730 Absolute
The conversation continued for a while and focused on lowering the language barrier. The Scalqa leader and Rok-Go even showed utmost patience in teaching Khan and Amy useful words, and significant results eventually arrived.
The Scalqa leader called himself Kru-Zi, and his tribe also carried a specific name Khan and Amy could best translate as "Bone Tribe". Instead, the invaders went by "Warrior Tribe", although Khan and Amy weren't sure about the translation. That title could belong to every nomadic group, but only the ship's scanners could confirm that.
The conversation never focused too much on the human side since the two Scalqa were more interested in teaching than listening, but Khan and Amy still managed to convey their names. However, the best Khan could achieve for himself was an odd "Ka-Han", which he ultimately accepted with a smile.
As for the drinks, Khan let Amy and the two Scalqa sip first, and seeing the lack of side effects gave him the confidence to approach the bone glass. The tainted liquid didn't affect him either, but his interest in the toxic substance remained strong. He forced himself not to look at it, but his attention often fell on the titled cauldron.
The settlement didn't stay still during the conversation. The tribe tied the invaders' corpses to the rocky barrier with ropes made of pelt before welcoming the other attackers. Yet, the latter never stepped into the central parts of the encampment. They didn't even get tents and established themselves in the area's outskirts.
Khan lost track of the enemy leader, but his interest was mostly in the tribe's behavior. Everyone seemed to know their role without requiring additional orders, and that applied to both sides. Allies and enemies understood their position and acted accordingly.
Deep-rooted traditions that crossed the differences in tribes were at work there, and Khan did his best to memorize them while figuring out Kru-Zi and Rok-Go's teachings. The Scalqa displayed many unwritten rules worthy of being reported to the envoy.
As fruitful as the welcome was, Khan and Amy soon hit a wall. There was a limit to how much they could learn through that barebone conversation, and inspecting the settlement's behavior wouldn't lead anywhere either. They could probably impose their presence and live with the Scalqa for a while, but the envoy had quicker methods in store.
Amy took the backseat in the decision-making for obvious reasons. Even while conversing, the two Scalqa were only interested in Khan. They listened to Amy out of basic respect, but their faces remained turned toward Khan. Luckily for the political envoy, he understood his position and knew how to progress the mission.
Once the wall became too evident, Khan stood up and performed a harmless bow. Amy promptly imitated him, and the two Scalqa responded with unknown words. The two aliens were probably asking something, but the language barrier prevented the arrival of any understanding.
Nevertheless, the Scalqa weren't completely clueless about social interactions. Rok-Go said something, and Kru-Zi accepted it, also standing up to face the humans.
Khan half-expected more untranslatable words, but Kru-Zi remained silent and imitated his bow. His performance was clunky and slightly hilarious due to his massive muscles, but Khan and Amy appreciated its meaning.
Khan shot one last glance at Rok-Go before nodding at Kru-Zi and turning. Amy followed along, and the two calmly left the settlement under everyone's curious eyes. The tribe was busy, but the foreigners, especially Khan, remained too interesting to ignore.
The departure was uneventful. No one shouted at the humans or tried to stop them, and Khan and Amy soon returned to the forest. The two didn't exchange words while picking up the pace, and Khan's incredible senses allowed him to lead the way back to the shuttle.
Luckily, the shuttle had remained outside the mess. Its canopy was still open, but no one had touched the equipment inside. Khan and Amy even entered the vehicle to check whether everything was there, and the confirmation arrived in less than a minute.
"What should we do now?" Amy asked, silencing herself when she realized she was about to add a "Major".
"The area is more crowded than we expected," Khan announced. "Let's set up the equipment and bring back the shuttle to HQ."
Amy didn't need to ask additional questions to understand Khan's reasoning. The attackers probably weren't part of the three tribes spotted during the landing, and the shuttle was too valuable to be left exposed to threats.
The envoy had practiced for similar situations, so Khan and Amy quickly unloaded the shuttle to set up and hide the required equipment. Khan's flying abilities also came in handy, allowing him to place scanners and similar tools far up on the trees. No Scalqa would spot or take them down there, ensuring their survival.
The shuttle also had some supplies and other goods that could be traded with the Scalqa, but Khan decided to bring everything back to HQ before planning the next step. Amy complied, so the two soon settled under the canopy and set off.
The trip back to the ship was uneventful, and the shuttle's scanners also failed to spot problematic behaviors in the surrounding areas. Patrolling the perimeter was even pointless since the envoy would have more reliable data, so Khan focused on reuniting with his team.
The scenery near the shallow cliff had changed during Khan and Amy's absence. The smoke had long since disappeared, and Randall and the others had finished setting up the necessary equipment.
Defensive turrets loaded with mana magazines grew in the four corners around the ship, and scanners and other tools occupied the area they encircled. Kirk and Marcus were also outside, either checking the equipment or seizing ground samples, but the shuttle's arrival interrupted their tasks.
Khan brought the shuttle around the ship before approaching the metal bridge. The auto-pilot handled the attaching maneuvers, and data began to flow into Khan's desk. All the tests and information gathered while he was gone became accessible, and he didn't hesitate to skim through them.
Nevertheless, the metal bridge's door suddenly opened, and Randall appeared at its center. He tried to hide it, but his mood was quite evident. He looked slightly angry, even if some hesitation kept him in check.
"Welcome back," Randall announced. "I know you must be tired, but the main deck awaits your report."
Khan and Amy knew their role, so they left their seats and followed Randall through the ship. Kirk and Marcus had returned inside by then, and the latter couldn't refrain from peeking at the scene. He could read the mood and felt a discussion was in order.
The trio found Celeste behind her station when they reached the main deck. Still, their arrival prompted her to her feet, and gentle words left her mouth. "I'm glad you are okay, Amy, Major."
"We should have gathered interesting data for you," Khan stated, glancing at his companion. "Amy."
Amy slipped a hand into the upper part of her military uniform to retrieve a tiny microphone. The item had recorded the entire conversation with the two Scalqa, allowing Celeste to study it freely.
Celeste wasn't sure about the item's contents, but her eyes lit up anyway. She hurried to retrieve the microphone before connecting it to her desk. The ship's menus immediately transferred the data, and her fingers itched to process it.
Sadly enough, Randall couldn't share Celeste's excited mood. He knew Amy and Khan had achieved a lot that day, but his schedule had fallen apart.
"We have watched as much as possible through the ship's scanners," Randall exclaimed, approaching one empty station to activate holograms. "What exactly happened?"
The holograms began to play the images following the ship's landing, focusing on Khan and Amy's position. The scenes lacked many details, but the scanners could still pick up various mana traces, providing an accurate replica of the previous events.
Randall's confusion and slight irritation immediately became clear. The ship's scanners couldn't see most facial expressions and gestures, so a random viewer might get the impression that Khan had started a fight. The same went for the settlement's mess. Everything had started from Khan, seemingly on purpose.
Once the video ended, Randall faced Khan and Amy, focusing on the former while crossing his arms. He tried to avoid it, but a scolding tone still joined his voice. "I'm well aware of your feats with aliens, Major, but I thought we agreed on a plan."
Khan wasn't in the best mood, and his element disliked that faint accusation, so he responded accordingly. "What are you insinuating?"
"We could have agreed on a different approach," Randall said as politely as possible, "If that was your idea."
"If I wanted to act on my own," Khan replied, "I would have. Believe that."
The conversation seemed ready to escalate into the usual bickering, but Amy intervened before it was too late. "May I share my report now?"
The interruption came as a surprise, but neither Khan nor Randall stopped Amy, so she began with her report. Her story started with the shuttle's landing and ended with the departure from the settlement, adding essential details that vastly justified Khan's actions.
Randall couldn't help but fall silent while his brain processed the new information. Meanwhile, Khan approached Celeste's desk to help her sort out the words he had learned. Everything flowed into her software, and the process lasted until Randall found what to say.
"The toxic liquid sounds interesting," Randall exclaimed.
"The contents of the central tents probably are more interesting," Khan added. "I plan to find out what it's hiding."
"How?" Randall asked.
"I'll find a way," Khan declared, lifting his eyes from the console to look at the team leader. "If the Scalqa remain uncooperative, I'll just force my way through."
"It's worth noting that the tribe is likely to cooperate," Amy commented before Randall could speak. "They are more than interested in the Major."
"What if they compel you to drink that liquid again?" Randall asked.
"I'll be more careful," Khan promised. "Though, I have a personal interest in the liquid. If the situation allows it, I'll experiment with it in isolation."
"Do you have a plan?" Randall questioned.
"We should stick to the basics now," Khan suggested. "Let's trade a few goods while continuing to learn their customs and language. On that topic, I need a copy of the scanners' recordings. We might discover something about their traditions with them."
Randall didn't give the okay, but everyone began to move to follow Khan's suggestion anyway. He had refused the team leader role, but an unwritten rule had already become law. Khan had gained a relevant status among the Scalqa, so his demands had become absolute.
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