C333 - Excitement
Khan didn't expect Luke to mention the lawless zone, but he didn't let anything appear on his face. He continued to look coldly at the two men as he browsed through his knowledge.
Khan had studied a lot during his time in Reebfell's camp, and he had even encountered the term "lawless zone" a few times. There were actually many of them throughout the known universe, and each of them featured different environments.
The Global Army was powerful, and the humans as a whole were a respected species. However, their reach had limits, so they had to close an eye on areas that were too complicated to control or seize.
Those areas were either not worthy of the Global Army's efforts or entangled in a complex political array. Still, Khan found them interesting, especially now that his desire to get some action was getting stronger than ever.
"Which lawless zone?" Khan asked before hiding his mouth behind his drink.
"Milia 222," Luke promptly replied.
"I've heard about it," Khan admitted. "Is it the place with asteroids?"
"That's correct," Luke said as his eyes lit up. The sole fact that Khan knew about the place reaffirmed his belief that he had made the right decision with Martha.
Khan had read a bit about Milia 222 while researching lawless zones. Its layout was even peculiar enough to keep his attention glued on the topic for a while.
Milia 222 wasn't a planet. It was a series of colonies built on seven giant asteroids hovering slightly outside a solar system far away from Earth. It was a cold place, where life was harsh and full of limits, but it had multiple valuable features.
Milia 222's environment made it unworthy of huge investments, but its asteroids' location could change drastically. The light control from authorities only helped turn that place into the perfect home for illegal businesses.
Moreover, the humans weren't the only ones on those asteroids. Khan had actually read that Milia 222 had five different species living there without counting the various visitors on short trips.
Those features and diverse population obviously made Khan beyond interested in Milia 222. Yet, he didn't want to show any of that or give in so easily. No matter how good the offer was, Luke had still decided to use Martha against him.
"What business does your family have there?" Khan asked.
"I'm afraid I can't say that," Luke stated as he wore his poker face.
"Illegal then," Khan exclaimed while placing his cup on the table. "When did you plan to rope me in?"
"We would have never forced you-," Bruce announced, but Luke interrupted his line by raising a hand and shaking his head.
Bruce heaved a sigh and stood up to reach the corner of the room. A few menus appeared on the wall after he tapped his fingers on it, and a drawer soon slid out of its smooth surface.
A small hole also opened right above the drawer, and Khan could notice a fan inside it. That was his first time seeing something similar, but Bruce explained its functions by drawing a cigarette from his jacket's pocket and lighting it up with his finger.
"Istrone?" Khan asked.
"We all had to find compromises to keep on living after Istrone," Bruce responded while pointing at Khan's glass. "Isn't the same for you?"
Khan looked at the smoke coming out of the cigarette flowing inside the hole. Nothing reached the table, and the room even released a pleasant scent to cover the smell caused by Bruce's action.
Khan didn't answer and turned to look at Luke. The man still owed him an explanation, but it seemed that he wouldn't have to work too hard to get it.
"I planned to remain in Reebfell for a few months, maybe even half a year," Luke revealed. "I would have gotten closer to you to understand whether you wanted to leave or not before mentioning the mission. Of course, I would have used my money to make your life easier in the meantime."
"What would have happened if I refused anyway?" Khan continued without flickering.
"I would have used Martha," Luke declared. "She is a proud woman. She won't remain here knowing that I have an important mission to attend."
"And I would have followed her to make sure that she didn't end up seriously injured again," Khan completed the explanation.
"Exactly," Luke exclaimed. "Though I didn't expect you to have a girlfriend. That was a setback."
Khan continued to eye Luke coldly. He had more doubts, but he let the tension caused by the silence build up for a few seconds before voicing his next question. "Why me? Don't you have access to evolved soldiers? They should be more suited for such an unstable place."
"The arrival of an evolved soldier on Milia 222 would attract a lot of attention," Luke declared. "The same goes for other known or strong soldiers. Instead, I can disguise the mission as a holiday trip with friends if I bring you guys and a few guards."
"What about the soldiers who are already there?" Khan questioned.
"I don't trust them," Luke revealed. "They have spent too long in that lawless area, and I can't allow people swayed by Credits to get close to this mission."
"I don't like the sound of that," Khan scoffed. "What would happen to Martha or me if we get too close then? Would you drop us in space to make sure that the Global Army doesn't find our bodies?"
"I would never do that," Luke exclaimed while raising his voice.
Khan inspected the various reactions that ran through Luke's face. The latter was good at pretending. He had even gone through teachers in that field, but Khan still wanted to see if he could find traces of lies.
The inspection didn't lead anywhere. Luke appeared really offended by that claim, which made sense considering his character. Besides, Khan had saved his life on Istrone, so the foundation for honest cooperation existed.
Khan also knew that Luke wasn't cruel or cold. The man had the mind of a businessman due to the education imparted by his family, but he was only nineteen and with limited experience.
Scenes from Istrone appeared in Khan's vision as he went over the issue. He had gotten a good impression of Luke during the rebellion. The man was talented, wealthy, and generally good-natured. His character wasn't bad at all.
The idea of killing Martha and Khan if they saw too much had probably never crossed Luke's mind. Khan's power was also something that Luke wanted to use in the long run. He had nothing to gain from disposing of his friends.
"I'm expensive," Khan eventually stated. "And I want upfront payment."
Luke and Bruce felt startled for an instant. They weren't sure whether they had heard Khan correctly. It had sounded as if he had already agreed to join the mission.
"Will you join me?" Luke asked in disbelief.
"Probably," Khan declared, "But I can't leave right away. I have students to attend, things to prepare, and other stuff."
"Of course!" Luke exclaimed. "Take all the time you need. I also need to prepare for the trip there and pick other members for the team."
"Don't act as if I've already accepted," Khan scolded. "Don't even think for a second that I'll join your future platoon or something. The disguise as a trip won't work either. I want merits added to my profile."
"That can be arranged," Luke replied. "The upfront payment isn't a problem either."
"Wait until I bring up the topic again then," Khan stated.
"What do you mean?" Luke asked, but the door suddenly opened and revealed the three smiling women that had come to dinner with them.
"Did something happen?" Amber asked when she noticed that the atmosphere at the table had changed during the trip to the bathroom.
"Luke was annoying me with political stuff," Khan laughed as he crossed his arms behind his neck. "I must have told him to stop four times already."
Luke understood Khan's intentions and joined him in the lie. "I can't help myself. Khan needs to learn how the political environment works, and he has to do it quickly. After all, I don't expect his fame to disappear."
"Oh, Khan only pretends to be bad at politics," Amber teased while returning to her seat. "His students' families have forced him into a meeting once, but he kept his position just fine."
"I want to hear that story," Martha announced as she shot an interested glance at Khan.
"Don't omit details," Cora whispered after sitting next to Khan.
The dinner went on peacefully afterward. The laughs returned, and no one spoke about Milia 222 anymore. Yet, Khan shot meaningful looks at Luke and Bruce from time to time. He didn't want them to forget that he was keeping an eye on them.
The group eventually flew back to the training camp and said their goodbyes. It was far past the curfew, but Luke, Bruce, and Martha were basically guests, so they didn't have to abide by those regulations. As for Cora, she was with Khan, so she could also ignore those limitations.
"Your friends from Ylaco are nice," Cora commented when she and Khan remained alone in the camp's streets.
"Don't trust Luke and Bruce too much," Khan warned. "Their character isn't bad, but they have their families' agendas too. Try to remember that."
"Did something happen while we were away?" Cora asked.
"It did," Khan admitted, "But I don't want to tell you more tonight."
Cora revealed a strange smile, but she soon nodded and leaned on Khan's shoulder. She had vaguely understood what was about to come, but she didn't want to face that conversation yet.
The couple returned to Khan's flat and made the best of the rest of the night. Khan eventually found himself staring at Cora while she slept on his bare chest. He couldn't find any flaw on her face, but his thoughts often left the room and flew far away, toward a series of asteroids that felt beyond appealing.
Khan heaved a sigh before leaving a kiss on Cora's head and slipping out of bed without waking her up. He picked up some trousers and a bag before crossing the entrance and sprinting through what had become a familiar path by then.
The night was cold, but that temperature felt cozy for Khan. The nostalgia in his mind only intensified when he reached a spot without synthetic mana and began to prepare to perform the [Blood Vortex].
Khan had grown used to the procedure by then, but he felt different that night. He worked faster, his control over the mana was steadier, and even his movements were more precise.
'It's as if my body knows that I'm about to go back to space,' Khan sighed after completing the lines. 'I can't believe I'm feeling so excited.'
Cora's face appeared in Khan's vision as mana began to pass through the lines drawn on his body. He didn't know how long the trip would last, but he felt that his decision to leave would be meaningful.
Reebfell's camp was giving Khan everything he could possibly desire, but he still felt ready to leave right away. That spoke clearly about his character, but he didn't find anything wrong about it.
'Milia 222,' Khan exclaimed in his mind. 'I have so much to prepare, and I can't let Martha arrive there in her current state. I can't leave Cora alone either, and Amber is impossible to ignore. Luke can also give me a lot during this period. I guess I'm saying goodbye to sleep.'
The next months would probably be a busy mess, but an excited smile appeared on Khan's face when he thought about them. He couldn't wait for the mission to start. He wanted to be in a dangerous place and interact with aliens. He desired to use all the power flowing through his body.
'Milia 222, I hope you give me an excuse to draw my knife,' Khan thought before moving the entirety of his focus on the [Blood Vortex].. He almost begged the technique to work faster so that he could become a second-level warrior soon.
To be continued