Chapter 640: A Fractured Clan
The colossal interior of Hometree, once filled with the lively bustle of daily life and the vibrant resonance of clan activity, was now shrouded in an almost suffocating, heavy grief.
The bodies of the fallen were carefully laid out in the center, covered with luminescent moss and sacred flora. The air hung thick with the mingled scents of crushed medicinal herbs and fresh blood, as subdued weeping and mournful chants provided a continuous, agonizing backdrop.
Eytukan stood before his people. His powerful frame seemed slightly hunched, and the ceremonial war paint across his face failed to conceal his deep exhaustion and sorrow.
He solemnly recounted the course of the battle, praising the valor of the warriors—particularly the allied support and sacrifices made by the Tipani clan.
"...The Sky People wielded a new weapon. Evil energies seared our warriors, and not even the songs of Eywa could soothe the instantaneous devastation it brought..." Eytukan's voice rumbled with heavy sorrow. "Yet we did not retreat! We showed the invaders the courage of the Omaticaya and Tipani! Their blood will not have been shed in vain! Eywa bears witness to our vengeance!"
His words sought to channel the shared sorrow into deeper hatred toward the Sky People and forge a unified resolve to resist.
Most of the clan members—especially the warriors who had lost kin and whose eyes burned bloodshot—responded to his call, gripping their weapons tightly and uttering low, rage-filled vows.
Seeds of Doubt
However, in the far corners of the gathering, dissenting whispers began to stir quietly beneath the ice of shared grief.
An elder hunter who had lost two sons squatted on the ground, holding his head in his hands, murmuring to himself: "Why... why did we charge straight into their teeth when we knew they possessed such terrifying weapons... My sons... they didn't have to die..."
Beside him, a young woman whose arm had been grazed by a plasma beam—leaving behind a horrifying, scorched furrow—whispered softly: "Tsu'tey brought a warning... If we had withdrawn the hunting party ahead of time and avoided them... at least the young ones learning to hunt wouldn't have..."
At first, these voices were exceedingly faint, laced with uncertainty and self-doubt. Soon, however, those harboring similar misgivings began drifting toward one another, exchanging fearful glances and hushed thoughts.
They did not lack hatred for the Sky People, nor did they lack courage. Yet the staggering, unprecedented casualties forced them to question the cost of their chief's decisions.
Tsu'tey sat quietly near the periphery. Looking at the charred, blackened wounds on her fallen kin, her body trembled uncontrollably.
She recalled Rei Ayanami-kun's calm warning, remembered her own hesitation when relaying the message, and thought of Eytukan's final decree.
A storm of conflicting emotions raged within her: terror toward the Sky People's merciless weapons, heartbreak over her fallen clan members, and a persistent, gnawing thought—If we had chosen to believe and evade back then, would the outcome have been different?
The thought stirred a pang of guilt for doubting the clan, yet it continued to grow uncontrollably.
At that moment, a hunter named Tanuu—who had lost his closest companion in the battle and was one of the few who had expressed reservations regarding Eytukan's strategy during the council—walked over and sat beside Tsu'tey.
"Tsu'tey," Tanuu's voice was raspy as he cast a somber glance at the bodies resting in the center. "The message you carried... was true. The Sky People came, and they wielded horrifying weapons."
He paused, lowering his voice: "Many are whispering in secret that if... if we had listened to you and chosen to avoid them rather than launch an ambush, perhaps so many wouldn't have died."
Tsu'tey looked up at Tanuu, seeing not only grief in his eyes, but a clear flicker of doubt.
She remained silent for a moment before speaking softly: "I... I do not know which choice was right. But I know I do not want to see more of our people fall because of... pointless battles."
Her words voiced the quiet convictions of many silent onlookers nearby.
Soon, several other clan members who found the catastrophic losses unbearable and felt lost about the future gathered around. They were few in number—barely a dozen—mostly those who had lost immediate family or had personally witnessed the terror of the plasma weaponry.
Yet amidst the prevailing atmosphere of militant outrage, a small faction seeking a different path quietly formed.
Naturally, their core coalesced around Tsu'tey, who had been the first to bring the warning.
They did not openly challenge Eytukan's authority, but in private, they began deliberating: How can we better protect our kin? Is it possible, by securing more intelligence regarding the Sky People, to prevent similar tragedies from recurring?
Tsu'tey—the sole conduit capable of communicating with the "distinct Sky People"—became their only beacon of hope.
Tightening the Vice
The grief and latent undercurrents rippling through Hometree were relayed back to the Trailblazer through Rei Ayanami-kun's perception of the consciousness field and the squad's observation of Na'vi movements.
"A distinct emotional fracture has emerged within the Na'vi clan following their heavy casualties," Rei Ayanami-kun stated during her debriefing. "A small faction is questioning Chief Eytukan's aggressive strategy, believing that risk evasion is the wiser path. Coalescing around Tsu'tey, this group is seeking alternative ways to minimize losses."
Ryo listened attentively, his fingers tapping lightly against the console.
Events were progressing along his intended vector.
The operational pressure had successfully pried open a fault line within the Na'vi's cohesive social structure.
"This fracture must be deepened and exploited," Ryo issued fresh directives. "Rei Ayanami-kun, your squad's next objective is to establish a more stable, clandestine channel of communication with Tsu'tey. The goal is no longer broad engagement, but securing granular intelligence regarding the Na'vi's internal power hierarchy, resource distribution, and particularly the degree of their biological dependence on Eywa."
"Concurrently, you may selectively leak low-level intelligence regarding future RDA movements to solidify her and her splinter group's reliance on our intelligence value."
He turned his gaze toward Maine:
"On your end, maintain joint operations with Quaritch. You may suggest that he reinforce reconnaissance and operational presence across other high-value Na'vi sectors to maintain constant pressure. However, avoid orchestrating another large-scale annihilation engagement like the Eastern Valley that could crush their core strength entirely. We require sustained pressure, not a premature endgame."
Covert Ingress
The new mandate carried elevated operational risks.
Rei-kun's squad needed to infiltrate the Hometree sector under heightened alert status and secure an opportunity for an isolated rendezvous with Tsu'tey.
This time, they selected an even more secluded location—a natural rock fissure nestled deep within Hometree's colossal buttress root system, concealed by luminescent fungi and weeping vines, which had been mapped as a secondary fallback point during earlier reconnaissance runs.
With Lucy operating micro-drones for perimeter overwatch and Rei Ayanami-kun reading the consciousness field to bypass search patrols, the squad made their way cautiously to the rendezvous point.
They emitted the pre-arranged acoustic pulse—a sequence mimicking the bio-frequency of a specific nocturnal Pandora creature.
The wait was long and agonizing.
Every passing minute carried the acute risk of compromise.