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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 31

(Continued from Chapter 30...)

When the shuttle finally touched down upon the surface of Pandora - and the docking ramp at its back end lowered to allow us to depart - as we exited and my Clansmen went to find some local Fa'li upon which to load their supplies, one of my Warriors grumbled, " Finally! I think that will be the last time I fly inside one of those Eywa-cursed fngap things!" When a few of the others murmured softly in agreement with him - and the shuttle, hurt by his words, emitted a series of sad binaric tones - I ran a hand along the vessel's side consolingly as I responded, "Fpom, ma Tsmukan; please, do not speak ill of Sa'nok Shuttle! All fngap ioang given form and life by Txra'kon We'er are intelligent, with feelings of their own and they can hear you when you speak.

It is not the fault of this nawm Tawsìp that the last part of the journey here was bad; it was because of Txra'kon We'er not being patient." The Warrior who had spoken - Sulìn son of Pxen - heaved a weary sigh and then nodded his head as he replied, "I... understand, ma Olo'eyktan. It's just... until now I have never been flying before; I have always ridden Fa'li. Truthfully, I...", and here he knelt down to whisper into my ear, "I am... afraid of heights! Please, I beg you, do not tell the others; I would be humiliated if they were to know!" As he got to his feet again I and Ieesha nodded to him in acknowledgement and then replied, "I understand, ma Tsmukan; your secret is safe with us. Go now, and may you find yourself the finest Pa'li to ride!"

At this, Sulìn nodded, and then with a hasty "irayo" he dashed off to join the others in their search for the mighty Direhorses. As she stood next to me, watching my Clansmen depart, Ieesha yawned and gently stretched her legs and wings, her bones creaking and cracking softly. Concerned, I turned to her and asked in English, "Are you alright?" Murring softly at the feeling of finally being able to stretch herself after being cramped in the shuttle - as her happiness filled my thoughts - she replied, ~Yeah, I'm just a bit tired from being cooped up in that stuffy shuttle. I'll be alright; just let me get a bit of fresh air here.~ Giving her a smile, I nodded thoughtfully to her as I responded, "Hmm... well, shuttles normally aren't like that, Ieesha.

The internal atmospheric systems are usually built such that a shuttle won't get stuffy no matter the length of time spent in it, or how many people are inside it. The Dragon Weyr must have built that one hastily; it might have skimped out on the air scrubbers a bit..." Another soft yawn escaping her, as she finished her stretch, my beloved nodded slowly and began to purr as she replied, ~Maybe...~ Moving beside me she raised her head up beneath one of my hands such that my hand rested between her ears. Mindful of what she wanted, I began to caress her muzzle and head; occasionally giving her a scratch behind her ears. "Ieesha, are you... okay with carrying our supplies on your back?" I asked, looking said supplies over as I continued caressing her.

"I... don't mean to use you like a... like a beast of burden..." I expected to feel neutrality, or even indifference from her at my words. What I did not expect, dear readers, was for her irritation to fill my thoughts - followed swiftly by her love, devotion and pride - as she pulled her head from beneath my hand, straightened to stand proudly, and then vehemently replied, ~If I did not want to carry our supplies upon my back, sweet David then I would not. Please do not speak like that; you aren't using me at all! I am your companion and Lifemate; with duty, devotion, loyalty and love I shall be with you in all things and serve you as best I am able. I am honored to bear our supplies - whether medical or otherwise - and you upon my back, at any time!~

That, dear readers, was why I would never truly be worthy of her; all I could do was try to be. No sooner had this thought entered my mind than Ieesha growled softly as she nudged me hard in the side, making me stumble! As I regained my balance and then moved to rub gently at the place where she'd painfully nudged me I had no doubt of the message she'd just given me; she'd made it very clear, "Stop thinking like that!" Therefore, I did. A short while later, my Clansmen returned borne upon the backs of ten mighty Fa'li and - after helping them load their supplies upon the backs of said animals - I had them assemble into a protective escort formation around the Life-Support Capsule containing Txe'lan.

"Well, this is it; the last stage of our journey" I murmured as I vaulted atop my Lifemate's back and then attached the heavy duty clips of the riding straps to my Utility Belt in order to secure myself in place. "Here's hoping Jake Sully won't cause us too much trouble..." Pulling myself away from these thoughts, I turned my attention to the miniature computer strapped to my right forearm whereupon I touched the correct sequence of runes to send a binaric code to the Dragon Weyr that would force a manual reactivation of its Long-Range Psi-Web. As said web reactivated - and the great construct's fury once more filled my thoughts, immediately I thought, ' ENOUGH!'

At my sudden outburst, the great construct's shock filled my thoughts, but I shoved the emotion aside as I thought, 'You are on really thin ice mister. One more act of foolishness from you and we're going to have serious problems. Do you understand?' When a mixture of the Weyr's affirmation and apprehension filled my thoughts, I nodded to myself as I replied, 'Good. Here's the situation: We are almost to the land of the Omatikaya. This Clan is a highly traditionalist group, so we are going to ride for the final legs of our journey via dragon back and Pa'li. You know this due to the tiff you had with San'eya earlier.' When affirmation from the great construct again filled my thoughts, I continued.

'When we set out, you will politely ask the shuttle to ascend into orbit above the planet where you will then tell it to wait until we are ready to return home. During our ride - and whilst we are visiting with the Omatikaya - you are to be on your absolute best behavior; you will merely pilot the Life-Support Capsule and that is it; other than that, I want complete psychic silence from you. I'll have enough trouble dealing with Jake Sully and his ilk; I don't want any from you. When we are ready to return - Adun willing, with Txe'lan awake and healed - we will ride back here whereupon I will have you ask the shuttle to descend for pickup. Got it?' No sooner had the Dragon Weyr's affirmation entered my thoughts then I was abruptly pulled from conversing with the Nexus and back into reality when Master Hunter Oo'ano spoke up.

A man of few words was Oo'ano; he only ever spoke when he had something of importance to say or - in this case - when he had a question to ask me. "Olo'eyktan" he asked, softly, "what of the Shah-tell? Will it stay here and wait for us?" Knowing of course that he had not heard my mental conversation with the Dragon Weyr, I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could - to my surprise - as she wearily made her way down the shuttle's docking ramp and over to me, Tsa'hik San'eya answered his question, "Txa'vit has told Txra'kon We'er to send Sa'nok Shah-tell high above kifkey Eywa'evengä, into the ay'tanhì; there she will wait until we are done with our mission." As she finished speaking, my Clansmen turned to gaze at the shuttle with new eyes.

This amazing Tawsìp could fly to places where no Na'vi had ever been? Impossible! And yet, the words of the Tsa'hik had to be true; she was the Senior Spiritual Leader of the Clan - Eywa's emissary for the Tawkami people - and she would never tell a lie. The Clansmen shook their heads - some wondering at the possibilities of what might happen in the future with the amazing Tawsìp - and then returned their focus to the present. As the Elder Tsa'hik drew near Ieesha and I she stopped and then shared with my beloved a look. Shortly thereafter, my Lifemate briefly laid down upon the ground such that the Tsa'hik could climb atop her back and - being mindful of the supplies my beloved carried - seat herself behind me.

After wrapping an arm gently about my body, unthinking, she reached with her other arm and free hand for my beloved's own as-of-yet unused tswin but as she made to grasp it I swiftly tapped said hand, uttering a soft, "Kehe. Rä'ä, rutxe; that is not yours to touch." At this, San'eya blinked and then - upon realizing that she'd almost made a huge faux pas - she swiftly released my beloved's tswin as though it had burned her, and then looked at me with a stricken expression. A moment later she softly uttered, "Ma Olo'eyktan I... I did not... Ngaytxoa." Twisting about in the saddle to face her such that I could look into her golden eyes, I softly murmured, "Hey, it's alright; there's no need to apologize to me for that.

A mistake is just that: a mistake. I understand why you did it, too, you weren't thinking; the reason for that being you're tired from fighting Txra'kon We'er when he was trying to control the Shuttle this morning. It's okay..." Wordlessly, Tsa'hik San'eya nodded and then - as the expression upon her face became one of palpable relief - she drew a shaky breath, before exhaling said breath in a weary sigh. A moment later, she said, "Irayo, ma Olo'eyktan. You are right; I am weary indeed. When Txra'kon We'er is angry his ronsem becomes very powerful." At this - as my beloved's concern for San'eya's wellbeing filled my thoughts - I nodded thoughtfully to her before turning back around to look straight ahead toward where our destination lay. "Mmm... well hopefully things will settle down when Txe'lan is back with us."

Ever the skeptic, however, to myself I privately thought 'If she comes back with us...' Then, regaining my focus, I looked about. My Clansmen were seated upon their Fa'li and the Shuttle was ready to leave; we could do nothing more here. "Alright" I murmured softly to myself in English, "let's get this done..." Then, raising my voice and switching to Na'vi I called out "Onward, to the Kelutral of the Omatikaya! Kämakto!" then whistled to Falkor and Miracle and we were away! As we headed out - at a polite request from the Dragon Weyr - the great Shuttle inside which we had flown lifted into the air, silent and majestic, like a bird of prey; then it ascended higher and higher still, up through Pandora's atmosphere until at last it reached escape velocity and then went into orbit.

Roughly two and a half to three hours later, as we drew near the location of the new Omatikaya Kelutral, the slightest noise - a twig snapping - prompted Falkor and Miracle to halt and begin snarling in warning. A moment later, Master Hunter Oo'ano suddenly tensed and then - after slowing his Pa'li - he raised a hand, gesturing for us all to stop. With a gentle command I bade Ieesha do so and then commanded my Clansmen to halt their Fa'li before asking Falkor and Miracle to hush via a softly spoken word in Khalani. Once our entire party was still, I looked to the Master Hunter, asking, "What's wrong, ma Tsmukan?" For a moment, Oo'ano did not answer me; instead he sniffed the air before slowly turning his head left to right, his feline-like ears swiveling this way and that.

At first, I was puzzled by his strange behavior... but then, a moment later the hair on the back of my neck stood up as a chill ran down my spine, for I realized that he was tracking something; a near phantasm-like thing that only he could see. Shortly thereafter he murmured, "They know we are here..." No sooner had he spoken, then there came the gentle sound of leaves rustling softly in the wind as - from just out of the corner of my eye - I caught the briefest glimpse of a pair of Na'vi men as they raced away from us through the treetops at breakneck speed. 'Omatikaya Scouts,' I realized. 'Well, looks like Jake will know we're coming. Oh, boy...' Heaving a weary sigh, I slowly shook my head. 'Well... there's nothing we can really do about it; we just have to continue on...' I thought.

Therefore, after nodding in acknowledgement to Master Hunter Oo'ano and thanking him for his warning, I and my Clansmen continued our journey, until at last we arrived at the base of the Omatikaya Kelutral. The colossal Kelutral or 'Hometree' of Pandora's Omatikaya Clan was well-known to me, although less so than others of its kind, such as that of the Tipani Clan, with whom we had good relations. As with all things on Pandora the name Home_tree_ was somewhat misleading because the massive, 150m tall structure was actually a grove of intertwined trees of the same species, which had grown together, providing for mutual strength and structural reinforcement.

That, coupled with Pandora's low gravity, was what accounted for the immense height of each Hometree. The Clans whom lived within these towering structures - especially the Omatikaya - revered this quality of the Hometrees as a constant reminder that a community was stronger and more resilient than the sum of the individuals who comprised it. Awe from Ieesha filled my thoughts, for the Omatikaya Kelutral was impressive indeed, from its hollow base supported by mangrove-like roots, to the mighty branches that were chosen and carved with care into ceremonial bows by young Omatikayan hunters after Uniltaron, to the large, broad, lobed leaves that formed its impressive canopy.

Said leaves - although usually green - were now all sorts of shades of gold-brown-red. When they fell to litter the forest floor, or were eased gently from the Hometree by skilled Omatikaya Craftsmen, the leaves were most often crafted into various things. They were woven into fabrics and the mats used in the construction of the sleeping hammocks called Eywa k'sey nivi bri'sta - or 'Eywa cradles everyone.' They were carefully washed and used in the construction of Sumin jilt'luy; the Leaf Plates upon which food was placed prior to being consumed. Still other leaves were thoroughly cleaned before being used to wrap various kinds of fruits, meats, vegetables, seeds, and potent spices; the result being the famous Nikt'chey or Food Wrap.

I hadn't been to this part of Pandora in a while and each time I was here, all of the trees - not just the Kelutral of the Omatikaya - struck me with a kind of awe. The world that the Na'vi called kifkey Eywa'evengä was home to the largest forests in the galaxy, and when the trees of said forests did indeed tower high above my head, it was as if I was an ant in a world sized for giants. Many of the trees here had existed for tens of thousands of years, and some had existed for even hundreds of thousands; all were so old that I consistently felt like reaching out to them with my psionic abilities because I believed they could respond to me. A mixture of her nervousness and uncertainty filling my thoughts Ieesha swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry throat as she murmured, ~I'm beginning to feel that way, too, and we've only been here a few moments!~

There was a deep sense of history here, and age, and truth. The presence of Eywa was strong here, especially since we were so close to the sacred site known as Vitrautral, the Tree of Souls. There's an old saying that comes from my original Homeworld, Earth - 'the world can change in a New York minute' - and, unfortunately, this saying holds true for Pandora, too. One minute my Clan and I were reverently admiring the Omatikaya Kelutral; the next there resounded a great ìley as we were surrounded by a large group of the Omatikaya Clan's best Warriors, their weapons raised and bows loaded with arrows for killing shots. When the fearsome cry faded away on the wind, my Clansmen made to dismount and draw their own weapons in order to defend us from possible attack.

Sitting there atop Ieesha, watching the situation swiftly slide out of control I swiftly yelled " Kehe! Do not antagonize these people in any way, ma ay'Tsmukan! We are here for peaceful reasons, not those of warfare! We must not risk harm to our Olo' 'Ite!" Fortunately, my Clansmen were well trained - although they had been surprised by the sudden appearance of the Omatikayans neither lust for battle nor fear-adrenaline yet clouded their minds - and nervous hands soon slid away from enhanced bow and blade. 'Whew...' I thought, relief filling me and my beloved's thoughts; however the situation was far from defused, for no sooner had I spoken to my men, then the circle of Omatikayan men surrounding us was breached by none other than their Olo'eyktan, Jake Sully, with his beloved Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at'ite at his side.

When the former human marine set foot within the circle of his Clansmen and espied me sitting astride Ieesha, the expression on his face - which had been neutral to begin with - darkened immediately as he snarled, " You! What in Eywa's name are you doing here? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have my ay'Tsmukan kill you, Tawtute!" Resting a head in my hand, I heaved a weary sigh as I massaged my temples. 'Oh, brother; it's the same damn thing every time...' I thought. Sorrow from Ieesha filled my thoughts for a moment, but I gently consoled her. 'You don't need to be sorry for me having to put up with his idiocy, Ieesha; instead, you ought to be sorry for him because the stubborn fool won't change and stop thinking that I am somehow to blame for a war that happened 142 years ago!' I thought to her.

At this, she made to respond, but as she began to speak I was pulled from hearing her reply when Jake Sully spoke again. "What business do you have with the Omatikaya, Tawtute?" he asked, spitting the word 'Tawtute' as if it was a curse. At his question, both Ieesha and I straightened our postures and stood proudly before him, and then I respectfully answered, "As it has always been, and will always be, my business with the People of the Omatikaya Clan is peaceful, ma Tsmukan." My words did not appease Jake Sully at all; a derisive snort escaping him, he replied in English, "Oh, yeah? What is it this time? More herbs to gather? Another animal to save?" He noticed Ieesha then, and continued, "Ah, I see you've managed to acquire another Ikran; tell me, are you Ikran Makto, now, or is she merely another good pet for your menagerie?"

It was taking every skill I had as an Ambassador to not leap down from atop my beloved's back and flay the fool alive with psychic power--or merely smash his treacherous face in with my fists! Ieesha, too, was having a difficult time of it; she stood there as still as a statue, glowering down at the former marine with deathly intent even as she fought with every bit of her will to not roast him for his insolence! Fortunately for us, we didn't have to do anything, because - as Jake Sully opened his mouth to deliver yet more scathing diatribe - suddenly he grimaced as two delicate fingers clamped painfully to one of his feline-like ears. Said fingers were attached to the supple hand and long, slender arm of his beloved Lifemate, who - after applying a little more pressure - forced him to step back from us as we smothered grins behind masks of decorum.

Upon seeing their Olo'eyktan so easily cowed, the Omatikayan Hunters and Warriors surrounding us - though they, too, tried to remain professional - could not help but smother mirth of their own. Once she'd gotten her skxawng of a Lifemate to back down Neytiri shook her head, a weary sigh escaping her. Then, with the simplest of gestures - a gentle wave of her hand - she commanded the people surrounding us to put away their weapons before she stepped forward to greet us, adopting an air of cold and formal neutrality. "Oel ngati kameie, Palu-" she began, but a moment later - upon seeing Ieesha for the first time, she lapsed into silence and just stared at the enormous, Toruk-sized Ikran whom was my Lifemate.

Then, a moment later she blinked, her professionalism asserting itself once more as she corrected herself and continued, "Oel ngati kameie Ikran Makto Txa'vit. Why have you come here to our Kelutral?" I did not answer her question, at first; instead I gently massaged away a small stress headache, groaning to myself internally. 'Typical Neytiri; as blunt as ever...' I thought. As my Lifemate's concern, pity, and sorrow filled my thoughts, finally I answered, "As I was saying to your yawne, Jake Sully, my business here is peaceful. One of the members of my Clan, a woman called Txe'lan, was injured during a great battle against a formidable foe. I come here in the hope I might be granted permission to take our Clan Sister to Vitrautral, such that Eywa might heal her wounds.

Rutxe, allow us into your Kelutral, that we might rest and recover from our journey, and I shall explain everything." At this, Neytiri nodded and made to reply; however as she opened her mouth to speak, Jake cried "No, ma yawne, do not listen--!" but before he could continue, Neytiri affixed him with a look and he fell silent. 'Well, well' I thought to myself from behind my mask of professional decorum, 'I guess we know who really wears the taparrabo in this Clan, eh?' Her amusement filling my thoughts, my beloved merely blinked and did her best to keep from howling with laughter at Jake and Neytiri's behavior. Soon, we were pulled from our amusement and back to reality when the Tsa'hik-to-be of the Omatikaya nodded curtly as she replied, "You and your clan are welcome within our Kelutral, for now. Rutxe, za'u."

And with those words, it was done; the Omatikayans, my Clansmen, Ieesha, Falkor, Miracle and I all proceeded to enter the Omatikaya Kelutral, whereupon we headed to a meeting place normally used for clan gatherings. Situated at the very heart of the Kelutral, said meeting place was like a great hall, draped with ornate woven banners that hung from the highest branches and filled with fearsome shadows cast by the skulls of massive animals mounted above our heads. There, I sat before Jake, Neytiri and the rest of the Omatikaya Clan - on the floor of the room, within Ieesha's curled embrace - and proceeded to tell my story. "... And so that is why we have come here," I concluded, some two hours later.

"We wish to journey to Vitrautral and bring our Clan Sister before Eywa; we believe that the Great Mother might be able to successfully heal her, that she might succeed where Txra'kon We'er could not." Great sorrow and misery from the Dragon Weyr filled our thoughts then and - as she nibbled gently upon a chunk of fine yerik meat and I snacked upon an MRE - we tried together to console the poor Nexus as best we could. Whilst we did so, Jake and Neytiri stood and moved with Tsa'hik Mo'at to a private alcove, just off the meeting place, wherein all three began to converse softly in Na'vi. With the Dragon Weyr calm, as we watched the three Na'vi converse - no doubt deciding Txe'lan's fate and whether to let us visit the Tree of Souls - our thoughts were filled with worry and anxiety for our fallen Clan Sister.

A short while later Jake, Neytiri, and Mo'at returned and as they did so our hearts sank for the expressions on their faces were grave. It was Mo'at whom eventually spoke, and her words - solemn and somber - shattered our hopes and dreams. "Ngaytxoa, 'eylan Txa'vit" she said, sadly. "Though you saved us all from a fate worse than death at the vrrtep claws of 'They Who Could Not See', you must understand, Vitrautral is sacred to us! The last time Tawtute 'visited' it, the Mother Tree was nearly destroyed. I am sorry; we cannot allow you to go there. You will have to find a way for Txra'kon We'er to heal Txe'lan, or... or you will have to return her to Txra'kon We'er."

We knew what she meant by 'return' and at her words sadness welled up within us; my beloved buried her head beneath my Templar Robe and I gazed up at the Senior Tsa'hik, my eyes wet with unshed tears as I swallowed thickly before rasping, "I... I understand, ma Tsa'hik. I... please allow us a few days to rest and then we shall leave immediately..." Tsa'hik Mo'at nodded and made to speak - perhaps to console me - but before she could, Jake Sully chose to open his mouth and play the fool again. "Yes" he said coldly, staring at the precious Life-Support Capsule housing Txe'lan, "rutxe, leave! Take your fngapa hawnu, your stxong Ikran and your accursed Clansmen with you!" Neytiri and Mo'at did not hear the sheer, unrestrained glee in his voice as he said these words... but I sure did.

It reminded me so much of Councilor Velarn - the Turian member of the fictional Citadel Council, from the "Mass Effect" series of Computer Games - a being whom I despised with a passion for his condescending nature and his belittling of Commander Sheppard at every turn, no matter what heroic deeds the Commander undertook to help the galaxy. For a moment, a flicker of amusement swept through my thoughts as I envisioned the Citadel Council Chambers in the game, but with Neytiri, Mo'at and Jake Sully replacing the Salarian, Asari and Turian Council Members respectively. I could almost see the quotes formed in the air as Jake gazed coldly down at me from on high, sneering, "Ah, yes, 'They Who Could Not See.'

The Clan of demonic Na'vi from before the time of the First Toruk Makto, allegedly living deep beneath the surface of kifkey Eywa'evengä. We have dismissed that claim!" That, dear readers, was when everything went straight to hell. The raw fury of the Dragon Weyr blazed through my thoughts and the strength of the emotion, coupled with my own - already pushed precariously to a razor's edge, due to Txe'lan's delicate condition - caused me to lose control! A startled squawk escaped Ieesha as I leaped from her embrace, stormed over to Jake Sully and got right in his face! "What's your damage, Sully, huh?" I yelled at him, in English. "What's your malfunction? What the fuck did I ever do to you?"

The elliptical pupils of his golden eyes narrowing to thin knifelike slits, Jake softly growled, "You want to know what you've done , Tawtute? Then I'll show you. I'll make you see..." Suddenly - before anyone could say or do anything to stop him - lunging forward, Jake Sully grabbed me in a bear hug, wrapping his arms tightly about my body so as to crush the very air from my lungs, leaving me gasping and struggling for breath! Mere seconds later - once I had become subdued enough from lack of oxygen - those around us looked on in horror as the crazed former human marine moved me into a fireman's carry, before he raced down the Kelutral and then carried me away into the forest!

I'm not sure how long we travelled - I must have passed out; all I can remember is the sensation of movement as Jake ran, faster, and faster, and faster - but I was awakened abruptly when the insane Olo'eyktan brutally threw me from his shoulder at which point my upper back and head impacted against a wood surface! The impact of hitting... whatever it was I'd been thrown against... had been hard indeed; though my thick Templar Robe and the armored shirt I wore beneath it protected me from serious injury, my back became aflame with agony and my head even more so. Confused, disoriented and nauseous with pain, somehow I managed to stumble to my feet, but that was a mistake; no sooner had I done so, than I immediately lurched forward, my body heaving as I vomited up the remains of the meal I'd eaten back at the Omatikaya Kelutral.

After that, I almost fell to collapse in the pool of sick at my feet, but before I hit the ground a hand roughly impacted me and pushed me back upright against the wooden... whatever it was. "Oh no you don't, you're not getting out of this that easily; no Tawtute rests for their tìkawng deeds!" Came the voice of Jake Sully. '... Just shut the hell up!' I groaned internally, feeling sicker than a dog, but he did not shut up; instead he continued, "Open your goddamned eyes, Tawtute filth! Turn and see what your kind have wrought here!" Feeling nausea threaten to overwhelm me I obeyed him, cracking open grit-filled eyes before stumbling about to view what lay before me. Oh, dear readers, it was horrible!

I stood before a fallen Kelutral of all things - its great trunk long since blackened and its canopy just gone - whilst around me there lay nothing of what used to be a forest; all that remained was little more than ashes and blackened earth. 'What...? What is this place?' I wondered through the pain-filled haze my world had become. When Jake Sully next spoke, however, all became chillingly clear. " This is what your kind has done, Tawtute!" he crowed. "See and embrace the destruction you bring!" At his words my eyes widened in horror, for now I realized what this place was. 'It's... this is... this was the original Omatikaya Kelutral, their 10,000 year old ancestral home, which the RDA brought down during the final days of the Unobtanium War...'

Opportunity to think further upon this was denied me, however, when the Olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya - his golden eyes little more than cold, hardened chips of ice - began to stalk towards me with deathly intent, his gait predatory. He meant to kill me... for something I hadn't even done! "It's you who are responsible for this; you and all your lying kind!" he snarled as he closed in. At that point, dear readers... well - after all the prejudice he and his Clan had shown me over the years - I'd just had enough! "How dare you..." I growled lowly, in English, stalking towards him myself, a mix of furious anger and adrenaline allowing me to overcome the pain I was in such that I could channel psionic power into a hand in preparation for a Quivering Palm Strike. It was a martial combat technique that - if successful - would stop his heart, killing him instantly.

This forbidden use of martial combat would mean breaking the Oath I'd taken as a High Templar - I would become Outcast - but at this point in time, dear readers, I just couldn't bring myself to care anymore. "How dare you have the audacity to blame me for this" I continued as we closed the distance to each other. "How can you blame me for a war that happened over 142 years ago - something I wasn't even a part of?" Closer and closer we came to each other, until finally, I leaned forward into his personal space such that I could see the many golden flecks in his eyes "How do you think you can justify that," I began lowly, and then in a furious scream continued, "when it was YOU who supplied the RDA with the Intel on the Hometree in the first place!

YOU told Miles Quaritch and his Sec-Ops Forces about the number of Na'vi living there so they could determine the amount of Tear Gas needed to drive them out! You were the one who told Quaritch about the tree's structure and which columns to hit for maximum damage! You," I cried, forcefully poking him in the chest with two fingers, "you; you; you! It's your entire fault Sully, not mine, and I'm sick of taking the blame for it! Every time I've come into your Clan's territory for benign reasons and offered my help to you and your people, I've received nothing but prejudice; nothing but scorn and hatred, simply because I am a human being! The irony is that whilst you scorn me, it is you whom should be scorned. You're a fucking traitor, Sully; yes, humankind grievously wronged the Na'vi... but you betrayed them - humanity - your kin!"

"Ah, but so did you, Txa'vit" Jake sneered, derisively. "In fact, you betrayed two races - your own people and the Protoss - when you came here..." At this idiotic statement I slowly shook my head before I snarled, "I did not - I left Earth but never betrayed my native people - and the Protoss betrayed me; I never betrayed them. I will always be a Son of Aiur and a proud member of the Templar Caste... unlike you, Mister Jake 'Benedict Arnold' Sully whom has no true home to return to! I've had enough, do you hear me? I've had enough of your prejudice, enough of your hatred, and enough of your bullshit! I... have had... enough... of you!" Screaming a battle-cry I launched the Palm Strike straight at his chest.

My psionically enhanced strength and speed made me fast, but Jake Sully - his superior Na'vi speed and reflexes, enhanced by hate and adrenaline - was faster; he easily dodged my strike before sweeping my legs out from under me. Then, as I lay there upon the blackened earth - stunned and in pain once more, for the adrenaline had left my system - screaming a powerful ìley of his own, from a leather scabbard affixed to his taparrabo he withdrew an enormous combat knife; a weapon crafted from a long Palulukan fang, honed with a wicked serrated edge. Pinning me to the ground, he knelt down atop me and attempted to slit my throat! With desperation, I struggled to dislodge him and when that failed I tried to push his arm with the hand holding the knife away... but he was far, far too strong. "Prepare to meet your end, Tawtute..." he murmured to me as he brought the knife down... At that point, dear readers, events spun out of control.