Rivers of vehicles hovered among the buildings, and a sea of people occupied the streets below. Balloons and other decorations shone everywhere, and entire structures had changed color to match Milia 222's iconic pale-blue light.
Khan inspected the crowded scene from the calm of his cab. The general happy mood from the previous day was nothing compared to that morning's chaos. The fourth asteroid had turned into a loud beast now that the celebrations had begun.
"I didn't expect it to be so messy," Luke commented while inspecting the scenery outside the cab. "We will never get there on time."
"We won't be the only ones late," Bruce reassured. "Also, it's just a matter of taking our seats. The hard part should be over at that point."
Bruce, Khan, Luke, and Master Ivor were in the same cab, and an almost identical vehicle flew behind them to carry the rest of the group. Darrel, Isaac, and Claudia had to remain behind, but that didn't affect the plan.
"How do you plan on leaving once we take our seats?" Luke asked while turning toward Khan.
"I can't say yet," Khan admitted. "I expect Rodney to have prepared something."
"What if he didn't?" Luke pressed on.
"I'll jump on heads until I find an empty spot," Khan explained.
"Come on," Bruce chuckled. "Sharing information will only make our job easier."
Khan stopped looking at the scenery to show his smirk to his companions. Master Ivor ended up voicing a chuckle while Luke and Bruce heaved sighs and shook their heads. Khan had actually been serious.
"Let's do an item check right now," Luke announced.
"We did it before getting on the cab," Khan pointed out but opened his backpack anyway to show its insides.
The backpack didn't have much. It only contained the phone meant for the dock and the scanner for mana. Khan had already put the tracker under his shirt, and Luke had the rest of the items.
"Alright," Luke nodded after a few seconds. "We are truly ready."
Khan didn't say anything, but his expression showed his agreement with Luke. The items were ready, the Nele knew about the plan, and a few vehicles would keep track of Khan's movements once he left the celebrations. He only had to wait for Rodney to begin the mission.
"This is it then," Bruce exclaimed.
Khan and Master Ivor exchanged a glance but opted to remain silent. The pressure was getting to Bruce and Luke, but words wouldn't calm them. Only the end of the mission could disperse that tension.
"Just make sure to check the items every few minutes," Khan eventually said. "You can enjoy the celebrations in the meantime."
"Enjoy the celebrations," Luke scoffed. "I have a lot on my plate here, too much even, and this is the best I can do to help."
"That's why you called me," Khan claimed.
"Still," Luke sighed. "Something must change once all of this is over. I need to do and be better."
Khan agreed with that comment, but he let his curiosity take over and bring his gaze back to the scenery outside. His vehicle was slowly moving toward its destination, so new interesting details managed to enter his vision.
Luke had shared the details of the celebrations during a joint breakfast a few hours ago. The fourth asteroid would have multiple events that day, but Luke's group would only attend the main one, which would happen in a big square modified for the occasion.
The square stood near the center of Lower Level 1, so the trip would usually be pretty short. Yet, the traffic slowed everything down.
Luke and Bruce exchanged some casual comments as the slow flight continued. The conversation helped them deal with the tension, and Khan didn't bother to join it. He had gotten too used to those kinds of missions, so he spent his time lingering on various thoughts.
Khan's injuries had healed completely, but he couldn't say the same for his attunement with mana. He had improved too fast, and only a long period of rest would get him used to those changes. Still, his check-up technique didn't show any significant red flags, so he didn't see it as a big problem.
Except for that, Khan was in great shape, both physically and emotionally. His body was stronger than ever, his arsenal lacked weaknesses, and a strange mental clarity had invaded his thoughts.
Mastering the cloud would have further improved the situation, but Khan could see the positive side of his failed test. The spell had shown him a path, which had straightened his thoughts in ways he didn't think were possible.
That change didn't only benefit Khan's normal mental state. His relationships had also improved due to that newfound resolve. He had gotten closer to the Nele, begun to show his true colors to Luke, and even taken another step with Monica.
For once, the future didn't look as grim as before. Khan knew he would face hardships, especially once politics became a deeper part of his life, but he didn't let those thoughts sour his mood. Khan was ready to overcome both war and peace to build his path toward freedom.
An entire hour had to pass before the vehicle made substantial progress on the flight. The tall buildings suddenly grew scarcer to create an open environment. The appointed square became visible, and Khan couldn't help but gasp at its incredible design.
The square was big, even too big for a city with limited space. Twenty or so buildings surrounded it to mark its edges, and multiple seats stood before them to create the arena that would likely host the celebrations.
The seats immediately attracted Khan's attention. The poorest ones were staircase-shaped structures as tall as six-story buildings. Then, various ships hovered above them and acted as platforms for the people inside them.
At last, actual platforms floated above the ships and created luxurious seats that allowed the landing of small vehicles. Some of those structures even had crews that provided food and other services. Khan could only feel marvel at that sight, and a bitter smile appeared on his face when he accepted that he would miss all of that.
Luke knocked on the wall that separated the group from the driver's seat, and the latter understood the silent order. The vehicle changed direction and rose a bit to reach a landing area on a building nearby.
The cab behind did the same, so both vehicles soon landed on the building. The cars opened, and the groups jumped out to regroup one last time before the beginning of the celebrations. Of course, the pilots didn't join that event.
"Let's go over our seats again," Luke announced as soon as everyone stepped on the landing area.
Khan ignored the following exchange since he had already heard those same orders a few hours ago. Instead, he gazed at the giant square to get a clear picture of the area.
The lights, the many vehicles, the decorations, the people on the various seats, the platforms, and the cylindrical structure in the distance created a breathtaking scene. Khan had seen many strange things, but that was the best expression of technology he had ever encountered.
Moreover, Khan's inspection went far beyond his eyes and ears. The symphony of mana created an incredible drawing that added fuel to the general happiness of the place, and that feeling was bound to intensify as more people reached the square.
"Khan?" Luke eventually called since he noticed that Khan wasn't listening to him.
"You and Ivor will go on a platform," Khan summarized. "The others will split on our ships while I'll be on the staircases."
Khan had sounded far from serious, almost pushing Luke to scold him. Yet, he had committed the details of the mission to memory, so reprimanding him was pointless.
"Remember to contact me," Luke stated, and Khan simply nodded. The others didn't know everything, so the two kept their interaction vague.
Luke went on to give other warnings to the team, but his words became unable to reach Khan's ears when he looked at Monica. She was beautiful in her pink dress, and the elegance she had learnt to radiate made her stand out.
Monica was only pretending to pay attention to Luke. She had noticed Khan's gaze long ago, and he was aware of that. He knew she would be embarrassed in that situation, so he continued to look at her to tease her a bit.
Khan stopped when Luke clapped his hands and prepared himself to give the last orders. The group had to split, and everyone was ready to jump back into the cars. However, a third vehicle suddenly approached the building and landed in the same area.
Luke, Bruce, Master Ivor, and Khan understood what was happening before the new vehicle could give any hint. The car was too luxurious to hide its owner, and the powerful presence inside it gave Khan everything he needed to find his answers.
A door on the side of the vehicle opened, and Raymond stepped out to greet the group with his broad smile. His expression depicted pure friendliness that made it extremely hard to suspect him of any conspiracy, but Khan continued to look past that, and what he felt wasn't reassuring.
"You are a sight to behold," Raymond exclaimed while reaching the group. "The future of the Global Army couldn't look any better."
"You are too kind, Mister Cobsend," Monica promptly thanked while performing an elegant bow.
"I'm only speaking the truth," Raymond laughed. "Well, how is my nephew treating you?"
"I booked the best seats I could find," Luke explained.
"I believe you," Raymond announced. "Still, some of you don't have a platform, right? Mine is pretty large. You are welcome there."
"We can't accept such generosity," Bruce refused as politely as he could. "Besides, we wouldn't want to disturb you during the spectacle."
"Nonsense," Raymond scoffed. "Let's get you all on a platform. I'll unite two or three of them if we don't have enough space."
When Raymond picked up his phone to complete the new arrangements, some panic invaded Luke's mind. He instinctively glanced at Khan before suppressing any reaction that could take control of his face.
Luke was in a pickle. He needed Khan on the ground, but he couldn't come up with a valid excuse. Also, contradicting his uncle wasn't a smart political move. They could have the best relationship, but members of other families would still see that as an internal conflict.
Khan retained his calm, but his thoughts were equally wild. He considered the possibility that Raymond had uncovered the plan, but he quickly disregarded it. Worrying about that now was pointless. It was better to focus on solving the imminent issue.
"Mister Raymond, I'm afraid I have to refuse your offer," Khan declared before anyone could speak.
"How so?" Raymond calmly asked.
"I made the same request to Luke," Khan lied. "There is someone I have to meet. She is pretty important to me."
"Are you choosing a woman over my kind offer?" Raymond questioned as his smile slowly faded.
"She is not as reasonable as you," Khan tried to justify. "Her temper is impossible to deal with."
Monica looked away. Khan wanted to make everyone think he was talking about Jenna, but his description matched Monica's character, and she knew he was doing that on purpose.
"Lieutenant Khan," Raymond announced, ultimately abandoning his friendliness as he stepped toward Khan. "Are you certain about this decision?"
Khan pretended to struggle to choose his next words and spoke when Raymond reached him. "Please, sir. I really need to see her this morning."
"I wonder what's so important about that," Raymond insisted. "Explain yourself, Lieutenant Khan."
"Well," Khan cleared his throat while his voice turned into a whisper, "I haven't gotten laid in a while, and we booked this room for the day."
Utter silence fell in the area. Khan had whispered, but the noises coming from around the building didn't cover his words, so everyone heard him.
Luke and the others almost couldn't believe that Khan had voiced such an idiotic line. Those words had no place in a conversation with someone like Raymond Cobsend. They weren't exactly impolite, but they covered topics that would make anyone feel awkward.
The tension intensified as the silence continued. Everyone was waiting for Raymond to speak, but the latter seemed at a loss for words. His mouth even hung open as he tried to make some sense out of what Khan had just said.
As for Khan, he didn't mind showing his shameless and straightforward side. He had done the same on Onia with Colonel Norrett, and that behavior made sense at his age.
Moreover, Raymond had shown his contempt for politics during their meetings. His behavior might have been a façade, but it would make sense for him to disregard those obligations and let Khan have some fun. It would even be in line with his profile.
A laugh eventually broke the silence. Raymond brought his hand to his mouth to suppress his outburst and turn it into elegant chuckles. His reaction reassured the group, and the words that followed ended that tense moment.
"Sorry for pressuring you," Raymond laughed. "I didn't expect this. Of course! Even I wouldn't choose to spend these celebrations on a boring platform with such an interesting alternative."
"I would have rescheduled if I knew about this offer a little earlier," Khan lied again.
"No need to add anything," Raymond exclaimed. "You go and do what you must do. Ah! Being young sure is fun."
Khan wore a smile but didn't say anything. He could feel his companions' gazes on him, but he decided to ignore them. Most of the team didn't know about Raymond's potential involvement in the theft, so their confusion was more than justified.
Only Luke and Monica gave off notable reactions. Luke felt reassured, while Monica experienced a mixture of shyness and embarrassment. Khan had used her in his lie, and his words had carried a truth that made her blush.
As for Martha, she understood that something was going on, but she also knew that the situation didn't allow questions. She would have to wait until after the mission to learn the truth.
"Very well," Raymond soon announced. "Since everything is set, why don't we reach our seats? I'm confident I can arrange the platform while I take Lieutenant Khan to the staircases. Unless he wants to refuse this offer too."
"I'll gladly accept the ride," Khan smiled.
"I'll see you in the platforms area then," Raymond declared. "Lieutenant Khan, with me."
Khan turned toward his companions to nod before hurrying after Raymond. Needless to say, Amanda and Francis were staring at him in disbelief, and their expressions didn't change even after he entered Raymond's car.
The car's insides reflected the luxury noticed outside. Khan found himself among comfortable and spacious seats, interactive menus, and a small selection of bottles locked in a transparent case.
"You sure know how to make this old man laugh," Raymond exclaimed after closing the door.
"I was only telling the truth," Khan lied.
"A woman with a bad temper," Raymond chuckled. "It does remind me of your parents."
"Maybe it's in my genes," Khan guessed.
"It wouldn't surprise me," Raymond laughed. "Oh, do you have a seat already?"
"Yes," Khan replied while taking out his phone to check one of Luke's messages. "I'm on D344."
"I'll drop you there," Raymond responded as he tapped on the interactive menus to give new directives to the pilot.
"Thank you for this, Raymond," Khan voiced.
"Don't even mention it," Raymond stated. "These celebrations are a joyful occasion. I won't let politics stand in the way of your fun."
"Again, thank you for understanding," Khan added.
"It's fine," Raymond waved his hand dismissively. "You should pursue every opportunity you have at your age. It will be too late for that once you become important, and I know you will."
Ships usually didn't fly directly on the staircases, but Raymond's vehicle ignored that rule. It entered the square and hovered above the lower seats until it stood right above Khan's spot.
"Send my regards to your girl," Raymond voiced when Khan opened one of the doors on the side.
"I will!" Khan happily said before jumping down. Only three meters separated him from his spot, so the landing didn't cause any problem.
Raymond's vehicle took off right after the landing, and Khan followed it with his eyes. The small ship flew directly toward the topmost area, where three platforms were hovering toward each other.
Khan heaved a sigh in his mind before shooting cold glances at his surroundings. His landing had attracted a lot of attention, and the people nearby didn't hold back from inspecting his figure. Some even whistled for no clear reason.
'So much for going unnoticed,' Khan cursed before sitting on the spot with the symbols "D344" written in various languages. The people around him kept shooting glances in his direction, but they soon lost interest since he wasn't up to anything interesting.
The square was still empty, but the event was bound to start soon since the staircase area was basically full. The sky above was almost completely packed too. The audience had arrived, so it was time for the celebrations to start.
Khan ignored the square. He wanted to see what Milia 222 had in store, but he had to remain focused on his senses. There were so many people that identifying Rodney's presence could be a problem, so he needed to keep his entire concentration on the matter.
Some distracting scenes managed to make Khan falter for a few seconds. The purple areas on the staircases always attracted his attention, and familiar faces crossed his vision from time to time, even if they always disappeared among the crowd.
Still, even with those random distractions, Khan's awareness of his surroundings remained high, so he didn't miss the arrival of a third-level warrior.
Khan didn't want to alert anyone, so he pretended not to notice that new powerful presence. However, he felt forced to turn when he sensed it sitting on the seat on his left, and what he saw shattered his confidence.
A beautiful woman with long golden hair had taken her place next to Khan. Her tracksuit did its best to make her appear plain, but her beauty overcame that hindrance and made many gazes turn to inspect her.
Shock often followed. Inspecting the woman's face made the onlookers aware of the hideous scar that ran over her left eye and cheek. That wound acted as a turn-off for most of the audience, but Khan was an exception, even if for different reasons.
Khan had never felt the woman's presence or seen her on Milia 222, but Rodney had provided a portrait that looked exactly like her. She was his boss, and she had chosen to sit right next to Khan.
The event couldn't possibly be a coincidence. The staircases had too many seats for that. Moreover, Raymond had just dropped Khan there, which would explain how the woman knew about his spot.
Khan diverted his gaze and stared at the square while his mind grew cold. Killing in public wasn't a viable option, but striking now would grant him some degree of initiative, which could make the difference between life and death.
Thoughts swirled. Khan slowly grew convinced that he had to do something before the woman could take control of the situation. Part of him even abandoned the idea of preserving the mission. He only had to decide how to handle the matter.
"Don't bother," The woman said before Khan could make up his mind. "You wouldn't succeed anyway, so don't bother trying."
Khan remained quite surprised by the coldness of the woman's voice. It was deeper than emotionless. It almost sounded robotic, which matched what her thoughts radiated.
The synthetic mana around the woman carried a chilling feeling. It expressed a peaceful but firm coldness that didn't accept any compromise. That was the mind of an assassin.
"Your presence confirms my guesses," Khan stated. "You'll have to kill me to keep your secrets, and I won't die without putting up a fight."
"Do you think I learnt about your seat from the landing?" The woman wondered in the same robotic tone. "I've known about it since your employer booked it. That's the kind of power you have chosen to oppose."
"So, you admit it," Khan voiced.
"This must be your attempt to make me say a name," The woman declared. "How naïve."
"It was worth a shot," Khan chuckled.
"No," The woman corrected. "Thinking that getting a name will change anything is naïve."
Khan scoffed before continuing with a question. "What do you want? I'm down to fight if that's what you came here for."
"I don't fight kids unless ordered to," The woman announced. "I've come here to warn you."
"Are you on my side now?" Khan joked.
"I'm warning you on behalf of my Master," The woman continued. "Don't disappoint him."
"Can you be more specific?" Khan questioned, but the woman directly stood up and began to leave.
Khan kept his cold eyes on the woman until she reached the passages among the staircases and left the area. Even her presence escaped the range of Khan's senses by then, but he continued to stare at the spot where she had disappeared.
'Master,' Khan thought. 'It must be Raymond, but why would he want to warn me?'
Khan couldn't remain immersed in his thoughts for too long since a familiar presence suddenly reached his senses. The crowd muddled that sensation, but Khan was sure. Rodney had arrived in the area.
****
Author's notes: Some life updates. I've bought a house, which is good news, even if it will lead to time-consuming stuff like furniture and similar.
My main laptop started crashing, which forced me to send it to the tech guy. It has been there for a week, and I have yet to hear anything about it.
My backup laptop worked fine for a few days before its screen went full psycho mode. I've posted some pics on discord. I've never seen anything like that. It basically flickers to no end or keeps a faded version of the previous page on the new one, or both. Strange stuff.
So, that's it. Things should get better soon, but this is my current situation.
