Creaking noises resounded in the small house. The ceiling bent in multiple spots due to its new holes. The whole metal surface seemed on the verge of falling apart, but it somehow remained in its place.
The rest of the room wasn't better off. Two big holes had opened on a wall, granting a view of the lower part of the Tors' district. The various tubes had also turned into a broken mess, but a failsafe had prevented leaks.
The clash with the cloud had trashed the small lab. Fixing the tubes seemed impossible. A proper replacement appeared mandatory, and Khan didn't know how expensive that would be. He only hoped that the Tors would face the matter reasonably.
The damage wasn't even the main issue. Khan had worse problems to worry about, starting with his arms. The prolonged contact with the violent chaos had turned them into a bleeding mess, even if the [Blood Shield] had saved him from harsher injuries.
That wasn't even the end of it. Injuries would heal, and Credits could fix any damage. Yet, nothing could help with Khan's internal conflict. The cloud had shown him a bitter truth that he still didn't know how to overcome.
'Mindless pursuit of freedom,' Khan thought as he sat among the rubble, 'Uncaring of the consequences or destruction it causes.'
Khan had reached a similar mindset recently, but he couldn't be as uncompromising as the spell. Nitis had taught him how even the deepest feelings had to face reality sooner or later. Sometimes, the universe didn't offer alternatives.
The issue existed in that duality. Khan had to find common ground between a mindless pursuit of what he desired and an intelligent approach to the world. He had to be uncompromising while abiding by certain rules.
Khan realized that the issue had no real solution. Those two paths had opposite features that couldn't coexist, which wasn't surprising. He was comparing himself to a wild beast. Society didn't have a place for that.
However, old memories played in Khan's mind as he reviewed the matter. He recalled Yeza and Captain Erbair. Those two powerful women had died under the assault of mere animals. They had the chance to survive, but that didn't change the nature of the event.
'I can act as I want in wild environments,' Khan thought. 'That has never been in question. But, still, there must be a way.'
The idea of living as a hermit crossed Khan's mind, but he quickly disregarded it. That was another compromise that saw him abandon many things he liked. The answer had to be able to exist everywhere, in every political environment and society.
'What should I have done to avoid breaking up with Liiza?' Khan wondered.
The question didn't feature any guilt or regret. Khan wasn't afflicting himself over past decisions. Instead, he wanted to find a theoretical alternative to understand if the path he sought could even exist.
Khan still didn't know much about the universe, but he had matured greatly since Nitis' events. His knowledge in multiple fields had also expanded, granting him a new and broader perspective.
It was undeniable that a mere first-level warrior had no power over those matters. Khan would be helpless even if he reached the third level. Sheer personal power couldn't fix Liiza's issue.
Khan would have needed far more and not in a single field. Salvaging his relationship with Liiza would have required political influence, immense financial prowess, and the resolve to give everything up to keep his love alive.
Those three major areas also had smaller fields. The political influence would have had to involve multiple species and a force capable of holding its own against other factions. The same went for the financial aspect. Mere Credits wouldn't have been enough. Proper structures would have been necessary even to consider pulling off something like that.
As for the last area, Khan didn't lack resolve, but his nightmares had been a big part of the issue, and he still didn't know how to fix them.
'Even proper ambassadors would have failed,' Khan concluded.
The theoretical figure taking form in Khan's mind was closer to a king than a wealthy individual with good political connections. He would have needed to be something akin to a country capable of asserting dominance in the very universe. He would have required an entire faction or organization just to have a shot.
'A leader,' Khan sighed as he recalled a past conversation with Jenna. 'I should have created an organization for the sole sake of my love.'
The matter sounded unreal and even quite unfair, but Khan couldn't find a better answer. That was the solution provided by his new knowledge. That had to be his goal to achieve the unreasonable freedom the chaos element desired.
'I'm getting ahead of myself,' Khan joked, even if his mind started to envision the details of that goal.
Building an organization wasn't too hard, at least theoretically. Money could purchase structures and soldiers, and achieving political influence would help establish the connections necessary to remain relatively independent.
However, Khan didn't want something so soulless. He wouldn't be any different from Rodney or Luke otherwise. His ideal organization would need true loyalty, similar to what he had achieved among the Niqols.
'I missed using their language,' Khan chuckled. 'You'll always be a part of me, won't you?'
Khan shook his head as he finally stood up. Strangely enough, he didn't experience any sadness. Instead, some restlessness invaded his mind. He wanted so many things that staying still was simply impossible.
'So much for avoiding battles,' Khan mocked himself as he focused on his arms. Nothing was broken, but he would still need time to heal.
Khan instinctively reached for his trousers to rip them apart and create some simple bandages. An annoying pain spread while he covered his injuries, but his restlessness suppressed all of that.
'I need to get that cloud out of my head,' Khan realized once the time to leave arrived. He even lightly slapped his cheeks to calm down. Finding an actual solution had given him a purpose. His mind was full of various desires, and he didn't know how much he could suppress them.
Khan jumped on the first floor once he felt able to control himself, and a hooded Tors appeared in his vision once the entrance opened. The cape prevented any inspection, so Khan could only resort to words.
"I can pay you back for the damage," Khan announced in an attempt to salvage his relationship with the Tors.
"Leave, chaos wielder," The Tors hissed from behind the hood. "No more deal."
"Wait," Khan called as the Tors began to turn. "We can still-."
"Too dangerous," The Tors interrupted. "No more deal."
Khan didn't want to lose that rare political connection, but reasoning with the Tors seemed impossible. The caped alien even left without bothering to escort him outside the district.
The end of the cooperation wasn't a real issue. Khan wouldn't know what more to commission to the Tors, and his departure was close. He only felt annoyed to have missed the chance to establish a proper relationship with the species, but the matter had probably been impossible since the very beginning.
'I really need to calm down,' Khan thought as the desire to call the Tors again showed its presence.
Khan took a deep breath before marching toward the district's exit. He had to make another stop before returning to the Nele, so he crossed a series of streets until a familiar presence entered his senses' range.
"[What happened to you]?" Sen-nu exclaimed in the Fuveall's language when Khan stepped on his street.
Khan had never given his appearance much thought, but he had to admit that he didn't look good. His face still showed the marks caused by the [Blood Vortex], and the same went for his exposed legs. Also, the bandages on his arms were quite messy, which only worsened his image.
"[I need your help with something]," Khan went straight to the point while taking out his phone. "[I hope your stash can meet my standards]."
"[Ah]!" Sen-nu gasped. "[Are you making fun of Sen-nu now? Do not worry. The quality of my items is undisputed]."
"[About that]," Khan stated as he crouched before the sitting Sen-nu. "[I don't want the stuff you sell to random customers. I need premium items]."
"[Sen-nu only sells premium items]," Sen-nu proudly claimed.
"[Come on]," Khan whispered. "[You must have something of slightly better quality, especially when it comes to communications in the dock]."
"[My human friend]," Sen-nu chuckled, "[Your words reveal your ignorance. Any expert would acknowledge Sen-nu's genius with a single look at my products]."
"[So]," Khan continued, "[You don't have anything better]."
"[It's not about quality]," Sen-nu explained. "[Communicating in the dock requires overcoming specific jammers and hindrances. Even the best devices can't achieve that with absolute certainty]."
"[What do you suggest then]?" Khan asked.
"[Sen-nu could give you something specific if you knew the exact hindrances to overcome]," Sen-nu suggested.
Khan could only shake his head. He didn't even know where Rodney would lead him, let alone the technical details of the area.
"[I'll go for the most reliable communication device you have]," Khan sighed.
"[If you only want reliability]," Sen-nu announced, "[You can sacrifice flexibility. Sen-nu has a pair of devices that can only communicate with each other. They are your best choice if you accept to have a single caller]."
"[I'll trust your expertise]," Khan nodded, and Sen-nu immediately reached for the backpack behind him to pick up the items.
"[Sen-nu must warn you]," Sen-nu added while handing two phone-like devices to Khan. "[The reliability will decrease once the celebrations reach their most critical hour. I suggest you wait for things to calm down before handling whatever you have in mind]."
'Great,' Khan cursed in his mind but purchased the items anyway. He had never planned to rely on the devices in the first place, but refusing to prepare for the worst was simply stupid.
"[Do you need anything else]?" Sen-nu asked when Khan stored the new devices in his pocket.
"[That depends on what you can offer]," Khan smirked.
"[That's what Sen-nu likes to hear]!" Sen-nu laughed, and the contents of his backpack soon filled the street.
.
.
.
Khan ended up purchasing a few more items from Sen-nu. The alien sold him a tracker that could help his companion follow his movements and an advanced scanner for the mana. Khan wouldn't usually need something like that, but the strange sensation of the fourth asteroid convinced him to leave nothing to chance.
The meetings were finally over at that point. Khan could return to the Nele's district and complete his preparations, but a familiar figure waiting by the first purple lamp told him that he would have to overcome a fight first.
"[Weren't you supposed to take it easy]?" Jenna scolded when she noticed the bandages on Khan's arms.
"[I'll explain later]," Khan reassured as he dropped a bag to the floor. "[Can you take this into our room for now]?"
"[Are you planning on training already]?" Jenna wondered.
"[There is something I need to test out]," Khan revealed. "[I even need to ask Piran for permission]."
"[Piran]?" Jenna repeated. "[Is it dangerous]?"
"[A bit]," Khan admitted, "[But I'm not worried about me. I'm only afraid of the damage I might cause]."
Jenna's eyes darted up and down as she inspected Khan from head to toe. The Khan she knew would never consider causing problems for the Nele, but she didn't mishear him. She could quickly conclude that something had changed again.
"[Did something good happen]?" Jenna questioned.
"[I don't know how good that was]," Khan laughed. "[It only forced me to think. I guess I can see my path more clearly now]."
"[Which is]?" Jenna asked.
"[Being myself]," Khan shrugged his shoulders. "[That's the only way to build meaningful connections. As for being a leader, only time will tell if I'm fit for that]."
Khan's speech didn't make much sense, but Jenna felt able to understand him anyway. She had seen how lost he could appear, but that seemed impossible now. He had gained a new goal that made him brim with confidence and resolve.
"[Do you know how hard it is for me to hold back when you look like this]?" Jenna teased as she picked up Khan's bag and reached his side.
"[Holding back is a pain]," Khan cursed. "[I should just give up on that altogether]."
"[Are you finally ready to take me then]?" Jenna giggled as she grabbed Khan's arm in a spot without injuries.
"[I can't wait for Monica to get this bold]," Khan snickered, and Jenna immediately complained, making him explode into a loud laugh.
Jenna and Khan separated shortly after. Jenna had her duty with the vegetation in the dock to attend, and she also wanted to concoct some potions for Khan. As for him, Piran had granted him access to the training hall, and he needed to make the best out of the short time before the mission.
In theory, summoning an entirely new spell would require many attempts and a lot of thinking. Khan usually needed to find precise emotions and images that depicted what he wanted to express.
However, the cloud was different. The latter required a complete absence of those rules. Khan believed he could summon it by giving free rein to everything he had inside.
.
.
.
When the night arrived, Jenna resurfaced while carrying a bowl containing a dense ointment. She wanted to apply it to Khan's arms, but he had yet to come out of the training hall, and disturbing him wasn't an option.
Still, Jenna didn't want to go back to her room already, and there was a high chance that Khan might need treatment once his session was over. So, she opted to wait in front of the training hall for him, and Piran's arrival gave her the opportunity to kill some time.
"[I didn't expect you to agree to Khan's request so quickly]," Jenna joked once the conversation reached that topic. "[Are you sure Maban won't complain]?"
"[This district is far from vital]," Piran explained, "[Especially with most of our resources safe on the third asteroid. Also, how much damage can he even do]?"
"[He did crash a ship in the middle of a street]," Jenna pointed out.
"[That kind of damage is easy to fix]," Piran revealed. "[Besides, I'm sure he'll be careful]."
A loud explosion resounded as soon as Piran finished his line. He and Jenna turned in the direction of that noise only to see that a man-sized hole had appeared in a spot right next to the hall's entrance.
An intense purple-red glow invaded the area, and a clicking growl followed. The smoke released during the explosion quickly vanished, revealing a large, bright cloud hovering in the middle of the hole.
Jenna and Piran prepared for the fight as soon as the cloud focused on them, but a glowing spear suddenly fell at its center and exploded to unleash the entirety of its destructive power.
A pillar of purple-red light enveloped the cloud and destroyed any trace of its presence, but part of the metal wall also fell prey to the attack. The man-sized hole transformed into a big and fuming opening, and a figure slowly appeared at its center.
Khan wore a shameless smile when he peeked past the opening to look at Jenna and Piran. Jenna found it hard to hold back a laugh while Piran could barely believe what he had just witnessed.
"[I'll pay you back]!" Khan promised before inspecting the nearby streets. "[Maybe it's better if you keep this area empty while I'm here]."
"[Get out of the training hall already]!" Piran shouted, and Jenna's self-restraint gave in, making her explode into a laugh.
