'An idealist?' Khan wondered. 'That sounds completely wrong.'
Bruce's description of Raymond Cobsend didn't fit what Khan had sensed during their meeting. Someone with such a deep and dark mind couldn't possibly have good intentions unless everything about him was a façade.
"Idealist?" Khan felt the need to investigate. "What do you even mean by that?"
"The man is quite famous," Bruce revealed. "He is a known philanthropist and a certified genius, but all of this is no secret. You only need to type his name on the network to be overwhelmed by news and biographies."
Khan took a mental note without picking up his phone. The news was truly odd and required deeper investigations, but showing hesitation would only give clues to Bruce.
"Is that it?" Khan asked while taking care of his drink. "Do you really have nothing for me?"
"I know Mister Raymond doesn't sleep with us," Bruce added. "He is using another building, but that's not a secret either."
Finding Raymond's building without questioning Luke and the others wouldn't be a problem, so Khan dropped the topic. The conversation seemed to reach its conclusion, but both Khan and Bruce remained at the table and drank in silence.
"So," Bruce broke the silence once he grabbed the bottle to refill both drinks, "How was the dock?"
Khan waited until his glass was full before looking at Bruce and lowering his gaze again. He wouldn't give details, but he knew a few words that could describe his experience down there. "It's an interesting mess."
"I can't wait to hear your stories," Bruce announced. "I'm sure you have some."
Khan voiced a quiet chuckle but fell silent right after. He had gone through quite a bit inside the dock, but some of his stories would never reach the surface.
"What do you know about the fourth asteroid?" Khan casually asked. "I bet it has more secrets."
"I wouldn't know," Bruce replied. "You'd have to be a local to learn every custom and hidden area."
Khan nodded, even if a sigh resounded in his mind. Jenna couldn't sense anything odd on the fourth asteroid, so the strange feeling experienced there was definitely beyond ordinary citizens. The fact that Bruce couldn't add anything to the topic was more than expected.
Silence fell again. Khan had no intention of prolonging that conversation by coming up with random topics, but the booze was good, and he had a lot on his mind. Ignoring Bruce gave him the chance to review his situation in the company of a nice drink. Yet, Bruce had more to say.
"Do you want to talk about today?" Bruce asked when he threw his cigarette in one of the table's drawers. "I hope you don't see that as another interesting mess."
Khan didn't reply. He could feign ignorance or deny any claim. He could even come up with reasonable excuses, but his mood made him keep his mouth shut.
"The social implications can be massive," Bruce continued in front of Khan's silence. "A single wealthy family is too much to handle for anyone without a similar background. You might have to deal with many of them. She has many powerful suitors."
Khan's silence continued. He had already thought about similar problems, so Bruce's words didn't add anything new.
"Khan, I have nothing but respect for you," Bruce added. "You are the first ally I'd choose for any dangerous mission, but we are talking about a political battlefield here. Lies and a few smiles won't work there."
Khan knew all of that, but his mouth opened only when he had to drink. He remained silent even when he refilled his glass. He appeared unable to hear Bruce's warnings.
"Dammit Khan!" Bruce lost his cool for the first time. "Do you think so little of the wealthy families? Monica's father can get you killed for simply looking at her!"
"I don't get it," Khan finally spoke. "I thought we were past this topic."
"This isn't a topic I can just drop," Bruce explained.
"Talk about useful things then," Khan casually replied. "Your warnings don't help me."
"They might talk some sense into you," Bruce stated.
"I probably lost that on Nitis," Khan sighed as he lifted his legs to place them on the table. "Though you made me think. How high should I climb to earn the respect of a wealthy family?"
"You aren't being serious now," Bruce cursed. "You barely know her."
"I want to know when I can consider myself safe from the families," Khan requested. "What do I need to do to stop worrying about them?"
Bruce calmed down when he heard that. Khan wasn't talking about Monica. His interest was more general and involved topics that only someone with the right background could explain.
"The families," Bruce repeated. "You know how Earth's government works, right? The Global Army and the various families are deeply connected, but the latter can be more influential and powerful in many ways."
"I know about the representatives and diplomats," Khan confirmed.
"Perfect," Bruce exclaimed. "You only need to care about your rank inside the Global Army, but that doesn't apply to the families. Background, personal wealth, and assets are more important for them."
"Are you telling me that I'll never be safe?" Khan asked.
"It's more complicated than that," Bruce responded. "The families can't straight up put someone to death. Confirmed criminals are an exception, but bribes remain more common. They can ruin careers or send you into dangerous missions as long as you don't have allies on the inside."
"I bet the price changes depending on the achievements and rank," Khan guessed.
"Precisely," Bruce announced, "But there are exceptions. The noble families and those with enough money or connections can develop intricate ploys or fabricate false evidence. Anyone would have a hard time escaping that."
"Even generals?" Khan wondered.
"Khan, a general probably has more connections than me," Bruce laughed. "That's the whole point of the political game."
"But I am at a disadvantage there," Khan pointed out.
"The lack of background is a big issue," Bruce agreed, "But it doesn't doom you. Many families in decline or without worthy descendants would kill to have you."
"Would they buy me off just to carry their name?" Khan wondered.
"That's uncommon," Bruce revealed. "They usually rely on political marriages."
"I see," Khan commented. His understanding of the political field expanded when he absorbed those words. Bruce made perfect sense, and Khan had even seen a similar situation with Martha's family.
"You shouldn't think about marriage so early," Bruce continued. "I'm sure you'll get offers soon, but you should refuse them. If you make it to captain, some families might put you in charge of great places."
"What about colonel?" Khan wondered since he recalled a distant conversation with Lieutenant Dyester.
"They'd probably offer you a minor space station for that," Bruce laughed. "You might even end up controlling the entire family after a while."
The speech was quite simple to understand. A higher personal value would grant better benefits after joining a family, but Bruce failed to address alternative paths. Khan could only guess that they didn't exist.
'Marriage,' Khan scoffed in his mind. 'I need to stay away from Earth.'
"I hope this conversation gave you a better perspective," Bruce stated.
"It did," Khan uttered before emptying his glass and placing it on the table. "I think we don't have anything else to say."
"You don't need to be so cold," Bruce said.
"I do," Khan corrected as his legs left the table and reached the floor to make him stand up. "That's what you just taught me."
"I wasn't talking about Luke or me," Bruce explained. "Come on now. You know you can trust us."
"I can trust your interest in my value as a soldier," Khan spoke openly.
"That's part of our different statuses," Bruce tried to justify. "It doesn't prevent us from being friends."
"Using Martha against me does," Khan reminded. "You can speak about friendship once you make up for that."
"Luke granted your every wish," Bruce declared. "What else do you want? Name it, and I'll make you have it."
Khan began to leave without giving a proper answer, but something eventually popped into his mind and made him turn. "I'll trust you more if you truly help me with Francis."
Bruce and Khan exchanged a long gaze, and the former ended up nodding. Truth be told, Bruce understood Khan's perspective, but his hands were tied. He was also a young man doing his best with what he had.
"Take the bottle with you," Bruce said as he pulled another cigarette from his pocket. "This is the best I can do for now."
Khan wouldn't refuse free booze, especially of that quality, so he approached the table. Bruce ignored the process and turned toward the windows. His gaze wandered among the beautiful scenery, but he glanced at his glass when something poured inside it.
Bruce couldn't help but look at Khan while he refilled his glass. He didn't expect that kind gesture, and his expression gained meaningful tones.
"We are all prisoners of our duties," Bruce stated. "My cage simply looks better."
"I know," Khan nodded. "I hope you understand I'm only looking out for myself."
"Don't worry about that," Bruce reassured. "You are right, but my position requires a certain behavior."
"I don't envy you," Khan joked.
"And don't worry about the other thing either," Bruce continued. "I won't tell anyone about you and Monica. Just be smart about it."
"I never said I was with Monica," Khan smirked, and Bruce ended up smiling too.
Both men knew that the meeting was over. Khan turned and left the room while carrying the bottle with him. Instead, Bruce turned once again toward the windows to smoke and think in silence.
Khan took a sip from the bottle as soon as the door behind him closed. Picking up his phone came next, and the network opened with a few taps on its screen.
Another sip matched the arrival inside the elevator. Khan pressed the key connected to his floor without moving his eyes from the phone. He had typed Raymond's name on the network, and an insane number of articles had filled his vision.
'How many degrees does he even have?' Khan shouted in his mind when he found a summary.
The list of Raymond's accomplishments and studies seemed endless. The man had four different degrees connected to the mana's influence. Some were quite broad, at least according to their names, while others involved specific fields.
The accomplishments were no small thing either. Apparently, Raymond was behind the invention of many modern drugs that relied on mana to have better effects. He had also helped improve the safety of the infusions, and the list didn't stop there.
Moreover, the network stated that Raymond gave away most of his studies for free. He donated them to the Global Army even if their potential value was exorbitant. Khan could also find articles about attrition inside the Cobsend family due to Raymond's selfless behavior.
Raymond truly suited the description of a genius with no interest in money, but Khan found something odd. Some of Raymond's degrees involved the alteration of organic tissues with mana. He even had many studies connected to the topic, and the reinforced fabric fell perfectly in that field.
'Did Bruce lie to me?' Khan wondered, but he quickly disregarded that thought. He would have sensed an attempt to trick him, and it was possible that Bruce simply didn't know much.
Still, the matter remained suspicious. Raymond sounded like an expert that would suit the factory's experiment perfectly. The Cobsend family couldn't have ignored a genius of that caliber, especially since he was among its members.
'Idealist,' Khan recalled. 'Maybe he didn't like the financial purpose of the reinforced fabric.'
Khan could find other explanations. Raymond was a famous figure, so he couldn't be on Milia 222 for too long. His arrival in the industrial district would also tell everyone that the Cobsend family had an important project there.
The internal conflicts could also explain that oddity. Luke's father might have decided to keep Raymond in the dark on purpose due to his tendency to give away valuable stuff.
Yet, Raymond was bound to have a stupid amount of power in his hands. Khan didn't believe that a similar figure could remain in the dark for too long. His arrival on Milia 222 seemed to confirm that, which only added confusion to Khan's mind.
Khan was so immersed in his thoughts that he almost walked past his room. He had to thank the familiar auras inside it for the reminder, but they weren't enough to suppress the surprise caused by the scene that welcomed him.
Khan found Jenna and Martha on his bed. Martha had her eyes closed while her hands rested on Jenna's palms. She was immersed in a meditative state meant to focus the entirety of her thoughts on her mana.
Jenna wore a smile as soon as she sensed Khan, but her face showed a curious expression when he entered her vision. She could almost feel that something had changed, even if she couldn't explain what.
Khan rolled his eyes under that intense inspection. He would have to tell Jenna about Monica, and he didn't look forward to her comments. Still, he didn't want to disturb Martha, so he sat beside the wall and continued to drink silently.
Long minutes passed in which Jenna never diverted her attention from Khan. She could almost smell something, and her eyes eventually lit up. She found an answer, and Khan could only pretend not to notice her exploding curiosity.
Martha eventually took a deep breath and opened her eyes. A satisfied expression unfolded on her face before freezing when she noticed Khan.
"You are back!" Martha almost shouted.
"Did Jenna teach you her arts?" Khan laughed.
"Only some training drills," Jenna responded. "We spent most of the time talking about you."
"Jenna!" Martha scolded.
"What is it?" Jenna asked. "I tell him everything anyway."
"Everything?" Martha wondered.
"Are you thinking about something specific?" Jenna teased, and Martha blushed to no end.
"I have something to do," Martha hurriedly said while leaving the bed. "I'm happy that you two are back, but I must leave now."
"Don't let Jenna trick you," Khan chuckled as he stood up to reach the bed. "She has grown pettier in the last month."
Jenna instinctively moved to make room for Khan and sit on his lap. She showed no shame when she snuggled closer and laid her head on his shoulder. A giggle even left her mouth when Khan wrapped his arms around her.
Martha could barely bear looking at the scene. It was way too intimate for her standards, and a tinge of jealousy still existed in her mind. Yet, she had already left the bed, so approaching the entrance was the only reasonable action.
"Martha, wait a moment," Khan called before Martha could turn. "I need to tell you what happened in the past month."
"Did you find something?" Martha asked, revealing her interest in the matter.
"I found multiple things," Khan exclaimed while letting Jenna go to remove the backpack from his back and pull out the alien chameleon's skin. "You need to listen to this."
A long explanation began, and Martha never interrupted it. Khan told her about Rodney and the necessity of a traitor inside the Cobsend family without withholding his personal hypotheses. Both news obviously stunned her, and questions followed once the speech ended.
"Do you really think Raymond came here because of his connection to the factory?" Martha asked.
"It would make sense," Khan replied. "I still can't see the bigger picture, but everything else seems to point in that direction."
"A spy inside the Cobsend family," Martha commented. "How do we even convince Luke of something like that?"
"Leave that to me," Khan reassured. "I plan to keep that intel for myself until I find more clues anyway. Rodney is my priority now."
"The descendant of the Semmut family," Martha sighed. "To think that you would meet again under such circumstances."
"I should have killed him when I had the chance," Khan cursed as he lay down. Jenna took his head and placed it on her lap, but her thoughts couldn't focus on him. She was also set on killing Rodney.
Martha didn't know what to say. She had seen that part of Khan in Milia 222's prison, but she had yet to grow used to it. He was casually talking about murdering a fellow human, and it even sounded normal to him.
"Tell me if I can do anything," Martha eventually decided to say. "I should be able to help with Rodney too."
The changes in Martha's mindset didn't escape Khan and Jenna's senses. They had noticed her sadness, so they appreciated her resolve even more. However, they also knew what she truly wanted.
"She is so cute," Jenna exclaimed. "She should sleep with us."
"You are a pervert," Khan sighed before glaring at Jenna. "And don't add anything else."
"I should really go," Martha managed to say among her blushing.
"Martha, there is nothing wrong in belonging to a different world," Khan announced when Martha turned. "You should treasure your ability to feel disgusted about some stuff."
"You should too," Martha stated as she approached the door and left the room.
Only a second had to pass from the closing of the door for Jenna to voice a comment. "[She is way too cute. I'll make her stay for the night the next time]."
"[I'm glad that you are spending time together]," Khan revealed as he adjusted his position on Jenna's lap. "[I can't do too much for her at this point. She needs a friend without complications]."
"[Did you forget that I'm an alien for her]?" Jenna joked.
"[She doesn't mind]," Khan laughed. "[You wouldn't like her so much if she did]."
Jenna liked how deeply Khan knew her, but she couldn't let him win that round. Moreover, she had yet to question him about the sensation perceived earlier.
"[What are you doing]?" Khan asked, but his head landed on the bed by the time his question ended. Jenna sat on his chest, and she grabbed his arms to immobilize him.
"[You have something to tell me]," Jenna uttered.
"[Do I]?" Khan teased.
"[I can feel it]," Jenna nodded. "[My Khan has become more attractive]."
"[Your Khan is about to make you very jealous]," Khan responded.
"[You need to tell me everything]!" Jenna declared in an excited tone. "[I want to know every detail]."
"[Don't you want to bathe first]?" Khan asked since Jenna had yet to remove the spray.
Jenna and Khan had gone through similar interactions countless times in the last period. They had become so used to each other that Jenna couldn't help but notice a slight increase in Khan's resolve.
"[What is it]?" Khan questioned since Jenna let go of his arms to place a hand on his chest.
"[You sound a bit different]," Jenna explained. "[No. This is you, just more of you]."
"[I didn't do anything special]," Khan revealed.
"[And yet something changed]," Jenna pressed on. "[How do you feel? Lighter, heavier, happier, sadder]?"
Jenna was concerned, so Khan took her question seriously. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in his thoughts to think about the recent events. As he reviewed his situation, problems piled on, and an urge eventually became clear.
"[I feel like smashing anything on my path]," Khan admitted while opening his eyes and finding Jenna's warm smile.
"[Chaos yearns for freedom]," Jenna commented.
A meaningful silence fell in the room. The two didn't need to add words to explain what they thought, but the buzzing noise of Khan's phone distracted them.
Khan picked up his phone, and Jenna jumped off him to check what was happening. An excited cry left her mouth when she read who had contacted him, and her enthusiasm only intensified when she read the message.
'Do you hate me already?' Monica said through the message.
'When can I see you again?' Khan promptly responded.
'I'm sure Luke will summon everyone once he returns,' Monica said.
'I can't pick up from where we left off in public. Unless you like that,' Khan texted.
"[You never say this stuff to me]," Jenna complained while waiting for Monica's reply.
"[Because I know the answer already]," Khan joked, but his phone buzzed again, and the two's attention returned to the screen.
'Early morning should be safe,' Monica replied.
Khan smirked in satisfaction, and his fingers moved to plan the next date, but Jenna grabbed his hands before he could complete the message.
"[Bath first]," Jenna ordered, and Khan complied, even if he managed to send one last message before entering the bathroom. Jenna obviously noticed that, so the shower ended up lasting far longer than usual.
