Chaos' Heir-Chapter 1082: Checkpoint

Mary complied with Khan's orders, giving him a complete tour of Nott Station.

The structure was as small as Khan had imagined it to be. It used its limited space well, often opting for small areas and narrow corridors to create more rooms and useful locations. Yet, that didn't change its overall size, restraining it to necessary essential functions.

That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, Nott Station was nothing more than an overseer with no significant military power. Actual policing missions would require reinforcements from the Global Army, which the structure never requested. It seemed Captain Lochport knew better than to mess with the criminal organizations in the nearby quadrants.

As the rumors said, the Captain pushed that point further. Mary never confirmed anything, but Khan smelled familiar vibes when touring through Nott Station's hangars and storage facilities. He had seen Milia 222's secret dock, and his hunches screamed when walking through those areas.

Nevertheless, Khan didn't push the matter to obtain answers. He would leave those talks for his next meeting with Captain Lochport. For now, Khan only wanted to familiarize himself with Nott Station, trying to find areas that could be fixed or improved.

Surprisingly, Nott Station was exceptionally well-kept. It was clean and smooth, albeit pretty outdated. Except for the medical bay, the equipment dated to before most training grounds on Earth, and Khan couldn't decide by how many decades.

Still, Captain Lochport's management remained praiseworthy. Lesser leaders would have left parts of Nott Station to rot, focusing on amassing personal gains to live a more comfortable life in that almost unregulated side of the universe.

Instead, Captain Lochport had done the exact opposite, sparing no expense in keeping the space station up and running, even prioritizing his crews' quality of life. The occasional exchanges of lines with Mary and the general vibe in the structure confirmed that.

Once the tour was over, Mary accompanied Khan back to his quarters. Some crews were already working on fixing the corridor, but Mary still attempted to prolong her stay, earning herself a few gossipy glances from those soldiers.

Khan pretended not to notice anything and sent Mary away, isolating himself in the Captain's living quarters. He would usually head for the showers or indulge in more drinks, but different thoughts lingered in his mind, making him sit on the floor and grab his phone.

Khan ignored the sea of notifications on the screen and opened the list of contacts. He almost made a call before moving to a different file, summoning a star map with the newly discovered routes, studying and cross-referencing them with other data.

Nott Station was close to the four routes but not too close. Khan could devise a better and more private checkpoint. After all, he had the tools and wealth for that, and the end result would easily top that old structure.

However, building a space station wasn't easy or fast, especially one suited for Khan's needs. He did believe his faction could achieve that in less than a year, but he wasn't willing to wait that long to resume his travel.

Setting off and relying on a preexisting space station could fix the issue, but many parties would notice the mobilization of those big structures. Khan wasn't covering his tracks, but being careful was bound to help.

Taking over Nott Station and improving some areas sounded like the best and quickest solution. The Global Army didn't even care much about it, so Khan could move it to a more suitable spot.

Moreover, Captain Lochport was already aware of the quadrants' political situation, so Khan wouldn't need to negotiate additional deals or rain fire on anyone attempting to exploit him.

It would also be easy to obtain Nott Station. Khan only needed to make a phone call. Actually, a public declaration would be enough. Still, he didn't want to resort to such methods. The structure's crews had chosen Captain Lochport as their leader, and Khan wouldn't steal what belonged to him.

It took almost half a day, but a notification eventually hit the Captain's quarters. Khan left the habitation only to find Mary waiting for him, forcefully hiding her eagerness to escort him through the space station again.

Khan feigned ignorance and walked alongside the beautiful woman, reaching the same meeting room. At that time, Captain Lochport waited by the entrance and only shot a short glare at Mary before welcoming Khan inside.

The scenes from the previous meeting seemed to repeat themselves, but Captain Lochport directly sat at that time. He also glanced at the new booze on the table before diverting his gaze, squeezing his knees to suppress the urge to indulge in that distraction to deal with his anxiety.

Meanwhile, Khan calmly filled his glass, pretending not to notice anything. Still, his pensive state was apparent, worsening Captain Lochport's anxiety.

"Allow me to apologize for my past behavior, Prince Khan," Captain Lochport announced in that oppressive silence. "I was out of line and disrespectful. My inexperience and incompetence wasted your precious time."

"On the contrary," Khan reassured. "The meeting was quite fruitful, but I still need to receive proper answers from you."

Captain Lochport didn't blackout back then. He recalled everything he said in his drunken state, which was a problem. He had humiliated himself before a Prince, and only revealing secrets could make up for the insult.

"Nott Station is aware of the criminal activities in the area," Captain Lochport revealed. "It doesn't exactly engage with them, but we happen to have a basic level of cooperation that ensures mutual benefits."

That much was obvious, but Khan wanted details. He had no use for vague information, but the Captain didn't need additional questions.

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"Of course, they are trivial matters, Prince Khan," Captain Lochport declared. "These quadrants only have small-time criminals who wouldn't dare to plot against the Global Army. I'm talking about occasional storage of hot items and unsanctioned sales of surplus resources."

That was more surprising. Different leaders would have dived deeper into the criminal array, relying on the Global Army's name to control it and amass benefits. However, it seemed Captain Lochport had avoided binding himself to those activities in a meaningful way.

"The activities aren't limited to humans," Captain Lochport continued. "There are a few Orlats among the crews. I don't know why, but I've seen them."

"That's one species I don't like to deal with," Khan sighed.

"Right?!" Captain Lochport cursed before remembering where he was. "I think I even saw an Aphre once. Though, I might be mistaken."

"What's an Aphre doing here?" Khan wondered.

"I don't know, Prince Khan," Captain Lochport said. "I don't want to know. My only allegiance is toward Nott Station, so I kept it away from problems."

Captain Lochport's praiseworthy approach aside, Khan had to admit those quadrants had become more interesting. However, in hindsight, it made sense for the area to have a relatively diverse environment. It wasn't Milia 222, but every species had outcasts, criminals, and fugitives.

"I swear on my name and my years of service, Prince Khan," Captain Lochport added, standing up and lowering his head in respect. "I never did anything that could hurt the Global Army.

"However, if you must punish something, punish me and spare Nott Station and my crews. They have done nothing wrong."

Khan studied Captain Lochport, scratching the side of his head. It seemed the misunderstanding was still strong in the soldier's mind, and Khan believed it was time to dispel it.

"I won't do anything against Nott Station or yourself," Khan declared. "If anything, I plan to protect and sponsor it."

"What?" Captain Lochport gasped, lifting his head to meet Khan's glowing gaze.

"The problem is," Khan said. "I'll set off soon, and I don't exactly go easy on those who annoy me. I might end up blowing a ship or two or a hundred. No one will ever go against me, and Nott Station might become the target of those grudges."

Captain Lochport didn't fully follow, but part of Khan's speech sounded reasonable. The Global Army's name was enough to scare most small-time criminals away, so true nobility had to be straight-up terrifying.

"I'd rather avoid creating a mess," Khan stated. "So, if you tell me everything you know about these criminals, I'll know how to dodge or interact with them. In exchange, I'll give Nott Station everything it needs and more."