Chapter 2

Understanding

The entire staff within the operations center of Vatican's Royale was paying close attention to the monitor on the wall. Philip was feeling especially anxious as he watched the miners within the mine not too far from the base. "What have you got for me, Weaselly?" he said through the radio.

"Nothing, Captain," Weaselly, one of the supervisors, replied. He was standing in the control room of the HEM-OA Bucket Wheel Excavator. "Captain, we've been digging all week now and still no luck. I suggest that we shut down."

"There's got to be something still left," Philip insisted.

"Captain, please," said Weaselly. "We're only wasting fuel here. I'm telling you, there is nothing left!"

Philip gave a long, frustrated sigh. "All right then. I'm declaring the mine virtually exhausted. Shut down the Excavator and bring everyone home. That'll be all for today."

"Roger that, Captain," said Weaselly. The transmission terminated.

Philip turned his attention to his staff. "Alright, people. You've heard the news. I want all personnel and vehicles to report back to base immediately. All those not associated with security or guard duty are dismissed until further notice." With that said, he retreated to his office.

It had been two days since the new arrivals had come. And it had been three months since they brought back a substantial load of unobtamium from the mine. The miners had been digging and scratching every inch for any small deposits they might have missed. Now the mine was completely depleted and the load they had was not sufficient enough to fill even half the cargo capacity of the ISV. This was bad news for Philip and the base. His superiors back on Earth would give him hell once they found out. Not that that bothered him much. What bothered him was the legal action they would take. Although the government had taken a more involved role within the RDA's activities for the past seven years, the RDA still held a considerable amount of power in its own right.

Philip sighed with frustration. He often wondered why he still even worked for them. But then again, it was not the company that had brought him to Pandora, but his former friend, Miles Quatrich. He still thought him from time to time, but Philip had put that matter to rest long ago with the help of Jake Sully.

Speaking of which, Philip knew that he would have to relay the news to Jake and try to find a solution.

Lieutenant Beverly Hopkins entered the office. "Captain," she addressed her superior with a salute. Philip returned it.

"I don't remember calling for you, Lieutenant," said Philip.

"Sorry, sir. I heard the news and I thought maybe you'd need me."

"Bev, I appreciate your concern, but you don't have to keep running to my aid for every little thing that happens."

"Yes, sir," she said. "I'll just return to my duty." She turned around and stepped out of the office.

"Well, I do need you now, actually."

Beverly stopped mid-stride and came back. "What's up then?"

"Crisis! That's what's up. The mine has been completely depleted of unobtamium. We've been scratching the dirt for every little spec we could find. God knows how we're going to make ends meet. I have to go to Hell's Gate and discuss this with Jake in person."

"I hear ya', Captain," Beverly replied. "So when do we leave?"

"I will be leaving as soon as possible. Guess where I need you."

Beverly inwardly groaned. "Captain, how many times do I have to play babysitter?"

"You never seem to mind it when you're with the kids," Philip said with a smirk.

"That's when they were small. They're old enough now to be a little self-efficient."

"Even self-efficient people need coordinating, Bev. Besides, look on the bright side. While we take a break from mining, things are going to be a little quiet for now. Which means you have less to worry about."

"Can't say the same for you."

Philip sighed. "Tell me about it. Just make sure no one blows the base up. I should be back in a few days. Oh, and be sure to keep in touch with Marcus and the Avatars." Philip had recently sent several of the Avatars, including Marcus', on an expedition far out in the western lands for any potential unobtamium leads. So far they had not come up with any fruitful results. While unobtamium was not entirely a rare mineral, it was hard to find it if it wasn't in large clusters. Humans relied on orbital scanning usually to find powerful electromagnetic fields released by extremely large quantities of unobtamium. However, unobtamium could not release a significant EM field if there was too little of it in one particular place. The Avatars were currently searching the western lands, which were not as populated by Na'vi as the eastern lands, for any potential leads.

"Got it, Captain," said Beverly. "Say 'hi' to the kids for me!" With that, Philip left his office to arrange for a flight out to Hell's Gate. Beverly gently kicked Philip's desk with frustration. "God, I hate this office."

Mo'at had never imagined that she would be able to fully trust living among the Sky People after all her people had endured from them. A certain encounter from seven years ago, however, changed all that. She still remembered it vividly. She remembered that Jake, whom she considered a son due to his betrothal to her only daughter, had learned that more Sky People were still living on their world. After many days of anxious waiting, their Olo'eyktan had returned bearing surprising news. The Sky People they had met had become their new allies. When the Na'vi had learned that these Sky People would be helping and interacting them, they were very reluctant to cooperate with this. Jake expected this sort of response, but through a slow and careful process, he and Philip had managed to ease some of the tension.

There was still friction between the humans and the Na'vi. So to ease this friction, it was decided that they should make an exchange program to bring the humans, mainly the children, to Hell's Gate and introduce them to the Na'vi. Mo'at had volunteered to be among those who interacted with the aliens, especially since it was her duty as Tsahik to know who their people were dealing with. Her first meeting with Philip McCoy had been, surprisingly, pleasant. He was not like the Sky People she was accustomed to. He was polite, bold, and lived by a code of honor. Something that the Na'vi held in high esteem. But what truly touched Mo'at was her first meeting with the human children. They were like any Na'vi child she had known. They were happy, carefree, and eager to explore. She had grown quite fond of them.

That was particularly clear to the elderly sage at the moment, for she was standing with Jake, Neytiri, and Norm in the Avatar compound. They were teaching the sky children about Eywa and the ways of the People. A few hunters from Hometree were also with them, along with some of the Omaticaya's children who were old enough to leave the safety of the village.

A circle of thirty human children sat around Mo'at. A few adults from Vatican's Royale were also among them, acting as supervisors. Norm acted as her translator in case there was something she did not understand. "All life is a gift from Eywa," said Mo'at. "It is an energy that flows through all creatures, even you," she pointed to the children. "Eywa has taught us that all things live in balance. If we take too much from the land, we hurt that balance. That is why we must respect all the animals and plants and take only what we need." A little girl, around six, raised her hand. Mo'at had learned that this was a polite gesture humans made when they had a question. "Yes, child."

"If Eywa loves all animals and plants, and if Na'vi love them too, then why do you hunt them?" asked the little girl. "Wouldn't killing that animal be bad?"

"Only if you kill other than to eat," said Mo'at. "To kill another creature is only right when you hunt it for food or to protect loved ones. To kill for any other reason is wrong. We eat animals only because we need food. But we still honor every animal we hunt. We thank it and Eywa for giving its life for us. That way it does not go to waste. The body dies, but the spirit lives and returns to Eywa."

The children nodded their heads in understanding.

"So, when are you gonna' teach us hunting?" an eager boy asked.

Mo'at could only smile at their eagerness and motioned for Jake to come forward. "Okay, guys! Settle down," Jake said, holding up his arms. "You'll get to see everything." He turned his attention to his clan members. "It's time!"

The hunters hollered with hoots and yelps. The children, and their guardians, rose anxiously to their feet as Jake led them to another section of the park where targets had been set up.

Jake showed them his bow that he carved from the wood of the Omaticaya's Hometree. He showed them how one properly held it and loosed an arrow. The children were given smaller bows with harmless arrows to practice while the Na'vi children helped them along. Some of the human children yelped in surprise when the strings of the bows hurt their wrists. The adults laughed joyously as they watched the two different children commingling. Jake knew this was a good way for them to interact.

One of the human adults walked up to Jake and asked, "Hey, uh, can a human use a bow like that?"

Jake looked down at him and shrugged. "I guess you could, but it's not easy," he said. "Na'vi are naturally stronger, so it's harder for a human to pull on the string."

"Uh, would you mind if I try?"

Jake was a little hesitant to entrust his bow to someone who probably knew very little about archery, but he figured there was no harm in it. Jake handed his bow along with an arrow with a soft tip. Jake had brought some real arrows for show, but he wouldn't dare use them around the kids in practice. The human walked up to the line where the children shot their fake arrows into the targets beyond. Very clumsily, the man held the bow that was as tall as he was. He tried positioning the quiver behind the string, though it slipped out of his fingers a few times. His arms wobbled as he took aim. The Na'vi watched in mild amusement at the clumsy display. Neytiri could only shake her head hopelessly, a human gesture she had learned from Jake. The arrow released and fell fifteen feet in front of the man. The Na'vi erupted into laughter, much to the smaller man's displeasure.

"Don't listen to them, Bill," one of his friends yelled over to him. "It was a good try."

A young teenager took aim at his target. He released the arrow and it lodged itself just a few inches from the center of the target.

"Nice shot, Robbie," one of the kids called out.

Robert McCoy smiled boastfully at his marksmanship. He had grown considerably over the years and was just a head shorter than his father. That, however, had not erased his mischievous nature that he and his eagerness for adventure. He remembered those seven years ago when he returned from his journey into the jungle, he had become something of an icon for the children. Being the oldest and tallest among the kids also gave merit to his status. Though that didn't mean his position went unchallenged.

A Na'vi boy who towered over Robbie by a foot, stepped up to the shooting line with his bow. He took aim for the target and released his arrow. The arrow lodged itself closer to the center than Robbie's. The Na'vi children cheered for their champion. The Na'vi smiled at Robbie, who could only smile back.

"Nice shot, Tootee," said Robbie.

"I tell you many time... I Taw'tey," he said a little aggravated.

"You did a nice shot, Taw'tey," Jake called from behind. Taw'tey smiled happily at his father's compliment.

Taw'tey was Jake's and Neytiri's firstborn son. He was now over six years old and measured up to even Robbie. Although technically half of Robbie's age, Taw'tey was a very bright kid, and knew much about both the Na'vi and the humans, being technically part human himself. Just as his father and Robbie's father were close friends, so too were they. Though they spent a lot of time bickering whose father was the best.

After archery practice was over, the Na'vi brought over their direhorses for the children to see. The adults were extremely careful that the children were not too close to the elephant-sized beasts. The children were given turns to ride on the horses with one Na'vi on board.

Mo'at touched her son's shoulder. "I am so proud of what you and Filip Meecoy have done here, Jake" she said. She still had difficulty pronouncing certain names and expressions, being less exposed to humans than her daughter. "I did not think that our clan and the Sky People would ever be able to do this after all that we had endured. You still amaze me, my son." Jake took Mo'at's hand from his shoulder and kissed it. Over the years, she had become like a second mother to him, to which he was very grateful to have.

A young girl ran excitedly up to them. Neytiri looked down at this particular child happily. "Hey, Harmony," she said.

"Hey, Neytiri," Harmony responded excitedly. "I love the horses you guys brought. They're really cool."

"I'm glad you like them," Neytiri said with a broad smile.

"When I'm old enough, I want to learn to ride one."

Neytiri chuckled. "I think our pa'li may be too big for you. But the clans of the open plains are said to have smaller pa'li. When you are old enough, we will find you one."

"You're the best, Neytiri," Harmony squealed as she threw her arms around Neytiri's legs. Neytiri returned the affection. Over the years, Harmony and Neytiri had grown very close. In a way Neytiri felt like she had a sister again, always looking out for Harmony, ready to do anything for her. Harmony had, of course, grown considerably. Her blond hair had also taken a slightly darker hue. "So, Neytiri, when can we come visit your village?"

Neytiri was silent for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure," she said. "We first have to talk about it with our people."

"Well, make it quick! I want to see it."

"I will try."

"Harmony, come back," a small Na'vi girl said, walking over to them. It was Grace, Jake's and Neytiri's daughter. Grace, being named in loving memory of the scientist who had touched the Omaticaya, was Taw'tey's twin sister. She was much like her brother in many ways, but in a more feminine light. Having grown up and seen both Kelutral and Hell's Gate like her brother, Grace was well acquainted with Harmony since their first meeting and were the best of friends.

"Okay," said Harmony, beckoning Neytiri down for a kiss, which had become customary among them now. She ran with Grace to rejoin their friends by the direhorses.

Norm heard a beep on his throat mic and tapped it. "This is Norm," he said. He nodded his head as the message came through. "They what?" Jake and Neytiri looked questioningly at Norm. "Okay, I'll let them know." Norm turned his attention to Jake and Neytiri. "We just got a call from Vatican's. Their mine ran out of unobtamium."

"Say what?" said Jake.

"McCoy just called. He said he's on his way here. He's got to talk to us about what we're going to do."

Jake stared down at the earth. He had a pretty good could idea of what this meant for them. "When will he be here?" Jake asked.

"In about three hours."

"Alright. I want to keep this as private a meeting as possible."

"Let us not be worried about that now," said Neytiri. "Let us enjoy the time we have here with them," she pointed toward the children and the hunters. Jake and Norm nodded in agreement. They didn't want to ruin the moment.

The shuttle landed within the airfield of Hell's Gate. The force of the Valkyrie's powerful engines blew clouds of dust up across the wide expanse of pavement. The rear ramp opened and Philip stepped out, followed by a flank of soldiers, though they carried only sidearms. Ever since Philip had made peace with the Na'vi, it was not as necessary to walk around in full armament and looked less imposing. Jake approached along with Neytiri. Philip raised his left hand and slapped it into Jake's. The two applied pressure to the other, seeing who would let up first.

"Still got the fine touch, I see," Jake said with a smirk, applying a little more pressure.

Philip snorted. "Yeah, I'll give you a fine touch," he said. The two loosened their grips. "How are the kids?"

"They're great," said Jake. "We just got done for the day. They're inside the base. I've set up the commissary for a private meeting."

Philip nodded his thanks and they proceeded toward the building.

Within the commissary, Philip sat with Jake, Neytiri, and Norm (in his human form). Philip's wife, Yumi, was also present. Ever since the new alliance between the Na'vi and the humans had begun seven years ago, Philip had agreed to allow his wife to attend these meetings. Although Philip mostly managed Vatican Royale's affairs, Yumi still liked to be present to some of the meetings so there were no secrets between them. Marcus Steinbeck had also joined the meeting after disconnecting from his Avatar.

Philip had just explained the recent events at Vatican's Royale.

"And you're sure there's nothing left?" Jake asked Philip.

"We've scratched and pecked every square inch of the mine and there's not a kilo left," Philip answered.

Jake had known, thanks to Philip, that the mine at Vatican's Royale had been running short the last couple of weeks, but he didn't think it was that serious.

"As you know, Marcus and the Avatars from our base and yours have been searching the lands west of Vatican's," said Philip.

"Unfortunately," said Marcus, "we haven't found anything sufficient. We've found small deposits here and there, but that's not enough to fill a whole transport."

"So how do we solve this?" Norm asked. Although Jake managed the affairs of the Omaticaya, Norm had taken it upon himself to be the manager of Hell's Gate, though it wasn't as taxing.

"Well, that's the problem," Philip said, folding his hands as he rested them on the table. "Mining at our original outposts is out of the question, since we made a deal of peace with the local clans. And if we can't find a new source to mine without disturbing some local tribe, that leaves only one option." Everyone leaned in with anticipation. "I know how this will sound, but we may have to reopen the mine here at Hell's Gate."

All at once, Jake, Neytiri, and Norm shot up from their seats and yelled in unison, "Absolutely not!"

Philip, seemingly unaffected by the outburst, sighed with frustration. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

"When the Sky People 'mined' here, it only caused pain and destruction for our people," Neytiri said angrily. "Now you say that you must begin that again?"

"You've got it all wrong, Neytiri," Yumi stood up as she confronted them. "You know that that's the last thing we want. You know after all the time we've worked together that we're nothing like Selfridge and Quatrich."

"Yumi, surely you don't agree with this," Norm said. The scientists from both bases had become well acquainted over the years. Yumi in particular had become a good friend to the Avatar program and was working at Hell's Gate occasionally to aid the scientists in their research along with Marcus.

"Will everyone just cool it?" Philip said in a raised voice. "My wife is right. I'm only saying that, if faced with no other choice, we may have to consider it. Hell's Gate is the only other place that wouldn't 'directly' affect a local tribe."

"I can tell you right now, it's not gonna' happen," Jake said firmly. "I'm not going to let the RDA come back here."

"Jake, the RDA is not in control here," said Philip. "We are in command. You, me, the Na'vi, and the humans."

"But you still work for RDA," Jake said. "If we allowed you to restart mining here, we'd only be giving them a foothold back in this place again."

Philip now stood and pressed his hands firmly on the table. "Jake, how many times do I have to say it? I still mine for the RDA so that they leave us in peace. If we have no unobtamium to ship back, the RDA is going to start taking legal action to get some results. Now you know that I won't let that happen. But there's only so much I can do to prevent them from stripping me of my authority here. It's only thanks to some friends we have in the government that Pandora is still safe. What more do you want from me?"

"How about stop being their puppet!" Jake yelled. "Did you think of that?"

That had done it.

Philip was speechless, his eyes glaring back at Jake. He took his hands from the table, tightening them into fists, and left the table. The others just stood idly by as they watched him storm out of the commissary.

Jake's own anger had subsided. He did not regret ridiculing Philip, but he didn't mean to do it in such an accusing manner.

Yumi glared daggers at him. "Puppet?" she said, also deeply offended by such an insult.

"Yumi... you know I didn't mean that," Jake said apologetically.

"Of course you did!" With that, Yumi also left. Marcus followed.

Jake should have felt relieved that moment, but he didn't. No one did. Jake could only feel ashamed that he allowed his temper to get the best of him. Little did they realize that their problems were only beginning.

Miranda strolled through the courtyard of Vatican's Royale. Like everyone else, she had been informed that mining operations had ceased for the moment. She was currently outside the compound with her exo-pack on. Dusk was approaching. The base was unusually quiet. Not much traffic either. She had to be quick. She found a small alley between two buildings and walked in. Looking out that no one was nearby, she set down the bag she was carrying and drew out some communications equipment she had taken from the Armor Bay. She knew that taking down her own radio and other equipment from the transport would have looked slightly suspicious. They had explained this in her debriefing.

She placed a laser link on top of a mechanized tripod and connected it to her datapad. She adjusted its aim and began tracking the ship. Free space optics (also known as laser communication) was one of the oldest and most efficient ways of transmitting discreet messages. Unlike radio, which relied on waves that could be easily intercepted, lasers used direct communication that could not be picked up by outside forces with little interference. The only drawback was that lasers could only communicate in a straight line when there were no obstructions and one had to know where the other receiving end was. Luckily, Miranda knew that the ship in orbit had a beacon for the laser to lock on and there were no clouds in the sky.

A message came up on her screen. 'Link established. Identify.'

Miranda typed back a response. 'Agent M reporting. Have successfully infiltrated Vatican's Royale.'

A reply came back. 'Infiltration confirmed. Status of Targets?'

'Philip McCoy, Jake Sully, and family associates are at Hell's Gate.'

'Status of Vatican's Royale?"

'Mining operations terminated due to unobtamium depletion. Philip McCoy currently searching for new unobtamium source.'

'We will process info. Gather more information. Clearance to proceed with Phase 2 of infiltration?'

'We have clearance.'

'Clearance confirmed. Begin Phase 2. Do you remember what to do?'

'Yes.'

'Have you any questions?'

'No.'

'Confirmed. Proceed with Phase 2 tomorrow at 10.00 hours. Error is not an option. End transmission.'

The transmission terminated. Miranda quickly gathered her equipment and began walking back into the facility. Their plan would soon begin.