Inside the core council hall of the Omaticaya Tribe at the Land of Holy Chants, the atmosphere was unprecedentedly solemn and oppressive. Clan Leader Eytukan, Tsahik Mo'at, and the surviving principal leaders and warrior representatives from various tribes gathered here. Every face was etched with despair, terror, and a dead-end sense of bewilderment.
"The Stone-Fang Tribe... is gone..." the voice of a leader from a neighboring tribe was hoarse, laced with an uncontainable tremor. "It is as if a giant's foot stepped over it, leaving nothing behind... What—what are we to do?"
No one could answer him.
The previous grand declarations and resolve for vengeance appeared entirely pale and laughable before the absolute power of an orbital strike. Tsu'tey lay on a litter due to his critical injuries. Listening to the deliberations outside while gazing up at the magnificent dome of the Hometree, he felt his previous radical stance waver for the first time. If even the Hometree could provide no sanctuary, what meaning did valor possess?
Following a prolonged silence, Tsahik Mo'at spoke slowly, her voice carrying a trace of exhaustion, yet maintaining its composure: "Eywa's network is wailing. The destruction of the Stone-Fang has caused immense agony to ripple through this land. The power of these offworld starfarers transcends our comprehension. Relying strictly on ourselves, we cannot safeguard Eywa, nor can we protect our people."
Her words amounted to an admission of the Na'vi's failure to resist alone.
Clan Leader Eytukan sighed heavily, scanning the gathering until his gaze ultimately landed on the pale face of Seze. "Seze... your previous proposal..."
Every eye converged on Seze.
Seze took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders as her gaze swept across the face of every tribe leader and warrior representative present. She recognized with absolute clarity that every word she uttered at this moment could dictate the future destiny of the entire tribal alliance.
"Leaders," her voice was clear and resolute, echoing within the heavy council hall, "we must set aside our pride and look at reality—by our own strength alone, we are already incapable of matching the hunts descending from the stars. Seeking external assistance is our lone path forward."
She paused briefly, letting this difficult conclusion settle in their minds, before adding with absolute certainty: "But the party we coordinate with must under no circumstances be the RDA."
Countless images of dealing with the RDA flashed through her mind: Parker Selfridge's calculations hidden behind a commercial smile, Colonel Quaritch's undisguised contempt and violence, and the sky-spanning dust and laments of her people raised as those roaring, colossal machines brought down the Hometree.
"The RDA is untrustworthy," Seze's voice carried a distinct chill. "They view us and this forest as obstacles to be purged. Coordinating with them is akin to inviting a viperwolf to watch over prey; it will only culminate in us being devoured. Furthermore, their own patrols and peripheral facilities are continuously diminishing under the Predators' assaults. I suspect they can barely safeguard themselves, let alone offer us effective assistance."
"Aside from them, who else is there?" a representative from a smaller tribe could not resist asking, his voice projecting a post-despair bewilderment.
"There is another group of Sky People," Seze's cadence softened slightly, guiding the minds of the council. "The 'Seekers'." She enumerated the fine details she had observed. "They have demonstrated a restraint entirely distinct from the RDA, proactively returning our sacred tree. The three youths they sent are also sincerely learning our language and lifestyle, attempting to comprehend our neural interface with Eywa."
She swept her gaze across the room, her tone growing more powerful: "And the most critical metric is that they possess the strength to match the Predator hunters. Have you all forgotten? Last time, the isolated hunter who sowed death within our jungle was ultimately neutralized by warriors under the Seekers' command; our people primarily served to constrain and decoy the target."
She lowered her voice slightly, laden with conviction. "I even suspect... what they have displayed is merely the tip of an iceberg. The genuine strength concealed by these Seekers may completely transcend our imagination."
This time, no fierce objections immediately resonated within the council hall. The successive, crushing defeats and that earth-shattering orbital strike had thoroughly ground away their baseline stubbornness and sharp edges. Brutal reality was forcing these proud hunters to evaluate leverage from an entirely new vantage point.
Clan Leader Eytukan and Tsahik Mo'at exchanged a heavy glance, before looking back at Seze to voice the doubt anchoring everyone's heart: "But, Seze... why would they help us? And what price are we capable of paying?"
"I do not know," Seze replied candidly, her eyes devoid of a fraction of evasion. "I cannot fathom what they desire, nor can I promise what we can deliver. But this is currently our lone visible path that might lead to survival. Sitting idly means our conclusion is already written. Attempting contact and negotiation leaves at least a glimmer of hope. Judging by their current behavior, they are entities willing to communicate and adhere to a set of rules... which we have yet to comprehend."
Following another round of intense—yet no longer blindly furious—discussion intermingled with anxieties for the future and vigilance toward the unknown, the council ultimately reached a difficult, unified resolution: authorize Seze to attempt contact with the Seekers, formally exploring the feasibility of a joint front to confront the shared threat.
This heavy mandate concerning the survival of the tribes once again fell upon the shoulders of Seze, who possessed the most contact and the deepest understanding of the alternative faction. To bypass the potential eyes and ears of the RDA and the elusive surveillance of the Predators, she chose not to head directly toward the conspicuous mobile base of the Pioneer. Instead, she sought out Rei Ayanami, who was currently learning alongside the Na'vi and was responsible for maintaining a link with the base.
Upon a quiet aerial root platform of the Hometree, Seze addressed Rei with total solemnity: "Rei, the Na'vi... require assistance. The hunters from the stars have brought devastation. We cannot stand against them alone. We... wish to establish a dialogue with your Seekers, with Dr. Osiris."
She looked into Rei's serene, crimson eyes, delivering every syllable with deliberate weight: "Please convey the plea of the Omaticaya and the alliance tribes to him—we desire cooperation."
Rei listened quietly, her face devoid of any emotional transition, offering merely a marginal nod. "Message received. I will convey it."
She turned and walked toward the treehouse serving as her temporary quarters, which housed the dedicated communication equipment linked to the Pioneer. An encrypted transmission sliced through Pandora's dense canopy, flying toward the mobile base where Osiris resided.
The Na'vi, having undergone a baptism of blood, failure, and devastation, had finally set aside a portion of their pride and hatred, extending a hand for assistance toward the "Sky People" they had once viewed with absolute vigilance and rejection.