touchnovel Chapter 1022: Escalation
Chapter 1022: Escalation
Chapter 1022: Escalation
Things weren't well on Baoway.
Khan's sudden departure had brought everything to a halt, interrupting most of its exports and profits. The same went for Senerth, Hililles, and Vuter since Khan's position had yet to be clarified. The Global Army couldn't accept those resources without establishing new deals.
Those problems didn't only affect the nobles, the Nognes Excellencies, and Khan's close allies. The Global Army's upper echelon wasn't faring too well after Lord Rsi publicly mentioned the Emperor. The Empire was a massive and fearsome monster, and humankind would quickly give up on a few Generals for its allegiance.
In short, no matter which side, everyone was mad, tense, and impatient, preparing for the worst while also doing their best to be ready for potential benefits. However, the wait for Khan's return was getting unbearable, especially since the Empire didn't release any information.
One week wasn't enough to cause widespread panic, but it was more than capable of giving birth to countless rumors. Things only worsened when a second passed, filling the network with the wildest theories, which many believed.
The most approved and talked about rumor involved Khan's death. After all, on the surface, Khan's relevance inside the Empire came from his connection to humankind, which he had abandoned. The Thilku couldn't be happy about that, and everyone knew about their harsh punishments.
Instead, others saw that silence from the Empire and Khan as a sign of an imminent attack. Brigadier General Meadrey had exposed a breach in the interspecies treaties, so many believed the Empire would use that temporary instability to launch that feared invasion. The military planet was ready anyway.
Luckily, in the middle of that week, a Thilku ship finally appeared in Baoway's orbit. The alien team inside also communicated its purpose to the forces awaiting Khan's return, which gathered in the appointed location.
The crowd of political powerhouses couldn't accept to gather in the dirty landing zone again, not after waiting for Khan for weeks. So, Lieutenant Dyester made the Scalqa rearrange the encampment, clearing a vast area to make space for the important parties and the ship.
The area had everyone: Representatives from the Nognes family, nobles, Luke and the others, Monica, Khan's relatives, Ef'i, Scalqa, and Thilku. Only the Fuveall were absent, but the situation was so massive that even they had purchased access to that information. Someone would simply relay it to them later.
The ship landed on the metal floor previously used by the encampment as a street. The vehicle was unassuming. It was the same circular ride Khan had departed with, but the crowd's expectations were completely different now. Mentioning the Emperor had changed that.
A metal ramp stretched from a specific opening, reaching the floor and starting to release Thilku. Soldiers descended it, and Lord Rsi eventually followed, remaining slightly behind. No one seemed to be left in the ship, but a shorter figure suddenly appeared, causing countless murmurs.
Khan's upper uniform was open, revealing his blue scar, but anyone could recognize it, especially when put side by side with similar clothing. Khan was donning the Empire's colors, and the silver crown on his head highlighted his status.
Becoming a new Lord wouldn't be much on its own, but something strange followed. Lord Rsi stepped aside, leaving the spotlight to Khan while performing a traditional bow toward him.
Lord Rsi's crew quickly imitated him, and the Thilku among the crowd couldn't help but do the same. They had yet to be updated about Khan's new status, but that scene alone explained a lot, and Lord Rsi soon explained the rest.
Needless to say, the murmurs suddenly quieted down.