Chapter 645: Impact and Measures
This news spread swiftly through the Na'vi's internal neural network and daily conversations.
Tsu'tey, Tanuu, and the others who had been keeping a close eye on the situation naturally learned of it all as well.
During another clandestine meeting, Tsu'tey brought the matter up to Rei Ayanami-kun, her attitude deeply conflicted: "...Another Dreamwalker. Brought back by Neytiri. The chief and Tsu'tey are furious, but Mo'at and Neytiri insist on keeping him. The guidance of Eywa... is always difficult to fathom."
Seizing the opportunity, Rei Ayanami-kun guided the conversation according to Ryo's instructions: "Different Dreamwalkers may represent different factions of the Sky People. Just as we are different from the RDA. His arrival may bring changes, whether for good or ill. You need to remain even more vigilant, and you will need more information to make your judgments."
Tsu'tey fell into deep thought. Jake's arrival had indeed made the existing divisions within the clan even more pronounced.
The hardline faction led by Eytukan and Tsu'tey, the faction represented by Neytiri and Mo'at that adhered to tradition and Eywa's guidance, and her own pragmatic faction that sought to minimize bloodshed—
This new Dreamwalker was like a stone cast into a still pond, sending out ever-widening ripples.
"We need to know what this new Dreamwalker truly wants to do," Tsu'tey looked at Rei Ayanami-kun, a pleading look in her eyes. "Can you... know what he is thinking?"
Rei Ayanami-kun shook her head: "We cannot directly read the thoughts of other individual Sky People. But we can help you analyze his actions and the objectives the RDA might try to achieve through him. The exchange of information is vital to both of us."
Tsu'tey fell silent.
She realized that their connection with these "distinct Sky People" seemed to have become even more crucial.
Far from resolving their problems, Jake Sully's arrival had only made the situation more convoluted, making her small faction even more dependent on this perilous channel of intelligence.
Aboard the Trailblazer, Ryo listened to Rei Ayanami-kun's debriefing, satisfied to see the situation developing precisely along the trajectory he was orchestrating.
Jake Sully had successfully embedded himself among the Na'vi and exacerbated their internal fractures.
Meanwhile, in the face of uncertainty, Tsu'tey's small faction had bound itself even more tightly to the expedition team's chariot.
The next step was to wait for Jake Sully to "grow" within Na'vi society and gradually earn their trust.
At the same time, Ryo needed to ensure that the RDA's forces would be capable of holding the line against any potential ecological counter-offensive launched by Eywa when the critical moment arrived.
To that end, certain targeted preparations needed to be deployed in advance.
These included "fortification recommendations" for Hell's Gate's defensive grid, as well as demarcating the "red lines" that might trigger a violent reaction from Eywa.
Jake Sully's "apprenticeship" within the Omaticaya clan began.
Under Neytiri's tutelage, he learned to ride Direhorses, shoot the Na'vi longbow, understand every plant and creature in Pandora's forest, and listen to the whispers of the Eywa network.
The process was grueling and filled with clumsy missteps, but it also allowed him to integrate into Na'vi culture at a rapid pace, while his feelings for Neytiri deepened with each passing day.
These developments were continuously channeled back to Ryo through Rei Ayanami-kun's indirect observations and Dr. Grace's mounting anxiety.
Grace's contact with Jake was intermittent, and all signs indicated that he was immersing himself deeper and deeper into the Na'vi way of life, leaving her feeling uneasy yet powerless to intervene.
Ryo dispassionately analyzed the incoming streams of intelligence.
Jake Sully's speed of "conversion" to Na'vi culture and societal norms was even faster than he had projected based on his memories.
This further validated his assessment that the man was weak-willed and easily swayed by sensory gratification and primitive emotional bonds.
At the same time, it meant that this game piece was accelerating its intended role as a "catalyst" to inflame internal Na'vi discord.
Within the Omaticaya clan, the existing rift regarding this special Dreamwalker's presence and status grew increasingly sharp and pronounced.
The young, formidable warrior Tsu'tey harbored open, undisguised hostility toward Jake. He believed this avatar of the Sky People desecrated ancient Na'vi traditions and that its very existence was a threat; what infuriated him even more was that Jake's presence visibly drew Neytiri's attention away, while Tsu'tey had long harbored deep feelings for the chief's daughter.
Clan Leader Eytukan was caught in a difficult dilemma: on one hand stood the persistence of his daughter Neytiri and the vague guidance from Eywa relayed by the Tsahìk Mo'at; on the other stood the powerful tribal voice, spearheaded by Tsu'tey, that held deep-rooted distrust toward all Sky People.
Meanwhile, the small faction centered around the mother Tsu'tey held an even more complex and conflicting view of Jake Sully.
By nature, it was difficult for them to trust any Sky Person, yet the arrival of this unique individual and the uncertain changes he brought seemed to partially validate what the "distinct Sky People" had once hinted—that the Sky People were not monolithic.
This realization made Tsu'tey and her companions, amidst their unease, even more inclined to maintain and rely on the clandestine intelligence channel established with Rei Ayanami-kun and the others, desperately hoping to secure deeper intelligence regarding the RDA's true intentions and Jake Sully's background to navigate the increasingly complex board.
"The divide is widening; this is advantageous," Ryo said in the main control room of the Trailblazer to Rei Ayanami-kun, who had just finished her report. "The more dependent Tsu'tey and her group become on our intelligence, the greater the influence we will be able to exert in the future. Continue feeding them information, but control the pace so they remain perpetually eager for more."
"Understood," Rei Ayanami-kun nodded.
On another front, Ryo began advancing his contingency protocols for a "purge."
Through his mental link, he engaged in a deeper discussion with his main body on Necromunda.
Drawing upon its vast databanks and resources, the main body conducted theoretical simulations regarding Pandora's ecology and the genetic sequences of the Na'vi.
"A pathogen targeting specific genetic sequences is theoretically viable," the main body's will resonated across the link, cold and clinical. "The Na'vi are deeply intertwined with Pandora's biosphere, and their genome contains numerous marker sequences shared with indigenous flora and fauna used for neural linking. We can engineer a viral vector that selectively infects and disrupts Na'vi individuals carrying neural markers associated with specific 'rebellious tendencies'—or, more precisely, cripples their capacity to establish high-intensity consciousness links with Eywa."
Ryo understood the methodology immediately.
This was not indiscriminate slaughter, but a "surgical culling."
Na'vi stripped of their ability to link deeply with Eywa would suffer a catastrophic collapse in tactical coordination and will to resist, potentially becoming far more pliable toward "cooperation."
As for the Na'vi willing to cooperate, a "vaccine"—a gene-tailored agent capable of neutralizing the virus—could be administered in advance.
"Developing the vaccine will require time, particularly live-tissue testing to guarantee its efficacy and... undetectability," the main body added. "You must provide more granular genetic samples of the Na'vi, ideally live specimens gathered across different factions and demographics. Tsu'tey's small faction could serve as one viable source of samples, secured under the pretext of 'health screenings' or 'physical fortification.'"
Ryo logged the operational requirement.
This would require delicate handling to avoid raising suspicion.
It could perhaps be smuggled through Dr. Grace's medical research, or embedded within potential future "medical aid" initiatives.