"Not all... Sky People... wish for this," Rei tried to explain. She pointed to herself, then in the direction of the cave. "We... do not cut trees. We... seek... a way to coexist."
"Coexist?" Sutai seemed stung by the word. A profound sorrow flashed in her golden eyes, quickly replaced by intense skepticism. "You Sky People... once said you wanted to coexist as well!"
Her voice trembled with suppressed emotion, the neural queue behind her head swaying slightly due to her emotional fluctuations.
"A long time ago, at Dr. Grace's school, they taught us your language and showed us pictures of your world. They said it was 'understanding' and 'sharing.' Some of us, including me, believed!" She gestured toward the Hometree, then suddenly pointed sharply in the general direction of the RDA base.
"But what was the result?" her voice shook. "Your machines still came, pushing down our Hometree, dispersing the sacred beasts with fire and thunder, tearing open the skin of the Great Mother!"
"Those who promised 'coexistence'—where are their voices? Where are their promises?"
She locked her gaze onto Rei, as if trying to find proof on her face of something different from the betrayers in her memory. "The trust was destroyed by your own hands!"
"Eywa witnessed all of this. She will not easily believe sweet words again. The blood shed by our clan's warriors also makes it impossible for them to believe!"
Just then, the shrieks of Ikrans and the clear shouts of Na'vi warriors echoed from the distance. The patrol was rapidly approaching the area.
Sutai's expression changed instantly; her previous agitation was immediately replaced by the present danger. She took a quick step forward, lowering her voice to an urgent warning: "Go! Now! They will not listen to any explanations. If they see you, there will only be slaughter!"
She glanced at the small bundle on the ground, then looked deeply into Rei's eyes. It was a highly complex gaze, mixing lingering anger, a remnant of the pain of broken promises, and an undeniable warning.
"Next time... do not come back! If they find you... you will die, and I will..." Her voice cut off, the unspoken implication crystal clear—she too would face terrible consequences for contacting the Sky People.
She bent down quickly, grabbed the small bundle without further hesitation, turned agilely, and vanished into the dense bioluminescent foliage, her figure swiftly swallowed by the forest.
The second contact came to an abrupt halt in a tense atmosphere. The risk was incredibly high, but it was not entirely without gain.
Sutai had accepted the gifts. More importantly, she had revealed crucial historical information—the Na'vi were not born hostile; they had once tried to trust and interact, but the RDA's betrayal and destruction completely shattered the foundation of that trust. Her personal dilemma was also clearer: past trauma and the strict stance of the tribe bound her tightly.
After the group safely returned to the outpost, Osiris listened carefully to the report.
"She accepted the gifts and mentioned the shattered promises of 'coexistence' from the past," Rei summarized, stating the facts in her flat tone. "This indicates she understands and once partially accepted the Sky People's culture, but the RDA's actions destroyed the basis of trust. She is now trapped in a dual dilemma of historical trauma and tribal pressure."
"It seems that merely showing goodwill and empty promises will only conjure bad memories," Osiris mused, his fingertips tapping rhythmically on the edge of the console as he fell into thought. "Once trust collapses, rebuilding it requires concrete, physical evidence that directly impacts their experience. We need to let her, or other Na'vi like her, see specific, 'different' actions."
His gaze swept over the report of the Hellfire Squad's successful operation sent by Maine—representing force and efficiency—and then looked at the analysis of Sutai's conflicted mindset and historical wounds brought back by Rei's team. The progress of the open and covert tracks intertwined to reveal a clearer picture.
The RDA's demonstration of force brought physical pressure while cementing the Na'vi's hostility, whereas the historical cracks and individual struggles revealed in Rei's communication pointed to a potential breakthrough.
"Next step," Osiris spoke slowly, his gaze landing on the stream of Pandora's ecological data displayed on the main screen. "We need to find a key node that can simultaneously bridge the past and the present."
He turned to Rei, his eyes focused.
"Dr. Grace Augustine," he calmly uttered the name. "According to the intel Maine obtained from the RDA and your report just now, she was the head of the early contact program and the core figure of the Avatar program. She understands Na'vi culture, established the initial trust, and witnessed firsthand how it all collapsed."
He stepped to the console, pulling up the limited files on the Avatar program.
"Find her. She is one of the few who deeply understands the Na'vi while still holding a certain position within the RDA system. Her attitude toward the Na'vi is clearly at odds with the current RDA leadership's policy. This division is the exact entry point we can exploit."
"Your goal is..." Rei asked calmly.
"Several aspects," Osiris analyzed. "First, through her, we can gain a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of the Na'vi social structure, belief systems, and especially the essence of their connection to 'Eywa.' This far exceeds our current scattered observations."
"Second, the Avatar technology itself—a technology that allows human consciousness to fully adapt to and control a Na'vi body." He paused, a technician's analytical gleam flashing in his eyes. "The principles of biological neural connection within this technology could be of extremely high value for our understanding of consciousness fields and even for optimizing our own interface technology."
He looked at the members of Rei's team.
"Contacting her carries a relatively manageable risk compared to directly contacting the highly guarded Na'vi clans. Try to understand her view on the current situation and her judgment on the possibility of rebuilding communication. If possible, obtain more detailed technical data on the Avatar project. She might be someone who hasn't completely given up on the concept of 'coexistence,' and she is the key figure who can remind Na'vi like Sutai of a time when there wasn't only hostility."
"Understood." Rei nodded, her red eyes reflecting the faint glow of the screen, accepting this more challenging new task.
Shinji looked thoughtful, feeling that finding this former bridge figure might indeed bring a turning point. Asuka raised an eyebrow, showing a mix of curiosity and scrutiny toward contacting another "Sky People" scientist.
With a light tap on the console, Osiris highlighted Dr. Grace's known limited information and activity areas.
"This line will run parallel to our direct contact with the Na'vi. The information obtained from her will help us more accurately assess how deep the fractures in Na'vi society truly run, and just how much value our 'bargaining chips' hold."
On the chessboard, a new piece was quietly picked up. Its landing point was directed straight at the core of that history of broken trust, and also at a key technology that could alter the entire board. Osiris's strategy was extending into a deeper and more fundamental layer.