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C448 Tests

Princess Edna stayed true to her words. She officially joined the advanced classes and never missed the chance to sit next to Monica and Khan. She also followed them to George's flat every afternoon, leaving no openings for the rest of the students and teachers.

Khan didn't know whether that development was positive for his career. Still, going against the Princess was impossible, so he tried to make the best out of his new situation.

The lessons were fine. The Princess was extremely well-behaved during those, and she barely paid attention anyway, so Khan could follow everything properly.

The mana-related classes belonged to the beginning of the week, but that didn't make the following any easier, especially for Khan. Theory-heavy lessons filled the next days, with many going over every regulation the Global Army had. Khan only had to memorize them, but their sheer amount complicated everything.

Princess Edna didn't help there. She abhorred studying, so Khan couldn't go over his lessons while she was in George's flat. He had to handle that whenever she left or in his spare time, which inevitably led to sleepless nights.

Luckily for Khan, Monica never stopped supporting him. She didn't only know most of the subjects already. Her family had also taught her useful studying methods that she didn't hesitate to share with Khan.

The subjects were another important factor in Khan's diligence. The general topics could be boring, but most of them flowed into specific fields, including those involving ambassadors.

The Global Army had developed countless rules over the years, and the ambassadors had to stick to many. Those regulations also changed depending on different situations, and Khan had to memorize all of them. That was the actual foundation for his career, and he was learning it from one of the best places in the universe.

The sleepless nights, almost complete lack of free time, and constant pressure caused by the Princess could make anyone go mad. However, Khan was no stranger to packed schedules, and he could also find positive sides to his situation.

Princess Edna was unpredictable, but Khan could keep her entertained. He had many interesting stories, especially when he added George to the equation, so fulfilling her curiosity was never a problem.

Monica's feelings for Khan began to bloom properly after learning about the nightmares. They continued to keep their relationship a secret, but she slowly grew used to being with him in front of the Princess. His need to catch up in many subjects also made her strangely obedient, which he never failed to point out.

George risked getting the short end of the stick in that situation. After all, the Princess was basically invading his flat, preventing him from having proper fun. However, he turned everything in his favor. He couldn't see Anita often, but being the host of the Princess' nights made him a celebrity.

In short, things were far from bad, and Khan's schedule almost stabilized once the first week of lessons ended. He had yet to talk with Colonel Norrett, but everything was going fine. However, he still had something to sort out, and the first of the two free days gave him the time to handle it.

'Good luck,' Khan smiled when he read Monica's message on his phone, but the stopping of the cab forced him to put the device away.

When Khan left the car, he found himself in one of the Harbor's hangars. The universe seen from the transparent dome managed to steal his attention for a few seconds, but he lowered his gaze as soon as he sensed soldiers nearby.

"Hello?" Khan called as he crossed a few ships parked before him to reach the group of soldiers. They were only three first-level warriors, but it quickly became evident that Khan's fame had arrived there.

The soldiers grew stiff as soon as they noticed Khan's azure hair. One didn't bother to turn, but his companions pulled him to claim his attention. Needless to say, the three soon performed military salutes and didn't move a muscle as they waited for Khan's request.

"At ease," Khan exclaimed while pulling out the letter for his flying courses. "I have to redeem this. Can you help me out?"

One of the soldiers stepped forward to read the unlocked letter, but he shook his head when he understood its contents. "You must see the Lieutenant in charge of this hangar, sir."

"Can you bring me there?" Khan politely asked, and a series of nods unfolded in his vision.

The three soldiers escorted Khan to a separate area of the hangar. It took a few corridors, but the group eventually arrived in front of an office, and one of the first-level warriors knocked on its door.

The door unlocked, and the soldiers stepped aside to open a path for Khan. The latter walked inside, and a young-looking man busy tinkering with his interactive desk became visible.

"Yes?" The man casually asked, but his demeanor changed as soon as he noticed the azure hair. He immediately stood up to perform a military salute, and far politer words followed. "How can I help you, Captain Khan?"

"Lieutenant?" Khan questioned.

"Shurpard, sir," The man replied.

"Lieutenant Shurpard, I have to redeem this letter," Khan explained while handing the unlocked device. "Am I in the right place?"

Lieutenant Shurpard didn't hide his surprise when he read the letter, and Khan used that time to accept the changes in his status. He had mostly been around wealthy descendants and professors since his promotion, but those soldiers' reactions told him how important he had become.

"C-congratulations, sir!" Lieutenant Shurpard soon exclaimed. "Free flying courses are a great honor, but I can't think of anyone more deserving than you."

"So," Khan continued, ignoring the praise, "Am I in the right place?"

"Of course!" Lieutenant Shurpard responded. "I can be your instructor if you are okay with that. Otherwise, I can summon a superior, but that might force you to wait."

"Then, can I start now?" Khan wondered.

"As long as you are fine with me, sir," Lieutenant Shurpard clarified.

Khan wasn't picky, and some eagerness had also gotten to him. Besides, the Lieutenant was a second-level warrior. He couldn't be a bad instructor.

"Sure," Khan nodded. "No problem at all."

"I'm honored, sir," Lieutenant Shurpard laughed and hurried to the other side of the desk before addressing the soldiers standing outside the office. "Make someone come down to take my spot."

The soldiers acknowledged the order, and Lieutenant Shurpard showed a big smile to Khan before leading him out of the office. Initially, Khan believed he would return to the hangar, but the Lieutenant brought him deeper into the dome to reach a big, cubical room.

"This way, Captain," Lieutenant Shurpard called as he approached the room's entrance and unlocked it with his genetic signature.

A vast, white space unfolded in Khan's eyes once the two men entered the room. The area resembled a training hall due to its emptiness, but a single seat existed at its center. The place even felt familiar to Khan, which caused some disappointment.

"Is this a flight simulator?" Khan questioned as the Lieutenant approached the seat to activate its holograms.

"Indeed, Captain," Lieutenant Shurpard confirmed. "These courses always have the first lessons inside a simulator. I'm sure you understand."

Khan quickly lost interest in the matter, and the appearance of the holograms didn't help. Those azure images depicted one of the many control desks he had studied with Luke's simulator. He simply couldn't learn anything from them.

"Sir, if you would join me," Lieutenant Shurpard announced. "This is the general look of a control desk. Most modern ships have adopted this design, except for-."

"Purely terrestrial vehicles," Khan interrupted. "Some hybrid ships still cling to old designs too, but they are getting rare."

Lieutenant Shurpard remained surprised, but Khan decided to press on. Clearly, he was the most important person in the room, so he used that to his advantage.

"That's the handbrake," Khan stated while pointing at one of the keys. "The levitation lock is next to it, and you can find the communication panel above. I can go on."

Khan barely looked at the control desk during his explanation, but his fingers always pointed at the correct keys. He seemed to have committed them to memory.

Lieutenant Shurpard didn't know how to react. The flying courses had a schedule to follow, but Khan knew his stuff. Also, the rumors about him corroborated his expertise.

"Captain," Lieutenant Shurpard eventually coughed, "Is it true that you flew Princess Edna's ship?"

'The rumors have already gotten here,' Khan sighed internally before showing a meaningful smile to the Lieutenant. He didn't say anything, but his expression was enough.

"I think we might skip a few passages in your case," Lieutenant Shurpard announced through his broad smile. "Why don't you follow me back to the hangar?"

"Gladly," Khan stated, and another walk began.

The Lieutenant remained silent, but his mana said a lot. The same went for the few soldiers Khan met on his way. It felt strange to be held in such reverence by people much older than him, but that was his new status. Even the wealthy descendants would probably treat him like that once Princess Edna got out of the way.

Still, that situation confirmed Khan's initial idea. He didn't care about that superficial politeness. He didn't want those kinds of relationships. They were necessary for his career, but he would rather have fewer meaningful connections over a sea of acquaintances.

Of course, Lieutenant Shurpard was already off that list. He was too tense around Khan, and the situation didn't improve even when they entered the privacy of a ship. The soldier wore a fake smile whenever their eyes met. He would never be able to look past ranks and fame.

"Captain, this is a standard training ship," Lieutenant Shurpard explained while leading the way toward the control desk. "As you can see, I'll also have a steering wheel. Mine can override your directives, but I'm sure I won't need to use it."

Khan inspected his surroundings. The ship was relatively old and chunky. It wouldn't be his ideal choice, but he recognized the control desks, and that was enough. After all, he only had to get his license there.

"Why don't we see how you handle the set-off?" Lieutenant Shurpard asked. "Mind you. The Harbor has special procedures for departures and arrivals. We'll have to go on auto-pilot to leave the dome."

Khan remained silent as he approached the pilot's seat on the left and made himself comfortable. He even began activating the functions necessary for the flight, but the first scolding didn't take long to arrive.

"Captain," Lieutenant Shurpard called while sitting next to Khan. He sounded conflicted, but he still voiced his rebuke. "You should fasten your seatbelt before proceeding with the set-off."

"Right," Khan sighed as he reached for the seatbelt. "Sorry, I like feeling the ship's movements."

"That's dangerous, sir," Lieutenant Shurpard pointed out.

"I know," Khan chuckled. "I guess I developed bad habits flying on Nitis."

Nitis' records were some of the most unclear parts of Khan's profile, but the Aduns were no secret, and Lieutenant Shurpard couldn't help but convey his curiosity.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking," Lieutenant Shurpard announced. "Did you really ride a Tainted animal on Nitis?"

"Mine was mischievous and petty," Khan laughed without hiding his lingering affection for Snow. "He always rolled himself on the ground to get me all dirty."

"Do not worry," Lieutenant Shurpard claimed since he misunderstood Khan's tone. "Ships are extremely reliable. The auto-pilot program is probably smarter than me."

'Snow was reliable,' Khan scoffed in his mind while completing the procedures for the set-off.

The auto-pilot stepped in when the ship left the floor, and a robotic voice came out of the control deck. "Authorization required."

"Lieutenant Shurpard requesting departure from the Harbor," The Lieutenant answered through his control desk.

A few seconds had to pass before the auto-pilot acknowledged the Lieutenant's request and continued the set-off. Khan had no control over the maneuver, and even his fame couldn't fix that. The Harbor's regulations wanted those phases of the flight to be automatic.

The ship left the hangar and flew through a few channels before leaving the dome. The autopilot turned itself off once the vehicle entered open space, and Khan's hands were already on the steering wheel by then.

"Do I need to do anything specific?" Khan wondered as he let the ship move in a straight line.

"Let's start with basic maneuvers," Lieutenant Shurpard declared. "Just do as I say, sir."

Khan followed the instructions whenever they arrived. He accelerated, turned, and performed simple maneuvers whenever the Lieutenant gave the order. The latter was only testing Khan's basic flying skills, and he did perfectly.

"Captain, you definitely know your way around ships," Lieutenant Shurpard praised once Khan went over all the basic maneuvers. "Let's move toward the moon. I want to see how you handle the proximity to a surface."

Khan didn't hesitate to comply. He turned and accelerated to enter a free dive toward the Harbor's moon. The ship's speed made the Lieutenant uncomfortable, and that feeling intensified as the rocky surface grew closer, but Khan made sure to slow down before he could receive another rebuke.

"Same maneuvers?" Khan asked once the ship stopped less than five hundred meters from the surface.

"Y-yes," Lieutenant Shurpard confirmed. "Though, try not to go too fast, sir. It's dangerous, and this ship isn't meant for sharp maneuvers."

"I noticed," Khan commented while proceeding to repeat the previous maneuvers. He accelerated, turned, and even landed on the rocky surface as soon as the Lieutenant ordered him to.

"Well," Lieutenant Shurpard coughed while the ship remained parked on the moon's surface. "Captain, your flying skills are surprisingly good. You could get your license in a few months at this pace."

"Months?" Khan frowned.

"Well," The Lieutenant coughed again. "Checking every step of the schedule is important. Regulations also want at least twenty completed flights before gaining access to the actual test."

"Does this count as one?" Khan wondered.

"No, sir," Lieutenant Shurpard said in a sorry tone. "The test will want you to fly far closer to the surface and perform sharper maneuvers."

Khan didn't have to pretend. He felt disappointed and made sure to show that on his face. He knew that the Global Army had to be thorough, but he really didn't need those training wheels.

"I can boot a flight program to give you an idea of the test if you wish," Lieutenant Shurpard immediately bent the rules to gain Khan's favor. "Protocol doesn't allow me to mark it as your first successful flight, but it might quicken the process."

"Sure, go ahead," Khan uttered, and the Lieutenant played with his control desk until holograms depicting a clear path came out.

The holograms were interactive, so Khan could tinker with them to read all the requirements. The Harbor already had a training path that went over deep craters and similar environmental hindrances, but the speed required to meet its standards felt quite disappointing.

"Do I need to go so slow?" Khan questioned once his inspection ended.

"It's just a training route, sir," Lieutenant Shurpard explained. "The actual test will ask you to go faster, but not above the speed limit."

"Is there a speed limit here?" Khan wondered.

"Only if you are close enough to the moon," Lieutenant Shurpard revealed. "The speed limit also changes depending on the quadrant or area. I'm sorry, but the Harbor is strict with its regulations."

'There probably are special permits for that,' Khan guessed since he had read something similar in his books.

Khan eventually took another look at the training route. It looked easy, but he didn't want to go so slow. Yet, Lieutenant Shurpard could override his commands, which could be dangerous during sharp maneuvers.

"Look, Lieutenant," Khan opted for an honest approach. "I want to push this ship a bit, but I'm uncomfortable when you can take over any time. It might make us crash."

"You don't have to worry, Captain," Lieutenant Shurpard reassured, uncaring that Khan's words might have been offensive. "I have a lot of experience."

"Alright," Khan stated. "What's the speed limit?"

"Captain?" Lieutenant Shurpard called. "Well, this is a training ship. It won't exceed the limit even if you keep pushing the wheel."

"Perfect," Khan muttered as he made the ship perform a sharp acceleration.

Lieutenant Shurpard slammed his back on the seat and reached for the steering wheel. His first instinct told him to interrupt that violent set-off, but some hesitation appeared. He had just reassured Khan, and going against him so soon was far from wise.

Meanwhile, Khan ignored the Lieutenant to focus on the training route. He made the ship go faster and faster as he approached the various maneuvers required by the holograms.

Lieutenant Shurpard had to fight against the desire to stop Khan whenever a mountain or a crater appeared. The ship was definitely going too fast for someone on his first ride, but the initial successful maneuvers brought some reassurance.

Khan soon reached the speed limit, but the ship's poor agility made him slow down at times. He didn't trust the vehicle enough to dive into reckless behavior. Still, he did his best to remain fast, and a sense of freedom eventually invaded his mind.

In the end, Khan cleared the training route and landed on the rocky surface again. He remained slightly disappointed, but the Lieutenant had the very opposite mindset. Khan was no beginner, and the recent flight had proven that.

"I should be able to go faster once I get used to this ship," Khan exclaimed to break the silence.

"Faster?!" Lieutenant Shurpard raised his voice before regaining his polite tone. "Captain, there is no need for that. The test isn't that harsh."

"But I like going fast," Khan admitted through his shameless face.

"Oh," Lieutenant Shurpard gasped. "Well, sir, the ship for the test won't have the speed limit, so you might risk failing if you keep accelerating."

Khan showed his disappointed expression again. He knew there were regulations to follow, but he hoped they wouldn't be so strict.

"There are ways to avoid regulations," Lieutenant Shurpard continued in an attempt to make a good impression on Khan. "Renting or owning fast ships can grant a certain clearance level. The same goes for pilots with specific permissions."

"Rent?" Khan repeated.

"The Harbor has many ships available for rent," Lieutenant Shurpard explained. "They aren't cheap, but you should have great discounts, sir."

"What about buying one?" Khan questioned since the topic had come up. "Do I have discounts on that too?"

"Yes," Lieutenant Shurpard confirmed, "But you'd still need tens of millions of Credits. I don't know if-."

"Tens of millions?" Khan repeated before heaving a sigh. That number of Credits was still a distant dream.

"It's not only that, sir," Lieutenant Shurpard continued. "Fuel is expensive, and the same goes for various permits. Docking in hangars also costs money, and I'm not even considering yearly maintenance and check-ups."

Khan couldn't help but stare at Lieutenant Shurpard. He had read a lot about the topic, but the soldier made it sound far harsher than he had initially believed. Keeping a ship almost sounded more expensive than purchasing it.

"The renting part," Khan went back to the previous topic. "Can I go out alone if I have enough money to rent?"

"You need at least ten flights for that," Lieutenant Shurpard explained, "And the auto-pilot won't give you much freedom."

"So, license first," Khan sighed.

"I'm afraid that's for the best, sir," Lieutenant Shurpard smiled in an attempt to reassure Khan. "The course doesn't stop at the flights either. You'll also have to surpass a theoretical and practical test."

"Isn't this the practical test?" Khan asked, pointing at the steering wheel.

"A pilot must know basic emergency procedures," Lieutenant Shurpard revealed. "Crashes are rare, but they happen, and you must know how to survive them, sir."

"How does someone survive a crash in space?" Khan questioned.

"There are techniques meant to survive space-walking," Lieutenant Shurpard declared. "They can't keep you alive for long, but they might give you enough time to repair eventual damage or call for help."

To be continued