Chapter 130: Lake (1/2)
The travel to [The Pure Trees] happened on the back of the Aduns. The pack of Ugu had already moved the eight recruits' clothes and belongings to the academy the previous night, so everyone could directly hop on their eagles and set off once the Niqols envoy arrived.
Khan didn't recognize the envoy, but the Niqols didn't waste time introducing himself. Khan only made sure to memorize the alien's clothes and the fabric that covered his Aduns since they featured the same glowing azure symbols.
The departure was quick but tense. Captain Erbair, Lieutenant Kintea, Paul, and Felicia made sure to send them off even if it were early in the morning due to the importance of their task.
The previous night, Khan and the others had learnt how complicated the situation truly was from their squad captains. They had been already aware of the benefits that their task could bring to the human species, but it took that briefing to instruct them about matters that would be classified otherwise.
It turned out that the Padlyn's deal wasn't as open as every recruit thought. The agreement had terms and heavy restrictions, especially when it came to the knowledge involving Nitis' layout.
The Niqols weren't willing to reveal the location of [The Pure Trees]. The enrolled recruits would even need to swear magic oaths once they actually entered the academy to make sure that they couldn't spread classified information.
Moreover, the network of the Global Army didn't reach the academy, so the recruits would be completely cut away from the human settlements. They could send messages and communicate with their superiors through specific Niqols assigned to that task, but the aliens would check everything to make sure that the humans didn't learn anything outside of the deal.
The tight restrictions obviously worried the recruits since they put their lives in the hands of an alien species. However, Khan couldn't help but feel slightly relieved when he learnt how hard it was to communicate with the camps. It sounded strange, but he actually had more freedom without his superiors watching his moves.
The main difference between the two species was their approach to discipline. The humans wanted severe and dignified soldiers who believed in the chain of command and were ready to act as pawns if the situation required it. Instead, the Niqols acknowledged and respected eccentric behaviors as long as their soldiers carried the resolve necessary to serve their kind.
The Niqols were also more relaxed when it came to their habits. The recruits had seen how easily the aliens decided to indulge in booze or smoke. Their self-restraint was even quite bad, so their emotions often drove their actions.
Khan couldn't help but look forward to that new environment, and his excitement prevented him from training during the flight on Snow's back. He wanted to memorize the path toward the academy even if the road looked from the surface would feature completely different sceneries.
The phone in his pocket allowed him to keep the passage of time in check. The Global Army had even provided chargers that the Ugu from the previous night had already sent to the academy. Khan didn't have to worry about the battery of his device.
Many hours passed, and Khan couldn't help but notice how the group often performed sharp turns that made them fly over the same regions multiple times. It was clear that the envoy felt worried about possible trackers of pursuers, and that inevitably delayed their arrival to the academy.
Khan had the chance to study a bit more of Nitis' layout during the flight. The environment was generally cold, so snow often appeared in his vision. Yet, he also saw large lakes, rivers, plains, short mountains devoid of ice, and more. He didn't have the chance to set his eyes on a proper sea, but he believed that the planet had one or two of them.
The detail that surprised Khan the most was the complete absence of cities under him. The poor technological advancements of the Niqols didn't justify that scarcity of artificial structures, and Liiza had also mentioned multiple times how her species controlled the whole planet. Khan quickly became certain that the envoy was avoiding the settlements on purpose, and he could only find his caution reasonable.
Five dark figures eventually appeared in the distance. Khan and the others could see a Niqols leading four recruits across the sky and making sure that the two groups met.
The appearance of the second group made the envoy of Khan's group perform a sharp dive toward one of the plains nearby. The second team did the same, and the Aduns soon landed on a relatively barren area that only featured a few short bushes every once in a while.
”We aren't there,” The envoy in Khan's group announced before the recruits could ask anything. ”We only need to perform a preliminary test to understand which courses you have to attend.”
The eight recruits exchanged confused gazes while remaining on their Aduns. The briefing from the previous night didn't mention any test. Still, there didn't seem to be a way out of the situation. The boys and girls there could only accept that they had to go with the flow from now on. Their complaints would have to wait for when they had the chance to return to the camp.
The two Niqols didn't give the recruits the chance to introduce themselves. Khan, George, and Veronica barely knew Gabriela since their different classes had never given them the opportunity to properly bond, even if they lived in the same camp.
The recruits limited themselves to exchange glances for the time being before imitating the Niqols. They jumped off their Aduns and followed the aliens toward a seemingly random spot in that barren plain where the envoys told them to stop.
The two Niqols studied the empty area in front of them and walked in a circle to leave marks on the frail ground. That behavior left the recruits confused, but an azure glow began to come out of the footprints on the terrain once they connected to create a large ring.