Chaos' Heir

Chapter 1478: Fearless

Despite not being exactly clear, the Orlats at the table understood what Khan meant. That negotiation didn’t have wares or deals at stake. It simply was Khan offering those clans a way to survive.

To make things worse, the Orlats didn’t doubt for a second that Khan would actually kill them all. His dreadful fame preceded him, and his stance couldn’t be more self-explanatory. He was ready and willing to slaughter them all if the meeting didn’t satisfy him.

However, the Orlats also saw something else in that seemingly hopeless situation. If the stories about the Prince were to be believed, he wouldn’t have wasted time or words in negotiations unless he needed that species’ help.

Therefore, the situation wasn’t hopeless at all. Khan’s threats could scare almost everyone, but the Orlats didn’t belong in that category. They wielded something Khan saw as worthy of an official pardon, which they could use to turn the negotiations in their favor.

"[Prince Khan, you are mistaken]," The earring Orlats decided to speak now that the opportunity to seize personal benefits presented itself. "[No clan swore oaths nor sealed deals with your alliance. We aren’t bound by it. There’s no guilt to be found]."

"[Your name]?" Khan asked.

"[Faraz]," The earring Orlats replied. "[My clan is the one that provided the booze you are drinking]."

"[Well, Faraz, you are completely correct]," Khan admitted. "[You didn’t break any deal nor betrayed anyone]."

Things obviously were more complicated than that. While it was true that the Orlats couldn’t betray an alliance they hadn’t joined, they had also raided locations that didn’t belong to them.

The affected species would typically have to deal with that crime separately, contacting the Orlats individually. That was how politics worked, especially since the only somewhat official duties of the allied front involved cooperation in the fight against the True Chaos.

But Khan didn’t come to Chigoilara as an Ambassador. He wasn’t there to enforce politics. He honestly was beyond caring about deals in general or how unreasonable his requests sounded.

"[But]," Khan continued before the Orlats could grow happy about his previous admission. "[Why would I care about what’s right or wrong]?"

Khan heaved a sigh, getting another taste of that good, strong booze. The Orlats were trying to play games, so he had to make his stance clear, despite explicitly requesting to skip that part.

"[So what if you didn’t do anything bad]?" Khan wondered. "[I’m making a new rule. Either you are with me, or you lose your right to be alive]."

That rule didn’t make any sense. Khan’s whole statement didn’t. He spoke as if he could decide how the universe had to spin, but the evolved Orlats couldn’t call him out on his overbearing stance. They were in no position to deny it.

Still, the Orlats also kept clinging to the opportunity they had spotted. They were a rather fearless species when they wielded the right cards, and Khan’s overbearing words couldn’t change that truth.

"[Prince Khan, I’m Afsana]," The nose-ring Orlats called, not making the same mistake as her partners. "[My clan was on Merth 290. We understand that you are strong, but threats won’t pay for our services]."

If it weren’t for Khan’s presence, the Orlats would have just agreed to eventual deals, only to go back on them immediately.

The fact that Khan was on Chigoilara forced the evolved Orlats to play along, but that couldn’t ensure cooperation.

Afsana didn’t explicitly say it, but her intentions were obvious. The Orlats at the table could very well tell Khan everything he wanted to hear, but nothing would force them to comply with his requests once he was gone. Only actual benefits could.

That confidence wasn’t fake, either. The Orlats were masters at navigating the universe and being one step ahead of everyone else. If they truly wanted to, they could escape and remain hidden from any pursuer, no matter how mighty or fearsome they were.

Clearly, Khan had to make a deal, and a proper one at that. He couldn’t just scare the Orlats into submission.

"[Ah]!" Khan cried. "[You are indeed good. I wouldn’t have been so adamant about involving you otherwise]."

Many species despised the Orlats, but no one dared to underestimate them, and their ability to feign fearlessness before Khan proved why.

"[But this is war]," Khan continued, "[And I already have to deal with so many species that would love to benefit even before we achieve victory]."

That was the unavoidable danger of unstable alliances, which, sadly, the massive invasion of the regulated universe didn’t remove for good.

"[And, then, I have the Orlats]," Khan added, "[Who have already benefitted during the first real attack. You have proven yourself as a liability, and I can’t focus on fighting what’s in front of me when I have to watch my back]."

Appearances were at the core of politics. Khan didn’t want to play by them, but the species in the allied front wouldn’t be able to offer their full support if they had to protect themselves from Orlats’ raids.

"[And let me be clear]," Khan announced. "[I do want the Orlats to join my allied front, but maybe wiping you all out is easier. It would even be safer since you continue to be uncooperative]."

Khan wasn’t pretending. The war against the True Chaos was almost hopeless at it was, and having to deal with the Orlats on top of that would ensure defeat.

Khan couldn’t even let the Orlats have their way. He couldn’t accept that on a personal level, and the political repercussions would be massive.

Accepting that bullying would tell the other species in the allied front that they could do the same, ruining that initial unity Khan had worked so hard to achieve. The eventual conclusion had to appease Khan’s allies first, or the alliance as a whole would crumble.

"[I do believe the Orlats are irreplaceable]," Khan declared. "[No one can do what you are good at better than you, and it’s not even close]."

That praise was welcome, but the Orlats didn’t let it go to their heads since they knew more was coming.

"[But I can’t deal with dead Orlats, can I]?" Khan asked. "[So, rebuy your lives first. Then, we can negotiate a price for your services]."

Khan emptied his cup at that point, voicing his final words. "[Or you can stay dead and be hunted down until the end of time. I needed empty planets to eat anyway. I might very well start with Chigoilara]."