Life in the camp on Istrone was peaceful but temporary. The recruits ended up spending two entire weeks in the various tents while the soldiers rescued and took care of the lost kids before the Global Army decided to start moving some of them.
Captain Godman reappeared on the camp and started managing the departures of the recruits who didn't feature any severe injury. A large spaceship landed in the area burnt by the fire, and the soldiers ended up moving Khan, George, and many others inside it.
The army had found Bruce in those two weeks, but the boy had many open injuries that his body didn't manage to heal due to a dangerous infection. His life wasn't in danger, but he couldn't join the first batch of recruits meant to return on Earth.
The spaceship set off once Captain Godman filled its seats with recruits. The vehicle's insides were vast but cramped due to the many rows of chairs meant to carry soldiers.
That vehicle could hold up to twenty people in its central part, and most of the recruits sitting inside it felt slightly excited when they fastened their seatbelts. Only Khan and a few others didn't let their first trip to space improve their mood.
The spaceship set off a few minutes after the recruits took their place. Khan felt a faint pressure landing on his body and pushing him down, but the sensation vanished quickly. Mechanical noises resounded from outside the vehicle at that point, and its doors eventually opened to reveal a dark-grey environment.
Khan left his seat and peeked out of the spaceship. The scenery had completely changed in a matter of minutes. He had gone from the simple tents and the flourishing vegetation of Istrone to a metal chamber full of glowing wires and beeping sounds.
Captain Godman quickly left the cockpit and walked in front of the central doors. A faint smile appeared on his face when he saw that Khan was already inspecting the outsides of the spaceship, but he didn't say anything until the rest of the recruits stood up.
"Gather up and get in line," Captain Godman eventually ordered. "Follow me closely and don't touch anything. Your families wouldn't be able to repay this beauty even if they sold the entirety of their resources."
"He's exaggerating," Luke whispered while walking next to Khan. "Space stations are old tech unless they have some special weapon. They have become rather obsolete after humans perfected the teleports."
Khan nodded and jumped off the spaceship to follow the Captain walking toward one of the corridors connected to that docking bay. Other vehicles filled the area, and he recognized the troop carriers and the smaller spaceships from before.
His lungs cheered in joy when he breathed inside the space station. Khan immediately recognized Earth's air, and energy filled his body after bathing inside it. Something inside him immediately felt at home.
The other recruits experienced similar sensations when they jumped off the spaceship. Their bodies felt relieved to experience Earth's atmosphere again. Mana made them able to breathe on foreign planets, but it couldn't alter their natural habitat.
"Don't waste time!" Captain Godman shouted from the end of the corridor. "Why would you stop to enjoy this fake air when you are about to get back on Earth?"
The Captain's words forced the recruits to snap back to reality. The fear of disobeying direct orders was intense, but nothing could beat their desire to go back on Earth.
Khan and Luke ended up leading the line of recruits behind Captain Godman. The soldier moved among the intricate array of corridors quickly and without showing any hesitation. He had memorized those paths long ago, and he had no interest in letting the kids inspect the insides of the space station.
A large hall that featured many desks and soldiers eventually unfolded in the group's vision. Khan felt that the area's layout was quite familiar, but it took him a while to connect that scene to the station in the Slums.
"We'll go over an official interrogation now," Captain Godman explained while the soldiers in the hall stood up and activated the holograms on their desks. "You, come with me."
Khan suddenly found Captain Godman pointing at him. He didn't know why he was receiving special attention, but he didn't mind it. That privileged status was a requirement for his goal.
Captain Godman led Khan inside a separate room that contained a table, a few chairs, and a window that showed the outsides of the space station.
Khan couldn't help but lose his focus when he saw the darkness of space expanding from the window. The spectacle was breathtaking, and he instinctively moved closer to that transparent material to inspect every corner of that scene.
A blinding star shone in the distance and almost hid the small white dots that disrupted the darkness of the void. A giant blue planet filled the lower part of the scene and multiple pieces of the space station that Khan didn't recognize occupied its sides.
Istrone was the most captivating part of that scene. Khan almost couldn't believe that he had been on that blue planet just a few minutes ago. The flight with the spaceship didn't make him experience much, but that large window compensated for that.
"You'll grow used to that eventually," Captain Godman announced. "You'll start to see every alien species as a potential threat instead of a chance to marvel at the vastness of the universe. A soldier's life isn't easy."
"I know that, sir," Khan replied while showing a sad smile.
The Captain almost regretted saying those words. Khan had just gone through hell on Istrone, and he had even survived the Second Impact. He had probably experienced more pain than some of the soldiers in the space station.
"Sit," Captain Godman eventually ordered. "I must warn you that the Global Army will record everything you say inside this room, so be careful. Still, don't worry either. Just make sure to tell the truth."
"Of course, sir," Khan promptly answered while taking his seat.
"I can vouch for your version of the story," Captain Godman said while sitting in front of Khan. "You don't need to repeat it since the higher-ups will hear it multiple times from your friends. I'm only interested in what you know about the rebellion."
"In general or about specific details?" Khan asked.
"I'm talking about potential traitors inside the Global Army," Captain Godman exclaimed. "Many former prisoners claim that Lieutenant Sehlolo has been involved with the rebellion. That would make her entire faction a potential threat to the army. I know that you have talked with her alone two times. I want to know if you have learnt something more than rumors spewed by wardens."
Khan pretended to hesitate. He had already made up his mind about that topic, but he wanted the Captain to see a struggle inside him. The time for the partial lies had arrived, and he had to betray Lieutenant Sehlolo's trust without appearing untrustworthy in the soldier's eyes.
"I convinced Lieutenant Sehlolo to talk after defeating the first-level warrior inside the cave with the help of my team," Khan explained, making sure that his feat inside the cave ended up in the tape. "She had clearly been aware of the attack, but she didn't seem to know the actual target of the rebellious factions."
"Continue," The Captain said without showing any emotion.
"I had to find about the disabled sensors and blind zone from her before coming up with the idea of the fire," Khan added. "She even helped us by keeping the Kred at bay while we waited for reinforcements, but I had to promise not to say anything about her involvement to make her cooperate."
"Why are you telling me this now, then?" Captain Godman asked. "Does your word have no value when you give it to an alien?"
"It's not about that, sir," Khan replied while lowering his head and making sure to keep his voice down. "I had to keep my companions safe, and …."
"And?" Captain Godman pressured Khan to continue.
"And they killed my friends, sir," Khan concluded. "I don't hate the Kred in general, but I can't remain silent when questioned about the rebellious factions. The Global Army has to be aware of the potential threat to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again."
"Do you know what's best for the Global Army now?" Captain Godman scoffed.
"I didn't mean that, sir," Khan replied while raising his head to stare at the soldier. "I'm not saying this out of hatred. I only want the army to know that these traitors exist."
"Oh?" Captain Godman said in a surprised tone. "Why would you reveal this then? I didn't offer you anything in exchange, so I can only think that you want us to punish Lieutenant Sehlolo and her faction."
"That won't solve the issue, right?" Khan exclaimed. "I don't know much about the Kred, but I've learnt about their resolve in these weeks. They will never accept their loss, and humans don't have a proper way to discover moles. However, everything might be different if their spies were to double-cross them."
Captain Godman's expression froze before he exploded into a loud laugh and slammed his hand on the table.
"Do you want us to blackmail Lieutenant Sehlolo's faction to gain spies capable of infiltrating the Kred's society?" Captain Godman asked.
"Isn't that the best path, sir?" Khan questioned the soldier. "Unless I'm missing core information again."
"No, you got it figured out this time," Captain Godman announced. "Good thinking. The army was already planning something like that, but it's hard to obtain valuable leverage on the Kred. We have it now."
Khan opened his mouth to speak, but the soldier raised his hand to interrupt him.
"The army won't mention your name," Captain Godman explained. "Putting a target on your back isn't a good reward for your loyalty and service. Be sure to talk with Linda Norwell once you get back in Ylaco. I can understand why you are refusing to join the special training program right away, but that shouldn't prevent you from getting something."
