Chapter 638: The Na'vi
Just as they were considering whether to abort this contact, Rei Ayanami-kun suddenly opened her eyes and looked toward a rocky outcropping entwined with massive vines off to their rear flank.
"Over there... intense emotional fluctuations. It is Tsu'tey. She is... deeply anxious, seemingly hesitating."
They immediately shifted positions toward that direction with silent haste.
Beneath the shadow of the rocks, they indeed spotted Tsu'tey.
She was not engaged in memorial rites, but pacing back and forth with agitation, the neural queue behind her head swaying restlessly.
When she saw Rei Ayanami-kun and the other two emerge from the tree line, she did not immediately warn them away as she had before. Instead, she halted in her tracks, looking at them with a complex gaze—guarded, yet tinged with a faint trace of... anticipation?
"You... truly returned," Tsu'tey's voice was very low and fraught with tension. "I feel it... the forest is not at peace. Eywa warns us... something terrible is coming."
Rei Ayanami-kun stepped forward, fixing her gaze upon Tsu'tey and cutting straight to the heart of the matter, projecting a serene and earnest consciousness wave to the best of her ability: "Yes. Something terrible. The RDA—the Sky People who cut the trees—plan to assault your hunting grounds in the eastern river valley. Very soon."
Tsu'tey's body shuddered violently, her golden eyes contracting instantly.
"The eastern valley? How could you know this?!" Her voice carried sheer shock and disbelief.
"We... have our ways," Rei Ayanami-kun replied according to the operational plan. "We tell you because we... do not wish to see pointless deaths. This operation has nothing to do with us."
Tsu'tey stared intensely at Rei Ayanami-kun, as if trying to detect any trace of deception upon that impassive face.
"Why? You are Sky People too! Why help us?"
"We told you," Asuka could not resist interjecting, her tone carrying its characteristic sharpness. "We are not with those hypocrites! They break their oaths, and we find it disgusting! Believe it or not, it's up to you!"
Shinji-kun gathered his resolve, looking earnestly at Tsu'tey: "Please... please believe us. Prepare in advance. At the very least... you can steer the hunting party away, or minimize the losses."
Tsu'tey's gaze swept back and forth across the three faces. She could feel the genuine composure radiating from Rei Ayanami-kun, see the undisguised disgust in Asuka's eyes toward the loggers, and sense Shinji-kun's clumsy yet heartfelt concern.
This was entirely distinct from every concept of the Sky People she held in her memories.
Distant sounds of a patrol party echoed once more, noticeably closer than before.
A look of inner struggle flashed across Tsu'tey's face. Finally, as if reaching a firm resolution, she spoke in an urgent whisper: "The message... I will carry it. But you... leave! Right now! No matter the outcome, do not contact me again! It is too dangerous!"
With that, without waiting for Rei Ayanami-kun's reply, she spun around and bounded away, vanishing into the shadows of the rocks and vines within several fluid leaps—far swifter than any previous encounter.
The intelligence had been delivered.
What remained was to see how the Na'vi would react, and what kind of outcome the RDA's offensive would yield.
Rei Ayanami-kun's squad did not dare linger, immediately following their predetermined withdrawal corridor to slip quietly out of this perilous sector.
War Council at Hell's Gate
Inside the tactical command center at Hell's Gate, the atmosphere carried the chill of impending battle.
Colonel Quaritch stood before the holographic map, red tactical assault vectors pointing straight toward the primary Na'vi hunting grounds designated as the "Eastern Valley."
Beside him stood Maine, alongside Sergeant Reynolds, commander of the Hellfire Squad, who had just concluded the pre-mission briefing.
"Intelligence confirms the primary hunting parties of the Omaticaya clan have been active in this sector frequently," Quaritch tapped a finger against the core area of the valley on the map. "The terrain is fractured and heavily forested—ideal for those blue monkeys to wage guerrilla warfare. But this time, we draw them out, or... box them in and wipe them out."
He turned to Maine with an expression blending professional trust and lingering evaluation: "Maine, the new gear and tactical drills you provided are the linchpin of this operation. Hellfire Squad will serve as the spearhead, utilizing sensors for early detection, executing rapid drops, and delivering surgical strikes."
Maine remained composed, nodding slightly: "Tactical deployment is complete. The sensor grid covers primary entry vectors and potential withdrawal routes. Hellfire Squad has mastered the operational profiles of the new weaponry and completed specialized jungle assault drills."
He understood clearly that this operation was an integral component of Ryo's broader strategic design—a necessary step to apply operational pressure. Yet as a professional soldier, his execution of the mission remained entirely focused.
"Outstanding," Quaritch gave a satisfied grunt. "Prep the units for departure. I want Parker to see what real efficiency looks like. I want those Na'vi to understand the game of hide-and-seek is over."
The Council under Hometree
Simultaneously, beneath the colossal canopy of Hometree, tension mounted to a fever pitch.
After receiving the warning from Rei Ayanami-kun, Tsu'tey had undergone intense internal deliberation before ultimately relaying the message to her mate—a hunter of considerable renown within the clan—who passed it up to the clan leader, Eytukan.
Inside the council circle, where glowing Woodsprites drifted on the gentle breeze, Eytukan listened to the account, his golden eyes burning with suspicion and fury.
"A warning from Sky People?" His voice rumbled like distant thunder. "Why should we place our faith in the words of another Sky Person? This could easily be another deception—an attempt to lure us away, or strike from an unguarded flank while our guard is down!"
Standing on the periphery of the gathering and enduring the mistrustful glares of her kin, Tsu'tey gathered her courage and stepped forward, the neural queue behind her head trembling with tension: "Eytukan, the one who carried the message... that Sky Person girl, she is different. She can... she can directly resonate with the whispers of Eywa. I believe her warning is genuine. The Eastern Valley... our hunting parties are there, and young warriors are learning to hunt. We cannot afford the risk."
Another prominent war leader within the clan, renowned for his martial prowess—Tsu'tey (the fierce young warrior who held absolute hatred for the Sky People)—shouted back in fierce refutation: "Retreat? Abandon our hunting grounds over an unverified warning from an unknown source? That is the path of cowards! If the Sky People dare step foot there, let them taste our spears and arrows! Eywa will protect her warriors!"
The gathering locked in a tense stalemate. Eytukan faced a tactical dilemma.
Placing blind faith in a Sky Person's warning seemed weak, yet ignoring a verified threat risked squandering the lives of his people needlessly.
Ultimately, he settled upon a compromised, highly aggressive posture.
"We will not surrender our hunting grounds, but we will not walk in unprepared," Eytukan's voice cut through the arguments. "Tsu'tey, dispatch messengers immediately to contact the neighboring Tipani clan. Inform them that the Sky People intend to trespass upon our shared hunting territory. We will lay an ambush in the valley, and make the intruders pay in blood!"
He did not choose evasion; he chose a joint counter-offensive.
This command drew cheers from the majority of the warriors—especially the militant faction led by the young warrior Tsu'tey—yet it cast a darker shadow across the grieving mother Tsu'tey's heart.
She intuitively sensed that far more blood was about to be spilled.