It kept popping into his mind that he had never made a first contact before.

Intelligent life was so startlingly rare in the cosmos, with estimates of their number in the Milky Way ranging between 36 and 250 unique species. Even for diplomats, it was nothing but one lecture among many, as barely any would ever get the chance to engage in it.

But right now, all across Ko, many such events were probably happening at this very moment. With 2600 teams down on the planet, it was just statistically likely. Ko represented a rare time when a huge amount of experience could be gained by many people.

He had met aliens who had never met a human, but they had at least known of humans. They had seen them, knew the basic qualities of his species, and had met other intelligent life.

They were also technological equals. It was impossible to really prevent that; even if one species was far more advanced, no species who made it far enough to have a true civilization was stupid. It only took a few pieces of tech being sold or stolen, and in the eyeblink of a few generations the newcomers would advance by leaps and bounds to reach a near-comparable level of technology.

But the !Xomyi were still at a stone age level of development. Their stone work was very good; comparable to neolithic humans in its complexity and skill, but still just stone.

Kai sat about ten meters behind him, still holding her rifle. She'd taken off her helmet at his order; he did not want the !Xomyi to be alarmed by its mirror finish.

She still had her rifle, though. It could take down any fauna on Ko. Even if the bullet wasn't enough, it was laced with a fast-acting neurtoxin tailored to the life here; that would kill them quickly and hopefully painlessly.

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Their support drone had been uncrated, and it sat now on his shoulder.

Unlike most drones, which were simple utilitarian affairs, this one was made like something organic. Its lines were smooth and flowing, its sensors were hidden behind eye-like plates, and it possessed insect-like beating wings that let it flit around like a dragonfly.

He waited.

The sun went straight overhead, beating down on him. His coolsuit was working hard to keep his body temperature down, but he didn't have the hood on, so his head was getting uncomfortably heated.

There was a plant with very large fronds nearby, and he took one of its leaves. It was harder to break than he expected, but with a knife he managed to saw it off.

Now he had something to keep the sun off his head, at least.

Kai spoke into his ear via radio. "You doing all right, Captain?"

"Yes," he replied. "You can go back to the camp if you want. I just want to be here in case they try to cross."

"Thanks, I'm good," she replied.

The sun moved further in the sky. His system indicated that their camp was fully constructed. Kai still stayed.

He toyed with some rocks on the ground, watched a line of ant-like insects with alarmingly large jaws gather up small pods that might be seeds. Their jaws, he realized, were shaped perfectly to grasp the pods.

Their spy drones told him that the !A!amo were moving this way slowly. They could still reach the bridge before dark. But would they cross if it was late? He did not know.

The sun began to sink lower, and it grew dark rapidly.

"Captain," Kai said. "We need to head back to our camp. I can't guarantee our safety out here after dark."

Two of the !A!amo were moving closer.

"Just a few more minutes - you can head on back."

"Copy," she said, but did not move.

They came within a few dozen meters of the bridge. He strained his eyes, turned on all passive sensors. But he could not see them. He did not think they could see him, either.

But then they turned back.

"All right," he said to Kai. "Let's go back to camp. We'll return at first light."