A few minutes later after the 'spar' Liam was back wearing his chest plate, backpack placed to the side he was in a structure akin to a tipi but exponentially bigger, almost the size of a house, roughly cut wood beam with bones holding a hide sewn of various animals skin, some not even from the plains.
In front of him sitting upon a stone covered in soft plant material with a backrest was Akwey, his face twisting in pain as the Tsahìk tended to his left shoulder.
, Marali said in a low tone the emotion behind was a hint of something akin to mockery for the Olo'eyktan's actions.
She took a concoction that was shimmering above a small fire at her right side with her wrinkled hand, killing the fire with a clay plate as she did so before giving it to Akwey, it was a mix of the pink aloe vera, something akin to honey but gold in color and a mix of powdered plants.
Ignoring the old hag's words, the same words he heard hundreds of times he gulped as rapidly as he physically could the mixture, stopping himself from gagging at the taste.
For a human, it would taste sweet with a hint of spiciness but again the equivalent of taste buds for Na'vi were fundamentally different from human's ones in every aspect besides their function as one of the senses.
, Akwey said toward the human who simply nodded before he continued,
, Liam's face hardened and he spoke, the entire atmosphere becoming deadly silent.
On the side one frowned Akwey, face becoming solemn while Marali stayed calm, composed as if knowing and both the chief and Lost Child knew she knew more than she let out. Extremely annoying but she was rational and wanted only the good of her clan even if she was senile.
, he continued, stating the obvious and both knew what was to be announced would be unpleasant.
, Akwey said, not really following where Liam was going while the Tsahìk only closed her eyes pensively.
, Liam continued with no small amount of venom and something akin to despair at something out of his control,
'War will happen, that's a certainty… Even if cripple guy succeeds the RDA will still want more and more until nothing valuable remains of consequence to everything but themselves be damned. But for an alliance between most clans to happen more than my words are needed.', Liam thought, thanks to Overseer and his communication with the two scientists he was aware of many ongoing things about the RDA such as Jake Sully.
Though as of now nothing truly concrete on the manpower and full resource of Hell's Gate, this lack of more concrete data was because neither Grace nor Max had the necessary clearance level or authority to have access to such data.
But Liam still got an overall idea and a grasp of most of what the RDA down on Pandora had, such as what material their equipment and vehicles are made of, like windshields made of a type of synthetic gem as hard as diamond but resistant to extreme physical strains and temperature variation, while the metal used is, to put it mildly, whatever was found in the ground that made mediocre alloys for what it must for but nothing exceptional.
Not that they couldn't do better, they simply didn't have the need to. After all, the savages don't have anything to fight them.
Another point was that the RDA machines weren't the newest, some being four decades old and from outdated if slightly altered blueprints for Pandora's hazardous environment.
Blueprints he couldn't get his hands on due to them being unaccessible to the two scientists, again. And for more than hierarchical reasons, the blueprints were stored within the computers that controlled the giant 3D printer-like machines.
They didn't craft their own machines by hand with those printers at hand and it translates as one of the reasons why there was a great lack of engineers but it was compensated by non-self-aware AIs that were tasked with cleaning toilets, helping carry heavy charges, regulating the air quality, to building and repairing aircraft and other menial tasks.
It was their purpose and that made them a weakness.
The RDA here was limited in terms of manpower, resources, and machine, and they didn't use the top of the top in terms of technology due to various laws, cutting corners, and how 'old' the base was but all way more advanced than technology he was used to before this.
Powerful but not invincible and most important of all, the ones in their possession were arrogant and ignorant.
Conflicts he couldn't stop, at best directly influencing now will put him as a target and not stop the RDA from continuing its activities one bit as they will divert a figment of their earlier mentioned resources specifically aiming for him.
The ex-Marine will learn about him, Jake was playing the spy within the Omatikaya clan not realizing he was going native and that means mention of his existence will be brought up as he learns their language and ways.
And it's what happened, even if it's under his title, he knew of this because Grace asked with Overseer and he gave an affirmative response. He supposed this brought up various other questions but as far as he knew she didn't ask any.
But being discovered this way was a thing he was aware of from the moment he was in contact with the native. Na'vi will speak about him to others be they other Na'vi, Avatar, or humans. Or Eywa herself.
His secrecy was going to be not so secret in the next few months, and then there were people like Norm Spellman, Grace's new assistant. He supposed this new one will also need to be informed about him to avoid potential complications as from what Max told it was almost a mental breakdown for Grace.
In another aspect, he was glad Grace had the immediate response of taking Jake and Norm to a remote base in the Hallelujah mountains, though unknown to her it helped him. It gave him more time.
And it has happened, Grace having asked if he was this individual with this title and his answer was affirmative.
He was and could only prepare, not being alone being one of them. The Olangi clan being the first on the list, he wasn't a leader, at least not in that sense, and wouldn't act as such, not that he ever could.
The Na'vi even if on friendly terms wouldn't let this happen like this even if it was a direct order from Eywa herself, he didn't lie to himself that he was and will be alienated. He wasn't one of them, never pretended to be or ever wanted to.
But his words would hold a lot of weight and he will make sure they do. Even if it means the usage of force.
Akwey frowned, face deep in thought. This was sudden, not what he expected, or more precisely what he didn't wish to hear. Deep down he knew conflict was inevitable, but he couldn't play the ostrich for all of his life.
He couldn't comprehend what it truly entailed, the scale of it that is, outside of what was told being horrifying and true. He trusted the Lost Child's words never would he doubt him but there must be other options as he was aware of what it meant.
War. A word rarely if ever heard, Na'vi conflicts were rare though only in rarer cases they became bloody, and as for war… It wasn't a foreign concept. Only a few instances of such events truly were heard of, one that affected the entirety of the People was supposed to be the reason the three laws of Eywa existed.
He personally experienced many battles, he was a warrior, but if what he heard was correct and even if he underestimated them, the sheer madness of what they represented…
Birds of metal impervious to the strongest of arrows shot by the most skilled of archers that would rain down fire from the sky upon the land without discrimination, metal weapons that with loud deafening noise and flash of light killed instantaneously from a great distance, suit of metal that made them fight on equal ground, and giant creatures of metal bigger than anything from the land should be capable of devouring entire forest in mere days.
Akwey didn't fully believe all due to tales' tendency to twist facts but he understood it held way more than a few inklings of truth and in any case… He wasn't delusional, he couldn't see how winning was even a possibility. Not presently and as is.
If they could cause great damage to the respected clan of the Omatikaya in the rainforest where they are at their strongest he doubted on open fields his clan would fare better. Though he didn't despair or feel great fear.
, Liam tried and failed to reassure both his interlocutors, but they were not the ones to panic for so little.
, the Tsahìk said matter of factly, seeing where Liam was going but not what he wanted.
A few minutes later after the 'spar' Liam was back wearing his chest plate, backpack placed to the side he was in a structure akin to a tipi but exponentially bigger, almost the size of a house, roughly cut wood beam with bones holding a hide sewn of various animals skin, some not even from the plains.
In front of him sitting upon a stone covered in soft plant material with a backrest was Akwey, his face twisting in pain as the Tsahìk tended to his left shoulder.
, Marali said in a low tone the emotion behind was a hint of something akin to mockery for the Olo'eyktan's actions.
She took a concoction that was shimmering above a small fire at her right side with her wrinkled hand, killing the fire with a clay plate as she did so before giving it to Akwey, it was a mix of the pink aloe vera, something akin to honey but gold in color and a mix of powdered plants.
Ignoring the old hag's words, the same words he heard hundreds of times he gulped as rapidly as he physically could the mixture, stopping himself from gagging at the taste.
For a human, it would taste sweet with a hint of spiciness but again the equivalent of taste buds for Na'vi were fundamentally different from human's ones in every aspect besides their function as one of the senses.
, Akwey said toward the human who simply nodded before he continued,
, Liam's face hardened and he spoke, the entire atmosphere becoming deadly silent.
On the side one frowned Akwey, face becoming solemn while Marali stayed calm, composed as if knowing and both the chief and Lost Child knew she knew more than she let out. Extremely annoying but she was rational and wanted only the good of her clan even if she was senile.
, he continued, stating the obvious and both knew what was to be announced would be unpleasant.
, Akwey said, not really following where Liam was going while the Tsahìk only closed her eyes pensively.
, Liam continued with no small amount of venom and something akin to despair at something out of his control,
'War will happen, that's a certainty… Even if cripple guy succeeds the RDA will still want more and more until nothing valuable remains of consequence to everything but themselves be damned. But for an alliance between most clans to happen more than my words are needed.', Liam thought, thanks to Overseer and his communication with the two scientists he was aware of many ongoing things about the RDA such as Jake Sully.
Though as of now nothing truly concrete on the manpower and full resource of Hell's Gate, this lack of more concrete data was because neither Grace nor Max had the necessary clearance level or authority to have access to such data.
But Liam still got an overall idea and a grasp of most of what the RDA down on Pandora had, such as what material their equipment and vehicles are made of, like windshields made of a type of synthetic gem as hard as diamond but resistant to extreme physical strains and temperature variation, while the metal used is, to put it mildly, whatever was found in the ground that made mediocre alloys for what it must for but nothing exceptional.
Not that they couldn't do better, they simply didn't have the need to. After all, the savages don't have anything to fight them.
Another point was that the RDA machines weren't the newest, some being four decades old and from outdated if slightly altered blueprints for Pandora's hazardous environment.
Blueprints he couldn't get his hands on due to them being unaccessible to the two scientists, again. And for more than hierarchical reasons, the blueprints were stored within the computers that controlled the giant 3D printer-like machines.
They didn't craft their own machines by hand with those printers at hand and it translates as one of the reasons why there was a great lack of engineers but it was compensated by non-self-aware AIs that were tasked with cleaning toilets, helping carry heavy charges, regulating the air quality, to building and repairing aircraft and other menial tasks.
It was their purpose and that made them a weakness.
The RDA here was limited in terms of manpower, resources, and machine, and they didn't use the top of the top in terms of technology due to various laws, cutting corners, and how 'old' the base was but all way more advanced than technology he was used to before this.
Powerful but not invincible and most important of all, the ones in their possession were arrogant and ignorant.
Conflicts he couldn't stop, at best directly influencing now will put him as a target and not stop the RDA from continuing its activities one bit as they will divert a figment of their earlier mentioned resources specifically aiming for him.
The ex-Marine will learn about him, Jake was playing the spy within the Omatikaya clan not realizing he was going native and that means mention of his existence will be brought up as he learns their language and ways.
And it's what happened, even if it's under his title, he knew of this because Grace asked with Overseer and he gave an affirmative response. He supposed this brought up various other questions but as far as he knew she didn't ask any.
But being discovered this way was a thing he was aware of from the moment he was in contact with the native. Na'vi will speak about him to others be they other Na'vi, Avatar, or humans. Or Eywa herself.
His secrecy was going to be not so secret in the next few months, and then there were people like Norm Spellman, Grace's new assistant. He supposed this new one will also need to be informed about him to avoid potential complications as from what Max told it was almost a mental breakdown for Grace.
In another aspect, he was glad Grace had the immediate response of taking Jake and Norm to a remote base in the Hallelujah mountains, though unknown to her it helped him. It gave him more time.
And it has happened, Grace having asked if he was this individual with this title and his answer was affirmative.
He was and could only prepare, not being alone being one of them. The Olangi clan being the first on the list, he wasn't a leader, at least not in that sense, and wouldn't act as such, not that he ever could.
The Na'vi even if on friendly terms wouldn't let this happen like this even if it was a direct order from Eywa herself, he didn't lie to himself that he was and will be alienated. He wasn't one of them, never pretended to be or ever wanted to.
But his words would hold a lot of weight and he will make sure they do. Even if it means the usage of force.
Akwey frowned, face deep in thought. This was sudden, not what he expected, or more precisely what he didn't wish to hear. Deep down he knew conflict was inevitable, but he couldn't play the ostrich for all of his life.
He couldn't comprehend what it truly entailed, the scale of it that is, outside of what was told being horrifying and true. He trusted the Lost Child's words never would he doubt him but there must be other options as he was aware of what it meant.
War. A word rarely if ever heard, Na'vi conflicts were rare though only in rarer cases they became bloody, and as for war… It wasn't a foreign concept. Only a few instances of such events truly were heard of, one that affected the entirety of the People was supposed to be the reason the three laws of Eywa existed.
He personally experienced many battles, he was a warrior, but if what he heard was correct and even if he underestimated them, the sheer madness of what they represented…
Birds of metal impervious to the strongest of arrows shot by the most skilled of archers that would rain down fire from the sky upon the land without discrimination, metal weapons that with loud deafening noise and flash of light killed instantaneously from a great distance, suit of metal that made them fight on equal ground, and giant creatures of metal bigger than anything from the land should be capable of devouring entire forest in mere days.
Akwey didn't fully believe all due to tales' tendency to twist facts but he understood it held way more than a few inklings of truth and in any case… He wasn't delusional, he couldn't see how winning was even a possibility. Not presently and as is.
If they could cause great damage to the respected clan of the Omatikaya in the rainforest where they are at their strongest he doubted on open fields his clan would fare better. Though he didn't despair or feel great fear.
, Liam tried and failed to reassure both his interlocutors, but they were not the ones to panic for so little.
, the Tsahìk said matter of factly, seeing where Liam was going but not what he wanted.
