Chapter 185: The Na'vi? Just Expendables! Full Military Assault!
"As for the Na'vi natives on the ground…"
Li Ang pondered for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed, as if considering some difficult matter.
Before the Infinity starship had officially set out, Li Ang's stance towards the Na'vi natives was simple—leave none alive.
However, as the situation evolved, he realized that such an approach would not maximize LA Corporation's interests.
The indigenous Na'vi of Pandora, in essence, were organisms that survived by relying on the "Tree of Souls."
The Tree of Souls provided them with wisdom, spiritual insight, and mental joy.
Their consciousness was continuously influenced, reshaped, and even controlled by "Eywa" through the Tree of Souls.
From birth to death, every Na'vi in every tribe was inseparable from the Tree of Souls, constantly under Eywa's control.
In a sense, the Na'vi were merely tools of Eywa. Even Eywa regarded the natives as nothing more than "consumables."
So, as the head of a giant corporation, what reason did Li Ang have not to treat these Na'vi natives as expendable resources for his company?
For expendables, whether they were used to power the Matrix or employed as free labor for mining operations, it was entirely justifiable.
Resorting to pure slaughter and violence to wipe them out would be a severe waste of resources, not to mention inefficient and foolish.
"Keep them alive," Li Ang said in a calm tone.
Once Eywa was under control, all life on this planet would be at LA Corporation's disposal. By then, the Na'vi natives would serve the same purpose as LA's replicants—mining when needed, generating energy when required.
Of course, Li Ang personally preferred maintaining Pandora's ecological balance, allowing the Na'vi to continue worshiping the Tree of Souls and offering their consciousness to Eywa.
"Understood!"
Song Zhaomei nodded. Having learned of Li Ang's plans, she knew this approach best aligned with LA Corporation's interests.
If Eywa was likened to a tree, then the Na'vi were its nutrients. Without nutrients, Eywa's network of consciousness would inevitably collapse, leading to mutual destruction—a scenario beneficial to no one.
"Dawn is about to break. The ground war should be starting soon," Li Ang murmured as he turned his gaze back to the holographic screen, his thoughts drifting toward post-battle scenarios.
---
As a planet remarkably similar to Earth, Pandora's rotation took approximately 26 hours, almost identical to an Earth day.
At that moment, as the Centauri A star illuminated Pandora's sunlit side, the rainforest below was bathed in the glow of a new day.
But this day would be marked by the eruption of all-out war.
In a floating stone resource zone surrounded by peculiar suspended mountains, a massive aerial fleet swept rapidly through.
Among them, two aerial gunships and transport aircraft stood out conspicuously within the formation.
This fleet, consisting of over a hundred flying vehicles, was part of an offensive mission launched by the Arasaka Division of the LA Alliance.
With the establishment of the LA Corporation and the construction of Ideal City, various cyber megacorporations had essentially become departments under LA Corporation.
For instance, the once-dominant Arasaka Corporation was now the Arasaka Division of LA Corporation. Their task today was to bomb the floating stone zone.
As the fleet—comprising C-21 "Dragon" assault ships, Valkyrie transporters, and AT-99 Scorpion gunships—crossed mountain peaks, the Na'vi on the ground moved into position.
Soon, the fleet descended, preparing to land and execute their mission.
Upon reaching an open area, the soldiers donned power armor and standardized weaponry.
These troops were equipped with AMP suits provided by LA Corporation. The suits appeared comical, resembling headless giants, but were more versatile than AST suits, making them ideal for diverse terrains.
As the ground troops prepared, the fleet ascended again, advancing toward the Tree of Souls. Following the commander's orders, they maintained a slow pace, providing constant aerial support.
Inside the command center, the voice of Goro Takemura echoed:
"This is the Arasaka Division. Our task today is simple—create a huge ruckus to lure those bastards into engaging us!"
Since becoming part of the LA Alliance, Goro Takemura, once a fugitive in Night City, had risen to a mid-level military officer in the Arasaka Division.
"Yes, sir!"
The fully armed soldiers responded in unison.
As the floating stone zone and the Tree of Souls came into view, Takemura issued further commands via comms:
"Attention all units! The target is within visual range, approximately three kilometers ahead. Prepare for bombing and strafing."
"Understood. Bombing equipment ready," the aerial units replied.
Just as the fleet accelerated, the reconnaissance unit reported:
"Commander, we've detected numerous Na'vi ground forces, including cavalry, engaging our troops!"
The reconnaissance team's observer relayed visuals, but the feed soon suffered interference, displaying static akin to an old TV.
"Fix it! I want clear visuals!" Takemura barked at his technicians.
"Yes, sir."
Despite their efforts, the interference persisted.
"Commander, severe magnetic disruptions are affecting navigation and visuals across all units."
Before Takemura could react, a swarm of Na'vi warriors riding direhorses emerged, firing arrows and yelling as they attacked the fleet.
"Ambush!" Takemura realized the situation was dire.
"All units, open fire! Repeat, open fire—don't hold back!"
As Takemura's order echoed, chaos erupted. Explosions tore through the battlefield as Na'vi launched fearless attacks, targeting the fleet's weak points.
"Damn it!" Takemura cursed, realizing the ambush was meticulously planned, using the magnetic field to trap his fleet in a kill zone.
---
At this moment, due to the disruption in the magnetic field, Arasaka's fleet was experiencing intermittent communication and delayed fire-control systems, leaving them vulnerable to a strong offensive from the enemy forces.
Within the formation of Arasaka's fleet, explosions and engine failures were rampant. Aircraft plummeted straight to the ground, engulfing machines and soldiers alike in fiery destruction.
On the rainforest battlefield below, Arasaka's ground troops were also under intense attack from the Na'vi indigenous forces.
Amid the relentless hail of bullets and artillery fire, the cacophony of various calibers composed a deadly symphony.
Thanks to the smart bullet navigation systems provided by Cantao Department, Arasaka's soldiers could effortlessly take down large swathes of Na'vi cavalry without the need for precise aiming.
As a result, their ground forces were achieving far better results compared to their aerial counterparts, who had been ambushed and overwhelmed in the skies.
The Na'vi cavalry charge, when faced with LA Corporation's advanced kinetic weapons and smart technology, became little more than moving targets.
Beyond ten paces, the bullets were swift. Within ten paces, they were both swift and precise!
Moreover, the weapons utilized by LA's ground troops boasted effective ranges of several hundred meters.
One volley from their rifles could flatten the Na'vi cavalry formations, reducing them to fields of fallen soldiers, like wheat scythed down in harvest.
Some Na'vi, injured but not yet dead, tried to rise, only to be crushed into blue pulp under the hooves of their own comrades.
However, not all was smooth sailing for Arasaka's troops. Some unlucky soldiers found themselves impaled by the Na'vi's long, deadly arrows mid-firing.
The Na'vi, with physical strength far exceeding that of ordinary humans, often pinned their targets to trees or the ground, leaving no chance of survival for the unfortunate soldiers.
Even so, Arasaka's troops maintained control over the ground battlefield with an iron grip.
Before long, the Na'vi cavalry could no longer withstand the onslaught and began retreating to regroup.
Meanwhile, the aerial skirmish was shifting from Arasaka's early disadvantage to an intense deadlock.
Under heavy bombardment, the Na'vi cavalry in the air also began to falter.
The tide of this local conflict seemed to be shifting in favor of Arasaka.
But just as Arasaka's fleet was closing in on their objective, the "Spirit Tree," countless wild Ikran suddenly swarmed in from all directions, screeching defiantly as they swooped towards the Arasaka fleet.
Simultaneously, a surge of wild beasts emerged on the ground. The previously retreating Na'vi cavalry regrouped and launched a renewed assault on Arasaka's soldiers.
Seeing the horde of massive hammerhead titanotheres and ferocious panther-like beasts flooding the battlefield, the ground troops of Arasaka were visibly shaken.
This was unlike anything they had encountered before!
As the air and ground were suddenly overrun by the alien wildlife, Goro Takemura finally understood the rumors within the ranks—Eywa was real.
There truly was a planetary consciousness aiding the Na'vi in resisting their colonial forces.
"Report, Commander! The enemy has reinforcements. We need backup! We need backup now!"
"Damn it! There are too many beasts—we can't handle this!"
"Requesting support! Requesting support!"
The Arasaka communications channel was filled with the panicked voices of personnel from every division, their desperation palpable.
Seeing the chaos unraveling before him, Takemura's teeth clenched tightly in frustration. Their communications systems were malfunctioning, leaving them unable to call for reinforcements.
Are we destined to perish on this alien planet?
A wave of desolation washed over Takemura. If this was to be his end, he hoped to be buried in the soil of his homeland.
Fortunately, just as the overwhelming swarm of beasts was about to engulf the Arasaka forces, a new barrage of firepower tore through the sky.
Massive-caliber artillery rained down like a relentless storm, puncturing the bodies of Ikran one after another, causing a "rain of beasts" to fall from the sky.
"Boom...!!"
"Hiss-boom!"
Through the dissipating smoke of the aerial battlefield, hundreds of Scorpion gunships and Eagle shuttles emerged in formation.
The exterior of each craft bore the finely crafted and imposing insignia of a legion—a design of a metallic gauntlet intertwined with gears and tubes.
It was the Iron Hands legion—reinforcements had arrived!
"It's V... it's V and his forces!"
As the renowned Astartes legion of the LA Alliance, no one could mistake the distinct insignia of the Iron Hands.
Realizing that the rescuers were the Alliance's elite forces, Takemura felt an immense sense of relief, a newfound confidence washing over him.
Moments later, the restored communications system of the Arasaka fleet buzzed with the familiar voice of V:
"Old friend, I hope we arrived in time. Don't you dare die in this godforsaken place."
Hearing the voice of his old comrade, V, Takemura burst into hearty laughter and replied, "V, your timing is perfect!"
"Otherwise, these old bones of mine would have ended up as a feast for the Pandora beasts down below."
Relieved to find his friend alive, V quickly got to the point after a brief exchange:
"Listen carefully, Takemura. I'm not here just to save your life. The boss has tasked me with securing that Spirit Tree."
"Based on our HQ's analysis, the area around the Spirit Tree is the optimal location to establish the matrix!"
The Spirit Tree... the matrix? What nonsense was this?
Seeing Takemura's baffled expression, V patiently explained the mission in simple terms.
Upon learning of the plan, Takemura's mind nearly froze.
"Eywa... the matrix!"
No wonder the beasts had appeared out of nowhere to block their approach to the Spirit Tree. It turned out Pandora's deity, Eywa, had been orchestrating their resistance all along.
Without establishing the matrix, they would surely face Infinity waves of beast attacks, leading to catastrophic losses for the human forces.
"Takemura, I need your troops to coordinate with mine and swiftly secure the Spirit Tree area."
"Warn your soldiers not to bomb the Spirit Tree—it could sever its connection to Eywa!"
V's stern and direct tone made it clear that success depended on Arasaka's cooperation.
"Understood! I'll relay your orders to every soldier under my command immediately."
With that, Takemura issued commands through the communications network to both the ground and aerial Arasaka forces.
Bolstered by the arrival of reinforcements, the initially panicked Arasaka troops regained their composure and launched a fierce counterattack against the Na'vi.
"Bang...!"
"Boom—!!"
Continuous barrages of 20mm cannons, 40mm autocannons, 105mm howitzers, and even larger-caliber heavy artillery rained down across the battlefield.
While Pandora did have some beasts with exteriors tough enough to withstand bullets, they were ultimately carbon-based organisms.
If one missile or shell couldn't kill them, then several more would.
Had these been colossal kaiju from the Pacific Rim, their firepower might have fallen short. But against the ordinary alien predators on this planet, their arsenal was more than sufficient.
In no time, the joint assault by Arasaka and the Iron Hands legion repelled the surging beast hordes.
Countless massive beasts were blasted apart by the devastating firepower.
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