The rest of the week before the mission went by quickly. The camp didn't offer many distractions, and Khan was too busy with his training anyway. The addition of the spells had only increased the number of daily exercises that he had to execute, but he never rested since his return to the battlefield was drawing near. He only used the last day to sleep and bring his condition to the peak.
Needless to say, his imminent departure saddened a few people. Rick didn't want his master to go away during such a critical phase of his training, but he accepted the necessity of the event. Moreover, Lucille would spar with him as long as he kept paying her, so his morning exercises wouldn't end.
Delia's situation was a bit more problematic. Her moments with Khan went from intimate sessions to cold and detached hours, and those extremes worsened as the departure grew close.
Khan was the main problem there, but Delia didn't shy away from accepting her share of the blame. Khan showed the classic behavior of an addict. He slowly built a resistance to his partner, requiring him to dive deeper into their intimate moments to reach the desired peace. Still, the moments outside of that state were filled with sadness and self-loathe that intensified with time.
On the other hand, Delia became unable to stay true to her words. She had always liked Khan, and gaining access to that intimacy made her feelings blossom. She tried to keep them hidden and always remained silent about them, but Khan noticed everything, and the scene only intensified his self-loathing.
There was no solution to that situation. Khan simply wasn't ready to feel good again, and Delia didn't want to coerce him into something that caused him pain.
The night before the departure confirmed some of Delia's worries. She didn't know how she understood that, but she felt sure that Khan was doing everything he could to make her happy. He had resorted to sacrificing himself again instead of pursuing peaceful moments, and Delia didn't stop him.
That selfish act made her avoid sleeping in Khan's arms that night. Delia felt ashamed about herself, and that feeling prevented her from sleeping. When the morning was about to arrive and Khan began to leave the bed, she voiced a weak "sorry" before turning to show her back.
"Why would you feel sorry?" Khan sighed without turning. "I'm to blame for all of this."
"No," Delia sniffed. "You tried, and I couldn't give you what you wanted."
"No one can," Khan stated. "I knew that, but I started this relationship anyway. I guess I've grown weak to sorrow after being happy for so long."
Delia angrily turned to throw her pillow at Khan. He had the chance to dodge it, but he let it hit his head anyway. When he turned, he saw Delia covering her chest with the blanket and glaring at him while a few tears fell from her eyes.
"Stop blaming yourself for wanting peace when you deserve it more than everyone else," Delia complained. "It hurts to look at you. It pains me to watch you lying and doing your best to help me when you are in this state. Just ignore my feelings and use me properly. That's all I ever wanted."
Those bold words left Khan speechless. It seemed that his pursuit of giving her happy moments had ended up hurting her even more.
"Khan, I'll be fine," Delia said in a pleading voice. "I will stay here for a bit more before returning to Earth and living the rest of my days there. Sure, I'll be a bit heartbroken, but that's fine. That's nothing compared to the idea of repaying you a bit."
"You don't have to repa-," Khan tried to reply, but Delia threw the second pillow at him before he could finish his line.
"I'm bringing balance to the universe," Delia scoffed. "Entire planets have to repay you. I'm just starting that trend."
Khan ended up revealing a sweet smile. Delia appeared indestructible. She could voice a proud statement with tears falling from her eyes. She could suffer but still do her best to grant him some peace.
"You are incredible," Khan smirked as he went back on the bed.
Delia began to retreat when Khan approached her, but she fell in a daze at the sight of those intense eyes. She wanted him so badly that disappointment filled her mind when he took her in a tight embrace.
"You have been a good friend," Khan whispered. "Every man would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend."
"I know," Delia chuckled while diving into Khan's neck. "I'm so amazing that the universe is punishing me."
"I'm so-," Khan tried to say, but Delia promptly pulled his ear to interrupt him.
"I don't want to hear that anymore," Delia snorted. "Don't be sorry about your feelings. You have always been honest with me. I know how much she meant for you, so I'm glad that I had a chance to fill her place for a few hours every day. It means a lot to me."
"You deserve far more," Khan commented while breaking the hug.
"I know," Delia stated while taking his face in her hands, "But not from you. You only have to think about the Stal now. If I'm here when you come back, I'll happily do my best to comfort you again."
Khan revealed another honest smile, and Delia couldn't stop herself from kissing him. Still, she quickly interrupted her gesture and started pushing him away.
"Go now before I change my mind," Delia scolded while lying down and showing her back to Khan. "And be careful. Don't you dare to die or suffer heavy injuries."
Khan's smile widened as he picked up his clothes and put both pillows back on the bed. He didn't add anything else as he left the room, dressed, and reached the habitation's entrance.
The stars on his shoulders reflected the pale morning light that shone on him when he opened the entrance. Khan stepped outside his habitation and kicked Rick lightly before moving toward the appointed gathering point.
Rick was taking his usual nap, but he jumped to his feet after the kick. His sparring session would start soon, but he wanted to make sure to say goodbye to Khan before the mission.
"I will make sure to work every day, Boss!" Rick shouted. "I won't let you down."
"Focus on not letting yourself down," Khan ordered. "You are doing good for now, but always remember that you are behind your peers. You need to work extra hard to catch up with them."
"I won't hold back!" Rick shouted again.
"Also, your family is a problem," Khan stated while lowering his voice. "Make sure to get trusted allies once you get out of Ecoruta. They don't have to be important. Focus on surrounding yourself with honest people while you find ways to train. You should even drop your naivety as soon as possible."
"I understand what you are saying," Rick whispered as his eyes fell on the ground, "But isn't that sad? I know that my character can be a problem, but I've still met you, Delia, and Lu."
"Rick, you are a good guy," Khan sighed, "But that's not enough most of the time. People will try to exploit your position. Even I agreed to help you due to your status. It won't bring you much happiness, but you need to start treating the world coldly. You must learn that more than everyone else in the Global Army."
"I will try my best," Rick promised, but his words didn't sound convincing enough for Khan.
"Rick, a Nak spaceship fell on my head when I was five," Khan reminded. "There is nothing fair about it, but it happened anyway. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
Rick didn't like the idea of changing. He wasn't dumb, and he appreciated his own honesty. Yet, contradicting Khan was impossible. He could only nod and promise to himself to watch his back.
A large platoon unfolded in Khan's vision when he reached the planned gathering point, and Rick politely decided to stop following him at that point. The area featured thirty-four soldiers, with most of them being first-level warriors and mages. Only three of them were second-level warriors and mages, with one seeming oddly strong for her state.
Captain Clayman was also in the area. He waited as Khan took his place next to Moses' group and performed a military salute as he waited for his superior to speak.
"This won't take long," Captain Clayman announced while checking everyone's expression. "Most of you are unaware of the nature of your target. Follow my advice and remain ignorant about it. You don't want to learn secrets that could potentially hurt your career."
A few gulps resounded next to Khan. The soldiers remained quite stoic, but many inspected their surroundings to check who could know something about their target. They couldn't stop their curiosity so easily.
"We have gone over your assault on the underground structure more than necessary," Captain Clayman continued. "I only want to remind you of a few things. Your secondary mission can help many soldiers in the battalion, but you shouldn't lose your lives to complete it. Steal what you can, but always prioritize your safety. I forbid you from losing your lives over vehicles and resources."
It was a bit heartwarming to see a superior talk like that, and Khan could clearly see the general appreciation that the soldiers had for Captain Clayman during that scene. It was clear that most members of the assault team had a relatively close relationship with him or respected him enough to go against HQ's orders.
Of course, Captain Clayman wasn't starting any revolution. He only wanted the assault team to retrieve technology secretly to improve the situation of his battalion. His honest and harmless decision to preserve lives made Khan understand the kind of inspiration the soldier wanted him to spread.
'I'm not like him,' Khan thought. 'I don't like seeing pointless death, but I can't be so selfless toward humans.'
Khan tried his best to evaluate himself properly. He didn't see himself as a bad guy. The Slums had forced him to develop a selfish side, but he couldn't see that trait in terms of good and evil since surviving had the priority.
Istrone had seen a cold version of Khan, even if that had saved many recruits. Meanwhile, Nitis had experienced the betrayal of his own species, but he felt partially proud about that. He had spared many innocent Niqols from a lot of pain.
Overall, Khan could be evil for what he wanted, but he generally tried to avoid causing pain. That could be a good starting point, but he knew that it didn't suit the Global Army completely for a simple reason. He couldn't see the difference between humans and other alien species.
"Get moving now," Captain Clayman ordered after nodding toward the assault team. "Good luck to you all!"
The Lieutenant in charge of the team shouted a "yes, sir" that the soldiers behind her echoed. Then, she led her group toward a series of vehicles waiting for them in the distance. They were simple armored trucks, but they wouldn't need to enter the battlefield. Their sole purpose was to lead the assault team near the closest entrance to the underground structure.
"It has finally begun," Moses whispered as the group marched toward the vehicles. "Are you excited, Boss?"
"There is nothing to be excited about when going into a battle," Khan stated. "However, I must admit that I'm looking forward to completing the mission."
A few laughs that the Lieutenant had to suppress with a glare resounded among the group. The superior's eyes eventually fell on Khan to scold him, but she saw nothing more than pure concentration. He wasn't even looking at the path ahead. His gaze appeared lost even if he continued to express awareness of his surroundings.
Khan felt his self-loathe, sadness, and desperation melting to make room for a simple and profound mindset. The mana in the environment played a melody, and he intended to focus on it for the whole mission.
