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C386 Pictures

'Merth 290,' Khan thought as he crossed streets that would bring him back to the Nele's district. 'That's not a place I can reach right now.'

The talk with the Fuveall had gone exceptionally well. No exchanges or trades had actually happened. The aliens were only interested in their safety, and Khan had vouched for that.

As for Khan's curiosity, the Fuveall had fulfilled it, but not completely. They had told him how to get around the control of the Global Army's network, but the process was quite convoluted, and Milia 222 couldn't provide a permanent solution.

'I'll need my own ship in the future,' Khan accepted in his mind. 'Though I don't know how soon.'

According to the Fuveall, hacking the Global Army's network was possible, but the humans were bound to notice almost immediately. That was why breaching it wasn't the right path. It was better to become a ghost who could still use that system.

The problems started there. Turning into a ghost of the network was a complicated process that required specialized experts and expensive technology. Ta-ei told Khan that Milia 222 didn't have them, and, according to her, meeting those requirements in legal areas was straight-up impossible.

Khan would have to reach a different lawless zone, Merth 290, meet the Fuveall living there, and pay for the process. That was one of the few methods to escape the Global Army's network's control without turning into a public enemy or losing everything in his account.

The problems didn't even stop there. Getting a ship sounded like a distant dream, but Khan could very well see it fulfilled. However, he would have to fly the vehicle to Merth 290, and that alone was dangerous since the Global Army was aware of what happened there.

'Can I trust them to do something so complicated remotely?' Khan wondered as he picked up his phone and studied the new contact.

Milia 222 couldn't solve that problem, but Ta-ei had given Khan the contact of someone who could. He would only need to call it and pay up to turn his ship invisible to the network and create a decoy that could cover him until he reached Merth 290.

Khan had heard about Merth 290 during his research of lawless zones, but his knowledge was shallow. He would need to study the matter thoroughly without stopping at the location. A trip like that required many preparations, and he was in no condition to perform or afford it now.

Of course, Khan had no intention to leave right away. He still needed the Global Army. Abandoning it now would just turn him into a lost human with no set path.

Finding the Nak, accumulating wealth, expanding his knowledge and connections, and growing stronger were matters that required the Global Army's incredible assets. Khan was working on becoming independent, but it would take him years to achieve something like that.

'I can only take it slow,' Khan sighed in his mind. 'I wonder what else I'll be forced to do.'

Truth be told, leaving the Global Army wasn't strictly necessary, but Khan had long since started to notice inconsistencies that pointed him in that direction.

The history of the First Impact had undeniable holes. The Global Army definitely had its reasons to keep part of the truth hidden, but Khan had seen enough to know that they couldn't be good.

The general attitude of the humans toward the other alien species wasn't in line with Khan's mindset either. In his heart, he knew he would never trust the Global Army. Also, his goal might go against it, so he had to prepare to leave. That was necessary.

Nevertheless, problems remained, and one of them stood above all the others. Khan was only eighteen. His age added value to his achievements, but he remained a kid. Part of his cluelessness went away every time he learnt something or improved, but he was nowhere near ready to start a journey on his own. Khan didn't even know where to go.

Khan saw problems whenever he thought about the matter, but he forced himself to focus on the positive aspects of his life. He was improving quickly, his knowledge was growing, and the same went for his connections. He wasn't in the position to establish meaningful alliances founded on his name, but he was getting there.

It was already late. Part of the dock had gone to sleep, but the spies were still there. The symphony carried their silent tunes, but Khan ignored them. He was tired, both mentally and physically, and his emotional state didn't help.

The sight of the purple lamps brought some reassurance to Khan's mental state. Beautiful eyes turned in his direction as he crossed the various Nele patrolling the district. The chance to socialize came up many times, but Khan ignored it as he hurried back to his room.

The trapdoor on the large structure on the lower floor opened as soon as Khan tapped on it, and a familiar aura joined the symphony. Khan couldn't help but smile before jumping through the opening and sealing the entrance above him.

"[You took your time]," Jenna complained in a sleepy tone as she stretched on the bed and rubbed her eyes.

Khan didn't speak. He was hungry, but he didn't want to eat. His clothes fell off as he walked toward the bed, and a warm figure snuggled into his arms as soon as he slipped under the sheets.

"[You sound tired]," Jenna whispered when she placed her ear at the center of Khan's chest, "[And lost]."

"[Sometimes everything is a bit too much]," Khan sighed as he closed his eyes to immerse himself in Jenna's warmth.

"[You can use me, you know]," Jenna teased, but her tone sounded completely serious, especially since her hands rubbed Khan's abdomen. "[Use me to stop thinking for a bit]."

"[I'll eventually give in if you keep asking]," Khan chuckled.

"[Well, get a grip on yourself because I won't stop]," Jenna pouted. "[I won't forgive myself if I became one of your worries]."

"[I won't give in]," Khan reassured.

"[Though you could call Monica]," Jenna suggested. "[I bet she would be happy to help]."

"[I could call Nessa too]," Khan joked, and a laugh came out of his mouth when Jenna pinched him.

"[What am I even going to do with you]?" Jenna softly cursed.

"[Stay like this]," Khan said as he brought Jenna closer. "[This is enough]."

"[What will happen once you are gone]?" Jenna asked. "[I won't be there to warm your nights]."

"[I'll cling to a distant memory]," Khan revealed, "[Like I did many times before meeting you]."

"[Like you still do when we are together]," Jenna pointed out, but her voice carried no jealousy. There was only concern in her tone.

"[I wish you could just run away]," Jenna continued, "[But your monsters live inside you, and I can't reach them]."

"[I will]," Khan swore. "[One day, I will reach them]."

"[What will you do then]?" Jenna asked. "[Once everything is over, what will you do]?"

"[I don't know]," Khan admitted. "[I don't have memories of a life without nightmares]."

"[You'll have to rediscover yourself]," Jenna stated. "[You'll feel lost again, but you'll eventually learn to live among peace]."

"[Peace, you say]," Khan murmured. "[Every step I take leaves a trail of blood behind me. I wonder if my life will have room for peace once I get what I need]."

Jenna opened her eyes, and Khan felt that, but he decided to remain immersed in her warmth. He knew what Jenna's gaze was radiating. He could sense her worry spreading through the synthetic mana, and he didn't want to see that.

"[Hey, Khan]," Jenna eventually called.

"[What is it]?" Khan asked.

"[I need you to promise me one thing]," Jenna uttered.

"[Anything for you]," Khan teased.

"[For me]," Jenna repeated. "[Once you defeat your monsters, look for your happiness. Use that stupid compulsion of yours for yourself]."

"[It takes me no effort to kill]," Khan announced. "[And that after less than three years in the Global Army. What else will become easy by the time I defeat my monsters]?"

"[Khan]," Jenna pleaded.

"[A man like that]," Khan continued, "[What will he be willing to do to achieve his happiness]?" .

"[What's necessary]," Jenna responded. "[Be it planting countless flowers or creating bloody rivers]."

"[You'd accept me in any form]," Khan sighed.

"[Yes]," Jenna revealed. "[And I'm not the only one, so don't fight it]."

"[I won't]," Khan gave in. "[I promise]."

"[That's my Khan]," Jenna happily exclaimed as she finally closed her eyes.

"[Let's sleep now]," Khan chuckled. "[I really need it]."

Days went by in the relative peace of the dock. The hunting season continued and ended without raising additional problems. The Nele hit hard and fast, and no one dared to retaliate.

Khan didn't join those attacks, so he kept his entire focus on his many tasks. He trained under Maban's supervision, delivered chaos to the Tors, and deepened his connections with the district as a whole.

Of course, those were only some of the major tasks that kept Khan busy. Khan had never liked wasting time, and he didn't lack ways to fill it. The flight simulator and the mental battle technique required constant effort to master, and Khan didn't shy away from that.

The problems that had appeared in Khan's mind after his talk with the Fuveall never disappeared, but Jenna did her best to help. Anyone would feel overwhelmed by the possibility of ratting out such powerful employers, but those problems had no real solution. Khan could only wait for more information to appear.

A few joint events happened. Maban summoned many high-profile Nele a couple of times, and Khan also earned a spot in those meetings. One of them involved the so-called update on the dock's layout since the hunting season had changed the power balance in some areas, while the other merely made a point of the situation.

The Nele were to lay low for a while. That didn't involve actual hiding, but Maban stressed how they had to stay away from useless conflicts. Storing resources for the possible "imminent chaos" was the priority, and everyone complied.

Khan also laid low. His many tasks kept him constantly busy, and he didn't have anything special to do anyway. He only had to wait for the Tors to complete his commission and the Nele to bring back information about the Bise.

The Tors wasn't ready with the weakened spell even after one week passed, but Khan wasn't in a hurry. However, the Nele surprised him once the second week was coming to an end.

"[It does feel different indeed]," Piran commented after retracting his hand.

"[I told you]," Nessa exclaimed. "[It's quite the appealing sensation]."

"[You don't know the half of it]," Jenna proudly announced before moving to a scolding tone. "[Hey, enough already]."

Nessa giggled as she put her hand on Khan's head. She ruffled his short hair for a second, but her arm soon snapped back on her chest. She appeared both intrigued and scared of what she was feeling.

"[Can't you tell them something]?" Jenna complained.

"[This soup is so good]," Khan said while gulping down the last drops of food in his bowl.

"[I hate how this is becoming normal]," Jenna cursed.

"[Let them have fun]," Khan laughed. "[No one else is getting in my bed anyway]."

Khan had almost spoken casually, but the Nele around him took that as a romantic declaration. Jenna knew the truth, but she melted a bit anyway and jumped on his lap to express her feelings.

"[You never have enough]," Khan sighed as he held Jenna and adjusted her position to make her more comfortable.

"[You must take responsibility for making me like this]," Jenna replied.

"[Sure, sure]," Khan sighed while caressing Jenna's hair.

"[His scent changed]," Nessa whispered as she reached for Khan's head again, but Jenna slapped her hand before she could touch him.

"[You are getting more possessive lately]," Khan joked, but the arrival of a strong presence forced him to look away.

The Nele around Khan also sensed that new presence, and they all turned in his direction. Maban strode through the district's streets with a screen in his hands, and Piran stood up when he saw him coming toward him.

"[Take a look at these]," Maban ordered once he reached Khan and handed him the device.

Jenna knew when the situation was serious, so she left Khan's lap and let him inspect the device in peace. The screen featured a series of portraits to scroll through. Most of them depicted humans, but a few Bise, Orlats, and Fuveall also appeared from time to time.

"[We can't possibly have spotted all of them]," Maban explained, "[But they should cover a good part of the buyers]."

"[You sure are efficient]," Khan praised.

"[We became good at recalling faces]," Maban claimed. "[A couple of groups are more than enough to gather information]."

Khan could only nod. The citizens of the dock knew where the Bise handled their business. Actually, even Khan knew that due to the meeting. Everything else was a matter of finding out the landing time of various ships and intercepting eventual buyers.

The portraits were quite accurate. They almost resembled pictures, but Khan only skimmed through them. Mere faces couldn't tell him much. He couldn't possibly recognize those strangers, or so he thought.

'What?!' Khan exclaimed in his mind when the screen showed a familiar face. 'This shouldn't be possible. Am I seeing this wrong?'

Lying to himself had never been one of Khan's talents. He recognized one man depicted in the portrait. It just felt unreal to see Rodney's face.

To be continued