Understanding the attunement percentage during the meditative state was almost impossible, but that type of training still gave an overview of the body's condition. Khan knew his muscles, so he could immediately confirm that they had changed.
Khan couldn't believe his eyes. The amount of mana radiated by his flesh was off the charts. It would have taken him months of training to reach that level, but interacting with the Nak's hand had cut the process short.
The amount of mana in the flesh wasn't even the most significant change. Khan didn't recognize his insides. His muscles had grown denser, tougher, and firmer, and that transformation didn't come from the new energy fused inside them.
'What happened to me?' Khan wondered.
Khan exited the meditative state and opened his eyes to check his body. He pinched his hands, pressed on his abdomen, and pulled his skin in the hope of finding striking differences. As a matter of fact, he noticed the results of the transformation, but everything felt normal.
The situation was beyond odd. Khan would have expected something harsher than his breakthrough to the first level with that transformation, but nothing similar had happened. He felt better than ever and completely comfortable with his new state.
Khan's inspection didn't end there. He snapped his fingers near his ears, studied metal spikes grabbed from the floor, and tried to bend them to check his strength.
It soon became clear that his body had gone through a qualitative change. Khan was stronger, his senses had sharpened, and his sensitivity had joined all of that to give birth to something more powerful.
'This isn't the body of a human,' Khan eventually concluded.
The news wasn't necessarily bad. Humans had flaws and weaknesses. They had to rely on their flexibility and potential to match other species, so Khan's growth would typically be a happy surprise.
However, Khan's issue with his current state didn't involve his abrupt growth. He could even accept the many casualties of the disaster. He simply hated how it took a Nak to trigger that transformation.
'Fucking Raymond,' Khan cursed before closing his eyes again.
Khan wasn't delusional. He knew he had only been a pawn in a bigger game. He could have never predicted the Nak's hand to react in that way, but the issue remained. His mutations had returned, and he had left humanity farther behind.
'[We often can't choose how to obtain power],' Khan repeated Caja's words in his mind as he dived back into his meditative state.
The first attempt at moving mana went well. Actually, it went better than ever. Khan felt in complete control of that energy, even if it radiated a familiar wildness.
Khan opened his eyes and summoned the wave spell. He mustered enough mana for its first-level version but ended up with something stronger. The attack didn't reach the second level but came very close. Repeating the process led to the same results, so Khan dived back into the meditative state to search for explanations.
Khan had made sure to use the usual amount of mana when summoning the wave spell, so its stronger effects could only have two explanations. Either his energy had intensified, or his new body had something to do with the event.
A few more tests followed. Khan summoned the wave spell multiple times and even checked his other arts. Everything worked perfectly and was stronger than before.
'My feelings already stretched past the human spectrum,' Khan eventually understood. 'Now my body does too.'
Khan's body had become a more suitable channel for his emotions, so his spells had improved. Still, that didn't exclude his mana from the equation. The new intensity of his energy played an important role, and Khan was unable to ignore it.
The feelings inherited from the nightmare had left a deep mark. The anger and desperation were easy to handle, but the fear was different. It was a constant worry that Khan couldn't explain or identify. It simply existed in the back of his mind and added fuel to his paranoia.
Khan was no scientist, but he could still find reasonable explanations, especially since the trigger for the transformation was clear. He had evolved according to his mutations. He had distanced himself from humanity to grow closer to a Nak.
A conflict that had bothered Khan since his first days in Ylaco's training camp returned stronger than ever. His similarities with the Nak were something he couldn't escape, especially now. They were part of him, and a lot of his strength came from them.
Khan left the meditative state for the last time and lifted his right hand. Purple-red mana came out of his palm and created a smoke-like trail that stretched upward before dispersing in the air. The new brightness of his energy shone in his eyes, but he retained a stern stance toward it as if he wanted to threaten it.
"You might be similar to the Nak," Khan announced while keeping his eyes on the trail of mana, "But you are nothing like them. You are mine. No, you are me."
The mana remained silent, but Khan didn't expect any reaction. That statement was for himself. He couldn't reject what he was. He could only live with it while he pursued his goals. As for what he would become on that path, he had long since decided not to care about it.
Before Milia 222, Khan would have never managed to find peace so quickly, especially with something involving the Nak. He had matured emotionally, and he owed that to Jenna. Still, she couldn't be at the center of his thoughts now.
Solving the internal conflict put Khan in front of his current problems. The inherited fear wasn't something he could fix, so he ignored it for now, but many issues remained.
Raymond was still around. Khan didn't know his plan, but he could guess it had succeeded, and he didn't dare to imagine what to expect next.
Khan had let Rodney go, but the latter was too canny and resourceful to ignore. Khan needed to check on him to avoid getting caught by surprise by eventual ploys.
The whole fourth asteroid was a mess, and Khan wanted to help with the reconstruction and rescue operation. He felt guilty for multiple reasons, but his desire to give a hand went past that. It was the right thing to do for someone who knew the pain of the battlefield.
A meeting with Luke and the others was mandatory. Khan had to provide an update and see where things would lead. In theory, the mission was over, but Luke might still require Khan's services for the time being.
Khan even wanted to speak with Milia 222's various species. Many had witnessed his transformation, and only meetings could reveal what those aliens thought about it. Also, it was the duty of a real ambassador to take care of his political network.
Last but not least, Khan needed to talk with Monica. The fact that Jenna had gone with her reassured him, but he still wanted to handle the issue face-to-face. He also couldn't wait for that matter to end since he craved some relaxing intimacy with her.
'One step at a time,' Khan reminded himself. He knew who his priority was. He only hoped she was ready to meet him.
Khan stood up, and an annoying sensation hit his back. His hair was still too long there, so he drew his knife to cut it, but seeing his weapon after calming down made him notice the charred spots on its surface.
'Great,' Khan cursed as he inspected the knife. The weapon was still intact, but he couldn't ignore the damage inflicted by the sizzling shield. Replacing it was the intelligent choice since money wasn't a problem.
Khan sighed before cutting the remaining long strands and sheathing his knife. Part of him didn't want to leave the calm of his hiding spot since many new tasks were waiting for him, but a stronger urge guided his steps and made him jump in the open.
Many gazes fell on Khan, but the new scenery claimed his attention and eased his return to the world. Multiple spaceships had landed, and various teams were handling the construction of simple tents for the medical bay.
New ships were also descending through the vast hole to bring provisions and other useful items, and Khan lost himself in the melody of their engines. He only needed to look at them to hear the symphony, and, for the first time, he allowed himself to appreciate the effects of his transformation.
Ordinary humans couldn't even imagine what Khan was seeing. The various engines resembled small stars that sent faint flares in multiple directions. Meanwhile, an even fainter sea enveloped the whole scene and immersed it in a layer that highlighted every detail.
That was Khan's new normality, and he felt born for it. The mutations had probably always wanted to push him into that realm, but Khan knew that he could appreciate it thanks to events unrelated to the Nak. Sure, part of that came from those aliens, but its entirety was only his to claim.
'Right,' Khan thought as he recalled a specific event, 'I did my first real flight.'
Khan shook his head to avoid smiling at that memory, but his mood improved anyway. Flying had been terrific, and the event had also confirmed an important detail. His training with Luke's program had worked. It wasn't official, but he was a pilot.
The construction of the medical bay proceeded quickly, and Khan strolled among it to go back to where he had left Monica and Jenna. The return of synthetic mana in the area even made it easier for him to spot their familiar presence, so he kept walking until he arrived at a makeshift tent.
The tent was nothing more than grey fabric connected to four metal pillars that created a rectangular structure. It had no ceiling, but it provided some privacy, which was enough for a medical bay built among the debris.
Khan had seen many familiar faces during his stroll, but he had ignored them to focus on his priorities. Sadly, reaching the tent didn't bring him face-to-face to his destination. Jenna was still inside, which meant that he had to wait outside.
The area didn't lack short hills, and Khan chose one nearby as his waiting spot. Sitting in that relatively exposed place only made more eyes fall on him, but he didn't care. His stay on Milia 222 had made him used to that treatment anyway.
Khan had not been away for long. His tests had lasted less than half an hour, and the stroll had barely occupied a few minutes, so he expected Jenna and Monica to take their time inside the tent. However, the human doctor soon left the structure, and Jenna was with her.
Jenna and the doctor talked briefly before splitting to go in different directions. Jenna moved toward Khan at that point, and she showed a bright smile when she noticed that his mood had improved.
"[How is Monica]?" Khan asked before Jenna could start teasing him.
"[She is stable]," Jenna announced as she climbed the short hill of debris to reach Khan. "[The doctor removed the shard and patched her up. She is asleep now, but she is in no danger whatsoever]."
"[That's good]," Khan sighed. "[Letting her rest is for the best]."
"[She didn't want to]," Jenna giggled as she sat next to Khan and hugged his arm, "[The doctor had to give her something to make her stay put]."
"[Injuries can't quell her temper]," Khan chuckled as he accepted Jenna's head on his shoulder. Her warmth felt comforting among that mess.
"[It's a pity]," Jenna complained.
"[What]?" Khan wondered.
"[You aren't all guilt-ridden]," Jenna pouted. "[I hoped to comfort you with more than a kiss]."
"[That would only make things worse]," Khan shook his head.
"[Why don't we test that out]?" Jenna asked, turning her head to show her shameless smile.
Khan could only laugh again, but some seriousness eventually arrived. He lifted his free arm to reach Jenna's face, and warm words left his mouth. "[Thank you for before]."
Jenna lost herself in Khan's serious face. Her feelings had worsened after the kiss, but something made her hold back now.
"[Don't think that a single kiss can make up for what you did]," Jenna scoffed. "[Though I'll forgive you if you take me properly]."
Khan snickered before laying his head on Jenna's. The gesture surprised her, but she welcomed it happily. The sexual tension between them would probably never go away, but their feelings went far beyond that, and they knew they could rely on each other.
"[Hey, Khan]," Jenna called after the two spent a few seconds resting on each other.
"[No]," Khan promptly replied.
"[I wasn't talking about that]," Jenna continued.
"[What is it]?" Khan asked.
"[I told Monica what happened]," Jenna revealed.
"[I figured as much]," Khan admitted. After all, he had heard Monica's shout while he was talking with Raymond.
Fear followed Khan's words and made him turn toward its source. Jenna seemed terrified about something, and he could only caress her hair as he waited for her to explain what had happened.
"[I told her everything]," Jenna eventually explained. "[I told her about our moment and your changes]."
"[Jenna]," Khan called.
"[I'm scared, Khan]," Jenna cried. "[You won't be mine anymore once I let you go]."
Khan understood Jenna's feelings perfectly. She wasn't only talking about Monica. The mission was basically over. The time for goodbyes had almost arrived, which would inevitably lead to their separation.
"[You are truly impossible]," Khan sighed, reaching for Jenna's shoulder to pull her on him.
Caressing Jenna's back never felt sadder. She shook whenever Khan touched her, but her reaction didn't hide anything naughty. Her mind had reached an extreme emotional state, and her body could only suffer under it.
"[Part of me will always be yours]," Khan announced among his cuddles. "[You know my heart, and I know yours. Mere distance can't break our bond]."
A sob resounded while Jenna snuggled in Khan's neck and wrapped her arms around it. She wasn't ready to say goodbye, and Khan probably wasn't either, but he had to say those words now.
"[You convinced me to pursue my own happiness]," Khan continued. "[No matter what I end up doing. You'll always be part of that]."
"[But I won't be there to annoy you]," Jenna complained.
"[You'll get the chance to do that again]," Khan reassured. "[Caja wants me to become a strong ally. I can't disappoint her, and I also need to check on you]."
Jenna lifted her head and showed her teary eyes before voicing a question. "[Caja said that]?"
"[She did]," Khan confirmed. "[She came to talk before. She sounded worried about you]."
"[She is the best]," Jenna sniffed before leaving Khan's neck to rub her eyes.
"[She indeed is]," Khan agreed, "[And you'll have to take her place one day]."
Jenna nodded before wearing a shameless smile that Khan knew far too well. She lost herself in her thoughts, and Khan eventually questioned her. "[What is your dirty mind thinking about now]?"
"[I imagined a political union]," Jenna revealed as she brought her gaze back to Khan. "[The leader of the Nele united in marriage with a human ambassador. It was a nice picture]."
"[I'm sure it was]," Khan sighed, "[But I know a picture which isn't too bad either]."
"[Tell me]," Jenna voiced.
"[A naughty Nele and a hopeless soldier spending nights before a lake]," Khan responded.
"[You forgot that they were naked]," Jenna giggled, "[And you didn't even talk about the nights in various beds]."
"[Or days in the bath]," Khan added, and the two stared at each other before exploding into a laugh.
"[I actually offered myself as a lover]," Jenna revealed once she managed to suppress her laugh, "[But Monica almost tore apart the bandages when she heard that]."
"[What did you expect]?" Khan chuckled.
"[I had to try]," Jenna claimed before taking a deep breath and mustering the entirety of her resolve to stand up. "[I made her promise to have another meeting. Maybe we'll get to sleep as three for once]."
Khan opened his mouth but closed it almost immediately. That topic always left him speechless for a second, and Jenna couldn't help but giggle seeing that her joke worked.
"[I'll reach Caja to see if I can help]," Jenna stated as she began to descend the short hill. "[You do what you have to]."
Khan nodded before recalling something important and conveying his doubt. "[Wait, what did she say about me]?"
"[Let me see]," Jenna pretended not to remember to keep Khan on edge. "[It was something like]: I can't stop him if he wants to visit me."
"[I see]," Khan smirked. "[Thanks, Jenna, for everything]."
"[You and I aren't done yet]," Jenna declared through her smile before hurrying toward her companions.
Khan stared at Jenna's back for a bit before standing up and heading toward Monica's tent. The place had a nurse standing before its entrance, but an earnest look from Khan was enough to grant him access.
The entrance was nothing more than a zipper that created an opening in the grey fabric once pulled down. Khan entered the tent under the nurse's curious gaze, but the outside world vanished after he closed the passage and noticed Monica.
Monica was lying under the sheets of a simple bed, and a screen behind her monitored her condition. Khan didn't understand the numbers and symbols on the device, but his senses confirmed Jenna's version of the story. Monica was fine. She only needed to rest.
'She isn't even snoring,' Khan thought as he approached the bed. 'She must have been exhausted.'
Monica's sleeping face was truly enchanting. Khan's vision enhanced her beauty and filled him with the urge to hold her. Still, when he was about to reach for her hand, he retracted his arm and opted to sit on the floor. He would touch her only after they had their conversation.
A snore resounded inside the tent as soon as Khan sat down, and a laugh escaped his mouth. He quickly suppressed it, but a smile remained on his face. He couldn't wait for Monica to wake up.
.
.
.
A cab picked Raymond up while the medical bay continued to take life. The vehicle was oddly big. It would resemble a cargo ship if it weren't for its luxurious design and materials, and its passengers' area featured far more than mere seats.
Raymond showed no surprise when he found a beautiful, scarred woman waiting for him inside the ship. He simply sat down and adjusted his suit before showing his palm.
The woman hurriedly pulled a bottle from under her seat and filled a glass before placing it on Raymond's palm. The latter sniffed the booze slowly until he eventually took a short sip from it.
"Lieutenant Khan didn't disappoint, sir," The woman exclaimed in her usual cold tone.
"He sure didn't," Raymond agreed. "It's a pity the experiment ended so soon."
"Lieutenant Khan might have inherited interesting traits," The woman pointed out. "Sir, is it wise to let him go without performing any test?"
"He is exactly where I want him to be," Raymond stated. "Christal, a broken and torn hand would have never given satisfying results. I'd rather sacrifice it to open a new path."
"Sir?" Christal asked.
"I want to use the Nak to elevate humanity," Raymond explained, "And Lieutenant Khan might be an example of what I strive to achieve. His growth might give me the answers I need."
Christal fell silent and let Raymond enjoy his drink, but the latter went back to business immediately.
"Did you bring it?" Raymond asked.
"Yes, sir," Christal announced before reaching the end of the vast passengers' area to pull out a long metal staff.
Christal tinkered with the staff for a few seconds until an azure line lit up at its center. The woman placed the device on the car's floor at that point, and a series of holograms shot out of it.
A screen took life, and the holograms inside it shook until they stabilized to create the torso of a man. His face didn't appear among those images, but his military uniform was impossible to miss. He was a member of the Global Army.
"What is it, Raymond?" A deep voice came out of the holograms.
"It works," Raymond exclaimed. "I brought it back to life. I'm afraid most of the fourth asteroid paid the price."
"I told you not to use the fourth asteroid," The man scolded. "Don't tell me that it destroyed the dock."
"You'll have to schedule a few meetings with your smugglers," Raymond chuckled.
"Dammit, Raymond," The man cursed. "Why can't you do as you are asked to?"
"I would consider your opinion if you dared to step on the field," Raymond declared.
The man fell silent before changing the topic. "What about the sample?"
"Lost," Raymond stated. "Lieutenant Khan absorbed what was left of it."
"Bret's son?" The man asked. "Then, you were right."
"As if that's surprising," Raymond sneered. "Anyway, Lieutenant Khan has been instrumental in defeating the threat. He should get a proper reward."
"What do you suggest?" The man questioned.
"Promote him," Raymond replied. "He is wasted as a lieutenant anyway."
"Are you out of your mind?" The man almost shouted. "He is a kid, and he got promoted no longer than a year ago. The others will suspect something."
"The entire fourth asteroid might have fallen prey to the sample without him," Raymond uttered. "The Global Army rewards heroic deeds. It would be suspicious not to give him a promotion."
"You'd still need to find a superior willing to approve it," The man responded.
"He made a good impression on Colonel Norrett during Onia's tournament," Raymond announced. "I'm sure he won't refuse after hearing what happened today."
"Right," The man exclaimed. "This kid has connections that would make Majors jealous."
"Another thing," Raymond continued. "He can pilot ships. Why doesn't he have a license yet?"
