The order arrived as suddenly as the call and took everyone by surprise. The news spread like wildfire, putting Khan's name in every rumor and story flying through the building. The impossible had happened, and there was no stopping it.
The morning after the call with Lord Exr, Khan left his flat with a bag full of clean clothes and a few cans of food. His sheath was at his side, and his phone was in his pocket. He didn't need anything else to leave.
Two soldiers were waiting outside Khan's flat, but his arrival in the corridor made them lower their heads. They didn't know how to meet his gaze after all the rumors heard during the night, and he didn't care enough about the issue to address it.
Cegnore's long days had changed most soldiers' routines. They usually rested in the morning due to the night shifts or to prepare for them. Still, Khan saw a completely different scenery when he stepped into the corridor, and the symphony told him that the unusual event didn't stop there.
The corridors and halls that Khan crossed while escorted by the two soldiers were full of curious and surprised troops. He even spotted a few white coats along the way, which expressed the importance of the event.
Khan couldn't claim to be surprised. Receiving orders directly from the Thilku was a big deal for that settlement. Still, he marveled at how quickly the news had spread. The call had arrived in the middle of the night, but the entire building was already aware of its contents.
'I guess it can't be helped,' Khan thought, his face showing no emotion. 'The Thilku barely contact this building, let alone ask for someone.'
The order had been quite simple. The Thilku had used their authority over Cegnore to request Khan's presence. The call didn't involve details about the length of that task or anything similar. It simply asked the building to send Khan over, and he accepted.
Murmurs filled any area Khan crossed, but no one got in his way. None of those soldiers or scientists had any authority over that order, but the arrival at the main gate showed someone willing to step slightly outside his role to check that everything was alright.
"Give us a moment," Caspar ordered, leaving the team before the main gate to approach Khan. The two soldiers at Khan's side couldn't refuse Caspar, so they departed to offer the Captains some privacy.
"Captain," Caspar exclaimed, lowering his voice and head as soon as he reached Khan. "We can still appeal to the Harbor. The Thilku can't do this."
Caspar's worry was almost heartwarming. From his perspective, the Thilku were abusing their authority to bring Khan to their trenches. He didn't know the specifics, but the matter was disrespectful and dangerous enough to trigger his anger.
Khan understood Caspar's perspective. The human settlement had it easier but lacked vital information about Cegnore. Sending soldiers into the Thilku trenches would expose them to unknown dangers. That couldn't be legal or in line with the interspecies treaties.
However, Khan probably was the only one who could make that transfer without additional preparations. He didn't need special pills for the infection, and his prowess spoke for itself. He had also already worked with the Thilku. Khan was the perfect figure to send to their trenches.
"It's fine," Khan reassured, using words he had already spoken the previous night when the order arrived. "I want this."
"I beg you to reconsider," Caspar pressed on. "Except for the unknown danger, you'd also be in structures unfit for humans. Their doctors might lack proper medications or a basic understanding of our anatomy."
"This is for the best," Khan shook his head. "Both for my career and Cegnore's situation."
Caspar wanted to argue some more, but hearing about Khan's career forced him to be silent. He couldn't get in the way of the youngest Captain in history, who was also in a relationship with a highly wealthy and influential descendant. His family would disown him if he tried.
"Captain," Caspar said before gulping and sighing in defeat. "Khan, I wish you good luck out there."
"Thank you, Caspar," Khan nodded. "I'll try to come back soon."
"And in one piece," Caspar chuckled.
Khan replied with a smile, and Caspar took it upon himself to accompany him to the gate. After reaching it, the Captain performed a military salute that the soldiers in the area imitated, and Khan ran his gaze over those troops before crossing the smaller entrance.
The gate skipped many safety measures due to Khan's unique condition and opened on the other side. By then, he had gotten used to that procedure, but the planet had more than a brownish plain to offer that morning.
A circular bike stood a few meters past the gate, and a Thilku sat inside it. The alien was donning the traditional red cape, which fell onto the back seat. Still, the vehicle was big enough to fit Khan even with that hindrance.
Khan nodded at the Thilku only to receive an inquisitive glare. The alien didn't hide his suspicion, but the orders had come from above, so he didn't stop Khan from occupying the back seat.
No exchange of words happened as the Thilku set off. The bike made the brittle ground crack, but the plain offered enough room to accelerate beyond reasonable limits.
Khan didn't mind the high speed and focused on clinging to the bike's seat while inspecting his surroundings. Cegnore's surface was desolate and lacked valuable landmarks, but Khan still confirmed that the vehicle was going in the right direction.
The bike ran past the human trench, crossing the boundaries of the Global Army's territory to dive deeper into the planet. More plains stretched in every direction, interrupted by the occasional hills or shallow gorges, but Khan's eyes rarely rested on the scenery. He only looked at the symphony, which hinted at an imminent change.
The world in Khan's vision changed as the bike continued to advance. New, colder colors joined the symphony, and the effects didn't stop at his senses. The surface gained holes, cracks, and other evident marks. That area had probably been flat, but something had destroyed it.
A foul stench eventually reached Khan's nostrils. The smell of blood, sweat, and saliva invaded him, adding details to a scene he had already imagined. A battle had unfolded there, and the reason for that soon became clear.
After a few minutes, a tall and large structure appeared in the distance. A huge rectangular building grew on the horizon and drew close, allowing Khan to notice more details.
The structure was at least five times bigger than the human building, and its smooth surfaces hinted at similarities. However, immense windows that separated each floor soon became visible, and the same went for their insides.
The Thilku couldn't opt for their traditional open spaces and balconies on Cegnore, but those immense windows offered a valuable alternative. Vast insides were also visible from them, but something else soon caught Khan's attention.
The Global Army had placed its building far away from its trench, but the Thilku had gone for the opposite approach. A spacious channel crossed the ground before the Thilku structure and stretched in the distance, reaching areas that Khan couldn't see with his naked eyes.
Multiple vehicles also stood behind the huge trench. Khan counted at least fifty of them from his position, but more probably existed farther away. That channel was too long to ignore checkpoints, and its size hinted at the number of Thilku stationed there.
'They must have an entire battalion here,' Khan realized as his attention moved to the trench.
Surprisingly, the Thilku trench lacked rifles or heavy weapons but was far cleaner and more organized. Metal surfaces covered its bottom and walls, leaving no open spot. That channel couldn't crumble with those reinforcements, and red runes shone across them.
Moreover, tunnels stretched from the trench and headed for the huge building. Khan couldn't see them from his position, but his senses felt the mana flowing through them. The Thilku had underground passages, which probably helped deploy numerous troops.
'And there is another one further ahead,' Khan thought, recalling the map shared by Caspar. 'Probably more.'
Khan was sure the Thilku didn't share the entirety of their intel. The Global Army knew about the two trenches, but Cegnore was bound to have more.
'A thousand?' Khan wondered, trying to calculate the number of Thilku deployed on Cegnore. 'Two? It might be double that if they have more places like this.'
The difference in manpower between humans and Thilku was immense, and for a good reason. Yet, Khan was aware of the Empire's problems. Its domain was too big, so wasting so many troops on Cegnore probably hurt the Thilku deeply.
Khan disregarded his political thoughts and focused on the current situation. The bike soon reached the building, stopping before its huge gate, and the driver pointed his hand at it without adding anything.
That silent order was enough for Khan. He left the bike and waited before the gate, staring at the big rune on that surface. His studies allowed him to understand the defensive purposes of that symbol, but the entrance opened before he could learn all of them.
A rectangular room unfolded in Khan's vision, and he stepped inside to let the decontamination process start. The place wasn't empty. It had a drawer on its right side, and human letters shone with a red color above it.
'Belongings,' Khan read before dropping the bag and sheath on the drawer.
A dense gas invaded the room at that point. The decontamination process tried to make the air hard to breathe for humans, but Khan's lungs had no problem adapting to the new atmosphere.
The drawer closed while Khan waited for the process to end. The gas lingered in the room for a few minutes before getting sucked away. Another entrance then opened, showing an open space full of big figures.
An entire company expanded in Khan's eyes. Almost two hundred Thilku occupied the vast hall that stretched from the entrance. The aliens either sat near the walls or feasted on huge carpets close to those surfaces. Some napped on makeshift beds or sharpened their weapons on strange anvils, but Khan's arrival brought their attention to him.
Tension immediately spread in the hall. All the Thilku in the area stiffened and wore stern faces, interrupting their tasks. No one spoke, but everyone inspected Khan from head to toe.
A whooshing noise resounded in the silent hall, distracting Khan from the staring crowd. He glanced to his right, noticing that a drawer with his belongings had slid out of the gate. The Thilku had yet to move, so Khan retrieved his things while waiting for developments.
The area remained silent even after Khan wore his sheath and backpack. The Thilku didn't exchange any rumors. They remained perfectly still but ready to act if something happened. They didn't like that human presence among them, but kicking Khan out wasn't their decision to make.
Khan didn't dare to advance randomly and without additional authorizations, so he remained before the entrance. He didn't shy away from the cold glares coming in his direction. Actually, he tried to answer all of them with confidence and calm.
The confidence shown by Khan turned into mocking behavior inside the glares. Some Thilku believed that Khan was underestimating them, which hurt their pride and gave birth to anger. A few aliens began to move, threatening to stand up, but a new whooshing noise interrupted that trend.
A big door on the other side of the hall opened, revealing a vast corridor and Vaasa at its center. She briefly inspected the area before finding Khan and calling him. "[Captain Khan, this way]."
Vaasa had to shout to make sure her words reached Khan, and he nodded at her before advancing. The company had left the central areas of the hall empty, so crossing them wasn't a problem. Khan only had to ignore the glares piercing his figure, but his fame had made him used to them.
Khan walked quickly but firmly. He didn't want to appear scared by that atmosphere. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't waste Vaasa's time.
Vaasa turned as soon as Khan reached her and dived deeper into the corridor. The place had multiple doors at its sides with big runes locking every entrance. Khan did his best not to appear interested in them, but each symbol that crossed his view transformed into meanings inside his brain.
The Thilku didn't appear interested in Khan's curiosity and focused on reaching the end of the corridor. At that point, she approached a door to her right before moving her fingers on the rune that locked it.
The door opened, and a narrower corridor unfolded. The passage was still big enough to fit five grown men, but new Thilku occupied it, and Khan found himself before a series of glares once again.
"[This will be your team, Captain Khan]," Vaasa announced, stepping aside and pointing at the new corridor. "[Your companions will show you your lodgings]."
Khan looked at Vaasa before turning toward the corridor. The place had twenty or so Thilku as strong as third-level warriors sitting on the floor or leaning on the walls. Some donned their uniforms, while others were half-naked, showing newly applied bandages that covered injuries suffered the previous night.
The situation was beyond tense. Khan was not welcome there but advanced anyway, and Vaasa closed the door once he entered the corridor, isolating him in that new environment.
All the sitting Thilku stood up in that privacy, and stern stances unfolded in Khan's vision. That was one of the coldest welcomes Khan had ever faced, but his expression never faltered.
"[It's an honor to serve with you]," Khan announced, performing a traditional bow that no one imitated. The Thilku mostly glared at him while some inspected the bandages popping out of his right sleeve.
"[Ah]!" A Thilku in the back of the relatively short corridor snorted, stepping forward to become more visible. "[Blue hair even bows like a Thilku]."
Khan straightened his back and inspected the speaker from head to toe before wearing a fake smile and engaging in a conversation. "[I've learned on Neuria]."
"[We know about you, blue hair]," The Thilku continued, advancing to reach the center of the corridor. "[The Thilku don't need a human to fight for them]."
"[I'm fighting for myself]," Khan stated. "[I can only rejoice if that happens to be at the Thilku's side]."
Khan's politeness annoyed the Thilku, who crossed his arms in anger. He was only wearing pants, so the gesture highlighted his bulging muscles. Still, that sight couldn't make Khan falter.
"[Well]," The Thilku exclaimed, half-turning. "[Come, blue hair. I'll show your lodgings]."
Some smirks appeared among the squads, and a few snickers resounded, but Khan still advanced to reach the Thilku's side. The aliens also slightly closed on him without blocking his way. They wanted Khan to feel pressured, but his face continued to show no reaction.
"[This is your locker]," The Thilku announced, relaxing his arms to point at a drawer three and a half meters from the floor. "[Touch it and it will record your signature]."
The Thilku proudly smiled while looking at Khan. Something so high was nothing for the aliens' stature, but a human couldn't reach it. Of course, that didn't apply to Khan.
Khan's right ankle moved slightly, pushing him into the air. The ceiling was tall, so he had no problem reaching the locker and hovering before it.
The aliens remained stunned at Khan's flight. The Thilku who had tried to make it hard for him even looked at his companions, but they only shook their heads or showed admonishing gazes. A few were aware of Khan's abilities but forgot to share the information.
The drawer opened when Khan touched it, revealing enough space for his bag. He stored the item and closed the lid, descending into a graceful landing.
"[Thank you for your help]," Khan said as soon as he landed, showing one of his brightest smiles to the Thilku.
The Thilku promptly hid his shock and moved to his next plan. He also smiled and hurried to the end of the corridor before pointing at a surface with a bright rune.
"[Blue hair, here]!" The Thilku called. "[This is your room]."
The Thilku wore another smirk, and the same went for the rest of the team. Actually, more smiling faces appeared now. Reaching the locker wasn't surprising for those who knew about Khan's skills, but the rune was bound to stop him.
Khan reached the rune and slightly tilted his head while his eyes ran over its lines. It wasn't complicated, but there were enough differences to force him to hesitate.
The Thilku at Khan's side felt proud before that hesitation. He crossed his arms again and raised his voice to make a suggestion. "[Oh, you must learn how to open it. It's fine. If you agree to follow my orders-]."
The Thilku didn't have the chance to finish his line since part of the wall suddenly slid open to reveal a small room featuring a huge bed. The alien looked down only to see Khan with his stretched arm. He had used the rune without asking anyone's help.
"[Thank you again]!" Khan announced, showing nothing but his brightest smile. "[I'm sure we'll get along]!"
The Thilku remained speechless while watching Khan enter the room. He tried to look at his companions, but they shared the same shocked expression. They only wanted to tease Khan, but he seemed comfortable in that alien environment.
