The Na'vi hunters were initially skeptical of these "Sky People tricks," but over the course of several simulated engagements, they discovered to their surprise that the techniques did indeed heighten their spatial awareness of cloaked threats. While still a far cry from an effective hard counter, they were at least no longer completely helpless as before.
Seze closely monitored the training progress, her mind slightly eased. She noted that ever since the arrival of "The Seeker" advisors and the realignment of the clan's perimeter patrol protocols based on their recommendations, the precision strikes that had specifically targeted the radical elements had ceased entirely. This seemed to validate that the collaboration with "The Seeker" was yielding tangible results.
Colonel Quaritch's side received "positive" feedback as well. The mining outposts and logistical routes fortified with the "counter-cloaking arrays" sustained no further raids over the subsequent week. Though sporadic incidents still materializing across other sectors, their frequency and level of destruction appeared to decline. The RDA technical staff ran diagnostics on the metallic, mushroom-like apparatuses, confirming that they continuously emitted a complex, composite waveform, though the exact underlying physics remained beyond their baseline understanding.
Both the Na'vi and the RDA were lulled into an illusion: with the assistance of "The Seeker," the omnipresent cloaked threat had been temporarily contained.
They remained entirely unaware that this was the result of meticulous calculation. Following Osiris's directives, the operational perimeter of the Aeldari warriors had quietly contracted. They suspended their aggressive sorting operations within the Sanctuary and its immediate vicinities, pivoting their focus toward more remote, minor Na'vi settlements outside the Omaticaya sphere of influence, or natural zones detached from RDA infrastructure. Raids still occurred, but they were no longer as frequent or targeted; they manifested as decentralized, random harassment.
This made the sectors where "The Seeker" intervened appear remarkably secure, thereby reinforcing Osiris's faction as an "indispensable" asset.
Sitting within the command nexus of the Pathfinder, Osiris observed the telemetry nodes and data streams mapping the movements of all factions, his expression dispassionate. The primary objectives of Phase One were secured: the Na'vi radicals had been degraded, shifting the dominant collective voice toward collaboration; the RDA, after continuous bloodletting, had been forced to accept bounded assistance; and his own force, operating under the guise of "firefighters" and "technical specialists," had smoothly embedded itself into the frameworks of both factions.
Yet he understood perfectly that an equilibrium anchored on a false sense of security was fragile and unsustainable. The Aeldari warriors could not remain low-profile indefinitely, and the "sudden deceleration" of Predator activity would eventually spark deeper skepticism. It was time to drive the narrative into the next phase.
He issued formal summit invitations to Seze of the Omaticaya and Colonel Quaritch of the RDA. The venue was designated within a relatively neutral valley serving as a buffer zone between the three factions—proximate to a temporary "Seeker" outpost, yet well removed from both the Na'vi Hometree and the RDA's Hell's Gate. The agenda featured a single core topic: how to definitively neutralize the cloaked threat confronting Pandora.
The summit site was selected within a bizarre geological formation. The region was dense with towering, wind-eroded stone pillars resting upon a floor of hardened silicified rock. Vegetation was sparse and lines of sight were open, making it exceptionally difficult to stage an ambush. Osiris's engineering team moved in a day early, clearing a level sector at the center of the stone spires to construct a basic yet fully functional communications and shelter camp.
On the Omaticaya front, Seze personally led the delegation, accompanied by two veteran elders assigned by Olo'eyktan Eytukan, alongside Tsu'tey, who insisted on attending despite his unhealed injuries. This was clearly an arrangement by Eytukan to appease the remnants of the radical faction and allow Tsu'tey to witness the proceedings firsthand. They arrived at the perimeter of the stone spires riding Ikrans before proceeding on foot.
On the RDA front, Colonel Quaritch arrived aboard two armored personnel carriers, escorted by four heavily armed AMP suits and a squad of elite soldiers. He wore standard combat fatigues but remained outside his AMP cockpit as a gesture of "non-aggression." Accompanying him was the special assistant to Administrator Parker Selfridge, representing the directives of the RDA board of directors and corporate interests.
On Osiris's side, Maine's squad oversaw outer security, while several efficient, sharp individuals clad in standard exploration gear managed receptions and internal safety within the camp. Elendil and the Aeldari warriors did not show themselves; the Space Marines and the Knight suit remained hidden entirely from view.
The three delegations took their seats around the alloy conference table at the center of the camp, creating a heavy and delicate atmosphere. An invisible chasm clearly divided the Na'vi and the RDA representatives, their eyes locking with guarded animosity whenever their gazes crossed. Only Osiris's faction appeared entirely unperturbed, remaining seemingly detached from the legacy conflicts of the world.
"Thank you for convening," Osiris spoke first as the facilitator, his voice clearly transmitted to all participants via simultaneous translation earpieces. "Let us proceed directly to the core parameter. Over the past cycle, all three of our factions have sustained raids from the exact same category of adversary: extraterrestrial hunters possessing advanced cloaking capabilities, cunning tactics, and unverified objectives."
He brought up edited battlefield recordings that omitted his own critical telemetry, displaying the failed Na'vi hunt, footage of the raided RDA stations, and blurred analyses of energy signatures.
"After providing limited tactical support at your request, we successfully contained their operational frequency across specific sectors," Osiris pivoted his tone. "However, we must remain clear-sighted: this merely treats the symptoms rather than the root cause. Our disruption arrays and tactical adjustments have merely forced the enemy to temporarily select more accessible targets or operate with heightened caution. They have not departed from Pandora; their mothership likely remains hidden somewhere within this planetary system. So long as the core threat is not eradicated, the raids can resurface at any moment—and next time, they may be fully prepared to bypass our current countermeasures."
Colonel Quaritch crossed his arms, his voice cold: "Dr. Osiris, are you implying our previous collaboration was pointless?"
"It was meaningful; it secured us invaluable reprieve and intelligence," Osiris responded calmly. "But its utility is bounded. To definitively resolve this issue, we require a deeper level of collaboration—specifically—" His gaze swept across Seze and Quaritch. "We require two traditionally adversarial factions to coordinate their operations to a certain degree."
Tsu'tey could not contain a sneer, but the motion aggravated his wounds, twisting the smile into a painful grimace. He hissed: "Collaborate with these Sky People who cut down the Hometree and poison the forest? Absolutely impossible!"
The RDA special assistant adjusted his glasses, his tone polite but detached: "Dr. Osiris, legacy issues exist between the RDA and the Na'vi clans. Establishing mutual trust within a short timeline is frankly unrealistic. We lean toward fortifying our independent defenses or collaborating directly with a professional security asset such as your own."
Seze remained silent. She observed Osiris, waiting for his follow-up. She understood that since Osiris had convened this meeting, he undoubtedly possessed a far more explicit blueprint.