"Do I need to repeat myself?" Monica scoffed.
"You can say anything you want," Jenna mocked. "The truth won't change."
"Your truth is bullshit!" Monica almost shouted.
"And yet it remains true," Jenna responded.
"I'm Khan's woman," Monica declared, "And he is my man. That's how things are."
"Be it as it may," Jenna voiced, "Our connection goes beyond what you can offer."
"I won't take lectures by someone who can't even kiss him," Monica insulted.
"What?" Jenna chuckled. "Do you think exchanging a few kisses puts you ahead of me? You know the things we have done. We aren't in the same league."
"Your vixen tricks can only achieve so much," Monica sneered.
"I don't do tricks," Jenna teased. "I offer myself completely, which is something you clearly have a problem doing."
"You-!" Monica blushed. "How can you be so shameless?"
"Shameless?" Jenna wondered. "Maybe you should sort out your mind instead of making my Khan hold back."
"Your Khan?!" Monica complained.
"You heard me correctly," Jenna smirked. "We both know that I sent him in your arms. I wouldn't have done it if I knew you didn't have the guts to open your legs."
"What?!" Monica gasped. "You can't talk to me like this."
"You are just a little girl," Jenna sighed. "You are useless to Khan if you can't relieve him properly."
"Relieve?!" Monica gasped again before turning to her right. "Khan, help me out here. Tell her how things are."
"Can you leave me out of this?" Khan almost begged while massaging his temples.
A bit more than a week had passed since the meeting with Rodney. Khan had encountered the messenger the previous day, but the Nele couldn't find much. The second asteroid had exhausted its options, so Khan had planned to leave, but Monica and Jenna had things to sort out first.
Needless to say, the meeting had been a complete disaster. Jenna and Monica had been at each other's throats for entire minutes. The hidden street enveloped by purple light was the only consolation Khan could find.
"You can't remain silent when she insults me like this," Monica scolded.
"Yes, Khan," Jenna giggled. "Tell her how pent-up you have been. I already know because I see it every time we are together."
"What do you see exactly?" Monica shouted. "Khan?"
"Oh, don't look at him," Jenna teased. "You know what I'm talking about. Your gaze must have slipped down there more than once."
Monica gasped again before focusing on Khan and showing her puppy eyes. "Khan, you promised."
Khan didn't want to be anywhere near that situation, but he had to handle it. Jenna wasn't a problem. She was only using that chance to vent and have fun. Still, Monica was an entirely different issue.
"You both know how things are," Khan announced, hoping his words would end that fight. "Monica is my girlfriend. Nothing will change that."
"What's even her use when she can't satisfy you?" Jenna snorted. "You should just use me while we are away."
"Can you stop talking about sex?" Monica questioned.
"Why?" Jenna chuckled. "You should just get it over with if it bothers you so much."
"You have no say in my private life," Monica stated. "Our private life."
"I'm only trying to help Khan," Jenna explained. "I won't let you take advantage of his patience."
"You don't know how it is between us!" Monica complained.
"I know he is holding back for your sake," Jenna revealed. "Isn't that right, Khan?"
Two pairs of beautiful eyes landed on Khan's face, and he didn't dare to look at either of them out of fear of triggering someone's anger. He only wanted to summon all his mana and run away.
Every reasonable part of Khan's mind told him to side with Monica and end that fight. He would soon be alone with Jenna anyway, and she would understand his actions.
However, similar situations might happen in the future. Monica needed to understand that her perspective had to expand to accept Khan in his entirety. She could decide not to do that, but their relationship wouldn't last long in that case.
"I'm obviously holding back," Khan admitted before pulling Monica's right arm to make her fall in his hug.
Monica wanted to say something, but the situation made her uncomfortable. They were in the open, and Jenna wasn't the only one in the area. A group of Nele also stood at the end of the hidden street.
"She teases me more than you," Monica whispered.
"So, we tease her back," Khan smirked before lowering his head to kiss Monica.
The synthetic mana revealed the changes in the surroundings. Khan could sense Jenna's jealousy, but she also radiated some curiosity and general acceptance.
Khan wiped his upper lip when the kiss ended. Monica was wearing the brownish ointment to protect herself from the Nele's pheromones, and some of it had ended on him.
Monica had fallen into a daze. Khan had spent a lot of time in her room during the past week, which further deepened their relationship. She knew exactly what Jenna meant, and she couldn't understand why she even bothered holding back with him.
"I make that face too when I'm with him," Jenna sighed. "He is pretty unfair at times."
"Incredibly unfair," Monica agreed.
"Are you teaming up against me now?" Khan laughed while fondling Monica's hair.
"He is thinking about nasty stuff," Jenna teased. "I told you he needs to relieve himself."
"Don't give Monica strange ideas," Khan said before using an arm to hide Monica's face. "One perverted woman is already too much."
"I told you already," Jenna exclaimed. "She is probably like me."
"How can you even say that?" Monica asked as she broke free from Khan's hug.
"I hope you are," Jenna giggled. "You won't be able to keep up with Khan otherwise."
Monica shot a glance at Khan that expressed both annoyance and embarrassment. She didn't want to talk about that stuff in the open, but Jenna knew how to make her angry.
"Okay, you'll never manage to go along in such a short time," Khan announced. "Jenna, please reassure Monica about us. Do it for me."
"Unfair," Jenna scoffed before turning toward Monica. "We are only friends. We won't cross the line, but only because we decided that."
"[Jenna]," Khan scolded.
"It's my turn now," Jenna snorted as she stepped toward Khan to hug his arm and continue talking to Monica. "Don't screw up, or I'll take him against his will. I'll do that even if you make him wait too long."
"Hey, who do you think you are touching?" Monica asked as she grabbed Khan's free arm.
"Don't worry," Jenna teased. "I'll touch a lot more once I get rid of his clothes."
"Khan?!" Monica shouted.
"This meeting is over," Khan exclaimed before turning toward Jenna. "[I'll see you tonight]."
"[Don't make me wait too long]," Jenna voiced while lowering her head to leave a kiss on Khan's cheek.
"What did you just do?" Monica cried as she left Khan's arm to reach for Jenna.
Jenna let Khan's arm go, so he stepped forward to intercept Monica. She seemed set on reaching Jenna, so Khan lifted her to leave that street.
"You slut!" Monica shouted from above Khan's shoulders while he carried her away. "I won't forget this."
"I hope I didn't ruin your last day together," Jenna laughed while waving goodbye to Monica.
Monica almost screamed, but Khan put her down at that point. A kiss landed on her lips before she could say anything, and Khan also kept her still until he sensed that her anger was under control.
"Are you calm now?" Khan asked after lifting his face.
"No," Monica pouted.
"We can walk hand in hand for a bit if you behave," Khan whispered.
A flicker ran through Monica's eyes. Her relationship with Khan had rarely gone out of her room since everything was still a secret. She could get a few minutes of normality now, and she didn't dare to miss out.
"Unfair," Monica complained, but she still took Khan's hand and started strolling toward the end of the street.
"[You know what to do, right]?" Khan asked when he reached the group of Nele.
"[We have the portraits we need]," The only second-level warrior in the group said. "[We'll keep watching out for clues]."
Khan nodded. He had already sorted that part of the plan out. The Nele would keep watching the messenger and contact Luke if they found something. They wouldn't actually meet him, but he had been more than happy to provide a phone.
The situation was quite strange from Monica's perspective. The Nele were usually completely detached in the open, but they showed friendliness in Khan's presence. They also allowed themselves to be curious about the whole fight, which wasn't a common sight.
Khan also felt strange, but for opposite reasons. His relationship with the Nele had improved greatly, but most of that had happened in the dock. The aliens in the group had probably only heard rumors, which left room for hesitation.
"[Be safe]," Khan eventually voiced.
"[You too]," The second-level warrior responded.
The meeting ended there, with Khan and Monica enjoying the short privacy the walk out of the purple street could offer. It felt nice to have that moment of normality, but it ended too fast, even if Monica tried to be as slow as possible.
Letting go of Monica's hand annoyed Khan, but he couldn't help it. Milia 222 had too many eyes, and he wasn't ready for a political scandal. The two could only walk side by side, pretending not to desire to get closer.
Luckily for the couple, Luke's building had been relatively peaceful in the past week. The mood was too sour for the happy meetings in the main hall, and everyone wanted to prepare for the celebrations. Monica and Khan could go straight to her room without meeting anyone.
"I can't stand her!" Monica exclaimed as soon as the door closed behind her. "She thinks she can lecture me just because her pants are looser than mine."
Khan did his best to hide his smile, but Monica defeated his efforts by turning to shoot an angry glance. She was so livid that he couldn't help but let out a faint chuckle.
"On which side are you?" Monica scoffed. "Why don't you go to that slut since you clearly like her kisses?"
"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Khan teased.
Monica suppressed a scream as she stomped her feet. Her rational side had already accepted the matter long ago, but her emotions had different opinions.
"I can't stand her," Monica complained in a far quieter voice.
"Do you know why she tries so hard to get on your nerves?" Khan asked as he slowly approached Monica. "Her jealousy is connected to how close we get."
Monica let Khan pull her waist, but her eyes remained on the floor. The meeting didn't achieve anything in the end. She had only gotten mad.
"Also," Khan continued while lifting Monica's face. "Jenna is a dear friend, and she isn't a slut."
"Are you defending her now?" Monica questioned.
"I told you," Khan stated. "The Nele experience feelings differently, and their customs enhance that feature. They can give the entirety of themselves to their loved ones without a second thought."
Monica would typically have a hard time understanding that different perspective. She was simply too human. Dating was a regular part of relationships in her mind, and she didn't experience feelings like the Nele.
However, spending time with Khan made her aware of many surprising aspects of her character. Part of her had even begun to envy Jenna for her freedom and boldness.
"I can't stay put when someone insults Jenna," Khan continued. "It's fine if you are joking, but I'm afraid you might start to believe what you are saying."
Monica stared at Khan for a few seconds before heaving a helpless sigh. "Always so protective."
"Would you prefer me to be like this only toward you?" Khan teased.
"Yes," Monica admitted. "I wish I could monopolize that side of yours."
"Someone is getting bold," Khan laughed.
"I'm too mad to be shy," Monica pouted before laying her head on Khan's chest. "Sorry for being a moody mess."
"I like that about you," Khan reassured. "I knew we could work since you first slapped me."
"I can do that as many times as you want today," Monica sneered.
"I can think of better things to do," Khan joked.
Monica left Khan's chest and looked at his smirk for a few seconds before taking his arms. A tinge of shyness appeared on her face as she led Khan to the bed and made him sit. She had yet to get used to those bold gestures, but she didn't let anything stop them.
"Khan," Monica whispered as she sat on Khan's lap, "How bad is it?"
"Bad what?" Khan asked.
"Holding back," Monica explained.
"Don't let Jenna's words get to your head," Khan chuckled. "She only wanted to tease you."
"But there has to be some truth in them," Monica pointed out. "What you are about to do is dangerous. I don't want anything to distract you."
"Distract me?" Khan repeated as his smile broadened. "And what would you suggest to avoid that?"
"I-," Monica stammered. "I want to help. Just tell me what to do."
Monica sat deeper in Khan's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her skirt had hidden it, but she could feel the bulge on Khan's groin.
"I can-" Monica began to say, but Khan suddenly grabbed her nose and pulled her face closer to his.
"What are you doing?" Monica pouted.
"My woman is acting strange," Khan revealed. "I'm resorting to extreme measures."
"Let go of my nose," Monica complained.
"Only if you stop forcing yourself," Khan chuckled.
"Fine," Monica cursed. "I'll stop."
Khan let go of Monica's nose only to place his hand on her cheek. Both of them smiled before falling into a long kiss that brought Monica with her back onto her bed.
"Maybe loosening your pants is a good compromise," Khan whispered once their passion finally took a break.
"Not a chance," Monica quickly replied before lightly pulling Khan from his hair.
The gesture's purpose became clear only when Khan could see the entirety of Monica's face. Her expression was going in direct opposition to her words.
.
.
.
"[I see that my words helped]," Jenna proudly announced. "[I don't know if I should be happy or jealous]."
"[You are both already]," Khan shook his head.
"[You know me so well]," Jenna giggled as she tightened her hug on Khan's arm. "[Yet, she still has a long way to go. She didn't even take off your pants]."
"[You know her situation]," Khan sighed. "[It takes time]."
"[You can use me in the meantime]," Jenna whispered, "[And after]."
"[I'll really give you a muzzle]," Khan cursed, and the conversation remained on that topic for a while.
It was night. Khan had left Monica to join Jenna on the trip to the third asteroid. He was one day behind his original schedule, but the events with the messenger had made that delay impossible to prevent.
Jenna and Khan crossed Lower Level 1 in a cab before going for the elevators and reaching the short-distance teleports. Arriving on the third asteroid was as easy as ever, and the same went for getting into a zone connected to the hidden dome.
More rumors had spread on the third asteroid, and the Nele only needed to see Jenna clinging to Khan to recognize him. Jenna had also lost most of her self-restraint in public, so she freely hugged and joked with Khan, uncaring of the gazes from members of different species.
Khan didn't spend much time on foot, but he could still see how his welcome had changed. He met very few stern stances along the way. Most of the Nele either nodded at him or showed curiosity toward his relationship with Jenna.
Getting into the secret passage wasn't an issue with Jenna. The two soon used the elevator for Lower Level 2 and reached the dome to attend to the cleaning process.
Khan rejoiced when the natural mana in the corridor surrounded him. His senses cheered. He had almost forgotten a world without the stench of synthetic energy, but the Nele were there to remind him.
Seeing settlement gave birth to similar emotions. The trees, the ground, and the general vegetation were a sight for sore eyes. Khan had lived among metal for months by now, and the scene made him aware of how much he had missed that alternative.
"[Let's get you to Caja]," Jenna announced while also experiencing the same happiness that had filled Khan. "[She must be eager to see you]."
Khan limited himself to following Jenna through the path at the center of the settlement. Nele came out of shops and houses to inspect the scene, and some actually smiled when they noticed Khan. The welcome was even friendlier there.
Jenna seemed in a hurry, so Khan didn't have the chance to interact with anyone. The two soon left the central path to get into the woods and walk toward the large hut used during the previous visit.
The powerful presence inside the hut told Khan and Jenna everything they needed to know. The two crossed the wooden entrance and revealed smiles seeing Caja sitting on the floor. She appeared as elegant and bright as ever, and she had even prepared three fuming cups for them.
"[Caja, I'm back]," Jenna happily exclaimed before sitting on a spot next to Caja.
"[Not for long, I believe]," Caja chuckled.
"[It's a pleasure to meet you again]," Khan politely stated. "[Thank you for all the help your species provided]."
"[Ooh]," Caja voiced while she inspected Khan. "[You've grown, young man]."
"[Jenna has to take credit for that]," Khan revealed. "[I wouldn't have gotten where I am without her]."
"[Take credit]?" Caja wondered before glancing at Jenna. "[Is he talking about money]?"
"[It means that I helped him]," Jenna explained. "[Though he also did a lot for me. He still does]."
"[Oh, silly me]," Caja laughed. "[I should hang out on the surface more often. I won't understand a single word you say in a few years]."
Caja pointed at a spot on the other side of the cups, and Khan didn't hesitate to sit there. The three took their drinks and began enjoying them without needing additional words.
"[You have also changed quite a bit]," Caja eventually said when she got a better look at Jenna. "[Do I need to know something]?"
"[I bothered Khan quite a bit in the last period]," Jenna revealed. "[I'm having a hard time controlling my emotions]."
"[The beauty of youth]," Caja exclaimed before turning toward Khan. "[I hope she didn't cause too many problems]."
"[Even if she did]," Khan voiced, "[I wouldn't call them problems]."
"[Quite direct]," Caja commented, "[And driven. We managed to get some reports from the dock. Maban spoke highly of you]."
"[I only helped when necessary]," Khan responded.
"[Facing a third-level warrior on your own doesn't sound necessary]," Caja declared. "[Still, a human joining the hunting season. That must have been quite a sight]."
"[Again, I only wanted to help]," Khan remained humble.
"[Do you find killing easy]?" Caja wondered. "[Did you want to prove your worth]?"
Khan knew what Caja was thinking. The hunting seasons often involved innocents, at least in matters directly connected to the Nele. Still, the dock wasn't a cradle of good people, and that wouldn't have saved them anyway.
"[I wanted to make Jenna safe]," Khan revealed his motivations. "[I wanted to make the Nele safe]."
"[Is blood a worthy price to pay]?" Caja asked.
"[I've done worse for worse people]," Khan stated. "[If being a weapon helps you, I'm willing to become one]."
"[You have truly taken a liking in our species]," Caja laughed. "[That's good, but weapons we have. You need to become more if you truly want to help]."
"[Caja, Khan has a lot to handle]," Jenna intervened. "[Adding pressure won't help]."
"[You defended him so quickly]," Caja sneered while lifting a hand to cover her mouth. "[What an intriguing scene]."
"[I might not be in the best condition to mind my manners]," Jenna admitted.
"[You didn't even during our first meeting]," Caja teased. "[It's good that you found a way to explore yourself. I approve this]."
"[Thank you]!" Jenna exclaimed before wearing her shameless face. "[So, do you mind if I sit next to him]?"
Caja happily nodded, and Jenna didn't hesitate to leave her spot to reach Khan's right side. In a few seconds, her head was resting on his shoulder.
"[So, you requested for this environment to train]," Caja stated. "[I imagine the technique involves the type of mana]."
"[Correct]," Khan replied.
"[Do you want to seal the same deal as last time]?" Caja asked.
Khan moved Jenna away for only a second to take out his backpack and place it in front of him. A short search inside the item made him pull out a cylindrical container with a dark-red liquid, and the mana it radiated revealed its nature.
"[I have enough for one use]," Khan explained, "[But I'd need to rely on you to continue]."
"[More blood]?" Caja questioned. "[That's not a problem]."
"[I don't mind showing this technique to the teachers here]," Khan added. "[It doesn't suit your arts, but you might be able to develop something similar if you see it]."
"[Are you suggesting a public demonstration]?" Caja wondered. "[Why not? It's about time more Nele got to know you anyway]."
