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Chapter 25: Nature's Riposte
Date: May 16th, 2170
Location: Camp Augustine, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System
"We're lucky we didn't get shot." Norm was panting, he and Katrina were both gasping for air after apparently running the entire way back to their camp.
"Lucky? They did shoot at us! If we didn't start shouting in Na'vi they would have killed us!" she protested.
Max tried to stop an argument before began, "Wait, wait! Who shot at you? The Omaticaya?"
His lanky friend shook his head, "No, a different tribe's warriors. Pey'ral and Unil were nearby, thankfully. They heard the commotion. Pey'ral beat them up a bit, and Unil promised to send Jake to talk when he had time."
"What were the other tribe's warriors doing out there?"
"Patrol I think. Unil gave us the impression that there was a lot of them nearby, I think they're massing to drive the humans out Max."
"Shit." he ran his hand through his hair, stopped halfway through the motion and glared at his hand. He was getting sick of his tic. "Did she say when Jake would be by?"
Katrina nodded, "Tomorrow, at the earliest. Said that Toruk'makto wanted to speak with us anyway."
"Enough time to hunt then. You two rest up for a bit, then we'll load up head out to Hell's Gate, see if we can get a yerik and, if we're lucky, run into a UN patrol and see what they know."
His two friends eagerly moved inside their respective shacks while he headed over to the Samson. He had no idea how to fly it, but Katrina had taught everyone how to do the initial pre-flight list. It had been a bit of forward thinking on his part, all those years ago, making sure that anyone could jump in an warm it up if they needed a quick retreat. He went through the list, his aging body going through the motions even as his mind worked.
Another tribe's warriors patrolling near Omaticaya lands... possibly massing for an attack.. dammit. Time is running out far faster than I thought it would. Maybe Thomes and Weigand are right, maybe Eywa is pushing this, Jake can be a bit spontaneous and bull-headed, but he wouldn't want to attack the humans unless he was sure they could win, and if the last raid is any indication... no.. he's not behind this, I don't think.
It was true he had not spoken much to his friend over the years, and it was also true that Jake had very much become more Na'vi than homo sapien.. but there was something very off about this. It was all too rushed, even for Jake. His friend had calmed down a great deal after having a child with Neytiri, and attacking before the Na'vi warriors were fully trained did not make any sense to him.
He sighed as his hands pulled the final lever, the Samson slowly groaning to life.
A slight snort escaped him, Come on old woman. You're not yet old enough to die on us. Not when we need you so badly.
As though responding, the cantankerous machine's groan became a more comforting roar, Katrina, Norm, and John all exiting the shacks and trotting slowly over as they heard the engine's start. He scooted over to the copilot seat as their pilot climbed in, Norm hopped into the back with John, who draped his lanky body over their sole machine gun.
No sense worrying about it now. We need food first, and it's hard to worry about something if you're busy starving to death.
His thoughts slowly faded as the Samson slowly lifted off, beginning its short trek to Hell's Gate.
Date: May 16th, 2170
Location: Near Hell's Gate, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System
"Max, where are they?"
"I don't know Norm. Katrina, anything on radio?"
"Nothing in the clear."
He frowned as they slowly circled the area. A yerik tied to each of the Samson's landing skids. The hunt had been good, quick. The Samson's noise quickly scaring the easily startled prey animals into the open, where John had killed them with a well-aimed shot each.
The rest of the trip, however, was not going nearly as well. There was no sign, whatsoever, of the UN survey team that was usually moving around the area at this time of day. The only sign of human presence that they had seen had been a landing Valkyrie roaring overhead several hours ago.
"Try transmitting," he said finally, "Ask if anything is going on."
Katrina nodded, flicked on the radio, and began to broadcast.
No one responded.
They glanced at each other. Normally the UN team would at least pick up their signals and would either be genial and say hello in return, or would be assholes and tell them to shut up and call back later. Total silence was new.
"Maybe they've had some kind of emergency?" John asked over his throat mic.
"Like another Na'vi attack?" Katrina asked in response, voice grim.
He winced, "Maybe. Shit. This is getting worse fast. Take us back home. Keep the radio on though, and broadcast every so often. Let them know we want to talk."
She nodded and brought the Samson into a low bank, heading east, back home.
They were halfway back before someone contacted them, "This is Captain Thomes. And what can I do for several rogue scientists this afternoon?"
"Well, it would be nice to know why you've stopped surveying the Hell's Gate mines for reclamation." Katrina shot back.
"Ah yes. That." He could almost feel the woman shrugging, "New problems have emerged have stopped all work on reclamation. If it makes you feel any better, we've also ceased unobtanium mining operations."
Max blinked, "Why would you do that? Wait..." a sudden memory hit him, a scarred man standing before a satellite image, giving a grim speech about survival. "The Na'vi... they're really massing for an attack, aren't they?"
A moment of silence, "You are quite clever indeed, Doctor Patel. The blue-skins seem to be massing for a full assault at four of the local home trees, we've diverted all of our efforts to digging in an preparing to withstand it."
"I was afraid of that," he winced, "We're still working on a peaceful solution, we might have news for you tomorrow on that."
A sigh, "Normally I wouldn't care about a bunch of blue-skins committing suicide by attacking us, but the odds are going to be heavily stacked here, especially if native fauna joins the fray. Anything you can do.. would be.. appreciated."
It sounded like she was trying to swallow her pride as best she could, "We'll try Captain." he promised, "We'll contact you on this frequency tomorrow with news."
"Acknowledged, though it will probably be Weigand who receives you. Good luck."
"Well," Norm's voice came in as the radio was turned off, "At least we know the humans really don't want a fight."
Max sighed and leaned back, "How many tribes and clans could make it here?" he asked aloud.
John answered immediately, "Quite a few. This the second densest region of the Na'vi population on Pandora, only that archipelago down south has got more. I'd guess.. maybe eight thousand warriors and hunters? Maybe more or less, not sure how much though. It'll take a while to gather them all, quite a few are a ways away."
"So... worst case has the humans outnumbered, what, a little over ten to one?" Katrina asked.
"Yeah, but if it is Eywa who's pushing this, she'll help as well. That's thousands of nantang, ikran, palulukan who will all jump into the fight. Probably any angtsik herds that are nearby as well." John pointed out.
"Translation, it's going to be a bloodbath on both sides." she said what they were all thinking, "The Na'vi will have numbers, but against heavy guns, in dug in positions? They'll win, but it'll cripple the Na'vi for centuries in this area."
"We'll talk to Jake on it tomorrow." he promised, "Take us home for now, we'll go over it more after dinner, and see if we can find arguments to convince Jake to stop this madness."
Date: May 17th, 2170
Location: Camp Augustine, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System
"Max, I don't like this much more than you do. I didn't even call the other clans, that was all Eywa." Jake was saying as he sat next to their cooking fire. "I'm trying to get the message across to the others that fighting the tawtute near the Tree of Souls with the flux on our side is one thing, fighting them on ground of their own choosing is something else."
The three humans sat around the fire, listening as Jake ranted. John was stuck inside again, out of sight and hopefully out of mind.
Max winced, "It's worse than that Jake. I talked with some of them over the last few days, they can't retreat."
their friend blinked, looking a bit confused, "Huh?"
"Their ISV's left orbit weeks ago. They were serious when they said this is apparently humanity's only hope, and they made sure that no one can back out." he supplied.
"Oh." The former Avatar wiped a hand across his head. "Oh shit. Things just keep getting better."
"Is there any way you can get the clans to sit down, talk with Weigand?" Norm pressed, "Jake, this kind of fight is going to be bad for everyone."
"I know Norm." he snarled, "But no one else is listening. I'm all for stopping the humans from hurting this world, but I want to do it the smart way, keep fighting them in small fights with experienced warriors until we've worn them down and they agree to leave. The problem is that no one else wants to fight that way, they don't want to fight like tawtute. It's all I fucking hear from every other clan leader when I try and point out how stupid this is becoming."
Everyone grimaced as he continued, "They all know Eywa is being caused pain by what they're doing, the Tsahiks of every nearby clan have been having nightmares for the last several weeks, they want it to end now, and everyone expects me, the oh so great Toruk'makto, to lead it."
"What does Neytiri think?" he asked, "Does she agree with you at least?"
Jake sighed and deflated a bit. "Sort of. She's sick of the nightmares of pain, but she wants to trust both in me and in Eywa, and it's hurting her. Her goddess or her husband."
Max winced, "There has to be a way to sit down and talk with them."
"Max... at this point I almost agree with you, but Eywa thinks that the humans are parasites, like a virus, here only to destroy, cause pain, and to take, and she isn't accepting advice. I think.. I think she might have seen what the Earth became... from Grace's memories I mean.. I think she's terrified of that happening to her and her children." the olo'eyktan sighed, shaking his head.
"Could you tell her that the humans are fixing their home?" Norm asked, a note of desperation in his voice, "That they also want to fix the damage they did here?"
"I tried, me and Mo'at tried after the second raid. I don't think she believed it Norm.. humans have betrayed and lied before, and caused great pain to everyone through it."
Everyone was staring at the ground now.
"Will you lead the fight then, Jake?" Max asked quietly.
"I don't see how I have a choice Max." their friend sighed, "I don't want to fight them like this, but if it's Eywa's will.. I'll do it. Because the idea of sitting back, doing nothing while my people fly and ride to their deaths.. no. No way. I can't sit it out. Besides, maybe I can come up with something, some crazy insane plan to keep most of us alive."
They all smiled a bit, though all were a bit forced.
"Another thing.." Jake glanced around, "You guys.. you guys might want to leave the area soon. Maybe move to Hell's Gate or something, while this is going on. A lot of the People don't think you're really on our side, not anyone in the Omaticaya, but a lot of the other tribes.. I don't want you guys hurt."
Max nodded, "We will Jake. We can probably hang out in the old Armory block.. but I don't want to give up yet. Or for you to give up. Keep trying man, there has to be a way. There has to."
His friend whistled sharply, and his ikran called back in return. "I'll try Max.. but I don't hold much hope of peace at this point. The veterans from the last war.. they don't much want to fight either, but all the young ones were raised on songs of the tawtute being defeated, they think it's going to be a cake-walk.. and everyone is sick of awakening to Neytiri and Mo'at screaming in pain."
Everyone winced once more as their friend mounted his ikran.
"When John gets back from wherever you sent him.. tell him I'm sorry." Jake called down to them, "And that I'm glad he won't be in this fight."
With that, he took the skies, his mount winging him back towards his home, leaving behind three human scientists and an exiled avatar to try and pack up everything they would need to live in the ruins of Hell's Gate for several days.
Even as they packed, they argued and debated, trying to find some last measure of hope, something to convince Eywa to listen to the humans.
But when they left... all they had was despair.
Next up is Chapter 26: The Line
And here we go. Jake isn't thrilled about what's going on either, but what can be done when a goddess has her mind made up? Tried to go a bit outside the box on this one, depicting Eywa as the driving force behind what's happening instead of the Na'vi like people might have expected.
Hope you all enjoyed, next up will be the humans preparing for the siege.
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Review responses:
angelus288: that's mostly what this chapter is for. I know the na'vi aren't that warlike overall, but they do seem to hate humanity a great deal, and many may indeed be becoming what they behold. That their goddess seems to share their loathing for humanity, given the pain caused to her and her children, wold bolster them. I do intend to show more Na'vi who don't want to fight in later chapters, so don't worry.