The long calls became a new addition to Khan's routine. They weren't the healthiest habit since they involved sleepless nights, but Monica and Khan were willing to pay that price to deal with their distance. The couple was adapting to their new situation, and that worked for now.
The lack of sleep wasn't a problem for Khan, so the long calls never got in the way of his other tasks. He still trained and worked, prioritizing his studies of the Thilku Empire to excel in his job. Soon, his reports spread throughout the office, and new developments arrived.
As Khan had predicted, the next mission's deadline was close, only three weeks after the [Hunt]. The Thilku Empire was requesting the presence of a human team on Neuria, and Ambassador Abores had to work overtime to get everything ready.
Of course, the Headmistress helped, facilitating preparations on multiple levels. She provided equipment, clearance, and more to get everything ready by the deadline.
Khan, the companions from the [Hunt], and Ambassador Abores gathered before a teleport in the middle of the appointed week. Luggage accompanied them, and a few wore sleepy faces due to the early hour. Yet, a glare from the Ambassador dispersed that drowsiness and made everyone jump onto the oval platform.
Getting submerged in synthetic mana wasn't the greatest experience, but Khan couldn't help but feel excited. He was about to reach an alien world in alien territory. His curiosity always skyrocketed during those events.
The machine brought the team inside a space station that the Headmistress had moved near Neuria's system. Getting clearance to teleport directly to the planet took longer, so the human team opted to fly there. Soldiers had even prepared a ship, so Khan and the others only had to hop on it.
Khan took care of the steering wheel, but the mission didn't allow much flexibility. As soon as he left the small space station, he had to follow a precise route within a specific speed range to approach the nearby planet with three moons.
"How are we doing, Captain?" Ambassador Abores asked, peeking into the cabin.
"We are on route and on time, sir," Khan exclaimed. "We should see the appointed landing area in a few minutes."
"Can you go any faster?" Ambassador Abores questioned.
"Is something the matter, sir?" Khan wondered, peeking past his shoulder to look at the Ambassador's face. "I thought we had to follow Lord Exr's orders to the letter."
"Thinking isn't part of your job," Ambassador Abores scolded. "Answer my question."
"I can accelerate a bit," Khan said, "But the Thilku want us to land at a precise time. We'll have to wait above the city if we arrive early."
"Do it," Ambassador Abores ordered.
"Is it fine to challenge them over a mere minute, sir?" Khan questioned.
"What did I say about thinking, Captain?" Ambassador Abores rebuked.
Khan didn't take those words seriously. That banter had actually become the norm between Ambassador Abores and Khan, and the latter was slowly testing his limits. After all, that playful side was part of his character.
The precise restrictions didn't allow much leeway, but Khan had held back on the ship's speed, so accelerating a bit didn't break the rules. He followed the Ambassador's orders, doing his best to gain a single minute over the planned arrival, but that effort didn't distract him from his surroundings.
The ship's scanners worked at full speed, recording details of the locations they crossed. The vehicle had to fly around one of Neuria's moons before heading for the planet, and multiple structures became visible on that satellite in the meantime.
Khan noted down those details without ever stopping. It wasn't surprising for the Thilku to build on a moon. Humans did it too. Still, it was interesting to see the types of structures erected there, which turned out to be defensive weapons ready to take down any invader.
The ship quickly dived into Neuria's atmosphere, revealing its dark, mostly cloudy sky. Rain soon fell on the canopy, but darkness never arrived. Artificial lights filled the distant lands and part of the vast seas, turning that permanent night into a colorful and bright environment.
The instructions led the ship toward the edges of a big continent, and getting closer to the surface showed a big bright city growing near the coastline. One block had long pillars of smoke rising to the sky, and Khan's destination was close to it.
The restrictions prevented Khan from bringing the ship down. He had to stop at some distance from the city, but his position granted him a good view of the area below, and he pressed a few keys to make his team see that.
Multiple screens lit up in the passengers' area to show what the scanners were picking up. The Global Army couldn't record anything, but studying the environment was different, and the reality was always better than reports.
A modern and technologically advanced city unfolded in everyone's view. Short and tall buildings alternated themselves in blocks that fulfilled specific roles. Big streets also divided them, making room for many terrestrial vehicles that hovered near the surface.
The heavy rain added a gloomy vibe to the area, and the artificial lights somehow worsened it. Khan had seen the coziness of an endless night, and Neuria didn't achieve it. The bright banners and signs added a robotic taste to the environment, dehumanizing it and turning the city into one big machine.
Khan had hoped for something different, but no sighs escaped his mouth. That city was surprisingly closer to Milia 222 than Reebfell, but he could work with that. He could work with anything.
Clearance eventually reached the control desk, allowing Khan to dive into the city. The instructions led him toward a relatively empty block that featured a landing platform surrounded by four Thilku platoons. The area had almost two hundred soldiers, but they weren't there for the human team.
A stage covered by a gazebo stood beside the landing platform, and Khan recognized the Thilku under it once the ship landed. Lord Exr was there, sitting behind a row of soldiers. The latter were familiar faces since they belonged to the team from the [Hunt].
One of the Thilku under the gazebo jumped forward and headed for the ship as soon as its doors opened. The alien reached the metal staircase that descended and opened the umbrella in his hands to welcome the most important guest.
The human team had gathered before the doors by then. Rain and cold seeped into the ship, but everyone was wearing warm dark-blue military coats that carried their stars. Khan was no exception, and he stood aside with his teammates to let the Ambassador advance.
The Thilku welcomed the Ambassador under the big umbrella. Its transparent, curved cover sizzled whenever drops fell on it, but both the alien and the Ambassador remained dry. The two even headed for the gazebo, while Khan took that chance to lead his team outside.
The cold rain fell on Khan's face as soon as he peeked past the ship. His companions suffered from a similar fate but didn't share his reactions. Khan enjoyed that weather due to all the natural mana it brought to the area, but the stench of the synthetic energy was impossible to miss.
One of the platoons split to step on the landing platform while Khan's team headed for the gazebo. The Thilku would take care of the ship and luggage inside while Lord Exr handled the political side. Khan and the others didn't have precise orders from that point onward, but they were bound to arrive.
Khan and his companions performed a line before the gazebo and wore military salutes. Heavy rain fell on them, but no one budged. Only Ambassador Abores had access to that private area, and the Thilku with the umbrella had already brought him next to Lord Exr.
The two leaders exchanged a few friendly lines that the rain made impossible to hear. Khan didn't even try to listen and let his senses spread elsewhere. He was in an alien city, so his interest was impossible to quell.
From above, the city didn't look anything unique or different from what Khan had seen on Earth or Milia 222. However, details appeared now that he was on the surface, and many red lights fell in the corner of his eyes, threatening to distract him from the gazebo.
The Thilku liked huge and vast buildings capable of leaving any onlooker in awe. Yet, the city only had a few of those since a lot was still in construction. Besides, its homes mostly had workers. A training camp could show a traditional style but not that settlement.
Nevertheless, the Thilku technology was inherently different. Most machines and anything in that field relied on the strange runes Khan had seen on the bomb. Those symbols were cores capable of containing and releasing energy for specific purposes, and Khan could feel many of them in the blocks nearby.
Khan's inspection was short-lived since Lord Exr soon left his seat to convey orders to the soldiers under the gazebo. A series of hoarse cries seeped past the rain, but nothing specific ever reached the human team.
Still, the Thilku soldiers moved at that point, diving into the rain to reach the human team. Khan felt no surprise when Amox approached him. He was ready to perform a traditional Thilku bow, but the alien interrupted it by slamming his hands on his shoulders.
"[Khan]!" Amox laughed, uncaring of the rain falling on him and drenching his thick mantle. "[We are in the same team]."
"[Team]?" Khan repeated. He wasn't sure about his role there, so he hoped Amox could fill the gaps.
"[That district showed suspicious behaviors in the last period]," Amox explained, turning Khan to point him toward the block releasing pillars of smoke. "[We must go door to door to search for illegal equipment]."
"[Is this safe]?" Khan couldn't help but wonder. "[Won't my presence cause problems]?"
"[The humans are here under Lord Exr's invitation]," Amox claimed, continuing to pat Khan's shoulders. "[You have the same authority as us]."
Khan didn't trust that statement. The city had ordinary citizens who had probably never seen an alien. Having a human bossing them around couldn't feel good, but Khan couldn't refuse either.
Something distracted Amox while Khan was busy inspecting the fuming district. The Thilku stopped patting Khan's shoulders and dug his fingers into them as if to start a massage.
"[What is it]?" Khan asked, peeking past his shoulders to look at the Thilku.
"[Did you get stronger]?" Amox questioned.
"[It must be the coat]," Khan lied, chuckling to dismiss that statement. He had slightly abused the [Blood Vortex] in those weeks but didn't expect Amox to notice.
"[Well, it's good if you did]," Amox stated, finally letting go of Khan's shoulders to step at his side. "[We are in charge of a dangerous zone]."
"[Do you expect resistance]?" Khan asked.
"[If they are guilty]," Amox smirked, confidently crossing his arms before his chest.
