Khan had acted too quickly, leaving the Orlats no chance to run away from their problems like they usually did. At most, the ships heading for the party would make U-turns and leave Chigoilara in a hurry, but that was outside Khanās control.
Meanwhile, the Orlats at the party knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were stuck with Khan. He didnāt voice that demand, but his presence stated as much, acting as an ethereal prison that pressed down and kept track of everyone.
So, Khanās statement was met with complete stillness, with only the crackling of the various fires adding a trace of life to that tense silence.
The Orlats were nothing if not resourceful, but the evolved warriors on the stage knew that their options were limited there. As much as they would rather avoid it, they could only escape that situation through words, which couldnāt have much weight with all the hot loot at that very party.
No matter how the Orlats tried to spin it, they were guilty as charged, and the judge, jury, and executioner were now sitting among them. Khanās mood didnāt look great, either, so a sentence was unavoidable, but the Orlats could still try to shift the blame.
The five evolved aliens standing around the table exchanged glances, or rather, four of them quickly came up with a joint plan. The fifth, central Orlats immediately understood what was happening, so he decided to speak before his situation could worsen.
"Prince Khan!" The central Orlats exclaimed, even wearing a broad, fake smile, unleashing his politest human accent. "Your presence on Chigoilara is most welcome."
Khan heard those words but didnāt pay them much attention. He had spotted the previous silent interaction, so his glowing gaze fell on that central, older Orlats, knowing what was happening.
Politics was a complicated field in which Khan had never truly excelled. He couldnāt compare himself to old monsters or people brought up and educated all their lives to swim in those messy tides of ploys, appearances, and secret agendas.
Still, Khan wasnāt bad at politics, either. His time in the slums had made him quite canny, which was a priceless weapon when paired with his reckless strength. His disregard for the rules was one of his greatest assets, becoming a proper leverage that his opponents had to respect.
Nevertheless, unlike almost everyone else, Khan had an innate knack for dealing with aliens. He could imagine himself in their shoes, easily understanding how their customs and brains worked.
Unknowingly to Khan, he had achieved the status of political monster when it came to interspecies politics. He understood the Orlats wanted to put all the blame on their business partner, and he could use his leverage to prevent that.
"[Sit]," Khan ordered in the Orlats language, unfazed by that fake politeness. "[Weāll have this meeting in your language, and please, donāt make me repeat myself. Letās skip the part where we pretend I wonāt kill you all if necessary]."
Grim faces unfolded around the table, but everyone complied. The evolved Orlats sat down, seizing their drinks, gulping them down as if making sure they would have that last bit of booze.
Khan did the same, emptying his metal cup, only to eye a nearby bottle. He could reach it himself, but his blue light rose toward the earrings Orlats right in front of it, conveying a silent order.
The earring Orlatsā displeasure skyrocketed, but his species was quick to discard pride when their survival was at stake. The evolved warrior took the bottle and stretched his arm to refill Khanās drink.
Khan calmly watched the scene unfold and even took another sip once his cup was full. Needless to say, the booze on the stage was far better than what the underlings in the camp had, but he didnāt recognize its source.
"[Good booze]," Khan praised. "[Where can I get more]?"
The question put the evolved Orlats on the spot. They all knew where those bottles came from, but responding honestly would be an admission of guilt.
Yet, division already was in full force, so the central, older Orlats decided to respond in the hope of earning Khanās favor.
"[Itās from the Biseās stashes, Prince Khan]," The Orlats revealed. "[The stashes they donāt trade away to other species]."
"[Well]," Khan muttered, savoring another sip of that good booze, "[They should have done a better job at protecting it]."
The Orlats at the table were almost about to snicker, but their predicament kept them silent and stern. They also expected a rebuke or threat after that clear admission of guilt, but Khan didnāt seem to care and continued to enjoy the drink.
By the fourth, silent sip, the evolved Orlats started to get annoyed. Prince Khan indeed demanded their respect, and they were also guilty, but his apparent unwillingness to move that meeting forward was utterly insulting.
However, no one really wanted to stand out there since it would earn them questions, so furtive glances fell on the central Orlats again, prompting him to do something.
"[Prince Khan, Iām glad you are enjoying our little party]," The central Orlats said. "[But, if you could tell us what]-"
"[Your name]," Khan casually interrupted, his attention still on the drink. "[You all seem to know mine, but I donāt know yours]."
"[Iām Bahram]," The central Orlats replied, wearing another fake smile that deepened the many wrinkles on his face. "[My clan mostly operates on Chigoilara. If thereās anything on our planet that catches your interest, my clan will be more than willing to negotiate]."
"[Bahram]," Khan called, finally stopping caring about his drink. "[Were you saying]?"
"[My mistake]," Bahram chuckled. "[I was wondering about the reason behind your visit. If you would so kind as to state it]."
"[I did state it already]," Khan declared. "[I believe I told you I didnāt want to repeat myself]."
The grim faces at the table grew even uglier. The Prince had indeed stated his intentions as soon as he arrived, but they were so unreasonable that the Orlats had taken them as a simple threat.
"[Iām sorry, Prince Khan]," Bahram coughed, "[But we trade in wares. Our lives arenāt negotiable]."
"[What do you mean]?" Khan wondered, feigning confusion. "[Canāt you see? You are all dead, and only I can give your lives back. If the offer is good enough, that is]."