Despite Khan's overbearing presence and its evident effect on the nearby technology, the small and weak aliens remained quite calm.
The three Kros silently studied Khan. Their vertical yellow eyes darted between his figure and the floating consoles before them, probably attempting to harness data their senses couldn't capture.
The attempt didn't go anywhere since the consoles flickered and occasionally stopped working. Khan couldn't see much from his position, but the unstable blue light that shone on those triangular faces told him as much.
Moreover, Khan wasn't soone simple machines could comprehend. As technologically inclined as the Kros were, Khan was too vast and profound as a creature, and that small ship couldn't possibly have the necessary equipnt to study him.
That apparent composure almost beca praiseworthy due to those details. Terror often accompanied the unknown, especially when the latter could fill the dark expanse with raging storms.
However, Khan didn't feel any bravery or inhuman resolve in those humanoid lizards, and the mana barrier wasn't to bla. That relatively stable mbrane did nothing to stop Khan's senses, allowing him to study the three Kros' very core, their mana, and their strange nature.
'Are they emotionless?' Khan wondered. That wouldn't be his first ti facing similar creatures. If anything, that conclusion would put the Kros even closer to the Guko, but the superficial answer didn't sit right with Khan's hunches.
That also hardly mattered since Khan's mind barely had any room for innocent curiosity.
"Can you understand ?" Khan asked due to the lack of replies to his previous statent.
The Kros had adjusted the second mana barrier to Khan's presence, but his words caused another series of tremors. His voice reeked of unreasonable anger, carrying a weight that the mbrane almost failed to withstand.
The mana barrier shook for almost a minute before stabilizing again, revealing the three Kros focused on Khan. He had gained their undivided attention now, and the third-level warrior among them pressed one of his five long, slim, and oddly placed fingers on his tal chair.
"We understand you, Prince Khan of the Nognes family," A robotic, manufactured voice ca from the tal chair's speakers.
That short action revealed many details. The Kros were either anatomically incapable of speaking the human language or simply didn't know it. They might have also chosen to rely on that floating machine due to their innate inclinations, adding more curious features to their otherwise unknown species.
Khan instinctively took ntal notes, but his attention was elsewhere, especially now that he had confird that he could communicate with those aliens.
"I kidnapped Liiza of the Niqols," Khan declared, adjusting his speech to what the tal chair had conveyed. "I insulted your hospitality and offended your species. For that, I'm willing to compromise and provide compensation."
That was the undeniable truth and the correct political move. It was the whole reason why Khan didn't destroy the fleet, and part of him even took the eventual fight against the Scarlet Eyes into consideration. Yet, that also was the best his reasonable side could muster before giving in to other urges.
"But," Khan added, and deep screams resounded throughout the area since his anger started to bend the surrounding tal. "Liiza of the Niqols is my wife now, and she carries my child, and you dared to attack her."
The disturbing noise intensified, and small cracks appeared on those black surfaces. Tiny holes also opened on both mana barriers. Despite the Kros' best efforts and tuning, the ship couldn't contain Khan. If anything, those aliens had to be grateful Khan didn't snap.
Of course, Khan didn't forget to remind the three Kros of that point.
"Be grateful that I owe you new negotiations," Khan continued. "That spared your fleet this ti."
Recognizing human expressions in those lizard-like aliens wasn't sothing Khan could do on their first eting. Yet, he saw the three Kros' mana, and the lack of aningful reactions pushed his anger to a new level.
Khan didn't do anything. He didn't move or release any mana, but the blue artificial illumination abruptly failed, leaving his eyes as the sole source of light.
The mana barriers remained active, but the strange artificial gravity didn't. The various floating consoles and hovering chairs fell, crashing to the bottom of the spherical environnt, following the standard pull of the internal atmosphere.
The Kros finally showed so emotions. They were more startled than scared while they clung to their fallen tal chairs, studying their surroundings while adjusting themselves. Luckily, the three chunky seats had landed straight, so the trio could soon refocus on Khan.
"Did you mishear ?" Khan asked. "I told you to be grateful."
The three pairs of reptilian eyes finally widened, revealing an understanding of Khan's words. The third-level warrior pressed on his tilted chair to activate so of its functions, but the machine was unresponsive, and his mana shook, slling of faint panic.
A couple of tense seconds passed during those failed attempts, but that short ti was too much for the panicked Kros. The third-level warrior stopped tinkering with his chair to look at Khan again and perform a slight nod.
That wasn't exactly what Khan had in mind, but he wouldn't nitpick. Still, the Kros weren't the only ones looking for him.
"Send word far and wide," Khan ordered. "If you attack without asking for permission, your species burns."
Khan didn't waste ti confirming whether the Kros understood his words. He didn't need to since the aliens' mana had already updated him on that point.
Nevertheless, sothing claid Khan's attention as soon as he started to turn. He had planned to end the conversation there. In his mind, he had nothing else to say, but the Kros didn't share his opinion.
"Kr-," A manufactured robotic voice tried to escape the third-level warrior's tal chair, only for the machine to stop functioning again. The alien quickly tinkered with it, and a more complete sentence followed.
"The Kros are waiting for negotiations," The third-level warrior announced through the chair. "Prince Khan of the Nognes family must provide his offer to prevent the war."
"Do you wish to die that badly?" Khan wondered. "Make no mistake. I'm sparing you from a war you'll lose."
"The Kros do not fear defeat," The third-level warrior conveyed. "The Kros will burn before accepting insults."
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