.
“Oel ngati kameie, ma oeyä muntxate, Neytiri.”
She woke with a start in the middle of the night, her breathing quick and and painful as sweat dripped from her face. Her ears pulled back as she buried her head in her hands. Every so often this would happen, the images of all her fallen people rushed into her head as tears welled in her eyes. She calmed her breathing and slowly walked out into the open, inhaling deeply the cold night air. She closed her eyes and stood there feeling the night wind against her, the spirits of their People swirling around her.
It didn't take long for Jake to notice her absence. He drifted up behind her and gently slid his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him, shivering.
"It's okay, Neytiri. You know by now we pretty much share dreams. I am very sad at the losses the Omatikaya have sustained. Your father, home. So many Omatikaya. It is terrible. We have talked about this. Please, come back in with me."
"My father died in my arms, my sister was killed before my eyes. I watched my home crash and burn killing many Omatikaya. I watched them get shot and brutally murdered." Her fists clenched. "I CAN'T TRUST THEM LIKE YOU CAN!!!!" She yelled, her voice echoed into the distance. Tears rolled down her face as she turned and clung to him. I don't want our People to go through that again. I don't want to see more of them die."
“And I will not let that happen again, " he said softly, his hand holding her head against his shoulder. “I know your loss, and I feel it every day when I wake up as leader of our People. It angers me that it happened.” Ten minutes later, Jake led her back to the cavern and they they found comfort in each other's arms.
Not far from new Hometree
He crested a rise in the trail and here there was bare ground. In this ground there were footprints. The same size as his and with four toes. Na'vi. The earth had dried and preserved them so they were distinguishable. They were also all going in the same direction, the same way he was going now. North.
Another hour passed and dusk was about to set in when his ears again caught the sound of running water. A river or large creek lay ahead and the trail was going straight towards it. As he closed in on the water and rounded a bend he stopped. He heard the sound of laughter. Young laughter. Joyous, childish, at play laughter.
Pulling down a large leaf he could see three children in the water, another hanging from a vine over the water. The three were jumping at the hanging child as if trying to hit a pinata without a bat. Laughter overcame the child on the vine and he fell into the water with a large splash and more laughing erupted. Parents cleaning fruits and vegetables in the water downstream kept an eye on the children, if nothing more than to prevent being splashed by a wayward running kid.
George crouched onto his toes and sat on his heals and watched until the parents called to the younglings who diligently ran to the callers and the pack went up the trail on the far side of the river. A very distinguished trail at that.
Once the Na'vi were out of sight George stepped out and went to the bank of the river and took stock of his surroundings. The trees here were all extremely tall, but not as thick as other parts of the jungle. The river was wide and swift. On the distant horizon he could make out mountain tops against the dark blue sky.
He also noted the difference in the trails. The one he stood on now was all but abandoned and not used. The one on the far side of the river was every day used. This river was a boundary. He needed to cross.
He remained at the riverbank for about another five minutes keeping his keen ears tuned into the noises on the far side of the river and when he finally felt he was alone, he waded into the water. Rifle held high over his head in order to keep it from getting wet.
The current was swift but his avatar strength helped him keep his feet pressed to the river bottom as he crossed. After several exhausting minutes he finally eased into shallower water and then out of the water altogether. He thought to himself 'how could those Na'vi let their children play in this water?' but where the kids had been playing the river had eddied into a still pool around the bank so they were safe.
He wrung out his khaki shirt and made sure his pack was dry inside then started up the trail the Na'vi family had taken moments before. It was muddy from the tramping of water jugs and wet washed clothing and other items throughout the day and his feet slogged and slipped with nearly each step for quite some time before he found high and dry ground several hundred meters from the riverbank.
It was almost completely dark now and the forest was once more ablaze with bioluminescence and the night animals noise rang out.
He entered a small clearing that the trail passed through and was able to look clear through to the sky. But where stars should have been instead he was looking at the crown of an immense tree possibly thousands of feet tall. There were winged animals flying circles around its leafy top. Shrieks pierced the night sky as mountain banshee squawked to mountain banshee.
George had clearly found a Na'vi clan. With the tree proper still possibly a couple kilometers away George chose to abandon the trail for the foliage of the forest, for cover. He paralleled the trail as best he could but missed the bend it took away from him and he was lost in seconds.
With a single distant snap of a branch some distance away all the noise in the forest ceased. It was absolutely quiet. The most quiet he had heard all day. Even the burned out area had noises. Here there was suddenly nothing. It was as if he had gone completely deaf.
He stopped in his tracks and his ears shifted for any noise at all. A far away rustle and his ears snapped to that location. His avatar eyes, attuned to the darkening jungle as the plants bioluminescence dimmed in the aire of danger.
He knew what the lack of natural light from the fauna surrounding him that there was indeed danger nearby.
George sidestepped between two vast roots to put something between him and the predator he knew was now stalking him. From here he listened to make sure he knew just what it was, having spent months being stalked in that outpost Pod so far away now, he had an idea.
Thanator. Another crack of a larger branch or perhaps even a moderate tree confirmed his fear. Back at the outpost he knew where the safe places were. Usually in a Pod, but others as well. Out here though he had no idea aside from the roots he was huddled into right now. They would not provide any protection should the thanator straddle them.
He slid out from between them and staying low to the ground, as swiftly and quietly he tried to place some distance between him and the thanator. The animal knew he was there, it could smell him. But it had not yet placed ear or eye to him so he had a chance.
Towards the massive tree he had seen as the night light was setting in. Not the way he wanted to make contact with the local Na'vi, but certainly better than staying out here and becoming the black palulukan's dinner.
His plan to get to the Na'vi and their home came to a halt when he ran straight up on a wall of rock. A wayward floating mountain had lost it's grip on the flux and had come crashing down centuries ago and created a solid wall over a hundred feet in height and extended into the forest to his right and left as far as his eyes could penetrate the darkness. Left or right. He chose left.
The further he went along the pile of rocks the shorter the wall became and finally at it's end, a tear in the world. A ravine that was too wide to jump and too deep to see the bottom, though he could hear rushing water. He was cornered.
In the brief instant he was stopped here he could hear the animal behind him closing some distance. It had not yet taken to a faster speed than a walk yet, but if it chose to now he was done. Fang and teeth, or cold water and jagged rocks would be his fate. So left again along the top of the chasm and away from the rock wall. He was nearly running now and aware that his safe objective was now getting further and further behind him.
Three solid cracks behind him and he knew, the thanator had taken chase. He was forced into an instant all out sprint to keep as much ground as he could between him and the animal. It was gaining with each stride.
Now, the only way to survive was to keep as many objects between him and the big cat as possible. Trees, roots, rocks and trenches. It was the only way to slow the animal down while keeping speed and distance to separate him from death.
In this area the jungle became more dense, trees grew closer together, roots grew higher off the ground and in places vined their way around neighboring trees. Undergrowth was thick here as well, in places it was like a mangrove forest with roots and branches so thick he could barely get through.
The thanator was stopped, but this being part of it's hunting ground, the animal knew ways around these natural blockades and it started to skirt the exterior coming around where George was exiting the growth.
As George exited the thick grove he was aware that the palulukan had not given up and decided that going to the air might be helpful. He ran up a root jetting from the ground at a steep angle high into the air and conjoining it's tree several hundred feet away. There was a vast array of intersecting roots this high up and George made little effort in traversing them.
The thanator on the other hand remained on the ground and simply followed below George, occasionally pacing out to keep an eye on it's prey.
Feeling a bit more safe up here now that the thanator remain on the ground, George slowed up a bit to both catch his breath and weigh his options. He knew there was no way he could stay up here indefinitely and that the thanator, if it wanted, could simply remain below for over a day. He stopped now, nearly a hundred feet above the massive black cat and sat resting his feet. Here he was now able to get a general layout of the root system up here and noted that it was extensive. Where he came up was one of the only areas that seemed to actually drop to the ground. Ahead, he knew he would eventually run out of roots as the trees would give way to the river he had crossed less than an hour prior. To his right he wondered if the roots maybe crossed the ravine that had blocked his escape earlier, giving him a way out of here and an alternate path back towards the Na'vi home and safety.
First he tried to the right or towards the tear in the earth that had blocked his escape earlier. The roots stopped as the gash had turned into a wide canyon nearly a quarter mile across and the water flowing through it that he had heard back at the rock wall was cascading over a rapids created by piles and rifts of shattered and rough rocks. There was no escape over the ravine.
So towards the river and into the thicker jungle he went. Even this high off the ground the trees were close. Almost close enough in places to slow his advance to a crawl as he edged around trunks and branches. It was also extremely dark here. Polyphemus did not penetrate the forest canopy. It reminded him of the thicket he had lived in for nearly a year. Perpetual darkness. He had grown to love his sun lamps in that old Pod.
Below, the thanator was getting restless that it's prey would not come down out of the trees and had started lunging at the base of trees intersecting with the roots George was traversing. George knew that soon, the animal would be climbing one of those trees and up here with him in minutes if not seconds. And it was already too crowded with only George up there.
Thankfully the thanator did not know tactics as well as George or any other Na'vi for that matter. It had finally chosen to join George in the high branches and roots of the forest ceiling, but George had just gone through an area of trees that the beast could never get through. It was a while before George realized this and finally when the palulukan let out an irritated screech of a roar did George know it was some distance behind him.
Without much thought George was already descending towards the river. He was about half way down when he heard a massive crack of a tree breaking and then several long seconds later the tell tail thud of four heavy feet finding the ground. Another angry roar and the animal was at full speed closing the distance to George fast.
Even though George was still quite a bit off the ground he knew the animal could easily jump that height and be in the roots with him once again so George jumped to a weak enough tree that it's trunk would bend and lower him not to fast to the ground and he was in a sprint as soon as he let go of the tree. The animal was full bore on his heals and as it took a swipe at him with it's forelimb George jumped hard into the air. Only air.
It was a long ways down before he hit a branch and then the water. It was deep here and the water was roiling in a torrent as several streams converged on the river here.
The thanator was high on the ledge roaring after it's lost dinner. Angry, it turned away and was out of sight.