Jake was mentally kicking himself before he'd gotten the crowd to disperse. When the area was cleared he went to the healers' area to check on the status of Pa'kan's victim.

"No physical damage, just understandable shock," was Alai's favorable assessment. "Her parents are caring for her; the Tsa'hik went along to help get her settled."

"Janni is with her as well," Neytiri informed them as she entered the infirmary and went directly to her mate. "Jake, are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

The marine clasped his mate's hands. "I'm fine, he never touched me." Though her relief was obvious, Jake's face was quickly becoming a study in misery and self-recrimination. "I'm so stupid Neytiri. He's just a kid. I way overreacted. I said I wasn't officer material. I'm not any kind of a leader…."

She laid the fingers of one hand on his lips, "Jake, stop. You are not helping anyone by accusing yourself. This will not solve anything."

"Eywa is the one who will solve this," declared Mo'at as she entered the area. The Tsahik made a hand gesture to Alai and the healer withdrew to give the three some privacy. "You have put Pa'kan's life into the All Mother's hands, and that is properly where it belongs."

Jake look at his mate with misery written large all over his face. "How could he do a thing like that? What would make a na'vi act that way?"

Mo'at's voice was firm. "Whatever the reason, it is insufficient. I have spoken with Kiree; she did not encourage him, told him plainly that she had no interest in him as a mate. He did not listen. Now he will take the consequences of his lack of comprehension. You did the right thing."

"How can you say that? That kid's on his way to the deep jungle alone and injured, and it's my fault." Jake wallowed in self-castigation.

"Better that than dead," the Tsahik said bluntly – and finally had her son-in-law's attention. "This has not happened in many generations, but it has happened before. Kiree told me that she has not yet asked anyone to be her mate. Since Pa'kan did not honor her choice, she would have been within her rights to choose a man to challenge him on her behalf. Her father is not a strong warrior – but you are responsible for the safety of everyone, as Olo'eyktan. Had she chosen you to face Pa'kan in formal challenge – which I am sure she would have - you would have killed him outright. This way, his life is in the hands of the All Mother, where it belongs. This is between Eywa and Pa'kan now."

Jake turned to Neytiri. "It all happened so fast! I was up and running before I even knew what was going on. I saw him grab the girl and start pulling her away and all I could think," he glanced down at Neytiri's swollen belly and placed his fingertips gently on her skin, "was what if that was my daughter that he was taking? It made me berserk just to think it." Neytiri smiled and gently caressed his face in comfort.

Mo'at felt a thrill of jubilation at the marine's words, though she didn't say anything out loud. He reacts to one of the People being in danger as he would if it were his own child. All Mother, you have given us a true Olo'eyktan!

Neytiri spoke softly, "Jake, leave this in Eywa's hands. She will do as She sees fit."

He looked at her with worried eyes, "What are the People going to think about me after this?"

His mate replied firmly, "They will say that you did your duty and protected someone you were responsible for protecting."

The Tsahik decided it was time to pull her son-in-law out of his self-pity. "And you have much work to do." Jake looked at the elder in puzzlement. "You have a talioang hunt in two days that you must prepare the hunters for. They will be distracted by this morning's event and you must make sure that they focus on the task at hand. You have over fifteen hands of warriors arriving in a few days, and you must prepare to start teaching them the new war-trainings. The next clan-gathering is little more than a month away, and it will be the first true war-council. The next ship, which you say is not dangerous, is only two months away. You must ensure that the war party will be ready to meet it. We," she indicated her daughter and herself,"will deal with the clan's reaction to Pa'kan's exile. You have a great deal of work to do."

The marine had a wan smile on his face by the time the Tsahik's stern lecture was finished. His mother-in-law sometimes reminded him of a drill seargeant he'd had back on Earth. The man had been demanding, uncompromising in what he expected of his charges, unaccepting of anything less than their utmost efforts, but absolutely fair. Jake had respected him immensely. "So stop whining about what I can't change and get back to work, huh?"

Mo'at nodded firmly, "As you say." She held herself impassive as the Olo'eyktan turned to his mate, who walked with him as he left obeidently to get on with the tasks at hand.

Jake's was not the only intense reaction to the events of the morning. Robinson was absolutely livid when he found out what had happened. Dammit! What the hell did the kid have to go and get himself banished for? There isn't anyone else in this godforsaken tree that would even think about taking me into the field without Sully's approval! Now I'll never be able to do my work properly! "Calm down, Dave," he spoke out loud to himself. Thankfully, he'd had the wit to excuse himself and park his avatar before dropping the link so that he could be alone in his quarters at Hell's Gate. "Patience. This is only a setback. If the kid's gone, there's no reason you can't find some other way around this."

That thought settled him enough that he could start thinking again. But how? Going out into the jungle alone is suicide! There aren't any functioning Scorpions left, and no one left to pilot them if there were. Sully and Spellman won't let any of the RDA personnel on the incoming ISV so much as land here, much less let 'em resume normal operations!

The geologist's eyes went wide as a thought occurred to him. Sully and Spellman won't support any unobtanium research – but the RDA sure as hell would! I was hired by the RDA, not by that dropout marine and jumped-up grad student! They'd support my research to the hilt! Excitement started rising and helped him to focus his thoughts. But they'd have to take over the facility again in order to be of any help to me. How the heck is that going to happen with thousands of these heathens ready to shoot anything that moves and every damn animal on the planet waiting to pounce on whatever the Na'vi leave alive?

Dave thought and thought, but couldn't see any way to make it happen. He finally gave up on that point. "I'm no military man, I'm a scientist. It's not my job to figure out how to get the facility back, it's my job to do my research," he concluded.

But how to make that possible? Well, the RDA has to have some plan. They wouldn't just give up and walk away, would they? No way! They have to be doing something, right now! It'll take six years for them to get a response team here of course, but they have to be on the way! How can I help them? What can I do?

His eyes narrowed in satisfaction as he considered, Well one thing I can do is let them know that there's someone here who's not a tree-hugging monkey-lover!

Robinson sat back and began to plan.