- insert useless disclaimer here -

Chapter 41: Drunken Ramblings

Date: 13:10, June 8th, 2170

Location: Mining Site 02, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

The excavators were slowly digging, soil and ore being extracted and pulled into the beds of the massive truck. Mining teams were carefully supervising their machines, occasionally shouting over the noise to speed up part of a process, or slow down another.

He noticed their eyes kept flicking back to the jungle, however, and occasionally towards the mechanics currently hoisting yet another automated turret into the loose ring surrounding the site. Four of the precious AMP suits were currently guarding them while they worked, massive guns pointed towards the trees. Although given that the Russian soldiers currently manning them were, effectively, rookies in their usage, their sight was not as much of a reassurance as they otherwise would have been.

Parker sighed a bit as he watched the work progress. They were on schedule, or at least, as on schedule as they could be, given the circumstances. There had not been any attacks by the natives or any local creatures, but everyone was still jumpy nonetheless.

He knew that he should be setting the example of the cool, calm boss, unfazed by the recent battle, but to be honest with himself, he was just as jumpy as his people. Something made an almost bird-like caw in the distance, and everyone who heard it jumped nearly a foot in the air, eyes darting to the treeline.

Laughing at himself as he rubbed the back of his neck, he felt some of the tension dissipate as the crew he was near began to laugh as well.

"As ya can see boss," his recently promoted foreman gestured to the area as he spoke, "We should have the outer defenses up by tonight, an' that'll free up the AMP team to guard the trucks. Combine it with the main excavator arriving soon, and we should be able to keep ta our primary schedule."

"Assuming there aren't any more native attacks." he pointed out quietly.

The younger man hesitated before nodding. He had been the lead dozer driver before the battle, and he was still unused to his new position

He'll have to get over that. We're short enough on people as it is, and he's the only one who survived who is even barely qualified for the job.

"You're doing a good job so far Buck." he smiled congenially, "Make sure to send hourly reports and to have your crews back by nightfall."

"I will sir." the other man promised, taking the dismissal for what it was and jogging towards the prefab offices that controlled the site.

Turning away from the mine, Parker began his trek over to one of the soon to depart trucks, intent on hitching a ride back to base.

Overhead, the battered Samson slowly roared away from the base, no doubt carrying Patel to his meeting with the native shaman/matriarch. One of the soldiers assigned to guard their new Chief Scientist waved down at the mining site from his place on the freshly installed door gun, and he waved back as he paused his short walk.

He mused on their objective as he watched the Samson wing away, Have to admit, for a blue-skin, the old broad wasn't that bad. All the same though, he added sourly within his mind, Sully is the same love-struck moron as ever.

The leverage over the native clan that Sully's predictable nature gave them was significant, and both of the scientists were assuring them that the losses sustained in the fight meant that no tribe within several hundred kilometers would be eager at all to fight them.

But he still could not shake the feeling that something was not quite right. Maybe it's that Eywa thing. Savages worshiping a sentient tree, what the hell is up with this planet?

It had taken several hours of argument for Patel and Spellman to convince him that there might be something to the native's goddess, and he had to admit, that if there was, then convincing or coercing that... Creature? Tree? Being? Convincing whatever it was that the humans intended to mine, repair, and then leave, with minimal interaction on their part with everything else if it was possible.

And if that doesn't work, we go with Thomes' solution; threaten to obliterate everything. What worried him the most was that the native's goddess would try to keep up the fight. They would be receiving some reinforcements, but not many, with the Comet's Lament, perhaps fifty or so, mostly civilians. They would not be getting more for seventh months after that.

Arriving at one of the red and orange vehicles, he clambered slowly up the handholds and into the cab, gratefully taking off his exopack after the air had cycled.

"Afternoon' boss." the driver greeted, shifting the massive machine into gear and getting them rolling towards the exist, the other three trucks of the 'convoy' moving into place behind them.

"Good Afternoon." he returned the greeting as he sat down.

The trip back to Tartarus was perfect. Bland, boring, and utterly dull. Nothing tried to eat them, nothing bounced arrows off the cab.

He spent most of the trip chatting inconsequentially with the driver, talking about if or when they were going to resume having football matches.

"I still say we have an American Football game." the driver was arguing as they pulled inside the perimeter, "I bet Kozlov and his guys would love it!"

"But we'd have to teach them all the rules, and where are we going to get the ball and the pads?" he pointed out, "Everyone already knows how to play regular football, maybe we can expand the on-base sports once more people arrive."

With a sigh of defeat the driver nodded his acquiescence, which caused him to smile and clap the man on the shoulder as he dismounted, thanking him for the ride.

Irritatingly sliding his exopack back on, he made his way down to the dirt and gazed around the base for a moment before slowly walking towards the Ops-Center.

No more meetings today, everything has been set up and organized, and now I have nothing to do but paperwork. Joy.

He sighed as he shuffled towards the building, paperwork was never something he looked forwards to. It was going to be a long day.

Date: 13:12, June 8th, 2170

Location: En Route Omaticaya Kelutral, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Katrina guided the Samson over the mining site as they headed towards the hometree. Their new security escort waved down at the miners below, and Max watched bemusedly as several men paused what they were doing to wave back.

Stretching out as best he could in the copilot's seat, he glanced around, once more amazed at the old ship's transformation. As soon as Katrina had officially joined up, they had swarmed her baby with mechanics, overhauling everything down the bolts on the panels. The odd rattle of the left turbine was gone, the screens were once more brightly lit, and a pair of brand new door guns were mounted on their usual swivel mounts. To top it all off, they had add another pair rigged up where the missile launchers had once been.

All of that and more, and her first words had been, "They didn't get me new paint? What the hell is wrong with those grease monkeys!"

The faded and badly chipped olive drab had remained, and she was still finding new ways to complain about it.

All the complaining aside, it is nice to have access to spare parts that aren't rusted and broken. That.. and having humans to relate with again. He cared greatly for the People, but all the same, at the end of the day, they were Na'vi, he was human. It was nice to be able to talk with people about science and both have them understand it almost immediately, and be able to talk about the subject.

He yawned and got comfortable for the flight, mentally reviewing their to-do list for the day. First, pick up Mo'at so that she could visit Neytiri, Jake was already on his way by ikran. After that, head over to the Tree of Souls and see if she could find out what Eywa thought about everything that had happened, before finally taking the elderly tsahik home.

Katrina seemed to be reading his mind, "With luck, we might actually be back at Tartarus by dawn."

"Dawn? We should be so lucky, probably more like lunchtime once all is said and done." he chuckled lightly.

"Think Norm can handle Neytiri all right?"

He paused to consider it, "I think she'll be fine, long as she doesn't try to escape or something. I'm much more worried about her and Jake trying to convince us to let her go back to the hometree, and she's not ready for that, not by a longshot."

A snort from the pilot, "Odds of that are nonexistent my friend. How's being the head-geek been? Haven't been able to see you much last few days."

"Not bad, all things considered." he smiled lightly, "They actually seem to listen to what I say, even Thomes, and not just dismiss it like I expected. They're even talking about getting us a fully functional lab once more reinforcements show up, either that, or maybe refurbishing the one's at Hell's Gate."

Katrina frowned lightly, "Thought they were going to reclaim that base."

He nodded, "They still might, but word from Earth or Terra, whatever they calling it, says to hold off on reclaiming Hell's Gate until they can decide about whether or not to send more scientists. They're still going to patch up the old mine site, but they might turn Hell's Gate into a research outpost."

She smiled again, "Would be nice to have a lab again, dunno how long they're going to have me flying. Probably just until more soldier-types show up, then I'm back to the lab-coats with you two."

"You don't sound disappointed." he noted.

"I'm not." a casual shrug, "I really like flying, but at least in the lab I won't have to worry about things that might want fly up and eat me, my crew, and my entire ship."

Max nodded at that, "Best thing about being at Tartarus, I have to admit, is not worrying about something trying to eat me in my sleep. No more worrying about something breaking into the shack, about an air leak that could asphyxiate me, about finding our own food."

"It is quite nice." she agreed, "How's Norm handling it?"

He paused again, considering how their tall and gawky friend had been handling the transition. "I think he feels the same, mostly. Relief at having so many worries taken away, but he's still a bit unsure about the future. He.. I mean we, dedicated a lot of our lives to the Na'vi, feels almost like we're betraying them, heading to Tartarus, you know?

She sighed and leaned back in her seat as far as she could, "Max, remember what happened these past few years. The Omaticaya didn't want us here. Hell, Jake, our friend, barely wanted us here. Personally I'm quite glad to be at Tartarus."

"No regrets?"

A very long pause, before an almost whisper, "No. Just one. Sixteen years ago now. I don't regret helping the Na'vi. I do regret not getting on that shuttle."

He glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye. She shook herself visibly and turned all of her attention to piloting.

They did not speak for the rest of the trip.

Mo'at was already waiting for them by the time they arrived, nodding to him as she very carefully climbed into the Samson, Katrina barely pausing their flight long enough for the matriarch to shout out her final instructions to the elders in charge while she and Jake were gone.

The Samson tilted as she brought it into a bank, and he heard the two Russians in the back greeting their new passenger, their accents thick.

A light smile graced his face as he heard Mo'at pause before responding, She's never heard a human that didn't have an American accent.

He pulled on his headset and turned it on so that he could speak with her, "I see you, honored tsahik."

"And I you, friend Max." he saw her nod to him through the window behind him. "How is my daughter?"

"She was doing fine when we left, still sleeping most of the time. Norm is watching over her."

"How long until she is well enough to travel?"

He sighed, So she wants her out of there as well? "At least a week. Maybe two." he said firmly.

An expressive sigh came over the comms, "I feared that that was what you would say, though I hoped for better."

"I do worry that she and Jake will not see it that way." he admitted.

"As do I," she replied, "I do not like that my daughter must remain there, healing is best done surrounded by life, but if leaving would cause her to become worse, than I must accept it, and so must they."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, roaring southwards over the trees. The Samson caught up with Jake and his ikran shortly before they reached the base, the colorful flying creature was lazily circling downwards near the edge of the perimeter, and he could see one of the recently repaired AMP suits carefully watching the olo'eyktan as he landed.

Katrina was already banking towards the landing pad, and both Jake and the AMP waved in greeting as they passed overhead before resuming their glaring match.

He sighed as they lightly touched down, donning his exopack and hopping out as Mo'at also dismounted, the two soldiers remaining behind with his friend to help run through the post-flight list.

The AMP suit slowly made its way to them as they descended the platform to the ground, the pilot careful to also keep Jake in sight as she did.

Mo'at hissed lightly as the exoskeleton approached, the snarling image of a rabid wolf glaring down at them as the suit slowed and stopped.

"Chief Patel, my orders are to escort you while you are on base, in order to prevent any incidents." the pilot's voice had a slightly clipped tone, as though she was speaking words she very much did not want to.

"Thank you Sergeant," he smiled in what he hoped was a congenial fashion. Have to keep things calm, "Let's head over to the Ops-Center then."

The AMP turned lightly and began its lumbering walk to the buildings, Jake slowly falling in next to Mo'at as the three followed the massive suit.

Jake bent over a bit so that he could mutter to Max, "Whose idea was this?"

"Thomes, I bet." he replied, then wincing, "And it's probably only a partial insult. There is a very real chance of someone trying to provoke you while you're here, having an AMP on escort duty means that no one will really want to try."

His friend grunted before straightening, Mo'at leaning down to ask questions of her own, "What manner of creature does that image depict? And why place it upon a machine?"

"It's a wolf. Kind of like their world's version of a nantang, but covered in hair, only has four legs. Why paint it on there? Same reason our warriors put on warpaint, to lend courage and to inspire fear in the enemy." Jake answered before Max could.

The AMP slowed, taking up a sentry position just outside of the bay, and then motioned for them to head inside.

Opening the door and ducking in, Norm leaped to his feet, "I see you, Jake, Mo'at!"

They both returned the greeting before turning to Neytiri, who smiled at them both and murmured greetings of her own that were gladly returned.

Max tapped Norm on the shoulder and the two left to give the three some privacy, settling down inside of the machine shop to wait.

Date: 16:42, June 8th, 2170

Location: Tartarus, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

"Mother, I can not stand to be here any longer!" her daughter snarled from her seated position.

She shook her head, irritated. She had barely finished inspecting her daughter, making sure that her wounds were truly healing, before she had begun to complain about having to be within the cold home of the tawtute.

"I do not like you having to remain here to heal, but remain here you must my daughter. We cannot bring their healing machines to our home." She watched Neytiri open her mouth to complain once more and cut her off, tone more gentle, "Toktor Patel believes that you should be ready to be moved in some days time."

The olo'eyktan shook his head, but stayed silent. Neytiri glared at her mate for a moment before hissing and laying out flat on the bed.

Mo'at felt her tail flick slowly, conveying her exhaustion with the situation. She needed to be here to be healed, so here she would stay, whether she liked it, or not. Her daughter's eyes lowered slightly in shame as she noticed her mother's disapproval.

She reached out and gently touched her daughter's face, "It will not be long until you are home with the people once more my daughter, be patient."

Stepping carefully back to the small doorway, she opened it and squeezed through it to give them some privacy before they had to leave.

Nodding respectfully to her two friends, and how strange it is to view sky people as friends she thought bemusedly, she glanced around the oddly quiet room. All of the massive machines save one were gone, and she saw a pair of tawtute arguing and gesturing near it.

Slowly moving towards the entrance, she glanced outside at the tawtute's home once more, the massive machine next to the door twisting so that its pilot could see her before resuming its guard duty.

They have changed it so much in so short a time. So many of the holes in the ground, 'trenches', Jake had called them, had been filled in, others put into new places in their stead. The damage from the fires seemed to have been healed as well.

She glanced at the machine next to her again, and at the snarling image upon its surface. She knew that she could simply ask Max'patel or Norm'spellman her questions, but she knew that the only way to find a balance between the People and the tawtute was to learn more of them.

As they told me once before, they know everything there is to know about us, yet we know nothing of them.

"Do all tawtute decorate their machines of war so?" she asked quietly.

"What the hell is a taw-toot-a?" the pilot's voice responded, sounding irritated.

It took her a moment to think of the tawtute word for themselves, "A sky person, a human."

There was a long pause, as though the woman was debating about answering or ignoring her, before she responded, "Some do. Most do."

She stood in silence for a while more, gazing at the unnatural field that they had created, before venturing another question. "Why do you fight within that machine?"

"Huh?" this time the pilot turned her monstrosity to face her, the small face of the tawtute woman was barely visible through a small slit, her dark face drawn into a frown.

"Many of our warriors do not think the warriors of the tawtute to be very brave, sheltered as you are within metal." she proceeded to explain.

A mechanical snort, "We have weapons that can tear suits like this open instantly. Hell, we have weapons on Terra that could obliterate this entire base before we realized we were under attack. It takes more bravery to fight battles on Terra than any blue-skin ever had."

Her tail flicked once, angrily. Blue-skin? She slowly calmed herself down before she asked a different question, "What is 'tear-ah'? Max'patel and the others say that you come from a world called Earth."

"Same planet, different name." the pilot shrugged slightly.

"Why change the name of your home?"

"Terra and Earth mean the same thing, just in different languages. Nobodies called it Terra for oh, about two thousand years." the pilot responded, before glancing around the base, "Why are you talking with me anyway? Gotta be something better for you to be doing."

She hesitated a bit at that, before responding truthfully, "I am trying to learn more about your people."

"Why?" the woman asked bluntly.

"Because I wish for the fighting to stop, I have seen enough death in my lifetime."

There was a long pause at that, before the tawtute responded, "I lost a lot of friends in the battle. I don't like you, and I never will. But I can understand that bit at least." the machine turned away from her, the pilot once more resuming her sentinel gazing.

The elderly matriarch glanced at the machine one last time before turning and heading back into the cool structure. The noise level had picked up, the two tawtute at the far end were doing something with the walking machine there, sparks flying like water from their small machines as they worked.

Jake had apparently finished speaking with Neytiri, and was now engaged in quietly talking with Max'patel. She moved softly over to them, listening as she did.

"-still don't see how you guys can stay here." the olo'eyktan was saying.

"Jake, we've been over this, we don't have much of a choice." from the weary tone in Max's voice, it had been something that the toktor had said many times before, "We can't stay at the hometree, you know that, and Kat is sick of living like we have been."

Norm took over at this point, "And we can't eat without a pilot for the Samson, besides, from here we can actually do some good. Thomes might be a bit of a bitch, but she's an intelligent one, and Selfridge can be reasoned with at least."

Her daughter's mate shook his head but nodded, "Fine. But don't hesitate to call John on the radio all right? I want to know the instant they do something against their word."

"We will, don't worry." Max promised before turning to her, "Tsahik. Ready to leave?"

She nodded, "Let me speak once more with my daughter and then we may depart."

Date: 22:22, June 8th, 2170

Location: Tree of Souls, Pandora, Alpha Centauri A System

Max sighed, sitting in the Samson and glancing across the deep well to where Mo'at sat, head thrown back in concentration as she joined with Eywa. Katrina was stretched out in her pilot's chair, head bowed as she napped. The two soldiers chatted in Russian as they played cards behind him.

They had been there for an hour already, and he had every reason to expect that it would once more take hours for the tsahik to interpret the mind and will of her goddess, and attempt to convince her to accept the humans and their promises.

Running a hand absently through his hair, then promptly swearing to himself as he realized what he had done, he hopped out of the helicopter and began to slowly walk around the well.

It looked as it always did at night, moss softly glowing, somehow complementing the soft color emitted from the tree itself. He was reminded of the ancient cathedrals in France that he had once visited, back when he was a grad student. The same sense of calm acceptance, the same quiet strength, pervaded here as it had done there.

Bending over to examine an interesting flower that was growing along the edge of the well, he jumped slightly when he heard Mo'at suddenly shout something.

Whipping around, he blinked as she violently tore herself from the tree, snarling in pain as she did so, before backing rapidly away from the tree and beginning to shake.

He raced over to her, glancing at the soldiers who had already leaped from the Samson and were glancing around nervously, "You two, get over here and help!"

They started, one said something in Russian to the other, and both began to run over.

"Mo'at, are you all right, what happened?" he grabbed her arm gently, trying to steady her. She shook her head slowly, gasping and panting for breath, body still shaking violently. The two Russians arrived and helped him carefully lower the very heavy woman to the ground, one of them pulling his canteen out and gently handing it to her.

She gratefully took the small container and drank, silently gulping deep breaths of air afterwords, before she finally responded, "Eywa.. is in deep pain... The deaths of so many.. she cannot think of anything but the pain of their parting. She is screaming with the agony of it."

That.. does not sound good. "Do you think.. do you think she's going to continue to fight?" he asked quietly.

"I.. I do not.. know." she panted, drinking once more, "I don not.. I do not believe so, not if this is the pain she must bear for such battles."

"But you do not know." one of the soldiers said quietly, accepting the empty canteen back, "Perhaps this shall enrage her further."

Mo'at glanced at the ground, seemingly considering her next words with care. "Perhaps.. in a few days time, I may try to speak with her again, and perhaps the Great Mother will be accepting then."

Great. This is not what I was hoping to hear at all, he sighed, "Ok. Neytiri should be ready to head back in about eight or nine days, maybe we can try again then? If you think she isn't over it though, I don't want you to try if it's going to hurt you."

This drew him a haughty glance from the elder woman, "My daughter suffers in pain, as does Eywa her self. I can bear whatever pain I must."

Nodding slowly to her, he slowly rose, "All the same, let's get you home so you can rest."

"I doubt that I shall rest much this night, the tribe must be told of her pain, and prayers must be said to ease it as best we are able."

Next up is Chapter 42: Uncertain Intentions

So, I got the new version of Avatar today, and must say I'm overall disappointed in the actual extended version, but massively amused by all of the deleted scenes (where, in one of them, Parker shuts down the Avatar program, so hell yes, I called it! :) ). I also deeply liked the addition of showing the burning dozers and killed security guys.

Anyways, here's the next chapter of my tale, turned out a bit longer than I expected to be honest, hope everyone keeps enjoying. In the next chapter we'll keep an eye on the na'vi-human relations, as well as comparing what Neytiri thinks of the humans to what her mother does.

Please Review!