ATEYO TeSYAKSYUK: TSULFATU

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Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

101)~It was actually more than three minutes because Colonel Schroeder and Patricia began strategizing and creating a logistical map of who needed to get back to Blue Heart Gate and who needed to return in what helicopter and in which body form.  Circles were drawn in the dirt, representing the Omatikaya Kelutral and the Facilitee, empty seed pods were used to denote Samsoms and the Dragon. People were indicated with little stones. Avatars were indicated with AeanAean seed pods. The shell game revealed the following plan:
   Captain Henderson would fly Mo'at and Mendelson in her Samson.  That was a given. 
   Tai and Taifa' would remain at the Omatikaya Kelutral.  Max told them both to lay down in the Dragon after half an hour. No one really wanted to haul a full grown Avatar around after they were unconscious. Max instructed them both to meditate and attain Alpha wave status so that their spirits could join their human bodies and return to the Omatikaya Kelutral in Tai's chopper.
   Henderson would return in her Samson, flying her inert Blue Avatar self. Tai and Taifa would return in Tai's chopper, along with Mo'at and Mendelson in his Blue Skin. 
   Tobi and Tweety would ride with the two other Chopper pilots back to the Hidden Base with instructions to get at least two links operational. The others human Freedom Fighters who had been initiated would return at that time, also.
  The techs who were assigned to the Eastern Sea and to the Txikxtxikxen pa'li clan were being dispersed along with their respective ayeyktan and aysahik. The others ayektan and aysahik were free to return to their clans whenever they pleased.
   Patricia Fenwick offered to stay at Blue Heart Gate to co-ordinate the transport of the next four avatars from the Starship. The four as yet to be determined.
   "I would like to see if the facility can accomodate more than four gestation tanks. I'll find out how long it would take to install an extra bank of those.  We bought-up everything that was confiscated from the RDA on 'Rrta."  She looked at all the eager human faces around her.  We have only four gestation tanks at the facility.  So we have to decide who the next four will be..."
   "MAX, pick MAX!" shouted Norm, JakeSully and even Neytiri.  They hadn't meant to shout, but the possibility was so exciting that they couldn't help themselves." Max blushed, but agreed.
   "I think that everyone who has been here since the insurrection deserves to have Avatar bodies.  They fought for them." stated Tai flatly.  "I would like two of my pilots to get their Avatars."
  "OK Major, but it is up to you to modify your Samsons!  That makes three. I am willing to wait," said Patricia. "I could over- ride everyone, but in the interest of civility, I will defer my transfer.  Besides, the control room is designed for humans. An Avatar, uniltìrantokx, would feel crowded.  I've got to leave room for Max!"
  Max pointed out that Ka'alani had been instrumental in confiscating the AMP suit with which he had demolished the RDA operations room.  "I'm voting for Ka'alani."
   "That's it.  That's the next four. I know that this decision might leave some disappointments.  I, myself, am doing what I can to allow my position to be taken and to hasten the procedure to get more gestation tanks installed.  We will get this accomplished as quickly as possible because, as Mo'at has pointed out, it would be distressing to know of bodies waiting around for their part-time spirits." Patricia placed her hands on her hips and looked at all the eager faces.
"Now that we have a plan. LET's BOOGIE!"  She clapped her hands for emphasis.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#101
102)~Henderson's chopper was airborne not long after that conversation. Ateyo looked up at Tai and asked,  "What means LET's BOOGIE, Ma Tai?"
  "Ral MAKTO KO, ma eoya yawnete!"  It wasn't a direct translation, but this one suited well.
  Taifa' glanced at his wristwatch and said, "Half hour Cuz.  Let's not disappoint!"
  " 'Course not, but we have to make certain that our techs get to our base, so that they can get prepared for our transition."  With that Tai accosted Tobi and Tweety, who were always within eyesight. "Your assignment, if you accept, is to get your txìms over to the Hidden Base and get two link chambers ready for use.  My human self will return later and hope to be reunited with my blue self."
  "We won't know until we get there and assess any damage.  It might need tinkering,OR it might be Plug and Play"  said Tobi.  
  "I just wish we could be able to have visual on you to verify the telemetry.  If the base is shielded in any way, there will be no telling." Tweety was trying to anticipate any problems.
  "We anticipated the eventuality of using the links, so we extended the coaxial cables and moved the antennae to the outside of the cave.  The remote link sites are, of course, hidden within the cave, and they are ALL KINDS of shielded. "
  "Em, I hope that won't degrade your signal too much.  We might have to tweek your SWR to keep you connected. 'Can you hear me now?' " Tobi laughed at his private joke which seemed to be dear to all comm techs.  
  "You two worry too much.  Remember, our Avatars will be in the dragon.  We WILL be at the base for visual in a matter of hours. Just do your best. You two are the tech experts.  You will have to figure it out.  That site was assembled by a bunch of Scruffy Gunslingers."
  "Well consider yourselves forgiven.  If it weren't for you Scruffy Gunslingers, there might not be a Well of Souls, or a Pandora to come to." Tweety spoke from her heart.  As they neared the clearing where the choppers sat, two pilots approached Tai.  "Lt Wade. Captain Daniels. This is Tobi and Tweety, techs from the New Earth Research Facility.  They will be stationed at our base to manage the link chambers for us. Make sure they have everything they could possibly need; quarters, chow, tools, etcetera.   They are going to need to get two links up and running within a matter of hours."
  "Aye,aye, Major." Daniels delivered a snappy salute, which Tai returned. "And Major?! Permission to speak freely?"  Tai nodded gravely.  "You look marvelous in Blue!" quipped Daniels.  A wry smile crept over the Major's stern countenance. Actually, she had forgotten that she was in Avatar form.
  "Hayalovay ma oeyä meyelan!" Ateyo called to Tobi and Tweety as they climbed into one of the choppers.
  "We will see you ALL soon." joked Tobi as he scrambled into the aircraft.
  The ayektan and aysahik of the neighboring clans each hugged Tai and Ateyo and Taifa' and Ka'alani as they made their way to the Dragon. They promised to meet again soon and often.  Major Tai saluted Colonel Schroeder, who said, "At ease Major.  I hope you find your accommodations to your liking!" The Colonel had managed to find four army issue sleeping bags and arranged palettes for Tai and Taifa's Avatars.  They stretched out side by side, with their heads cradled in the laps of Ateyo and Ka'alani.  
  "Well, Cuz.  I bet that I will beat you to LaLa Land" grinned Tai.  To her yawnete, she gave a lingering kiss and said, " I WILL return."  She smiled and counted to three, sliding backwards into a deep, deep hypnotic trance."

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#102
103)~The Link Chamber lid hissed open and Alexandra smiled down upon Major Tai.
  "Welcome back Sleeping Beauty!"
  "Alexi, if anyone but you had said that, they would be wearing their nose for a hat!"
  "Well I count myself among the privaledged few!" grinned Alexandra.
  "And well you should!  Where's my Cuz?" Alexandra shot a glance to Kirby, who shrugged and replied.     "Hasn't reached ALPHA yet."
  Tai was amused. "Rookie!  Well as long as I have to wait for Slow Poke, you got anything to eat?"
 "Popcorn? Peanuts? Tiparillos?" she said in mock cigarette-girl fashion.
  "Don't they give you kids anything other than ancient Earth advertisements to watch?"
  "Sorry Major.  I try to avoid that stuff, but it is played in the day room constantly.  Besides, I thought you might want a ringside seat ..."
 Tai realized that she had arrived in time to see Mendelson and Henderson become acquainted and reacquainted with their Avatar bodies.  She let Alexandra help her on with her full length smoking jacket.  Not that she smoked, but it had that Victorian elegance about it that she fancied.  She looked at a monitor labelled MENDELSON and saw an elevated heart rate blip across the screen.  "Hey is this normal?"
  Alexandra craned her neck to see out the side window over-looking the exercise compound.  She espied Mo'at and Mendelson locked in a tender embrace.  "Ah yes, for young love, I would say Yes!  That is quite natural.  Isn't that the Great Mo'at?"
  Tai joined Alexandra at the window. "Talk about spiritual resonance!  These two hit it off immediately!  I think she found herself quite taken by Mendelson's deep sense of connectedness with the Creator.  I think her friendship with him worked to our advantage.  She realized on a real PERSONAL level, that it might be advantageous to reunite spirits with avatars.  She put the program on a fast track."
  "Here he comes." Kirby was opening the lid to Taifa's link chamber.  "Welcome back, Sargent!"  Taifa' was shaking his full head of hair. "Sorry I am late Cuz.  My GoodByes took a little longer than yours!  Ka'alani and Ateyo are going to have a contest braiding our hair while we are OUT!"
  "Well THAT's amusing." she replied.  Throw on your house robe, we are having luncheon on the patio.  Mendelson and Henderson are trying on their new birthday suits."
  "Fantastic! Have you got the camera?!" Taifa' was babbling in a silly manner. "I told Ka'alani to shave my head in a Na'vi mohawk, but she said, KEHE!"
  Mendelson and Mo'at approached the picnic bench. You had to look real hard at the unshaven young face to recognize Mendelson.  He was easier to identify when he spoke.  "Waddaya tink!?  I hav made a good impression on My Mo'at!?"  Somehow, Mo'at appeared younger as well.
  Tai decided it was going to be hard to get used to a Na'vi with a thick Yiddish accent.  But she couldn't be happier for the two.
  "Don't let us interrupt your meal. Ess! Ess! Mein kindt!" He and Mo'at turned and walked away amidst the garden.  The four sat at the table and looked at each other in astonishment.
  A tall blue female Avatar joined them in the patio. "Henderson!" said Tai.  I like your uniform of the day!  You look good in Na'vi blue."
  "Major. Sargent. I AM SO EXCITED!  I can't tell you how much I have wanted this!  I need to go try out my new body!"  
  "We need to grab a bite and put on our gym shorts.  We want to give the techs at our base some time to work on our link chambers." Tai was chewing contendly on some non-descript piece of something.  It passed as food.  
  "Well I am unashamed to admit that I am glad that you will be in your human body to pilot the ship back to the Omatikaya Kelutral!  I want to enjoy this body for a little while longer!" exclaimed the Captain. "My ship can remain here because the Colonel has the Dragon."
  "I imagine that we are going to need to knock out a schedule so that we an rotate in and out of Avatar skin and Human Skin. This could get complicated!" Said Tai from within her air mask.  It was an annoying part of her reality. Again.  "Let's meet out at the pad in one hour."
 Alexandra and Kirby were busy reviewing their schedules.  Alexandra looked up from her hand held tablet and looking at Tai directly in the eyes. "Major Tai and Sargent Taifa', this is the first time you two have only spent six hours in Avatar form, though I must remind you that you have not yet slept.  Try to take a nap with your yawnetes while the techs get your link chamber ready."
"Yes Mommy.  And I will make sure that my Cuz does the same!" said Tai with a smirk.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#103
104)  "Don't forget to put in a good word in for me. Ma Tai!  I want my own blue body too." Alexandra's eyes were dancing at the very idea.
"You are one of my favorite techs, Alexi.  Patricia said something about getting more gestation tanks set up.  She said they bought up a lot of equipment from the RDA seizure".  
Alexandra was walking out to the landing pad with Tai and the others.
"I am SO excited that I can hardly wait!  It's all I ever dream about! Literally, but I look more purple than blue." admitted Alexi. She wanted to sit and talk with her but absolutely wanted her to continue on.  Suddenly, the great Mo'at was standing before her, assessing her very soul with her deep golden eyes.
"Yes" agreed Mo'at with her own thoughts. "This one has strong energy as well."  She focused her gaze deeply into Alexandra's eyes. "I would wish that you may soon be united with your Uniltirantokx. I have much to teach you."  And then, unexpectedly, Mo'at bent down and embraced Alexandra.  The experience was almost like sparks striking their skin, And both women smiled at each other in wonderment.
   "Look at dis. One step! I am stronk again!" Mendelson had entered the aircraft's open cargo door effortlessly and offered his hand to Mo'at. She responded with a shy giggle that was utterly charming.  It was reassuring for Alexandra to experience both Mo'at's intensity and her charm.  "You are the person whom I will be privaledged to study with." Mo'at only smiled at her as she settled into Mendllzong's arms.  Alexandra hoped that she hadn't mangled the language too badly as she expressed herself, but her elation didn't allow her to be worried for long.
  Meanwhile, Captain Henderson was climbing aboard and looked at the tiny seat next to Tai.
"I don't think that I can fold this blue body to that extent.  Taifa' let me be door gunner, you can take the Ateyo seat.  Sargent Williams?" she addressed her door gunner as he patiently waited for his orders.  "Sarge, this feels like my Home Coming day but YOU are the one who gets to drive my car to the prom"
  "Thanks Mom!  I promise not to scratch the paint."  Her doorgunner almost skipped to chopper, delighted to use his flying skills.  Alexandra addressed her pilot friend once again, "Say KALTXI to Ateyo for me!"
"I will! Hayavolovay!" Alexi waved to Tai with exuberance.  She remembered seeing the joy in the Major's eyes as she related how she had traveled six light years to meet the woman of her dreams.  Perhaps it was not impossible?!  As Tai spooled up the engines, Mo'at looked Alexandra in the eyes and mouthed "Oel ngati Kameie" with the characteristic hand gesture from her forehead.
"MAKTO KO" shouted Tai, as the skids left the ground.  Alexandra was left waving her hand, on the heliopad wih a big lump in her throat.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

105)~"Oe tse'a Omatikaya Kelutral."  I see the Omatikaya HomeTree. Tai was pleased to put together a small sentence in Na'vi, and was patted on the shoulder by Mo'at.  Even Captain Henderson looked pleased. 
   "I'm going to have to get lessons from you and Ateyo!"
    "I was thinking that each clan with initiates might need a translator.  Most of them are located at this Kelutral.  We must LAWK with the others." Mo'at was concerned with the transition for all her new ni'Na'vi friends.
   "All the people at Mipa Tsray have been practicing for eight years.  But I think we resort to English, Inglìsì, because it's easier." said Mendelson.
   "When JakeSully first came to live with the People.  He did not know WORD ONE of Na'vi.  He was like a BA-BY, no one translates for a baby. Total immersion, sink or swim!"
   Mo'at did not understand her last sentence but got the gist of it.  "Kxawm, but we also make allowances.  Did not the aytaronyu (hunters) allow you to hold your tskowswizaw (bow and arrows) in a fashion to which you are accustomed?"
   "Srane! You are very wise, Ma Tsahik! I agree.  The Na'vi should find good translators for us."  With that Tai concentrated on landing her craft.  Sargent Steve Williams landed the chopper that belonged to Captain Henderson beside her.  She realized that her Avatar and Taifa's together with Ka'alani and Ateyo, were being or had been flown to the Hidden Base.  She was anxious to proceed, but also was duty bound to Mo'at and her needs.
   "I'm hungry for REAL food.  I hope we are in time for lunch!" The sentiment was echoed among those present. Janet and Mendelson got out first and then helped out Mo'at. Janet couldn't help but admire the strength and agility of the older woman.  Perhaps this would be a nice perk of having an Avatar?!  Mo'at was going to comment on food, but a very noisy Ateyo interrupted her thoughts."
   "Ma Tai, Ma Tai.  Come look to  you! I braided your hair!"  Ateyo practically dragged Tai from the cockpit.  Ka'alani and Taifa' embraced but also crossed the short distance to the Dragon.  "You like your hair?" Ateyo sat next to Tai's Avatar and stroked her head. "Putting feather and beads. Nice?"  Taifa' was admiring himself too, and noted that Ka'alani had not shaved his head into a mohawk. "I telling Ka'alani; Taifa' say KEHE But we painting this."  Ateyo motioned to Taifa's loincloth, which was now painted with Sargents stripes and a rocker!  At that sight, Tai burst out into laughter, trying to image the painting lesson in progress.  Everyone must have thought this equally amusing because there was much laughter. After the silliness died down, Neytiri approached and invited all the conscious ones to eat.
   A feast had been prepared in the meanwhile.  Some intrepid hunter had rounded up fistfulls of teylu.  Mo'at tsked her tongue and warned that the Na'vi were going to throw off the balance of creatures by eating so many. Ateyo, ever the clown, "Said YOM NI'UL TEYLU, HOL SWIRATSYIP" (Eat more grubs: fewer insects) Mo'at handed the spoon to Tai with the instruction:  "Your Turn" in Inglisi.  The comedy routine ensued of Ateyo getting beaned on the noggin, with Tai's admonishment not to contradict the Tsahik. Instead Tai raise her spoon in polite suggestion and said, "Ma Tsahik! We should eat more VEGGIES"
   She was met with a puzzled gaze, "WHAT is VEG-GEEZ?"
   Ateto was ever helpful. "FKXEN! YOM NI'UL FKXEN; HOL TEYLU!" (Eat more veggies, fewer grubs.) Even Mo'at pretended not to laugh.
   As the meal progressed, Tai leaned forward and addressed Mo'at.  "Ma Tsahik! Oeru Txoa livu. Forgive me. I should not have contradicted you when I suggested that the humans should not use translators.  It is my preferrence only."
   Mo'at raised an eyebrow. and with a wry smile she said, "And this, coming from One who has her own translator?"  Tai ducked her head in embarrassment when Ateyo translated for her. And ducked her head again when Ateyo bopped her head with a spoon.  Mo'at shook her head. and raised her voice.  "It is lucky for all these children that they behave much better than Ateyo."  All the children who had gathered for the antics scattered at hearing Mo'ats stern pronouncement. (Which made the parents quite appreciative.)  The rest of the meal continued with three topics of discussion: assigning translators where ever possible, getting Tai and Taifa back to the hidden base today. And setting up the next session at the Tree of Souls so that Ewya can approve the next set of initiates, which should be the last group of humans on the planet.
   The Colonel, who had previously not uttered a word, observed."That will cover the last of the humans  ON THE PLANET.  Until the next ship arrives in six months.  Those are probably the last forty people from planet Earth.  We still haven't been able to pick up radio signals of any sort from Earth. 'Rrta." There was a moment of awkward silence.  Every human that was present had left the devastation far behind.  Some gratefully, few with regrets.  Colonel Schroeder shook his head. "Poor bastards," over the past eight years he had not had to modify  his language in front of civilians.  "If anyone is left on Earth, they are probably hiding in caves. Back to the Stone Age."  He sighed heavily.  "Maybe now they will appreciate what they have lost."  He sat up straight and and addressed Tai and Taifa'. "Let's go see if your Tweety and Toby have worked any miracles!"  He gave a short bow to Mo'at. 'Ma'am... Irayo...Oel ngati kameie."  He strode off in the direction of the Dragon without looking back.
   Tai and Taifa' rose and very graciously thanked the Na'vi. And said quietly to Mo'at, "Forgive the abruptness of Colonel Schroeder.  He left a wife and six children on Earth."  As Ateyo translated, Mo'at nodded solemnly in understanding and murmured.  "Pain and hardship often closes a heart completely.  It will take time. But he will heal."

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

106)~Colonel Schroeder had a lot of emotions charging around.  He knew it had been rude of him to leave so abruptly, but this was not the time to get distracted.  Still he found that he had stalked to Tai's Samson, and not his Dragon.  He lingered there until Tai arrived.  He was grateful that the others of this party lagged back a few feet.   He found himself reaching for the hand of his Executive officer.  He knew she could be trusted with sensitive topics and found himself confiding in her. As she took his hand, she placed her other hand upon his shoulder.  He met her eyes briefly, but didn't want to expose his raw emotions at that time.
 "Colonel, I've served with you for many years. You are my commanding officer, but also my Brother in Arms.  I am here for you if ever you need to talk."
  "Thank you Major. You have no idea how much that means to me.  There is no time for tears now, though.  I have a mission to accomplish.  Let's get your selves to the Hidden Base."
 "I'm here for you in whatever skin I'm wearing." said Tai.
  "I know,"  he glanced at her and was grateful for her solid stoicism. He turned to others.  "OK people.  Let's SKY UP."
  Within moments the engines spooled up and skids were off the grass.  Three and half hours later, they flared at the clearing in front of the cave at the Base.  They all marched into the Ready Room and were saluted by Captain Daniels and Lieutenant Wade. Even Tobi and Tweety stood to their feet.  
  "At ease, Men." Colonel Schroeder was all business now.  "What have you got to report to me?"  
  Tobi took the initiative. "We have good news Colonel.  Of the seven undamaged links, six are totally functional."  He grinned at Tweety.  "And Tweety came up with a list of parts needed to return the other two to operational status."
  "Tweety?" the Colonel scoffed.  "Do you have a real name, Tweety."
  "Yes Sir. I am called Krrsti but you can call me Castillo if you wish."  She was kind of annoyed by his brusque manner, but decided not to hold it against him..  "This is the list in question, Sir.  The first page has items that are most likely in storage at the Blue Heart Gate.  The items on the second page, we hope, are on board the Starship in GeoSynch, or on the second ship."
  "Well done, Castillo.  I will see to it that Fenwick has this information as soon as possible."  He hoped she didn't see the pain in his eyes.  He guessed that his daughter would be her age by now.  He swept that thought aside and turned towards the two techs. "The two Avatars are in My Dragon right now.  Do you want us to move them into your lab, or what?"
  "We will need all hands to move them.  Tobi and I will come back here with the gurneys.  They are twelve feet long.  I wish we had an AMP suit to move them, but for this first time, at least, I want the Avatars to be close at hand in case there are any complications."
  "Understood.  My men are at your disposal."  He indicated the flight mechanics and door gunners, and then looked up at Captain Henderson. "Maybe you can demonstrate the strength of an Avatar and carry them yourself!"
  "I'm up for the task, Sir. I'm sure that I can be useful." was her droll yet honest reply. Moments later the hiss of the pneumatic gurneys were heard, as Tobi and Tweety guided the monstrosities from the back of the cave.
  "Sir? Point us to the Dragon and bring the crew. Please." Tobi did not know quite how to issue orders to a military officer and felt extremely awkward.  Schroeder took it in stride, though, and simply strode out in the direction of the Dragon, which was parked just outside the cave entrance.  It took a lot of grunt work, and Henderson was useful in lifting the large bodies of her comrades.  It was an eerie sensation for Taifa' as he stood at the edge of the gurney  looking at his Blue self.  "Hey! I'm beside myself with curiosity!  Let's get going!"
  Tai was going to remark upon his rotten pun, but noticed the consternation on the faces of both Ka'alani and Ateyo.  "No need to worry!  We've done this before."   But Ka'alani was biting her lip.
  "Yeah, but not with this equipment before." she murmured.  Tobi decided to feign insult.
  "Hey!  I checked these out myelf.  They are in tiptop condition." he groused.
  Tweety came up to Ateyo and Ka'alani and put her arms around them.  "Don't worry, you two. They are in GOOD HANDS, you know. GROUP HUG! Ka'alani and Ateyo each tugged at the hands of their spouses, and soon all six were involved in a love fest. Tai caught Colonel Schroeder's eye, and tried to shrug her eyebrows.  Schroeder gave a quick lopsided grin and muttered, "Civilians".
  The remote link units were a lot more cramped than the link room at Blue Heart Gate.  But Taifa' and Tai had climbed into their chambers eagerly.  The gurneys were  positioned outside of the doors of the link rooms.  The doors remained opened so that Tweety could assist the Avatars.  She hoped she wouldn't have to operate in this fashion very often.  As Tobi recited the calculations, Tweety showed Ateyo and Ka'alani the three dimensional color Cat Scans of Tai and Taifa's brains.
  "Nin, Ateyo.  Taiya eltu. Tai's brain."  She then showed Ateyo the EEG brainwave monitor.  "Tai lu  hahaw.  Tai is sleeping!  Wow that's fast." Then she recognized the Alpha waves and announced in broken Na'vi, "Tai zene unil."  What she said was Tai brings Dream, but it sufficed.  Ateyo was more puzzled than astonished.  Ka'alani noticed that Taifa' had not reached the sleep stage, judging by all the activity on his readouts.  Suddenly Tweety rotated her chair and motioned for Ateyo to follow as she stepped out her door, wishing there were more personnel for this assignment.  "Major Tai are you awake? Can you hear me?"  Tai roused herself and shook the cobwebs out of her brain.  But when she opened her eyes, she was looking into the anxious-yet-quickly-relieved golden eyes of her munxtate. Her spouse.  She sat up and drew the sweet blue body between her blue knees.  She almost wished that she wasn't wearing her flight suit. Wanted to experience skin upon skin.  But was satisfied by a deep deep kiss.
  "Yep vitals are all very normal!" reported Tweety.  She busied herself by pushing buttons and making notations on her hand-held graphic panel.  She glanced at Taifa's still reclining figure.  "How's the Sargent coming, Tobi?"  
  "He's just entering Alpha.  Ready in three, two one."  Ka'alani fairly launched herself out the doorway and was standing breathlessly beside her blue warrior man.  She was poised above his face when his golden eyes popped open.  They might have said something to each other, but that was obscured by their immediate kiss.  While Tobi and Tweety checked his vitals, Ka'alani assured them that his reflexes where quite normal.
  Tweety and Tobi tried hard to remain professional, but Tweety blurted out, "No one ever told me that job was going to be so amusing! You all are sweet couples! Now go take a walk and stretch your legs.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

107)~Colonel Scroeder was walking outside the cave entrance with his hands behind his back.  He stood at ease when he saw the four approaching, Ka'alani was the only one wearing a air mask.
   "It's good to see you four, the equipment must be in good order.  Does it feel the same as when you used the link chamber at Hell's, um Blue Heart Gate?"
   "So far, so good, Sir," answered Taifa'.  "I think this will work out well."
   "You don't have to Sir me, Sarge." He glanced at Taifa's loincloth emblazoned with his sargent stripes and rocker.  "Interesting uniform of the day.  Whose idea was that?" Ateyo and Ka'alani
were simultaneously fingered by Tai and Taifa, and started giggling.  But the old warrior only grinned.  Henderson joined the group.  She was wearing an Avatar sized flight suit with the tail hole cut-out.  "
It's good to know that flightsuits are an option.  I don't know if I could get used to wearing a loincloth."
   "It's called a TEWNG, Sir".  Offered Henderson.  Tai was tempted to give her Cuz a wedgie while making the sound effect *tewng* but thought better of it.
  The colonel continued addressing Henderson. "And you don't have to call me Sir, right now, Captain.  I was just about to tell the same to the Sargent.  I'm getting used to the idea that some of my crew will be ten feet tall and out of uniform half the time. But then the Sargent reminded me that the soldier is the same, only the uniform of the day has changed."  He pivoted on his heel to glance at the Sargent once again.  He enjoyed embarrassing the Blue Blazes out of him.  He grinned at his private joke and continued. " I never used to spend any time outdoors, just to enjoy being outdoors. At least, not until I came to Pandora. I hadn't thought real seriously about being an Avatar myself until this very moment. But the idea of being able to enjoy this place without this air mask is VERY appealing."  He turned to Ka'alani, "I think it is ingenious to incorporate the oxygen emitting twig. Walking around without a canister strapped to my hip makes my life easier. And it looks like this is it.  This will be my life from now on."
   Tai was amazed at how gregarious the Colonel had become.  Especially in front of others.  The tough old fellow continued to walk and talk. He made no eye contact. "When I left Earth for this mission, my wife begged me not to go.  But I could see that the world was falling apart and that the  Earth was falling apart too.  I had dreams of going back to Earth to rescue them from disaster and bring them to Paradise when I was done with this tour.  I never expected that I would be leading a bunch of insurrectionists! Schroeder's Raiders! Hell's Bells!  And I wouldn't have changed one day of it.  But I heard that last transmission from Earth.  What ever is left, ain't much more than Stone Age.  Patricia Fenwick says that they keep searching for a signal from Earth.  Nope. It looks like this is home."

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#107
108)~As they were walking back to the Ready Room under the edge of the cave, Schroeder pulled a wrinkled and yellowed envelope from his breast pocket.  "She had me served with divorce papers before I deployed.  I've carried them six light years. Hoping some day to return to earth.  But we don't have interstellar capabilities now.  I couldn't get there if I wanted to. But I don't. I can believe how much I miss my kids though!" At this point he caught his breath and took a moment to regain his composure. "But at the Well of Souls, Eywa showed me my oldest daughter. I don't understand why she showed her to me, whether that means she is dead or whether it was a picture of the future.  I really wanted to talk to Mo'at about this but we  didn't have a chance."
  Ka'lani reached to him and touched his arm briefly.  "Well you are adopted into the Omatikaya Clan.  That means she is your Tsahik.  She would know how to interpret what Eywa has shown you.  And we will probably see her tomorrow, if nothing more than to set a schedule for bringing the last group of yumons to the Well of Souls. She is very approachable once you get past the tough outer skin. Much like you." Ka'alani's eyes twinkled behind her face mask as she caught the wry look in the Colonel's eye.
  "You know you really impress me.  I saw you dancing the hula the other night and I thought, Nice Wahini!"  he caught Taifa's momentary scowl and said, "You are one lucky fellow, Sarge! But then I heard Max say that you were instrumental  in procuring the AMP suit that he smashed the operations room with. That was some NICE WORK!"
  At this point Ateyo tapped Tai on the shoulder and said, "What is AMP zoot?"
  "Amplified Mobility Platform, those robot looking things." offered the Colonel.
  "Lefngapa Tiran Tokx.  Metal Walking Body.  Like Lefngapa Yayo, sla me-kinam. Like a metal bird but with two legs." Tai pleased herself by putting that sentence together."Ke tswayon. Not fly" she added as an afterthought.  Ateyo was trying to figure out the relation between a chopper and an AMP suit.
  "Tai makto AMP zoot? Tai ride AMP suit?."  Tai realized that this was an important concept for Ateyo to understand.  The AMP suit was not evil, only an extension of the driver.
  "Kxawm! Perhaps!"
  "I could reprogram the voice activation real easy.  Calibrating the movement ratio is a little more complicated, there are a few suits in the storage facilitee at New Earth/ Blue Heart. I've tinkered with them in my off hours.  The RDA was forced to leave behind LOTS of stuff."  Everyone turned to see who was speaking.  Tobi had been sitting in the back of the room, very quietly, along with Tweety. The color drained from Schroeder's face, realizing that a less scrupulous person could have sabotaged the rebel faction of Freedom Fighters. "You could have jeopardized our entire rebel faction. I'll need to talk to you later."
  "Sir, keep in mind that my orders were to familiarize myself with  all the equipment at the facility and determine what the status was on everything.  I got my orders from Ms. Fenwick herself." Tobi was experiencing intense sweating and anxiety.  His momentary declaration of triumph had seemed to boomerang on him.  He was very relieved when the Colonel complimented him;
  "Don't sweat it my boy. If Fenwick trusts you, well, that's a good sign.  It is safe to assume that you have good intentions." The colonel did not want to alienate anyone who was supportive.  Even a civilian.
  Tai walked up to Tobi and placed her hands upon his shoulders.  "You can work on any equipment of mine, any time.  Eywa cleared you, that's good enough for me!"  She glanced at Schroeder, who's eyebrows shot up and he nodded appreciatively.
  "In this case, I am grateful to be out ranked by Eywa.  That eliminates any guesswork, as to loyalties."
  "Colonel, Sir.  I have a question about the AMP suits." Tai wanted to appeal to her commander's authority.
  "Go ahead, Major."
  "Are these AMP suits capable of use for construction or only for military applications?"
  "That depends entirely on how they are equipped.  Maybe our expert here can tell us?"
  Tobi blushed when he realized that there was no animosity.  "I don't know where all the AMP suits are yet.  The three that I was examining were NOT in the armory.  These three had been in use as exoskeletons for loading and unloading materials from the Starship transport shuttle.  We intend to use them to construct and extend the room for the gestation tanks.  I suspect that there are more AMP suits throughout the facility.  We haven't been there very long."
  The was the sound of someone entering the airlocks. Sargent Borilla knocked and entered.  "Excuse me Sir. Ma'am.  All the birds have been refueled and have been put away for the night.  I suggest we get some chow and some shut eye."
  All eyes turned to the windows behind them, and indeed, the jungle was glowing in the twilight.  The colonel responded,"Excellent suggestion, Sargent.  I am getting a little hungry."
  Tweety stood up and announced, "There is an assortment of fresh fruit in the mess hall refrigerator and plenty of MRE's to choose from.  The only other questions I have are, ONE:  has anyone shown you where you will be sleeping and, TWO: when do you two want to get out of your Blue Skins?
  "NEVER!" said Tai, Taifa' and Henderson simultaneously.  "But we will settle for changing our skins after supper." added Tai.
    "OK then, follow me!" Tweety lead the way through the long corridor that stretched to the back of the cave, where the mess hall and quarters were located.  The meal was tasty, if you had never eaten real food on the Outside.  The three avatars and Ateyo were grateful that the rebels of the base  had learned to find edibles from the jungle during their eight year stay.  When they had finished, Tobi and Tweety directed the humans to their quarters.  AND showed them one room that was a bunk house with enormous beds where the avatars could "rest".  Tai and Taifa' told Henderson that they would see her human self at the FACILITEE tomorrow.  Ateyo and Ka'alani gave goodnight kisses to their avatar spouses, and trotted after Tobi and Tweety to the link chambers near the sleeping quarters where they would meet their human spouses.
   Soon Ateyo was in Tai's human arms and  Ka'alani and Taifa' were both in human form.  The four were starting to get used to these transformations.  The two couples returned to their quarters, arm in arm.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#108
109)  Ateyo and Tai woke up in each others arms, in the lumpy excuses known as a mattress. They decided to get to the showers instead of subjecting themselves to further contortions.
  "ZOM PAY ZUP" hot water fall.  This was especially marvelous for Ateyo. And lathering each other was quite pleasurable, too.  Eventually, they could hear other taps coming on.  The steam was enjoyable to Ateyo who could not get used to the cold dry air that yumons lived in.
 As a matter of fact, Ka'alani and Tai both preferred the steamy Pandoran climate to the air-conditioned dryness required for computerized equipment.
  "OK you two! Knock it off! You are having too much fun!"  They recognized Ka'alani's voice, followed by her cascading laughter.
  "KE SLOLAM!  PLLTXE NA'VI, RUTXE!"  Ateyo was shouting above the glorious sound of hot running water.  I don't understand! Speak Na'vi, please.  They were met by silence as Ka'alani tried to translate and figure out a response. Tweety laughed loudly when she finally translated in her head and realized that Ateyo was being a clown. Taps were shut off and bodies toweled dried and dressed amidst giggling and laughter.  
 Everyone was soon assembled in the chow hall.  Ateyo was amused by the words CHOW HALL and was singing the words to herself.  Ka'lani was remembering the delightful shopping list song and promised herself to pester Ateyo later for a repeat performance. But did not want to distract her at that moment.
  Colonel Schroeder was down to business.  "Where is Henderson?" he groused.
  Tai reminded him, " Henderson's Avatar is OUT at the bunk house.  Her human form is probably having breakfast with Alexandra at Blue Heart Facilitee."
  "Which Clan is she assigned to?"
  "Zhanet belonging to O'loZongsteng Alor!" announced Ateyo proudly. with her approximation of a J sound.  The Colonel just shook his head.  "Tweety we are going to need some kind of visual, that we ALL can see, perhaps simultaneous with other computer interfaces."
  "We'll get right on it.  But Sir we need to be able to communicate with the Blue Heart Gate,  And as far as I know, we only have encrypted radio."
  The Colonel gritted his teeth. "Until we know that every last one of the RDA is gone, it's gonna have to stay that way. I am responsible for the safety of this base.  Our erratic schedule might be confusing them if they are still watching us. BUT. We ARE going to both the Omatikaya Kelutral and Blue Heart Gate today.  You will have to compare notes while we get replacement techs.
The most important thing that we need to do today, is visit the Omatikaya clan.  We need to ask Mo'at when she wants to present the next batch of umons to Eywa.  I want to talk to Mo'at about my vision. And I am sure that some of you want to get to your clans and families.  I am just not sure how we can spare our techs without substitutes.  Maybe we need to work out a rotating schedule.  Aren't there more techs around?"
  Tweety was seated next to Ateyo and spoke up.  "The Horse Clan ended up with four and so did the Ocean Clan.  The Dark Lake clan got all the pilots."  She paused and reflected. "We was robbed!  We should have more people here!"  Tobi concurred. "There are still ten people who haven't been initiated from the New Earth/Blue Heart facility. We have to go there for other reasons. I need to get parts to get the another link running here.  And somebody has to direct the construction of the new wing  for the gestation tanks.And maybe we can retrain some of the techs near the Omatikaya Clan..." he searched for the name of the New Village.
  "Mipa Tsray," offered Ka'alani and Ateyo simultaneously, "New Village."
  "Oeyä ayeveng lom lu oer!  I miss my kids!" Ateyo blurted out.  This startled everyone who didn't realize that Ateyo was the teacher and activities director for all the children, ayeveng, at the Zongsteng Alor clan.  When she was pressed, she explained that she taught the youngsters the skills and customs of the Na'vi.
  "Those are exactly the skills that we need.  I think Ateyo should teach all of us!"  Tweety was enthusiastic for the idea, and the others were as well.  Ka'alani pointed out that the humons of Mipa Tsray go to the Omatikaya clan for their lessons, and suggested that Ateyo could teach the hoomans that were within distance of the Zongsteng Clan.  Ateyo thought that might be a good idea to present the to Eyktan Ikeru and Tsahik Meykir.  Ateyo imagined that her children could teach the humans too.
 Colonel Schroeder was enjoying the exchange of  ideas but he needed to redirect the energy of the conversation.  "These are all great ideas, ma ayeylan! And I see all that happening here in the future.  Our biggest drawback is that our techs don't have replacements.  We need to get that remedied today if at all possible.  Maybe right after we visit the Omatikaya.  I offer to be the ferry and bus driver anytime you three are in Avatar skins.  Our other pilots are within walking distance, eh?  We could have one big scheduling nightmare real quick."
  Major Tai was optimistic. "I think once we get everyone's heart searched by Eywa, things will fall into place."  If you need me to stay into human skin, I'll do that. For a while"
  "And I offer to remain on station, knowing that my replacement will show up sometime next week," promised Tobi.
  "I second the motion," agreed Tweety. "We will be busy enough while get acquainted with the base and the equipment here.  Besides; someone needs to watch and guard the defenseless Avatars while they are, um, inactive."
  "We  need  one of these remote link rooms over at Mipa Tsray.  These Avatars and Human bodies are always within walking distance.  Our's should be too," requested Ka'alani.
  "WAIT!" Schroeder was grabbing his head with all these facts swirling around. "He grinned sheepishly at the civilians, still not sure how to address them without barking orders,  "I thought you were with the Zongsteng Alor clan?"
  "No, Sir! " replied Ka'alani. She decided to let his abruptness slide.  "I'm from Mipa Tsray but Taifa's from Zongsteng Alor".
  "WAIT!" he made his same gesture against the dizzying information.  "YOU are a tech!  You could stay here and help Toby and Tweety..." he watched Ka'alani's face fall and noticed the degree of stoicism on Taifa's face, as well.  In an instant, he realized that they would be out of synch with EACH OTHER, effectively separating them. "At least for a week, until we get more replacements. Would you be willing to make that sacrifice?" He surprised himself by asking and suggesting rather than commanding. And pleased that it work.  Ka'lani and Taifa' exchanged nods of agreement and sealed it with a little kiss.  "We agree." stated Ka'alani.
  Colonel Schroeder was in full military swing.  "So, let's sky up in ten minutes.  We will first visit the Omatikaya, then get over to the Blue Heart Facilitee. Tai, stay human.  Henderson, have your doorgunner follow in formation.  We are coming back with your yumon self, too. Tobi,  can we borrow Tweety? She can procure the parts we need and get a couple of replacements for you two.  Let's dance people."

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

110)~Mo'at was running away in fear.  The Omatikaya Kelutral was underattack.Smoke was in the air. The Tree was splintering and crashing to the ground.  Her husband was dead, speared straight through by the Tree which had had once sustined his life.  Neytiri was wailing by his side.  Suddenly she was too.  She could hear her daughter crying, "Ma Sempu. ma sempu" my Papa. my Papa. She tried to scream, tried to wail. She tried to call out to him, Ma Eykutan, but her voice was chocked in her throat.   She tried to stretch out next to him, but his body was cold. But when she reached his side, it was actually Mendllzong, her dear tutetsyip.  Suddenly a woman,  said in her ear, "Wake up, Ma Mo'at! You are having a nightmare."
   She sat bolt upright in bed.  She had made a nest for herself and her handsome young DreamWalker man.  She longed for the comfort of his arms but he lay inert, his spirit rejoined with his yumon tokx somewhere else.  She lay down next to him and reviewed her dream.  Who had awakened her? She could picture her face but she could not recollect seeing an 'oma ta'leng, purple skin, Na'vi before.  Na'vi with purple skin usually came from the Eastern Sea.  They were usually darker.  She tried to picture the face again.   The woman  she met at the Blue Heart Gate! Alekxsi! Yet had felt her presence beyond the nightmare. It wasn't quite daylight yet.  Someone was starting a fire and the kindling was making a smoke.  She wiped her tear stained face and kissed the silent face next to her.  It was time to get up.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#110
111)~ Tai came on the radio. "Oe tse'a Omatikaya Kelutral! I see the Omatkaya HomeTree.  We are five minutes out, Colonel."  The new unburned HomeTree was illuminated by the glory of the rising sun.
  "I see that I should have been learning this language during my stay here.   You part-time blueskins know more than I do."  
  Taifa' spoke up.  "Remember Sir.  Not long from now, you will have a part-time Blue Skin, too. It helps to learn the language of the indigenous people you are serving."
   The Colonel's voice crackled over the comm radios. "Point well taken, Sargent." replied the Colonel, realizing his gross oversight.
  "I teaching yumons for speak Na'vi!" announced Ateyo. Laughter was heard from all three ships.  The next few minutes were flown with light banter, only silencing as Tai approached the Omatikaya "landing field."
  The grasses billowed beneath the vectored thrust fans of the choppers as they were expertly landed in triangular formation.  The ships were immediately encircled by the Na'vi of Omatikaya Kelutral, weapons in hand but no longer in defensive posture.  "Oel ngati Kameie! Just in time for breakfast!" shouted JakeSully as the turbine engines whined down.  The entire assembly made their way into the interior of the majestic Tree.
 As they approached the cooking fires, JakeSully and Neytiri invited the guests to sit down.  Mendllzong made his way downwards from the spiraling branches. "Rewon lefpom, ma oeyä elyan! He bent down to kiss Mo'at. "Rewon lefpom, ma oeyä yawnete! Did you sleep well."
 "Kehe, ma sayripa yawnetu. Slä I will explain later." No. my Handsome Love. But I will explain later." murmured Mo'at, grateful for his tender attentions.
 She handed him a clay cup filled with a steamy brew of spicy goodness, as he asked, "Kawnga unil? Bad dream? Oy! I dreamt I had died when I got speared. It vas terrible!  I vas grateful to get up from that nightmare and come back in Blue.   But I voke up and you vasn't dere!"
  It was almost amusing to hear an Avatar speaking with a Yiddish accent.  But the tenderness shared by this DreamWalker and the Great Mo'at was appealing to all who saw them together.  People were passing around food wrapped in leaves. Mo'at waited for people to wake up, relax and eat their fill before she got down to business.
  "How many yumons need to sit before the Great Mother?" she asked the Colonel, recognizing his leadership role.
  "I have fifteen more at my Hidden Base  and there are ten more at The Blue Heart Gate. How many at the Mipa Stray?"
  "Mipa Tsray, Ma Tsmukan, we have five more at Mipa Tsray." Norm emphasized the TS  sound for effect.
   Mo'at asked "How soon can we get everyone together?"
  "We could get every yumon back at the Tree of Souls within a da.. So it depends on how soon you could get the Tsahiks and Eylans together." responded the colonel quite amiably.
  JakeSully  suggested, "It would take maybe three days to notify  all the clans and get them there by ikran. Why don't we agree to meet at the Tree of Souls in eight days?  This will mark as Day One. Morning of Day Eight, we can all be there."  The humans didn't have to ask why they were counting eight instead of ten.  Each Na'vi hand consisted of three fingers and a thumb. The Na'vi had a base eight sysem of counting.
  "Ma Mo'at, I humbly have a suggestion." said Tai.  She waited for Mo'at's nod of approval.  "Could you not allow each Tsahik choose their yumons simply by gravitating towards them once everyone is in trance?  They could each gather their humans toward their clans.  Then we could all see immediately who were our brothers and sisters and who were our cousins! It might be easier on you, also."
  "That is an excellent suggestion, Ma Tai. But we won't make people move until they have come out of their own trance." Mo'at laughed as she saw the predicament in her mind's eye.  "And eight days time gives everyone a chance to get acquainted with their clans." said Ka'alani.  "Oel lomtu fa oeya evi!" I am a missing person from my kids, declared Ateyo sadly.
  "Eight days, then! Outstanding.  We have a plan.  My crew and I have to fly to the Blue Heart Gate before midday, in order to return to the Hidden Base before nightfall" Colonel Schroeder always felt more at east with a plan laid out directly. Then he remembered the second reason he wanted to visit the Omatikaya Clan: a question of his daughter. "But first, Ma Mo'at, I wish to discuss my vision with you from my visit at Tree of Souls, if I could have a moment of your time."
  Mo'at sensed his need for privacy and suggested. "Walk with me."  The Colonel rose to his feet and turned to his crew.  "We will sky up in twenty. At ease until then. Tai, Ateyo, I could use a translator."  As the four walked off, he was overheard saying, "First , let me apologize for being so abrupt last time I saw you ..."

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#111
112)~After their walk, the yumons from the Hidden Base bid their farewells to the Na'vi of the Omatikaya Kelutral.  A few of the hunters had already helped the pilots remove the camo nets, pleased to be able to reach the top of the chopper's canopy.  Tai was busy in her mind, redesigning the cockpit to accomodate her larger Avatar self.  Ka'alani and Tweety used her lapse in attention to move in closer to the colonel. He was still withdrawn, but seemed calmer.
  "Sir? We are curious to know what Mo'at told you about your vision."
   The colonel gave them a sidelong glance and pretended to be busy. But without any direct eye contact, he told them: "Mo'at said that she isn't qualified to interpret visions from  yumons. She could only offer what she believed; that if my daughter is alive she is thinking of me.  And if my daughter is not alive, she is thinking of me." He shot them a glance to see how they would react.  He didn't sense any negativity so he continued.  "Knowing what I know about the Na'vi and how they connect with the Tree of Voices, it was comforting to think that Hanalore was trying to communicate with me.  Mo'at said that dreams can be projections of fears, but visions at the Well of Souls are NOT the same thing as dreams.  At least not for Na'vi.  She explained to me about a nightmare that she had early this morning.  But the way she came out of it was that someone at Blue Heart Gate reached out to her and woke her up. Do either of you know a tech named Alexi?"
  "Sure I do! She and I work together!" exclaimed Tweety.
  "Mo'at met Alexi briefly when they went to retrieve Mendelson.  Apparently she made a deep impression on Mo'at. When we were finished talking, she turned to me and placed her hand on my heart and you know, I felt calm immediately. I haven't felt so calm in my life!"
  Ka'alani touched his shoulder briefly, "Colonel, for what it is worth. I am glad that I have met you.  The only other Colonel that I have met was Quaritch, and he didn't leave a  very good impression."
  "Ka'alani, you are the master of understatement!  And thank you, by the way. He was a heartless mother fff."  He censored himself yet grinned sheepishly. Then he turned and shouted, "Let's sky-up people!" Almost in unison, everyone responded, MAKTO KO and climbed aboard.
   "Wait!"We will go with you!"  Mo'at strode up to the chopper and Taifa' stepped down to help her in.  Mendllzong climbed in with her and settled his blue frame on the cold chopper floor.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#112
113)~ Patricia Fenwick met the party as they disembarked from the three ships. She pushed away an intrusive thought, the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria; the pilgrim vessels from ancient 'Rrta history.
  "Oel ngati kameie, Ma Mo'at! Ke pxan! Oeru meuia za'u fìtsenge!"  Patricia hoped that she said, I SEE you, Mo'at.   I am not worthy! To me is the honor that you have come to this place.  She must have been close because Mo'at smiled at her and thanked her in Inglìsì.
  "Za'u. Ayoeng kästeng heyn." Patricia was forcing herself to use the Na'vi she had pieced together. Come, let us all go over there sit."  Mo'at was delighted with her efforts and followed readily, with words of praise.  The other yumons exchanged glances as if to say, "'she has us all beat."  But the looks were filled with admiration, none-the-less.
  "You and me teaching yumons for speak Na'vi!" exclaimed Ateyo.  
  "You know, I was thinking the same thing!  Perhaps, right here at Eana Txe'lan, Blue Heart!"
  "Toktor Graceä numsteng?" Doctor Grace learn-place? Of course, Ateyo was remembering the school house that where Dr. Augustine first taught English to the Na'vi ayeveng, children.  Rini, Ikxeru's mother, had learned and taught Ateyo, though Ikxeru, himself, would not apply himself to learning the language.  
  "Kehe! Toktor Graceä numsteng lu sa'a fpìl na'ring!"  No!  Dr. Grace's school was destroyed by means of the jungle.  It was amazing how quickly the jungle growth could reclaim it's place.  "Ayoeng kariv fitseng." We will teach here. Patricia wondered if she had used the proper infix.
  "Kxawm, ayeveng ta 'olo'Txiktxipxen. Perhaps childrens, and all yoomoons of  Clan TxiKxiTtiPxen. They living close for come by Pa'li, slä our clan too far being." explained Ateyo.   She liked saying the name of the "horse" clan because it sounded like their hooves clopping on the ground. She could imagine pa'li with many Evi on their backs coming here to learn. "Learning also must be ayfyeyntu, ripened ones, em, Grown-Ups!"
  "Slä, kxawm aytsulfätu", but,maybe the craftsmen/teachers. "All other Grown-ups working." said Mo'at.  Concerned that Learning Na'vi would prevent other tasks from occuring.
  "Puvomun is teaching at Mipa Tsray," offered Ka'alani.  "Ateyo could teach at  Zongsten Alor, Red Bird Clan, and Dark Lake. Maybe using Hidden Base as her hub."
  Colonel Schroeder cleared his throat. "I would like that very much. Once the place is safe.  Right now it is KeZong." He didn't know if that was actually a word but Ke meant NOT and ZONG meant safe. "There is still some radio traffic.  It is infrequent, very brief and encoded, but we know there are still RDA out there. They are mercenaries without a cause except their own pride and a personal axe to grind."
  Ateyo did her best to translate this to Mo'at, who was surprised to learn that yumons fight with axes.  She remembered terrible weapons but not axes.
  "I have some very good news." announced Patricia.  "We have been in communication with the ISV, the StarShip, and they are preparing to send another Remote Link Structure, with four more links. It will take both their shuttles to bring all that equipment.  The Remote Sites can be assembled here and moved to location by Samson.  THEN, the materials for building the room extension for the Gestation Tanks, will come down.  Lastly, will be the trnsfer of gestation tanks."
  Patricia paused in her long speech to allow Ateyo to translate to Mo'at.  This also left enough time for wondering exchanges to occur, in hushed whispers among the other yumons.
 "We have several AMP suits on site, that were used for mining.  Tobi Hashihiro had been working on getting those operational so that we could do some building. Here. We will need to have Tobi here at this facilitee."  At that point, Tweety became visibly upset.  
  "We are pretty short handed already.  Ka'alani can substitute some of the time, but that would put her out of synch with her husband. If she is always monitoring his link, she won't be able to be WITH him as an Avatar.  We were hoping for more techs, ourselves, as relief."
  Patricia was sympathetic. "Tam, tam. Ma Krrstxi!  Diana and Melvin already requested their transfer .  There are more techs here, and more that are in orbit. And Alexi says that she would like to go to the Mipa Tsray, because she is drawn to Mo'at. So she can substitute for Ka'alani's absence from Mipa Tsray, SRAK?"
  "Kehe!  There are no links near to Mipa Tsray."  said Tai.  "We were thinking of taking them one of our Remote Sites."
  Mo'at made a gesture by waving her hand, which brought all conversation to an abrupt halt.  All listened respectfully to the Great Mo'at.  "There needs to be a remote link sight near Mipa Tsray for my muntxate.
For Normun, and Max. And  Alekxsi came to me this morning in a vision, and called me out of a nightmare that I was having. I want very much to speak to this Alekxsi!"
  It startled Patricia to have such a direct request, but offered to get her immediately and would bring more refreshments.  Ateyo had been eying the Utu Mauti and wondered how the yumons had procured the fruit which grew so high off the ground.  "PrrFxenTrrKrr!" she purred. As she reached for one from the fruit bowl, she eyed Mo'at nervously.  But Mo'at was waiting anxiously and was not watching her.  Still she decided not to make any obscene inferences about the Push Fruit.  The others realized that it made sense for the next Remote Link Site to be situated near Mipa Tsray and the Omatikaya Kelutral, given that Max, Norm, and Mendelson would all need it there.  The eight links would remain at the Hidden Base to be used by The yumons from there to interact with the surrounding clans.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#113
114)~ "I need to excuse myself and get the parts off this list. Kiyavame"  Tweety was pleased to remember the the phrase for 'until then' that Ateyo had taught her.  "You wanna come Ateyo?"  Once the two got the nod, they both trotted off towards the back entrance of the facilitee.  Tweety was seen to discuss a list with Patricia Fenwick, and hand off the second sheet before they all entered the building.  It was wasn't long afterward that Patricia came out with Alexandra, Diana and Melvin, each carrying a tray laden with fruit and drinks, and sandwiches for the the yumons.  Ka'alani watched Mo'ats ears perk up and her eyes dialate, reminding her of a cat about to pounce.  Ka'lani intercepted the tray of fruit from the anxious hands of Alexandra.  Mo'at was now advancing to the outstretched arms of the tutetsyip and they embraced like long lost friends.  Alexandra was overcome with emotion and had tears streaming down her face.  Mo'at too, had tears brimming from her eyes.
  "Alekxsi! Irayo! Thank you for awakening me!"
  Alexandra blurted out, "Ma Mo'at! Ngaru lu fpom srak? Are you all right? I woke up from a nightmare! There was fire and smoke and you were crying out.  I thought YOU might have been experiencing a nightmare too, so I woke you up!  I've been thinking of you all day."
 Mo'at comforted the small woman.  "Don't be frightened my child.  I was reliving my worst nightmare. The one which truly happened eight years ago, when my husband was killed.   But in my nightmare, my husband became my Krekori, and I truly felt lost."  
 Everyone at the table exchanged glances.  Mo'at was speaking Na'vi and Alexandra was speaking English. Yet they seemed to be understanding each other.  Mendelson, upon hearing his name and sensing the distress of his Beloved, also rose to comfort Mo'at.  Sometimes he could understand her speech, and now she was apologizing to him.
  "Oeru livu txoa, oeyä munxtatu." Forgiveness to me. My spouse.  I could not bear to tell you the horror of that dream.
  He was grateful that he was still in his Avatar skin.  He embraced both women tenderly.  "There, there, there. Tam Tam Tam." He cooed.  He stuffed a handerkerchief into Mo'ats hand, but he stepped back.
   "Somet'ings are just best left to the vomenfolk togeder."  He remembered coming to that conclusion with his Sadie, rest her soul.  Meekly, he reseated himself at the table as the two walked a little way apart from the others.
  Mo'at was telling Alexandra, "I saw you as Na'vi Oma Ta'leng.  Purple skinned, like those who live near the sea. But you were outside of the nightmare.  You broke the nightmare."
  Alexandra replied,  "I often dream of a purple-skinned Na'vi. She is always teaching me something.  I would be honored..."
Mo'at was also saying, "I would be honored if you would allow me to be your teacher.  I sense in you a deep healing energy and connectedness."
  "Niprrte" replied Alexandra. "I would love nothing more than that." They stood quietly embracing each other, sharing an unexplained intimacy, similar only to that of mother and child, or old, old friends. And suddenly they were smiling at each other and decided to rejoin the group.
  Mo'at resumed her Dragon Lady countenance, "It is decided. Alekxsi will be joining the Mipa Tsray."
  It was nearly midday.  Janet looked at Mendelson with a sigh and said, "I guess it is time for us to get changed."
  "Yah, I suppose you are right." He rose to his full height and drew Mo'at to her feet.  "Ma oeyä sevina Mo'at. I must apologize, but now you will have to settle for my old bones once again."  The kiss they shared was similar only to that of young lovers. "That will have to tide you over until I can come back with this handsome Blue Skin."  The smile was bittersweet, reluctantly he released her hand and turned to leave with Janet and the two techs Diana and Melvin.
 

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#114
115)~ As the four entered the building, Tai revealed her plan to the Colonel and Taifa' to reconstruct the cabin of the choppers to accommodate her Avatar self.  "I can be riding in my convertible!  There is no wiring in the panel above my head. I'll just pop it out, and add a small windscreen.  Then I will add longer track rails beneath the seats.  That way I can Fly no matter what skin I'm wearing!"
  "OK Major.  You will be in charge of that.  If it works, we will convert all the choppers."  
 Tweety and Ateyo came out carrying several boxes of parts.  They were laughing and giggling about something.  Ateyo was wearing an over sized Hawaiian shirt, and shower clogs, though still wore her traditional tewng, her loincloth. They set the boxes down beside the picnic bench.  It wasn't until then that they realized the tension among all those seated at the table.
 "Where are Henderson amd Mendelson?" asked Tweety suddenly sensing dread sneaking up behind her.
  "We were hoping you could tell us Cuz.  They went in a half an hour ago." murmured Taifa'.
  "Kehe, we were in a different part of the building.  We didn't even come out from that door." said Tweety.  She and Ateyo now joined the others in staring at the other door.
A long while later and nothing had occured. Conversation had been strangled to a stop. Mo'at was squeezing Alekxsi's hand with a terrifying strength.
 Taifa' said, "Auwe, Cuz!  It didn't take this long for us."
 Tai turned worriedly to Schroeder.  "Colonel.  Do you think we should mount a rescue party?"
But at that moment the doors flung open.  Patricia came out first and wore a haggard expression on her face.  Then came Janet Henderson in her human form, looking somewhat bewildered and disoriented. Then out came Mendllzong,  In his Blue Skin. He ran over to the picnic table and grabbed up Mo'at  and twirled her in his arms.
  He was sobbing into her shoulder, or laughing, or both.  He held her out at arms length stating, "I hav good news and bad news.  The Good News is that there is another link available, the bad news is that I'm dead!"
  "Krekori! Is this your idea of humor?" scolded Mo'at, not sure whether to be happy or not.
  "NO, no no no no! I died. My human self sat up, had a massive coronary and keeled over.  I had my eyes closed but I could sense the pain, but then I sat up in my Blue Skin, fit as a fiddle."
  Ateyo had a hard time translating, she decided to skip the medical terms and reference to a fiddle, what ever that was.  She didn't need to translate to Mo'at though.  She and Mendllzong were locked into each others eyes.  Patricia was explaining the adrenalin shot to the heart and all the medical emergency procedures. "But it was all to no avail."
  "Meaning it didn't go by YOUR plans.  But maybe Eywa's plans, Ma Pati."   He returned to Mo'ats golden menari. "I tink Ewya had a plan to reward your faithful service to her ayeveng, the Na'vi. It certainly was by no merit of my own. Kxwam, perhaps she didn't want you to go through life widout a mate."  His face sobered and he stood a little straighter. "So I'm asking you Ma Mo'at." He swallowed hard and looked into those golden eyes. "If you would say yes, I would love to be the one by your side.  Would you be ma oeyä muntxate? Would you be my wife?"
  Mo'at had tears streaming down her face and a huge lump in her throat.  All she could do is shake her head sending the beads rattling in her braids. Gregory felt a moment of panic.  "I know I could never replace your husband, your Eykutan,..."  She placed her fingers over his lips.
  "Ma Krekori! You don't have to ask!  Eywa has deemed it so!"
 Gregory Mendelson shouted, "YES! She said YES!"  The kiss was deeper and longer than the first.  Only interrupted by a deep bellowing roar across the sky.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#115
116)~Colonel Schroeder and Tai both looked at their watches.  Ateyo twisted her arm and her head around so that she could see her lefngapa pxawpxun with anhi, her metal armband with stars, the Timex that Tai had first given her.  She looked up at Tai quizzically, not knowing why they did had both looked at their watches.
   " 'Aw, Mune, Pxey."   Tai knew how to count that far in Na'vi."  She indicated on her dial  where the minute hand would be in three minutes.  She still preferred to wear her Breitling Nav'Timer over any digital watch.  Ateyo had forgotten she was wearing the wristwatch on her forearm and was now fascinated by the sweep second hand.
  "I have visual!" Announced Tai as she spotted the speck on the horizon.
  Two seconds later, Colonel Schroeder said. "Copy that. I tally two ships inbound"  The vocabulary was from the ancient 'Rrta practice of the English fox hunt.  Ateyo had no idea what it meant but repeated it, and gasped as she saw the two specks grow larger.  
"I TALLY!!!   I TALLY!!!!"
"Dang, you got good eyes Cuz!" Taifa' finally could see the two ships above  the horizon.
"Pilot's eyes. That's why'm still alive," but she never took her eyes off the horizon.
Patty Fenwick had to chase a ridiculous thought from her mind:  "OH the Wells Fargo Wagon is a Coming down the line..."  It was a song from from an ancient 'Rrta musical.  "Where do I come up with this stuff," she wondered, as the tune stuck in her brain.
  It was washed out from her head as the behomoth cleared the fence, shaking the treetops and scattering a flock of tetrapterons.  Moments later its colossal hull hovered in place, its jet engines swiveled down, their enormous thrust holding the spacecraft in a hover fifteen feet off the ground.  The pilots then eased off the throttles to allow the enormous spacecraft to settle its  landing legs on the surface of Pandora.
  "Oh MAMA I wish I could fly that thing!  I would do ANYTHING for a little stick time in that puppy! It's just like a helicopter!"  Most of the people there had their hands over their ears.  But Schroeder was familiar with such things, and his chief pilot.
 "There is no helicopter in the universe that can go as fast as that thing can when it enters the atmosphere."
  "Ah, DETAILS!"   sighed Tai, knowing that was one craft she would never get a chance to fly.  'Unless something spectacular happens, this is the end of interstellar space flight as we know it,' she thought.  'Soon this thing will be mothballed and I'll be flying an ikran, with any luck. But at least I'll be flying.'
  She didn't realize how terrifying this experience could be until she felt Ateyo's fingernails through the sleeve of her flight suit.  She looked into Ateyo's dilated eyes and saw the wonderment and fear.  Mo'at's eyes were wide with awe.
  "Nìn! Tai! It opening it mouth." shouted Ateyo as the engines spooled down,
  "Not mouth, door! Nìn!" Tai pointed out the people visible within,  "Lefngapa ikran!"  Metal ikran.  People inside."
  Patty noticed the ground crew with clip boards in hand and watched their efficiency as they went about ordering the positioning of unloading equipment.  Slowly and precisely, one half of the Remote Link Site was removed from the cargo bay of the shuttle.  The AMP suits were particularly distressing for Mo'at to see, especially after her vivid dream of the war.  She clung to Krekori's strong blue body.  "Nari si, Ma Mo'at. Use you eyes. Those suits are just like Tai's lefngapa yayo, her metal bird.  Tai has Blue Heart, makto niltsan fi'u. Ride well this thing." He wish we spoke better Na'vi.  Patty stepped in and explained to Mo'at the concept that Gregory was trying to convey.  
  Mo'at nodded slowly in comprehension.  She spoke and Ateyo translated. "Last night I dreamt of war.  Bad rememberings. Mawey tamtam set. Calm OK now." Mo'at decided to sit down again and turn her back on the activity, but she iindicated  to Fenwick. " I would like to see that place."  She pointed to the bunkhouse.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

117)~ Now Patricia Fenwick was in a quandry. She did not want to dissappoint Mo'at, but was needed at the landing pad.  Alexandra came to the rescue.  "You can go do what you need to do, I will take her there."  As Mendelson and Mo'at accompanied Alekxsi to the bunkhouse, the others started towards the landing pad. 
   The second ship had settled into its place next to the first, exhaust fumes rippling the air. Tai immediately found the pilot and was soon in deep conversation.  Ateyo was starting to get bored, having zero aviation vocablary.  When the pilot offered a tour of the cockpit, Tai was delighted.  "Make sure you don't touch any switches, oeyä yawnete."  Ateyo obediently held her own tail with both hands.  All the buttons and switches were a colorful temptation. but she remained faithful to her unspoken promise.  When they came down from the cockpit, they found Patricia with an electronic clipboard, discussing the delivery with Colonel Schroeder, Captain Henderson and the cargo crew's leader.  It was thrilling for the humans to see each half of the Remote Link Site crawling out to the concrete.  They exchanged excited glances.  The loading ramp was designed to inch forward and set the unit down.  Men in AMP suits were communicating with the loading ramp operator.  A mechanical ballet was being played out, placement and timing were everything.  "Antigrav" units were slid in place.  These pallets each had small thrust jets to raise the entire half-unit one inch off the ground.  Ateyo was amazed to see the AMP suits in action.  Tai pointed out the humans within the cockpits, as they expertly nudged the two halves together.  She was equally amazed to see the dexterity as each robotic arm reached down for tools and even the tiny objects that Tai named as rivets.
   As they were watching, Tai and Ateyo each felt a hand grasp their shoulder.  Tai instinctively trapped the hand against her shoulder as she heard the Colonel shout, "At ease, Major."  She swiveled to see his grinning face, "Nice reflexes! I've been talking with Major Steve Warwick, the pilot of this first cargo shuttle.  I mentioned that my Chief  Pilot had expressed a desire to fly one of these fine beasts.  He has offered to take up you and your lovely bride on the next flight that will pick down the four gestation tanks.  I can survive without you two for the next 45 minutes!  The deal is that he wants to ride out with you and the Remote Unit slung beneath the Samson"  .Major Warwick had a complicit grin on his face as he nodded and gave a thumbs up.
   "And I wouldn't mind some stick time myself.  Without the load, of course!" added Major Warwick enthusiastically.
Tai could hardly contain her excitement. "You don't have to ask me twice!"  Ateyo was still puzzling out the translation for the last interaction when Tai took her hand and said, "Makto ko!?"  They were fairly running towards the cockpit. With wonder, Ateyo sensed a raging excitement coming from her usually self-controlled muntxate.  As the three walked onto the shuttle's flight deck, Major Warwick told his First Officer Captain Fritz Mueller "You get to ride in the jumpseat behind me. We're going to give the Major, here, a shot at flying the shuttle."
Looking like a wounded puppy, the Captain took his seat behind Major Warwick.  Major Tai told him, "I'm sure we can arrange an orientation flight for you in one of the flex-wings in a few days.  Cheer up, after your cargo load is transferred to Pandora, your flight specialty will probably cease to exist, so we might as well get you qualified to become a hotshot combat pilot instead of a bus driver."
   A loud guffaw was heard from Major Warwick.  Once things settled down on the flight deck,  Major Warwick announced, "Everyone needs to take their places now.  I have been cleared for ENGINE START at my discretion.  Catain Mueller, can you help Ateyo with her harness?"  "Aye Skipper," was the reply.
   Captain Mueller was delighted to help the small Na'vi woman.  He had never seen a live one up close, the except for the Avatars floating in the gestation tanks on the ISV.
   After a three minute introduction in the layout of the panel and flight controls, Major Warwick instructed Major Tai to flip on the main engine power breakers, the fuel pumps, and auto ignite switches. Once that was completed he said, "This will probably be similar to the Start Up for the jet engines on your flex-wings. You hit the Engine Start Switch, and hold it until you achieve 25% turbine speed and release the spring loaded switch.  The engine will start. Watch your  Turbine Inlet Temperature gauges.  The max temperature on start up is 900 degrees for one second.  With this, Major Tai complied, and within a minute all the engines were running at their low idle settings.
   "Slowly advance you power levers to 40%, Major.  That will lift the ship up and put her in a very slow climb.  When we are at 50 feet AGL, take your control stick, slide it slightly forward while increasing your power setting in your left hand. I have been told that this will feel very close to the collective versus cyclic dance that you do in the helicopters when you transition to forward flight." 
   Tai was surprised that the transition to forward flight WAS was somewhat similar to that of the helicopters.  Within moments they were climbing through 5,000 feet Above Ground Level at 80%.
   "You are catching on fast, Major!", commented Major Warwick, "Slowly advance her to 100%, let the engines stabilize and we will shift to ramjet drive."
   Thirty seconds later, they left the Pandoran atmosphere and the sky turned black.  Ateyo's ears shot straight up, eyes wider than ever before in her life, not out of fear, but out of awe.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#117
118)~"What do you think of all of this, oeyä yawnetu?" Ateyo was hard given to find her tongue.  She was speechless at the entire experience.  Seeing the machinery was mind-boggling in itself, but seeing space for the first time was overwhelming.  The Pandoran sky was usually illumunated by two suns and several moons and rarely TOTALLY dark.  But beyond the atmosphere, and positioned away from the greater orbs, she could experience the full splendor of the starry sky.
  "Eywa made all that you see, Ma Muntxate.  This is how it looks between Eywa 'Eveng and 'Rrta."
  "Eywa making "Rrta?"
  "Srane. Eywa made 'Rrta, too. And she was very sad to see what they did to her child.  But she is very pleased to know the hundred of us with Blue Hearts. And welcomed us here."
  "Fritxts and Stiv coming Uniltìrantokx?"
  "I was wondering about that.  Do you and your crew have Avatars in the hold?" Tai asked the  Pilot in Command- Major Warwick.
  "Yes! In the ISV! We go to visit ourselves each day!" He glanced over his shoulder, "Sran, Ateyo, moe livu meuniltìrantokx." Yes, Ateyo, we two will have two  DreamWalkerBodies.  Steve was grateful that he and his crew studied a few phrases of Na'vi each day.
  "We seeing 'Rrta from here?" asked Ateyo.  All the humans exchanged raised eyebrows.  There was no way to describe how far Earth was from Pandora. "No, but there is the ISV, the StarShip" pointed out Major Warwick.
  "I am not going to even attempt a maneuver as delicate as docking this shuttle with the ISV, remarked Major Tai, just let me know when you need the controls, Major Warwick."
  "If you want, hand them over now, but keep your hands and feet on the controls so you can feel what I am doing."
  This phrase caught Ateyo's attention, because she remembered Tai saying the same thing to her when she was allowed to sense the control inputs on the Samson when Tai was flying.
  "I flying Samson with Ma Tai!" The Captain shot her a sidelong glance, wondering what she could possible mean.  "You gave her the controls?"
  "Yeah. Same as now," replied Tai as she concentrated on the delicate maneuvers.  "Whadda they gonna do ? Send me to Earth?!"  But she never took her eyes off the target, superimposed on the view screen.  Slowly, as the Starship appeared closer and closer, Ateyo's eyes got wider and wider. She wanted to see what Tai was doing but was strapped tightly in her seat.
"Tam Tam. Ma Ateyo." Captain Fritz Mueller patted her hand reassuringly.
  As they approached the ISA, Warwick called out the braking burn times with their countdowns.  And Tai applied the braking burns when they were requested by Major Warwick.  This caused the closing speed to slow to a crawl.  Major Warwick instructed Tai to slide the second see-through heads-up screen on its track to a position in front of her field of view.As soon as the display clicked into place the heads-up, docking, targeting data was displayed on  see-through panel.  For the next two minutes, Major TaiTaeAo was completely oblivious to anything other than the task at hand.
  Once the Docking Lock lights came on and the ship was switched to external power, Tai released her belts and stood up without floating.  She turned to Ateyo and said, "Ma Ateyo? Do you see how the stars seem to be moving in the view screen even though we have stopped?  I will show you later why we aren't floating."
  "Floating? Ma Tai, what means you for floating?"
  "Floating!  Like the Medusas in the sky on Eywa 'Eveng."
  "Nì'Fpxafaw?"  She pictured the bulbous creatures floating overhead, draping its electrifying tentacles over the landscape as it gathered its prey.  She liked the idea of floating. But not Medusas.  "NìPìwopx? Like a cloud?"
"Za'u! We will show you!" replied Captain Fritz, who had taken a liking to the amicable Na'vi woman.  An airlock was released revealing a long ladder that extended through a hundred foot long tube that connected both vessels.  It would have been a tight fit for a full sized Na'vi, but Ateyo climbed through, though she disliked the metal rungs on her bare feet.  She had kicked off her shower clogs while in flight. Major Warwick released the airlock at the end of the ladder, all four ducked through a rounded doorway into a somewhat spacious rectangular vestibule between the two vessels. The large glass portals revealed the stars as the vestibule slowly rotated around the girth of the StarShip, creating a gravitational field. In the other direction was a portal revealing the interior, which also appeared to be rotating.  Ateyo walked up to the portal and pressed her face against the glass. Immediately, she grabbed for the side rails to regain her balance.  The moment of queasiness passed as Ateyo squeezed her eyes shut.  "Nìn, Ma Ateyo.  Yumons lìng!"  Guessing that the word LING meant FLOAT, Tai pointed out the humans floating about, checking the vitals of the four Avatars in their gestation tanks, being readied for their journey to the surface.
  This interested Ateyo, but Tai was walking away with the other Major.  Fritz interjected, Major Tai?!  With your permission I could give your darling wife a tour of the ship while you are talking with the StarShip Captain.  She really wants to visit the Gestation Tank Area and do some floating.  If you trust me with her safety, you could let her come with me."
  "Kehe! Later! I wouldn't want to miss seeing her reaction to floating. Let her see the flight deck and meet the Captain of the Starship.  Then maybe the telescope, then we will all go to the gestation tank.
  "Aye, Major. As you wish. Let's follow Major Warwick."  
  The four turned in an opposite direction from the gestation tank room, and Ateyo looked back longingly.  "Later, I promise." Murmured Tai as Ateyo tucked herself against her side.  The flight deck of the Starship was more spacious than that of the Transport Shuttle.  The seats were situated so that they could either look out of the view screen or swivel to the central area, which was dominated knees to ceiling with a 3-D holographic projection, six feet in diameter, of this sector of the universe. Ateyo was once again dumbstruck.  Which was a good thing because the officers were saluting the Captain of the StarShip and asking permission to come aboard.
  The captain of the StarShip reached through the holographic image to greet the ranking visiting officer, Major TaiTaeAo. "Nìn! Tanhì on hers tokx!" Indeed, the stars now seemed to dance across the Captain's arm as she reached across.  "Welcome aboard! I am Colonel Gabriella Donsdorf. And this is my first officer Major S'ralta Tamas'.  You must be the Major Tai of rebel fame.  I want to thank you for defending the Na'vi against the RDA.  And this must be your wife, Ateyo Te SyakSyuk, srak?" Ateyo  was far too overwhelmed to even think of  replying "SyakSyuk!" in her characteristic chirping call.  She was about to extend her hand in yumon greeting, but both officers gestured from their foreheads and said simultaneously, "Oel ngati Kameie." Ateyo was grateful for the heartful greeting and immediately felt at ease.
 "Srane, Ma Ateyo.  Tanhì. Ayrel atanvì. Stars. Pictures made of light rays. Nìn, Look. this is Pandora, Eywa 'Eveng. Ateyo reached out and tried to catch the moon in her hand.  But it simply passed through her hand.  She played with the image, trying to make it appear as if was sitting on her palm. Rel atanvi? Picture light ray?
"Srane!  Za'u!  Fi'u Eywa 'Eveng." Come! THIS is Pandora. Gabriela had walked Ateyo to the viewing window and pointed out the moon called Pandora, by the humans.  Ateyo peered through the glass. "Rel atanhi? Picture light ray?"
  "Kehe! Ayoeng mi taw. We are in the sky"
  "Ateyo mi taw? Eywa made a ball?  Rum? We live on that ball?it had never occurred to the Na'vi that they were upon an orb within the universe
  "Srane!  Christopher Colombus has got nothing on you, Ma Ateyo!" Ateyo was wondering why she was being congratulated by Tai.   She was nothing but confused.
"I'd like Ateyo to look through a scope.  Are we in the proper quadrant to see the Trifids?"asked TaiTaeAo.
"We are in good position to see the Trifids and the Lagoon Nebula from here! I'll take her."  S'ralta took Ateyo's hand. "Za'u, nìn aytanhì asevin. Tsan asawl. Sevina ayo'pin!"  S'ralta had hoped she was saying Come, look pretty stars. Very big. Pretty colors.  She must have been close because Ateyo nodded vigorously. And took her hand.  Captain Fritz sighed, knowing he had been upstaged by the dazzling redheaded, green-eyed officer.  Tai called out to her.
"Major Tamas'?  Seeing all this wonder might make her to babble a bit.  Don't forget: What is science to us is beyond magic to them, but what is normal to them is a planet so pristine that we would consider it paradise. And what is paradise was easily destroyed on Earth by the greedy application of our technology and science"
  "Well said, Major"  with that the two marched off the flight deck.  And while the officers were discussing space flight and cargo manifests, Major Tamas' and Ateyo climbed the circular stairwell to the navigation deck. S'ralta punched the keys on a keypad, and a telescope slewed itself into position. After a few moments, she brought the Trifid Nebula into focus.  Nìn Alìm. LOOK FAR. She exclaimed.  She didn't know whether there was a word for machine or magnify or even glass, in the Na'vi language.  LOOK FAR THIS MORE CLOSE.  She pushed more buttons and the image on the computer screen revealed the fascinating riot of colors created by the superheated plasma.
 "Set, Oel wìntxu ni'ul aytanhì " Now I will show you more stars."
 "Pey! pey!"wait wait requested Ateyo with a touch to S'ralta's arm.  "Oel fi'uti zene zerok" I must remember this.  Ateyo was imagining a recreation of this sight using feathers or beads. S'ralta waited patiently for three minutes as Ateyo studied the image. "I making ral of this star color with feathers!"
 S'ralta pointed out the Lagoon Nebula from the viewing window. Then slewed the telescope announcing LOOK FAR and enlarged the image. As Ateyo sat enthralled with the image, Tai came pounding up the steps.  "You have quite the astronomer here, Major Tai.She has been studying these two nebulas the whole time. "Sevina ay'opin. Pretty colors." cried Ateyo joyously.
 "Let's go get the Uniltìrantokx for Ka'alani, Ma Ateyo!" Quickly, Ateyo jumped from her seat and grabbed Tai's hand. " 'Awsiteng! Together!" Impulsively, Ateyo threw herself into S'ralta's arms.  Irayo Ma S'ralta. Thank you thankyou thankyou, for showing me wonderful stars and look-far and beautiful colors. Thankyouthankyouthankyou." as Tai nudged her to follow.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#118
119)~ Ateyo, Tai, Captain Mueller, and Colonel Warwick stood before the doors of the cargo bay in which the gestation tanks were kept. Tai placed her hands on each shoulder of Ateyo and gazed into her eyes and said, "You remember how it feels when you jump from a high branch and you are falling before you catch your first leaf?'
  "Srane!"
  "This feels like THAT except that you are not falling. You can fall up and you can fall sideways, you just need to push off a little.  Are you ready to try?"
  "Srane! This looking for like fun time!"
  "This is the first time for you, so you are learning, oeyä yawnete.  I am putting this tether on you for now."  Ateyo allowed herself to be buckled into a wide belt with a cord attached. Being connected to Tai felt very symbolic to her, but didn't say so. Once tethered together, the door was opened and they all stood on the platform.  Tai asked the the two pilots, "OK, where are your Avatars?"  
  "Twelve tanks over, follow us." replied Captain Mueller,with that the two shoved into the vast area. Tai kept her hand on Ateyo's shoulder. "On three. Au, Mune, Pxey.Spä! One, two three, JUMP"  Hand in hand they launched into the caverous aisleway between the rows and rows of gestation tanks. Ateyo's launch was, of course, enthusiastic. She would have shot past Tai as if they weren't holding hands.  Tai stablized by spreading out and told Ateyo to spread out like she was falling. She reeled in her Love, hand over hand on the tether.  Ateyo was quite the picture with her braid, tail and loincloth extended, as she adjusted to the lack of air pressure with which to steer.
  "You should see your smile!" laughed the Colonel.  "See if you can come here."
Tai, having more experience with floating, arrived on target a few feet from Captain Mueller's avatar tank.  She found a handhold, and was pleased to see that Ateyo was mimicking her movements and had glided to a stop next to her.  With one hand, Ateyo expertly tucked the flap of her tewng into her belt, so that it wasn't sticking out in front of her.  "This being Fritxts?"
 "Yeah! That's me! You are pretty good at this!" He looked at Tai," the first time I tried this, I nearly lost my lunch! She's a natural!"  Ateyo was hanging into space with one arm, saying SYAKSYUK SYAKSYUK! Nìwtokx uniltìrantokx? These are all dreamwalkers? Where? Tsepeng Ka'alani? Tsepeng Max?"
"They are in an airlock, ready to be transferred.  Time to get them! Follow me!" said the Colonel.  He turned and launched himself back to the platform and waited for the other three.  Tai unbuckled herself from Ateyo and tugged at her ketxse, her tail, just because it looked so funny sticking straight out.  They were laughing when they entered the vestibule once again.  Tai hung up the tether and belt on it's peg.  The airlock hatch was opened and the long descent started on the ladder.
  Once they entered the shuttle and walked onto the flight deck, Tai and Ateyo each found a pair of astronaut wings on their seat cushions.

Ateyo Te Syaksyuk

#119
120)~ Once everyone was buckled in, Colonel Warwick instructed Major Tai to trip the airlock release switch. He warned  that when that happened, they would be gently flung from the rotating section of the StarShip, but would use that to their advantage.  As they moved out to a distance of 100 yards from the ends of the pylons, the Colonel said, "Watch how I back this thing up!"  To which Tai said, "I know! You are going to roll down the window, stick your head out and watch.!"
  "Nah, we don't have roll down windows!" He said with a droll smile." Let me show you how it's done.  On the throttle quadrant you will find a third position for the condition lever. It will be marked, attitude control jets.  Your control stick will now control the peroxide jets that control the low speed maneuvering of this craft. Take the sliding display that it furthest from you and click it into position."  Major Tai did as instructed and as soon as the panel clicked all the way into position, the image of what was behind the shuttle came into view on the screen.
"WOW! Backup cameras!" exclaimed Tai.
Ateyo craned her neck around to see the screen. "AMP suits lìng?"  Captain Fritz smiled and placed his fingers to his lips.
Colonel Warwick instructed, "Pay attention to what I am doing, but I will fly this," as he expertly stopped the shuttle's orbit of the longitudinal axis of the StarShip, and backed it to within 20 yards of the main cargo doors." Colonel Warwick explained, "You show fine promise as a shuttle pilot BUT when learning how to do this, I crashed the Simulator over 70 times. And up here: that would spoil your day."
  Once in position, the Colonel dropped the shuttle's loading gate and men in EVA suits transferred the four gestation tanks and six crates of supplies into the shuttle's bay.
With the loading complete, the Colonel closed the cargo doors of the shuttle, looked at Tai and said,"I know you can do this; ease the stick forward and the attitude control jets will slowly propel us away from the Ship. Use short bursts and take us out about 200 yards."
  Once at the specified distance, the Colonel told Tai, "Without initiating roll, yaw us 90 degrees to port and park us there." When this was accomplished, the Colonel told her, "Move your condition lever to RAMJETS.Take your throttle and move it up to 5 percent power.  With that, the shuttle started moving, excelerating to 100 miles an hour.   The Colonel then told Tai, slide that panel out of the way and slide the panel that is closest to you into position". When that panel snapped into place, it instantly displayed a VSI, an HSI, an AOA, a radar altimiter,a flight director, and engine instruments.
  "You see that yellow line imposed on the Flight Director, Major?" to which Tai nodded the affirmative, "Follow the Yellow Brick Road home!" he said with a grin. With a little coaching from the pilot in command, Tai set the shuttle's angle of attack for the proper re-entry insertion angle.  She dialed in the proper Delta V fuel burns and inserted the ship into the Pandoran atmosphere.  At 60,000 feet AGL, they switched from RamJet Drive to Turbine Drive at 50% power. A minute and a half later, they received landing clearance from BlueHeart Gate Control.  And within 40 seconds, were in hover fifteen feet off the ground.
  Once the engines had spooled down and the loading gates dropped, Colonel Warwick turned to Major Tai, shook her hand and said, "You would have made a fine astronaut.  You earned those wings!"  With that the humans donned their Exo Packs, opened the airlocks and exited the shuttle.