Chapter 702: The Tripartite Meeting
Initially, the Na'vi hunters were skeptical of these "Sky People tricks." However, during several simulated skirmishes, they were surprised to find that these techniques genuinely enhanced their ability to perceive stealthed threats. Although they were still a long way from true counter-offensives, they were at least no longer entirely passive punching bags like before.
Sutai monitored the training's progress closely, feeling slightly relieved.
She noticed that ever since the Seekers' advisors arrived and the clan began adjusting their perimeter patrol patterns according to their recommendations, the precise attacks targeting the radical faction had completely ceased.
This seemed to prove that cooperating with the Seekers was effective.
Colonel Quaritch also received "positive" feedback.
The several stations and transport routes where the "anti-stealth devices" were deployed suffered no further attacks over the subsequent week. Although sporadic incidents still occurred in other sectors, the frequency and severity of destruction seemed to have decreased.
The RDA technicians tested those metallic mushroom devices and found that they indeed continuously emitted a complex composite waveform, but the specific principles behind them exceeded their understanding.
Both the Na'vi and the RDA fell under an illusion: with the help of the Seekers, that omnipresent invisible threat seemed to be temporarily contained.
They did not know that all of this was the result of precise manipulation.
Following Ryo's orders, the Eldar warriors quietly shrank their operational range. They suspended their hunting activities around the Land of Chants and its adjacent areas, shifting their focus to smaller, more remote Na'vi settlements outside the Omaticaya's sphere of influence, or natural areas with little connection to the RDA.
Attacks still happened, but they were no longer as frequent or "targeted," appearing more like random, dispersed harassment.
This made the sectors where the Seekers intervened appear relatively safe, thereby reinforcing Ryo's image as an "indispensable" faction.
Sitting in the Trailblazer's command center, Ryo watched the blips and data streams representing the dynamics of the various factions on his screen, his gaze calm.
The objectives of the first phase were fundamentally achieved: the Na'vi radical faction was weakened, and the mainstream voice leaned toward cooperation; the RDA, after suffering continuous bleeding, was forced to accept limited assistance; and his own faction had successfully embedded itself into both sides' systems as "firefighters" and "technical experts."
But he knew perfectly well that this equilibrium, built upon a false sense of security, was fragile and unsustainable. The Eldar warriors could not maintain a "low profile" forever, and the "sudden recession" of the Predators would sooner or later arouse deeper suspicion.
It was time to push the plot into its next phase.
He issued orders to extend formal meeting invitations to both Sutai of the Omaticaya and Colonel Quaritch of the RDA.
The location was set in a relatively neutral valley situated in the buffer zone between the three factions—close to a temporary Seeker outpost, but far from the Na'vi's Land of Chants and the RDA's Hell's Gate.
There was only one theme for the meeting: how to completely resolve the invisible threat facing Pandora.
The meeting site was chosen in an area of bizarre geology.
It was filled with towering, wind-eroded stone pillars, and the ground was covered in a hard, silicified rock layer. Vegetation was sparse, and the field of view was relatively open, making ambushes difficult.
Ryo's engineering team arrived a day early. They cleared a flat area in the center of the stone forest and constructed a simple yet fully functional communications and sheltering camp.
On the Omaticaya side, Sutai personally led the delegation. Her entourage included two senior elders appointed by Chief Eytukan, as well as Tsu'tey, who insisted on coming despite his unhealed injuries—this was clearly an arrangement by Eytukan to placate the remnants of the radical faction and let Tsu'tey witness things firsthand.
They rode Ikrans to the perimeter of the stone forest before proceeding on foot.
On the RDA side, Colonel Quaritch arrived in two armored personnel carriers, accompanied by four fully armed AMP suits and a squad of elite soldiers. He wore combat fatigues but did not enter the cockpit of an AMP suit, demonstrating a certain degree of a "non-aggressive" stance.
Also accompanying him was a special assistant to General Manager Parker Selfridge, representing the will of the RDA board of directors and the capitalists.
On Ryo's side, Maine's squad was responsible for perimeter security, while several individuals dressed in standard exploration gear, yet possessing sharp, capable auras, handled reception and security within the camp.
Elandir and the Eldar warriors did not show their faces, and the Astartes and Knight mech were hidden completely out of sight.
The three factions took their seats around the alloy conference table in the center of the camp. The atmosphere was heavy and delicate.
There was an obvious invisible chasm between the Na'vi and the RDA representatives; their intersecting gazes carried vigilance and estrangement. Only Ryo's side maintained their usual expressions, seemingly transcending the old conflicts.
"Thank you all for coming," Ryo, as the convener, was the first to speak. His voice was transmitted clearly to everyone through simultaneous translation devices. "Let's get straight to the point."
"Over the past period, all three of our factions have suffered attacks from the same type of enemy—alien hunters possessing advanced cloaking capabilities, tactical cunning, and unknown motives."
He pulled up edited combat recording fragments that omitted critical information regarding his own forces. These included scenes of the Na'vi's failed Great Hunt, footage of RDA stations being attacked, and some blurry energy signal analysis charts.
"After providing limited support at your request, we successfully curbed their frequency of activity in certain areas," Ryo's tone shifted. "But we must soberly realize that this only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."
"Our jamming devices and tactical adjustments only forced the enemy to temporarily choose other, softer targets, or become more cautious. They have not left Pandora, and their mothership may still be hidden somewhere on this planet."
"As long as the core threat is not eliminated, the attacks could resurge at any time. And the next time, they might be prepared to counter our current defensive measures."
Colonel Quaritch crossed his arms, his voice cold: "Dr. Ryo, are you saying our previous cooperation was meaningless?"
"It has meaning; it bought us precious breathing room and intelligence," Ryo answered calmly. "But the meaning is limited. To truly resolve this issue, we require deeper cooperation, especially..."
His gaze swept over Sutai and Quaritch. "We need two mutually antagonistic factions to be able to coordinate their actions to a certain extent."
Tsu'tey couldn't help but let out a sneer, but because the movement pulled at his wounds, the smile twisted into a painful grimace. He hissed, "Cooperate with these Sky People who toppled Hometree and poison the forest? Absolutely impossible!"
The RDA special assistant adjusted his glasses, his tone polite but detached: "Dr. Ryo, there are historical legacy issues between the RDA and the Na'vi clans. Establishing mutual trust in the short term is likely unrealistic. We are more inclined to strengthen our own defenses, or cooperate with a professional security force like yours."
Sutai did not speak. She looked at Ryo, waiting for his follow-up. She knew that since Ryo had convened this meeting, he definitely had a more specific proposal.