LOG-028.The approach to Hell’s Gate went about as it always did, with Alfa and I leading the way for the other Kyra’meta ikran, each rider raising their transponder (handy little things) in order to avoid being shot down by the base’s defences.The only difference this go around was the presence of a blue limpet desperately hiding beneath me as we landed, her curious yellow eyes glancing about, form tensing slightly as a few sec ops marines began to approach.Defusing the wary girl with a light bap to the head, I ignored her slight hiss and swung myself off, turning to lean down and extend a fist, the motion reciprocated by the corporal leading the security contingent.“Baldylocks.”“USB hair.”Grinning at Lyle as he smirked back up at me, I twisted slightly, waving a hand at the Na’vi who was currently doing her level best to hide atop Alfa’s saddle, even as she stared down at the soldiers from her perch.“Lyle, Neytiri. Neytiri, Lyle. Bigger introductions can be handled later, I’ve gotta drop her off with someone decent for a bit, then go have a chat with Parker…and maybe Quaritch, actually.”The man’s eyes widened slightly at that, before he let out a whistle, the sound strangely distorted by his respiration mask.“Well alright then, want us to take the kid?”A glance at Neytiri earned a firm shake of the child’s head, at which I smiled before waving the corporal off.“Nah, I’ve got a better idea.”—“Opal! You’re back-oh, Neytiri!”“Sa'nok!”“Oof!” Watching as a visibly unprepared Grace (currently walking about as herself, rather than her avatar) was damn near bowled over by the overly excitable Na’vi child that had practically glued herself to my side during our walk through Hell’s Gate’s interior.Around us, a few other scientists, assistants, or interns all collectively chuckled at the display, even as I leaned against the oversized doorway of the lab I’d guided Neytiri into, thinking back to her reactions to what little of the base she’d managed to see before I’d sequestered her into what could very well be considered Grace’s ‘territory.’While there had been the expected wariness, there had also been some level of curiosity, far more so than I would have anticipated from, say, an adult. It was a curiosity I had every intention of cultivating, starting by exposing the kid to what would hopefully be the most palatable part of the RDA’s operations on Pandora.Well, that and getting myself an easy babysitter to keep the tyke busy while I went off to discuss distinctly less palatable things. I’d tell her about them when she was older. Probably.Watching with amused eyes as Grace and Neytiri began to exchange words in rapid fire Na’vi, with the girl remarking just how funny it was that the woman looked so small while outside of her ‘puppet body’, I settled down to wait until they realised I was still present.—“You’re using me as a glorified babysitter.”Staring down at the deadpan scientist, who was doing her level best to ignore Neytiri struggling to put on a lab coat behind her, I adopted my most innocent expression.“What? No, definitely not. She just wanted to see you and I need to talk to some people about some stuff.”One of Augustine’s eyebrows slowly rose, and I resisted the urge to huff, instead choosing to cross my arms and roll my eyes.“Okay I’m using you as a glorified babysitter. But have you considered the fact that I, Opal, honoured Tsahìk of the Kyra’meta, chosen representative of Eywa, pale corporate cat bitch of the RDA, totally put in a good word for you with the Omatikaya during my last visit and may or may not have earned you permission to approach their spirit tree?”It was almost comical, how quickly Grace’s eyes lit up from their previously bemused glower, and then I had a pair of hands grasping one of my forearms as the researcher tried and failed to shake me back and forth.“Ooooh you went through with it! Thank you thank you thank you!”Gracing the heartfelt thanks with a lopsided smile, I glanced off to the side as the woman stepped away, already audibly theorising just what she’d need to pack, even as Neytiri glanced up from a cupboard nearby, a pair of goggles on her head and an empty flask held in her hands.Alright, that was the fun stuff dealt with.Now, back to business.—“So let me get this straight.”Nodding along to the grizzled old man’s words, I maintained my polite smile, tail gently swishing behind me with my hands clasped behind my back, Parker standing beside me.“You want me to dedicate a significant portion of our troops to securing a motherfucking volcano, teeming with what are most definitely hostile Na’vi, per your own word, on the basis that your giant fungus mama says that there’s unobtanium we can mine there.”I considered Quaritch’s assessment for a moment, before raising a finger.“Oh, I’d prefer their leader alive, if that can be done too. She’d technically be the main authority for their clan, and thus the only one eligible from a legal standpoint to secure land rights. Well, assuming Eywa doesn’t just do it directly.”The thought of a lunar sized mycelium network acting as an RDA shareholder visibly passed through the thoughts of both men, alongside a few other individuals standing around the strategic table dominating the center of Hell’s Gate’s command center, before Parker coughed.“Uhh, yeah. Get the leader alive so Opal can sweet talk her into joining us. Good old hostile takeover situation.”Quaritch stared at his nominal superior for a long moment, before turning and staring at me, one eye twitching ever so slightly as I continued to smile at him.Then, he sighed.“Well shit, at least the damn wildlife ain’t hounding us any more. Guess I’ll see what the hell I can cook up before you damned idiots get yourselves killed.”Success!