Hiding the damaged wall was easy since Khan often was the first to leave his room. A few Thilku spotted the cracks but paid them no heed due to the unique role Khan had to play in that environment.
However, a worrying pattern started after the first night. Khan appeared distracted during social gatherings, meetings, and feasts. He seemed conflicted about something but also unapproachable.
Naoo or the other Thilku would have normally mentioned something, but Khan's performance on the battlefield never disappointed. He was the sharpest, fastest, and deadliest soldier on the field, granting him freedoms other aliens couldn't claim.
The battlefield itself didn't present anything new in those days. The great mobilization witnessed during the first night was the worst the Thilku trenches usually experienced, and Khan had to face it a few more times.
Instead, the other nights featured a mixture of various tides interrupted by long, peaceful breaks. The Thilku had it far harsher than the humans, but nothing Khan didn't see before. He quickly got used to that routine, only for the impending deadline to arrive.
On the eve of the weekend, a voice resounded inside Khan's room, bringing him out of his meditative state. A soft gale ran through the area when he opened his eyes and looked toward the speakers. Naoo was summoning him, marking the arrival of the fated day.
It was still early afternoon, leaving many hours before the night due to Cegnore's long days. Khan had already slept, eaten, and trained, and jumping out of bed brought his attention to his right arm.
Khan closed and opened his hand multiple times to check its flexibility. It still slightly itched when he moved his fingers too quickly, but the worst had passed in the previous week. He had basically healed, and looking at the cracking wall filled him with an unstoppable urge.
A thudding noise resounded in the room as Khan's knuckles slammed on the metal. The wall held strong even with the cracks that ran through it. The structure was resilient, and the same went for his arm. It was almost back to its full power, and that was enough.
Khan left the room while ripping off the bandages that had bound his arm in the last period. The two red scars were still there, but he quickly hid them with his sleeve before lifting his gaze. Naoo was already in the corridor, and her mana shook when their eyes met.
As much as Naoo tried to hide it, she had also noticed Khan's distracted mood. She had actually been one of the first to worry about it due to her position as team leader, but Khan's performance had reassured her every night.
Moreover, Naoo saw something else on top of that distracted mood. Khan's mind was often elsewhere, but pressure descended around him whenever he focused. It had happened now, too, triggering an instinctive fear that angered her.
"[You are late]," Naoo snorted, suppressing her temporary anger and turning toward the corridor's exit. Khan silently followed her, and the two dived deeper into the building, into areas he had never visited.
The corridor opened into a circular hall that resembled a control room. Consoles and big screens filled every corner of it, and Thilku stood before them. Khan and Naoo's arrival attracted their attention, but neither bothered to address it.
Naoo turned to her right, approaching a door that opened at her touch. A small rectangular room unfolded, featuring a long interactive desk and a few familiar figures. Khan recognized all of them, but one surprised him.
The Thilku at the table were some of the army's team leaders. Khan had seen them on the battlefield and had also confirmed their strength. Yet, the figure standing on the other side of the room claimed the entirety of his attention. After all, he was a fourth-level warrior.
"We meet again," The Thilku on the other side of the room announced in a perfect human accent. "Do you remember me, Captain Khan?"
Khan didn't interact much with the Thilku but didn't forget him either. The alien was the team leader of the Thilku delegation that visited the Harbor. He had also been present during the [Hunt], seemingly working as Lord Exr's advisor. His position couldn't be low.
"[Of course]," Khan replied in the Thilku language, performing a traditional bow. "[I'm ashamed that I didn't catch your name]."
"[Onp]," The Thilku replied, switching to his hoarse accent. "[Your Thilku improved greatly. I'm glad]."
"[Thank you]," Khan exclaimed, straightening his back.
Once the pleasantries ended, the atmosphere changed. Onp abandoned his politeness and tapped the desk, bringing out holograms that depicted the Thilku trenches. Dots also appeared to mark the usual arrangements of each team, which wasn't anything new for Khan.
Naoo stepped forward, and Khan followed her until they reached the desk. The red holograms shone on everyone's face, and their purpose was clear. Khan had to call the monsters that night, which required new arrangements.
"[We let you study the battlefield for a week]," Onp announced, fixing his scarlet eyes on Khan. "[We expect results now]."
"[I will call the beasts tonight]," Khan confirmed, keeping his gaze on the holograms, "[But I advise a greater mobilization]."
"[Lord Exr didn't give you any authority]," Onp stated as snorts resounded around the table. "[The Empire is in charge here]."
Khan expected a similar answer but couldn't be bothered to go through that mandatory foreplay. He almost couldn't believe he had to argue to save lives, especially since the Thilku had already agreed to cooperate.
"[The beasts went from two to almost one hundred in the human trench]," Khan declared. "[That's the power of my voice]."
Khan didn't add requests or pleas. He didn't ask for anything. He simply stated what had happened in the human territory.
The explanation made most team leaders falter. Even if Khan couldn't replicate the same significant effects in the Thilku trenches, precautions were necessary. They risked losing the entire building otherwise.
Naoo and Onp didn't let the explanation worry them but focused on something else. Khan had sounded empty, almost lifeless. He didn't seem to care about the meeting or threat, but his figure continued to radiate pressure. The two Thilku simply couldn't understand why.
It didn't help that both Thilku had seen Khan in action. They knew how driven he was, so his lack of vitality conflicted with his usual mood. He didn't look trustworthy in the slightest, but it was too late to cancel the plan.
"[Lord Exr trusts you]," Onp eventually announced, "[And you have proven yourself to our species multiple times already. I will believe your voice]."
Onp tapped the desk again, dispersing the holograms. Khan couldn't help but lift his gaze but found pure sternness in Onp's face. He expected a plan, but the alien didn't disclose anything.
"[Leave, Captain Khan]," Onp ordered. "[Naoo will update you once we are done]."
'I see,' Khan thought, lowering his head in respect before heading for the exit. He was about to leave when Naoo added another order.
"[Wait outside]," Naoo said. Khan stopped for a second at that order but eventually left.
Standing in a control room wasn't ideal, but Khan had received precise orders, so he ignored the glares flying in his direction while waiting next to the room's door. He even closed his eyes to meditate, but his thoughts didn't calm down. His internal conflict was still there.
Half an hour had to pass before the door opened. The various team leaders left the room, and Onp followed suit. The latter glanced at Khan, seemingly wanting to say something, but eventually departed to handle his tasks.
In a different situation, Khan would have used that chance to deepen his relationship with the Thilku. Onp seemed important, and the two had some history. The alien was the perfect target for Khan's political goals, but his mood opposed those thoughts.
Naoo was the last to leave the room, and Khan opened his eyes at her arrival. She also stormed out of the circular area, forcing Khan to hurry behind her. That fast-paced march ended when the two returned to their team's quarters, where she stopped to glare at him.
"[Get ready]," Naoo ordered. "[We are going out]."
"[The night won't be here for many hours]," Khan pointed out.
"[That might contain the number of beasts]," Naoo explained. "[Hurry, we must be the first to leave]."
Naoo didn't wait for Khan's reply and slammed a hand on one of the runes in the corridor. A hoarse cry followed, and multiple doors quickly opened. The entire team left their quarters, wearing confused expressions that Naoo didn't hesitate to disperse.
"[The fight is upon us]!" Naoo shouted. "[I want everyone ready in three]!"
The confusion flared, but no one dared to question Naoo. Even Khan abandoned his doubts to prepare. He was already fully dressed with his knife at his side, so a short trip to the bathroom got him ready.
Naoo led the team outside after three minutes, and chaos fell into everyone's vision. Every door in the corridor was open, and Thilku came out of them. That pattern stretched into the following hall, where more troops were gathering. Almost two hundred of them had appeared, and more were arriving.
The Thilku moved aside when they noticed Naoo. Her group could approach the gate directly, and the outside world soon shone on their faces.
The dim light of Cegnore's afternoon didn't make Naoo stop. She hurried to the other side of the trench and marched ahead, leading her team toward the familiar frontlines. Still, she stopped a hundred meters before them at that time, and orders followed.
"[Form a line]!" Naoo shouted. "[Stick close. We need to leave space for the others]."
"[Naoo, what is happening]?" Xai couldn't help but ask while complying with those orders.
"[Save your breath]," Naoo snorted. "[You'll need it]."
"[How many]?" Khan asked, knowing what that new arrangement implied.
"[Ah]!" Naoo cursed. "[I thought the soldiers' job was to fight, not ask questions]."
Everyone knew Naoo's character. Even Khan had gotten used to it and had learned how to counter it. Once the team was ready, Naoo found a series of eyes on her figure. All her teammates were looking at her, waiting for explanations.
"[Bunch of slackers]," Naoo complained, fixing her gaze ahead. "[Everyone is coming today]."
"[Everyone]?" Apa whispered, and answers arrived before anyone could echo her doubts.
Mechanical noises filled the area as figures appeared in the distance, coming from territories under the Empire's domain. Multiple vehicles were riding toward Naoo's team, and that wasn't the end of it.
Multiple teams left the building behind the trench and advanced toward the front. Khan initially counted a few hundred of them, but their number continued to increase. That growth skyrocketed once the vehicles stopped and released more troops, eventually touching the one-thousand mark.
More vehicles and teams appeared after the event, and they all gathered around Naoo's group. The Thilku were deploying a massive army and condensing it on the frontlines as if they knew the attack would arrive there.
Khan couldn't remain distracted when so many troops occupied his surroundings. He lost count after they crossed the two-thousand mark but knew their number continued to increase. The Thilku had deployed the entirety of their force there, and everyone soon focused on Khan.
