Chapter 77: First Encounter with the Na'vi

Dusk had already fallen, and on the planet Pandora, if you looked up, you could see the breathtaking sky, the starlight, and a nearby gas giant looming close. The scenery was stunning. The plants here were fascinating too; at night, they emitted a beautiful glow, growing even brighter in response to footsteps.

Twisting the braid at the back of his head around his neck, Ma Jun glanced at Jack. “Are you ready? Let’s not get tangled up with those Na’vi—just focus on collecting the samples and then slip away!”

“No problem! Let’s go!” Jack replied with confidence.

The two of them rose from the hollow, climbed over a fallen log, and crept toward the Tree of Prayers.

In the distance, two Na’vi lay flat on a tree branch, their eyes fixed on Ma Jun and Jack.

“What are those off-worlders up to?” the female Na’vi whispered.

“If they dare harm the Tree of Prayers, we kill them at once!” the male Na’vi replied through gritted teeth. “Not a single one of these sky people is good—damned creatures. Eywa will punish them!”

“Ma Jun, are you sure this is safe? Those two over there look ready to pounce,” Jack murmured with a frown as they neared the tree.

Ma Jun glanced over dismissively. “Don’t worry. Maybe they just think you’re handsome and want to take you as a mate.”

“The women here aren’t exactly beautiful,” Jack chuckled nervously. He felt uneasy, but with Ma Jun’s reassurance, he decided to go ahead and collect a sample from the tree. After all, to the casual eye, they both looked like Na’vi.

But there was a crucial difference between the Na’vi and the Avatars. The Avatars were bred from a mix of human and Na’vi DNA, and, in appearance, the two could be distinguished: Na’vi had only four fingers, whereas Avatars had five. The Na’vi could identify outsiders at a glance. Jack didn’t know this; he was only a former Marine and had never received such training.

“I’ll cover you while you collect the sample,” Ma Jun said, carefully scanning their surroundings and concealing himself behind a good spot. “If those Na’vi make a move, I’ll warn you immediately!”

“No problem!” Jack was eager, and after following Ma Jun these past days, he had learned a few simple sampling techniques.

Ma Jun crouched nearby, alert. Jack retrieved his equipment from his pack and, after a brief hesitation, got to work on the Tree of Prayers.

A sudden whistling sound cut through the air. Jack barely had time to turn his head halfway before a searing pain shot through his back, his heart spasming violently. It was a Na’vi weapon—a bow and arrow tipped with a substance that caused intense pain. These arrows had great range and power, and a single hit could stop a heart in moments.

“Damn it, the Na’vi ambushed us!” Ma Jun shouted angrily, raising his gun, already aimed and without hesitation, pulling the trigger. With a burst of gunfire, the two Na’vi fell from the tree.

Glancing at Jack, now utterly still, Ma Jun shook his head, quickly grabbed Jack’s backpack, and dashed away at top speed. With dead Na’vi on the ground, there was no telling how soon their kin would discover the scene. And with night descending, Ma Jun had no desire to try his luck alone in Pandora’s forests.

Once he had piloted his Avatar back to the base, Ma Jun emerged from the link pod, furious, and hurried to find Jack, who was resting.

Jack sat in his wheelchair, looking deeply dejected. Without his Avatar, he was once again trapped by his own body, helpless.

“Are you all right, Jack?” Ma Jun asked with concern. “Did you feel anything strange in your nerves or your body?”

“I’m all right,” Jack replied, crestfallen. “You made it back safely? That’s good. At least our losses are minimized.”

“Those Na’vi are completely unreasonable—savages!” Ma Jun said angrily. “Is collecting a few plant samples really worth killing over? Don’t worry, Jack, I’ll make sure they pay for this!”

“No!” Jack shook his head. “We shouldn’t seek conflict with them.”

“But we’ve already paid the price!” Ma Jun retorted. “Fine, I’ll go back tomorrow. I have to get that sample.”

Losing an Avatar was no small matter.

Parker was preoccupied with his mining operation or other affairs and hadn’t come by. Grace, however, was furious when she heard the news and marched straight over.

At that moment, Ma Jun and the others were eating in the cafeteria.

“Mr. Ma Jun, what have you done now? We’ve lost an Avatar!” Grace stormed up to him, her voice raised. “An Avatar that cost an astronomical sum!”

“You seem to be missing the point,” Ma Jun replied. “First, Jack and I were just collecting plant samples when we were attacked by the natives. Second, if we’d been there in our human bodies instead of the Avatars, we’d both be dead. And all you care about is the cost?”

“The Na’vi are peaceful by nature. They would never attack humans unprovoked!” Grace insisted.

“Oh, really?” Ma Jun laughed, standing up. “Hey, everyone, did you hear that? Apparently, there’s a Na’vi among us! From now on, we’d better stay locked in this fortress—if we step outside and get shot, it must be our fault! The Na’vi are civilized, peaceful, and only eat vegetables.”

A few people snickered; others whispered among themselves, but all eyes settled on Grace. Ma Jun’s sarcasm hit its mark.

Grace tossed aside her cigarette and knocked over Ma Jun’s bowl. “I’m going to find Parker. Ever since you arrived, everything has turned upside down!”

“Wow, guys, when you had a quarrel with a classmate in school, did you go running to the teacher?” Ma Jun said in mock surprise.

The cafeteria erupted with laughter.

“Jack, do you remember my promise?” Ma Jun whispered to Jack, who was smiling bitterly beside him. “I’ll make arrangements to get you back to Earth so your legs can be healed. After that, you’ll be working for Junma Technologies!”

“Thank you,” Jack said gratefully.

After dinner, Ma Jun hurried to the main base, near the military district, searching for Colonel Miles.

The colonel, a hardliner, harbored deep hostility toward the entire planet of Pandora and was always ready for battle. Pandora’s gravity was a bit lower than Earth’s, so in his spare time, Colonel Miles always trained his body.

When Ma Jun arrived, the fifty-something colonel was dripping with sweat, showing off his well-toned muscles.

“Mr. Ma Jun, what brings you here? I heard there was some unpleasantness on your end?”