Marcus remained outside, tinkering with the device, while Randall carefully watched his every input. The leader didn't understand all the commands, but the occasional labels that popped out reassured him that the task would succeed.
Zu-Gru didn't dare to move without Khan's orders, so he and Amy remained outside, waiting for further developments. The task's success had theoretically freed them of their duties, clearing their schedule for a potential trip into the settlement. Yet, Khan didn't move.
Khan's mind was a mess of theories and simulations. His eyes tried to glow as dangerous thoughts surged into his brain, but he suppressed the event. His mana felt restless after the steady training inside the tent, but his flesh contained it well. He could feel the slight changes inside him, which joined his worries.
The shuttle's trail soon disappeared, returning the sky to its original clarity. The ground also stopped burning, bringing peace to the barren area. Another peaceful morning seemed to be smiling at the team, but trouble was quick to arrive.
The ship's scanners were the first to notice the event, and the defensive turrets reacted due to their software. The rifles on their top moved and turned to point at the incoming threat, but no bullets were fired.
Khan came second. The turrets' movement had tried to distract him, but the symphony eventually updated him. A big party was rushing toward the ship, whose intentions were far from peaceful.
The turrets' movement alerted everyone, and Randall and Marcus rushed inside the ship to understand what was happening. A quick look at the scanners revealed the issue, and Randall soon came back outside, ready to deal with the problem.
However, by then, Khan had already changed position, moving past the turrets' perimeter and toward the forest. He was still well within their range, but his location could put him at risk of getting shot in the back.
"Major!" Randall shouted, glaring at Amy when he saw her trying to follow Khan. Her apparent allegiance could put her life at risk, and the team couldn't afford to lose both scouts.
Amy froze on her feet. Her expression conveyed her internal conflict, but her mind had already provided an answer. The mission came first, so she had to treasure her safety during Khan's reckless move.
As for Zu-Gru, he completely ignored any glance in his direction. He hurried to Khan's side as soon as he noticed his disappearance, and the slight tremors that spread under his feet made him wear a battle stance.
'It was about time someone tried something,' Khan thought while another call reached his ears. Randall was trying to get his attention, but he couldn't be bothered to address him yet.
The quadrant's tribes didn't stay still during the past month. The other groups of Scalqa had scouted the landing and surrounding areas while Khan and Amy deepened their relationship with the Bone Tribe. The team knew it was being watched and had opted to remain passive.
However, a reaction was long overdue. The envoy was a foreign element that could shift the balance of power in the area. The other tribes couldn't remain still and allow the Bone Tribe to amass strength peacefully, but a direct assault was too dangerous.
Of course, the Scalqa couldn't understand the turrets' prowess, so they saw the human envoy as the weak link and the first target of a potential attack. The shuttle's departure had also spooked them, forcing their hand enough to draw them out.
'Is it a settled or nomadic tribe?' Khan wondered as the alien auras drew close. He couldn't understand much from the symphony, but the attackers' numbers pointed toward the former.
'Should I draw blood this time?' Khan eventually considered. The situation on Baoway was bound to change rapidly once the communication channel went online, and reinforcing his position would be smart.
Khan owed Monica more than love. Her knowledge and shrewdness had sharpened his mind politically. Khan could now understand, review, and learn how to exploit and handle the multiple layers of complicated matters, and his strength was often a perfect card to play.
The team had learned much about the tribes' customs and traditions in the past period, enough for Khan to understand how to benefit from certain actions. He would prefer to be a peaceful diplomat, but showing the Scalqa the monster could bring greater advantages.
"Khan!" Randall shouted again.
"I'll handle this," Khan eventually responded. "You can keep the turrets ready if you wish."
Randall felt the urge to scream. Khan's selfishness was putting the ship and the entire mission in danger. More importantly, it was forcing Randall into an impossible choice.
Deactivating the turrets would leave the ship defenseless, but shooting on sight would risk hitting Khan. The middle ground was also dangerous since waiting to fire could let a few Scalqa cross the perimeter.
Zu-Gru's presence on the frontline intensified Randall's hesitation. Firing might ruin many of the achievements obtained in the last period. In a single move, the team might lose their source of expanding vocabulary and the main connection to the Bone Tribe.
Khan didn't move but paid attention to the area behind him. The turrets were the team's best bet at taking him out, and he was literally showing his back to them. He almost expected the rifles to point at his neck. Still, to his surprise, the long barrels returned to their original position.
'Am I really going crazy?' Khan cursed, but the environment didn't let him linger on that question.
Faint silhouettes slowly materialized behind the vast trunks. Scalqa amassed at the forest's edge, spreading to encircle the ship's perimeter. A few spear tips and spinning slings became visible among the crowns' darkness, but no one fired.
The Scalqa stopped moving after arraying themselves into a battle formation. They kept their weapons ready, but the order to attack didn't arrive. Theoretically, their numbers were more than enough to overwhelm the strange machine, but Zu-Gru's presence among the humans created confusion.
'Thirty-,' Khan counted. 'No, forty-two. They didn't directly charge forward, either. Definitely a settled tribe.'
"[I am Ka-Han Tribe]!" Khan shouted at the forest, and Zu-Gru patted his chest in pride.
Silence reigned for a few seconds, but a few heads eventually peeked past the trees. A team of four Scalqa stepped into the open, with one of them wearing bone armor. Still, differently from the Bone Tribe, all those aliens had dark red lines drawn on their faces.
"[Blood Tribe, Ni-Kri]," The Scalqa with bone armor uttered, and the noise of beating chests resounded in the forest.
'Figures,' Khan almost arched his eyebrows at the lack of creativity in the name but held back to handle the encounter. "[Ka-Han Tribe peace]."
Khan's vocabulary was imperfect, but the primitive language worked in his favor, allowing the aliens to understand him anyway. He was requesting peace, but the enemy leader didn't seem to approve.
The alien leader shouted an order, and the entirety of his force stepped forward. The forty-aliens-strong group appeared in the open, almost trying to show their superior position. Yet, the foreigners didn't budge.
Of course, most enemies looked in Zu-Gru's direction. They didn't know the humans or their expressions, so they searched for the expected reactions from their fellow Scalqa.
However, Zu-Gru was even calmer than the human team. His fight with Khan had left such a deep impression on him that the mere numerical advantage meant nothing. In his mind, Khan was simply a superior being.
"[Bone Tribe is enemy]," Ni-Kri eventually replied. "[Ka-Han Tribe is enemy]."
'He is not wrong,' Khan thought. The human team didn't really have allegiances, but Khan couldn't expect the Blood Tribe to understand.
A sigh escaped Khan's mouth. He knew the danger he was putting himself into, but his mind opposed the idea of spilling innocent blood. He would do it if necessary, but the situation had a different path.
"[Kru-gru-xa]," Khan whispered, loosening his sheath and letting it fall to the ground.
Zu-Gru didn't hesitate to echo Khan's words, patting his chest and shouting as loudly as his lungs permitted. Khan had called for a tradition all the tribes knew while stepping forward and unbuttoning his uniform.
Ni-Kri felt confused. He didn't expect that move, but his group was already echoing the customary word, even stomping their feet to honor the tradition. A cloud of dust slowly rose, and his mouth eventually uttered "[Kru-gru-xa]", formally agreeing to the challenge.
The enemy group cheered, and a few Scalqa lowered their weapons to apply themselves to the challenge. Yet, their figures suddenly disappeared, only to be found fainted on the trees behind.
The Scalqa took a while to realize what had happened, but silence slowly arrived as understanding dawned upon their minds. Their companions had been defeated without them noticing anything, and all the blame seemed to fall on the figure that had materialized among them.
Khan was now standing near the trees behind Ni-Kri. His crossed arms enhanced his perfect frame, showing the true nature of his muscles. Still, his glowing eyes captured most of the attention and gave insights into his real power.
Soon, everyone looked at Khan, but he only had eyes for Ni-Kri. The two exchanged a glance before Khan pointed at the alien. He didn't want to fight underlings. As the leader of his tribe, only a fellow leader could do.
Ni-Kri immediately understood Khan's intentions, but his mind didn't work. His brain had frozen before the impossible event. He was a fourth-level warrior as strong as Zu-Gru, but his eyes couldn't follow Khan at all.
