Chaos' Heir

Monica tightened her grasp on Khan's hand, but he ignored her to address his Uncle. "Announce it. We are officially at war with Brigadier General Meadrey. He can pick the planet."

Wars were chaotic, but the more advanced species had developed standard arrangements to handle them. Khan could bring a fleet to siege the guilty space station, but a victory wouldn't solve the issue. It would only extinguish many innocent lives and destroy part of the Global Army's equipment.

Khan had resorted to such methods in the past, but repeating them would only implicate the entire Global Army now. He would have to wage war against his whole species, bringing countless losses to both sides and unleashing consequences he preferred to avoid.

Instead, declaring war against the guilty Brigadier General and his loyal troops would address the culprit and limit the casualties to a single faction. The Global Army would have to stay away from the battle, too, treating it as simple infighting.

Of course, the Global Army had to agree to the declaration, but Khan was playing by the rules now. He had studied those regulations in the Harbor, and his status and situation would force the other Generals to acknowledge the validity of his announcement.

Khan slipped out of Monica's grasp and left. He had much to plan and no time to waste. He also had many details to review. Prince Thomas had focused on the main issue, but its ramifications extended past that single destroyed delivery.

Prince Thomas couldn't argue. Khan had given an order, and he was completely to blame for that mess. However, Prince Thomas still hoped to avoid that catastrophic development, so he eyed Monica, conveying a silent message she immediately understood.

Monica stormed out of the meeting room, chasing after Khan. Luckily, he didn't rely on his speed. He was still in the corridor, seemingly knowing that Monica would run after him.

"Khan!" Monica called, and Khan stopped, turning to show her the emotionless, intense face he had worn on Senerth.

Many would freeze in fear before that expression, but Monica knew better. She saw the exhaustion hidden behind that war face. Khan didn't want to jump into another battle, so Monica hoped the situation could be solved peacefully.

Monica reached Khan, took his hand, and dragged it into a nearby room. Soldiers were there, dealing with their daily tasks, but one glare from Monica made them leave. The couple soon remained alone, and Monica wrapped her arms around Khan's neck, pulling him on her shoulder to squeeze him into a hug.

The two barely reunited, only for problems to crash on them. Truth be told, Monica didn't want to deal with any of that. She would happily ignore the political mess and spend a month in a bedroom with Khan. However, their positions didn't allow such breaks, and Monica had to limit herself to that hug to convey her unwillingness.

Khan calmed down, running his hands on Monica's back. He knew what she was about to say, but that short break didn't change his mind. He was done playing politics and could only hope Monica would understand him.

"Dear," Monica whispered, slightly pulling herself back to look at Khan's face. "I know, but this can work to our advantage. The Global Army can't deal with the pressure from all noble families. We can force it to collaborate with our investigation and even swear loyalty."

Khan reached for Monica's cheek, warmly caressing it. She was right. Khan was to blame for keeping the military planet hidden, but the Global Army had struck first. Since the other side had the Thilku Empire, the noble families, and Khan, the Global Army would probably turn Brigadier General Meadrey into a scapegoat.

Khan's faction would have to make some concessions, but he had the Empire's support, so the losses would be almost null. Meanwhile, the Global Army would have to snap out of its neutral state, hopefully putting more pressure on the slippery Raymond.

Yet, Khan kept seeing Zu-Gru's mangled corpse, and all the love he felt for Monica couldn't disperse that picture.

The problems didn't end there, either. Many human soldiers had and were trying to join Khan's organization due to various reasons. He had become the hope for a change in the Global Army's rotten system but was only bringing death to those who followed him.

Khan's glowing gaze lingered on Monica's stunning but worried face before closing his eyes. His type of leadership would finalize its shape in his next decision, and he already knew what it was.

"No," Khan said, reopening his eyes to show his firm intentions.

Monica's eyes widened, but she didn't give up. "Khan, you have already achieved what you planned to achieve, and you just came back from a war. These mistakes happen. Let the politicians deal with politics while you handle matters more befitting of your status."
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As for what Monica meant, Khan had a clear idea. Senerth's mission had delayed the tournament, which had to start in those weeks. Moreover, Khan had promised to marry Monica after his return, and that minor scuffle with a Brigadier General shouldn't get in the way. After all, only a few soldiers had died.

"No," Khan repeated, shaking his head. "I promised you. Death to our enemies, even humankind."

Khan let go of Monica, heading for the room's exit, but she grabbed his arm before he could leave.

"Khan, it's another ploy," Monica almost begged. "You know it's a trap, but we have ways to handle it now. Why do you have to go?"

It broke Khan's heart having to go against Monica's wishes. She even made him hesitate, but the answer was clear in his mind. It had been clear for too long. He wasn't human. Khan wasn't even sure what he was now. He only knew that Monica's reasoning couldn't apply to him.

"Because it never ends," Khan responded, and Monica's hands couldn't help but tremble.

"Because I fell in love, and they kicked me out," Khan continued. "Because I sought answers, and they made an asteroid explode. Because I found you, and they made me accomplish miracles just to hold your hand in public."

Monica wanted to say something but couldn't. She desired to jump on Khan and give away the entirety of herself to reassure him, but her legs didn't move. Even her grasp on Khan's arm weakened.

"Because I became great, and they put you in danger," Khan added. "Because I had to become a monster to survive. Because they still don't realize what they are against."

"But Khan," Monica finally spoke, tears accumulating in her eyes. "They will never accept you if you do this."

"I don't need them to accept me," Khan scoffed. "I just need to save them."

Having said that, Khan slipped out of Monica's grasp and left the room.