News of the reached protocol spread back to the Pioneer, drawing vastly different reactions.
Asuka scoffed at the arrangement: "Huh? Go live in the tents of those blue-skinned savages? Eat raw meat? You've got to be kidding me! No way am I doing that!" She crossed her arms, her face coated in sheer distaste.
Shinji, on the other hand, appeared utterly apprehensive: "We... we have to go live within the Na'vi clan? I... I don't know what I'm supposed to do..." He worried about his inability to adapt, and equally feared being ostracized.
Only Rei remained expressionless, as if merely receiving a routine mission directive, calmly beginning to pack her minimal personal effects.
Osiris's gaze swept gently across the three young pilots, his voice carrying a guided, instructive patience: "I would like to ask for your assistance. This is highly important for our subsequent initiatives."
He looked toward Asuka, trust apparent in his eyes: "Asuka, I hope you can help observe the social architecture of the Na'vi and record their combat techniques—particularly the vector of their interaction with this miraculous environment. Your sharp observation will undoubtedly uncover many interesting details."
Turning to Shinji, his cadence grew even gentler: "Shinji, your delicate sensitivity renders you highly suited for learning the Na'vi language. Try to comprehend their emotions and cognitive patterns; I believe you can establish a genuine line of communication with them."
Finally, he gave a slight nod to Rei: "Rei, I hope to leverage your unique sensory aptitude to engage in a deeper interaction with the Eywa consciousness network. Simultaneously, I need you to ensure our communications remain unimpeded. These observations and comprehensions are critical to our understanding of Pandora and the formulation of our future operational trajectory."
His gaze ultimately returned to Asuka, a trace of an understanding smile flitting across the corner of his mouth: "And I suspect an assignment like this ought to be far more interesting than remaining cooped up inside the base all the time, don't you think?"
Asuka puckered her lips but offered no further rebuttal, effectively giving her tacit consent.
Dr. Grace Augustine prepared some foundational survival provisions and amicable gifts for them—primarily harmless plant seeds non-native to Pandora, alongside several exquisite, non-metallic handcrafted articles. She repeatedly adjured the trio to respect the customs of the Na'vi, maintaining patience and an open mindset.
On the day of departure, Osiris transferred the dimensional tesseract containing the sealed Hometree to Rei. The metallic cube felt exceptionally heavy at this moment, for it bore the spiritual anchor of an entire race.
"Mission priority: First, ensure the secure return of the Hometree and establish initial trust. Second, gather all actionable intelligence. Third, guarantee your personal safety," Osiris briefed them one last time. "Maine's squad will escort you to a secure zone twenty kilometers removed from the Na'vi's new settlement. From that point on, you must traverse the remaining path on your own. This is a necessary measure to display our sincerity."
"Understood," Rei responded placidly, accepting the dimensional tesseract.
Asuka inspected her issued non-lethal equipment—predominantly flare signals, first-aid kits, and various recording instruments—muttering, "Let's just hope those blue-skinned guys understand hospitality."
Shinji took a deep breath, laboring to steady his nerves.
Under the escort of Maine, Dorio, and a Sentinel mech piloted by Valerie, the team boarded a modified ground transport vehicle. Leaving the relatively secure base-controlled sector behind, they drove out into the vast and hazardous Pandoran jungle.
The first half of the journey proceeded relatively smoothly. The presence of the Sentinel mech deterred the majority of medium-to-large predators. They traversed bioluminescent forests, forded torrentially rushing rivers, and progressively neared the coordinate zone provided by the Na'vi.
As their destination approached, the surrounding scenery turned increasingly magnificent and bizarre. Colossal helical trees pierced straight into the sky, and the atmosphere was saturated with a dense aura of vitality. However, an inexplicable sense of oppression also began to permeate the team.
"Something feels off," Dorio spoke suddenly, her sharp gaze sweeping the surrounding forest zone, which was far too quiet. "It's too still. There aren't even signs of small organism activity."
Maine immediately raised his hand, signaling the convoy to halt. Unholstering his binoculars, he scrutinized a narrow valley directly ahead that served as their mandatory passage. "Signs of an ambush. There are recent tracks of multiple individuals passing through on the ground, but the methodology is crude—not like experienced hunters."
"Is it the Na'vi?" Rebecca shouldered her heavy weaponry, itching to try it out.
"Uncertain," Maine's brow furrowed tightly. "If it's the Na'vi, why would they set an ambush on the path arranged for the Hometree's return? This doesn't align with Eytukan and Seze's operational style."
Right at that moment, Rei, who had been keeping her eyes closed as if sensing something, abruptly snapped them open. A faint light flashed across her crimson irises: "Malice. Emandating from ahead—and the flanks. It is not a familiar consciousness fluctuation."
Practically the exact same instant her words fell, a sudden anomaly erupted!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several bone arrows coated in dark pigments—evidentially intended to mask their trajectory—shot out violently from the dense canopies on both sides of the valley! Their target was not to inflict personnel casualties, but to precisely strike the tires and engine compartments of the transport vehicle! Simultaneously, several massive boulders were shoved down from the hillsides, rumbling as they rolled toward the convoy in an attempt to sever their path of retreat.
"Enemy attack! Take cover!" Maine roared, instantly raising his weapon to return fire, sending plasma beams toward the source of the arrows.
The Sentinel mech commanded by Valerie instantly went active. Its massive chassis interposed itself in front of the transport vehicle, deflecting several arrows with its armor plate while its shoulder weapon platform elevated, locking onto the attackers on the hillside.
The ambushers had clearly not anticipated a Sentinel mech within the escort detail, let much less that the adversary's counteraction would be so rapid. A brief commotion rippled through the ambush node.
"Suppressing fire only, no lethal strikes! Disperse them!" Maine commanded. He suspected this might be the work of a disparate faction internal to the Na'vi; recklessly causing casualties would thoroughly unravel the fragile protocol.
Rebecca clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction but adjusted her weapon settings regardless, blanketing the zone where the attackers concealed themselves with flashbangs and tear gas canisters. The roar of detonations and acrid smoke instantly saturated the valley.
Amidst the chaos, the silhouettes of the attackers appeared sporadically through the thickets. They indeed possessed the tall, blue physiques of the Na'vi, but their attire diverged drastically from the style of the Omaticaya clan; their faces were smeared with far more sinister war paint, and the bone ornaments adorning their bodies were significantly more rugged and primitive.
"They aren't Omaticaya people!" Dorio shouted while maintaining fire.
Just then, an attacker who appeared to be a chieftain stood upon a high vantage point, unleashing a long howl filled with hatred and defiance in the Na'vi tongue. Though the accent was somewhat peculiar, Rei and Shinji could still barely decipher a few of the words:
"—Traitors! —Sky People's lapdogs! —Defilers of the Sacred Tree!"
Before the echoes of his voice could fade, a denser rain of arrows and throwing spears cascaded down. This time, the trajectory was aligned directly toward Rei, who held the dimensional tesseract!