Shouts and peculiar roars resounded through the plain as the various Lieutenants handled their groups. Khan saw other Kred wearing the dark-blue uniforms of the Global Army among them. He managed to identify a horse-like and a lion-like alien before Lieutenant Sehlolo forced his teammates to focus and walk toward one of the platforms.
A group of recruits was already there, but Khan didn't recognize any of those faces. They seem to belong to a different training camp, and a tinge of curiosity inevitably appeared in his mind.
Khan had never been past Ylaco on Earth, and he didn't even remember much of the city's insides. His planet was a mystery, and his curiosity eventually tried to make him speak with the other recruits.
However, Martha promptly pulled his sleeve and gestured to bend toward her.
"They might be our opponents in the missions," Martha whispered. "Don't try to make new friends now."
"We have become very touchy since our conversation," Khan teased her, completely ignoring her previous statement. "I must say that I like it."
"Shut up and focus on the missions," Martha snorted, but a smile appeared on her face even if she wanted to show an annoyed expression.
"Someone also likes it," Khan commented while straightening his back and glancing at Lieutenant Sehlolo.
"You said it, not me," Martha promptly replied before following his gaze.
Lieutenant Sehlolo had climbed on the platform to meet the two soldiers in charge of the other groups. The three exchanged words that Khan and Martha didn't manage to hear, but they didn't fail to notice that the trio often glanced toward the sky.
"Do they really expect us to do the missions in this condition," Luke asked while looking in the same direction. "Most of us can barely stand, and we are the special class. I bet the other recruits are far worse off."
"They must have a reason for this gathering," Bruce joined the conversation. "These platforms seem landing spots. They might want to transfer us somewhere before starting the missions."
"Are we going to fly?" Khan asked as his eyes lit up.
"Didn't you fly before?" Martha asked. "We flew together when Lieutenant Unchai brought us to the training camp."
"A mere platform and an old truck don't count," Khan complained. "I want to see a proper spaceship in action."
"I don't think they'll deploy actual spaceships for the missions," Luke explained. "Those things run on synthetic mana. You can't expect them to waste it like this."
"My Credits are on helicopters," Bruce added. "Nothing is cheaper than them."
"Nothing is older than them," Martha scoffed. "I believe they'll send small troop carriers. They should be perfect for this environment."
The four friends eventually fell silent since they could only wait to see the answer to their doubts. Clouds covered the sun as the minutes passed, and a thin rain even started to fall at some point.
The Lieutenants did nothing to shield the recruits from the rain. The semestral missions had already started, and enduring the harsh conditions of the environment was one of the requirements. Moreover, it was hard for bodies empowered by mana to catch a cold or a similar illness.
The minutes slowly transformed into an hour, but nothing happened. Other groups of recruits had entered the plain during that time, but their Lieutenants had only divided them across the various platforms.
"I think it's time to give a few instructions," Lieutenant Sehlolo suddenly announced once another group entered the plain. "We will divide all of you and create mixed groups. You'll end up with recruits from other training camps. Working together is the key to get through the first mission."
A wave of surprise filled Khan's group. They didn't expect the mission to force them to work with unfamiliar recruits, especially when they came from other training camps. They had initially thought that the tasks would be a competition between cities due to Lieutenant Unchai's words, but they seemed to be deceiving.
"The performance of the group won't affect your individual score," Lieutenant Sehlolo continued. "You might gain access to the second mission even if your team fails to complete the first. The Global Army has already activated a scanner in your phone to keep track of your actions, so don't worry about unfair treatments."
Khan immediately picked his phone and noticed that most of its functions had gone dark. It only marked the hour and depicted a vague map now.
The other Lieutenants on all the platforms were explaining the same things to their respective recruits. Khan guessed that the first mission was about to start, and the appearance of large vehicles in the sky confirmed his hypothesis.
Khan opened his mouth in surprise when he saw dark-gray planes descending toward the platforms. Those vehicles had two wings and a large cockpit. Their tail was short and thick, and engines that released an azure light stood right at the center of the whole structure.
The engines had the shape of circular gears that contained levitating azure spheres. They only needed to turn to change the direction of the released energy.
The carriers slowly descended toward the platform and turned their engines off. Their tall doors opened and showed their ample insides. They could contain up to eight grown-up soldiers in their central section.
"I'll form groups of four now," Lieutenant Sehlolo announced. "Make sure to memorize the name I'm calling. They will be your teammates and your first opponents. We plan to eliminate half of you as soon as you land."
Another wave of surprised gasps spread through the recruits, and a notification appeared on everyone's phone. The details of the first mission became a menu on the devices.
The first mission was relatively straightforward. Each troop carrier would bring two teams to an isolated location and force them to fight. The winning group would then have to return to the plain with nothing more than their vague map.
"The Global Army has already freed a few Tainted animals in this area," Lieutenant Sehlolo continued. "They can't infect anyone, and they will have reduced offensive abilities, but they can still kill you. This isn't training anymore. You are on the battlefield now."
Lieutenant Sehlolo then started listing names. Groups of four formed and walked toward their assigned carried before the soldier moved to the next team.
Khan eventually heard his name and walked toward the stairs while whispering a faint "good luck" to Martha. The girl did the same, and the two exchanged a quick smile before focusing on the mission again.
Three unfamiliar recruits gathered around Khan before Lieutenant Sehlolo sent them to the carrier. The four spots next to them remained empty since the Lieutenant had yet to call their opponents.
"I bet we didn't hear our names due to this annoying rain," One of the girls in Khan's group announced while wearing a smile. "Memorizing them now is also pointless since we might never see each other after these missions. Why don't we name ourselves after our cities?"
"Good idea," The boy next to Khan announced. "I'm Flurris."
"Ylaco," Khan promptly added.
"Etherdale," The second girl exclaimed.
"Perfect," The first girl said as her smile broadened. "I'll be Reebfell then. Nice to meet you all."
The rain intensified during the wait, but a second group of recruits eventually arrived in Khan's carrier and occupied the seats next to his team.
The tension inside the carrier immediately intensified as the two groups inspected each other. They would fight as soon they landed, and the losers would fail to join the second mission if they didn't show anything worthy of consideration.
The other group didn't speak. Khan felt lucky that his team had the chance to say something before that inevitable awkward silence. Still, now he couldn't wait for the mission to start.
Martha eventually climbed on the platform and moved toward one of the carriers. Khan didn't manage to make their gazes meet under that heavy rain, but he still followed her with his eyes. His other companions soon did the same and took place on different carriers, and some of them had to walk toward other platforms even.
Each platform could only contain three carriers, which took care of twenty-four recruits. Many kids had to move toward other platforms or wait for vehicles to rise in the air and leave their spots open.
The carriers on Khan's platform ended up going into the sky to leave their spot to other vehicles. They didn't fly toward the beginning of the mission yet since it would be unfair toward the other recruits. They simply hoovered in the sky and waited for all the kids to take their place.
Khan kept track of Martha's vehicle. He wondered if he could meet her team in Istrone's harsh environment, but he knew that those were delusions.
His mind had to be on the mission, but he couldn't stop thinking about his return to Earth. He could actually gain a girlfriend if everything went well.
The other troop carriers soon flew in the air and floated in a circle above the edges of the plain. Everything was ready for the beginning of the mission. The pilots were only waiting for a signal from the Lieutenants.
Then, one of the Lieutenants shot a flare at the center of that airborne circle, and the various vehicles departed in different directions.
Khan and the others peeked from the windows to memorize the layout of the thick vegetation under them. They wanted to obtain an advantage in the second part of the mission, but everything seemed the same from the sky. Also, the rain covered most details so, they didn't manage to understand much.
However, many red lights suddenly lit up among the thick trees. Scarlet trails and smoke also came out of those spots. It seemed that someone had launched other flares, but their trajectory seemed off.
"Brace yourselves!" One of the pilots shouted through the communicator inside the carrier before a firework of red light filled Khan's vision.
He saw multiple explosions happening in the distance, and one of them seemed to come from the direction of Martha's carrier. Still, Khan didn't manage to think about much since an explosion eventually resounded under his vehicle and made the pilot lose control.
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