Simultaneously, Osiris enhanced his "constructive" influence over the RDA's military capabilities.
Through Mann, he presented a series of tactical recommendations to Colonel Quaritch aimed at reinforcing the base's defensive perimeter. These included:
Establishing an advanced energy-sensing fence matrix across key operational sectors outside the base to prevent a massive breach by large wildlife swarms.
Stockpiling high-yield area-denial armaments, such as fuel-air explosives and sonic pulse generators, to counter a potential "fauna siege."
Expanding the patrol radii and response times of the aerial assets to ensure absolute air superiority during an ecological counteroffensive, enabling preemptive strikes on heavy wildlife staging grounds.
Colonel Quaritch gladly accepted the vast majority of these proposals, as they aligned perfectly with his military philosophy of completely eradicating threats. What he did not know, however, was that these precise measures were designed to absorb the inevitable shock of the planet-wide ecological retaliation that Jake Sully would eventually provoke from Eywa.
Standing before the central command console, Osiris observed the blinking telemetry trackers marking Jake Sully's operational zone, alongside a simplified analytical breakdown of the internal faction dynamics within the Omaticaya tribe. Underneath the illusion of chaos, the theater of war was advancing precisely along his pre-calculated trajectory.
Jake Sully—this unmitigated traitor to his species—was working for him with astonishing efficiency, completely oblivious to his true role.
Jake's integration into Na'vi society had deepened significantly. He had not only mastered the language and hunting doctrines but, under Neytiri's direct guidance, had begun attempting to tame an Ikran—the apex predator of the Pandoran skies. The trial was laden with lethal peril, yet it was this exact display of raw bravado that won over a portion of the Na'vi, particularly the younger generation.
When he finally succeeded in breaking a vibrant, multicolored Ikran to his will and became a respected "Flyer," his standing within the Omaticaya underwent a profound metamorphosis. He was no longer merely a "Dreamwalker" to be observed and cross-examined; he was increasingly integrated as a true member of the clan. In the eyes of certain younger Na'vi, he represented an entirely new perspective and future trajectory.
Yet, this newly acquired validation and trust acted as a violent catalyst, widening the pre-existing fractures within the tribe.
The militant faction led by Tsu'tey was thoroughly incensed that a "Sky Person" had managed to become a Flyer, viewing it as an absolute desecration of their sacred traditions. The friction between them, Eytukan's conservative royalists, and the orthodox traditionalists led by Neytiri and Mo'at grew increasingly volatile.
Conversely, Seze's minor faction, caught in the middle of this rapidly sharpening polarization, leaned even more explicitly toward cementing their alliance with the "special Sky People," desperately searching for a path that bypassed complete species eradication.
Meanwhile, the RDA's territorial expansion pressed forward relentlessly.
Backed by Colonel Quaritch's iron-fisted policy and the advanced technical data supplied by the exploration team, new strip-mining sectors were continuously broken open. Colossal excavators roared day and night like ravenous behemoths, devouring the soil of Pandora.
Inevitably, the perimeter of the mining operations drew dangerously close to the core sanctuary of the Omaticaya clan: Hometree—the magnificent, towering titan suspended in the air by the powerful magnetic anomalies of the rich unobtanium deposit beneath its roots.
Parker Selfridge stared at the latest geological survey, his face a complex mixture of raw greed and looming anxiety. "The grade of this vein is unbelievable—and it's sitting directly underneath those blue monkeys' big tree. We have to secure it, Miles."
Colonel Quaritch's approach was far more direct and unyielding. "Then we move them out. If they won't comply, we roll right over them. That tree is their spiritual center. Vaporize it, and you break their spine once and for all."
The operational deployment order for Hell's Gate was drafted shortly thereafter. A dedicated task force comprising Hellfire squadrons and heavy AMP suit divisions was assigned to establish a forward staging ground right outside Hometree, executing a demonstration of overwhelming force while demanding the immediate relocation of the Omaticaya clan within a strict deadline. Everyone understood that this was effectively a final ultimatum.
The intelligence slipped through Seze's clandestine channel, compounded by internal RDA movements flagged by Dr. Grace's laboratory, and was rapidly routed back to the Pioneer.
"Kinetic conflict is now unavoidable," Rei stated during her status report. "The RDA intends to seize the superconductor deposit underneath Hometree. Within the Na'vi ranks, the militant faction led by Tsu'tey is highly agitated, Eytukan remains paralyzed by indecision, and Seze's cell is spiraling into absolute despair."
Osiris listened with cold detachment. The flashpoint had arrived.
In the original sequence of events, the destruction of Hometree was the ultimate trigger that drove Jake Sully to permanently defect to the Na'vi, culminating in him rallying Eywa for a total counteroffensive. This time, Osiris would not allow the tree to be casually leveled. The titan itself, along with the superconductor deposit feeding its roots, possessed immense research value. More importantly, it would serve as an irreplaceable piece of leverage in his future "cooperation" protocols with the Na'vi.
He immediately broadcasted his directives. "Mann, coordinate with Rei and initiate a formal intervention with Colonel Quaritch. Emphasize that Hometree, alongside its unique floating ecology, constitutes an irreplaceable baseline sample for our ongoing 'ecological and consciousness-field research.' Present a tactical recommendation to preserve the specimen intact during the military push rather than executing total demolition."
As the RDA armor rolled into position outside Hometree, deploying massive bulldozers and heavy AMP suits into a menacing blockade formation, Mann and Rei (the latter joining via remote link as a technical research advisor) requested an emergency conference with Colonel Quaritch.
"Colonel," Mann spoke in a measured, heavy baritone. "We acknowledge the operational necessity of this push. However, the macro-flora occupying the target sector—specifically its unique levitation mechanics and its latent structural ties to the local neural consciousness network—is the foundational anchor of our Pandoran network research. Total demolition will result in an irreversible loss of vital scientific data."
Colonel Quaritch frowned, thoroughly unimpressed by the convoluted academic jargon of the scientists. "That tree is the psychological backbone of the Na'vi. Leaving it standing gives them a monument to rally around. My mission is to neutralize the threat permanently, not to manage a botanical garden for your department."
Rei's detached, melodic voice cut through the comm-link. "Preserving the specimen does not compromise your strategic objective. Once the indigenous population is cleared out, our division will seize absolute custody of the sample for containment and analysis. Complete obliteration yields zero functional utility beyond a display of raw emotion—and it risks triggering an unquantifiable ecological backlash."
Quaritch glanced at Mann, weighing the massive tactical advantages and elite training their specialized group had consistently delivered to his security forces. He hesitated. He fundamentally required their continued collaboration, and truthfully, he harbored a grim curiosity to see exactly what capabilities these mysterious "seekers of knowledge" possessed.
"Fine," Quaritch finally conceded, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. "I'll give your outfit one shot. If you can figure out a way to haul that several-hundred-meter-tall weed and the rock pinned to its roots completely out of the theater before my boys trade fire with those blue bastards, I'll let you have it. Otherwise, if it's blocking the dig or the ore extraction, I'm blowing it into toothpicks."
He did not believe for a single second that anyone could physically relocate an object of such staggering mass; to him, it was merely an impossible concession designed to shut them up.
"We appreciate your flexibility, Colonel. We will implement the necessary adjustments," Mann responded evenly, treating the task as though it were a routine technical hurdle.
The confirmation flashed back to the Pioneer. On Osiris's face, there was not a trace of surprise. He had already prepared the definitive solution.
It was an exotic artifact sourced directly from his original body on Necromunda, transmitted across reality via hyper-dimensional engineering protocols: a dense metallic cube roughly the size of a standard briefcase, its dark alloy chassis etched with complex, glowing patterns of runic energy. This was a simplified, engineered reproduction of the sub-dimensional pocket technologies mastered by his true self—an artifact capable of stabilizing a localized pocket dimension large enough to encapsulate Hometree and the entire floating mass anchoring its root matrix.
"Initiate Project Transplantation," Osiris commanded.