"They definitely know that we are the troublemakers," George commented.
"We literally walked inside the palace with a Niqols in our arms," Khan responded. "What did you even expect?"
"You will be fine," George comforted. "Both Yeza and Zalpa are on your side, and the same goes for everyone else. I bet that Kelly will also defend you."
"That's the issue, right?" Khan sighed. "Why would I even need that? I just went out with a girl."
"Who happened to be the only daughter of the ambassador in charge of the relationship between our species," George added.
"Shouldn't I gain points for that?" Khan scoffed.
"Depends on which side benefits from your relationship," George explained.
"I benefit from my relationship," Khan said in an annoyed tone before focusing on his friend. "By the way, are you okay? I'm sorry I couldn't pay attention to you all. Liiza had the priority. I hope you can understand."
The soldiers had led the group in a part of the palace that the Niqols had left to them. The area featured a large rectangular hall connected to many rooms that the higher-ups were currently using to interrogate the recruits.
The soldiers had yet to summon Khan and George, so they had decided to sit on the soft carpet to wait for their turn. Everyone else had already gone through the interrogations and had taken a room, but the higher-ups continued to remain silent.
"Don't even mention it," George stated while waving his hand. "I know how much pressure you have on you. I'm actually glad that Liiza can heal what this damned crisis is forcing you to endure."
"I'm not sure I even need healing anymore," Khan revealed while inspecting his hands. "Fighting and killing are getting easier. I fear I'll forget how I felt after Istrone."
Khan's hands were clean, but he could feel the blood that soaked them. Still, that sensation didn't disgust him. Actually, he hoped that his past realization would come true again.
'My happiness comes from the blood on my hands,' Khan repeated in his mind.
Khan didn't feel proud of his thoughts, but he also desired a break. He was tired of facing traumas after traumas even if he did his best in every situation. He couldn't help but hope that all that blood could lead toward the happiness that he desperately needed.
"That's a good sign, I guess," George sighed. "I risked ignoring Professor Supyan's teachings. I went from hitting on Natalie to watching her corpse with another girl in my arms."
"Natalie's death isn't your fault," Khan scolded.
"I know that," George continued, "But I think that we shouldn't have to face so much. Is the universe going crazy or just bad luck? I'm growing tired of this."
"And it's not over yet," Khan chuckled.
"We must go on different planets once we get out of Nitis," George suggested. "We'll finally know who is the unlucky one then."
George's statement was nothing more than an innocent joke, but he realized how troublesome those words had been when he saw Khan's sad smile. The situation was far from easy, especially with both of them being in a relationship with a Niqols.
Those words forced the two boys to think about their future. They would both have to face problems due to their relationships, but the nature of those issues was far different. George had to deal with his family, while Khan had to face what the political environment would throw at him.
Those weren't even the entirety of their problems. George would have to decide where to live if everything with Havaa went well, while Khan had to understand how to hunt the Nak without forsaking Liiza.
The path ahead appeared incredibly harsh, and leaving Nitis would only worsen it. Leaving their girlfriends would restore their freedom, but the two boys didn't even consider that option. Havaa and Liiza were the very reason why they could laugh and joke when so little had passed from Zura's betrayal.
A door in the hall suddenly opened, and Lieutenant Kintea came out. The soldier only needed to point at George to make the boy stand up and follow him inside the room.
Khan remained alone in the hall. He felt a bit hot, and that sensation made him smile. Liiza had grown used to his warmth, and the same had happened to him.
Khan drew the cube from the insides of his robe. He played with the device in his hands as his hesitation prevented him from sending a message to his girlfriend. His relationship was finally in the open, but he didn't know how freely he could act. Doing nothing seemed the safest approach.
A door eventually opened, and George reappeared in the hall only to walk straight toward one of the rooms. Khan would normally feel confused about that behavior, but he couldn't say anything when he saw that Lieutenant Kintea inspected the situation from his habitation.
The soldier didn't summon Khan. He sealed his door as soon he made sure that George had entered a room. The Global Army wanted to limit the interaction among recruits during the interrogations, and Khan respected that wish.
The cube in Khan's hands started to glow while he waited for his interrogation to start. He immediately checked it, and a smile appeared on his face when he confirmed that Liiza had left him a simple message.
"[Everything went well here]," Liiza's voice resounded inside Khan's mind and reassured him about the Niqols' side.
'It's on me then,' Khan thought as he continued to stare at the cube.
It felt good to receive his first mental message from his girlfriend, but Khan couldn't bathe in that sensation since a door suddenly opened. He didn't even need to check who was standing at the room's entrance to understand who would interrogate him. Everyone had seen where Captain Erbair had decided to stay.
"Sit somewhere," Captain Erbair casually ordered when Khan followed her inside her room.
The habitation was large but simple. It featured a large bed, a wooden table with a few chairs, a second area that acted as a bathroom, and the usual azure menus on its smooth dark walls. Most of the room was empty, but Khan guessed that the Niqols didn't put any furniture there on purpose. A structure meant for war required space where soldiers could train in the end.
Khan took one of the chairs, but Captain Erbair decided to sit on the bed in a spot next to the wall. She was too tall for those simple seats.
The Captain didn't bother to use the menus on the wall. She tapped on her bionic eye, and its red light flashed a few times before returning stable. Khan guessed that she was recording him, but she immediately corrected his thoughts.
"This thing has an accurate scanner," Captain Erbair explained while pointing at her bionic eye. "It will warn me as soon as you start to lie."
"I understand, ma'am," Khan stated, and Captain Erbair stared at him to make sure that his intentions were honest.
"Let's start then," Captain Erbair eventually said before pointing at an azure symbol on the wall next to Khan. "First of all, place your hand on that rune. It will remove the restrictions that the Niqols have made you drink."
Khan frowned, but he didn't voice any question. The sole fact that the Niqols were letting the envoys remove the restrictions confirmed that they had sealed a deal with the humans.
Khan followed the Captain's orders. He stood up and placed his palm on the azure symbol, which brightened during that interaction. Khan felt cold under that radiance, but an even stranger sensation filled his mind. He sensed something melting inside his neck.
The symbol's light dimmed once the process ended. Khan left the wall and checked his neck with his hands. He even closed his eyes to inspect the area with his mana, but he didn't find anything. The Niqols had really decided to lift his restrictions.
"Return to your seat," Captain Erbair ordered. "I want short and honest answers. I can fix uncomfortable truths, but I can't trust you if you try to hide them. Are we clear?"
"Yes, ma'am," Khan promptly uttered before sitting on his chair again.
"Good, let's go in order then," Captain Erbair responded as her bionic eye started to blink. "State your name."
"Khan," Khan replied.
"What's your mission on Nitis?" Captain Erbair asked.
"I need to improve the relationship with the Niqols," Khan explained.
"Do you think the humans have succeeded in the task?" Captain Erbair asked.
"Partially," Khan responded.
"How is that?" Captain Erbair continued.
"The Niqols still hold grudges due to the events related to the solar winds," Khan honestly replied.
"Do you hold grudges about that?" Captain Erbair asked.
"Yes," Khan answered without showing any hesitation.
"Do you think the other envoys feel the same?" Captain Erbair questioned.
"Yes," Khan gave another honest answer.
"In your case, is that grudge strong enough to make you betray humankind?" Captain Erbair asked.
"No," Khan replied, even if he felt conflicted about that topic.
Khan didn't hate humankind, but he had mixed feelings about the Global Army. He had achieved a lot thanks to its teachings, but he had also witnessed scenes that would haunt him for a long time for the same reason.
"What did you do in the academy?" Captain Erbair didn't stop.
"Trained and partied," Khan responded.
"Is it true that you have left the academy basically every night of the last months?" Captain Erbair continued.
"Yes," Khan admitted.
"Was Miss Liiza the reason behind your travels?" Captain Erbair asked.
"Yes, mostly at least," Khan revealed.
"Did you make a move on Miss Liiza even if your superiors had expressly ordered you to hold back?" Captain Erbair asked.
"No," Khan honestly replied.
"Explain yourself," Captain Erbair ordered.
"I had planned to hold back, but she kissed me," Khan explained.
"Did you establish a relationship out of fear of the political repercussions for your refusal?" Captain Erbair asked.
"No, I couldn't refuse her," Khan admitted.
"Did you remain with her due to potential political gains?" Captain Erbair continued.
"No, I love her," Khan responded.
"What about her?" Captain Erbair asked. "Did she use you to gain access to classified intel?"
"No, she loves me," Khan announced.
"How can you be sure of that?" Captain Erbair asked.
"I believe feelings are quite hard to explain, ma'am," Khan replied.
"Did your relationship with Miss Liiza affected your version of the story concerning Rodney's attempted murder?"
"No, he tried to push me down a cliff after I saved his life," Khan explained.
"Did ambassador Yeza try to use your relationship with her daughter to coerce classified information?" Captain Erbair asked.
"No, she found out about us in the valley," Khan replied.
Captain Erbair sighed. She was getting tired of those questions, especially since they weren't leading anywhere. Moreover, she didn't want to ask anything specific. She knew that something was off, but she wished to let Khan off the hook due to how important he had become for the Niqols. She was actually holding back during the interrogation.
A mere recruit couldn't reveal much. Khan had even spent most of his time in the academy, without any connection with the human camp. An eventual betrayal wouldn't change anything in the current situation, so Captain Erbair preferred to keep him clean when it came to the official records.
"Let's wrap it up," Captain Erbair announced. "I have only a few questions left for you. Where does your loyalty lie?"
"With me," Khan responded.
"What's your personal goal?" Captain Erbair asked.
"Finding the Nak," Khan revealed.
"Is that the reason behind your enrollment?" Captain Erbair continued.
"Yes," Khan replied.
"One last question," Captain Erbair exclaimed. "Did you become a first-level warrior?"
"I'm not sure," Khan explained.
"What do you mean with that?" Captain Erbair asked while scratching the side of her head. "How can you not know that?"
"Well," Khan revealed an awkward smile, "No one has ever taught me what happens when you reach that level, so I can't be sure."
