Rows and rows of crowns crossed Khan's vision as the symphony invaded his senses, updating him on the world below. Baoway's cold but pleasant breeze blew in his face, accompanying the many thoughts that tried to distract him from the task.
The vast crowns hindered the inspection, but Khan's theory involved the areas without thick arrays of trees, and finding them wasn't an issue. The ship's scanners had already pinpointed the location of the other tribes, and Khan only needed to fly there to confirm his hypothesis.
Baoway's starry sky couldn't reveal Khan's small figure. The Scalqa weren't used to flying visitors either, so his passage above the scanned settlement went completely unnoticed. He could also hover above them for a while to let his senses absorb all the necessary information without encountering any problems.
After reviewing the known tribes, Khan pretty much confirmed his initial theory. Each settlement had a central structure that radiated a toxic influence. The Scalqa truly built their encampments around the blue plants, creating a pattern worth reporting.
The finding had negative consequences. The vast forest had more tribes, some of which were nomadic and always on the move. That alone could prove the absence of unguarded blue plants, and hours spent flying confirmed that.
Khan flew left and right, searching for any trace of that toxic influence in the symphony, but his senses always came back empty-handed. He didn't explore the entire forest due to lack of time, but his mind was set by morning. The only available blue plants in the quadrant were in the various settlements.
That wasn't ideal, and things would worsen once the higher-ups learned about the resource. Yet, establishing a communication channel would take time, and exchanging messages would also be clunky. Khan had a huge advantage, and no one tried to stand in his way.
Uneventful days and weeks passed as the envoy focused on its original tasks. Amy and Khan's visits to the Bone Tribe improved the relationships between the two species, and Zu-Gru's presence accelerated the expansion of the Scalqa vocabulary.
Of course, Marcus and Kirk spent that period rearranging the shuttle into a communication device, and Khan also abandoned his original role to focus on training. Amy was more than capable of covering for him, so the mission proceeded smoothly.
The training also went smoothly. Khan avoided drinking the dark green liquid again, and his body slowly adapted to the toxic influence, allowing longer sessions inside the tent. There didn't seem to be any negative consequences, either, although his companions would disagree.
The changes caused by the prolonged isolation for the breakthrough into the fourth level would probably have disappeared with enough rest. However, the meditative sessions inside the tent hammered them down, seemingly fixing them to Khan's being.
The blue flashes from Khan's eyes happened more often. His aura grew heavier, even without specific moods. Also, he became more distracted, usually focused on things only he could see.
Those gradual changes didn't create problems, so Randall and the others never complained. Yet, everyone was aware of his actions inside the settlement, and connecting them to those new features seemed obvious.
As the envoy crossed its first full month on Baoway, the situation devolved into a complete stalemate. The elephant in the room grew bigger, but the options were limited, although a change eventually happened.
"Are we ready?" Randall asked, the morning lights shining on his face.
"I've run tens of simulations," Marcus replied, holding a beeping device. "Everything will go according to plan."
"We weren't even supposed to establish communications," Randall sighed. "I guess it can't be helped."
"Sir, I am quite capable," Marcus reassured, "But Kirk is a proper genius. We won't lose the shuttle."
"Even if that happens," Randall muttered, peeking past his shoulder to inspect three figures standing a few meters away. "The mission is progressing well."
Marcus couldn't help but follow Randall's gaze. The two had exited the ship to prepare for the shuttle's launch, but some of their companions were already there. Khan and Amy were busy talking with Zu-Gru, and their conversations often escaped the two's understanding.
"[Willpower]," Khan stated in the best Scalqa accent he could muster while gathering a lump of blue mana in his palm.
"[Willpower]!" Zu-Gru confirmed, proudly patting his chest.
"[Willpower attack]," Khan continued, throwing the lump of mana on the ground nearby. He didn't put much energy, so the attack only left a shallow mark on the surface.
"[Willpower attack]!" Zu-Gru repeated, mana flowing through his bulging muscles as he threw a punch where Khan had launched his attack. The gesture released a mass of dense but invisible energy that dug a conical hole into the ground.
A small cloud of dust rose, and Amy, Randall, and Marcus inevitably inspected the hole. They had witnessed a similar event before, but the matter remained interesting. The Scalqa spells were crude and simplistic but had decent power.
Khan was the only one disinterested in the hole. He scratched his head as his eyes darted between Zu-Gru and the surrounding symphony. He had understood the theory behind the Scalqa spells long ago, but his study went far deeper into the matter.
'The muscles act as a mana core,' Khan thought, 'Sort of. They don't generate energy but store it. Mana is the same as stamina for them.'
That conclusion was the result of multiple inspections. The team had avoided kidnapping and experimenting on a Scalqa, but Zu-Gru's presence and Khan's senses greatly compensated for that. Still, doubts remained.
'Resting and eating replenish their mana storage,' Khan considered. 'But how do they grow to such a level? There is an inborn variable, but where does the additional energy come from?'
The birth happened during Khan's first visit to the settlement and his following trips had allowed him to gain insights into the Scalqa's life cycle. They were born with mana, and simply growing up expanded their storage.
That growth had multiple explanations and reasons. Connected nutrients were passed down during lactation, and Baoway had no shortage of mana-based lifeforms, so the same process happened with other kinds of food.
The dark green liquid also helped. Everyone in the settlement occasionally drank drops of that substance mixed in water and, at times, animal blood. External mana intake happened daily, but there was more to the matter.
'Bone marrow?' Khan wondered. 'Is that acting as a natural mana core?'
Khan was no scientist, so his hypotheses had insurmountable walls. Still, many of his conclusions came from events he had witnessed first-hand, and living on Baoway continued to confirm them.
"What do you think?" Amy asked after waiting a respectful number of seconds.
"Mana must be intrinsically connected to their stamina," Khan explained, crossing his arms. "Push-ups might be the same as meditating for them."
"That's convenient," Amy chuckled.
"And dangerous," Khan added. "They might die if they exhaust their reserves. Maybe that's why they don't rely on these techniques too much."
Amy nodded in agreement, but her smile slowly disappeared. She had understood something, and her silence exposed her.
"It's as you think," Khan announced. "If I'm right, their flesh might be used to cultivate artificial organic mana cores. They would probably require different training techniques but would cut away the need for Faswite."
Amy knew such conclusions could only be reached after thorough experiments involving multiple experts. However, in the time they spent together, she had started to believe everything Khan said. He was often right, but he very rarely realized it.
That deep trust made Amy consider the potential consequences of that discovery. The envoy had already found a resource that might help with the evolution. That alone could start a full-scale invasion. Adding the Scalqa's flesh to the equation would only push the Global Army even further in that direction.
The Thilku Empire would be the only hindrance in the plan since it shared Baoway and its resources with the Global Army. The Thilku probably didn't need the plants nor the Scalqa, but their potential relevance for humankind would increase the price of eventual agreements.
Amy's eyes slowly moved toward Khan. Covert operations were possible and could remain hidden even after the Empire decided to step on Baoway. Yet, Khan's help was necessary due to his unique position.
Khan played both sides of the mission. The Empire had requested his presence due to the general trust the Thilku had in him. The Global Army could use that in its favor, but he had to accept first, which seemed unlikely.
Khan had a history of positive biases toward alien species, and the request would directly go against his lofty position. He would lose all his privileges with the Empire if the Global Army were found out. Humankind could try to reward him accordingly, but other darker and nefarious options existed.
"Major," Amy uttered, some worry leaking into her tone.
"It's starting," Khan interrupted, eyeing Zu-Gru before nodding at the ship. "[Sky now]."
Zu-Gru and Amy turned toward the ship, and Khan and Randall exchanged a nod before the latter gave the okay. Marcus typed something on his device, and the whooshing sound of engines soon invaded the area.
One of the ship's shuttles detached itself from the metal bridge and hovered mid-air before tilting upward. The engines' noise intensified as burning waste flowed into the ground, burning it. The vehicle remained in its position for a while, and Marcus muttered a countdown before using the device again.
The shuttle suddenly shot upward, leaving an azure trail in the azure sky as it flew through Baoway's atmosphere. Soon, it became impossible to see the vehicle anymore, and most eyes in the area fell on Marcus.
Marcus inspected the device as worry invaded his mana. His tension was evident in Khan's eyes, but he hid it well. Still, that stress suddenly vanished, and a cheerful tone resounded in the area.
"Shuttle in orbit alive and well," Marcus exclaimed. "The software is up and running, too. We might have results in a week or so."
Randall heaved a sigh of relief, Marcus appeared elated, Amy wore a genuine smile, and Zu-Gru had nothing but amazement in his expression. Everyone but Khan had nothing but the recent event in mind.
'Odd,' Khan thought. 'Why is everything so odd?'
The more Khan learned and shared, the more his presence on Baoway became a hindrance. Enemies wouldn't let him amass power, authority, and relevance so easily, so taking him out now would be a wise choice, especially given his excellent history during crises. Yet, his senses continued to show green lights.
'Am I the crazy one?' Khan wondered. 'Is everything in my head? Why does it feel so odd then?'
As always, the answers didn't arrive, but Khan had every intention of pressing for them. He wouldn't hide his recent discovery about the Scalqa either. A target existed on his back, and he planned to make it brighter and brighter.
