Within Osiris's cognitive framework, the RDA's short-sighted, greedy, and inefficient operational style was indeed detestable. They not only lacked long-term strategic vision but also shattered potential foundations for cooperation, turning simple resource acquisition into a troublesome counter-insurgency war—a foolish act that any competent commander would despise.
However, this detestation did not alter his deep-seated vigilance and alienation toward non-human species. The Na'vi, no matter how unique their culture and ecology, were first and foremost "xenos" in his eyes. If these blue-skinned natives could recognize the situation and demonstrate the value and sincerity of cooperation, he wouldn't mind finding a place for them as "sanctioned abhumans" or a "protected client species" within his plans—under the absolute prerequisite that their existence and resources must serve broader human interests.
But if they remained obstinate, stubbornly using the planet's ecology and the consciousness field named "Eywa" as a barrier to obstruct the rational exploitation and utilization of resources—then clearing away these obsolete obstacles and searching for or "manufacturing" more suitable cooperative partners (whether by fracturing the Na'vi from within or propping up alternative factions) would be the natural course of action.
In his calculations, efficiency and results always took precedence over processes and means. This was not limited to the Na'vi; it applied equally to the RDA. Currently, they still possessed utility—serving as a shield to draw fire, a channel for local intelligence, and labor for early-stage mining.
But once they lost their value, or if their very existence became an obstacle to acquiring core resources, Osiris would not hesitate to replace or absorb them. His mind was clear and cold, like the rotation of precise gears. Emotional likes or dislikes could never sway judgments based on logic and interest. The current dual-track strategy was the very embodiment of this thinking: utilize the RDA, test the Na'vi, and simultaneously search for or construct the "key node" that could achieve the goal with maximum efficiency. Whether it was cooperation or elimination, these were merely different path options to realize the ultimate objective.
"The information provided by Dr. Grace is highly valuable," Osiris finally spoke, his voice steady. "It clarifies the scale of the obstacles we face and hints at potential opportunities—the Na'vi are not a monolith, and 'actions' speak louder than 'words.'"
His gaze grew sharp. "The two tracks require closer integration. Maine, your military cooperation with the RDA must continue, but you must begin consciously gathering plans of any destructive operations they might undertake in the future—especially actions that could severely escalate conflicts or cause irreversible damage to Pandora's ecology. We need early warnings, and we must even consider limited, covert intervention if necessary."
He looked at Rei Ayanami's team. "You must maintain this line with Dr. Grace. She is an important source of information and could potentially become an 'internal coordinator' of sorts in the future. Meanwhile, adjust your contact strategy with Sutai by combining the information she provided regarding the internal situation of the Na'vi. For the next contact, you can attempt to convey more specific information—for example, hinting that we are aware of certain RDA plans and that we hold a different stance."
Osiris's strategy was becoming more refined and proactive. No longer satisfied with mere observation and testing, he was preparing to leverage information asymmetry and impending events to actively shape the situation. He sought to exploit the pressure exerted by the RDA while beginning to establish a limited separation from them, thereby demonstrating a "difference" to the Na'vi—or at least to individuals like Sutai among them.
Within the Pathfinder mobile base, Osiris's strategy was swiftly translated into operational directives. In his subsequent interactions with Colonel Quaritch, Maine paid closer attention to the military operation plans revealed in their conversations. Leveraging their growing trust and shared professional language, Maine managed to learn that the RDA security department was planning a "clearing operation" targeting a critical hunting ground of the Omaticaya clan.
The justification was that Na'vi frequently attacked RDA prospecting teams there, and underground scans indicated a high-purity deposit of Unobtanium. The operation would deploy the newly formed Hellfire Squad and several AMP suits, intending to force the Na'vi to abandon the area by demonstrating overwhelming force.
"The scale of this operation far exceeds previous patrols and defensive skirmishes," Maine reported to Osiris. "Quaritch intends to use this to completely dismantle the Na'vi's operational capability in the area, paving the way for subsequent mining. If successful, it will drastically infuriate the Omaticaya clan, potentially escalating into an all-out conflict."
Almost simultaneously, Rei Ayanami's team cross-verified this intelligence through Dr. Grace's indirect channels and Lucy's monitoring and analysis of unencrypted RDA communications.
"The time has come," Osiris made the judgment in the main control room. This offensive action by the RDA was both a crisis and an opportunity to show their "difference" to the Na'vi.
The key lay in how to convey the warning to Sutai and convince her (or those she could influence) that this warning came from the "other side" of the Sky People, allowing them to minimize their losses in the impending conflict and thus establish a preliminary, twisted form of "trust."
The mission was once again handed to Rei Ayanami's team. They needed to slip into the Hometree area for a third, and highly risky, time to seek an opportunity to contact Sutai and somehow pass on the intelligence that the RDA was about to attack their vital hunting ground.
This time, Osiris gave clearer instructions: "There is no need to disclose the details of our intelligence source. Simply let her know that different 'Sky People' are aware of this and hope they can prepare in advance to minimize pointless casualties. Emphasize that this is unrelated to the RDA's official actions."
With this dangerous mission, Rei Ayanami, Asuka, and Shinji Ikari set out once more. The atmosphere was far more solemn than the previous two times. They all knew that if they were discovered or if the information transmission failed, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Relying on Rei's perception of the consciousness field and her memory of the routes, they carefully evaded several increased Na'vi patrols and arrived once more near the familiar woodland on the outskirts of Hometree. However, this time, they waited for a much longer period, yet Sutai never showed up.
"Could something have happened to her? Or is she too afraid to come back?" Shinji Ikari asked, lowering his voice in worry.
"Wait a bit longer," Rei said, closing her eyes to sense the bioelectric signals flowing around them. "Her emotional imprint... is still nearby, but very weak. She seems to be deliberately evading us."
Asuka looked impatiently at the dense bioluminescent plants around them. "We can't just wait here forever; it's too dangerous. What if... we actively make some noise to draw her out?"
"No," Rei rejected immediately. "The uncontrollable risks are too high."