Milia 222 never truly slept. It only took breaks. The dome always radiated light, preventing the citizens from experiencing the darkness of the night. Still, some calm and silence managed to reign during specific hours.
Khan inspected the empty streets from the room's darkened windows. A few citizens appeared from time to time, but they were mostly drunks who had just come out of clubs or crew members with night shifts.
Only the Orlats managed to claim Khan's attention, but none of them stopped near the building. He had hoped that Rodney's messengers would reveal themselves that night, but nothing suspicious happened.
Thoughts whirled inside Khan's mind as he lost himself in the peaceful scenery. He couldn't sleep when he had so much on his plate, and the details of his plans became clear as he kept reviewing them.
Khan didn't question Rodney's confidence, but he couldn't leave everything in his hands either. The mission could feature unexpected dangers and twists, which required heavy preparations to counter.
In theory, the mission was relatively straightforward. Khan only had to get into the secret area, dispatch the defenses met along the way, and retrieve evidence of the theft.
Still, Khan had seen enough of Milia 222 to know that every corner could hide complications. The place might even involve something as important as the reinforced fabric. A smooth retrieval sounded impossible, especially when he added Raymond Cobsend to the equation.
Rodney might be a flaw that even Raymond didn't predict, but Khan could still identify blind spots. The woman in charge of the operation was a critical variable, and the purpose of the whole theft remained unclear.
Khan didn't have the time or means to clear those variables, so he focused on what he could achieve the month before the celebrations.
The hidden area would probably prevent communications, but the Fuveall might offer a solution. Khan needed them to obtain something remotely reliable to call for help in case things went wrong.
The Orlats would usually be ideal for surveilling certain areas, but Khan couldn't rely on them due to Rodney. Yet, the Nele were beyond trustworthy, so Khan could leave that task to them.
Except for those two fields, Khan could only focus on increasing his personal power. Of course, he had never slacked off, and one month was too short to achieve significant improvements, but he had options that most humans lacked.
The hidden dome on the third asteroid could enable the [Blood Vortex]. Khan's attunement with mana had almost reached sixty-one percent before the departure to Neo Station, and he could probably add one point to it if he threw caution to the wind.
That improvement wouldn't be significant, but Khan couldn't disregard that opportunity when his life was at stake. Adding some resilience to his body would also make the [Blood Shield] easier to endure, which was necessary for his survival.
Khan had also commissioned another spell to the Tors. He didn't know how long it would take them to complete it, and he had to add a training period. He would probably need a week to master the new move, and he couldn't disregard that part.
'If only I could increase my proficiency level,' Khan sighed while his gaze remained lost in the scenery.
Khan's martial arts were the only other aspect of his arsenal that could provide a significant increase in power. A lot could change if the Lightning-demon style or the Divine Reaper reached the advanced level. However, he had no control over the process.
The advanced proficiency level wasn't a fixed goal. The martial arts could evolve in different directions depending on the user's qualities and fighting style.
Khan had found his direction, and he had even tested a few things along the way. Yet, his understanding of mana and physical prowess were still falling short. He had never stopped training, but the advanced proficiency level required a sort of enlightenment on top of relentless exercises.
'That's not something I can force,' Khan sighed once his mental summary ended. 'I guess I know what to do.'
A timeline had taken form in Khan's mind. First, he would wait a week on the second asteroid to meet the messenger and check whether the Nele found something. Then, he would head for the third asteroid and remain there for two weeks before traveling to the dock.
Khan would prefer to resurface on the last day to join the celebrations, but things could change depending on what the messengers said. Luke might also need his help, so he accepted that his schedule might change during his stay inside the dock.
A snore eventually managed to distract Khan. A smile appeared on his face when he turned to see the mess of curly hair resting on the bed. Monica had fallen asleep hours ago, and Khan didn't leave her room.
'At least I made up with her,' Khan thought while suppressing the urge to tease Monica.
The morning was still far away. Monica's job with the Orlats was over due to the recent attack, but Khan still held back from waking her up. She had been mentally exhausted from the fight, so she deserved some rest.
The yellowish bra on the corner of the bed filled Khan with some pride. Monica had a bad temper, and she overreacted at times, but her actions spoke loudly. She wanted to make their relationship advance. She simply couldn't let go completely.
Khan didn't blame Monica for that. The insecurities of her first relationship weren't easy to overcome, and they were still a young couple. Moreover, her position added problems, even if she didn't want to admit it.
Monica was the descendant of an extremely wealthy family. Her parents had definitely stressed how important her value as a political currency was. She didn't like her situation, but she couldn't disregard it easily either.
Khan could only imagine the pressure that Monica's parents had put on her. Choosing to give the entirety of herself to someone would require more than simple desire. She would need firm resolve and confidence in her partner to make that important step.
'I can almost hear George's jokes,' Khan laughed in his mind. 'I should call him once this is over.'
Khan shook his head before deciding to move on with his plan. He sat cross-legged on the floor and fell into a meditative state. He couldn't achieve much with that training, but wasting time wasn't an option.
Hours went by. Time always flowed quickly during the meditative state, even if Khan never lost his awareness of his surroundings. His senses remained on the symphony, and his eyes opened when a tremor ran through it.
"It's still early," Khan said when he met Monica's sleepy gaze.
Monica wanted to say something, but some panic filled her face when she noticed her bare chest. She quickly crossed her arms over it, and a whisper escaped her mouth once she managed to focus on Khan. "Scoundrel."
Khan smirked before standing up. He grabbed the blanket from the floor and carried it onto the bed as he crawled through the mattress. Monica became unable to hide her emotions when he covered her. She fell into a daze as she watched Khan's careful and gentle actions.
"Better?" Khan asked as he lay next to Monica.
Monica didn't bother to nod. Instead, she wrapped herself in the blanket before snuggling into Khan's arms. He moved some curls away, and a kiss landed on her forehead when he uncovered it.
"Don't get used to this," Monica warned.
"I know," Khan smirked. "I plan to do far more before that."
"You'll never get tired of teasing me," Monica sighed.
"I don't remember you hating that," Khan pointed out while caressing Monica's back from above the blanket. "You seemed pretty caught in the moment."
"I lowered my guard," Monica scoffed before showing her puppy eyes. "But, it was nice."
"Was it now?" Khan teased as he drew his face closer to Monica's. "We can resume from where we left off if you liked it so much."
"Get out of my room already," Monica voiced, but she still accepted Khan's slow kiss. She even immersed herself so much in it that she stopped holding onto the blanket to explore Khan's bare chest.
"How can I be so weak against you?" Monica whined once the kiss ended. "I never lost my cool so easily in the past."
"That's because you don't want to remain cool with me," Khan explained. "Isn't that the whole point of liking me?"
"I'm making it too easy for you," Monica exclaimed as a smile broadened on her face.
"I can't complain," Khan chuckled.
The two exchanged a few more kisses. The atmosphere was turning pretty intimate again, and Khan didn't want to interrupt that process, but he felt the need to come clean with his plans.
The idea of keeping Monica in the dark or lying to her couldn't stick, especially after the recent fight. Moreover, Khan was getting serious with her, so he had to trust her with the truth.
Monica didn't hide her surprise when she heard about Rodney and the other details of the investigation. She also reached the same conclusions as Khan before he could mention his hypothesis of a traitor inside the Cobsend family.
Learning that Khan would leave soon obviously was sad news, but Monica accepted it quickly. It was a matter of duty, so she couldn't object. Still, she made sure to voice her complaints about a specific aspect of those plans.
"Two weeks with the Nele?!" Monica almost shouted. "How many times will you sleep with Jenna in that period?"
"Probably every night," Khan admitted before correcting his statement. "Well, she won't leave my side during the day either."
"And will you be naked for the whole time?" Monica raised her voice.
"Only when we are alone," Khan laughed, but Monica's dark face cut his smile short.
"I need to go there," Khan tried to convey his plan from a different perspective. "The Nele have a special place on the third asteroid, which can help with my training. It's for my safety."
"Sure, safety," Monica snorted. "What happens if you find more Nele like Jenna? Will they also sleep with you?"
"I hope that doesn't happen," Khan sighed. "Two jealous women are already too much for me."
"What two?!" Monica complained while pushing Khan away. "I'm your woman. Jenna's jealousy is her problem."
"Yes, you are my woman," Khan chuckled, "And Jenna knows that."
Monica wanted to shout some more, but she felt powerless before Khan's warm smile. Her reasonable side understood that Khan had to go through that process. She simply hated the idea of sending him in another woman's arms.
"I need to talk with Jenna before your departure," Monica announced while crossing her arms and fixing her gaze on the ceiling. "I won't let you go otherwise."
"Fair," Khan stated as he got closer to Monica to take her in his arms again, "But I don't want to be anywhere near you two when that happens."
"Don't even think about it," Monica scolded. "You must be there and take my side."
"Two women is definitely too much," Khan joked.
"Get out already, you scoundrel!" Monica ordered as she tried to push herself out of the hug.
"Alright, alright," Khan laughed as he tightened the hug. "I'll obviously take your side. After all, I'm your man."
Monica stopped struggling when she heard those words. Her timid eyes went up to look at Khan's face. The urge to punch him surged as soon as she saw his smirk, but that feeling transformed when he caressed her hair.
"You are so unfair," Monica complained.
"And you are too cute when you get angry," Khan teased.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds, but Monica eventually pushed Khan away. Her gentle touch revealed that she was up to something, so he let her go and watched as some shyness appeared on her face.
Monica seemed scared, but that fear vanished when she glanced at Khan again. She gulped as she partially straightened her back and grabbed the blanket's edge to uncover her chest.
Khan didn't even bother to try to think. His mind went blank, and desire took control of his body. He stood on his knees to pull Monica from her waist, and their passion handled the rest.
.
.
.
The lights on the last floor of Raymond's building turned on when he left the cylindrical elevator and strode through the vast area. His walk didn't feature any interruptions or pointless detours. He took the shortest route to his office, and his gaze never stopped looking forward.
Raymond carefully removed the upper part of his expensive suit and folded it before laying it on a couch. He remained in his shirt as he went to pick up a bottle from his desk before moving to the wall's menus.
A few options lit up and went dark before part of the wall opened to reveal a small hole. Raymond put his phone inside and let the menus do the rest as he moved back to the desk to pour himself a drink. Once he had a full glass, he reached the couch and sat exactly at its center.
"Update me," Raymond exclaimed.
A holographic screen materialized a few meters from the couch and showed the image of a woman. She was gorgeous, but a hideous scar ran over her left eye and reached her cheek, ruining her otherwise flawless beauty.
The picture moved, revealing its nature as a video. However, interferences ran repeatedly, showing how the connection was far from good. Still, the audio didn't suffer from similar issues.
"We are keeping our eyes on the Semmut boy as you instructed," The woman said in a cold tone.
"Where is he?" Raymond asked.
"He is on the second asteroid," The woman replied. "He never stays in one place for too long and spends most of his time in a car. Honestly, we would have never found him without his meeting with Lieutenant Khan."
"He is resourceful," Raymond laughed. "What else?"
"His messenger is on our payroll," The woman explained. "He isn't telling him much, but we can safely assume he is planning to enter the lab. He will likely bring Lieutenant Khan with him too."
"Rash, rash," Raymond shook his head. "Kids nowadays have no patience."
"We have a few third-level warriors available," The woman exclaimed. "I can dispatch them and myself to defend the lab."
"No," Raymond objected. "Clear the way. Make the kids struggle a bit, but let them safely reach the lab."
"Sir?" The woman called.
"We have gathered enough data," Raymond stated. "Milia 222 has long since become limiting. I'd rather use Bret's son to see if he can trigger something."
"I'll clear the logs in the meantime," The woman uttered.
"Yes," Raymond agreed. "Save what you can save. Burn the rest. Leave only the sample for the kids."
"It will be done, sir," The woman declared before her picture disappeared from the screen. Even the holograms went dark as soon as Raymond tapped on the floor.
"Bret, Bret," Raymond sighed as he played with his drink. "I hope your son doesn't disappoint me."
