Studying stole a good chunk of Khan's free time. The lack of political events or missions with the Thilku team helped, but Khan still had to juggle multiple tasks, inevitably leaving some aside to make room for the most pressing ones.
Ambassador Abores' notes had priority, and Khan continued his studies of the Thilku runes too. He couldn't neglect training either, so his team got the short end of the stick. Khan still ate with his companions when possible, but his initial plan of deepening his relationship with them vanished due to the recent developments.
That trend continued for two weeks, during which Khan and the Ambassador had little to no interactions. They understood how busy they were, so they didn't bother each other more than necessary. Still, something changed in the morning after the weekend.
A message reached Khan's training hall and made him interrupt the simulated mental battle. He jumped on his feet and recovered his clothes before hurrying toward his room.
A shower went by, and Khan barely took the time to dry his hair before hurrying outside. One trip to the elevator brought him in front of the Ambassador's office, which opened as soon as he notified it of his presence.
"Sir!" Khan exclaimed before taking a step back. The Ambassador wasn't behind his desk. He had already reached the entrance, and his impeccable appearance revealed his intentions.
"We are going out, Captain," Ambassador Abores revealed at the sight of Khan's military salute. "I hope you aren't planning to accompany me like this."
Khan didn't need to look at himself to understand what the Ambassador meant. His military uniform was full of greases, and his slightly wet hair was a mess. That wasn't an acceptable appearance.
"I'll be ready in ten, sir," Khan promised.
"I'll be on the first floor," Ambassador Abores stated. "Don't make me wait."
Ambassador Abores didn't wait for Khan's reply and departed toward an elevator. Still, Khan ran past him and occupied the first empty lift to complete his task.
Luckily for Khan, he had prepared for a similar occasion, and Monica had also carved a basic aesthetic routine into his brain. He had a pair of clean and ironed uniforms ready for important events, and his hair was still short enough to require little attention.
After exactly nine minutes, Khan arrived on the first floor's main hall and spotted the Ambassador waiting beside its entrance. The man didn't bother to sit, and noticing Khan's new look made him nod before heading outside.
Khan hurried to the Ambassador's side to ask questions, but leaving the building put him before a surprising sight. The metal sidewalk was big enough to act as a landing area, and a circular ship had used it for that precise purpose.
A trace of hesitation tried to appear inside Khan. The Thilku had been careful not to show their technology during the stay on Neuria, but that morning seemed to be an exception.
Ambassador Abores didn't stop, and his advance forced Khan to ignore his hesitation. The two directly headed for the vehicle, reaching it in a few seconds. Their gazes also remained straight and never wavered, but that didn't prevent Khan from inspecting his surroundings.
The Thilku ship had a circular shape. It resembled a disk that grew thicker toward its middle areas. A long, dark window stood on its upper side, touching a gap that stretched from its center to the vehicle's edges, creating a space in that otherwise perfectly round figure.
Neuria's eternal night tried to hide some details, but the street lamps in the area solved that issue. Still, Khan couldn't spot anything special or unusual during the short walk. The ship's surface was rough and dark, showing red runes every few meters, and that was it.
A ramp stretched from the ship's gap and touched the floor, allowing Khan and the Ambassador to step on it. A passage under the long window opened when the two reached it, showing a metal staircase that led deeper into the vehicle.
A Thilku donning the iconic red cape stood on the top of the staircase and wore a traditional bow at the pair's arrival. Ambassador Abores and Khan didn't hesitate to perform the same greeting, eventually following the alien deeper into the ship.
The staircase led to a big, circular room. Consoles and screens filled its edge, leaving room for four doors on opposite sides of the area.
Thilku sat behind each console, and Khan tried to peek at the technology, only to immediately give up on the matter. Those machines had a single, intricate red rune as their control desk, and Khan couldn't read any of them.
The screens were different since they mostly featured cameras and scanners pointed at the outside world, but the arrival of a heavy glare forced Khan's inspection to an end. The Ambassador only needed his eyes to warn him, and Khan obeyed that silent message.
The Thilku led Khan and Ambassador Abores into one of the four doors, which turned out to be a spacious passenger area. The seats were too big for humans, but Khan and the Ambassador still expressed gratitude when the alien left them alone.
The urge to ask questions surged inside Khan as soon as the two sat, but Ambassador Abores shook his head as soon as their eyes met. He could understand Khan's curiosity but only had silent answers for him.
Ambassador Abores briefly inspected the passengers' area before glaring at Khan again. He was warning him about the possible presence of scanners and bugs, so no words flew between the two as the ship set off.
The lack of explanations tried to keep Khan in the dark, but developing a few sound hypotheses wasn't hard. The presence of a Thilku ship, the attention to appearances, and the silent welcome pointed toward a precise direction. There was a high chance the two were about to meet Lord Exr.
Khan didn't feel worried. He had spent the past two weeks immersed in Ambassador Abores' notes and had even developed his own strategy. Most of it relied on his superior's information, but he had a completely original edge he might be able to exploit.
Time flowed slowly in the silence of the passengers' area, but Khan didn't mind it. He used that time to sort out his thoughts and review his knowledge, allowing him to have a far firmer mindset by the time the ship landed.
The same Thilku from before picked up Khan and Ambassador Abores and led them to the metal staircase. The exit opened to show the ramp, and a different floor expanded in their vision. The rain had also begun to fall, but an umbrella didn't hesitate to arrive.
The Thilku kept the big umbrella above Khan and Ambassador Abores while they left the ship. The two found themselves at the top of a large building in the middle of the city, and the big gazebo at the center of that open space immediately attracted their attention.
The alien under the gazebo was even more interesting. Lord Exr was sitting alone at a big, circular table with only two more seats. No soldiers or waiters stood around him, but food and drinks had already arrived. Everything was ready for a political meeting.
The Thilku with the umbrella accompanied Khan and the Ambassador under the gazebo before hurrying back to the ship. The vehicle didn't leave, but the human side couldn't worry about it. Khan and the Ambassador were too focused on greeting Lord Exr to mind those details.
"Sit with me, human friends," Lord Exr announced, slowly waving his hands toward the empty seats. "We have much to discuss."
"[Thank you for having us, my Lord]," Khan and Ambassador Abores exclaimed almost simultaneously before sitting at the circular table.
"Eat and drink with me," Lord Exr suggested. "The Thilku take pride in their hospitality."
Ambassador Abores went for a plate, resorting to slow and controlled movements. Instead, Khan was far rougher, almost conveying his eagerness for food and drinks.
Of course, that roughness never reached impolite levels. Khan had still received proper training for those occasions. He was simply less controlled than his superior, and Lord Exr smiled at that sight.
"I was worried you might have seen my offer as an insult," Lord Exr continued, eyeing Ambassador Abores. "I'm glad to see that Captain Khan showed loyalty."
"Captain Khan never misses the chance to make the Global Army proud," Ambassador Abores praised. "He is a prodigy in many fields."
"I've seen that," Lord Exr commented, looking at Khan. "I would have never considered him as a replacement otherwise."
"You flatter me, Lord Exr," Khan voiced, respectfully lowering his head. "I just follow orders and do my best."
"To move to," Lord Exr continued, taking a second to recall the words he wanted to say, "The matter at hand, I think it was. I agree to make this exchange without involving the Global Army."
Khan hid his surprise while Lord Exr looked at the Ambassador. The two had already discussed the deal, and it seemed that Ambassador Abores had requested to keep it silent.
'No wonder he is the Ambassador,' Khan cursed.
Lord Exr had given Khan a vital role in the deal, but Ambassador Abores had turned the tables with his request. Without the involvement of superiors from the Global Army, the Ambassador would be the only one able to vouch for Khan's actions. He needed him to add value to his profile.
That development had taken Khan by surprise, but he remained calm. He would still try to get his recommendation letter before actually replacing the Ambassador. He needed that to create a political shield around him.
"Thank you for your understanding," Ambassador Abores exclaimed. "This kind of paperwork takes a long time to explain and complete. It's faster to keep these deals on Neuria."
That blatant lie didn't go unnoticed, but neither of the involved parties called it out. Lord Exr was happy with that development, so Khan had to agree.
"My Lord will visit Neuria soon," Lord Exr explained. "Everything around his arrival is classified, so I can't give you more details. You'd have to trust my word on this."
"I do already, Lord Exr," Ambassador Abores stated. "I wouldn't insult you like this."
"I'm glad," Lord Exr replied. "I'm still sorry for my request. My whims are coming out now that I hold some power."
"Don't even mention it," Ambassador Abores responded. "I'm honored I could help."
"Well then," Lord Exr announced, looking at Khan. "Captain Khan, the rest of our cooperation is on you now. Do you have suggestions already?"
"I do," Khan declared. "I wonder if Lord Exr wants to hear them now."
"Please, speak freely," Lord Exr uttered. "As I said, honesty is all I ask from you."
"Then, I'll be honest," Khan said. "The Global Army needs access to the shipments connected to the factory to look for any irregularity."
"I can't give you that," Lord Exr promptly refused. "The Global Army would learn information the Empire isn't willing to share."
"We are willing to leave that task to the Empire," Khan offered, "As long as the human team joins eventual inspections on the station found guilty."
"The Empire will do what the Empire wants," Lord Exr said, using a firmer tone.
"It wasn't my intention to offend you or the Empire," Khan stated. "However, we both want to put this incident behind us. I see no point in postponing an inevitable inspection."
"The factory being on Neuria doesn't necessarily involve one of the stations," Lord Exr exclaimed. "There are still a few illegal routes due to the incomplete colonization."
"I trust the Empire's security," Khan declared. "I'm sure a trail exists somewhere."
Lord Exr's smile broadened, but no words came out. Refusing Khan's statement would insult the Empire, which Lord Exr couldn't do. He had basically cornered him.
"Finding a trail takes time, Captain Khan," Lord Exr announced, reaching for a big worm in one of the plates. "These criminals must have been exceptional to go unnoticed until now. I'm not sure we can handle this quickly."
"With all due respect, Lord Exr," Khan responded. "We can find all the shipments involved with the bomb's materials with your support. Yet, inspecting the production plants would take months, and we'd still be going in the wrong direction."
"Are you telling me the Global Army would be satisfied with isolating the last phase of the criminal organization?" Lord Exr questioned.
"We wouldn't dare to request more from the Empire," Khan explained. "We are here only to find potential connections with our criminals, not learn about your internal arrangements."
Ambassador Abores' mana confirmed that Khan was filling his role perfectly, but that wasn't a surprise. None of those lines had come from Khan's brain. He was merely repeating what he had studied on the notes.
"I will see what I can do," Lord Exr promised. "If we can isolate one station, I'll notify the human team and order a joint investigation."
"Thank you, Lord Exr," Khan exclaimed.
"I hope you'll join me while our soldiers deal with it," Lord Exr immediately continued. "I'm quite curious about you, Captain Khan."
"On that topic," Khan voiced. "I'd like to be part of the investigation. I need to lead my team."
Khan had already predicted a similar outcome, so his plan didn't falter. He hoped a simple request would be enough, but Lord Exr kept going.
"That won't do, Captain Khan," Lord Exr refused. "We must entertain each other while our soldiers handle the job. That's how things work."
Ambassador Abores' mana told Khan how unwise refusing Lord Exr was, but leaving the human team on its own wouldn't do. Khan needed to be on the field to get that mission over with.
"Lord Exr, I'm a soldier," Khan stated. "I wish to perform my duties."
"Leadership involves responsibilities," Lord Exr commented. "I'd also like to be a soldier, but my duty comes first."
"Lord Exr," Khan called, but his phrase was cut short.
"Captain Khan," Lord Exr interrupted, "I'm starting to think you don't enjoy my company. Did I get the wrong idea about you?"
Ambassador Abores' mana began to radiate anger. He wanted that opportunity to meet Lord Exr's superior, and Khan was squandering it. However, Khan's wasn't done just yet.
"It's not about you," Khan sighed, lowering his head and reaching for the cup near him. "While this admission is unprofessional, I must convey it to avoid misunderstandings."
"What is it, Captain Khan?" Lord Exr asked, feeling intrigued. "I told you. You can be honest."
"My Lord," Khan cleared his throat, sipping from his cup. "The investigation is personal for me. I can't tackle it as a simple soldier."
"I know you found the bomb," Lord Exr stated. "I understand your feelings, but orders are orders."
"It's not that," Khan said, his mana altering the general vibe under the gazebo to convey chilling anger. "My girlfriend was there with me. I can't remain on the sidelines when she almost died."
Ambassador Abores feigned ignorance, but his brain grew messy. Lord Exr didn't know how important Monica Solodrey was, but Khan wasn't trying to use her position. He was speaking as a simple soldier who had risked losing his partner.
"[Ah]!" Lord Exr snorted, spitting on the floor to express his disgust. "I see. No need to add anything else, Captain Khan. I won't get in the way of your revenge after you protected my citizens."
