Khan didn't expect a General to sponsor his promotion, especially since he had close allies who could perform the same task.
However, the event wasn't too surprising either. Khan's fame had gotten big enough to spread concerning doubts about his figure. The public had to be reassured and a Colonel might not cut it.
Of course, the matter worked in Khan's favor, but he couldn't help but feel hesitant. Clearly, many big figures had gotten interested in his training methods and alien techniques. Major General Arngan didn't seem the type to play those political games, but Khan worried nonetheless.
"A week," Khan announced. "That's sooner than I thought."
"The promotion isn't scheduled yet," Monica explained. "It's not even official, but everyone knows it will happen."
Khan didn't need to read Monica's expression to understand what she implied. The same thoughts had popped into his mind, and a helpless sigh inevitably escaped his mouth.
"They still want to negotiate it," Khan exclaimed.
"I can ask my parents to pressure the Headmistress," Monica suggested. "But-."
"I know," Khan stated. "They already helped while I was training, and we don't want to be even more indebted to them."
Monica's face lit up when she heard "we" and instinctively leaned further on Khan. Her hand also slid down his chest, reaching the waist area to tempt him.
"When will my noble Major take care of his fiancée?" Monica teased, knowing full well that Khan was in no condition to refuse her.
Khan reacted as expected. The holograms and discoveries vanished from his mind as his eyes fell on Monica. She was wearing a knowing smirk, and the glowing stare she received almost made her forget about her joke. Still, she couldn't behave as a needy girlfriend now. Monica knew her man needed to work.
"Kidding," Monica giggled, scooting away to rest on Khan's lap, "But don't make us wait too long."
A loving smile took control of Khan's expression as his hand caressed Monica's curls. That level of self-control would have been impossible to see in the past, but Monica had also grown. She had become a woman worthy of the greatest genius the Global Army had ever produced.
As much as Khan wanted to spend days cuddling Monica, greater tasks quickly reclaimed his attention. A cold expression replaced his loving smile as he focused on the holograms again. He had reviewed everything, but more work was needed.
Unlike the Global Army, the Empire didn't filter or censor Nak-related information due to the deal's nature. It gave Khan everything it had on the Nak, including conclusions reached after centuries of study and hypotheses.
After talking with Cegnore's natives and pondering the topic for a long time, the Empire's records gave Khan the last corroboration. Even in the Thilku's case, the Nak didn't launch an attack meant to wipe out the entire species. Those aliens only wanted to spread their mana.
Still, the Thilku were no humans. They already had mana during the attack, so they managed to fend back the Nak without suffering immense losses. They had also chased after them, learning more details that Khan didn't know how to absorb.
Even after the attack, the Nak didn't retreat. Instead, they moved forward, planning to continue their mission against other species. They didn't care about the losses caused by the Empire's chase. The Nak were completely selfless and suicidal, so much so that the Thilku eventually lost them.
Yet, the Thilku were too proud of a species to let the matter go. They stopped going after the departing Nak and focused instead on tracing their origin, using all kinds of scanners to track the mana left behind by their passage.
The search led the Thilku deep into the galaxy, far deeper than they had ever been. They pursued their mission to avenge the insult even as the tracks started dwindling. Still, mobilizing a huge force for such long travels would leave their core territories defenseless, so they eventually switched to a simple exploration handled by a few experienced pilots.
Those pilots sent various reports during the exploration, marking eventual star systems encountered along the way. The mission provided immense benefits to the mapping of the galaxy, but the Nak looked even farther away.
The reports grew rarer as time passed, which was predictable due to the growing distance with the last of the Empire's receivers. Still, the rare eventually turned into never again, hinting at the only possible outcome.
Of course, Khan didn't care about the pilots' deaths. Thanks to them, the Empire had amassed many reports and maps, and nothing else mattered to Khan. The distance was the only problem.
Fusing the information provided by the Global Army with the Empire's records gave Khan a general direction, which was more than what he could hope for. Yet, everything was too far away. He would need the help of the nobles to authorize and finance that exploration, but involving them was out of the question.
'Can a Major even plan something like this?' Khan found himself wondering when the idea gained a stabler form. 'Even Mister Cirvags would find it hard.'
Khan knew he was underestimating the issue. It made no sense for a species to send someone so far away into the galaxy due to the whims of a single individual. There was a chance no amount of fame could make that idea realistic.
'Money is doable,' Khan thought. 'Fame and authority too. Freedom is the only issue.'
The more Khan pondered, the clearer the issue became. A man bound by obligations and duties toward his species or other organizations would never have the chance to dive into that trip, let alone accomplish it. Only someone wielding complete freedom could.
The realization brought Khan's eyes back on Monica. She was sleeping, so she didn't notice the gesture. However, the topic wouldn't surprise her since Khan had already mentioned it a few times. As sad as it sounded, it seemed inevitable that Khan would have to leave the Global Army to get rid of his nightmares.
.
.
.
The mission was unrealistic for Khan's current political and financial situation, so he limited himself to sorting out all the information in his possession and resting. Mister Cirvags had granted him a full week off, and Khan spent it in the privacy of his flat.
The network obviously didn't stay silent during that period, and Major General Arngan's arrival rekindled even the quieter rumors. Everyone knew what was bound to happen and held their breath, waiting for the official news to go public.
Khan's condition had improved by then, but instabilities remained. Ideally, he would spend an entire month making sure that his body had fully recovered from the intense training session. Still, orders were orders, and he had already defied them for too long.
Luckily for Khan, Major General Arngan's arrival didn't force him out of his flat. Khan had expected the Headmistress to summon him into a meeting, but the very opposite happened. On the last night of the week, a message reached Khan's flat, warning him about the General's imminent visit.
The flat was a mess, but the cleaning robots accomplished miracles. Khan also destroyed the Thilku device and adapter before taking care of his appearance. Monica obviously helped him, and the guest eventually arrived.
"Evening!" Major General Arngan shouted as soon as the elevator opened. "No need for such formalities."
Khan and Monica were waiting in the elevator room, wearing their best military salute. They had also donned their uniforms to match the General's attire, but the man's friendly tone allowed them to relax.
"So," Major General Arngan exclaimed, eyeing Monica, "She is the girl that turned you all protective."
The General's aura didn't match his friendly tone at all, but Khan could easily bear it and add a joke. "Jealous, sir?"
"Cocky brat," Major General Arngan snickered, and his laugh grew louder when he saw Monica glaring at Khan.
"It's an honor meeting you, sir," Monica said, recovering almost immediately. "Allow me to serve you both drinks before leaving you to your meeting."
"How did such a well-mannered girl end up with you?" Major General Arngan joked. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Solodrey. I'm sorry for stealing your fiancé tonight."
Monica bowed and turned toward the main hall while Khan showed the way. The General reached his side, and the two slowly dived into the array of couches.
Khan and the General sat on opposite couches, with no tables between them. Monica soon arrived, delivering a drink to the General before attending to Khan. She also handed him a full glass but didn't refrain from claiming his ear, too.
"Try to behave," Monica whispered before kissing Khan's cheek and walking around the couch. After reaching the corridor's entrance, she performed another bow, and her figure soon disappeared behind a metal door.
"I bet she looked good in a dress," Major General Arngan announced before bringing the drink to his mouth.
"There are pictures on the network, sir," Khan calmly replied. "She was enchanting."
"I'm too old to mind that stuff," Major General Arngan scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "I trust you are that lucky."
"Very, sir," Khan confirmed. "I intend to marry her."
"I'll ask Mark for gossip every once in a while, then," The General said. "He sounded sure more would come."
"How is the Colonel faring?" Khan used that chance to change the topic. "I expected him to be my sponsor."
"He is still recovering," Major General Arngan revealed. "It's nothing serious, but a failed evolution is no small matter. The Global Army told him to stay put until he was completely back on his feet."
"I'm glad," Khan nodded. "I'm also glad you offered to replace him, although I expect not freely."
"Kids are truly scary nowadays," Major General Arngan shook his head. "It won't be long until you replace the entirety of my generation."
"Sir," Khan called, his tone growing more serious, "The Global Army would have announced my promotion already otherwise. I know you want something from me. I also know what you want."
Major General Arngan smirked and gulped down the rest of his drink. It didn't take a genius to understand what the Global Army was after. Many had directly told Khan, too. Yet, Khan's calm behavior before powers he couldn't hope to face remained praiseworthy.
"I told you," Major General Arngan reminded. "This is how it works. The Global Army wants its piece of the pie."
Blue light flashed in Khan's eyes while he stared at the General, but the latter hid his surprise and suppressed eventual questions. Silence fell into the main hall, with only the clinking ice in Khan's glass interrupting it.
Truth be told, Khan had guessed that retaining complete secrecy was impossible. He remained a soldier of the Global Army with duties and orders. Moreover, his discoveries could help humankind, making them too appealing to the higher-ups.
Yet, Khan couldn't just sell his hard-earned power. He couldn't deliver techniques he had spent years developing. Even the middle ground in that endeavor was priceless, but the Global Army looked desperate enough for his favor to accept the simple foundation of his knowledge.
"The promotion," Khan eventually broke the silence. "Bonuses, support, and real authority. I won't settle for any less."
"Will you hand out your training method?" Major General Arngan asked.
"No," Khan refused. "I built that technique around me. It would have negative effects on anyone else."
"The theory behind the technique, then," The General suggested.
"No," Khan refused again. "That theory is the culmination of multiple arts, both alien and human. It's not something I can explain or put into a blueprint."
"I thought the Harbor taught that," Major General Arngan pointed out.
"It does," Khan confirmed. "That's why I know teaching the theory is impossible."
"What then?" The General questioned.
"I have to rest for a while," Khan revealed. "That creates holes in my schedule. I can host a few courses about topics of my choice."
"That sounds small," Major General Arngan argued. "Your promotion is basically mandatory, but you are asking for my support. That's hardly cheap."
"The courses will be about the foundation of everything I learned outside the Global Army," Khan explained. "The Global Army only needs one capable student to recreate what I can currently do."
"Do you expect students to catch up with you so quickly?" Major General Arngan chuckled. "I recall you claiming yourself to be the strongest."
"I am the strongest," Khan declared, "And the Global Army can't blame me for that. It's not my duty to slow down to let others catch up."
"But it's your duty to help humankind," The General added.
"That's why I've ultimately agreed to share part of my knowledge," Khan said. "I expect the Global Army to praise my selflessness."
Major General Arngan chuckled again. He truly liked Khan's guts, but the situation prevented him from appreciating them. Sadly, he was on the other side of the issue.
"Kid, this is not enough," Major General Arngan exclaimed.
"That's why I have a proposal," Khan revealed. "Let my students be experts. I don't care about their actual occupation as long as their words carry weight."
"You want the Global Army to tell esteemed scientists to attend courses held by a kid?" The General questioned.
"The best kid in history," Khan confirmed. "Unless they are scared I will really challenge their knowledge."
