"Last chance!" The male announcer shouted.
"Five million and one," The female announcer continued, "Five million and two, five million and three!"
"No fucking way," Khan muttered, but the announcers' following words forced him to accept the event.
"Lord Vegner wins!" The male announcer declared. "Pandora congratulates you for adding such a promising piece to your collection."
A round of applause unfolded, but Khan's gaze remained fixed on the stage. His mind struggled to realize how much money he had just earned while he watched his old knife disappear into the floor.
"Khan," Monica called in a scolding tone from the nearby seat.
Khan returned to reality and stood up, peeking past the gallery's edge to find his benefactor. A heavily overweight man was searching for his figure from the seats below, and he performed a military salute to express his gratitude.
"Can he even see me from down there?" Khan wondered.
"Smile and let the applause end," Monica ordered.
Three days had passed since the dinner with George and Anita's families. Khan had performed his second solo flight during the weekend, but the new week brought additional tasks, and the current auction was one of them.
In theory, selling a second-grade knife was no big matter, but Khan's involvement and presence made the applause last longer than usual. He had to remain in his military salute and exchange smiles with the other guests in the gallery for an entire minute before getting a chance to sit again.
"Five fucking million," Khan sighed in disbelief as he almost crashed in his seat.
"It's three for you," Monica corrected. "Pandora will take forty percent, which is lucky in your position."
"Three fucking million," Khan sighed again, making Monica giggle.
"Who is that guy anyway?" Khan questioned once the amazement started to wear off. "Why is he a Lord?"
"It's nothing official," Monica explained. "It's mostly a nickname meant to show respect. Lord Vegner has no family behind him, but his business made him rich enough to earn that title."
"Which business?" Khan asked. "Is it related to his crazy bid?"
Khan's knife had barely approached the three million when Lord Vegner made the winning bid. He raised the price by two million to secure the second-grade weapon.
"Maybe," Monica replied, diverting her gaze when Khan looked for her eyes. "He is a famous benefactor of unknown artists and collector of strange items, so there might be no connection."
"What's his business?" Khan asked again since he knew something was up.
"Brothels," Monica revealed, finally showing her shy eyes to Khan. "He has many establishments, and rumors say a few can fulfill even the nastier requests."
Khan's face instantly grew cold. The topic wouldn't usually trigger Monica's shyness, so the matter had to be personal.
"Is he trying to get to you?" Khan questioned.
"His-," Monica diverted her gaze again, "His brothels only have male prostitutes."
Khan frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Meanwhile, Monica peeked at him and covered her mouth to suppress a loud chuckle. Her previous reaction didn't come from shyness. She simply found it hard to explain the topic to Khan without laughing.
"So," Khan voiced as understanding filled his thoughts.
"He might have taken a liking to you," Monica continued without hiding how funny she found the matter. "I don't blame him."
Khan turned to face the stage and adjusted his position. He was no stranger to male prostitutes since the Slums also had them. Still, he didn't expect to gain a benefactor for similar reasons, especially after becoming a Captain.
"Are brothels part of your family education?" Khan eventually joked.
"I need to be aware of shady characters since it's so hard to resist me," Monica played along.
"Someone is getting cocky," Khan teased while glancing at Monica. "Maybe I should stop complimenting you."
"Rejected," Monica snickered. "If I get too cocky, you'll have to deal with it."
"You are such a handful," Khan laughed.
"And you love me anyway," Monica declared, stretching her right arm past the armchair to put it in Khan's range.
Khan had a joke ready, but his mood didn't allow him to say it. He reached for Monica's arm to take her hand since the gallery gave them more privacy, and his eyes remained on her. He had just gotten more Credits than he had ever hoped to earn, and Monica was the sole reason behind that.
"I saw Lord Vegner's business in action," Monica revealed as her attention returned to the stage. "It was Selma's birthday, and she made her family purchase a spectacle. I can say Lord Vegner has good taste."
Monica smiled and tightened her grip on Khan's hand while waiting for a joke. She knew Khan would be jealous, but that would earn her the attention she loved. Yet, Khan's silence eventually forced her to look at him.
"Khan?" Monica called since Khan kept staring at her.
"I will do unspeakable things to protect what we have," Khan warned.
Monica didn't expect such a serious statement during that joyous event, but its meaning was clear. She knew Khan didn't love like a human, and his words proved how deeply he had fallen for her.
"First, show me more of your love," Monica exclaimed. "Love me until I'm unable to go back."
Khan performed a slow nod, and his eyes betrayed his desire. Monica fell prey to a similar feeling and forced herself to turn toward the stage. She couldn't contain herself when Khan looked at her like that.
"Just a few hours," Monica whispered words mostly meant for herself.
Khan and Monica didn't speak anymore. They had already decided what they wanted to do, so everything else moved to the backseat. They followed the auction, clapped their hands when necessary, and drank, but they both counted the minutes that separated them from proper privacy.
Khan's knife wasn't the main attraction. The auction was barely halfway done when that sale ended, so the couple had to wait almost two hours for the event to end.
Sadly, the departure from the auction area reserved more surprises. Khan and Monica had just entered the main staircase when a big figure blocked their path.
"Captain Khan, Miss Solodrey," Lord Vegner announced while performing a clumsy bow. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
The couple's stance wasn't exactly appropriate in those circles. Monica clung to Khan's elbow, keeping it tightly on her side. The Harbor had already seen them like that, but they were closer than usual that night, and anyone could see how comfortable they were with each other.
Khan could finally get a better look at the man. Lord Vegner was truly fat, and his belt only highlighted his ample belly. Still, his clothes were tailor-made for his size, which improved his tanned figure, and his short brown hair gave off a pleasant scent.
Moreover, Lord Vegner was only a third-level warrior. Khan could feel the presence of a cloaking technique, but nothing escaped his senses. Strangely enough, the man expressed pure friendliness and interest.
"Lord Vegner, right?" Khan felt the need to take the lead, especially since Lord Vegner had addressed him first. "You aren't interrupting anything, sir. Actually, I'm lucky I got a chance to thank you personally."
"Lord Vegner, it's a pleasure to meet you," Monica stated without letting Khan go.
"You have nothing to be grateful about, Captain," Lord Vegner chuckled as his chubby face created a harmless picture. "Your knife will be worth ten times what I paid it for in a few years. Mine was a simple investment."
"I had the impression you were a collector, sir," Khan admitted.
"I am," Lord Vegner revealed. "My estates are full of strange and exotic objects. If you are interested, I can plan a tour."
"I'm flattered, sir," Khan engaged in one of his polite responses, "But I don't think I have the time. Though, I could settle for dinner."
"I was only sticking to political formalities," Lord Vegner laughed. "You must be overwhelmed with homework, so don't worry about the dinner. You don't have to address me so politely either. I'm just a humble businessman."
Khan and Monica kept their smiles wide, but the silence that followed brought awkwardness. Lord Vegner had yet to state the reason behind that conversation, and openly asking about it would sound impolite, especially to the man who had just given Khan millions.
"Oh, sorry," Lord Vegner laughed again when he realized his mistake. "I'm actually a big fan of you, Captain. I have been since your exploits on Nitis, so meeting you in person makes me tense."
"I'm not sure I'm worthy of such praises," Khan replied as his fake smile tried to falter.
"Captain, I evaluate men for a living," Lord Vegner pressed on. "Trust me when I say that mere praises barely touch your value."
"Lord Vegner speaks the truth," Monica found the chance to join the conversation. "Why do you think I'm keeping you close?"
"It seems we stand on the same side, Miss Solodrey," Lord Vegner's dark eyes lit up. "Do you mind sharing a few secrets about the Captain? I'm sure we can seal a fair deal."
"Being the only one who knows Captain Khan's secrets is the best deal," Monica giggled. "I'm sure Lord Vegner agrees."
"A tough opponent," Lord Vegner laughed. "I guess I have to give up for now but don't consider me defeated so soon."
'Give up on what exactly?' Khan thought while trying to figure out Lord Vegner's intentions. Everything pointed toward a simple, friendly talk, but it still felt too random.
"Anyhow, don't let me steal any more of your time," Lord Vegner continued. "I just wanted to meet you in person and state my allegiance. You have many friends in the Global Army, Captain, more than you realize."
Lord Vegner performed another clumsy bow before going back to climbing the staircase. Monica and Khan let a few seconds pass before imitating him, and cold thoughts inevitably arrived.
That wasn't the first time Khan heard the word "friend" in those contexts. Colonel Norrett had said something similar before his promotion, which created a possible connection between Lord Vegner and Raymond.
However, many variables had joined Khan's understanding of the political environment. Powerful factions that went beyond the Global Army and families existed and operated in mysterious ways to reach different goals. The Hive was one of them, and Khan didn't know whether to put Raymond and Lord Vegner there.
'He can't be just a fan, can he?' Khan wondered while leaving the auction area and reaching for the roof with his booked car. 'Is he interested in the Nak too? Did Raymond send him to help me financially?'
Finding an answer to those questions was impossible. Khan could only develop vague hypotheses that lacked vital clues. He was learning a lot, but finding out the actual intentions of such influential and elusive figures required more than simple dinners and occasional talks.
'Strange and exotic objects,' Khan eventually repeated in his mind. 'Was that a hint? Does he have something Nak-related?'
Khan took a mental note about Lord Vegner. The network had to have more clues, and he planned to find them. Yet, those thoughts couldn't survive once the privacy of the cab arrived.
Monica let go of Khan's elbow to climb on him. She sat on his lap, taking his head between her palms while an entranced expression filled her face. Lord Vegner had been a distraction, but she didn't forget the mood that had ruled the last part of the auction.
"Do you have to go to the training hall tonight?" Monica whispered while closing her eyes and laying her forehead on Khan's.
"Even I would collapse after more than a week awake," Khan matched Monica's tone and also closed his eyes to let his other senses experience her.
Monica drew her waist closer before voicing another question. "What about the interplanetary regulation's notes?"
"Read them in the trips between the flat and the hangars," Khan responded.
"Interspecies treaties?" Monica continued.
"I'll review them before tomorrow's lessons," Khan stated.
"Basic diplomatic theories?" Monica pressed on.
"I'll study the notes in the breaks among tomorrow's classes," Khan explained.
"And review everything on the weekend," Monica added.
"And review everything on the weekend," Khan repeated.
"So," Monica announced, letting go of Khan's head to wrap her arms around his neck, "Are you mine tonight?"
"I'm always yours," Khan honestly said, and the symphony told him how much Monica liked those words.
"You know what I mean," Monica held back a bit longer. "Can I let go tonight?"
Monica didn't hide her true self from Khan, but his many tasks forced her to limit her more annoying and time-consuming sides. She took small acts of revenge whenever a chance appeared, but Khan's career remained her priority.
However, Khan was about to have a free night in which he wouldn't sleep much anyway. That was Monica's chance to be a simple girlfriend in love, which she desperately desired. She only needed Khan to flick that switch since she was scared of unleashing her crazy side by herself.
"I would be mad if you didn't," Khan whispered, and Monica barely let him finish his line before trapping his lips into a long kiss.
"I can't wait to reach the flat," Monica panted. "Khan, hold me."
Khan had started to move before Monica's words could reach his ears. He shared her mental state. He wanted to be a simple boyfriend for a night, so he grabbed her back to pull her into another kiss.
A buzzing noise resounded among the passenger's seats, forcing the couple to split. Khan pulled out his phone, and Monica didn't refrain from expressing anger when she read the name on the screen.
"Fuck you!" Monica shouted at the phone. "Do your laundry instead of ruining our night!"
Monica's outburst didn't stop there, but Khan pulled her head on his shoulder to turn her shouts into muffled complaints. Meanwhile, he brought the phone to his ear and mustered the entirety of his self-restraint to avoid sounding pissed. "Professor Nickton, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I've finished the report you requested," Professor Nickton explained. "Come to the lab to get it."
"Sir, it's-," Khan began to say, but the Professor interrupted him. "Yes, it's late, so hurry."
Professor Nickton ended the call before Khan could add anything, and he instinctively bumped the back of his head on the metal surface behind him. Khan even stopped keeping Monica still, and the expression that appeared in his vision made his mana boil.
"It's okay," Monica whispered, trying her best to hide her disappointment. "I'll wait-."
Monica couldn't finish her line since Khan sealed her lips with his thumb. Her questioning eyes followed him while he added new instructions to the car's menus, and she widened them when he lay her down on the seats.
"Why wait?" Khan muttered while setting Monica's mouth free and sliding his hands over her legs. She understood what was happening even before Khan lifted her skirt, but shyness didn't arrive. Her fingers were already unbuttoning his pants by the time their lips met again.
.
.
.
Professor Nickton didn't grant Khan's car access to the specific landing area, so he had to reach the sidewalk, enter the building, and use the elevator to reach the lab.
Khan found Professor Nickton tinkering with holograms coming out of one of the three interactive desks when he entered the lab. The place was as dirty as always, and the Professor's clothes weren't any better.
"Professor, I'm here," Khan called since the Professor seemed to have no intention of turning.
"I know," Professor Nickton waved his hand dismissively without moving his eyes from the holograms. "Get your report and leave."
"Sir, my request involved a short explanation," Khan revealed.
"Did it?" Professor Nickton wondered, finally turning toward Khan. Yet, the dark-red mark partially hidden by the shirt's collar made the Professor change his question. "Did you always have that mole?"
Khan had to take out his phone and use it as a mirror to understand what the Professor meant, and seeing the dark-red mark opened the way for his shameless self. "Sir, it's lipstick."
"Oh, pity," Professor Nickton exclaimed, bending forward to make sure that Khan was telling the truth. "I thought it was an unknown mutation."
"It would have been blue in my case," Khan pointed out.
"That's why I was interested," Professor Nickton replied before looking at an empty interactive desk. "You used your merit points for this, so I guess I can't refuse."
Professor Nickton approached the empty desk and played with its menus to make them release holograms that reached the ceiling. The images took the shape of a strange bird that Khan had studied as thoroughly as possible in the last period.
"This is a Radola," Professor Nickton explained. "It's Lauter's apex predator and king of its sky. We think the planet had other flying species in the past, but the Radola wiped them out."
Khan already knew that, but the network didn't have such a detailed image, so he lost himself in the holograms. The Radola was a giant bird, at least five meters long, with two pairs of big wings and a long but slim neck.
The holograms didn't show it, but the Radola had red feathers. They could be paler or darker, but their color was usually fixed. A few exceptions had appeared throughout the years due to mutations, but they were sporadic and often died soon.
The Radola's long and bulky beaks were an iconic feature of that species, but experts preferred to focus on another detail. Those Tainted birds had no legs or talons. Anatomically, they couldn't land.
"Structurally," Professor Nickton continued, zooming in on the holograms to highlight the creature's insides, "The Radola are fragile. These Tainted animals fly in their sleep since they can ride the softest gales, which comes at the cost of light bones and muscles. Their innate defense is relatively weak.
"However, they move in packs, and their aggression is fearsome. They attack any foreign shape in their territory, and the same goes for members of their species with unusual shades."
Khan was no stranger to those notions. In theory, the Radola's innate aggression could be a big problem, but the missile put that feature on Khan's side. Many specimens would gather around the falling weapon, increasing the overall number of casualties.
"Their beaks allow them to swallow their prey whole," Professor Nickton added, and the holograms simulated the Radola's feeding process. "Their necks are flexible and elastic. In theory, the Radola can swallow full-grown men, but their instincts make them avoid that."
'They only kill them and let them rot in the ocean,' Khan thought before addressing the core of the matter. "Professor, I contacted you for your expertise. I need to learn their unique abilities and occasional mutations."
"Sadly," Professor Nickton exclaimed, "The Radola's innate aggression makes any uncommon mutation or unique specimens go extinct. As such, their entire species only has two main families."
'Sadly for you,' Khan thought. He understood Professor Nickton's scientific perspective, but the limited number of variables in the Radola made his mission easier.
Professor Nickton tinkered with the interactive desk, making the holograms split into two similar figures. Both images depicted Radola, but small differences existed.
"Experts in the field gave this family the name hunters," Professor Nickton explained while pointing at the specimen on the right. "These Radola are slimmer, faster, but also weaker. They can bend light to turn themselves invisible to their prey in the sea, but their battle capabilities are quite poor."
"The other family is commonly referred to as fighters," Professor Nickton continued when he moved to the specimen on the left. "They are bigger, tougher, and stronger than the hunters. They are slower but have actual offensive abilities. Their ice element gives them fearsome battle prowess near the sea's surface."
"Do you have examples of said battle prowess?" Khan questioned, and his interest in the matter made him forget about addressing the Professor properly. Of course, the latter didn't even notice that.
"No thanks to those butchers from the embassy," Professor Nickton snorted while playing with the desk once again. The two specimens grew smaller to make way for a large screen that stretched through half of the lab and captivated Khan's attention.
A detailed video soon began to play on the screen. Six ships armed with four cannons each fired in precise directions to isolate a small pack of Radola. The camera stood above them, so Khan could see the vehicles establishing a perimeter to corner those Tainted animals.
Still, the Radola were close enough to the sea's surface to use its water, and many icy pillars grew from it before flying toward the ships. The attack was far from coordinated but showed a fearsome battle prowess. Twenty or so Tainted animals had been able to create more than forty frozen bullets.
The Radola's offensive wasn't precise, but the ship's perimeter worked in its favor and made it hit a few enemies. Some vehicles saw their hulls pierced by those icy pillars, which forced a deadly reaction out of them.
Of course, the Radola couldn't do anything under the all-out assault of the six battleships. All the Tainted animals died in a matter of minutes, and the video ended.
"Butchers," Professor Nickton cursed while turning off the interactive table.
"Sir?" Khan called, hoping that the Professor had something else for him.
"Just connect your phone to the desk to download the full report," Professor Nickton announced dismissively. "Leave afterward. I have work to do."
Khan didn't hesitate to comply. He couldn't wait to return to his flat and enjoy his sweet time with his girlfriend before finally getting some rest. Yet, when he began to interact with the desk, Professor Nickton mentioned another issue.
"Captain," Professor Nickton called, "If you get your hands on relatively intact specimens during your mission, bring them to me. I'll give you merit points or something else. You decide."
"Will you study them, sir?" Khan questioned, intrigued by that side mission.
"Study, update the Harbor's records, and smelt them into synthetic mana," Professor Nickton casually explained as a different interactive desk claimed his attention.
Khan was no stranger to that procedure. Beasts' King's waiter had already partially hinted at the topic, but Khan was in the same room with an expert now, and his curiosity was hard to contain.
"Is that how mana is synthesized?" Khan asked. "Does the Global Army use Tainted animals?"
"That's one of the accepted procedures," Professor Nickton replied, even if his eyes remained on the desk's menus. "You can also filter it from the right environment or concoct it through a specific process."
Khan couldn't help but find the matter odd. The first two methods didn't sound sustainable. They were bound to lead to an exhaustion of that resource, which forced a deeper question out of Khan.
"Where does mana come from?" Khan questioned. "Earth got it from the Nak, but where did they get it?"
Professor Nickton ended up peeking past his shoulder to look at Khan. The question had attracted his attention since it involved an exciting topic, and his dismissive behavior didn't arrive in that situation.
"There are many theories," Professor Nickton exclaimed, turning to face Khan. "Aren't you studying them?"
"I want to hear your opinion, sir," Khan opted for a blunt approach.
"Well," Professor Nickton muttered, scratching his unkempt beard. "It's possible that mana has always been around, just far away from Earth. It's a very aggressive form of energy, and expansion is in its nature, so it makes sense for it to end up on inhabited planets eventually."
"Aggressive?" Khan repeated.
"You should know better than most," Professor Nickton stated. "Mana infects any unprotected organism and changes it forever. The process might take longer in some circumstances but remains inevitable."
"So, was it just out of reach?" Khan asked.
"Probably," Professor Nickton partially confirmed. "Mana can also be the result of a mutation. A form of energy that evolved into a higher form of energy. Anything is possible."
"The expansion part," Khan returned to the previous statement, "Wouldn't that limit its range?"
"It depends," Professor Nickton declared. "Organisms that carry mana often end up leaking some into the environment. You and I unconsciously do that, and the same goes for plants and other living beings. You are part of the cycle as soon as mana touches you."
Professor Nickton avoided mentioning many details, but Khan didn't blame him. He was in no position to understand scientific speeches, and the explanation still conveyed the human perspective perfectly.
"See yourself out," Professor Nickton exclaimed when he understood that Khan had nothing else to say, "And don't forget my Radola. I want at least a few internal organs intact."
