Chapter 428: Surveys

"Did something happen?" Martha couldn't help but ask.

"Why would you say that?" Khan wondered.

"You are making a strange face," Martha pointed out.

"It's just my face," Khan stated.

"I can see something other than idiocy today," Martha explained.

"I'm conflicted," Khan revealed while glancing at the pale-blue dome, "Maybe confused is a better word."

"Did you try sleeping?" Martha suggested. "I heard it's good for your body."

"My body is fine," Khan promised. "I can't say the same for my mind."

"I can see that," Martha smiled while nodding in Monica's direction. "It seems you aren't the only one."

"So it seems," Khan casually voiced while keeping his eyes on the dome.

Martha tilted her head in confusion. Khan always had a joke ready, but he appeared lost in his thoughts.

"Hey," Martha called while softly bumping into Khan. "I thought we agreed on remaining friends."

Khan snapped out of his stare and shook his head before focusing on the area. He was on one of the streets on the first floor, and most of his companions were ahead. Only Martha had remained at his side. The place was crowded, but the two had some privacy.

"Right," Khan exclaimed. "How should I put it? Maybe it's better if I don't say anything at all."

"Good or bad?" Martha asked.

"I swear," Khan sighed. "I have no idea."

Khan instinctively looked at the elegant figure ahead. Monica was discussing something with Luke and Bruce, but she fell silent when she noticed his gaze. She instinctively glared at him, but a warm smile made its way onto her face and forced her to hide it with a fake laugh.

"Are you up to no good again?" Martha asked after inspecting that interaction.

"Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways," Khan announced.

"I'll take that as a yes," Martha declared.

"The path of a man is filled with dangers," Khan cursed.

"That's the idiot I remember," Martha giggled.

"The idiot needs a vacation," Khan claimed as he searched for Monica again.

The previous night had been exhausting. Jenna and Monica didn't let go of Khan for a second, and they had spent hours bickering or glaring at each other.

On top of that, Jenna had kept challenging Monica, leaving Khan with the tiring task of managing the situation while holding back. George would kill him if he dared to complain, and every inch of his body went against that thought, but he had to admit that surviving the night had been far from easy.

Monica seemed able to feel Khan's gaze. She found the chance to turn to look in his direction, and another glare shot out of her. Still, she wore her warm smile again, perfectly expressing her strange mood.

'She is so going to make me pay for that,' Khan mocked himself. 'At least I have teasing material for ages.'

Khan and Monica still needed to talk properly. Jenna had almost run away after the three woke up, and Khan and Monica had left right afterward since a ship had come to pick them up.

The time to leave Milia 222 had come, so Luke had gathered everyone on the first floor before heading toward the short-distance teleports. The group wasn't in a hurry, but the presence of the others had still prevented any meaningful talk. Remaining behind with Martha was the best Khan could do.

"She really likes you," Martha pointed out when watching that interaction.

"I really like her too," Khan admitted before diverting his gaze once a conversation forced Monica to turn.

"I'm happy for you," Martha exclaimed, "Both of you."

Khan peeked at Martha's smiling face before voicing a question. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Martha snorted. "Who do you think I am?"

"Women tend to go crazy around me," Khan joked.

"Monica let you off the hook too easily," Martha replied. "Maybe I should talk to her while we fly back to Neo Station."

"You can't be more dangerous than Jenna," Khan played along.

"I don't know," Martha sneered. "Can I?"

"You wouldn't," Khan challenged.

"Jenna taught me the importance of emotions," Martha revealed. "Maybe I should vent just like she did."

"Monica won't get jealous over a few hugs," Khan stated. "Well, not too much."

"I can always lie," Martha snickered. "Who do you think Monica will believe?"

Khan fell silent for a few seconds before admitting defeat. "Alright, name your price."

Martha laughed when she heard Khan's serious tone, and he soon imitated her. Things weren't completely fine between them, but they had long since reached an understanding, and joking so casually felt nice.

"To think that most people don't know how dumb you can be," Martha sighed.

"I try to warn everyone," Khan announced, "But no one believes me."

Martha and Khan fell into a laugh again that the former tried to suppress once it started attracting the crowd's attention. Instead, Khan didn't bother to hold back, and a satisfied smile broadened on his face when the end of the street appeared in his view.

Martha lost herself in that peaceful smile, but she quickly snapped back to reality. Some embarrassment tried to fill her mind since she knew that Khan could sense her emotions, but she already had another topic ready to distract her.

"What about you?" Martha asked while glancing at the messy azure hair. "How are you doing?"

"I'm used to disasters," Khan revealed. "I don't know how good this is, but it's the truth."

"You won't mope around then," Martha joked, even if she felt reassured. She didn't see the battle against the Nak's hand, but Khan's morale seemed strong, and that was enough for her.

Khan and Martha continued joking around until they arrived in front of the hangar. Luke and the others were waiting for them there, so the team regrouped to go through one last inspection.

"Are you sure you have everything?" Luke asked before eyeing Khan. "Didn't you have a backpack?"

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"It's down there," Khan revealed while pointing at the destroyed city, "Together with most of the tools bought from the Fuveall."

The disaster had taken the bucket and most of Khan's belongings. Only the fake IDs and the cover for the purchases had survived since he had kept them in his pockets.

"Remember to list anything I need to pay back," Luke exclaimed. "I guess everyone else is fine. We can leave."

Luke turned to enter the hangar, and the others began to follow. Khan was also about to step forward, but the arrival of a familiar presence forced him to speak. "I'll reach you all in a bit."

Luke stopped halfway through the entrance to turn in Khan's direction and question him. "Is there a problem?"

The rest of the team also turned, but Khan didn't need to say anything to explain himself since a purple light soon became visible behind him. The crowd was making way for Maban, who wore a cold face as he advanced through the street.

"Let's reunite on the third asteroid," Luke quickly announced, and Khan nodded before turning to greet his friend. By the time Maban arrived, the entire team had entered the hangar, which gave Khan some necessary privacy.

"[Caja couldn't make it]," Maban announced once he reached Khan.

"[We already talked]," Khan reassured, "[And she has a species to handle]."

"[Things are indeed complicated]," Maban admitted, "[But our future is bright. Jenna made sure of that]."

"[Her prediction sure came in handy]," Khan commented before some sadness joined his tone. "[It's a pity we couldn't do more]."

"[Leave it]," Maban scoffed. "[I won't accept these comments after witnessing your efforts]."

"[When did you become so kind]?" Khan smirked.

Maban scoffed again, and a conflicted expression appeared on his face before he finally decided to wear a faint smile. Some pride even reeked out of him, but sadness quickly replaced it.

"[Jenna couldn't]-," Maban began to say.

"[Don't worry]," Khan interrupted while performing a nod. "[I know why she didn't come. This isn't my first time]."

Maban didn't know how to reply, especially since Khan's face said way too much. The Nele couldn't imagine that something similar had happened with Liiza, but it was clear that Khan was speaking the truth.

"[You]," Maban voiced before stopping to sort out his thoughts.

"[I know]," Khan stated before Maban could resume speaking. "[This never stops being hard]."

A helpless sigh left Khan's mouth as he lost himself in the scenes past Maban. The first floor was mostly intact, but the streets couldn't hide the damage below. The hole, the missing buildings, and the various ships busy salvaging materials depicted a grim scenery, but Khan still smiled when he inspected it.

The mission on Milia 222 had been short compared to Khan's most meaningful experiences. Yet, a lot had happened in those months, and the things he learnt were bound to stay with him.

The matter went beyond mere interaction with multiple alien species. Khan had learnt a new approach to mana, had matured mentally, and had met important people he hoped to find again in the future.

Moreover, Khan had made a promise. No one had dared to speak too much of it or even place responsibilities on him. However, it existed, especially inside his mind. Khan wanted to be a valuable ally for the Nele and eventually help them find a proper home.

When all of that crossed Khan's mind, he couldn't help but find beauty in that grim scene. Milia 222 and its citizens had given him so much that even the disaster caused by the Nak's hand couldn't taint his memories.

"[If mana wills it]," Maban eventually uttered, "[We'll meet again]."

"[Make sure to be safe until then]," Khan requested.

"[Don't forget what you learnt from us]," Maban warned.

"[How could I]?" Khan chuckled while reaching for one of the longer strands of his hair. "[I have a constant reminder of this place]."

"[It makes you look less human]," Maban commented.

"[Was that a compliment]?" Khan teased.

Maban snorted before stretching his hand and pointing his palm upward. He didn't need to add anything to make Khan join that traditional greeting. The two saluted each other and exchanged a quick look before separating. Maban headed for the central structure while Khan entered the hangar.

Scenes entered Khan's vision, but he barely recorded them as he joined the lines behind the short-distance teleports. The goodbyes were always overwhelming after deep experiences, and they had only intensified due to his transformation.

Memories flowed, and Khan couldn't push them away. His chest grew heavy, tears tried to fill his eyes, and unreasonable anger showed its presence. He didn't want that sharp separation. A childish desire to bring all the Nele with him expanded in his mind, but he kept it at bay.

Khan knew he would miss Jenna. He had gotten so used to having her at his side that the sole thought of leaving the asteroids made him feel empty and lost.

Milia 222's freedom was another feature that Khan would miss. He had basically acted freely on those asteroids. Yet, his new destination would require the very opposite behavior, and he wondered whether he was ready to give up on something that had taken him so long to enjoy.

The overall diversity in species also added fuel to those unreasonable feelings. Milia 222 had fulfilled Khan's curious nature, and he didn't want to leave it until he learnt all of its secrets. Still, higher goals required his presence, so he advanced, even if his eyes didn't look ahead.

Crossing the short-distance teleports only took a few minutes, but they felt like an eternity to Khan. Each step led him closer to his departure and intensified his unreasonable feelings, but he strode forward, and everything stabilized once Monica entered his senses' range.

The world suddenly returned. Khan found himself at the exit of the hangar on the third asteroid. He had just entered the street on the first floor when he noticed his companions waiting on the guardrails nearby.

Seeing Monica pushed unreasonable feelings on her. Khan wanted that intensity to happen because of her. Relationships typically required time to reach those levels, but that didn't apply to Khan's standards. After all, he didn't love like a human.

Monica instinctively smiled before widening her eyes in surprise and diverting her gaze. She couldn't let out anything in public, but she still glanced at Khan again to show a scolding expression.

'I'll probably explode once we are alone,' Khan thought as he approached his companions. 'I hope I won't be too much for her.'

"That was short!" Luke exclaimed once Khan reached the group.

"What did he want?" Bruce asked.

"Nothing much," Khan kept it vague. "He is just a softie."

The answer left Khan's companions confused and surprised. They knew Maban was a big deal among the Nele, so they couldn't believe Khan. Still, no one cared enough to address the matter. Only Monica was relieved when she confirmed that Khan was emotionally fine.

Random talks, questions, and jokes went by as the group made its way through the asteroids, but Khan ignored most of them. His eyes remained on the scenery to commit to memory anything they saw. However, as often happened in those moments, the trip ended up being too short.

Khan didn't even listen to Luke's speech when the luxurious ship's doors opened. He climbed inside and chose a relatively isolated room before closing himself inside. There would be time to socialize, but he was too unstable now, and he couldn't risk exposing himself.

The ship already had various clean sets of clothes, but Khan went for the military uniform prepared for him. He felt tight inside those garments, but that was fine. It was actually necessary to make his mind accept the imminent change in the environment.

After changing, Khan found himself with nothing to do. He still didn't want to train, so he sat on the floor and picked up his phone to browse specific sites. He had done something similar with the Niqols, so he knew exactly where to look.

'Let's start with the Nele,' Khan thought when a questionnaire opened on his screen.

Khan completed the questionnaire before moving to the next one. He had interacted with many alien species, some of which were pretty secretive. He could add points to his profile by adding information and showing his knowledge, so he did exactly that.

Of course, Khan held back some pieces of information. He didn't say anything about the Nele's arts or even mention the Fuveall's connection to a few illegal activities. However, he went all-out with the Orlats and Tors. Khan fell short only with the Bise since he didn't learn much about them.

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