Towards Love

50.agreement

Still Spider pov

Aly Miller and her guards were facing Lola and Spider. They were sitting in the middle of the clearing, waiting for one of them to start talking. The commander was the first to speak. "So. As I said in my message, my superior on Earth received some videos and information about actions commanded by my predecessors that harmed your people and this planet. They decided to call back the majority of the people on the base and to replace them by new ones. Us. I am leading scientists, anthropologists, and a minority of soldiers to work things out with you. I don't have the details about what happened, would you mind telling us?" Lola gave Spider a I told you so look.  Taking a deep breath, he then told everything to the sky people.

He told them the story that Jake had told them many times to him and his siblings. The one where the Omatikaya, beset by dreamwalkers, had been forced to take refuge at the foot of the Mother Tree because under their home tree was the largest deposit of a mineral that cost a fortune on Earth. He told them how he had been abducted by the humans, these people who resembled him so much physically but with whom he had nothing to do mentally, all this to obtain information on Jake Sully. How he had been forced to help them understand the Na'vi culture only to destroy it afterwards. He told them how his nephews ended up getting involved in these useless disputes and how they lost one of them rescuing them.

Aly Miller and the two men listened to him carefully, processing every information he gave them. Looking at their faces, he saw sadness in the commander's eyes, indifference in Fletcher's and compassion in James's. Lola also listened to him, her head down and eyes closed. These memories were painful and hearing them only brought back all the pain they had experienced over the years. He even saw a tear roll down his cheek. Once he was done, a heavy silence fell over their small assembly. Aly Miller stared at him, her piercing gaze carefully analyzing him. "I'm sorry for anything that may have happened to you. We're not here to hurt you, we genuinely want to make things better." Spider didn't respond. Until their actions proved it, he would have a hard time believing these sky people. The next question put him even more on the defensive. "You haven't told us how you ended up living with the Omatikaya".

"That's none of your business." Why would he have to tell them about his personal life? That wouldn't make their relationship better. "On the contrary, I think it actually is." It was the first time they heard Fletcher speak and even Aly Miller looked surprised. Spider decided that he didn't like him. "Yeah? Enlighten me please." Lola's tail brushed against his back reminding him to stay calm but this gesture only made him angrier. From  the sneer on his face, the young man understood that Fletcher did not carry him in his heart either. "No secrets between us, otherwise we might think you're hiding something from us. That could be bad for our reconciliation." Aly Miller opened her eyes wide and quickly turned to her soldier. She whispered something incomprehensible to him, but it apparently put Fletcher in his place because he said nothing more. Turning back to Spider with a tender face, Aly Miller spoke again. "What the corporal means is that we would like to understand. In addition to that, if you have been able to adapt to the Na'vi culture it shows that we will be able to do so as well." Spider had a had the urge to tell her that she and he had nothing in common except their physical appearance and that he was therefore not at all a reference for the sky people. But he held back not to give the pleasure to Fletcher to make him a reflection.

Lola must have felt that he could not tell them. So she spoke for him. "He stayed on Pandora after the first battle. His parents died fighting for the sky people. Jake Sully and his wife adopted him because he was too young to be send back on Earth." Aly Miller's lips fired a thin line. He didn't want her pity. "Who were your parents? Maybe I've heard of them." Lola turned towards him. This time she needed his approval to speak. It was not her decision to make. Spider simply nodded. "He doesn't know who his mother was. His father was called Quaritch." The young man saw a gleam of admiration in Fletcher's eyes that made him want to throw up. This guy could be dangerous, he felt it.

Aly Miller seemed to understand now how this topic was a sensitive one for Spider so she didn't insist. She asked Lola about how she ended up living among the Omatikayas as well, and how it changed her life. "Mr Williams spoke very highly of you. He is very proud of what you did."

"You met him?"

"Yes. Just before leaving Earth. He told me about the communication device and how you would definitely be a big part in this new start." Lola blushed, Spider could tell. "Anyway, enough about us, what are you suggesting for our people to live together again?" Spider wanted to get straight to the point. They were dwelling too much on small details. Aly was then animated with a new energy. She spoke quickly, as if she really cared about what she was proposing. "We learned about the program led by Dr. Grace Augustine years ago. Our anthropologists told us it was a good program with good foundations. But we would like to add reciprocity to it. To offer a school for the Na'vi to learn human culture but also a school for the humans to learn about the Omatikaya culture. The children of the two peoples could then cohabit and develop real affinities. We would also like to set up a sharing of our machines to allow your people to live with more modernity. Without imposing anything, if you wish certain devices we will provide them to you, in exchange we would like you to share your knowledge of this planet. You know that we would like it to become a refuge for the future, it is up to you to tell us if we are welcome or not."

Lola turned towards Spider. "Kiri would like it." The young man nodded knowing that she would be very excited by this idea. "Who's Kiri?" Aly Miller was being very curious and in a way it bothered him. He didn't like the idea of a complete stranger getting to know his entire life and not telling anything about hers as beautiful as she was. But he still answered anyway. "She's Dr. Augustine's daughter." The redheaded woman widdened her eyes. "She has a daughter? Would it be possible to meet her?" 

"If we come to an agreement you could." 

"What do you think about our proposal then?" The two young people only had to glance at each other to agree. The agreement seemed fair. Lola was still cautious and had one last request. "We agree with what you propose. But we want it to be written down to keep a record of what was said today. It's important that we can remember our promises." Aly Miller nodded before getting up soon followed by everyone. She held out her hand to Lola. "Sure, whatever you say. We'll send you a document that we'll consider official." The young woman smiled warmly at the young Na'vi who towered over her with all her height. Lola grasped her hand but did not smile. The commander then turned to Spider and they shook hands as well. She had soft skin and freckles were also present on that part of her body. He smiled back at her. "To new beginnings." 

"To new beginnings."

Author's note
The next chapter will be the last one... :( Don't forget to vote and comment if you liked ready this!