Chapter 683 No one
Khan's second task didn't involve any promise made to Lord Exr, but still tackled Ambassador Abores' tasks. The Empire required the delivery of specific fabrics in less than two months, and Khan's presence began to sound necessary when he thought about it.
Khan didn't trust the Global Army's chain of command. Ambassador Abores had placed too many friends and acquaintances in favorable positions, and some stood directly against Khan's duties.
The fabrics' production was automated, but the involved factories still had crews of workers inside. One of them featured a friend of Ambassador Abores as its leader, and Khan couldn't just ignore it without checking it first.
The trip from Strara 3518 was long but lasted only a day. After a prolonged flight and refueling, Khan's ship headed for a space station in the Global Army's territory, descending right into the workers' districts.
The place was nothing more than an imitation of Milia 222. The space station wasn't even close to being self-sufficient, but its population remained huge. Yet, most of it was made of workers placed there for specific reasons.
Khan ignored the salutes that unfolded at his arrival and headed directly toward the appointed factory. Workers escorted him, but he barely deigned them with a glance as he made his way through narrow corridors and halls featuring heavy machinery.
Needless to say, Khan's presence startled many workers, often making them halt their tasks. Still, he ignored all that to head directly for the office featuring the figure in charge.
After a long walk and many stairs, Khan arrived at a secluded office. The place didn't have windows, but its door opened at Khan's genetic signature. A simple room unfolded in his eyes, but the latter immediately focused on the figure behind the interactive desk.
A middle-aged woman with brown hair and tanned skin stood behind the desk and lifted her dark eyes at Khan's appearance. She tried to hide her surprise and wear an agreeable smile, but her mana told Khan a very different story.
It was common for shifts in the chain of command to bring changes in the overall leadership of many businesses. After all, everyone wanted to improve their position and influence, so the woman already guessed what was about to happen.
However, a tinge of determination remained inside the woman. She knew her situation but was also aware of her credentials. She deserved that high-tier job and was ready to defend it, even against the famous Captain Khan.
"Captain Khan!" The woman jumped on her feet to perform a military salute. "What a pleasant surprise!"
The woman's tension was palpable. She wasn't only a mere second-level warrior. Khan's fame was too overwhelming, and his recent engagement brought his presence to a new level.
"You don't have the best control of your factory," Khan pointed out. "Someone should have warned you in the ten minutes it took me to get here."
"We are focusing everything on the fabrics' production," The woman explained. "Besides, we are simple workers. The security is in the hands of the soldiers in the station."
The woman wasn't wrong but didn't tell the whole truth either. The station's soldiers were in charge of the security, but the factory had cameras and similar tools. She simply didn't have the time to sort everything out.
It didn't help that the workers weren't part of the woman's team or close allies. She had replaced the previous leader once Ambassador Abores had gained his role, and asserting control in a foreign environment wasn't easy. The best she could do was maintain the production's standards and deal with the rest later.
All those thoughts crossed the woman's mind and leaked clues into her mana. Khan didn't miss any of them and gained an almost complete picture of the situation. Still, he chose to remain silent.
"You know why I am here," Khan stated, occupying the chair before the desk.
"Of course," The woman exclaimed, also sitting and reaching for the bottom drawer. She quickly seized a bottle and two glasses, which she didn't hesitate to fill.
"I'm sorry if the drink isn't to your liking," The woman immediately warned, pushing one glass toward Khan. "We don't get the best booze here."
Khan didn't say anything and seized the glass, his face impassible while he drank. The booze wasn't good, but he wouldn't refuse it after living in the Slums for so long.
"The issue is very simple," Khan eventually announced. "I need everything to go according to plan, and you might be a problem due to your affiliation with Ambassador Abores."
The "might" gave the woman hope, but Khan's face remained cold, almost shattering that feeling. She couldn't understand how inclined he was to keep her, so her only option was to try to convince him.
"Captain, I've been in this field for over twenty years," The woman revealed. "My credentials are impeccable, and the same goes for my performance. I've done an excellent job in any factory without minding affiliations or purposes."
"This is also the highest position you have ever achieved in your career," Khan pointed out. He had done his homework, and the statement hit the right spot.
The woman hesitated. Her profile had nothing but compliments, but Khan was right. That was the best job she had ever scored, and her friendship with Ambassador Abores had played a big role in it.
"You might very well end your career here," Khan continued. "It's far from bad. Many would pay a lot for this job."
The factory wasn't anything special, but its connection with the Thilku Empire made the pay high. The same went for the workers' responsibilities. The job was simple, but everything around it turned it into a high-profile endeavor.
"That's true," The woman declared. "It's my best job, and I thought about keeping it until retirement. However, that says nothing about my performance or loyalty."
"Loyalty?" Khan wondered.
"I serve the Global Army, Captain," The woman claimed. "I might have used my connections to secure this job, but performing poorly on purpose would be akin to betrayal. I wouldn't risk a political incident for my benefit."
The woman had once again spoken the truth, although greatly exaggerated. Affecting the production could create problems for the Ambassadors and the Empire, but fabrics alone couldn't cause a political incident.
Khan didn't find any lie in the woman's words, but trusting her was a different matter. Anyone could summon determination before something threatening, but nothing could say whether that would last. The woman believed her words now, but a lot could change after Khan left.
Truth be told, Khan found the matter quite annoying. On the one hand, he wanted to get rid of the woman to avoid any possible problems. That was the safest solution, as well as the most reasonable one.
However, finding another equally skilled worker wasn't easy, even with the help of the Global Army. Khan also had to keep in mind the timeline and Ambassador Abores' possible interference since he wanted to avoid ending up with another flawed replacement.
There was another issue, too. Replacing someone so high in the chain of command could cause production delays. The process was automated, but problems could appear, and specialized figures were necessary to fix them quickly.
Theoretically, the Solodrey family could solve everything. They could provide someone suitable for the job and trustworthy, but Khan didn't want to rely on them. That would only tell the Global Army he wasn't ready for the role.
'It would be easier if she stayed and completed her job,' Khan concluded, 'But I can't just leave and hope for the best.'
The stakes were too high, and Khan didn't want to mess up his first true job as an Ambassador. That was his ticket to promotions and titles, so he had to excel.
"You'll keep your job," Khan eventually declared, "For now. However, I'll send someone to surveil you, including any external communication."
The woman initially felt happy, but the last part soured her feelings. She had a family, and many of her calls were personal. Allowing someone to check any communication was an infringement of her privacy.
"Captain, I can't accept this," The woman exclaimed. "Prisoners have more rights."
"There is nothing to accept," Khan revealed, gulping down the remaining booze. "It's done. I'll stay here until my soldier arrives."
Khan stood up and picked up his phone, ready to call Andrew and plan his flight. However, the woman also shot to her feet, and her mana warned Khan about an imminent complaint.
"Captain, this is outrageous!" The woman snapped. "You can't force me to be your prisoner due to my allegiances."
Khan didn't lower his phone but lifted his eyes to glare at the woman. His gaze told her everything she needed to know. She wasn't even a person in Khan's mind. Her whole existence was limited to that specific issue.
"You are no one," Khan declared. "You don't have a choice. You'll do as you are told because I say so. That's it."
The unreasonable request left the woman speechless, but Khan didn't linger in the office to have a discussion. By the time he stepped into the corridor, a call with Andrew had already started.