Two more weeks passed since the drinking session, and the team repeated the event on multiple occasions, especially when the mission allowed it.
As for the mission, nothing really changed. The relationships with the Bone Tribe were gradually improving. Khan kept training inside the rectangular tent, and the ship amassed information about the planet and the Scalqa.
Zu-Gru's presence allowed deeper studies of the Scalqa without requiring guinea pigs and similar practices. Those aliens' anatomy grew clearer by the day, and Randall always conveyed that information to the shuttle in orbit. Still, no connection was established yet. It seemed the initial estimate had been too optimistic.
Khan didn't mind that outcome but also looked forward to a change of pace. He didn't only want to deal with the hidden threats as soon as possible. The days on Baoway were growing dull, and no number of drinking sessions could fix that.
The issue mostly was on the Scalqa's primitive sides. They had vaguely interesting traditions, and Khan could even respect a few. Yet, he couldn't properly bond with the aliens. He actually felt more alien than them.
The training sessions were a silver lining, but the remaining hours felt boring and aimless. He didn't expect a job on the field to give birth to such emotions, but his heart had a mind of its own. Baoway was slightly disappointing, killing Khan's curiosity and overall interest in the mission.
That mood had led to new habits meant to kill time while advancing the mission. Khan was in the middle of one of those right now, but the spectacle wasn't entertaining enough to distract him from his thoughts.
Baoway's night enveloped the forest in a thick and almost inescapable darkness. The few and rare gaps in the vast crowns allowed light radiated by distant stars to pass, but that did little to improve visibility.
The Scalqa couldn't see very well in the dark, and their reluctance toward using wood prevented them from creating proper torches. They knew fire and used it through a mixture of bones and pelts, but the results were lackluster. Moreover, only the settled tribes had the resources to waste on those methods.
Those hindrances allowed nocturnal animals to reign over the forest at night. Due to the Scalqa's absence, most of the fauna's activity happened in the dark hours. Still, exceptions existed.
The settled tribes dominated the day due to their larger numbers and stabler positions. The nomads had only leftovers to hunt and couldn't even search for them during the same hours. Those Scalqa had to wait for the night to grant them safety from their peers, but the disadvantages were plenty.
Khan was sitting on a tall branch, sipping booze from a bottle while watching one of those events. The darkness of the night didn't hinder his vision, allowing him to see the scene below in great detail.
A group of seven Scalqa wielding wooden spears had encircled an enormous creature. The animal was five meters tall and seven meters long, covered in long dark fur that hid its true features. Its four legs were short compared to its vast and chunky body, making it strong rather than fast.
The monster's dog-like face became visible when it swung its long and lowered neck left and right in an attempt to defend itself. The same happened with its thick tail, but the limb was too short to be dangerous.
Normally, dealing with such a monster wouldn't be a problem, even for a primitive species. The creature was as strong as a third-level warrior, but its low speed and huge size made it an easy target. It was resilient, but taking it down was only a matter of time after encircling it.
However, the creature's dark fur blended perfectly with Baoway's night, making its simple and slow attacks hard to see. The seven Scalqa weren't using torches, so they relied on experience and the monster's guttural cries to keep a safe distance.
The hunting team used simple tactics to deal with the encounter. Whenever the monster attacked, the attacked Scalqa shouted "[Head]" or "[Tail]" to mark its position and stance. That allowed those at the creature's side to advance and poke it with their spears to wear it down.
Of course, those wooden spears couldn't do much against the creature's dense flesh and thick fur. The Scalqa's incredible physical prowess allowed their weapons to pierce the monster's skin, but the wounds were shallow at best.
Still, the aliens didn't have better weapons or fighting methods, so they continued to run circles around the monster, hoping its resilience would eventually give in.
Khan casually inspected the battle, tilting his head whenever the trees got in the way. It would take the Scalqa entire hours to tire out the monster, but they couldn't give up when their survival was at stake. Failing to kill the creature could doom their whole tribe, so they pursued that dangerous endeavor for as long as their stamina permitted.
Almost an hour later, the monster's hide had become a mess of shallow holes that leaked blood onto its long fur. Its cries had also grown weaker, and its attacks scarcer. It seemed ready to fall, but Khan knew exactly how much energy its flesh still contained.
Sadly, the Scalqa lacked Khan's heightened senses. The hunting team played it safe even after the creature's cries grew weaker, but the order for an all-out attack eventually arrived.
The seven Scalqa jumped forward simultaneously, thrusting their spears with as much strength as possible. Some weapons broke due to the assault's sheer might, but every tip pierced the creature deeply.
However, before the Scalqa could cheer or retrieve their weapons to continue the assault, the monster voiced a powerful roar and swung its head and tail in opposite directions.
The attack carried the full power of the creature's muscles, which the Scalqa couldn't hope to match. Four aliens flew in different directions, slamming on the ground and trunks nearby while cracking noises resounded through the night.
Khan couldn't help but feel slightly surprised. The Scalqa were heavy and huge, but the monster had made them fly for several meters with a single move. The sheer force unleashed in the attack was massive, so it came as no surprise that the aliens had ended up with broken bones.
The attack didn't result in casualties, but two Scalqa fainted, and only one of the others could immediately stand up. Meanwhile, the remaining three clung to the monster, slamming punches and kicks in an attempt to take it down.
The Scalqa's attacks hurt but weren't enough to take down the monster. The creature cried while sprinting toward a nearby tree, slamming its left side into it.
The two Scalqa on the left side jumped, but one was too slow, and its leg got caught between the trunk and the monster. Needless to say, his bones shattered, leaving him paralyzed on the ground.
The monster repeated the tactic, charging toward a tree on the opposite side. However, the remaining Scalqa promptly jumped on its back and wrapped his massive arms around its neck.
The choke didn't stop the monster's charge. The creature slammed on the tree, and the Scalqa couldn't endure the violence of the impact. His arms lost grip as he flew away, rolling on the ground while quickly restoring a battle stance.
The two Scalqa who had recovered enough to fight were already near the monster and jumped on it before it could leave the tree. A flurry of simple but powerful attacks landed on the long fur, but the creature endured them all and swung its head, hitting an alien right at the center of his torso.
The remaining alien continued to attack, and another came to his aid, but the monster rotated on itself, hitting the two with its head and tail. A loud cry also escaped its hidden mouth, and it reached the ground to sniff its opponents.
The monster quickly found the closest Scalqa. The alien was lying on the ground, with blood oozing out of his mouth. After withstanding a direct attack, his insides were a mess, and his body struggled to stand up. The Scalqa tried to retreat using his arms, but the creature's heavy steps grew louder.
Soon, the Scalqa spotted a huge black spot above him. The monster had reached him, and the angry roar it released threatened to deafen him. The creature even lifted one of its thick legs to stomp its opponent, but a cracking noise suddenly resounded, bringing silence.
The Scalqa on the ground noticed the huge spot falling sideways and remaining still. His ragged breath became the only detail in his senses, but two blue lights eventually appeared, bringing clarity to his useless vision.
The alien saw a short figure standing near the still monster. That thin creature with bright eyes casually inspected the animal before glancing at him. He appeared bored as he brought a transparent container to his mouth.
"[Eat]," Khan said while taking another sip from the bottle, only to discover it was empty. The finding made him sigh, and his eyes darkened as he strolled away from the area.
The Scalqa on the ground could only follow Khan's figure before complete darkness returned. He couldn't even begin to explain what had happened, but that story was bound to spread throughout his tribe.
