?The Global Army had shown its planning and plotting skills to allow a safe and silent departure.
Khan's lessons were a big deal in the Harbor and network as a whole, and the strict policy over the released information made them one of the period's hottest news. Their end would attract immense attention, and the Global Army used that to hide the departure.
Everything was ready after two weeks of constant preparations, so a private ride picked Khan up from the embassy in the middle of his last lesson. The Global Army had made the announcement, so the scientists still inside the building baited the public's attention, allowing Khan to reach the hangars unnoticed.
The scientists were partially aware of the situation and didn't mind their role in that ploy. They didn't have much choice in the matter either, so they played along and waited for the right time to leave the embassy to handle the reporters.
The same went for the soldiers inside the buildings. Usually, Khan would be escorted everywhere, but his path toward the hangars featured almost no one. The cab's rider was the only one of two exceptions.
As for the second exception, Monica obviously occupied that spot. It was the beginning of the weekend, and the Global Army was cutting away the last instance of the couple's free time. Monica and Khan couldn't accept that, so she made sure to be inside the cab.
Intimate moments unfolded during the trip to the hangars, and silent but meaningful goodbyes happened after the landing. That wasn't Khan and Monica's first rodeo, so they handled the event like pros, albeit with the usual sadness.
The political envoy was already inside the ship, and Khan's arrival triggered one last inventory. The team set off right afterward, leaving the Harbor and diving at full speed into the depths of space.
Although the Global Army hid the departure, Khan's absence was bound to be noticed. He was too famous to disappear, and no amount of security could stop the public from asking questions.
News would eventually appear on private networks and spread everywhere, but Khan didn't care. That was the Global Army's mess to handle. As for Monica, she was better than him in the field.
That mindset and the constant paranoia allowed Khan to focus solely on the mission. Baoway was distant, and the treaties between the two species prevented the use of space stations for short stops or similar breaks. The ship had to fly directly to the alien planet, but the fuel was plenty.
The political envoy couldn't say the same about comfort. The ship was a marvel of modern technology but with efficiency in mind. The vehicle's spaces didn't waste a single centimeter, providing all kinds of features except room for true relaxation.
That could create problems with the time the team would have to spend trapped inside the ship, but everyone handled it well. Khan and the others were used to sleepless nights and uncomfortable living spaces. They didn't even have a common room where they could eat together, but no one complained.
Of course, the team could have solved the issue, but the equipment got in the way. The ship could hold up to twenty soldiers, but the various supplies occupied that extra space, making it complicated even to attempt the matter. Besides, no one mentioned the topic, so peaceful and simple days passed.
Similar situations usually gave the time and set up the mood for bonding. Nothing could teach more about someone else than forced cohabitation inside narrow spaces. However, life on the ship was unusual, and social interactions rarely happened.
The teammates had thoroughly prepared before setting off, but the mission's stakes were too high to spend the flight relaxing. There was always something else to study and do, and the specialists never failed to keep themselves busy.
Kirk and Marcus usually stayed in the cargo area, tinkering with the mechanical equipment and preparing it for the arrival. Celeste spent her days playing with her software, developing algorithms and hypotheses about the Scalqa language. Randall did a bit of everything, from studying to reviewing anything that reached the main deck.
As for Khan and Amy, their usual spot was side by side at the front of the main deck. They were pilot and copilot, but Amy mostly observed since Khan dealt with everything by himself.
The two also studied. Their stations had interactive holograms connected to the entire ship, so any update passed through them. The two often slept on those comfortable chairs, although Khan was mostly to blame there.
Amy wanted to observe Khan for as long as possible, but his regimen was impossible to imitate. He hardly slept and closed his eyes only to meditate. He even ate on the pilot seat, spending almost all his time inside the main deck.
Short naps were the only method Amy could use to prolong her time beside Khan, but even that made her miss part of his routine. Moreover, Khan could tell when she was asleep, so he performed check-ups and inspections on the ship's records during those periods.
As for the flight itself, the ship had top-of-the-line artificial gravity, significantly reducing the pressure steep accelerations and decelerations could cause. Khan could push the vehicle's speed far past what any teammates could withstand with that feature, shortening the time required to reach Baoway.
Even with that feature, the ship still took two weeks to reach Baoway's system and another half a day to get in sight of the planet. Eventually, the scanners found the bluish sphere standing in the middle of space, and approaching it revealed more details.
None of the details were new. The first exploration teams had already scanned the planet, albeit with inferior equipment. Khan's envoy would have to take care of acquiring reliable data, and he prompted the ship to do just that.
"Get ready for deceleration," Khan announced, using the ship's comms to make sure everyone heard him. "Take your seats and strap on."
Khan's orders regarding the flight were absolute, so everyone dropped their tasks and occupied different seats before fastening their belts. At that point, the ship gave the all-clear, and Khan activated the required gravity functions for the abrupt deceleration.
Once the ship gave the okay, Khan activated the engines, filling the ship's interior with heavy pressure. Even with the gravity functions, the weight of the deceleration was uncomfortable. Kirk and Marcus almost fainted and vomited, and the others didn't feel too good either. Only Khan endured it well, but the torture didn't last long.
The ship stopped above Baoway's atmosphere, and Khan ran check-up software to search for damage caused by the abrupt deceleration. Some menus were still fuzzy, but the vehicle rebooted them, returning them to normal function.
"Marcus," Khan called through the ship's functions. "I need check-ups to the files in section F, numbers from eleven to seventeen."
"On it!" Marcus shouted from the cargo area. His voice wavered, but his condition didn't interfere with the task.
Khan had yet to say anything, so everyone else remained seated. They waited as he stared at the control desk past the flight commands. The flagged software could have additional malfunctions that might get in the way of other tasks, and only a human eye could confirm their state.
"Sir," Marcus' voice eventually resounded in the main deck. "Everything is green on my end."
"Initial scan of the planet in three," Khan exclaimed, pressing on the according pre-set program, "Two, one, and we are online."
The engines restarted at far more moderate power, flying the ship around Baoway. Meanwhile, the scanners studied the planet's atmosphere and the surface under it, doing the thorough study the first team couldn't.
As per the initial reports, Baoway was similar to the Earth before the First Impact. Three large oceans separated multiple continents filled with different kinds of flora and fauna. Still, the heavier gravity didn't prevent Baoway from being slightly bigger in everything.
Randall had already cross-referenced the initial reports, so the ship dived toward the explored areas after scanning the planet. The first explorers had aimed for places with a high density of life, and the political envoy would follow the same pattern. Khan and the others wanted to meet Scalqa aware of the existence of humans.
The descent was smooth and flawless, and Khan opened multiple maps to check for potential landing spots. He had reports about the tribes that had seen humans, so he wanted to find a place close to their domains.
A barren and shallow cliff near a forest turned out to be the ideal place. Three tribes lived among the nearby trees, and the open space would make the flashy landing visible to everyone. Khan only had to glance past his shoulder and find Randall's nod before initiating the procedure.
The landing procedure was also automated since it involved precise calculations and functions. Since saving fuel was the priority, Kirk and Marcus handled that part. Khan only had to press a key to start it.
Nothing reached the ship's insides, but the scanners provided a perfect view of the event. The engines pointed downward, releasing beams of blue flames that scorched the yellow terrain. Charred black marks spread as the vehicle descended, and their dark fumes rose into the sky.
The ship touched the ground, but the engines continued to burn fuel to prolong the fuming spectacle. Eventually, a pillar of dark grey gas enveloped the vehicle, rising to heights visible from kilometers away.
"Landing complete," Khan said once the autopilot warned him. "Moving to shuttle 1. Randall, the pilot's seat is yours."
"Yes, sir," Randall exclaimed, unfastening his belt and shooting to his feet. "I'll boot the ground comms and wait for your signal. Good luck."
Khan also stood up, and Amy imitated him. The two didn't exchange a single glance as they headed for the area between the main deck and living quarters. Two doors stood on opposite sides, and Khan opened the one with the number "1" painted on its surface.
A narrow passage unfolded, and Khan and Amy crossed it to enter the narrow shuttle. The vehicle could hold four people, but the team had removed two seats to make room for necessary equipment, leaving Khan and Amy side by side.
"We are ready," Khan sent through the ship's comms. "Authorize the detachment of shuttle 1."
"Detachment of shuttle 1 online in three," Randall sent back, "Two, one, the commands are yours, Major."
The shuttles lacked many of the ship's amazing functions. Everything around Khan and Amy trembled when their ride's engines turned on and the metal bridge released its grip. The side vehicle was finally free, and Khan promptly pushed down the driving wheel.
The shuttle shot forward, circling the pillar of smoke a few times before diving into the forest. Khan had to contain the speed to dodge the thick array of massive trunks, but his reflexes came in handy, allowing a relatively smooth flight.
Once the shuttle's menus gave the awaited warning, Khan stirred the ship toward a relatively open area the scanners had found. The vehicle nimbly crossed a few trees before suddenly stopping and landing on the grass below.
The engines' whooshing noise quieted down until it completely disappeared, and Khan performed one last scan before unlocking the canopy. The glass-like structure above him rose, and fresh air blew on his face. Still, that wasn't the only change.
Heavy air and additional weight fell on Khan's shoulders. He felt slightly uncomfortable, but his body adapted quickly. As for Amy, she grunted, but her expression relaxed after a series of deep breaths.
Khan didn't wait for Amy. He unfastened his belt and jumped outside, gracefully landing on the green grass. His senses unfolded, absorbing the symphony at full speed, but the trunks around him managed to claim part of his attention.
'I knew they were big,' Khan thought, lifting his head, 'But.'
The bigger sizes were a detail in the first explorers' reports, and Khan had also seen a lot during the two landings. Yet, the effect was different when inspecting with bare eyes.
Trunks as wide as small buildings stretched from the ground and rose into the sky for a few hundred meters. Moreover, mana flowed inside them, and the same went for all the vegetation around them. Life had evolved through mana on Baoway, and Khan couldn't help but feel curious.
"Major!" Amy called, also hopping out of the ship. "I'll set up camp and boot the comms."
"We agreed on using names," Khan reminded. That mostly was for the Scalqa to avoid eventual misunderstandings during future interactions. Titles were something the political envoy would rather explain later.
"I'm sorry," Amy apologized, "Khan, sir. I'll get the equipment."
"You should stay still," Khan said, diverting his gaze from the big green leaves above. "I think you are in their spears' range."
"What?" Amy gasped, freezing in place. That reaction wasn't out of shock. Her instincts told her to avoid sudden movements.
"They reacted quickly," Khan explained. "We are surrounded."
