Khan couldn't claim to love a desk job, but its benefits arrived as the weekend approached.
The Thilku revealed the place that would host the [Hunt], and Ambassador Abores developed a series of tactics founded on Khan's work before picking up his team members. More study happened during the week, but the appointed soldiers eventually made their way toward one of the Harbor's teleports to fulfill their political duties.
Khan kept his gaze fixed ahead while standing on the oval platform. Ambassador Abores and seven third-level warriors were at his sides and shared his stern vibe. Yet, none could match his intensity, no matter how much he tried to suppress it.
That development was inevitable for Khan. The separation from his loved ones had changed his mindset, and the imminent game had worsened it. He knew he risked making a mess and going against the Ambassador's direct orders, and his mana reflected that awareness.
Luckily for Khan, humans didn't have the best senses, and the team was tense enough to mistake the tension around them for their own. The accumulation of synthetic mana on the platform also helped hide Khan's intensity, and the change in the scenery eventually distracted everyone.
It was early morning, but Khan didn't expect to see its effects so soon. The cold light that landed on his face surprised him. His body cheered at that natural presence, and his senses worked overtime to study his surroundings.
Khan had memorized every possible destination and even inspected them through holograms and reports. However, experiencing it with his senses was a completely different story, and his mouth almost curved into a smile at the touch of natural mana.
The destination featured another oval platform with big mechanical horns growing past its vertices. Consoles also stretched all around it, but no metal walls separated the area from the outside. The teleport had brought the team into an open space filled with green and enjoyable cold.
The teleport stood at the center of a plain filled with short green grass. Hills that carried a similar color grew in the distance, and the symphony warned Khan about the presence of a river nearby. He could also spot a few human buildings from his position, and the same went for a small number of soldiers roaming among them.
'So, this is Acarro,' Khan thought, slightly stretching his legs to experience the planet's gravity. It was pleasantly lighter than Earth or the Harbor, which was in line with its relatively small size.
Ambassador Abores didn't hesitate to jump to the ground, and his team followed him. He also ignored the military salutes of the scientists on the consoles to head for the two soldiers running toward him. The latter were wearing dark uniforms that reminded Khan of the Thilku but lacked their thick capes.
"Ambassador, sir!" The soldiers announced when they reached Ambassador Abores and performed military salutes. "We are bringing the ship into the area at this very moment."
"It should have been here already," Ambassador Abores scolded.
"I'm sorry, sir," One of the soldiers exclaimed. "We noticed a malfunction that took all night to fix."
"You are lucky we are early," Ambassador Abores scoffed. "Let's start the other procedures since we have to wait."
"Yes, sir!" Both soldiers shouted, before exchanging a look and splitting, leaving the team in the middle of that grassland. The Ambassador scoffed again but eventually turned to face his underlings.
The seven soldiers snapped up, straightening their backs to prepare for imminent orders. Only Khan continued to let his gaze linger on the environment. He was aware of his surroundings, but studying the area was literally his job.
"How are we doing, Captain?" Ambassador Abores questioned.
"It's smaller than I thought, sir," Khan admitted. "Permission to inspect the area from above."
"Permission granted," Ambassador Abores responded, and Khan immediately kicked the ground to send himself into the air. He flew upward in a straight line and continued to move his legs until he reached a satisfying height.
Acarro was a planet inside the Thilku Empire's domain. Those aliens had allowed the Global Army to build an outpost there but had placed heavy limitations on the soldiers and equipment they could bring. It was a concession meant to tighten the relationships between the two species, but Khan barely saw any military value in those buildings.
More details entered Khan's view and senses from that height. He spotted the river he had felt before and noticed a woody valley between two hills. The clear blue sky also made the system's soft star shine on his figure, creating a beautiful scenery both in terms of sight and symphony.
'It's a natural paradise,' Khan thought before focusing on the outpost.
The Global Army's territory on Acarro was minuscule. According to what Khan had studied, the hills in the distance already belonged to the Thilku Empire, like the rest of the planet. Humankind was confined in that grassland and a few areas past it, but the political limitations prevented it from filling them.
A small cargo ship eventually appeared in the distance, and Khan watched it as it flew toward him. The vehicle had no weapons, just like the buildings under him. The few soldiers looked strong, but their main task was to protect scientists and political figures. If a crisis were to happen, running would be their only option.
Khan dismissed his worries and let himself descend back to the ground. The soldiers with foreign uniforms had returned by then but kept their gazes lifted to follow Khan. The team and the Ambassador were no exception. Even if they knew about Khan's skills, a flying human remained a surprising sight.
"Well?" Ambassador Abores asked when Khan landed among the team, clearing his throat to make everyone snap back to reality.
"I don't see anything unusual, sir," Khan firmly explained. "We can proceed as planned."
Ambassador Abores looked deep into Khan's eyes to search for any trace of dishonesty but couldn't find anything. Khan's stern expression hid his thoughts too well. He was the embodiment of a perfect soldier, eventually forcing the Ambassador to give up on the matter.
"Let's proceed, then," Ambassador Abores ordered, nodding at the two soldiers stationed on Acarro. They had brought a metal box and a scanner, and the team created a line to make their task easier.
The Ambassador had already briefed his underlings. Khan and the others let the first soldier run the scanner over them to check for illegal technology or forbidden equipment while the second collected everyone's phones. The Ambassador was also part of that inspection, but no problems arose.
Khan didn't give much thought to the separation with his phone. He had already warned Monica, and the knife was at his side. He could wholeheartedly focus on the [Hunt], and the ship's arrival drew it closer.
The team knew their orders. As soon as the ship landed, the Ambassador led his underlings toward it and waited for the pilot to leave the canopy to load everyone inside.
The cargo area felt cramped with seven soldiers, but Khan avoided that in the cabin. He took his place behind the control desk and ran the necessary programs to check that everything was okay before conveying his findings to the Ambassador.
"We are ready to set off, sir," Khan called, and the Ambassador crossed the cabin's entrance to approach the control desk.
"Did you open a channel?" Ambassador Abores asked.
"They are ready for you, sir," Khan stated, pointing at a beeping label on the right side of the desk.
Ambassador Abores went straight for the label and pressed it before stating his intentions. "This is Ambassador Abores from the Harbor, Global Army. Requesting coordinates to fulfill agreement XR345."
The channel went silent, but a notification soon reached the control desk, and Khan made it appear in the form of holograms. The Thilku delegation had sent coordinates for the game's location, and Khan looked at the Ambassador to wait for his orders.
"Bring us there, Captain," Ambassador Abores ordered.
"Yes, sir," Khan stated, pressing on a key to talk with the cargo area. "Set-off will start in five, four, three...."
The engines whooshed, and the ship left the ground. Khan made it rise until its height matched the safety regulations before accelerating. The communication had precise directives, so he made his route and speed stick to them.
The flight was silent. Ambassador Abores didn't take a seat and remained at Khan's side while he led the ship to the appointed location. The vehicle crossed more of Acarro's enchanting and peaceful environments, and traces of life appeared after half an hour.
The scanners and transparent canopy gathered a stream of information that Khan sent to the cargo area to update the team. The destination consisted of a vast plain standing at some distance from thick woods. A short hill grew at its center, and a vast gazebo occupied its peak. Khan also spotted various terrestrial vehicles at its base, and Thilku were already near them.
The instructions were precise, so Khan landed the ship on an empty spot near the hill's base. Ambassador Abores led the team outside, and a curious symphony reached Khan's senses.
Natural mana was predominant in the area, but traces of synthetic energy still existed. It had been the same with the human outpost, but Khan noticed a slight abundance of that in the plain.
Those traces were mostly on the ground due to the vehicles, but the sky also had some, and Khan couldn't refrain from looking in that direction. Small circular drones were hovering in the air, acting like birds.
'Cameras,' Khan thought. The ship had already noticed those machines, and seeing them confirmed their purpose. The Thilku were recording the game.
'How am I supposed to hold back with those things?' Khan cursed. 'And they aren't the only problem.'
The team turned toward the hill's peak since a hovering square platform descended from it. A tall Thilku stood on it, illuminated by the red symbol shining under her feet, and her firm stance broke into a traditional bow when she reached the plain.
"Welcome, dear guests," The Thilku announced in a hoarse accent.
"[Thank you for having us]," Ambassador Abores stated in a perfect Thilku accent, performing a similar bow.
"We are ready to receive you," The Thilku continued, straightening her back. "Your team can take place near the vehicles."
The Ambassador only had to glance at his underlings to make them move. Khan and the others performed military salutes before heading toward the terrestrial vehicles spotted before. Meanwhile, the Ambassador jumped on the platform, which flew toward the hill's peak to bring him under the gazebo.
Khan did his best to keep his gaze straight, but his senses didn't shut up. He knew how many Thilku were in the area and was also aware of their attention. Even after Ambassador Abores' reached the hill's peak, all the aliens continued to look at him, conveying their competitive spirit.
That didn't change even after the human team reached the terrestrial vehicles. Khan and the soldiers found each other before an equal number of tall Thilku who didn't hide their interest in his blue hair. It was so obvious that Khan felt pity growing inside his companions.
