The soldiers didn't have it as hard as Khan. They still met their fair share of resistance but no riots or violence. Some were only tasked with patrols even, which prevented them from facing Neuria's citizens in the first place.
Khan noted down everything, heard eventual comments, and gave advice when possible. Slowly, the meeting grew more relaxed and cheerful, but the late hour forced it to an end before it could progress any further.
The outcome was still favorable for Khan. Showing a more active presence in the political team was almost necessary for his goals. He had reservations about leading, but his career needed him to shoulder responsibilities to reach positions of power.
As for getting to know the soldiers, Khan opted for a professional approach. After hearing the problematic comments, a single meeting couldn't be enough, and other issues held Khan back too.
The soldiers in the political team were elites in the Global Army. They almost represented the best humanity had to offer when background and wealth were out of the equation. They were also third-level warriors, which was an excellent achievement for ordinary troops. Still, all of that had come at a price.
Khan was an exception who had benefitted from his tragedies, at least politically. Ordinary soldiers needed far longer to reach similar achievements, making his companions far older than him.
Adele was the youngest of the seven, but Khan was still twelve years below her. The mana had kept her appearance youthful, her fair skin smooth, and her long dark hair bright, but that didn't change the reality of the situation.
'I'll tell Monica about her only when I'm sure she won't kill her,' Khan thought, smirking as he headed back to his flat.
The booze's effects had yet to wane, especially since Khan had kept drinking, but the night was still young, and the morning briefing didn't worry him. He would be up no matter what, so he planned to study some more now that he had found something interesting.
The flat offered the same services as the hall, so Khan settled in a room that tried to resemble an office before connecting his phone. He was on an armchair too big for him, behind an interactive desk capable of releasing holograms, and red runes soon came out of it.
Khan had gone over the topic in the past months but had hastily labeled it as technology. His knowledge in the field was so shallow that attempting to understand its alien version would require years of study, which he didn't have.
However, after getting into contact with the red runes and studying them a bit more, Khan felt intrigued. Those symbols did belong to the technological field, but there was far more to it.
As Amox had explained, each rune carried multiple meanings which could activate various functions. They were like numerous words fused into a single symbol which could produce completely different sentences depending on their iterations.
Of course, the field was far more complicated than that. The runes required specific materials and precise amounts of synthetic mana to represent each word. They also needed constant energy to remain active, effectively marking them as technology.
Still, reading about meaning, purpose, and strands of mana tickled Khan's curiosity. His guts told him he could achieve something similar to the runes with his level of control.
Khan obviously couldn't base that on technology. He would have to invent a version of the Thilku runes founded on mana. Also, he would have to find a purpose for that experiment. Following his curiosity was fine, but his time was limited and prevented him from having useless hobbies.
'Realistically,' Khan thought, moving to the next holograms, 'These runes can do anything I program them to do. The question is, what would I make them do?'
Thinking about the use of a technique that still didn't exist was pointless in many ways. Khan wasn't even sure his idea would succeed, let alone lead to results he could apply. His knowledge of the Thilku runes was also superficial, but he felt the need to consider his options before giving in to his curiosity.
'What now?' Khan cursed. 'I'm intrigued already.'
Khan stared at the holograms a bit longer before removing his phone from the desk. That didn't lock him out of his studies since he had already authorized them. It only allowed him to use his device more freely, and his purpose turned out to be predictable once again.
Sexy lingerie and a captivating expression filled Khan's view, but no lust appeared on his face. The Harbor had gotten him used to having consultants all the time. He couldn't even describe how much Monica had helped him, and being unable to talk with her created a void in his life.
'You'd tell me to sleep after the day I had,' Khan thought, his eyes glued on the screen. 'You'd even bribe me.'
Khan couldn't help but snicker before heaving a deep sigh. He recalled Ambassador Abores' words about setting a high standard with the Thilku. In a way, that already forced him to be better.
'Or maybe my brain is trying to push me toward this,' Khan considered, his eyes leaving the phone to return to the holograms. 'Why am I even pretending to have a choice?'
Khan sighed again, kissing his screen before linking it to the desk again. He ruffled his hair and crossed his legs on the big armchair as his entire focus went on the holograms. Learning those runes could be useful as long as he worked with the Thilku, and that was enough for now.
The night transformed into the morning, which held a mandatory briefing with the team. The Ambassador hosted it and reviewed the previous day's events, using them to congratulate the troops.
The briefing ended there due to the absence of additional orders from Lord Exr. The Thilku needed to deal with the consequences of their last tasks, reorganizing districts, troops, and workers to keep Neuria's construction plan on track. The human team had nothing to do with that, so they remained in their appointed building.
Khan wasn't exactly stuck in the building. He could make an excuse and leave to explore the city, but Ambassador Abores had already scolded him about that. Moreover, he had found a new hobby that kept him more than busy, especially since he paired it with familiarizing himself with his companions.
Days went by in the isolation of the building. Life wasn't bad there. The soldiers had food, drinks, and privacy which kept them entertained. Yet, boredom eventually arrived, even if no one dared to complain.
Ambassador Abores and Khan were the only exceptions. The former was always busy with something connected to the mission or the Harbor. He received calls every hour, sometimes even during mandatory briefings.
As for Khan, he didn't have proper tasks, but finding ways to occupy his days had never been a problem. He couldn't use the [Blood Vortex], and the buildings' training halls weren't chaos resistant, but that didn't stop him from filling his schedule.
Drops of sweat fell from Khan's forehead as he sat cross-legged on the cold metal floor. His bare torso was in a similar state, and his muscles bulged and relaxed from time to time. Even his fingers twitched while grunts and coughs left his mouth.
Khan's eyes were closed, but no darkness filled his view. His mind was immersed in a battle of his creation, and he fought it with every tool at his disposal.
Sweating so profusely wasn't the norm for Khan, but the simulated mental battle allowed him to push his limits without heavy repercussions. He could stay immersed inside his mind for hours as long as his body and mind held strong, which they did.
Nevertheless, a ringing noise eventually resounded inside the hall, forcing Khan's eyes to open. He gasped, and his breath grew ragged due to the abrupt awakening from his mental technique, but his gaze quickly focused on the notification on the wall, calming him down.
The Ambassador had sent someone to summon Khan for a meeting. Still, when he checked the time on the floor, he frowned due to the late hour. It was the middle of the night, which didn't bode well.
Khan jumped on his feet and picked up the upper part of his tracksuit from the floor. He even retrieved his phone before heading toward the entrance, only to realize to have committed a mistake when the door opened.
Adele's eyes widened when Khan appeared before her. He had yet to close the upper part of his tracksuit, leaving his torso exposed, and Adele didn't hesitate to study it. She had already seen him bare-chested, but having him so close and with sweat still running down his skin had a completely different effect.
"Stop this," Khan scolded, closing his tracksuit to cover himself.
"I'm sorry, sir," Adele gasped, lowering her head in shame and wrapping her arms behind her back to perform a military salute.
"I let it go the first time," Khan continued, "But I'll request a replacement if this becomes a problem."
"I understand, sir," Adele promised, keeping her head lowered.
"No, you don't," Khan said, leaning forward to whisper. "I played all sorts of games with all sorts of powers to get where I am. I'm not risking it because you like my abs."
"I'm sorry, sir," Adele repeated, shaking a bit under Khan's serious tone.
Khan inspected Adele from head to toe. Truth be told, he was slightly mad. He was okay with jokes, but his position was still frail in multiple areas, and he had to make his companions understand that.
"I'll write a report at the next misconduct," Khan stated. "Make sure it doesn't happen."
"Yes, sir," Adele exclaimed, lifting her head to show her resolve.
Khan looked at Adele briefly before turning to his left. The elevator was in that direction, and he guessed the meeting would be on the Ambassador's floor.
"Do you know why the Ambassador summoned us?" Khan asked as the two headed toward the elevator.
"I was only told to get you," Adele revealed. "Sir."
"It's fine," Khan said dismissively. "The scolding is over."
"If I may then," Adele announced, accelerating to reach Khan's side. "Miss Solodrey is lucky to have you."
"I'm the lucky one," Khan replied. "That's why I can't mess it up."
"Did you plan your reunion already?" Adele probed.
"You'll read on the network when it happens," Khan cut the probing short.
Adele was disappointed but respected Khan's privacy. She also avoided looking at him during the trip in the elevator, and the same polite behavior remained when the two made their way toward the hall usually employed for the briefings.
The place was big, like every other room in the building, and two rows of interactive desks stood before a larger table, leaving the space between them empty. Ambassador Abores was already there, on the main seat, and the other soldiers had also occupied their assigned spots.
"Sir," Khan and Adele announced as soon as they entered the hall, separating to head to their assigned spots. Khan's desk was right before the Ambassador's larger table, and he reached it to perform a military salute.
"At ease, Captain," Ambassador Abores exclaimed. "Adele."
Khan and Adele took their seat and exchanged nods with the other soldiers before gazing at the Ambassador. The latter began to tinker with his desk, and holograms soon came out between the two rows.
"I apologize for summoning you at such a late hour," Ambassador Abores announced. "I got the okay from the Thilku Lord just one hour ago, and it couldn't wait."
"Good news is welcome at any hour after a week stuck here, sir," Khan commented, gaining the approval of his companions. The rows had sleepy faces but nothing that could disrupt their interest in the meeting.
"Indeed, Captain," Ambassador Abores said, pointing at the holograms. His gestures made many heads turn toward the images, but everyone struggled to understand them.
"This," Ambassador Abores continued, pressing on the desk to alter the holograms, "Is the building we'll visit tomorrow morning. Well, in a few hours. It's out of the city, in a military area."
The holograms transformed into a vast building that resembled a warehouse. It was hard to grasp its actual size without comparisons, and its outsides didn't reveal much anyway.
"What's the matter with this building?" Khan asked, making sure to speak the question everyone had in mind.
"It's a factory," Ambassador Abores explained, "A weapon factory that recently lost a bomb."
Gasps resounded in the hall. The news was incredible. It sounded like the Thilku were opening the real crime scene. However, Khan couldn't share his companions' excitement. He knew too much to be misled by that little info.
'Do the Thilku even build such weapons here?' Khan wondered. 'Aren't they focusing on colonizing the planet?'
Of course, the Thilku's harsh methods could explain their focus on the war industry. Still, doubts remained in Khan's mind. He couldn't believe Lord Exr was ready to cooperate so openly after a mere week on Neuria.
"I'll send the details to your devices," Ambassador Abores declared. "I suggest you memorize them thoroughly before this morning's departure. The meeting is adjourned."
The seven soldiers snapped on their feet, performing military salutes before leaving the hall. Khan remained in his seat, and some glances fell on his figure, but none of his companions dared to question his behavior.
The hall closed after the troops' departure, leaving only Khan and the Ambassador at their respective interactive desks. Ambassador Abores ignored Khan's presence and focused on the reports before him, but a question soon arrived.
"Do you ever sleep, sir?" Khan questioned.
"I could ask you the same question, Captain," Ambassador Abores casually replied without lifting his head from the desk.
"What are the chances this is the factory that produced our bomb?" Khan changed the topic.
"What did I say about thinking?" Ambassador Abores asked.
"I don't know what this inspection can bring," Khan admitted, ignoring the comment. "What do we have to gain from seeing the factory?"
"Probably nothing," Ambassador Abores said, lifting his head to look at Khan. "Unless those senses of yours are as miraculous as everyone says."
A flicker ran through Khan's eyes, but not because of the comment. Something else in Ambassador Abores' words caught his attention, and he mentioned it. "Is this the actual factory?"
"It's very likely," Ambassador Abores sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Lord Exr gave us a significant number of reports that confirm that claim."
"I didn't expect he'd move to serious business so soon," Khan muttered.
"Our specialists didn't just stare at the bomb," Ambassador Abores explained. "We gained enough data to apply some pressure. Everything else was a matter of goodwill from our alien neighbors."
"Is that a compliment?" Khan frowned.
"Yes, your heroic actions helped," Ambassador Abores scoffed. "Now, leave me. We both have work to do."
"Yes, sir," Khan stated, leaving his seat before adding something. "I must warn you. I'm not sure I can find anything. Too long has passed."
"It was a joke, Captain," Ambassador Abores cursed. "I don't expect to find anything."
"I didn't know you could make jokes, sir," Khan gasped.
"Leave before I dishonorably discharge you," Ambassador Abores threatened.
"I'll go get ready for the inspection, sir," Khan exclaimed, heading for the exit.
"Right, Captain," Ambassador Abores called, making Khan stop and turn. "I've seen from your logs that you are spending many nights studying the Thilku symbols."
"It won't get in the way of my duties, sir," Khan promised, "And I can take skipping a few nights of sleep."
"How is it going?" Ambassador Abores questioned. "Can you use that on the field?"
"I just started," Khan shook his head. "I can barely recognize a hundred symbols, and only the easy ones."
"One hundred?" Ambassador Abores asked, partially hiding his surprise. "How many do you plan to learn?"
"Amox said three thousand," Khan revealed, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not sure I can get there during the stay on Neuria."
Ambassador Abores didn't know what to say. Learning that Khan had memorized one hundred runes in a week was surprising. Still, his plans went far beyond that. He actually wanted to master that field during his stay in Neuria.
"Just make sure to take breaks," Ambassador Abores cleared his throat. "I told you already. The Thilku will demand perfection from you. You don't want to fail them due to lack of sleep."
"It will be done, sir," Khan promised. "With your permission, I'll study the reports now."
"Granted," Ambassador Abores exclaimed and watched Khan performing a military salute before leaving the hall. Still, another comment left his mouth after he stared at the closed door for a while. "He is something alright."
