Face of the Enemy

By Scott Washburn

Chapter 1

"Hytani! Hytani, come quick!"

Hytani looked up in annoyance as her younger brother, Kikano, dashed up to her, shouting like a fool. "Kikano! You skxawng ! You know better than to shout like that while I'm napping an arrowhead! You nearly made me ruin it!"

The boy didn't seem the least bit remorseful, in fact, he looked incredibly excited. "Forget about your stupid arrowhead! A messenger has arrived! He's speaking of war!"

"War? What are you talking about? If this is some trick of yours…"

"No, no, it's true!" insisted Kikano. "Come on, he's on the main platform waiting for Ula'tey to return! Come on!" He grabbed her hand and yanked her to her feet. Hytani sighed and put down the stone she'd been working on and followed her brother higher into the great tree that the Lutapawni clan called their home. It only took moments for her to realize that surely something was happening. Many other people were heading in the same direction and they all seemed nearly as excited as Kikano. When they emerged on the great platform high above the forest floor, there was already a large crowd, all talking noisily.

"There he is, see him?" said Kikano, pointing at a stranger in the midst of the gathering.

"Where did he come from?" asked Hytani

"I think I heard someone say he's from the Omaticaya clan. They're way off to the south somewhere, aren't they?"

"Yes, two days' hard ride by ikran at least. But war? Who against?"

"I don't know! The messenger is waiting for Ula'tey."

Hytani frowned. This made no sense to her. Clans sometimes did make war on each other. Often it was over some point of offended honor and it was usually resolved quickly with little bloodshed. On very rare occasions it would be more serious and groups of related clans might band together and fight a battle or two. Sometimes people got killed, but it was rare. But the Omaticaya? What possible reason would a messenger have for coming here? The Lutapawni had no ties with the Omaticaya that Hytani knew of and they were so far away how could any issue in their territory involve the Lutapawni? Even so, a part of Hytani was excited at the prospect. She had only finished her training as a hunter a double handful of days earlier. She'd barely gotten the last of the paint from her acceptance ceremony scrubbed off. But her mother was already trying to pair her with one of the men. Mating, babies, she wasn't ready for that yet! She wanted to see some of the world before she settled down. She found herself envying the Omaticaya messenger: so far from his home! Seeing new things! That's what she wanted to do!

A stirring in the crowd caught her attention. Ah, Ula'tey had arrived from wherever he had been. Da'na, his mate and the Tsahik of the clan was close behind him. The crowd moved closer, although they left an open space around Ula'tey and the messenger. This man now came to attention and touched his forehead respectfully and spoke:

"Ula'tey, Olo'eyktan of the Lutapawni, I see you. I am Jalatar. I bring sad and great tidings from the Omatacaya." He spoke loudly so that all could hear. Hytani stood on tip-toe to see over the people in front of her. Poor Kikano couldn't see at all and backed away to climb partway up one of the trunks of the tree.

Ula'tey returned the gesture. "Welcome, Jalatar. I see you. What news do you bring so urgently?"

"New of the direst kind: the Sky People have brought war upon us!" A gasp ran through the crowd and Hytani's own throat added to it. The Sky People! All had heard the tale of the aliens from another world, but few had ever seen them. Many thought the stories mere fables. "Four days ago the Sky People attacked the Omaticaya without warning and for no reason. They used weapons that struck like thunderbolts and burned like fire. Our Hometree was destroyed! Reduced to a pile of ashes! Over forty of my people are now dead and many more hurt!"

Now the gasps turned to cries of alarm and outrage. Forty! Forty people killed? And a hometree destroyed? Who had ever heard of such a thing? Hytani looked around at her own home. Her people had lived here for years beyond count. The thought of it being destroyed, burned to the ground was… incomprehensible.

"Dire news indeed," said Ula'tey, who looked as stunned as Hytani felt. "Our hearts go out to the Omaticaya. Is there any aid we can send?"

Jalatar drew himself up and the look that came to his face was not one of sadness or even anger. It was of pride. "Aid is what I am here to ask for. But Ula'tey, there is more, much more! The other news I bring is good beyond hope: Toruk Macto has returned!"

No gasps, no cries this time, just a stunned silence.

"What madness is this?" said Ula'tey at last.

"I understand your doubts," said Jalatar. "Were I in you place I would doubt as well. But I swear to you that it is true! I have seen him and the great Last Shadow with my own eyes, heard his words with my own ears. It is true!"

Hytani and all around her seemed rooted in place. Toruk Macto! The legendary champion of Eywa herself! The songs said that he (or once she) appeared only during times of great danger to the Na'vi. He would bring the clans together to meet the danger. But the last time this had happened was five generations earlier and before that, no one could count the years. Every Na'vi child was taught the stories, and every young hunter dreamed dreams of riding the great Toruk, mightiest of all the world's predators. But to actually have it happen during the waking day! To live in those times! A thrill of excitement passed through her unlike anything she had ever felt.

"After our home was destroyed," continued Jalatar, "we fled to the Tree of Souls. It was the only refuge we could think of. As evening was coming on, we sang to Eywa, begging for her aid. And She heard us! Answered us! In the midst of our song a shadow blotted out the sun. It was Toruk! Red as blood! A rider was on his back! They landed in our midst and Toruk's scream shook the ground! We were all frightened, but Toruk Macto told us to have no fear. He told us that the Sky People were warring not just against the Omaticaya, but against all the Na'vi. Against Eywa herself! He commanded us to fly out to every clan and give this message: Come! All of you!" Jaltar turned and swept his hand toward all the people. "Every person who can shoot a bow or wield a knife, come! Come to the Tree of Souls as quickly as you can for war is upon us!"

The crowd was growing excited. Some were beginning to cheer and hold their fists overhead, for the man's words stirred their hearts. But Ula'tey held up his hand and they fell silent. "Great tidings, indeed," he said and Hytani could see the troubled expression on his face. "We need to ponder this and…"

"No, we do not!"

Everyone twitched in surprise when Da'na, the tsahik, interrupted her mate. He turned to face her, but she held up her hand. Then she looked to the messenger. "Four days? You say this happened four days ago?" The man nodded. "For three nights my dreams have been troubled," said Da'na. "Dreams of fire and death. But last night I dreamed of a great flying beast ridden by a stranger. I did not know what this meant until now. Clearly this is a sign from Eywa! A summons! A summons which we cannot ignore!" She looked to her mate and they stared at each other until Ula'tey nodded.

"So be it!"he said loudly. He held up his great bow. "Let all make ready! Gather your weapons! Gather all that you need for a long journey! The Lutapawni will answer the summons! We fly at dawn!"

The people cheered and Hytani cheered along with them.

Preparations began at once. People were scurrying everywhere to get what was needed and Hytani went with them. Later that evening, her mother approached her.

"Hytani, you're not really going to go are you?"

"Mother, how can I possibly stay behind?" She was bundling up a thick package of dried meat for the journey and she didn't want to restart this discussion again! Her mother had been trying to talk her out of going almost from the moment Ula'tey had made the announcement that the clan was going to war.

"Your father is already going. One from our family is enough. I need you here. Kikano needs you."

"Mother, if it wasn't for your arm, you'd be going yourself! You'd be insisting that I stay here with Kikano. He's old enough to help you now with nearly everything I do. Besides, we'll be back soon enough." She was sorry she had to mention her mother's arm, it had been severely broken in a fall when Hytani was just a child and it had never healed properly. Her mother wasn't a cripple, but riding an ikran was now very difficult for her and shooting a bow impossible. The look on her face told her she didn't want to be reminded of that. "I'm sorry," whispered Hytani.

"But you only finished your own training days ago! You've only had your own ikran a bit longer! You're not ready to ride into a battle!"

"Mother, Toruk Macto has summoned us! Eywa, Herself, calls for our aid! All the Na'vi are going to war! How can I stay behind? I would be shamed for the rest of my life! I am a full member of the clan now and the decision is mine alone. I am sorry, but I leave with the others in the morning." She softened her expression. "And someone needs to look after Father." Her mother turned away without another word. Hytani sighed and returned to her packing. Even her mother's disapproval could not dampen the excitement she felt. War! And to even get to the war would take her to places she had never dreamed of.

She'd never made a journey like this one before, in fact few, if any, of the Lutapawni ever had. To make such a long trip quickly was going to require bringing a lot of food for the ikrans. There would be no time to stop and hunt and a full day of flying would leave their mounts ravenous. And, of course, the more they had to carry, the hungrier they would be. To carry enough to get them to the Tree of Souls would mean carrying very little else besides their weapons. The ikrans wouldn't go hungry, but their riders might. No matter! She was ready to face any hardship.

While she was finishing up, her father came by and looked over her preparations. "Well done," he said. "You should sleep now, we have a hard couple of days coming up."

"Thank you, Father." She looked into his eyes and then took his hand. "Thank you for not opposing my coming. Mother is not happy."

"I know. But she is proud of you—just as I am."

A thrill passed through her. "I will not let you down. But Father, what will this war be like?"

He smiled at her. "You ask me? I have never warred against anyone, let alone these Sky People. But hunting a man can be little different than hunting a dangerous animal. The tales I hear of the Sky People say that they are like us in shape: smaller, uglier, but two arms, two legs, a head. No tail, though. Weak, but with powerful weapons and great metal… machines that can do amazing things. But arrows will kill these Sky People just as any other. Bring as many arrows as you can carry."

"I will."

"Good. Now go to sleep! And don't worry."

[Scene Break]

"Hey, Carol! You're not leaving already are you? You promised me a dance!" Flight Officer Carol Totah looked over her shoulder and saw Sergeant Weiss smiling at her. The bar was crowded and the music loud and she was getting a headache. She just waved at him and made her way out into the corridor, eluding several sets of hands that were attempting to cop a feel as she passed. She let out a sigh after making her escape. The five-to-one male-female ratio among the security forces in Hell's Gate could definitely be a pain at times. They had warned her about it before she left Earth, but the money they were offering was so good, she scarcely gave it a thought at the time. Still, she'd seen worse places. There were rumors that there was something put into the food here that lowered the sex drive and she tended to believe it. Of course, the fact that the Colonel actually had the authority to execute someone for a crime like rape may have had more to do with the good behavior of the men than any drug.

She made her way through the labyrinthine base to her quarters. As a woman and as a flight officer she only had to share her space with one other woman and since that woman was currently AWOL, it meant that she didn't have to share it with anyone just at the moment.

"Damn it, Trudy, what the hell were you thinking?" she muttered to herself as she locked the door behind her. Trudy Chacon had been her roommate for over four years. She liked the woman a lot and now she was gone, deserted, gone over to the enemy. Part of Carol was hurt and the other part wasn't surprised at all. Trudy had been working with the science geeks for a long time and apparently their concern for the natives had rubbed off on her. And, if she had read Trudy's messages correctly, she was also sleeping with one of them. Whatever the case, when Quaritch had attacked the big tree Trudy had refused to fire (what the hell had he been thinking including her in the attack force?) and the Colonel had grounded her for it 'pending further investigation'. So Trudy had led a jailbreak of three of the detained scientists and flown off into the wilderness. God only knew where she was now.

Carol sighed and automatically started tidying up the room. She snorted when she found Trudy's computer pad. It was still running the Na'vi language training program that she was always using. Trudy had been determined to learn the language, but she had been hopelessly inept at it—she was a pilot not a linguist. She had even talked Carol into helping her with some drills and ironically Carol was far better at it than Trudy had been. She'd always had a natural knack for languages. So now she spoke passable pidgin-Na'vi—for all the good it would ever do her. The local Na'vi had been driven away and if they had any sense, wouldn't be back.

She flopped down on her bunk and stared at the ceiling. Damn! She felt a sense of betrayal. Not so much because Trudy had sided with the natives, but because she hadn't told her what she was going to do! There was a sort of sisterhood of women helicopter pilots and the rule was that you always looked out for your pal. Hadn't Trudy trusted her enough to confide? What the hell would she have done if Trudy had told her her plans? Told her she was crazy? Tried to stop her? Helped her? She certainly wouldn't have turned her in! Maybe Trudy had just been looking out for her and didn't want to get her involved. That would be like her. She felt a little better thinking about it that way.

But Trudy was crazy. No doubt about it. Carol did have sympathy for the Na'vi, but it was tempered with realism. Two hundred years earlier Carol's own ancestors had had their land stolen and been driven into exile. Generations of them had thought of nothing but taking it back. Carol's own grandparents harped about the injustice of it endlessly even though neither of them, nor their own parents, had ever set foot on the land. Carol thought that their anger and obsession was a colossal waste of time, although she never dared tell them that. But the hard fact was that no one, anywhere had a 'right' to their land. The land belonged to whoever had the strength to hold it. Period. If the Na'vi couldn't hold on to their world they were going to lose it to these smarter, tougher aliens who were moving in. Tragic, but tough shit. Carol had no clue what Trudy was hoping to accomplish by this stunt of hers. She was in a load of trouble and Carol just hoped she could get out of it alive. 'Cause your life's all you've got left at this point, girl! Once they caught her she'd be shipped home on the next ISV and probably forfeit every dime of her pay, even if she managed to stay out of jail. And that was assuming the Colonel didn't just shoot her. The regs didn't allow that for the offenses Trudy had racked up, but Quaritch could get awfully pissed over certain things. A chill went through her at the thought of Quaritch trying to execute Trudy. That would be something she couldn't ignore. Hell, she might be leading her own jailbreak if that happened!

She turned out the light and tried to sleep.

[Scene Break]

Hytani shifted on Fala's back and tried to find a more comfortable position. Unfortunately, after nearly a full day aloft, there just weren't any comfortable positions left. This was the second day of the great journey and nearly every part of her ached. The fact that she could feel Fala's fatigue through their bond didn't help. Her ikran was almost as exhausted as she was. Can Fala feel my pain, too? She'd never thought of that aspect of things before. That was hardly fair! Each doubling their pain!

They had left in the early dawn of the previous day among great fanfare and emotional farewells. Mother had not wanted to let either of them go and Kikano was alternately pouting about not being able to go, too, and on the verge of tears at the thought that his father and sister might never return. Similar scenes were taking place with scores of other families. But there was little time for good-byes. As soon as everyone was ready the signal was given and the war host of the Lutapawni had taken flight. It had been a thrilling sight: over a hundred warriors upon their ikrans rising up over their Hometree, circling and then heading south. At first, everyone was shouting and eager, but as the day wore on, the excitement waned and the fatigue grew. They had stopped for the night in a large clearing and few had the energy to do anything but tend their ikran and then sleep. This second day had been even worse…

A piercing call demanded her attention. She looked and saw Ula'tey waving his arm. She looked around and saw that the formation had become badly strung out again. Hytani had managed to stay near the front but the tail of the warband was nearly out of sight behind them. Ula'tey made a circular motion with his arm and Hytani sighed. The leaders would have to circle until the lagging riders caught up. More time in the air! But she dutifully banked Fala with the others and waited. Her father gave her a smile as she came abreast of him during one circle. Eventually, the others caught up and Ula'tey shouted out: "Not much farther now! We will reach our goal before dark! Look!" He pointed ahead and Hytani gasped.

Just barely visible through the mist, far ahead, was a gray shape. At first glance it just appeared to be a cloud, but it was not shaped like any normal cloud. And it didn't move like any normal cloud… The Thundering Rocks! The Floating Mountains! Her fatigue forgotten, Hytani watched eagerly as the shape solidified and could definitely be seen for what it was: a huge block of stone floating in the air! More shapes were coming into view beyond the first. She'd heard of The Thundering Rocks her whole life—who hadn't?—but her first view of them was still amazing. It was like something out of legend. But I'm in a legend now, aren't I? The thought came to her out of nowhere, but she realized that it was true. Toruk Macto, the Na'vi gathering to do battle with alien invaders, this was indeed the stuff of legends! And she was a part of it! Someday even her name might be remembered in song!

Another shout jerked her out of her daydreams. One of the riders was pointing and Hytani caught her breath when she saw another band of ikrans in the distance off to the right. There were at least two hundred of them and they were on a converging path. By the time the two groups drew abreast of each other, they were coming up on the first of the huge floating rocks. Hytani didn't know where to look. Her eyes couldn't take it all in at once! Mountains drifting on the winds! More ikrans than she'd ever seen before! Her pain and fatigue were utterly forgotten. Even the ikrans seemed excited, they were screeching and jinking about and the formation was coming apart. She patted Fala's neck absently, more to calm herself than him. Worth the trip, worth the pain, oh yes! Oh yes!

They were fully into the mountains now and her wonder only grew. Big mountains, small mountains, chains of rocks held together by great vines. Mountains tethered to other mountains, mountains nearly touching the ground and others so high they could barely be seen, waterfalls cascading down from above, glistening in the afternoon sun, it was almost unbelievable. Supposedly the mountains would crash together at times thus giving them their name, but they were quiet today.

And just when she thought it couldn't get any more amazing, it did. Up ahead a series of bizarre stone arches were rearing up from the ground. Some of them towered up nearly as tall as the base of some of the mountains. Others were smaller and nested inside each other around a central core. Something white gleamed inside…

"There it is!" cried someone. The Tree of Souls! The Heart of Eywa! As they got closer she could see the beautiful white tree clearly. It seemed to glow in the gathering dusk. But there was no time to admire it. Despite the excitement, their ikrans were nearing the limits of their endurance. They needed to land and rest them—and soon.

But where? She now saw that they weren't the first party to arrive. Hundreds and hundreds of Na'vi, horses, and ikrans were already gathered in the area surrounding the tree. Dozens of campfires burned brightly. But then she spotted a few people off to one side. They were waving and shouting and Hytani banked Fala in their direction. All her comrades did as well and soon they were on the ground, stiffly dismounting from their ikrans. "Well done, Fala! Well done!" she said putting her arms around his neck. He gave a weary screech and bumped his head against her side.

One of the Na'vi they had seen earlier directing them where to land came running up. "Welcome! Welcome!" he cried. "May the All Mother bless you for coming! We have food for you and for your mounts. You must all be very tired!" Other people were coming up now carrying large slabs of fresh meat. Fala growled eagerly at the sight and smell. "We have been hunting almost without a stop," said the man. "From the moment Toruk Macto sent out the messengers. We hoped—we prayed—that many, many would be coming and we had to be ready!"

Hytani thanked him and then helped get the meat distributed and then asked the man: "Toruk Macto, is… is he here?"

He smiled and pointed. "Yes, he returned not long ago with a large group from near the sea. He and the Toruk are over that way." She got the impression that he was asked that question a lot. As soon as she had Fala settled she found her father and 'suggested' they go see Toruk Macto. He wearily agreed.

"Ula'tey has already gone to meet with him," he said. "I think he's over there. At least that seems to be where the biggest crowd is gathered." They made their way through the camps that had sprung up around the dell where the Tree of Souls grew. Part of Hytani wanted to go see the tree close up, but she told herself that while the tree wasn't going to go anywhere, Toruk Macto might not stay put. Best to take their chance to see him now. "This is like a big gathering of clans," said her father. "You've never been to one of those."

From time to time nearby clans would meet for a festival. It was a time for making and renewing friendships, trading goods and an opportunity for young people to find mates outside their own clan and bring in new blood. Hytani had been too young to go to the last one, but this more than made up for it! There were more people around her than she'd ever seen at one time. Many looked just like ordinary people, but some wore clothing or decorations or body paint unlike anything she'd seen before. Some spoke with strange accents to their voices. The world was a bigger place than she'd realized.

Eventually they reached the edge of the crowd. Hytani craned her neck to try and see, but if Toruk Macto was there, she couldn't pick him out. But wait… was that…? A large red shape sat to one side. There were no people close to it. As she watched, an enormous head raised up on a long neck. Toruk! Look at the size of it! It was easily twice the size of the biggest ikran she had ever seen. It yawned lazily revealing rows of teeth and then put its head back down. She gasped in awe.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" said a voice from beside her. She looked and saw a young Na'vi standing next to her. He was smiling at her. "I think we can get a better look from over there." He pointed to a small hillock that wasn't too crowded.

Hytani glanced at her father but he just smiled and said: "Go ahead."

"I'm Pallar," said her new companion as he led the way through the crowd. "Of the Aleomacar."

"Hytani, of the Lutapawni," she replied. "When did you get here?"

"This morning. Our hometree is over a day west of here."

"We only arrived a short while ago. We are two hard days north."

"Ah, I saw you arrive. A big warband! The Lutapawni must be a large clan."

"Oh, that was more than one clan. We had about a hundred, but a much larger group joined us just before we got here. I'm not sure who they are."

"Still, a hundred is a lot. My clan could only send about sixty. But, it was all we had to send," said Pallar.

"I think everyone is sending all they can. Who could bear to stay behind when Toruk Macto calls?"

"Yes! Not something that happens every day! Ah, I think that must be him!" They had reached the slightly higher ground and Pallar pointed at a figure standing not too far from Toruk. "The one with the yellow feathers in his queue." Hytani saw that Ula'tey was presenting himself to the man, so Pallar must be correct. She watched as they exchanged formal greetings. Toruk Macto was actually a bit short, although very broad-chested, with powerful arms and shoulders. His eyes were kind of odd, too, although Hytani could not describe exactly what was odd about them. Well, a legend should look different, shouldn't he? She looked closer…

"Does… does Toruk Macto have… too many fingers?" she asked awkwardly.

"Yes, I was talking with some of the Omaticaya earlier," replied Pallar. "Four fingers on each hand and an extra toe on each foot."

"Is it… is it some sort of mark from Eywa?"

"I don't know. The Omaticaya told me some things that… are pretty strange about him."

"Like what?"

"They said… they said that Toruk Macto has two bodies. The one body you see here and then another body that is hidden away somewhere. While one body sleeps the other is awake. Dreamwalkers they called them." Hytani fixed her eyes on Pallar and scowled. He flinched back. "It's what they said! I'm just telling you what they told me. I'm not making it up!"

"Perhaps they were playing a joke on you. I find such a tale hard to believe."

"Well, yeah. It is."

"Who is the woman next to him?" asked Hytani, trying to change the subject.

"I think that's his mate, a woman named Neytiri." For some reason Hytani was disappointed to learn that Toruk Macto already had a mate.

"He speaks to her a lot."

"I think she is translating for him," said Pallar. "The Omaticaya said that he doesn't speak Na'vi very well."

"What language does he speak?" asked Hytani in surprise. Pallar just shrugged. Stranger and stranger! "He must come from very far away!"

"That's what the Omaticaya said," confirmed Pallar.

The welcoming ceremony was over and the crowd began to disperse. Hytani was suddenly very sleepy. It had been a long, long day! She said good-bye to Pallar and went back to find her father and a place to sleep.

[Scene Break]

"… and when we destroy it, we will blast a crater in their racial memory so deep they won't come within a thousand of klicks of this place ever again. And that too, is a fact." Carol Totah found herself cheering along with the rest of the troops at the end of the Colonel's pep talk, but the cheer seemed to ring hollow in her ears. Oh, everyone was fired up, but there was no getting around that this situation was never supposed to have happen in the first place. Less than a week ago the Colonel had held a victory celebration in the wake of the destruction of the Omaticaya's hometree. He'd made some very confident statements about the natives fleeing the area and never bothering anyone again. Well, obviously, they hadn't fled very far and now they were back with a lot of friends and looking very much like they planned to create a bother!

And where was Trudy in all of this? Carol couldn't believe that she wasn't somehow involved. She flees from Hell's Gate with three of the most rabid Na'vi supporters among the scientists and just a few days later this happens. Was Trudy actually siding with the Na'vi against her own kind? What the hell was wrong with that girl?

"Attention!" snapped the Colonel's adjutant. "All platoon sergeants and pilots report to your respective ready rooms for mission briefing. Dismissed!" it took a while to clear the crowded mess hall that was being used as the meeting space. It was the only indoor space on the base big enough for the purpose—unless you wanted to use one of the hangers. As it happened, Carol was heading toward the hangers since that was where her ready room was located. She passed through a series of open airlocks and then out onto the large expanse of the hanger. A dozen of the helicopters were parked there undergoing maintenance. Mechanics were crawling all over them and ordnance trolleys were lined up, loaded with missiles. The clang of tools, the hiss of welders, and the smell of lubricants and scorched metal filled the air. Her own Sampson helicopter was parked outside, so she didn't spare the ones here a second glance. She crossed to the other side and then through another door into the briefing room. A dozen pilots were already there. She found a seat and waited for the rest to arrive.

The helicopters at Hell's Gate were divided into two battalions. The first consisted of all the Scorpion gunships. These were one-man helicopters, very fast and carrying a huge armament. They were useful for scouting and combat, but not much else. The second battalion had the Sampson Utility Helicopters. These were bigger, slower, less heavily armed, but able to carry a dozen passengers or a large amount of cargo. That was what Carol flew. Captain Juan Mitchell, commander of the battalion, walked in and waved everyone back to their seats as they tried to stand up. The last of the pilots trailed in behind him.

"All right everyone, sit down," he said. "We've got a lot to go over and not much time to do it. We're moving out at 0600 tomorrow morning. We are going to hit the hostiles before any more of them can show up. The Colonel is ordering maximum effort on this mission. Every chopper we can put in the air. In addition to the aerial strike on the hostiles' base, we will be landing a ground force to mop up afterwards. Obviously that will be our job. The Dragon and the shuttle will deliver the AMP suits, but most of the foot-sloggers will be our responsibility. The exact LZs haven't been determined yet, but we'll pass that information along as soon as we have it. Naturally, we'll also be responsible for retrieving the ground force once the operation is complete. The Colonel isn't expecting a lot of casualties, but they are bound to be heaviest in the ground forces. Lieutenant Flores, 2 Squadron will be responsible for medevac, understood?"

"Yes, sir." Carol breathed a silent sigh of relief. She hated medevac duty. So, just drop off the troopers and pick them up again. In between that…

"Now," continued Captain Mitchell, "I want to warn you about the special problems we are going to be facing in the Flux Vortex. Some of you have flown up there but most haven't. Let me make this very clear: you will not be able to rely on your instruments! This will be seat-of-you-pants flying! The weather forecast for tomorrow is good so hopefully we won't have to deal with reduced visibility, but conditions can change up there in a matter of minutes. We are going to have about ninety vehicles involved in this mission, flying in a tight formation to protect the shuttle. Our biggest worry is going to be collisions and we cannot, I repeat: cannot, rely on the automatic collision avoidance systems. Keep your eyes peeled! Tell your door gunners to keep their eyes peeled and don't be afraid to warn you about anyone getting too close. Clear?"

Everyone nodded or said yes, but then someone asked: "Sir, how's the Flux going to affect our combat capability?"

"Sensor readings are going to be unreliable and long-range missile locks aren't going to work at all. This means that if the enemy does decide to attack, we'll have to let them get pretty close before we can engage. But our missiles and guns will still kill them just fine. Just be damn sure that you have a clear line of fire before you open up! There will be a lot of friendlies in the air and I want no accidents!" Mitchell paused for a moment and the expression on his face darkened. "That brings me to one last item and it's not a pleasant one. As you all know, Flight Officer Chacon deserted a week ago. We don't know her whereabouts and we don't know her intentions. However, the Colonel has issued strict orders that Sampson One-Six is to be destroyed on sight." Carol bowed her head and clenched her fists. Damn! "But be sure of your target!" snapped Mitchell. "IFF is going to be problematic up there! Just because you don't get a proper response don't assume it's Chacon. Visual confirmation before firing on any helicopter, understand?" A very muted, but affirmative, reply came from the pilots.

"As far as our rules of engagement are concerned," continued Mitchell, "they are very simple: if it's blue, kill it. Any and all Na'vi are to be considered hostile and legitimate targets." He paused to let that sink in. "All right, that's all for now. Keep your coms open for any updates. I'm sure all of you will be spending the rest of the day checking out your ships. I'll expect everyone on the flightline at 0400 tomorrow. Dismissed."

As Carol was leaving she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and it was Captain Mitchell. "Sir?"

"Carol, I know you were close to Trudy. This has got to be rough on you and I'm sorry. If… if you want to sit this one out, I can find a replacement for you."

It was tempting, very tempting. But she shook her head. "Thank you, sir, but I'm fine. I'll do my duty, but I don't know if I could…" she trailed off.

"No one's expecting you to," said Mitchell. "Hopefully, Chacon will have the sense to stay away. And even if she doesn't, it's unlikely you'll be the one who'll have to…" Now Mitchell trailed off. Carol saluted him and he returned it. She faced about and headed for her ship.

[Scene Break]

Hytani had planned to sleep late, but shortly after dawn a strange roaring sound woke her up. It woke everyone else up, too and the whole camp was in a commotion. Some people shouted in alarm and grabbed their weapons, but shortly some of the Omaticaya ran up and called for calm. They asked everyone to come with them. Hytani and her father followed the rest. She was pleased when Pallar found her and came along. "What's going on?" she asked, but Pallar only shrugged.

They reached a large clearing and Hytani gasped. A strange dark green shape sat on the ground. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. The central part of it was shaped like a jinta gourd but there was a long thin part, almost like the tail of an ikran that stuck out the end. On either side were two circular objects sticking out near the top. They were hollow, as if the top of a clay pot had been neatly sliced off. Six thin objects, like the blade of a knife, except much larger, radiated out from the center of the circles. The whole thing was much bigger than a person, nearly as large as the mighty toruk. What was it?

Toruk Macto and his mate were standing next to it and as Hytani stared in astonishment a tiny figure emerged from inside the green shape. "Eywa! Is that one of the… the…?"

"One of the Sky People!" cried Pallar. He was echoed by hundreds of others. Hytani instinctively grasped the hilt of her knife. The enemy! But just then Toruk Macto's mate, Neytiri, sprang on top of the green shape and shouted for calm. Toruk Macto, himself placed his hand on the shoulder of the Sky Person and that seemed to do as much as his mate's shouts to settle the crowd.

"Remain calm!" said Neytiri. "There is no danger now! You have come to fight the Sky People, but you need to know that not every Sky Person is our enemy. Some of them have sided with the Na'vi against their own kind who wish to do us harm. This is Trudychacon and she is our friend!" Slowly the assembled Na'vi quieted down. Hytani looked more closely at the Sky Person. Her father had been right: they were not so terribly different. Still, they were different enough: no taller than a half-grown child, skin a sickly pink-tan color, but most of the skin was covered by bulky garments. If those bumps under the clothing were actually breasts, then this one was female. Her face was covered by a strange shiny bubble of some sort. The face was… odd. Eyes much too small, almost no nose at all, but a normal-looking mouth, seeming out of place with the rest of it. If her expression could be interpreted the same as a Na'vi, then she was worried, frightened, perhaps. But then who in her place wouldn't be? Hundreds of armed Na'vi towered around her and she was all alone. Hytani wondered if she would be so brave if the situation was reversed? But why was this creature helping us against her own kind?

"The thing on which I stand," continued Neytiri, "is called a hel-i-cop-ter. It is a Sky People machine for making war. Trudychacon is the… pilot of this machine. When we fight the Sky People we will encounter many machines such as this one. We want you to see it and hear it and see what it can do so you will be able to better fight them when the time comes. Watch now and don't be afraid!" Neytiri hopped down and the Sky Person re-entered the machine through an opening that had a covering that swung outward and back again by some method Hytani couldn't fathom. More of the same shiny bubble material such as covered the alien's face enclosed some of the machine. It seemed to be solid and hard, but you could see right through it like it wasn't there! Amazing!

The Sky Person was doing something inside the machine, but Hytani could not see what. After a few moments a strange, high-pitched noise came from the machine and the knife-blade things inside the circles began to move. Three moved one way and the other three the opposite direction. In just the span of a few heartbeats, they were spinning so rapidly it was almost impossible to see them. The noise got louder and louder and everyone began to move away. The moving blades were sucking in air from above and blowing it out below so strongly that it was kicking up dust and loose leaves. Then, incredibly, the whole machine began to move. It slowly lifted off the ground! But it had no wings like an ikran, what was holding it up? Pallar cried out, as did many others, although the machine was so noisy it was hard to hear anything else.

She watched as the machine rose higher and higher. It didn't move forward or back, it simply went straight up. Then it pivoted and began to move away. Faster and faster it moved until it was a tiny shape in the distance. But then it turned again and came back toward them, growing larger and larger. It roared by only a few spans above them with a deafening roar. Hytani flinched and many of the Na'vi ducked. She turned and watched the machine receding in the distance. Then it turned and did it again. Not so many ducked this time, but it was still rather frightening.

"It moves so fast!" she exclaimed to her father. "As fast as an ikran in a steep dive and yet this isn't diving! We could never catch one of these in level flight."

"A good lesson to learn," he replied. "If we attack these, we will have to dive on them from above or approach from head-on."

The machine made three more passes and then slowed and came in for a gentle landing where it had been originally. The Sky Person popped out of it and began talking with Toruk Macto and Neytiri, pointing to various parts of the machine. Then Neytiri began to speak again. "The helicopters carry many different weapons—all of them are deadly! Toruk Macto will show you one now." Her mate went to the side of the machine and lifted a strange object in his hands. It was a blocky shape shorter than a bow, but looking much heavier. He stepped around to a cleared space where several large gourds had been placed. He lifted one end of the object up near his head and pointed the other end at the gourds. Suddenly there was a horrible noise and flame spat from the end of the object. The gourds were torn apart as if by an invisible axe!

"Some of the machines have weapons like this that can only fire to the front," continued Neytiri. "It will be best to attack them from above, or from the rear. Others, like this one, will have extra Sky People with weapons that can shoot to the sides, you must be careful how you attack them." The woman continued to point out features of the machine, but then Toruk Macto suddenly stiffened and put his hand to the side of his head. Neytiri fell silent.

"What is happening?" asked Hytani

"The Omaticaya say that Toruk Macto and his friends have ways of talking to each other over long distances," said Pallar. "Perhaps that is what he is doing now."

It appeared that Pallar was correct, because shortly Neytiri announced that the demonstration was over. Toruk Macto and the Sky Person hurried away into the forest. "You should all rest now," said Neytiri.

This seemed like a good idea, although Hytani would have liked to learn more about the Sky People machine. Slowly the crowd dispersed and people made their way back to their campsites. She wasn't displeased when Pallar followed her back to her camp rather than going to his.

"I wonder how many of those machines the Sky People have?" he asked as they walked.

"Yes," agreed Hytani. "If they have as many of them as we have ikrans, then… then…"

"Then it will be a truly terrible battle," finished Pallar. "One worthy of a song, or two, I am thinking." He grinned at her and she found herself smiling back. Pallar was more talkative and… pushier, than she normally cared for in a person, but it was impossible not to like him. But his Hometree was so far away…

They spent the remainder of the morning resting and tending to their mounts and their gear, but in the afternoon the camps were all astir again as messengers brought word that the Sky People would attack the next morning! "All must be ready before the dawn!" they said. But then they went on to say: "So that you might better understand the danger we face from the Sky People, each clan is asked to send four people to come and see the remains of the Omaticaya Hometree!" Hytani immediately volunteered, but she wasn't picked. However, her father was one of the ones selected and he departed on his ikran. The sun was nearing the horizon before he and the other returned.

Hytani went up to him, but all her questions died on her lips when she saw the expression on her father's face. She'd never seen him with such a deep-smoldering anger.

"We must win this fight tomorrow," was all that he would say.

[Scene Break]

Carol Totah took one last look at her ship. Everything seemed to be in order. No streaks of leaking oil on the side panels, no tell-tale puddles of fluids on the concrete. She checked the mountings for two newly installed tri-barrels and they seemed solid. The Sampsons usually just relied on the eight forward-firing missiles for dead-ahead targets, but for this mission Carol was glad of the extra firepower. Satisfied, she trotted over to where Bertie Halloran was inspecting his own ship.

"So how'dya want to work this, Bertie?" she asked. "We're supposed to watch each others' sixes when it hits the fan up there. You ever practice anything like that?"

"Ne'er in me life, lassie," said Bertie, his Scottish burr almost too thick to understand. "Anywhere I flew th' danger was from th' ground, nae the air. Tis is all new t'me."

"Yeah, me, too," said Carol. Nearly all the helicopter pilots at Hell's Gate had backgrounds in the American or European or Russian militaries where air superiority was taken for granted. The danger was from SAMs and other ground fire, not enemy aircraft. The Sampsons and even the agile Scorpions were ground-attack vehicles and not designed for air-to-air combat. "Well, I guess all we can do is keep an eye out for each other and help each other out."

"Sounds good t'me, lassie." She thumped fists with Bertie and headed back to her ship. Her two door gunners, Danny Schmidt and Vince Domanico, were inspecting their weapons and placing spare ammo where they could reach it quickly. "About ready, guys?" she asked. "We start loading the foot-sloggers in ten minutes." She motioned to where the infantry was lined up and being inspected by their officers and NCOs.

"Almost ready to go, Skipper," replied Vince. "Say, look what I made." He gestured to a sheet of plasticized paper stuck to the inside of the helicopter next to the door. It was covered with a few dozen oddly-shaped blotches. A marker pencil on a string dangled next to it.

"What's that?" asked Carol.

"It's for keeping score! Those are banshees, Skipper! When I get one, I mark one off. Danny's got one, too. We're gonna see who gets the most. I'd have made one for you, too, but I figured you might be too busy flying this crate."

"That's for sure." Carol leaned closer and could see how someone might barely recognize the blotches on the sheet as being banshees. "I hope you're a better shot than you are an artist, Vince."

"Hey, I traced that from the survival guide!" said the scandalized gunner. Carol chuckled and climbed into the cockpit. The eastern sky was a bright pink, not much longer now. She couldn't think of anything that remained to be done so she called up the flight plan on her display and reviewed it for the twentieth time. If she didn't keep herself occupied the nervousness in her stomach would get worse. Combat! Her combat experience was extremely limited. Almost non-existent, really… She'd been in a couple of war zones, even flown into a couple of hot LZs, but no one had ever actually shot at her. Nor had she ever shot at anyone else. Everyone was joking that today's operation would be a walk-over. She hoped they were right.

She looked up as the squad of infantry she was to transport marched over and began boarding. They were in high spirits, noisy and cocky. She exchanged a few words with the sergeant in charge of them, but there really wasn't much to say. They knew the drill and the safety regs: Just don't fall out, we'll drop you off and pick you up when it's over. Only a few minutes later Captain Mitchell was on the com requesting the status of his squadrons. Carol reported Sampson Two-Four ready and all the other pilots did likewise. No screw-up today and that was a good sign.

The command came for engine start and Carol hit the proper switches and pushed the throttles forward. Her ship came to life and sat shuddering on the runway. The roar of the massed engines reached her ears even through the canopy. Virtually every helicopter on the base was on the flight line. She didn't think that had ever happened before during her time on Pandora—maybe ever. The massed power sent a thrill through her. The Na'vi damn well better stay out of the way today!

"Papa Dragon to all squadrons," came the Colonel's voice over her headset. "Lift off in squadron order according to Plan Alpha on my mark. Execute!"

[Scene Break]

Hytani clung to her ikran which was clinging to the side of one of the Thundering Rocks. Hundreds of other ikrans and Na'vi were all around her, including on the side of another rock floating only a few dozen spans away. Nearly all the people were decorated with war paint and had feathers in their queues. She had been both embarrassed and pleased when Pallar had appeared and offered to help apply her paint. With a great deal of laughter and giggling they had decorated each other. She could still remember the touch of his hands on her… She now had a mass of bright red feathers in her queue that looked very grown-up and warlike. She wished Pallar was with her, but naturally he was with his own clan and they had been placed some distance away on one of the other rocks.

They had taken to the air just before dawn and spent a long while slowly climbing this high. They could have gone faster, but they wanted to save the strength of the ikrans for later. The sun was well above the horizon now and if the scouts were right, the enemy was fast approaching. She nervously checked her bow and her arrows for the sixteenth time. She was frightened, probably more frightened than she'd ever been. Not even the day she met and tamed Fala had made her insides feel like they did right now! What would the battle be like? Would she be killed? Perhaps maimed like her mother? Neither prospect appealed to her, but she was most frightened by the possibility that she would somehow shame herself, her family and her clan. This was the most important thing she'd ever done. Quite possibly it would be the most important thing she would ever do even if she lived to a ripe old age. What if she…?

She wrenched her eyes away from her weapon and her mind away from her fears and looked at all the other people and ikrans nearby. They were probably all frightened, too. But they were here nonetheless, ready to do their duty. The memory of the vast host taking flight in the growing dawn sent a shiver through her. Glorious! Ewya was with them! They would not fail! She would not fail!

But she just wished that they could get on with it. This waiting was…

"What's that?" said someone. "Listen!"

Everyone, even the ikrans, hushed. At first all Hyytani could hear was the wind, but then there was something else. A faint thrumming came to her ears. It was like a mix of drums and distant thunder. It echoed off the rocks and it was impossible to tell what direction it was coming from. But it was getting louder.

"Not much longer now," said her father. His ikran was next to hers, only a span away. "Remember what you've been taught and you will do fine, daughter." She nodded and hoped that he was right. "Stay close to me if you can, but if we get separated, I'll meet you back at our camp."

"Yes, Father." She looked at him and suddenly there were a dozen things she wanted to say to him. But there was no time. How had she let the time slip away? "Father? I… I love you, Father."

He smiled at her and nodded. "May Eywa watch over you today."

Before she could say anything else the noise suddenly got much louder and everyone was growing excited. "There! Look there!" shouted someone. Hytani twisted her head this way and that before finally spotting the enemy. Far, far below them a swarm of the Sky People machines was emerging from under one of the floating mountains. There didn't seem to be all that many of them, far fewer than she'd feared, but wait… what were those…?

Two huge shapes appeared, one the same green color as the smaller machines, but much larger, with four of the big whirling blade-things. The other was a brilliant white and it was larger yet, nearly as large as some of the Thundering Rocks! They had been warned that there would be two larger machines among the enemy but she hadn't imagined that they would be this big! How could they fight things like that?

"People of the Lutapawni, stand ready!" cried Ula'tey, suddenly. More shouts erupted from the waiting host. Hytani looked up and a flash of red caught her eye. Toruk! The great beast swept down between the two rocks where the people and ikrans were perched. Toruk Macto was on its back and he pumped his weapon and shouted. He was followed by his mate and the clan leader of the Omaticaya who cried out: "Attack! Attack! Attack!"

Immediately, ikrans began to fall away from the rocks and follow Toruk Macto. Hytani hesitated for a moment; the air was so full of ikrans she was afraid of a collision, but when her father launched his mount into the air, she was only a heartbeat behind. Many of the warriors were shouting but her throat was so tight, she couldn't make a sound.

Down, down they dived. The wind whistled past her as Fala folded back his wings. The enemy seemed unaware of them and flew onward. Were they so arrogant that they didn't think the People would fight? They would soon learn different!

Hytani found her voice and she screamed a battle cry as the Na'vi dropped from the sky onto the enemy.

End of Chapter 1

To be continued…