The weekend arrived quickly, and a series of departures unfolded with it. Out of politeness, Khan attended the set-offs and teleports of his closest classmates, exchanging simple promises that prepared the ground for future cooperation. More of those events happened by lunchtime, but Khan didn't take those lightly.
George, Anita, Wayne, Khan, and Monica had gathered in a simple hangar. A few teams roamed through the area, but most of the soldiers appointed to the location were outside to keep the crowds of curious onlookers away from the ships.
A relatively big ship stood before the group, and a few soldiers walked up and down its metal staircase to arrange the luggage. They were almost done with the task, so the time for goodbyes inevitably arrived.
"Son of a forgettable woman," George scoffed, his voice turning into a sigh when he saw the soldiers loading the last luggage. "Try to call more than once a year."
"I wonder if the new you will have time for friends," Khan teased. "They grow so fast."
"Shut it," George cursed, "And get someone to watch your back. We both know how dumb you get around aliens."
"I have a similar warning," Khan chuckled, glancing at the two women on his left.
"Ignore them," Monica giggled, taking Anita's hands. "Call me when you get to Aegis station. I know many good shops that you must visit."
"I will," Anita replied. "I can't believe we are actually leaving after being here for so long."
"The Harbor almost felt like home, didn't it?" Monica agreed.
"It was home," Anita corrected. "I'll miss being able to see you every day."
"Me too," Monica uttered. "I'm a bit jealous of your break. I wish Khan and I could do the same."
"My mother couldn't refuse me after getting into the top five," Anita explained, "And you two have to work."
"I know," Monica sighed, leaning toward Anita to whisper. "Don't hold back on the gossip. I want to know how it goes with his family."
"I'm a bit tense about that," Anita admitted. "Do you think they'll like me?"
"They'll love you," Monica reassured. "Isn't that right, George?"
"My mother still can't believe it," George revealed. "She'd probably adopt you on the spot."
"Don't say it like this," Anita complained before looking at Khan. "Be safe out there. I know you can hold your ground in any situation, but Monica will worry if you get hurt."
"I'll be careful," Khan promised, "But don't worry about me. Focus on enjoying the break."
"I will," Anita nodded, letting go of Monica's hands to reach for George. "You'll take care of me, won't you?"
George ignored the teasing smiles that broadened in his vision and nodded at Anita, taking her hand to convey his feelings. She liked that gesture and reached for his elbow to stand proudly at his side. She was still a bit shy, but only Khan noticed that.
"As for you," Khan exclaimed, facing Wayne, "Try not to make the ship crash."
"I'll do my best!" Wayne laughed, his eyes lighting up when Khan stretched a hand toward him. Wayne immediately shook it, and his smile broadened at that interaction.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you," Khan announced. "Still, this isn't a goodbye. I'll see you as soon as you get better."
"Don't worry, brother," Wayne declared, slamming his free hand on his chest. "I'm an expert at experiments. I'll complete the psychological training in no time."
"I know you will," Khan uttered. "After all, you are the second-best third-level warrior in the Global Army."
"Petty as always," Wayne laughed again.
"Wayne," Monica called, also stretching her hand toward the man. "I wish you good luck."
"That sounds funny," Wayne exclaimed, letting go of Khan to shake Monica's hand. That interaction didn't last long since Monica decided to address George right afterward.
"Thank you for everything," Monica stated, performing an elegant bow.
"What is this?" George snickered. "I thought we were friends."
"You helped both of us greatly," Monica replied. "I just wanted to express my gratitude."
"Khan, what is this?" George groaned.
"A threat is coming," Khan explained.
"Yes," Monica claimed, straightening her position to point her finger at George. "If you mistreat my friend, I'll know it and make you pay."
"Shouldn't you defend me?" George whispered to Anita.
"A few threats can only help," Anita giggled.
"Alright, alright," George sighed, pulling Anita toward the metal staircase. "Time to go."
A general laugh unfolded as George dived into the ship. Anita never left his side, and Wayne followed closely behind. Soon, the three entered the vehicle and turned to face the couple on the hangar's floor.
"You owe me a semester," George joked as the ship's doors began to close.
"I owe you more than that," Khan responded, and the two exchanged a meaningful glance that conveyed all their thoughts. George and Khan didn't need anything else to understand each other.
"Have a safe trip," Monica exclaimed, waving her hand until the doors closed. The engines also activated in the following seconds, and soldiers cleared the area to secure the set-off.
Khan was used to goodbyes, but it was impossible not to feel sad. Anita and Wayne's departures were easy to accept, but losing George marked a stark change in the Harbor's environment. He was his best friend, and drinking together was one of the things he enjoyed the most. Yet, their separation was necessary.
Monica was worse off but didn't show it. She was in the open, which required specific behavior. She could only take Khan's arm and walk with him toward the place that would feature another inevitable separation.
Khan and Monica walked slowly on purpose and refused any escort as they made their way through the corridors stretching out from the hangar. They didn't talk either since they had already said everything that needed to be said. Still, as much as they tried to delay it, their destination eventually unfolded in their view.
"Miss Solodrey!" A scientist exclaimed as soon as Khan and Monica entered an oval room. The area had multiple soldiers busy with their respective consoles, but that shout made them lift their eyes to inspect the couple.
"Everything is ready," The scientist explained when he reached the couple. "We can teleport you as soon as you step onto the platform."
"Give me a moment to say goodbye to my boyfriend," Monica requested.
"Of course, Miss Solodrey," The scientist immediately agreed before nodding at Khan. "Captain."
Khan also nodded, but Monica soon claimed the entirety of his attention. She let go of his arm to take his hands, and her gaze went to the floor as she leaned forward.
Khan didn't let Monica be alone in that gesture. He lowered his head until his forehead touched Monica's, and his eyes closed to immerse himself in that gesture. Monica's presence invaded him, and he burnt that sensation into his mind.
"I'll call you tonight," Monica whispered.
"I'll wait for you," Khan promised.
"I already miss you," Monica revealed.
"We'll meet again soon enough," Khan stated. "I'll make sure of that."
"Do you promise?" Monica asked.
"I'll fly a ship directly to you if anyone tries to get between us," Khan claimed.
"I like that," Monica smiled, but the threat of tears made her change the topic. "I have to go."
"I know," Khan sighed. "I love you."
"I love you too," Monica promptly said, lifting her head. The soldiers in the room were doing their best to focus on their tasks, but she knew they were keeping track of her. Yet, nothing could stop her from having a proper goodbye.
Khan opened his eyes in time to receive Monica's lips. The two kissed before the soldiers, but the outside world disappeared. The couple's love isolated them, but their gesture ended quickly.
Monica was ready to jump on the platform as soon as the kiss ended, but Khan reached for her cheek and stopped her. His thumb wiped the single tear that had fallen from her eyes, and she couldn't refrain from kissing his palm.
Monica was ready to spend an entire lifetime in that loving gesture, but her resolve won, making her escape Khan's hand and jump on the platform. She even nodded at the scientist before fixing her gaze on Khan.
Khan didn't blink at all. His eyes remained on Monica while synthetic mana gathered on the platform. He knew she was ready to cry, but nothing appeared on her beautiful face. She was as stoic as possible until the moment she disappeared.
The sight of the empty platform dealt a massive blow to Khan's mindset. All the love and peace experienced in the recent period were gone. His happiness had just left the Harbor, and his aura changed due to that realization.
The soldiers almost froze in fear when Khan glanced at them. He wasn't doing anything specific. He wasn't even trying to scare them. Yet, the symphony reflected his mental state and those innocent bystanders couldn't help but shake under its weight.
Khan realized what was happening and opted to leave in a hurry. He knew he shouldn't be among people now, but his job required his presence. A cab was also waiting for him outside the hangars, and he didn't hesitate to get inside to fly toward the embassy.
A drink quickly fell into Khan's hands once the privacy of the cab arrived, but a call disturbed that peace. Still, a smile broadened on his face when he read the name on the screen.
"Didn't we say tonight?" Khan teased when he brought the phone to his ear.
"I miss you so much!" Monica cried, sniffing loudly.
"There, there," Khan reassured. "I'm in a cab right now. Why don't you keep me company until I get to the embassy?"
Monica didn't even try to refuse, and a long call unfolded. The couple talked about anything just to hear their respective voices, and Khan's mental state benefitted from that. He remained quite stern and cold, but his intensity waned as he calmed down.
The arrival at the embassy put an end to the call. Soldiers were also already waiting for Khan, so he quickly made his way through the many corridors and staircases to reach his office. It was the weekend, so the area was relatively empty, but the interactive desks featured a few figures.
"Did they leave?" Francis asked when he noticed Khan entering the office. He was behind a desk, rearranging the data Khan had given him, and his job was almost done from the look of it.
"They left," Khan sighed, glancing at the separate office in the back. He could see the Ambassador and his secretary from the transparent walls, but neither looked in his direction.
"I'm almost done with the reports you gave me," Francis continued, following Khan with his eyes as he headed for an empty interactive desk.
"Send everything to me once you finish," Khan ordered, using his genetic signature to unlock the desk and gain access to his profile. "What about Andrew?"
"He is in the shopping district," Francis replied. "He is going over the list you gave him."
Khan nodded as the many labels that appeared in his vision claimed his attention. With Francis handling the paperwork and Andrew purchasing the items required by the [Blood Vortex], he could focus on his job, which still needed more study.
Truth be told, anyone in Khan's position would be ecstatic. The job wasn't only important. The pay was also great, especially in Khan's case.
Khan was receiving three different salaries. His rank came with a monthly allowance, and he was the team's scout and official pilot. Madam Solodrey's involvement had also worked in his favor, granting him far more Credits than he deserved. The fact that she took half of them was the only drawback.
Of course, Khan didn't care about money. He was willing to separate himself from all his savings to protect his relationship, and his current situation was far better than that. Even with the Solodrey family taking half his Credits, his income had greatly increased.
'Thilku history,' Khan read one of the labels on the interactive desk before pressing it. He had already finished that book, but the Guko's reading technique wasn't perfect, so reviewing it again was necessary for good memorization.
The Thilku were similar to the humans in many ways. They had a scientific but balanced approach to mana. They weren't like the Fuveall but took pride in their achievements. Their empire was a simple consequence of that characteristic.
Many experts even believed that humankind would follow the Thilku's evolutionary path. That species had also started with external mana cores until their bodies naturally developed toward a shape that didn't need them anymore.
That development had obviously taken thousands of years but remained an excellent example of how quickly things could change with mana. According to the experts, a few centuries might be enough to give birth to the first human with mana. That mutation could be far from stable, but the event would be monumental nonetheless.
Khan didn't let his thoughts wander too much and focused on learning as much as possible during those hours. Still, his senses eventually warned him about a change in the office's peace, and his eyes abandoned the interactive desk to look at the door in the back.
"Captain," Ambassador Abores exclaimed when he left his personal office and noticed Khan. "It's good that you are here."
"Did something happen, sir?" Khan questioned.
"Are you aware of the Thilku's [Hunt]?" Ambassador Abores asked.
"It's a game," Khan explained. "Two teams set loose a Tainted animal and fight each other to capture it."
"It's also used as a formal greeting when dealing with other species," Ambassador Abores added. "I hope your Thilku is good because their delegation invited us to play."
