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Disclaimer: Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment.

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 23

(Continued from Chapter 22...)

At my command, the Dragon Weyr complied, and - with a terrible, Ikran-like shriek of super-sharp Nanocyte-forged blades upon Psi-Steel - the mighty Tunnel Boring Machine breached the Great Seal holding back the Ocean of Damned Souls! A moment later every Holoscreen affixed within the TBM activated to display the images from the external cameras mounted at the vehicle's rear. Raucous laughter and celebratory cheering resounded throughout the TBM as I, Lompor, and San'eya - along with every single Na'vi Warrior aboard - bore witness to 'They Who Could Not See' as they were swept away and drowned by Aywiya Vitra Txampay; the very Ocean that they themselves had brought into being as a result of their corruption!

Despite the fact that they had bloodied us earlier, despite the fact that we'd had to retreat due to their numbers, and despite the fact that they'd had weapons capable of literally dissolving away our shields, we had truly won the day! The females of Clan Tawkami had all been rescued, none of my Clan had lost their lives, and we had struck a mighty blow against 'They Who Could Not See'; perhaps one from which they would never recover. During my life as a Templar of Aiur, one thing I had always strived for and succeeded in doing was keeping myself 'clean'; I didn't smoke, I didn't drink and I never took drugs, gambled, or engaged in other vices that might corrupt my mind since to a High Templar, the mind is the seat of the soul and the font of our power.

Still, dear readers, despite all of my discipline and training, and despite the fact that I was a High Templar... I was not protoss. I was human. I made mistakes. That night, I made a huge one: in the great recreation room aboard the TBM - as I partied hard with my Warrior brothers of the Clan - I had far, far too much to drink! Lompor had issued a drinking challenge to any able man and, foolishly, I had accepted, along with two Na'vi Warriors and a Hunter. Lompor had thrashed us soundly; drinking us all under the table and then laughing with delightful mirth when we'd all passed out! Unlike the Na'vi, however, I could not hold my liquor well, at all, and thus - when I awakened the next morning - my throat was horribly dry, and I had a terrible splitting headache. "Oh, gods," I groaned.

Gingerly I made to roll over onto my back... but I couldn't, for a long, slender Na'vi arm was wrapped about me and said arm was holding me against a Na'vi form that was very, very feminine; I could tell it was female due to the pair of breasts pressing gently into my back. 'That's odd...' I thought, fuzzily. 'It can't be Txe'lan; she's back at the Weyr. Besides, the body I'm lying against is too big...' At that moment, my eyes widened with a mixture of realization and gradually dawning horror... 'Oh, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap... I am so dead!' I thought. Ever so carefully, I rolled over within the embrace of the mystery female to face her, and when I saw her face - so peaceful in the still of sleep - sheer terror gripped my guts, making my blood run cold!

It was San'eya. Tsa'hik San'eya. Tsa'hik San'eya, once the Lifemate of former Olo'eyktan Ema'zu. She was naked. In my bed. With me. Tsa'hik San'eya was naked. In my bed. With me! 'Oh shit!' I thought, in panic, my body tensing, 'we didn't... do anything, did we? Gods, I hope not! Damn... she's going to kill me, I know it!' Then, a treacherous part of my mind supplied me with the thought, 'Wow, she's beautiful!' Na'vi didn't age like humans and thus, she bore no wrinkles or other visible signs of ageing, except, perhaps, for some little creases or lines about her eyes and forehead. She was beautiful, her smooth, hairless cyan skin unblemished by the ravages of time, much like how Tolkien's elves appeared in the film 'The Lord of the Rings.'

Just then, San'eya slowly opened her eyes and - upon seeing me - she smiled. "Sìltsan rewon, ma Olo'eyktan. Oel ngati kameie," she said softly, pulling me a little tighter against her body. Upon sensing the tension within me, however, she softly asked, "Ma Olo'eyktan, what is the matter?" Swallowing nervously, I heaved a gusty sigh, and then - bracing myself for whatever might happen - I replied, "Sìltsan rewon, ma Tsa'hik. Um, last night... What happened? We... we did not...?" Older and wiser than Txe'lan, San'eya immediately realized what I was hesitantly trying to ask. "No, ma Txa'vit, we did not mate last night!" she answered, with a chuckle. Then, all traces of humor vanished. "You... you do not remember what happened?" she asked, concerned.

With a shake of my head, I answered, "Kehe, I do not. Can you tell me, please?" As I finished the question, my Clan's Tsa'hik of Eywa blinked... and then, her eyes misted over with the beginnings of unshed tears as she swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry throat, before she answered, "When... when you became too intoxicated and chose to retire for the evening, I supported you as you made your way to your quarters aboard the Great Machine. You... You thought that I was Txe'lan, and thanked me for helping you. When we arrived here, as I helped you into bed you broke down and wept in my arms; you told me you were so sorry for not being there for me and leaving me in that awful place for so long..."

At this, my jaw dropped open, shock racing through me - a feeling echoed by the Dragon Weyr - as I asked, "I... I did?" Tsa'hik San'eya blinked, and then - as her tears began to fall - she whispered, "Srane, you did. You... you sounded so lost, so heartbroken. You must care for her deeply..." Blinking back my own tears as I allowed the tension to leave my body, I nodded, and then - nestling close to her - I inhaled a shaky breath, before answering, "Do not doubt me, San'eya; I care for all of you, the entire Clan, equally - I would not be a good Olo'eyktan if I didn't - but...Olo' 'Ite Txe'lan does hold a special place within my heart. She was the first Na'vi I ever encountered, the first Na'vi I helped and whom accepted my help without scorn and derision. She was the first to accept Txra'kon We'er and its technology; the first to accept that I was Tawtute, and..."

"... and she was - is - your first friend among the Clan."_San'eya finished, rubbing my back soothingly. _"Srane, she is," I replied, carefully wiping away her tears with my thumbs. Then, I blew out my breath in a gusty sigh. "Adun's Blunt Blade; this is going to be such a mess..." San'eya blinked - the expression on her face becoming one of questioning - and then, she responded, "What will be 'such a mess' ma Olo'eyktan?" Gently pulling myself free of her comforting embrace, I sat up to lean back against the bed-head, and rested my head in my hands for a moment. Then, finally, I turned to look at her and answered, "Dealing with the aftermath of... all this! Don't get me wrong, ma Tsa'hik - I and Txra'kon We'er will be able to treat the females' physical injuries - but... who knows what tortures they were subjected to down there!

I... I can treat injuries of the body, but I know not how to treat injuries of the mind and spirit. I am no councilor..." At that moment, a horrible epiphany struck me and I gasped softly, my eyes widening, before I continued, "... and what of the Warriors whom participated in the battle we fought? Despite their stalwart bravery and prowess in battle, at heart they - like all of our Clan - are a simple people. I... I gave them hell during their training - I literally had to break them down and then forge them anew - and during the battle they were subjected to the sight of horrors not meant to be seen by mortal eyes. Even worse, I equipped them with technology that, until now, they had never even seen, let alone conceived. How will all of this affect them? They... they will definitely not be the same people they were before..."

Tsa'hik San'eya snorted softly at this, before she exclaimed, "I should think not, Txa'vit! They will undoubtedly be changed by their experiences - as we all have been - but they are warriors, and they are strong. Their mates, and our healers, will be able to help them should they be troubled by the things they have seen. Eywa and Txra'kon We'er should be able to assist as well, especially with healing our females. Ma Txa'vit, lu mawey... you place upon your shoulders far too many burdens! You must remember: you are not alone ; your Clan, Txra'kon We'er, and even Eywa, can and will help you! We are all here for you, Txa'vit." At these words, strong affirmation from the Dragon Weyr filled my mind, and sighed quietly with relief. "Irayo, ma Tsa'hik" I intoned softly. "Thank you for your wisdom."

"You are always welcome, ma Olo'eyktan" she replied. Then with that said, she got up, clothed herself in her taparrabo and turinash, and left my quarters to return to her own - in order to perform her morning ablutions and such - whilst I got out of bed myself and headed to the shower. A short while later - after showering and giving myself a shot of Purge to neutralize my hangover, I emerged from the washroom attached to my quarters, fully refreshed and clad in my usual attire. Pausing for a moment, I stared at the northern wall of my quarters where - now cleaned of filth and fully repaired - my armor rested within its display case. As I stared at the golden-winged, draconic form that I had crafted with my own hands and assistance from the Dragon Weyr, a shiver ran down my spine. 'I hope' I thought to myself, 'that I will never need to use this armor ever again...'

Alas, only time would tell if my thoughts would turn out to be true. With a last look at the display case, I swiftly exited my quarters, and made my way up to the front of the TBM whereupon I entered the Command Center. There, I encountered Lompor - sitting relaxed on the leather sofa as he watched the triple Holoscreen vigilantly - and San'eya, whom was next to him. The Tsa'hik, I noticed, had connected her new tswin into a port within the console that was normally used for connecting diagnostic equipment to the TBM, in order to diagnose system faults. She was in Tsaheylu - communing with the Dragon Weyr through the TBM - and, although I was curious as to why she'd chosen to do this I was reluctant to disturb her. 'I'm not sure how deeply she communes with the Dragon Weyr' I thought. 'If her state of Tsaheylu is light then I might be able to find out what's going on but if she's in really deep, then the consequences of disturbing her... they would be bad.

A shiver coursed through my body as I remembered an earlier time when Ieesha had been alive and the Dragon Weyr had not been as advanced as it was now. Back then, the huge construct called the Dragon Weyr was simpler in design - we hadn't yet contracted the teams of Protoss and Terran engineers to build the powerful, artificially intelligent computer system that one day would run it - and it wasn't the impressive überfortress that it was today. Instead of the increased security of the Transport Alcove a simple set of curving, psi-steel steps had led up to a pair of massive oaken doors leading into the Weyrheart. One morning Ieesha and I had been making love to each other within - not physically but in our minds - we had been deep within the mental bond we shared.

The most incredible feelings had surrounded us - deep feelings of loving, and being loved - bringing us closer, pushing us deeper... and then, someone had loudly, and rudely, knocked upon the old, wooden oak doors! The sound of that knocking, when it had come, had utterly shattered the silence around us. Ieesha and I had screamed as we were torn from one another, the twist of her around me and I around her undone by the sudden, violent interruption. Our verbal cries were only in our heads. The cry that had come from Ieesha had been very different; a high-pitched wail that was agony to hear, that crawled into the head of our uninvited 'guest' and tried to claw into his sanity. For me, being so forced from the embrace of my mate had been a white-hot flash of pain. I had fallen forward to be half-caught by the bridge of my beloved's snout beneath me.

Both our minds had felt like they were aflame; a sensation too close to what it had been like at the start when we'd both had to deal with the crushing agony of my dragon's wounds, terrible injuries that had been inflicted upon her by the Dark Shaman, Mtumwa-Kamil-Adham. Fortunately, no damage had been done, and - after a short while, during which we'd held each other close physically, and mentally - we had recovered from the shock. Getting to our feet, we had stomped over to the Weyrheart doors and then, after slamming said doors open and startling our uninvited 'guest' - a young Protoss Acolyte who'd come to deliver a message to me - we had both proceeded to verbally tear strips off the poor Protoss youngling until Ieesha had sent him fleeing with a blast of fire that had scorched his robes and hide!

A fond smile on my face, I shook my head and grinned as I recalled these memories. The young Acolyte, whose name was Toran, had apologized profusely for disturbing us, and his message had been a summons to the Judicator Assembly where I was needed to partake in the negotiating of an important trade agreement. Said negotiations had proceeded without a hitch, and Toran had become our friend; he'd even gone flying with us one day when Ieesha had graciously allowed him to ride with me upon her back. Eventually, I was pulled from my memories and back to reality, when Tsa'hik San'eya - upon seeing me standing in the doorway to the Command Center with a huge smile on my face - beckoned me over to her. "Kaltxì, ma Tsa'hik!" I said to her cheerfully, as I moved over to her and then sat beside her on the sofa.

"Kaltxì yourself, ma Olo'eyktan!" she replied. "Why were you standing at the entrance of the room with a large smile upon your face?" Chuckling, I told her, and the story soon had her and Lompor in stitches with laughter! "How are things here?" I asked her, once she and the Master Warrior were able to regain their senses. San'eya grinned at my question, before answering, "Things are well indeed, Txa'vit! Txra'kon We'er says we are more than halfway to the surface of kifkey Eywa'evengä." My eyes widening, I gave the display readouts of the console a cursory check, and discovered - to my astonishment - that she was correct! "Already?" I responded. The Tsa'hik nodded. "Srane" she replied, "Txra'kon We'er seems very anxious for us to return to the surface, so he pushes the Great Machine hard, but not beyond the limits of what it is capable of."

I nodded thoughtfully at this, before replying, "You should not be concerned at this, ma Tsa'hik; Txra'kon We'er cares as much about the wellbeing of the Clan as I do. He wants us all returned to the surface, so that the Warriors and Hunters of the Great Tsampongu might be reunited with their brothers and mates, and so that we might once again be safe within the shelter of his walls. Txra'kon We'er might also need our help with caring for our newly rescued females." Strong affirmation and agreement filled our thoughts, at this - the Dragon Weyr was, indeed, anxious for us all to be returned safely. San'eya smiled and nodded, before she responded, "Txra'kon We'er agrees with all you just said, ma Olo'eyktan, and strongly at that! I, for one, will be glad to leave this tìvawm beneath our atxkxe!"

From where he stood watching the triple Holoscreen, Lompor heaved a weary sigh before he growled, "So will I! I long to feel the sun upon my face, and to hold my beloved Maena in my arms again. I pray that Txra'kon We'er will be able to heal the grievous harm that they inflicted upon her..." Turning my attention to him, I nodded, knowing exactly how he felt. During earlier times - when I'd been on long military campaigns with the Protoss, before coming to Pandora - there had been days when, instead of fighting, I'd wanted nothing more than to return home and curl up beneath Ieesha's wings. "Have patience, ma Tsmukan" I intoned softly. "With Txra'kon We'er pushing the Great Machine so hard, our journey should be much shorter; it won't be long before we are home again, on the surface of kifkey Eywa'evengä."