Chapter 673: Encountering an Ambush
When the news of the agreement reached the Trailblazer, the reactions varied.
Asuka scoffed at the idea, crossing her arms with a look of utter disgust. "Hah? Go live in those blue natives' tents? Eat raw meat? You have got to be joking! I refuse!"
Shinji appeared extremely anxious. "We... we have to go live in the Na'vi clan? I... I don't know what to do..." He worried about his ability to adapt and feared being ostracized.
Only Rei remained entirely expressionless, as if she had merely received a standard mission directive, calmly beginning to pack her simple personal belongings.
Ryo's gaze swept gently over the three young pilots, his voice carrying patient, guiding persuasion: "I would like to ask for your help; this is very important for our subsequent plans."
He looked at Asuka, his eyes conveying trust. "Asuka, I hope you can help observe the Na'vi's societal structure and record their combat techniques, especially how they interact with this miraculous environment. With your sharp observational skills, you will definitely uncover many interesting details."
Turning to Shinji, his tone softened further. "Shinji, your sensitive empathy makes you well-suited to learn the Na'vi language. Try to understand their emotions and way of thinking. I believe you can establish genuine communication with them."
Finally, he gave a slight nod to Rei. "Rei, I hope to rely on your unique perceptive abilities to establish a deeper communication with the Eywa consciousness network. I also need you to ensure our communication lines remain open. These observations and understandings are critical for our comprehension of Pandora and for planning our future operational vectors."
His gaze returned to Asuka, a knowing smile touching his lips. "Besides, I imagine a mission like this should be far more interesting than staying cooped up in the base all the time, don't you think?"
Asuka curled her lip but offered no further rebuttal, offering her tacit consent.
Dr. Grace prepared some basic survival supplies and friendly gifts for them: harmless plant seeds not native to Pandora, along with some exquisite, non-metallic handcrafted items. She repeatedly urged the three of them to respect Na'vi customs and maintain patience and an open mind.
The Departure
On the day of departure, Ryo handed the dimensional cube containing Hometree over to Rei. The metallic cube felt exceptionally heavy in this moment, for it carried the spiritual anchor of an entire race.
"Mission priorities," Ryo stated his final directives.
First: Ensure the safe return of Hometree and establish preliminary trust.
Second: Gather all valuable intelligence.
Third: Guarantee your own safety.
"Maine's squad will escort you to a secure zone twenty kilometers from the new Na'vi settlement. You will need to walk the rest of the way yourselves. This is a necessary gesture of sincerity."
"Understood," Rei accepted the dimensional cube and replied calmly.
Asuka inspected her issued non-lethal gear, which primarily consisted of signal flares, first-aid kits, and recording devices. "Let's just hope those blue guys know a thing or two about hospitality," she muttered.
Shinji took a deep breath, trying his hardest to calm his nerves.
Escorted by Maine, Dorio, and Valerie piloting an Iron Guard mech, the team boarded a modified ground transport. They left the relative safety of the base's control zone and drove into the vast, perilous Pandoran jungle.
The first half of the journey was relatively smooth. The presence of the Iron Guard mech deterred the majority of medium and large predators. They traversed bioluminescent forests and crossed raging rivers, gradually closing in on the coordinates provided by the Na'vi.
As they neared their destination, the surrounding scenery grew even more magnificent and bizarre. Colossal spiral-shaped trees pierced the clouds, and the air was thick with a rich aura of life. However, an inexplicable sense of oppression also began to spread through the team.
The Ambush
"Something feels wrong," Dorio suddenly spoke up, her sharp eyes scanning the overly quiet forest sectors around them. "It is too quiet. There are barely any signs of even small biological activity."
Maine immediately raised his hand, signaling the convoy to halt. He raised his binoculars, carefully observing a narrow valley ahead that they were required to pass through. "Signs of an ambush. The ground shows traces of recent heavy foot traffic, but the concealment is sloppy—not the work of experienced hunters."
"Na'vi?" Rebecca hefted her heavy weapon onto her shoulder, eager for action.
"Uncertain," Maine's brow furrowed tightly. "If it is the Na'vi, why would they ambush us on the route agreed upon to return Hometree? This does not align with Eytukan and Sutai's operational style."
Just then, Rei, who had her eyes closed as if sensing something, suddenly opened them. A faint glimmer flashed in her red eyes: "Malice. Coming from the front... and the flanks. The consciousness fluctuations are unfamiliar."
Almost the exact instant she spoke, the situation violently escalated!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several bone arrows, painted in dark colors clearly meant for concealment, shot out from the dense canopy on both sides of the valley! Their targets were not the personnel; they accurately struck the transport's tires and engine block! Simultaneously, several massive boulders were pushed down from the slopes, rumbling toward the convoy in an attempt to cut off their retreat.
"Contact! Find cover!" Maine roared, instantly raising his weapon to return fire. Plasma beams shot toward the origin of the arrows.
The Iron Guard piloted by Valerie roared to life. Its massive chassis positioned itself in front of the transport, deflecting several arrows with its armor. Simultaneously, its shoulder-mounted weapon platform raised, locking onto the attackers on the slopes.
The ambushers clearly had not anticipated the presence of an Iron Guard mech in the escort, nor had they expected such a rapid response.
A brief commotion echoed from the ambush points.
"No lethal force! Disperse them!" Maine ordered. He suspected this might be the actions of a rogue faction within the Na'vi; causing casualties recklessly would completely shatter the fragile agreement.
Rebecca clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, but she adjusted her weapon's firing mode regardless, blanketing the attackers' hiding spots with stun grenades and tear gas. Deafening explosions and acrid smoke instantly filled the valley.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the figures of the attackers flickered among the trees. They indeed possessed the towering blue physiques of the Na'vi, but their attire was vastly different from the Omaticaya clan's style. Their faces were smeared with far more ferocious war paint, and the bone ornaments they wore were much cruder and more primitive.
"These aren't Omaticaya!" Dorio shouted as she fired.
Just then, an attacker who appeared to be the leader stood on high ground, letting out a long, provocative howl of hatred in the Na'vi language. Although the accent was bizarre, Rei and Shinji managed to catch a few words:
"...Traitors! ...Dogs of the Sky People! ...Defiling the sacred tree!"
Before the echoes faded, a denser volley of arrows and thrown spears rained down. This time, the attacks were aimed directly at Rei, who was holding the dimensional cube!
Who do you think this unknown, highly aggressive Na'vi faction is, and how will the team manage to protect the dimensional cube without resorting to lethal force?