[SunkenCiv]

For ground based comm they would probably be using something like a fiber network; for planet-to-craft, something like Ursula K. Le Guin's ansible.

[justa-hairyape]

Fiber network ? Seriously ? Ancient technology. And no, they are not on the planets surface. No reason to be on land exposed to micro organisms. Those be deep staters playing like aliens. If the alien says, take me to your leader, it is not from off world. Lol.