The march was by no ans fast. The battalion slowly tore through the tal street, advancing in an orderly manner under the artificial lamps' illumination. Their rhythmic stops disturbed the peaceful night, becoming an augury of what the following morning could bring.
Eventually, the battalion arrived at a makeshift camp. The tal street expanded to make room for multiple rectangular structures. Each was closer to a tent than a proper house, but it worked well with the Scalqa's preferences.
The place had a standard military layout, with four vast roads splitting it into four blocks. The central square featured a big warehouse, which the human teams had filled with supplies and other resources that could appease various basic needs.
Khan gave a few orders, and the battalion moved, splitting into different teams to handle various tasks. So retrieved food and drinks, others collected the military equipnt from the Leviathan, while a few patrolled the settlent's periter, ensuring the army's safety. The last task was superfluous, but Khan didn't want to leave anything to chance. That battle- ready behavior also played into the Scalqa's mood. They knew a war awaited them, and feasts would only distract them.
As much as the Scalqa wanted to be in Khan's presence, his orders sent them to their respective quarters as soon as they finished eating. The place had an abundance of tiny houses, so the Scalqa found no problem making themselves at ho. Khan was the only exception since he avoided the habitations altogether.
Resting before a crucial battle would be wise, but Khan was beyond those rules. He waited for all the Scalqa to enter their habitations before sitting past the settlent on the tal road connected to the distant fort.
The shorter distance from the fort allowed Khan to spot new details. He could clearly see that rectangular structure rising from the ground on the horizon. Its tall tal walls towered over the barren ground around it, and the many bright spots hid behind them.
The bright spots marked containers of synthetic mana, which the fort would use for its defensive asures. Khan could easily imagine rows of turrets waiting for his battalion, ready to rain fire on the Scalqa. That military equipnt was part of the conditions Khan had agreed upon, and his side didn't benefit from similar advantages.
Attacking such a fort would typically require reinforced siege equipnt or militarized ships. Flying was also uncommon, so the Scalqa would need protected ladders and similar machinery to climb those steep tal walls.
However, the alien battalion had nothing of the sort. Clearance for that military equipnt would have required negotiations, and Khan didn't engage in any of those. He accepted the initial terms, making things as harsh as possible for himself and the Scalqa.
That didn't an the Scalqa were naked. They had rifles, riot shields to survive mana bullets, and armor. The latter had been retrofitted for the Scalqa's size, leaving their heads and limbs exposed, which was better than nothing. Khan's organization didn't have the ti to develop and build sothing suitable for those giant aliens, so they had to settle for what Baoway's armory held.
On paper, the alien battalion had no chance to take the fort. The shields and armor could save the Scalqa from the rain of bullets, but they would be unable to climb the tal walls. As long as that tall barrier existed, the Scalqa would be sitting ducks, but that was Khan's problem to solve.
Khan's decision to sit in the open didn't only have to do with his mood. Details only he could see filled his vision and updated him on features even the best scanners would fail to notice. His energy also moved, affecting the air in ways only he could understand.
Hours flew by while Khan stared in the distance. His eyes and the camp's artificial illumination disrupted Gadus R's starry sky, but its radiance remained visible. The srizing spectacle could attract anyone's attention, but Khan kept looking at the distant fort, solely focused on the imminent battle.
The night's peace continued undisturbed until a buzzing noise ruined it. Khan diverted his gaze for the first ti, curious about who had the authority and clearance to call him in such a peculiar situation. He thought about Raymond, but his phone's screen showed a different
na.
"Your treachery knows no bounds," A male stern voice resounded from the phone. "You dared to wage war on your own species."
"Brigadier General adrey," Khan responded. "Are you getting cold feet about tomorrow?" The caller was none other than the Brigadier General who had ordered the attack on Khan's ship. The two had to fight tomorrow, so the Global Army had long since established communication channels between them.
"Even at this point," Brigadier General adrey, "You show no regret for your betrayal."
"Such haughty words for a re pawn," Khan scoffed. "Don't worry. I'll send my regards to Raymond Cobsend after I'm done with you."
"Unlike you, Major," Brigadier General adrey said, "I know my role inside the Global Army, and I'm glad I have the power to enforce it."
"Destroying my ship and killing my crew," Khan mocked. "What a great way of using your authority."
"Those lives served their purpose," Brigadier General adrey declared. "Those soldiers should feel honored to die for humankind's safety."
"They served no purpose other than stirring my anger," Khan corrected. "Now, the Global Army will pay for it."
"A small price for exposing your treason," Brigadier General adrey uttered. "One I'm willing to pay to reveal your true nature to the world."
"And what would that be?" Khan asked.
"Your façade," Brigadier General adrey explained. "You mask yourself as a human, Major, but you don't belong among us. You are no Global Army's best son. You are a creature that brings destruction wherever it goes."
"So what?" Khan wondered. "Your grand plan is to show my colors to the Global Army? You could have just asked."
"Jokes on the eve of such a tragic event," Brigadier General adrey sighed. "Your lack of empathy is disturbing. Many humans will lose their lives because you keep rebelling against your birthplace."
"No," Khan responded. "Five hundred and one humans will lose their lives because they dared to attack ."
"They'll gladly lose it," Brigadier General adrey declared. "They'll gladly die to save humankind from you."
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