Chapter Two: Unexpected Guests

Jake Sully opened his eyes as the early morning sun rose over the peaks of the Hallelujah Mountains. As much as he wanted to stay asleep for just a little while longer, he knew that he must rise for the day. He was about to get up, when the warm body of his mate shifted against him.

Responding to her movements, he gently leaned down and kissed her on her neck. Her eyes fluttered open and gazed longingly into his. "I see you my Jhake," she said kindly to him, saying his name with her highly accented English.

He leaned down and kissed her gently before taking his right hand to gently caressing the left side of her face. "I see you my Neytiri."

Neytiri took her left hand and caressed the right side of Jake's face in response, gentle smile gracing her lips. The two stared at each other for a moment longer before sitting up, both naked from the evening before. "My Jhake," she said again, this time with more desire.

As much as Jake knew he had responsibilities to his people, he knew that they would wait for a little while longer.

"Morning Norm," Max Patel said walking into the now mostly vacant operations room in the Hell's Gate complex. Norm looked up at him but didn't say anything. The scientist and ava tar driver had not been saying much since the battle at the Tree of Souls three days ago. Max knew why too. It wasn't the injuries his avatar had suffered during the battle, they would heal soon enough, and he could resume using it. He was depressed because of the death of Trudy Chacon, who had been killed when Quaritch shot her down during the battle.

Max knew also not to broach the subject with Norm. The two had just professed their love for each other before the battle, and Norm was barely functional as it was without having to be reminded of his now lost Trudy.

Max walked over to one of the many empty terminals near the windows. He looked down to the concrete surface below, which had once been bustling with RDA miners, mechanics, and military personnel, but now bustled with a new energy. Instead, the concrete below bustled with a mixture of the remaining humans and many of the Omaticaya tribe of the Na'vi. Many of the Omaticaya were now calling Hell's Gate home now since the destruction of their hometree and the subsequent takeover of all RDA assets.

He and the other humans who were allowed to remain behind on Pandora now coexisted alongside the Na'vi, and hopefully would continue to do so.

"Oh shit!"

Max was startled from his thoughts at Norm's surprised outburst. "What is it, Norm?"

"The orbital satellites are picking up a signal from a ship outside this star system. It's broadcasting its identification as the ISV Dark Star and their current course. The message says that they have begun braking maneuvers and estimate their arrival in approximately seven days," Norm said reading from the screen panic etching his face.

Max shook his head, "That can't be right. The nearest ship en route should be at least two years out."

"Well it's not the Venture Star, satellite's still showing them en route to Earth and the security firewalls aren't showing any breaches," Norm replied as he brought up the security status of their computer networks. "Yeah it's definitely another RDA ship, the registry checks out with the current roster of the Capital Star class."

Max continued to shake his head, "But why would she be out here this early?"

"I don't know. Maybe they were ordered to leave earlier than scheduled for some reason, but they'd have had to leave Earth only mere months after the Venture Star did, which was nearly six-and-a-half years ago," Norm shrugged as he guessed at the mysterious nature of the Dark Star's imminent arrival.

Max came over to huddle over the terminal next to Norm, "That's odd. I've been here for nearly eight years, and I've never heard mention of this ship before. Normally, the incoming ships are known publically since we keep track of what personnel and materials we've requisitioned."

"Well whatever the reason, I don't think they're here to just drop by and see the sights." Norm copied the telemetry data onto a tablet and stood up from the terminal. "I need to see Jake about this," Norm said looking at Max. "Max would you access the restricted files in the main frame see if there's anything about this ship, or to why she's here nearly two years ahead of schedule."

Max nodded as her turned toward Parker Selfridge's former office, "I'll get right on it Norm."

Jake finished drying himself off after bathing in the nearby river and slipped his loincloth on. A few meters away, Neytiri was doing the same and heading to where she left her bow and arrows. He joined her and wrapped his arms around her waist. The two had been taking a couple of days to become reacquainted with each other since he had passed through the Eye of Eywa, transferring his consciousness completely into his Na'vi/human avatar.

They were planning on taking a couple of direhorses and going on a hunt today. "Penny for your thoughts my Neytiri," he said kissing her neck.

"What is this Pinnie, my Jhake," she said leaning into him.

His right hand stroked her side making her gasp in pleasure. "It's just a tawtute expression that means 'what are you thinking?'"

She noticed him using the Na'vi word often used to refer to the 'sky people,' but decided not to touch on it. He was becoming more and more a member of 'The People.' She replied in fluid Na'vi to her mate. "I am thinking of how fortunate I am to have a mate like you, but that we mustn't spend all day lying around 'seeing each other' when we must hunt."

Jake only laughed at her frankness. "Yes, you're right. I think we should hunt and then 'see each other' tonight," he said in less fluid Na'vi, but making his mate blush nonetheless.

"Will you never be satisfied?"

"Last time I checked my Neytiri, you were the insatiable one," Jake said answering her question and kissing her again. A moment later the kiss deepened, and it seemed that their hunting trip would have to wait a little while longer. However, their love was interrupted by the sound of a Samson coming in fast on their location.

Neytiri hissed in annoyance, "Why do tawtute always have to ruin everything?"

Jake looked up to see the Samson come into view as it whipped around the nearest bend in the river, its rotors disturbing the otherwise calm surface of the water. He noticed that she ship was coming in very fast and low. Shit, something's wrong, he thought to himself as the Samson sat down and disengaged its engines a dozen or so meters from them.

He saw his friend Norm Spellman climb out of the passenger compartment with his exo pack firmly in place and running toward the couple. Norm's avatar was still healing from its wounds it had sustained from Quaritch's attempt to destroy the Tree of Souls. He noticed that the pilot had elected to re main in the cockpit, and seemed to be occupied with the bird's radio.

"NormSpellman, it is good to see you," Neytiri greeted him in the characteristic Na'vi way of saying both the first and last names as one.

Norm stopped a meter or so in front of them, "Neytiri, Jake, I'm sorry for disturbing you like this," Norm said in between heavy breaths. He was bent over touching his knees as he caught his breath.

Jake kneeled in front of his friend so they would be closer to eye level, Neytiri copying his movements. "Norm, it's okay. What's up?"

"Jake, I've got some bad news. This morning, the RDA satellites picked up a ship on an approach vector to Pandora." Norm watched Jake's eyes widen.

"Shit, is the Venture Star back?"

"No, it's another RDA ship, the ISV Dark Star. Max and I looked over the scheduled arrivals to Pandora, and this ship is nearly two years ahead of schedule."

Jake nodded his head; absorbing the information Norm had given him. "How far out is the Dark Star?"

"Our monitors place it arriving within seven standard days. They sent the standard arrival message and identification codes, but since they have been silent," Norm said pulling out his tablet and showing Jake the telemetry he copied off of the terminals at Hell's Gate.

Jake took the tablet from Norm, noticing how small it was in his larger Na'vi hands. "What actions have you taken?"

"I had Max send them the same message we've sent all other RDA ships that 'Pandora is sovereign territory, and any unauthorized landings will be considered an act of war.' I've also got Max pouring through Selfridge's restricted files on the mainframe for any information regarding the Dark Star and why she's so early," Norm replied frowning in concern regarding the situation. "I came here as soon as we found out."

Jake handed the tablet back to Norm and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you did good my friend," he said giving Norm a comforting smile. "I'd have done the same thing." He looked over at Neytiri and shook his head, "Well it looks like the hunt's off."

"You must go and help your friend. I'll gather the clan elders at the tawtute home so we may ready ourselves for these new tawtute." Neytiri's face grave as she said the words.

"May you be hasty in your return," Jake said in Na'vi to her as she turned and called her direhorse, climbed it, and rode off toward the Tree of Souls. "Norm get the chopper fired up, we've got work to do."

Alejandra listened again to the reply they had gotten from Hell's Gate. "This is Dr. Maximilian Patel of the Na'vi liberated world of Pandora to ISV Dark Star. This world is sovereign territory of the Na'vi, any unauthorized landings on Pandora will be treated as an act of war."

"I don't think we're going to meet with a welcome reception."

She looked up to face her XO, "I think that would be the understatement of the century."

"Captain, I'm going to say it one more time. I think that you are out of your mind if you think this plan of yours will work," Darren Fisher sighed as he pinched his nose again. "You know for a smart woman, you can be incredibly dumb."

Alejandra couldn't help but smile at his remark. "True, but they won't let us land a garrison of troops, and Hell's Gate, the main mine, and Swotulu are under their control, which leaves us with no other viable landing sites for our Valkyrie shuttles. And I'm not about to nuke them into submission." She found herself frowning again. "I don't like it either…but it's the only way. We have a complement of Samsons, Scorpions, and two Dragons plus one of the new Super Dragons, but we'd have to ship them down to the planet and then assemble them before we could use them. By then the Na'vi would be all over us."

"Can't we assemble the ships here and then ship them down in the Valkyries," asked Fisher as he paced around Alejandra's cabin.

She nodded, "Yes we could, with the Samsons and Scorpions at least, but we'd have to make so many trips since they take up so much more room assembled. The Na'vi and the humans at Hell's Gate would still pick us up on their radar and bring the hammer down."

"Alright, but I still think you're nuts Captain."

Alejandra was about reply when her terminal beeped. She spun around in her chair and tapped the incoming COMM message. "Chacon here," she said again for the second time that night.

"Captain, we're receiving another message from Hell's Gate," said the on duty communications officer, "it's a live feed this time."

She looked over to Darren before returning her gaze to the COMM officer on the screen. "Is it Dr. Patel from before," she asked. A part of her wished that it would be her sister Trudy, even if it technically made her a traitor.

The COMM officer shook her head. "Negative Captain, the…it's Jake Sully."

Her blood drained from her face. She had hoped to have a little longer to plan before speaking with him, but at least it confirmed her assumptions that he was still in charge. "Lieutenant, patch him through."