Chapter 833 Bruises
The distress signal soon attracted allied ships, which replied to the message and waited at the Global Army"s domain"s border for Khan"s ride to arrive.
The four ships immediately encircled Khan"s ride, acting as a defensive escort. Questions reached Khan, many probing about his business in the Empire"s domain, but he only had orders for his allies.
"Get me Thomas Nognes," Khan ordered to his escort. "I also want Rebecca Nognes and all the Princes and Princesses."
The sudden summon inevitably alerted the escort about the seriousness of the situation. However, Khan wielded the authority to call on a similar meeting, and the only figure who could oppose him wasn"t invited. His Grandfather could interfere, so Khan kept him out on purpose.
Khan"s decision had another goal. He didn"t think Alexander would interfere with the family meeting, but the faction was in his hands now. He needed to preside over the encounter as the de facto leader.
Thomas could ignore the summon, but Khan left things in Rebecca"s hands and spread the news to his closest allies. He informed Monica, Lieutenant Dyester, and Gordon before going radio silent. His Aunt would handle the rest, and updates soon arrived.
The ship and escort adjusted their course as information reached their communication devices. Meanwhile, news spread throughout the network, telling stories about Khan"s recent deeds. Lord Exr personally came out to share the report, which Mister Cirvags then handed to the relevant authorities.
The story could have two versions. Khan could look as a reckless and arrogant invader, so deeply self-absorbed in his fame that interspecies treaties and murder no longer had any meaning for him.
In the second version, Khan could appear as a hero, selflessly flying into enemy territory to handle a threat before it could escape.
Of course, Lord Exr shared a watered-down story of the second version. He blamed the humans for pushing Khan into the Empire"s domain, and the murder became self-defense. Lord Exr also shared Izraz"s level, praising Khan for handling such a big crisis alone.
That version had more details, which Mister Cirvags kept from the public to handle inside private contexts. Lord Exr had actually admonished the Global Army for reaching into the Empire to plot against Khan. He condemned the act, openly hinting that Khan was under the Thilku"s protection.
Without knowing the secret planet"s nature, the Global Army couldn"t help but launch an investigation. They apologized to Khan and the Empire and publicly promised to improve the security around Khan, although he knew nothing would really happen.
Many parties tried to contact Khan as the news spread, but he ignored every call and waited for the only notification he cared about. That mounting pressure on the human side was bound to force Thomas out of hiding, and Rebecca eventually confirmed that point.
"s.p.a.ce station, multiple soldiers, and I"m vouching for lack of violence," Khan read on his phone. "I"m sending the coordinates."
Khan conveyed the new destination to the pilot, and another long flight began. The ship took an entire day to reach Rebecca"s coordinates, but a big s.p.a.ce station eventually appeared on the scanners.
That structure differed from the other secret locations Khan had visited during previous meetings. The s.p.a.ce station in the scanners was open to the public and known to the network. Its lower floors had malls, shops, and all kinds of businesses. Still, the Nognes family owned it, limiting its upper areas to n.o.bles or wealthy guests.
The location"s nature told Khan everything he needed to know. Its openness to the public wanted to restrain eventual reckless and violent actions, using the various visitors as hostages.
Khan didn"t mind that decision. It told him that Thomas feared him, which was perfectly fine with him. His faction had basically acknowledged that his methods couldn"t be underestimated anymore.
The ship and escort landed in the s.p.a.ce station"s upper areas, those reserved for the n.o.bles. The latter descended first, inspecting the perimeter and securing the various hangars. Only then did Khan receive the okay to join his soldiers.
The soldiers escorted Khan past the hangars, reaching a vast dining hall emptied of tables. Only one remained, but no waiter was in sight. His group had also arrived first, but he didn"t need to stick to pleasantries.
"Get me drinks," Khan ordered, approaching the table and waiting for the other guests to arrive. One of the soldiers immediately left, quickly returning to deliver a few bottles and cups. A waiter also entered the hall, providing plates full of food.
Khan indulged in drinks while his soldiers formed a defensive line behind him. He didn"t know how long he would have to wait, but his phone kept him company. The network"s events amused him, especially when calls from high-profile figures inside the Global Army reached it.
The wait didn"t last long. The dining hall"s doors eventually opened, and Rebecca stormed inside. She wasn"t alone. Prince William, Princess, Felicia, Lieutenant Dyester, Gordon, and Monica were with her, and they promptly approached the table, occupying precise seats.
Theoretically, Rebecca should have been the first to sit, but no one could beat Monica to it. She almost resorted to mana to reach Khan and tilt his face toward her to check for eventual injuries. Khan simply nodded, earning him an untrustworthy glare. That wasn"t nearly enough for Monica, but she still sat down after delivering a quick kiss.
The other guests followed, taking their place at Khan"s side. An eerie silence enveloped the process, with Rebecca and the others only exchanging looks with Khan. No one spoke, and that trend continued even after more drinks and food landed on the table.
Occasional munching and slurping noises broke the silence, but no conversations happened. Everyone had an idea of what had happened to Khan, but no one questioned him. All the guests knew who was missing, but no one tried to create a plan.
It took almost an hour, but the dining hall"s doors eventually opened again, and multiple figures marched past it. More soldiers entered the area, but the general attention was on the three n.o.bles among them.
Khan instantly recognized Prince Richard, but his eyes lingered on the older figure before him. The square jaw and military haircut allowed Khan to identify his Uncle, walking side-by-side with a relatively young man who shared his facial features.
Khan inspected his Uncle before casually glancing at the other stranger. He knew his name. That was Prince Desmond, Prince Thomas" firstborn. The man looked slightly older than Khan but shared his level. Moreover, his aura was completely different from his brother"s. Prince Desmond conveyed pure sternness, seemingly echoing his Father"s stance.
The soldiers stayed behind, forming a defensive line. Meanwhile, Prince Thomas, Prince Richard, and his brother approached the table, sitting in customary positions. Prince Thomas faced Khan, but both his sons only had eyes for him.
Khan inspected his Uncle before casually glancing at the other stranger. He knew his name. That was Prince Desmond, Prince Thomas" firstborn. The man looked slightly older than Khan but shared his level. Moreover, his aura was completely different from his brother"s. Prince Desmond conveyed pure sternness, seemingly echoing his Father"s stance.
"We finally meet," Prince Thomas was the first to speak. "Nephew."
"You delayed this meeting," Khan responded. "Uncle."
"Your reputation was far from rea.s.suring," Prince Thomas announced. "Chances were you would have tried to kill me at the first disagreement."
"You are mistaken," Khan stated. "I would have killed you before that."
Khan"s choice of words expressed the entirety of his intentions. He didn"t only state that he wouldn"t have given his Uncle the chance to explain himself. Khan also said that his a.s.sa.s.sination attempt wouldn"t have been an attempt at all.
"So," Prince Thomas commented, "My decision was correct."
"You are here now," Khan uttered, his eyes flashing for a fraction of a second.
The odd event put some pressure on the trio. Prince Richard had also witnessed Khan"s might first-hand, so his mana released pure fear. He did his best to hide it, but sweat already acc.u.mulated on his forehead.
"Behave," Prince Thomas scolded, glaring at Prince Richard.
Prince Richard promptly nodded, wiping off the sweat with his sleeve. The action didn"t do much since his forehead grew drenched again in no time, but Prince Thomas didn"t scold him again.
"Are you about to kill me?" Prince Thomas questioned after looking back at Khan.
"I promised your sister I"ll try to avoid it," Khan revealed. "Give me a reason to stay true to the promise."
Prince Thomas glanced at Rebecca, who smiled back at him. The gesture seemed to annoy him, but his mana had room for some warmth.
"My Son," Prince Thomas announced, "Prince Desmond helped plan your a.s.sa.s.sination attempt on Baoway. He was also behind the development of the inhibitors for your senses."
Khan didn"t expect that revelation, and Prince Desmond inevitably claimed his attention. The Prince"s face remained stern, but he added words to justify his behavior.
"My Father speaks the truth," Prince Desmond explained. "I found you unworthy of n.o.bility and Grandfather"s legacy. My Father is a far better heir."
"Then," Khan said. "You are the one I need to kill."
"Indeed," Prince Desmond confirmed. "However, I didn"t act on my own, and I hope this gift can placate your anger."
Prince Desmond looked past his shoulder, lifting his arms to clap his hands. A few soldiers moved, retrieving something from the previous room. Soon, the troops dragged a beaten figure into the hall, and Khan struggled to recognize Amba.s.sador Abores from under all his bruises.