Chirp—chirp—!
The crisp calls of unknown birds echoed intermittently, resounding through Pandora's dense and primordial rainforest.
Bright starlight filtered through the layered canopy, scattering dappled light and shadow across the forest floor, creating what looked like a pattern of "dancing light spots."
Towering ancient trees rose from the ground, their thick branches reaching for the skies, while their foliage formed a dense mesh that obscured almost everything in view. Only occasional glimpses of azure sky could be seen through the gaps.
Colorful plants swayed gently in the wind, some even adorned with strange glowing patterns that faintly flickered. The ambient hum of insects all around combined with the glowing plants to create an atmosphere that was tranquil yet filled with mystery.
From time to time, uniquely-shaped creatures could be spotted darting between the trees, adding an aura of vitality and endless wonder to the rainforest.
It must be said, Pandora's rainforest was an exceptionally rare gem in the universe, exuding a raw, unadulterated beauty that brimmed with mystery.
Rustle, rustle.
At this moment, a faint commotion arose from the depths of the forest. As vegetation gently swayed, a squad of heavily armed "soldiers" emerged.
They advanced cautiously in a dispersed formation, their movements almost completely silent.
Even on the damp, moss-covered ground, their steps remained steady. Though their helmets concealed their faces, it wasn't hard to imagine their sharp eyes scanning their surroundings with vigilance.
These armed personnel wore sealed combat suits, accompanied by black-colored armor with white accents on certain details.
The emblem of the Shadowmoon Wolf Legion was prominently engraved on their chest plates—a howling wolf's head, symbolizing cold ferocity and strength.
Their shoulder plates bore the insignia of a skull, dagger, and flames crossed together, clearly identifying them as ruthless, elite fighters.
All signs indicated that these soldiers were members of the Helljumpers (ODST) from the Shadowmoon Wolf Legion's 2nd Company.
As reconnaissance operatives, their individual equipment was outfitted with optical camouflage functionality. However, they had not activated this feature at the moment, opting to conserve energy for potential sudden encounters.
Their gear also came equipped with pulse-scanning and dynamic detection capabilities, allowing them to monitor environmental movements within a fifty-meter radius in real time.
Should any threat or enemy approach, their helmets' mini radar would issue immediate alerts, ensuring they could activate their optical camouflage at a moment's notice and seamlessly blend into their surroundings.
As for their weapons, they all carried Gauss rifles.
Although the standard-issue weapons for the ODST were hard-light firearms, these Helljumpers, who were known for their preference for direct assaults and a "brutal aesthetics" combat style, favored Gauss weaponry for its tremendous impact and precision.
Gauss weapons not only delivered effective blows against heavy armor but also provided overwhelming firepower in complex terrains, allowing the ODST to strike decisively and fatally when their targets were least prepared.
The ODST scouts moved cautiously, mindful of not startling any nearby alien creatures.
They crouched slightly, lowering their profiles, and swiftly weaved their way between the massive tree roots and thick vines.
Their breathing sounds were automatically muffled by their helmets, leaving only the faint rustling of leaves as the rainforest seemed to whisper around them.
Before long, the ODST team navigated through the dense jungle and arrived at a vantage point on a cliff.
They carefully approached the cliff's edge, keeping their movements steady and their profiles low to maintain concealment.
Using the captain's helmet-enhanced vision system, the entire panorama of the rainforest ahead came into view.
Below them, the terrain sharply dropped off into a vast expanse of overlapping rainforest canopy, forming a lush, green barrier that exuded a sense of tranquility and solemnity.
In the farthest reaches of their view, approximately ten kilometers away, stood the sacred site revered by the Na'vi:
The "City of the Sacred Tree."
The Na'vi named their city after the "Sacred Tree" not only because of their deep reverence for the rainforest but also because, in the center of the captain's display, a towering ancient tree—at least two kilometers tall—stood like a giant spear piercing the heavens.
Its sprawling branches formed natural bridges, supporting various treehouse structures of different sizes. These treehouses clung to the tree in a harmonious arrangement that seemed to merge with nature itself.
The towering and enigmatic Sacred Tree radiated an aura of solemnity, as if it were untouchable and sacred.
On the upper left of the captain's helmet display, the mini radar marked friendly forces as green dots, indicating that over three hundred comrades had already infiltrated the area.
Half of them were veteran elites from the Shadowmoon Wolf Legion's 2nd Company.
Seasoned and battle-hardened, these soldiers were adept in reconnaissance and combat, and they had set up defensive positions in the vicinity, refraining from making rash moves.
Given the sheer scale of the City of the Sacred Tree and the massive population of over a million Na'vi, launching a hasty assault would yield no benefits.
While the Na'vi's technological level was primitive, their physical strength, speed, and reflexes were on par with lightly-armored Tyrants.
Their bows and arrows could easily pierce the armor of regular soldiers.
The commander of the Shadowmoon Wolf Legion's 2nd Company had deliberately avoided deploying any biological or mechanical reconnaissance units, focusing instead on gathering sufficient "evidence" to prove that the Na'vi might be colluding with the malevolent forces of the Warp.
Once clear evidence was found, the commander would waste no time signaling the fleet to authorize a devastating saturation bombardment on the entire City of the Sacred Tree.
Even if no conclusive evidence was uncovered, the Helljumpers and veteran elites would make their way into the City of the Sacred Tree "openly," merely waiting for the Na'vi to reveal their hostility.
Any act of resistance, no matter how minor, would serve as the perfect justification for the commander to request fire support from the fleet, ranging from precision strikes by ship-borne aircraft to sweeping destruction by heavy artillery.
Once their comrades were all in place, the ODST scout team swiftly moved into action. Using the enhanced strength and agility of their mechanical exoskeletons, they easily scaled the steep cliff and re-entered the dense jungle.
They skillfully maneuvered through the thick underbrush, advancing toward the outskirts of the City of the Sacred Tree.
Before long, they rendezvoused with a group of veteran elites performing a similar reconnaissance mission.
The two teams seamlessly exchanged information and began working closely together, gradually closing the distance to the City of the Sacred Tree.
As they advanced cautiously, a "beep-beep" sound broke the brief silence in their helmets.
The ODST captain quickly reviewed the real-time radar feedback on his display. Noticing what appeared to be a Na'vi patrol team in their ten o'clock direction, his gaze turned sharp. Through the communication channel, he issued a swift order:
"Activate stealth mode. Continue infiltrating the City of the Sacred Tree."
Following the captain's instructions, everyone activated the optical camouflage on their gear, instantly becoming indistinct outlines that blended almost seamlessly with the background.
The veteran elites, who had employed optical camouflage even before joining the Human Empire, utilized the technology with precision to assist them in completing their missions with maximum efficiency.
As the two teams, now totaling over thirty members, activated their stealth mode, the forest seemed to swallow them entirely, leaving behind only faint, almost imperceptible footfalls that merged with the natural ambient sounds.
Without the assistance of Eywa's consciousness, the Na'vi patrols were completely unaware that two highly trained and deadly teams were silently approaching their territory, ready to act at any moment.
Soon enough, they reached the outskirts of the City of the Sacred Tree.
"Fì'u layu sìltsan ftxìlor!"
(This year truly feels like a bountiful harvest festival!)
"Hahaha, kehe-txantsan!"
(Hahaha, indeed!)
"Mawey, mìso txampay nì'ul, Fìtsenge layu oey mìfa'ron!"
(If we keep developing like this, perhaps we can even turn the tables on the humans and slaughter their descendants!)
"Ulte fìtseng aysyaksyuk! Aylaru tute alu!"
(And those lizard people! They're human accomplices too!)
As they approached, the two squads intercepted the conversation of a group of Na'vi gathered in the three o'clock direction.
The helmets' systems quickly translated the Na'vi dialogue into readable text, displaying it on their screens. Judging by the content, the Na'vi seemed to be living rather comfortably for now.
They're doing quite well?
However, their words were filled with a deep hatred for humanity, with constant talk of how to "turn the tables" and "slaughter" their foes.
". . ."
Reading the translations on their screens, the ODST captain's expression turned grim.
"Damn fools! They don't know their place—they deserve to die!"
A low, angry muttering came from one of the veteran elites over the communication channel.
The Na'vi's reference to "lizard people" was clearly directed at the elites.
Hearing the Na'vi openly express hostility toward their kind only stoked the anger and resentment among the veteran elites.
The elites, already unhappy with the Na'vi, now felt justified in seeing
them declared heretics and eradicated by the Shadowmoon Wolf Legion.
The two squads silently maneuvered around the perimeter of the residential area, flanking the Na'vi village from both sides.
Using their optical camouflage, the ODST and veteran elites crept closer and observed the village in silence.
What lay before them was a settlement capable of housing over a thousand inhabitants, far exceeding their expectations in scale.
On the ground and in the trees, sturdy and intricately arranged wooden houses had been constructed.
Smoke curled upward from some rooftops, indicating that the Na'vi had mastered the art of cooking and no longer relied solely on wild fruits and vegetables for sustenance.
Ding—dang—!
A clear sound of metalwork reached their ears.
In the center of the village, a few Na'vi craftsmen were hammering red-hot ingots, apparently having learned to forge basic metal tools.
This discovery caused the scouts to exchange glances under their helmets. However, they weren't particularly surprised, as if they had anticipated this development.
Though the Human Empire and Atlas no longer directly interfered with the Na'vi's daily lives, nor deployed biological or mechanical surveillance units, they still retained various means of monitoring the basic conditions and technological advancements in the City of the Sacred Tree.
The observed changes in the Na'vi's lifestyle, coupled with the cultivated crops they had passed along the way, suggested that the Na'vi were rapidly shedding their primitive state.
It seemed the overwhelming defeat dealt by human civilization had not subdued the Na'vi but instead spurred progress in this stubborn race.
Shortly after, the two squads spread out around the village, carefully avoiding the Na'vi patrols armed with metal spears and bows as they slowly approached a prominent "church-like" structure in the village center.
Both squad captains marked the "church" prominently on everyone's helmet displays.
After all, the main objective of their mission was to uncover any evidence linking the Na'vi to the Warp.
If they could find a connection between the Na'vi and the Warp, it would provide decisive justification for their next actions.
The loss of Eywa's consciousness made the appearance of a "church" among the Na'vi particularly unusual, piquing the two squads' interest.
Half the teams remained hidden outside the village to provide backup in case of emergencies, while the rest—along with the two captains—crept closer to investigate the "church" more thoroughly.
As they neared, they noticed the building lacked windows, with its walls appearing tightly sealed and sturdy, making it impossible to glimpse its interior from the outside.
The doors were firmly shut, emanating an air of coldness and secrecy.
The architecture's design seemed to incorporate defensive considerations, perhaps meant to conceal something significant.
Forcing the doors open would undoubtedly alarm the Na'vi and potentially escalate the mission into an overt operation of "forced condemnation," labeling the Na'vi as heretics without hard evidence.
Although the ODST and veteran elites were more than eager to unleash violence, they decided to press deeper into the City of the Sacred Tree's core to confirm the existence of the desired "evidence."
If none was found, they could always resort to bloodshed later.
However—
"Eywa lehìyu, zong livu nga'."
(Great Eywa, please protect us...)
"Eyktan aysar, Eywa sempul."
(Lord of Wisdom, Eywa's father.)
The faint sound of prayers from within the church was captured by their equipment and amplified. Translated text appeared on their helmet displays.
Lord of Wisdom,
Eywa's Father?
The ODST and veteran elites were familiar with Eywa's consciousness, but who was this so-called "Lord of Wisdom," and why was he referred to as Eywa's "Father"?
Could it be that the Na'vi, in the absence of Eywa's guidance, had conjured up this "Father of Eywa," a Lord of Wisdom, to worship and pray to?
Or was it possible that there truly existed a "Lord of Wisdom" who claimed to be Eywa's Father and had established some form of connection with the Na'vi to draw upon their faith?
In a matter of moments, the two captains realized that this church might be precisely the "evidence" their commander and primarch sought.
They promptly issued orders to prepare for a forced breach of the church, intending to uncover its secrets.
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