Chapter 1183: Ambassador |
Everything made so much sense on so many levels and aspects that Khan almost felt sick reviewing it.
Liiza belonged to a tribe of Ambassadors. Her mother had previously been in charge of the relationship with humankind, but she had died to protect her. It only stood to reason that Liiza had followed Yeza's footsteps, achieving a similar role.
After all, Liiza had always been talented. No one had ever questioned her power, expertise, or knowledge. Her only flaw stemmed from her poor relationship with the rest of her species, but that problem had been gone by the time Khan left Nitis.
So, as the leader of the tribe of Ambassadors, it was reasonable for Liiza to offer herself in an arranged marriage. That was her political role, her responsibility. Khan also believed she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice herself in that way to repay her mother and bring honor to her memory.
Choosing the Kros also made perfect sense. Khan didn't know much about them but had read their general description. The Kros were a technology-oriented species that had opted for isolation, keeping themselves away from the complicated array of alliances in the universe.
In a way, the Kros were the very opposite of the Niqols. Both species had isolated themselves, but the former preferred technology, while the latter had Shamans.
Of course, the Niqols did have some iteration of technology, but Khan could guess they weren't great at it. He had seen too much about the universe not to reach that conclusion. Allying with the Kros would fix their greatest weakness, creating a more stable foundation for when they resumed interacting with other species.
As for why the Niqols didn't choose humankind as a possible ally for that arranged marriage, Khan didn't even need to consider it to find various reasons.
The Niqols were by no means weak, but humankind was far stronger and more established in the universe. An alliance between those two species would clearly have the latter in charge. Instead, the Niqols could treat the Kros as their equal, developing a more balanced foundation and relationship.
Still, Khan recalled where he was before his element could damage the interactive desk or the floor's equipment. He didn't want his wild outbursts to sink the sea station, and his conversation wasn't over, either.
"You said you," Khan eventually pointed out.
"What did you say, Nephew?" Prince Thomas asked.
"You said the Niqols contacted the Global Army to invite me," Khan specified. "I'm not part of the Global Army anymore."
Khan's force was still interacting with the Global Army. His decision to leave humankind didn't change the previous relationships or alliances, but that issue was political, and reputation played a big role in those matters.
The Global Army must have taken offense at the fact that the Niqols had asked for a traitor of the species, but Prince Thomas had still relayed that message. Khan could only guess that the negotiations didn't go as humankind wanted.
"The Global Army tried to explain that point," Prince Thomas revealed, "But the Niqols wouldn't accept any other human but you."
Learning that felt good, but Khan didn't let it go to his head. He knew himself far too well not to consider the problems with the event and its political implications.
"George Ildoo should be trustworthy enough," Khan suggested. "He probably also needs a break from parenting."
"The Niqols have been very specific, Nephew," Prince Thomas insisted. "They want you or no human at all."
'Human,' Khan scoffed in his mind, mocking himself and that word. He had stopped belonging to that species since the Second Impact. His mutations had simply kept that truth hidden until Milia 222.
"Actually," Prince Thomas continued. "It's not just the Niqols."
Khan remained silent, knowing that an explanation would follow, and his Uncle didn't disappoint.
"The union between the Niqols and Kros can give birth to a powerful force," Prince Thomas stated, "One that the Global Army wants to be part of. The Kros' technology, in particular, is rumored to be superior to the Fuveall's."
Khan could understand where that was going. Humankind didn't have many enemies but had plenty of allies. That was the Global Army's way of accumulating riches and knowledge, improving its overall development.
The Global Army had already been willing to negotiate with the Niqols, so adding the Kros to the equation almost made them priceless. Humankind wanted to establish a good relationship with that new force, but couldn't do it without Khan.
"So," Prince Thomas continued. "The Global Army contacted me to ask you a favor. It wants you to join the ceremony and represent humankind to establish the first step in a beneficial alliance."
Khan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had spent years clashing with various parties inside the Global Army. Humankind had tried to limit his growth in all kinds of contrived ways, but there it was, asking him a favor.
"I'm not going," Khan instantly refused. Admittedly, those words mostly belonged to a childish fit rather than his reasonable side, but there were serious motivations behind them.
"My Prince," Prince Thomas called. "This is a priceless opportunity for humankind, the Thilku Empire, your force, and the Niqols themselves. Everyone loses unless you attend that event."
Khan hated how right his Uncle was, even if everything stemmed from the Niqols' stubbornness. Still, Khan couldn't blame them. After all, humankind had treated them quite poorly during the sunlight crisis, making Khan the only trusted figure in that entire species.
"Also, if I may," Prince Thomas added. "Don't you want to see Miss Liiza again?"
"Is your Sister whispering words to your ears?" Khan cursed, crossing his arms and voicing a loud snort when he found it impossible to shake off that question from his brain.
Obviously, Khan wanted to see Liiza again. He had no doubt about that, but the event had so many problems he didn't even know where to begin to describe them. Many came from Khan's inability to control himself, but more than enough concerned him and his transformation in the past ten years.
Another curse resounded in Khan's mind when he couldn't find a valid excuse to dodge the event. He searched for something, anything that could justify his refusal and absence, but the arranged marriage couldn't have come at a better moment.
Realistically, Khan had nothing to do but wait for Garret and his teams to prepare the new ship and flight route. Khan was completely free and couldn't deny his curiosity or the other feelings that accompanied it, feelings he didn't dare to mention.
"Fine, I'll go," Khan eventually declared. "Maybe this will finally put an end to this entire story."