Chaos' Heir

Chapter 1031: Planning

Khan had to admit the conversation with Princess Rebecca had left him more preoccupied than he expected.

The conversation ended up involving multiple topics, with Princess Rebecca often finding ways of teasing Khan or exploiting his weakness to familiar affection.

However, the short exchange about Monica left a deep impression in Khan's mind, and no amount of thinking or booze could disperse it. Something about Princess Rebecca's words had struct hard and deep, making him aware of things he had entirely dismissed.

Monica wasn't like Khan. Their crazy and extreme traits matched, but the two were fundamentally different. Khan was a soldier and an explorer who belonged to the trenches or inside a ship, while Monica was a princess, a monster of the political field who could outwit people twice her age.

Theoretically, Khan and Monica could be seen as complementary, and they didn't shy away from exploiting their respective expertise. Also, their flaws weren't exactly deep. Monica had taught Khan much about the political field, and her battle prowess was far from low compared to fellow fourth-level warriors.

Nevertheless, hearing Princess Rebecca talk about Monica's efforts in the political field made Khan think. He didn't care about that part of his life, but Monica wasn't like him. Her status was everything to her, and she had worked harder than most to secure and improve it.

Meanwhile, Khan was asking Monica to give it all up and journey with him. Hopefully, the trip wouldn't last forever, but the request highlighted a fundamental difference in the two's priorities.

Moreover, Khan couldn't help but find similarities with what had happened with Cora. Sure, he had no deep feelings for her, but he had also decided to leave her behind because she wasn't a warrior, and Monica wasn't like that, either.

Khan couldn't find answers to the issue, so he stopped looking for them. He stopped thinking, deciding to be as honest as possible and trust Monica. She definitely was no Cora, and everything would work out as long as they were together.

Of course, Khan didn't only think about Monica. While she occupied most of his brain, he had other matters to handle. Except for a few cases, his Uncle could take care of most political issues so he could focus on planning a route to fulfill his main mission.

Once Princess Rebecca left the hall, Khan activated one of the interactive desks. His genetic signature could turn any menu into the most classified piece of technology on Baoway, so it only took a few taps to access the information he sought.

Finding the Nak was no easy task. That mysterious species had been active for millennia, flying throughout the galaxy to launch suicidal attacks on every living being they

encountered.

Khan had access to the Empire's records, and his Aunt had also gathered a great deal of data, but the two could only create a vague path through the universe. Adding Lord Vegner's info could improve it, but the task remained nothing short of nigh-impossible.

The problem had many layers. The timeline of the different attacks could provide a general direction, but that only applied to the information available to Khan. Some species might have suffered attacks before anything Khan had access to, leaving a massive dark spot in the most important part of the journey.

After crossing the path drawn from the available information, Khan would be flying in the dark, with only a vague direction and no clue of how distant his destination was. His ship was one of the best humankind had ever produced, and he could get his hands on even better technology, but nothing could solve that problem.

Even at full speed, Khan could be forced to fly for months or years, if not longer. Some teleports could help, but his mission most likely stretched far past the reach of civilization. He would be on his own when it mattered the most, and the unclear timeline added unsolvable problems.

Khan couldn't fly through space on his own, so he needed a ship. However, ships required fuel. The Global Army and other species had sent stations in all kinds of deep parts of the universe, but Khan needed to go past them.

Additional fuel storage units could dampen the issue, but Khan didn't know how much that could last. Things would be easier with a clear destination, but his trip would force him to land on all kinds of planets to look for clues, which consumed a lot of energy.

On top of that, Khan also had to consider his supplies, especially with his seemingly endless appetite. His journey would probably reach the point when he couldn't purchase food or fuel anymore, forcing him to rely on what was left on his ship.

The more Khan explored the issue, the clearer his limitations became. No matter how he looked at it, a single trip simply wouldn't do. The journey's logistics made that plan impossible to accomplish.

'I could bring a fleet with me,' Khan considered. 'Putting every ship on auto-pilot to carry additional resources and gradually throwing them away as their tanks empty.'

The strategy could work, but its perils were apparent. Khan risked being too far away from every trace of civilization once he sacrificed his entire fleet to make the trip back. Also, the initial financial investment was no small thing, even for a noble family.

Everything would be easier if Khan could send scouts to deal with that initial part, which he had already done. However, those crews didn't bring anything valuable back, and Khan had a clear suspicion as to why.

Many clues and interactions pointed toward that specific direction. Only someone tainted by the Nak could find the right path. Khan needed to be on the field, relying on his instincts and mutations to reach the azure star system. His presence was necessary, and additional crewmates would only increase the demand for supplies.

'I'll start with a general exploration for now,' Khan eventually sighed, giving up on the idea of going all-out from the get-go. 'If nothing works, I'll just have to fly blindly, hoping the Nak aren't too far away.'

Such an ambitious trip required countless preparations, and Khan handled most of them through the interactive desk. He only had to send the order, and the planet's soldiers would get to work. At that pace, it wouldn't take long before Khan could depart. Meanwhile, the news of Khan's departure from the political world spread through the quadrant, quickly reaching every corner of the Global Army. Many parties sighed in relief, while others immediately requested meetings.

The process would usually be overwhelming for Khan, but Prince Thomas shielded him from that pressure. His Uncle was the de facto faction leader now, so only special people could request his direct presence.

As for Monica, she knew exactly where Khan was and didn't need any authorization, so she eventually walked inside the living room where he was working.