Khan briefed the Headmistress on what he knew. He mentioned that two criminal organizations had their hands on the failed attack, with Mister Chares being a mere carrier of the actual bomb. Still, after that, the Headmistress let him go to focus on the political repercussions.
The Headmistress wasn't the only one who had to deal with politics. As soon as Khan got in the cab, a call reached his phone and looking at the name on the screen made him heave a helpless sigh.
"Mother-in-law," Khan exclaimed when he answered the call. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Captain, I remember telling you to stop calling me like this," Madam Solodrey snorted. "What happened to your voice? Are you free to speak?"
"Don't tell me you are worried about me, ma'am," Khan laughed. "I truly grew on you."
"Nonsense," Madam Solodrey coldly said. "I mentioned that because of my dear daughter. Is she okay?"
"She didn't suffer any injury," Khan reassured. "She was forced to use her element, but I didn't reveal any specifics during the mandatory briefings. I also made sure to hide her appearance."
"That was commendable," Madam Solodrey stated, "For a mutt."
"I merely followed your instructions, ma'am," Khan responded. "I'll become the perfect son-in-law."
"I wish you stopped bringing that up," Madam Solodrey sighed. "Anyway, I expect an update from my daughter once she is presentable. Usually, it takes her a few days to completely recover."
"Leave this to me, ma'am," Khan declared. "I'll scrub her clean every day to accelerate the process."
"Captain, what do you mean by that?!" Madam Solodrey gasped.
"It seems I have to go," Khan casually voiced. "It's always a pleasure, mother-in-law."
Madam Solodrey didn't get to add anything since Khan closed the call and let the phone fall on the seat to his right. Another sigh escaped his mouth as he kicked a drawer in the passenger's area to reveal a bottle. All the high-end cabs offered that service, and he wouldn't refuse it right now.
Khan's fingers had partially recovered during the flight, so he wielded the bottle and took long sips that tainted his bandages while thoughts assaulted his mind. A lot had happened, and that trip back to the second district gave him a chance to review everything.
Raymond was the most striking detail. That mysterious and knowledgeable man clearly had plans for Khan, and he couldn't decide how to handle him. Khan couldn't ignore him either since he was the only figure in his life who seemed to know about the Nak.
The existence of multiple criminal organizations was another big problem. The Hive was on the terrorist spectrum, while Mister Chares seemed to work as a mediator. Khan didn't forget how the soldier on Lauter called him a mercenary, and that was the best guess he could muster.
Khan's political array had also grown more complicated. Adding Francis and Wayne to his life brought heavy responsibilities requiring constant attention. He even had to report to the Solodrey family for almost everything, further worsening his situation.
The meeting with the Headmistress was only the last of Khan's new problems. The Thilku were humankind's allies. The Global Army needed to protect its relationship with that species without appearing weak, and Khan had somehow gotten involved with it.
'Wait,' Khan considered. 'Don't tell me Raymond planned this.'
Khan's growth was happening. It had never stopped, whether in terms of personal power or political relevance. However, he had yet to clarify his direction, which could be anything due to his many options.
Any family would hire Khan, and the Solodrey family also had priority in that field. Khan had worked for the Harbor to avoid involving himself with that aspect of the political array, but it existed and remained strong.
Still, getting formally close to a family risked locking Khan out of his prospects and delaying his goal of finding the Nak. His best bet was to make his achievements as a student lead into ambassador-related jobs, and the recent mission seemed to have done just that.
'I'm just joining a meeting for now,' Khan thought. 'The final tests come before looking for a job.'
Of course, a meeting with a Thilku team sent for a political investigation was a big deal. Khan needed to prepare accordingly, which was exactly what he did in the week following the meeting. The injuries also shielded him from eventual visits, giving him more time to focus on his studies.
Since everyone was injured, tired, or bedridden, Monica and Khan got the chance to isolate themselves. Andrew was keeping track of Wayne, while George had to deal with Anita, so the couple enjoyed their privacy without forgetting about Khan's imminent duties.
The week went by quickly, and the same went for the three days that followed. Yet, on the morning of the fourth day, Khan found himself before the flat's entrance with a figure clung tightly to his waist and seemingly unwilling to let him go.
"Monica, the cab will arrive in minutes," Khan sighed.
"So, we can spend more minutes together," Monica muttered, rubbing her head on Khan's back while tightening her hug even more.
"You just adjusted my uniform," Khan chuckled, peeking at the mess Monica was making.
"I'll adjust it again," Monica pouted.
"You just did," Khan reminded, "And that was the second time already."
"You would remain messy with just one," Monica pointed out.
"That's true," Khan laughed, tapping on Monica's arms to make her relax.
Monica understood the silent gesture and relaxed the hug without breaking it. Khan turned, and the two faced each other to fall into a deep look.
Khan had mostly healed during the past days. His bandages were gone, but his shoulder was still broken, and the metal brace was there to help it recover. His hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes had yet to regrow completely, but someone had come to the flat to adjust his appearance the previous day.
As for Monica, she had regained her natural glow. Her skin was smooth, her curls shone with softness, and her eyes carried their usual fire. The many days spent alone with Khan had actually intensified that part.
"I don't want our honeymoon to end," Monica whined.
"I hope our actual honeymoon won't have so much study," Khan commented, reaching for Monica's left cheek.
Monica reached for Khan's hand, rubbing it to show her ring. The item had a small crack now due to her eruption, but she still wore it proudly.
"Don't get in any fight," Monica lovingly warned.
"It's a political event," Khan reassured.
"You always manage to get into fights," Monica stated, "And suffer injuries."
"I'll be the embodiment of peace," Khan promised.
"And don't get close to any woman," Monica continued. "Cover your eyes if you see one."
"You should just carve them out at this point," Khan suggested.
"No," Monica shook her head. "I love your eyes."
Khan smirked, sliding his thumb toward Monica's mouth to play with her lower lip and add a genuine "I love you".
"No nasty alien business either," Monica added. "You have a weak spot for them."
"You have seen the Thilku," Khan declared. "They are too tall."
"Jenna was tall," Monica pointed out.
"They are not you," Khan changed tactics, and Monica couldn't help but remain speechless. Still, that peace didn't last long.
"You should have said that they don't have my butt!" Monica cried, pulling Khan's hand to put it on her butt.
"I miss how shy you were about that," Khan chuckled, pulling Monica closer to exchange a goodbye kiss.
"I'll prepare more notes while you are away," Monica whispered once the kiss ended. "Come back soon."
"I will," Khan promised, separating to let Monica adjust his uniform. "I know that my girlfriend needs me."
"And your girlfriend needs you every hour of every day," Monica nodded. "She is showing mercy in sharing you with the rest of the world."
"But not for too long," Khan completed.
"Exactly," Monica claimed, glancing at Khan to check his appearance one last time and nodding in approval. "Go now before I make a mess again."
Khan and Monica kissed again but eventually split. It was early, so he had to wait a few minutes on the sidewalk for his cab, but his trip to the embassy began on time.
The tension of the imminent meeting reached Khan inside the solitude of the cab, but some excitement also showed its face. He couldn't wait to learn more about the Thilku. As Monica said, aliens were his weak spot.
After arriving at the embassy, the cab landed on one of the topmost roofs, and a team of soldiers welcomed Khan. He expected to see a grand hall perfectly decorated and prepared for the occasion when he reached his destination, but the reality turned out to be quite different.
The soldiers led Khan into a simple hall. The place was as big as two living rooms, but no seats or tables occupied it. Menus shone on the walls, but the area lacked any decoration or furniture. Khan had seen training facilities more furnished than that.
However, the people inside the hall confirmed that Khan was in the right place. He saw the Headmistress with four soldiers he didn't recognize, and only one of them was a fourth-level warrior. Everyone else looked stronger.
As for the clothing, everyone but one wore military uniforms. The exception was an old-looking man donning a thick red cape, dark shirt, and pants. That was the Thilku's iconic color, and Khan recognized it.
"I hope I'm not late," Khan announced, his eyes drawn by the red man. His face was wrinkled, and his white hair and short beard had lost any trace of vitality, but his burly figure radiated pure strength.
"You are perfectly on time, Captain," Headmistress Holwen exclaimed, pointing at a spot on her right. "Though I'm afraid the introductions will have to wait. I received word that the Thilku team is already on its way."
Khan didn't complain or add anything. He headed for the spot pointed by the Headmistress, and she gave further instructions in the following seconds. Soon, a formation that put the Headmistress and the caped man under the spotlight took form while Khan and the other three soldiers stood at their sides to create lines.
No one spoke. A tense wait unfolded, and the lack of glances intensified that feeling. Everyone fixed their gazes forward, wearing their most serious expressions to prepare for the meeting.
A menu eventually lit up under the Headmistress' feet, and she tapped on it to open the hall's entrance. A team of soldiers became visible, but the red color behind them soon claimed everyone's attention.
Five big figures walked behind the soldiers. They were all between two and two and a half meters tall, and their tight dark uniforms highlighted their burly shapes. They also wore thick red capes similar to the old man's, but Khan quickly moved to different details.
The aliens had flat noses, big, wrinkled foreheads, and dark-red skin. They merely had holes for ears. Their mouths were oddly big, while their eyes were small. Their rectangular heads also didn't have much hair except for that growing from their napes.
'So,' Khan thought, 'These are the Thilku.'
Khan's eyes fell on the Thilku's hands when the escort team joined the two lines. That species had six fingers with two opposable thumbs. That was their most alien feature except for their dark-red skin.
"[Welcome, friends]," The caped man announced, grabbing the right edge of his mantle and stretching his arm to perform a bow.
"Thank you for having us," The Thilku in the lead exclaimed in an almost-perfect human accent, performing the same gesture which his companions imitated.
Khan had studied that gesture. That bow was part of the Thilku customs, and his senses picked up more than that. The Thilku didn't have striking differences between men and women. Their bodies were almost identical, except for their sexual organs and hair color. Men tended to have white shades, while women had golden ones.
'Three men and two women,' Khan counted as the symphony provided more information. 'Only three are fourth-level warriors. The others are in the third level.'
That was a perfectly decent team, but the force deployed by the Global Army far outclassed it. The Headmistress alone could defeat all the aliens, and the area had three more soldiers as strong as her. A stranger would think the Harbor was trying to show off, but Khan knew that was a form of respect toward the Thilku.
"If you don't mind," The Thilku in the lead continued, "We would like to see the bomb to confirm it has Thilku origins."
"Our specialists already checked it," Headmistress Holwen joined the conversation. "It's Thilku."
"A Thilku bomb would have exploded," The alien claimed, and his big mouth broadened into a smile that showed his long canine tooth.
"Luckily," Headmistress Holwen stated, "A capable team was in the area and defused it. We explained that in our report."
"You did," The Thilku agreed, crossing his burly arms on his chest. "However, it's hard to believe it."
A Thilku behind the speaker, one of the third-level warriors, snorted when he heard those words. His scarlet eyes even peeked at Khan, but he didn't dare to utter anything without explicit approval.
"It seems your subordinate has something to say," Headmistress Holwen commented. "Why don't we hear him?"
The Thilku in charge turned toward the third-level warrior and voiced a hoarse order that sounded like a threat. "[Speak]."
"Blue hair can't defuse bomb," The third-level warrior said with the best human accent he could muster.
"Captain Khan accomplished incredible feats multiple times," Headmistress Holwen declared. "This simply is another one."
"Thilku stronger than human," The third-level warrior continued. "Blue hair can't strong enough for bomb."
Khan understood that political move even before it became complete. The Thilku wanted to challenge Khan's report by undermining his figure. They were technically telling the truth too, so calling them out would hurt their pride.
"Well," Headmistress Holwen uttered, pointing her gaze at Khan. "Captain Khan, do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Many eyes fell on Khan, including those belonging to the Thilku team. Yet, he only looked at the third-level warrior while a plan formed in his mind. The Thilku wanted to label him as weak, so he had to find something that proved the opposite and, ideally, bound him to that field.
"Blue hair can talk?" The third-level warrior asked since Khan had spent a few seconds silent.
Khan cleared his throat and summoned his best accent before speaking. "[You war me. You die]."
