C358 - Protect
The new approach to the mana, the interesting customs of the Nele, the lack of difference between day and night, and Jenna's company had kept Khan so busy that he had forgotten about a key detail from the reports. His phone had become useless as soon as he entered the underground dome.
Jenna understood something when she felt that Khan tensed up. She peeked past her messy hair to glance at his face, and she found him staring at her with wide eyes.
"[Where can I get some connection]?" Khan promptly asked.
"[Let's go]," Jenna exclaimed, and the two immediately stood up to reach their clothes lying on the ground.
Jenna didn't take Khan's hand at that time. She darted forward as soon as the two wore their baggy clothes, and Khan didn't hesitate to follow her.
Khan fished out his phone from his pocket, but he muttered a curse when he saw that the screen didn't show any notification. He had hoped for something to be able to reach his device, but that wasn't the case.
Jenna was fast, and she knew the environment so well that she could use its mana to move swiftly among the trees. Khan could surpass her, but he had to remain behind her since he didn't know where to go.
The dome wasn't too small, but the two could reach its edge in less than thirty minutes when sprinting almost at full speed. The metallic wall that marked the end of that environment soon unfolded in Khan's vision, but he had to continue following Jenna for a bit longer to reach his destination.
Jenna eventually stopped in front of a purple symbol on the metallic wall. Pressing it revealed an entrance connected to a small room, and Jenna's explanation soon followed the event. "[You can link your phone to the walls inside, but we will keep track of your calls]."
Khan nodded before shooting inside the room. Dim purple light enveloped him, but he disregarded the new environment to look for an opening for his phone. He found it in an instant, and the sounds of multiple notifications rang as soon as he connected the device.
'Fuck me,' Khan cursed as he used the menus on the wall to expand his inbox and study it quickly.
The oldest message belonged to Monica. She had expressed her gratitude the morning after Khan stole Francis' bottle, but she didn't add anything else. It seemed that she was restraining herself after understanding that Khan didn't fully trust her.
What followed was far more troublesome. Monica, Martha, and Luke sent worried messages to check on Khan, but the lack of a connection to the network had made him unable to receive them.
Luke had also called a few times, especially the previous night. He was clearly worried, and Khan felt forced to contact him now that he had the chance.
The phone rang for a while, but a video soon appeared on the wall. Luke's sleepy face became visible right before a question resounded from the speakers. "Khan! Are you okay?!"
"Everything is fine," Khan reassured. "I've only lost track of the passage of time. It's hard to tell when days end if I don't sleep."
"Where are you?" Luke continued as he adjusted his position on the bed and tinkered with the illumination in his room. "I checked Milia 222's records. I know you have gone to the third asteroid, but I couldn't find anything else."
Khan glanced at the entrance, and Jenna nodded. Khan could bring his eyes back on the screen as he summarized what he could. "I'm in the Nele's home. I think they might know something useful."
"The Nele?" Luke gasped before noticing Khan's baggy clothes. "I see. How is the investigation going?"
"I'm getting somewhere," Khan half-lied. "I'm sorry for disappearing. I realized that I had no connection only a few minutes ago."
"Don't worry about that," Luke sighed. "It would be strange if you got used to Milia 222 so quickly. Everything is fine as long as you are okay."
"I'll try to come back with news as soon as possible," Khan promised.
"Sure, do what you have to do," Luke stated. "The others have yet to find anything, so don't rush it. I never expected the investigation to end quickly anyway."
"Do you have any news worth mentioning?" Khan asked.
"Not really," Luke revealed. "Everyone is struggling to approach specific activities. I'm trying to use my influence to help them, but it's too soon to know if it will work."
"I'll do my best on my end then," Khan declared.
"Alright," Luke exclaimed. "I'll tell the others that you called. Good hunt."
Khan showed a confident smile before closing the call. A sigh escaped his mouth as he retrieved the phone. He felt lucky that Luke was so permissive toward him, but that emotion vanished when he recalled what he was willing to do to bring him there.
"[Is everything okay]?" Jenna asked from outside the room.
"[Yes, I'm good]," Khan replied as he browsed through the inbox. Martha and Monica probably wanted answers, but he would let Luke handle that part. He didn't have the time to have long conversations anyway.
"[He sounded relaxed]," Jenna commented as Khan left the room and the entrance closed behind him.
"[That's just because he was talking to me]," Khan explained. "[I think I need to get back on the mission]."
"[Do you want to see Caja]?" Jenna wondered as she took Khan's hand.
"[Is it possible]?" Khan asked.
"[She is definitely awake]," Jenna stated. "[Come. I'll bring you to her]."
The walk that followed was far more relaxed. Jenna even respected Khan's pensive state by remaining silent and letting him sort out his thoughts.
'I'm not here on holiday,' Khan cursed himself for forgetting about such an important detail. 'I'm not free to do what I want.'
Khan wouldn't hesitate to exploit eventual opportunities, but the situation had been far different now. He had almost completely forgotten about his mission, and he couldn't allow it to happen again.
Still, Khan knew how thorough and serious he was. He didn't forget about Martha and the mission because he didn't care about them. He had simply found something that he liked far more, which spoke loudly about his personality.
'I really love studying alternative approaches of mana and immersing myself in alien customs,' Khan confirmed while glancing at Jenna. 'I guess that's who I am.'
"[What is it]?" Jenna asked when she sensed Khan's gaze on her.
"[Thank you]," Khan replied in a plain tone.
Jenna turned to search for an explanation behind that sudden statement, but Khan kept an aloof face while his eyes remained on the path ahead. Jenna didn't get her answers, but she felt that atmosphere had warmed up, so she slowed her pace while placing her head on his shoulder.
The two didn't speak anymore. They resembled a lovely couple as they strolled through the woods, but they both knew that their relationship only involved friendly affection.
Khan didn't want to put what he felt into words. Something told him that he would ruin that emotion if he tried. Still, his gestures expressed how grateful he was for how openly Jenna had welcomed him. Khan wouldn't have reached that deeper understanding of his character otherwise.
Jenna led Khan in a thriving area of the woods. The grass was taller there, and the presence of many trees forced them to jump or change direction to reach their destination.
Everything felt vibrant there. Khan couldn't help but notice how the vegetation seemed more lively, and he soon confirmed that the cause wasn't internal. Something was giving the various plants more energy.
The source of that strange phenomenon became evident when a crouched figure appeared in the distance. Caja had her forehead and hands on the ground while she sent delicate waves of mana into the whole environment.
Khan wanted to get closer to inspect the procedure, but Jenna made him stop to avoid disturbing Caja. The two remained silent as they marveled at the massive amount of energy that Caja spread in her surroundings.
"[It's getting harder to influence everything with my power alone]," Caja announced at some point while straightening her position to sit on the ground. "[Someone will need to replace me in a few years]."
Khan had already vaguely understood what Caja was doing, but her words brought a wave of surprise in his mind. Apparently, she was using her mana to influence and control the harmony of the environment under the dome.
Khan had seen other fourth-level warriors. He had even met soldiers stronger than Caja. Yet, he felt sure that none of them could accomplish something so complicated. They simply lacked the amount of mana required by the procedure.
However, Caja didn't rely on the sheer power of her mana. The environment helped her and worked according to her wishes. She only had to spread her requests throughout the woods, and the latter would do the rest.
'Amazing,' Khan exclaimed in his mind since he felt unable to say anything.
"[So, how does our humble home look]?" Caja asked while turning to face Khan and Jenna.
Jenna finally led Khan forward, and the two joined Caja on the ground. Jenna sat next to her while Khan occupied a spot in front of the two women.
"[Your customs are incredible]," Khan admitted. "[I can't express how grateful I am for this chance to learn them]."
"[Pascatte told me that you didn't only learn from us]," Caja responded before showing her hand and performing the exercise that Khan had taught the previous day. "[This is indeed interesting. The new generations will benefit from it]."
"[I'm glad that I could help]," Khan politely uttered. "[I'll try to come up with other exercises as I learn more about your approach to mana]."
"[That's some determination]," Caja chuckled. "[Do you like us so much? Or, maybe, is this about someone in particular]?"
"[We are only friends]," Jenna declared.
"[You sure are having a lot of fun for being only friends]," Caja laughed. "[It must be nice to be young]."
"[I wouldn't dare to do anything improper]," Khan reassured.
"[I think you have already gone past that]," Caja teased. "[It's fine. I approve as long as you are both having fun. It's actually heartwarming seeing a Nele and a human getting so close]."
Caja heaved a sigh and stretched her neck to disperse the stiffness accumulated during the procedure, but a question soon left her mouth. "[So, why did you come to see me]?"
"[I need to talk about work]," Khan explained. "[As much as I enjoy being here, I can't disregard the reason why I flew to Milia 222 in the first place]."
"[Can't you]?" Caja questioned. "[Do you have special obligations toward the humans? You didn't seem too attached to your species]."
Caja's words revealed how she was vaguely inclined to let Khan remain there, but he couldn't accept that offer. His nightmares wouldn't go away even in that peaceful environment.
"[I need the humans]," Khan revealed, "[At least for now]."
"[I see]," Caja whispered and remained silent for a second before continuing. "[Well, that might be for the best. It can only benefit us if you gain some relevance among your species]."
"[I won't forget what you did for me]," Khan swore.
Caja studied Khan's expression for a few seconds before feeling satisfied. She nodded, and Khan expressed his request. "[Some human investigators came here months ago. A few Orlats told them that you might have had answers, but you didn't help them]."
"[Oh, yes, I remember them]," Caja announced without hiding her annoyance. "[They were very human]."
"[I'm here for the same reasons]," Khan declared.
"[I remember them talking about stolen goods]," Caja uttered, "[Stolen goods that probably involved illegal skin. They thought we might know something about it]."
"[Do you]?" Khan asked.
"[We know by not knowing]," Caja explained. "[The other species on Milia 222 know that we don't like the topic, so they try to avoid smuggling those goods in front of us]."
"[So, you don't really know]," Khan guessed.
"[We might have a few leads]," Caja stated. "[Though, they might not involve what you are looking for. A lot of illegal materials end up reaching Milia 222. It's not easy to search for something specific unless you know the right people]."
Khan could only nod. He knew that questioning the Nele only had a faint chance to bring answers, but he had to try anyway.
"[Why are you looking for these materials]?" Caja continued.
"[It's only a job]," Khan revealed. "[I was simply hired]."
"[Are you okay with these practices]?" Caja wondered.
"[I have learnt what the mission involved only after landing here]," Khan revealed.
"[That's not what I asked]," Caja coldly answered. "[Would you have accepted the job if you knew what it involved]?"
Khan kept his eyes on Caja and let her inspect him. He knew that the topic could create a crack in the relationship built during those days, but he couldn't lie now.
"[Yes]," Khan declared. "[I had to look over someone dear to me. I had to join this mission]."
"[Let me ask you something]," Caja sighed. "[If you learnt that the illegal skin came from the Nele, what would you do]?"
Khan didn't expect that question, but his gaze instinctively moved on Jenna. She showed nothing more than a warm smile, but Khan's eyes grew cold when he imagined that someone could kill her to get her skin.
The same went for the other Nele in the settlement. Khan didn't establish deep relationships with them, but they deserved peace. They had gone through too much to suffer again.
"[That's how we feel whenever we hear about these materials]," Caja revealed.
"[I don't condone these activities]," Khan replied as his gaze went back on Caja, "[But I'm too weak to do anything about them. I helped when I had the chance]."
Khan was obviously talking about the Niqols, but Caja didn't care. She had already made her decision, and she didn't hesitate to voice it. "[We might be able to help you if we encountered this material before]."
"[What]?" Khan gasped. "[Why]?"
"[Because you will tell us what you learn]," Caja declared. "[You might be weak, but we have some influence here. Your information might give us a chance to do something]."
Caja was basically asking Khan to double-cross the humans or act as a spy for them, and the suggestion didn't sound too bad. The mission only involved the thief. In theory, it didn't clash with Caja's request.
"[I can do that]," Khan announced. "[Just, I don't want to become a sacrificial pawn]."
Caja glanced at Jenna, and the latter quickly explained. "[He doesn't want us to sacrifice him for the sake of our mission]."
"[Oh]!" Caja chuckled. "[I'm really out of touch. Don't worry. That won't happen. I don't want Jenna to get angry at me]."
The atmosphere relaxed and allowed Khan to heave a sigh of relief. He nodded to express his stance, and both Jenna and Caja revealed smiles at that gesture.
"[Generally speaking]," Caja exclaimed, "[Most illegal goods arrive directly on the fourth asteroid]."
"[I thought the first asteroid was a mandatory landing area]," Khan pointed out.
"[That's a tricky topic]," Caja replied.
"[The hangar on the first asteroid is too small for big merchant ships]," Jenna added. "[Besides, each species has its secrets, so they can't let every ship reach public areas]."
Khan didn't know how to take that news. He knew that the fourth asteroid had an overall equal distribution of Milia 222's species, but his reports didn't reveal anything specific. Even the investigators didn't mention anything similar.
"[Don't be so surprised]," Caja continued. "[Some knowledge is available only to those living here or involved in specific activities. I'm sure your employers did their best, but even they couldn't tell you everything to avoid breaking secret deals]."
"[So, the fourth asteroid is a dock]," Khan summarized.
"[It's a huge dock]," Jenna explained. "[We don't have the greatest structures there, but the other species transport various goods]."
"[The initial idea was to control each other by having a single big dock]," Caja added. "[Yet, as time passed, we silently decided to do our best to ignore each other. Everyone could get a share of illegal activities like that]."
Khan believed to have reached a decent understanding of Milia 222 by that point, but those revelations forced him to review everything he had learnt.
On the surface, the seven asteroids were exactly as the reports described. Luke had even given Khan the best descriptions he could find. However, Milia 222 had an entire world hidden from the public that only those inside it could know.
Khan had to admit that he didn't find the matter surprising. He had seen how that underground dome had connections with ships that didn't come from the superior floors. Every species probably had something similar, and he wasn't even considering the wealthy individuals who had unique assets there.
"[I'll reunite with my group and see if I can understand what the illegal skin involves]," Khan uttered. "[Thank you for your help]."
"[The dock is quite secretive as a location]," Caja revealed. "[You won't get there easily. We might have some connections]."
"[I can't involve you]," Khan immediately refused. "[I'm afraid my employers might blame you for something]."
Caja seemed to like that answer, and the happy tone in her following words highlighted that detail. "[You might still fail to interact with our forces there. My authority alone might not be enough to make the Nele help you]."
"[I'll take my time to win them over]," Khan declared, but Caja had something else in mind.
"[Is this okay with you]?" Caja asked while turning toward Jenna.
"[I would have suggested it if you didn't say anything]," Jenna exclaimed.
"[I'll respect your wishes]," Caja nodded before turning toward Khan. "[Can I entrust her to you]?"
"[What]?!" Khan almost shouted as his eyes darted on Jenna. "[No, I can ask-]."
Khan couldn't complete his sentence. He could already imagine what Jenna would say to convince him, and he knew that he couldn't win against her.
"[I'll protect her]," Khan announced in a resolute tone.. "[I'll protect her even from my species]."
To be continued