Chapter 1277: Week

The revelations seemed endless, and Khan’s statements weren’t even limited to the Nak. He had added threats, insights into his imminent schedule, and a key detail most of the universe was still unaware of.

Khan had publicly called Liiza his wife. That wasn’t his first time doing that, but those official negotiations were nothing compared to the threats uttered when fending off alien fleets.

Besides, Khan didn’t plan to limit himself to that. He had already instructed Garret to set the field for a public and official announcement, but the task sounded superfluous now. The scientist only had to share those negotiations with the universe to relay Khan’s message.

Everyone was bound to learn about the Nak, Khan’s imminent departure, and his married status soon, and chaos would follow. Each one of those revelations could cause significant shifts in the political landscape, making it volatile and unpredictable.

Still, Khan didn’t plan to watch the mayhem. He had something else to do, something far more important than those political trivialities, and paying attention to their many outbursts would only drag him into an endless series of calls, meetings, and negotiations.

That had to be avoided at all costs. Khan couldn’t let politics fill his schedule at such a crucial phase of his life and mission. He also didn’t forget how he still had a war to fight, and that demanded long training sessions, which his unique state was bound to lengthen even further.

Khan didn’t forget about the relatively imminent fatherhood, either. Nobles had their ways of raising children, but Khan came from a strange upbringing.

Moreover, Khan knew how he was and how much he cared about the topic. Chances were his kid would become his undisputed priority as soon as he or she was born. Truthfully, they already were.

The idea of becoming a father did sound terrifying, and bringing a child into such a messy environment didn’t help. Khan was ecstatic but also completely lost, with the only saving grace being that he wouldn’t be alone there.

Thinking about Liiza prompted Khan to move the negotiations toward their end. His brainstorming had aided his revelations’ impact enough anyway, so it was time to deliver the finishing blow.

“I’ll give the Kros one week to consider my terms,” Khan announced, glancing at the tall sphere. “The same goes for every other species in the universe.”

Khan stood up, and Liiza followed. The two were hand-in-hand, but Liiza didn’t forget to wear a proud expression while performing a specific gesture and pointing her white glow at the tall sphere.

The news was already partially out, but Liiza had customs to abide by. A faint blush pervaded her cheeks while she placed her free hand on her waist, sending a silent message the universe was bound to understand. Her belly still didn’t show it, especially with her clothes covering it, but the world had to know that she was pregnant.

Khan obviously didn’t miss the gesture, but his focus remained on his final statement. “During this week, the Kros can enjoy my force’s full hospitality, but I expect an answer once it ends since that’s the date of my departure.”

The Kros had great processing power, especially with the mainframes taking care of those decisions. Yet, their political situation was intricate, demanding meetings with other powerful forces. A week still was too long for them, but Khan didn’t give them the chance to argue.

Prince Thomas, Princess Rebecca, and Alexander read the situation and stood up, joining Khan and Liiza as they turned to leave. Normally, the married couple would set off, disappearing somewhere in the distance, but the presence of the three relatives forced Khan to opt for a different route.

Of course, Khan could still run away and deal with more impending matters. His revelations would lay the foundation for his force’s tasks, but he had something else to address. Politics were troublesome, but family matters were no less complex or valuable for Khan.

So, Khan’s feet remained on the metal floor, leading him and his group toward the elevator at the structure’s edge. Garret would probably give all of it to the Kros for that week, but Khan still had the chance to use it for now.

The five descended through the elevator in complete silence, reaching its lowest floor and entering its spacious flat. The artificial illumination lit up on its own, and Princess Rebecca took care of seizing simple refreshments while the others occupied couches and armchairs inside the central living room.

After delivering drinks to everyone but Liiza, Princess Rebecca also sat, occupying the same couch as her brother. Meanwhile, Alexander was alone in an armchair, but all three stared at the married couple on the sofa before them.

“Was that the whole truth?” Alexander broke the silence, asking a question everyone knew the answer to.

“Yes, Grandfather,” Khan confirmed, leaning deeper into the couch. “The time for lies is over. We all have to prepare for what’s coming.”

“Since when?” Princess Rebecca wondered. Her question could hint at political grievances, but she wasn’t the type to care about them.

“I’ve learned about the Scarlet Eyes before getting stranded on Baoway,” Khan explained. “I kept it hidden from most of you because I wanted to give you certainties, but alas.”

“You always do this, dear Nephew,” Princess Rebecca sighed, pointing her stern gaze at Liiza. “Niece, I expect you to take care of his terrible habits. They are part of your duties, too.”

“You have nothing to worry about, Rebecca,” Liiza reassured. “I’ll dismantle each one of them, whether he agrees or not.”

Rebecca wore a pleased smile, which Liiza mimicked. The two women seemed to enter a silent conversation, understanding each other at a level the men in the living room didn’t dare to venture into.

“Our allies won’t be happy about the concessions, Nephew,” Prince Thomas soon intervened, unbothered by his Sister and Liiza’s behavior. “If we give everything away for free, they won’t see the point in upholding the current deals.”

“Most of our alien knowledge is limited to our force for now,” Khan stated. “Uncle, keep it that way until we have decent results that we can share.”

“That’s not what you promised, Nephew,” Prince Thomas pointed out. He was savvy enough in the political field to know that his political opponents would use Khan’s words against him.

“That line is yours to thread,” Khan declared. “I’ll take care of all the peculiar parties during this week. You deal with everyone else.”

Prince Thomas didn’t need to ask for additional details to understand what Khan was saying. The peculiar parties were nothing more than those that mere politics couldn’t affect, which were often alien. If Khan dealt with them, Prince Thomas would have it far easier with everyone else.

“With whom do you plan to start, My Prince?” Prince Thomas questioned, changing the way he addressed Khan due to the more political topics.

“The Nele,” Khan instantly replied, diverting his gaze, “Which means Ilman, which means telling Garret to empty our reserves of booze.”