Khan's hunch about the aura-inhibiting items was on point. Abraham was wearing a ring and a pendant with those properties, but his mana became clearly visible once he removed them.
Abraham's military uniform followed, and Khan felt no shame in requesting his pants to go down. The scientist exposed his lean, slightly hairy, and out-of-shape body, even spreading his arms to make sure Khan could fully inspect him. Only his underwear remained on, but Khan didn't need them out.
Usually, Khan would imitate Liiza and press his palm on the man's chest, but the action felt pointless. Abraham was complying with every order without uttering a single question. He was offering himself to Khan completely, and his now-exposed mana confirmed his devotion.
Khan had to admit that the scene startled him. He could understand loyalty and dedication to a cause, but Abraham reeked of pure faith. He looked ready to devote his entire life to Khan, making further inspections superfluous.
"Get dressed," Khan eventually ordered. "I've seen enough."
"I apologize for the inhibitors, Major," Abraham announced, picking up his clothes. "I was compelled to wear them."
"It's understandable," Khan responded. "My heightened perception is no secret in the end."
"The Global Army is quite wary of it," Abraham revealed. "I know it has already drawn a profile using every reliable report from your missions. I'm afraid to say secrecy is no longer an option."
"I'm engaged to the best descendant of the Solodrey family," Khan scoffed, lifting Monica's left hand to show her rings. "I'm far past secrecy."
"Indeed," Abraham nodded. "However, you would have achieved similar results even without Madam Monica's involvement."
"Obviously," Monica intervened. "We are talking about my fiancé here."
Once Abraham finished dressing, he smiled longingly. Khan and Monica were different from Bret and Elizabeth, but Abraham could recognize similarities in their relationships. The resemblance was almost uncanny.
"By the way, Major," Abraham called. "I'll accept your decision and drop the matter, but the Nognes family won't care for your reasons. If they name you Prince, you'll be a Prince."
"I'll worry about that once the time comes," Khan sighed. Truth be told, his hands were more tied than most people due to his connection to the Solodrey family. An official announcement from the nobles would shatter the frail alliances Khan had spent so long building.
'Luther wouldn't miss the chance to establish such lucrative connections,' Khan thought. 'Even if that meant selling his entire faction.'
Of course, those were distant problems for issues that had yet to begin. Khan believed the Nognes family would eventually show its face again, especially after the recent support. However, no one could predict the kind of situation he would have to face.
Instead, a new possibility had opened now. Abraham had just finished proving his loyalty to Khan's parents. The scientist probably was a bottomless pit of classified information, and Khan couldn't wait to get his hands on it.
"Sit," Khan ordered in a firmer tone, pointing at the opposite couch. It was time to move the conversation toward valuable topics, and he couldn't have Abraham behaving like a loyal servant. Khan wanted to talk as equals. That was how he treated his allies.
Abraham understood the change in the hall's atmosphere and took his seat. Meanwhile, Monica stood up to refill everyone's glasses before returning to her spot beside Khan. The tale until now had been fascinating, but it was time to get to the real deal.
Khan silently sipped his drink, sorting out his many thoughts. He could probably get a somewhat complete story about his parents now, but another pressing matter emerged while he was pondering. Abraham was the vice director of the Global Army's scientific department, which meant only one thing for Khan.
"The Nak," Khan announced. "What does the Global Army know about them?"
Abraham didn't find the question surprising. By then, Khan's interest in the Nak was famous, and he had made no effort to hide it lately. Still, the scientist only had disappointing news.
"I am aware of the information recently delivered to you," Abraham revealed. "That's all the Global Army has on the Nak's movements."
Khan held back from showing any reaction. Mister Cirvags' file was supposed to contain classified information, but it seemed Abraham was high enough in the chain of command to be aware of that transfer, which told Khan he was speaking the truth.
Nevertheless, Khan's interest in the Nak's movements had waned after the deal with the Thilku's scientists. The Empire's records had given him far more than he could hope for. As for Abraham, Khan hoped he could answer a very different type of questions.
"I've found Nak's remains on Milia 222," Khan declared. "It stands to reason Earth must have far more of them."
Princess Edna's statement had only been a guess, but Khan felt quite sure about it now. Raymond's warning had made him almost certain the Global Army was continuing the Nak's study.
Abraham hesitated for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. He lowered his gaze, and his eyes lost themselves in the remaining booze in his glass. Heavy thoughts seemed to have landed on his mind, but his loyalty prevailed.
"The Global Army does have Nak's remains," Abraham replied. "Not many, but they exist."
The confirmation had arrived, and Khan's world shook. He had made immense sacrifices and completed countless missions to obtain maps that stretched deep into the universe, but the answer had always been far closer to home. Earth had Nak's remains.
"Are they alive?" Khan asked.
"I don't know how to answer this question, Major," Abraham admitted. "I don't specialize in those fields, and there are sections classified even to me."
"Are you talking about secret departments?" Khan questioned.
"Indeed," Abraham confirmed. "The study of the Nak has always attracted its fair share of unorthodox minds, so the Global Army hid it. As for which minds are in charge of it, I don't know."
The explanation fitted with everything Khan had learned, and that outcome wasn't too surprising either. Humankind's rebirth after the First Impact was a tale of crazy and bloody experiments that often ended in maimed corpses. That trend had stopped but couldn't have disappeared altogether.
The Nak were also a special case due to their incredible properties. The ability to mutate almost everything was too appealing to ignore. It made sense for extreme scientists to push the limits of what was possible while ignoring ethical issues.
'It might not be just Raymond then,' Khan considered. 'If he belongs to a criminal faction, there is a high chance the Global Army also has a legal one.'
Anger rose inside Khan, but his many thoughts allowed him to ignore it. As extreme as he was, the Nak's remains themselves weren't the main problem. The issue was with the experiments in which they were used and the goals the involved scientists wanted to achieve.
Memories from Milia 222's disaster crossed Khan's vision. He had witnessed the power of a single hand and the destruction it was capable of. He couldn't even begin to imagine what a properly alive Nak could do, but there couldn't be too many people as crazy as Raymond.
'Ideally,' Khan thought, 'Milia 222 was only an experiment that the Global Army sees as too risky to replicate. Still, I can only harbor these hopes for the legal sections. Well, even there, I have my doubts. Hoping isn't my strength in the end.'
Some restlessness joined the anger, but Khan didn't let it turn into a reckless idiot. Even with Abraham's confirmation, Khan wouldn't know where to look for those remains. Moreover, even if he found them, he wouldn't have the power or authority to stop risky experiments.
Guilt quickly followed. Khan had become part of that big and secretive machine by allowing the Thilku scientists to study him. In a way, he had provided more help than the Nak's remains had ever done since he was a quasi-stable host.
The more Khan thought about it, the more intricate his thoughts became, almost bringing his mind to a standstill. Luckily, Monica was at his side, and her hand promptly moved to make him face her.
"What did that witch always say?" Monica scolded, annoyed that she had to mention Jenna.
"Right," Khan sighed, taking a deep breath before leaning his forehead on Monica's.
If it were up to Khan, he would remove every trace of the Nak from the universe. Their mana was too dangerous, and the idea that others could have to endure the same nightmares that afflicted his nights filled him with untold rage.
However, at the same time, Khan was a single man. He couldn't control a single planet, let alone the entire universe. As much as he wanted to eradicate the curse of the Nak, he had to save himself first, even if that involved sacrifices.
"You'd be lost without me," Monica whispered, annoyance still lingering in her tone. She expected a joke about Jenna and was ready to punish Khan, but nothing similar arrived.
"Tell me everything you know," Khan ordered, forcefully pulling Monica between his legs. "About the Nak, my parents, and the Nognes family."
Khan placed his chin on Monica's shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist, and Abraham smiled. That young man had suffered untold hardships, and more were bound to arrive, but he held a shard of peace in his hands. It was clear how much Khan treasured Monica, and Abraham couldn't help but think about his parents again.
"He looks like he is about to cry," Monica muttered.
"I'm starting to think he had a thing for my mother," Khan commented.
"I did not!" Abraham shouted.
"He's awake," Khan and Monica said at the same time before exploding into a laugh.
