The following events were confusing, to say the least. Khan had reached his limits, and the sense of safety brought by the arrival of the four ships affected his struggle to remain awake, threatening to make him faint a few times.
Khan knew that he couldn't sleep just yet. He had yet to see his companions, and Wayne's situation needed clarification. However, he had already gotten inside the cargo ship by the time he managed to awaken completely.
Shouts and noises filled Khan's ears as his vision stabilized. He found himself on the cargo area's floor, with two soldiers applying bandages to his many injuries. Wayne was also there, but the team merely pointed their rifles at him while crying questions that he didn't bother to address.
"Are we moving?" Khan groaned while peeking to his left. The side doors were still open, but the world remained still. Ropes hung from the floor's edge too, hinting at the fact that soldiers were on the island.
"Sir, stay still," The soldier on Khan's left announced. "You have suffered many injuries, and your left shoulder is broken. We need to stabilize you before flying to the nearest medical bay."
"Negative," Khan said in his hoarse voice, shaking his intact arm to dismiss those soldiers. "We must retrieve my companions and evacuate."
"Evacuate?" The soldier questioned. "Sir, this is Lauter. We can't-."
"Criminals have smuggled a bomb here," Khan explained, purposely hiding the bomb's origin and nature. "It didn't explode yet, but the area might still be unsafe."
The word "bomb" silenced the two soldiers at Khan's sides and applied the same effect to anyone who heard him. Murmurs immediately spread through the cargo area, bringing everyone's eyes to Khan.
"Did you say bomb, sir?" The soldier on Khan's left asked.
"Yes," Khan cursed, waving his arm toward the soldier on his right. "Help me on my feet."
The soldiers were still stunned by the revelation, so they complied with Khan's request and pulled him up. Some unfinished bandages fell, but Khan ignored that development to peek past the open doors.
Khan's senses had regained clarity by then. He could look past the limits of his eyes to study the symphony and gain a vague picture of the area. The dark cloud was still there but had lost its red shades. Monica's spell had ended, meaning that she had probably fainted.
"I need a ship to fly at the bottom of the eruption," Khan ordered, doing his best to retain the little strength that had returned. "Send more rescue teams in the area if you didn't already. I'm missing four companions in total."
Khan turned toward Wayne at that point. The soldiers around him were looking at Khan, but their rifles were still pointed at the floor. It was clear the team saw him as a threat.
"Put your guns away," Khan ordered, waving his numb hand toward Wayne. "He is with me."
The cabin's door opened before the soldiers could comply. A tall man who wore no defensive gear stepped into the cargo area, and his loud voice promptly followed.
"What is happening?!" The man shouted. "Why is the Captain on his feet?"
"Sir," A soldier called. "The Captain was just explaining that there is a bomb on Lauter."
"A bomb?!" The man gasped, fixing his dark eyes on Khan. "Is this true, Captain?"
"Yes," Khan confirmed without wasting time on pointless explanations.
"Send the order to evacuate!" The man promptly shouted. "And contact the Harbor. We need specialists here!"
"Don't evacuate yet," Khan ordered. "I must rescue my companions first."
"Sir, with all due respect," The man cleared his throat, doing his best to choose the right words. "You are heavily injured. You should leave these matters to the rescue team."
"I will," Khan stated, "Once I know my companions are safe."
"But, sir," The man tried to complain, but Khan interrupted him.
"Commanding officers should know what orders are," Khan raised his voice as much as possible, "And stop pointing those fucking guns at my subordinate."
The soldiers around Wayne immediately lifted the rifles before looking at their commanding officer. The latter was as stunned at them, but refusing Khan's orders wasn't an option. He didn't only outrank him. His fame alone could make mountains move.
"You can evacuate if you are scared," Khan continued, moving toward the cabin. "I'll fly this rescue mission myself if necessary."
"No, no," The commanding officer exclaimed, stepping in front of the cabin's entrance to block Khan's path. "We'll complete the rescue mission, sir. What can you tell us about the situation?"
Khan inspected the man's face for a few seconds. The latter was a second-level warrior with nothing special to show, but Khan's opinion clearly worried him. He wouldn't be Khan's first choice for a rescue operation, but his condition made him unable to take over, and replacing the commanding officer would just waste time.
"Alright," Khan sighed, approaching the open doors again. "Monica Solodrey should be at the bottom of the eruption. Francis Alstair, George Ildoo, and Andrew Durarel should also be in the area. Send teams in the tunnels to find them and get out of there quickly."
"What about the bomb?" The commanding officer asked.
"Start the evacuation and contact Headmistress Holwen," Khan ordered. "She'll know what to do."
"As you wish, sir!" The commanding officer stated, performing a military salute before turning toward the cabin. "You heard the Captain. Contact the other ships and call Headmistress Holwen. We need help coordinating the evacuation."
Khan glanced at the man and diverted his eyes only when he isolated himself inside the cabin. At that point, he sat at the doors' edges, and a simple nod toward the closest soldier made him come closer.
"What can I do for you, sir?" The soldier questioned, half-crouching toward Khan.
"You can resume patching me up," Khan announced. "My subordinate must receive the same treatment."
"Yes, sir!" The soldier exclaimed.
"Also," Khan continued, "Update me. Why are you here, and how much do you know?"
"We belong to Lauter's first response teams," The soldier explained, gesturing to his companions to take care of Wayne and Khan. "We moved as soon as the scanners showed a strange reading, and the eruption eventually led us here."
'They don't know anything,' Khan concluded. 'Maybe it's for the best.'
Khan stopped asking questions and let the soldiers patch him up. He remained on the floor's edges, but his eyes soon closed to make room for his meditative state.
The recent events ran through Khan's mind while he focused on recovering. Luckily, the Headmistress had filled the entire system with additional soldiers. The rescue team would have never arrived so quickly and in such numbers otherwise. Yet, his thoughts barely lingered on those topics due to the seriousness of the overall situation.
Mentioning the bomb wasn't ideal, but Khan couldn't keep that information a secret. The relationship with the Thilku might suffer once the news spread, but the situation didn't allow Khan to control that aspect of the crisis.
Wayne was another big problem, but Khan knew he could persuade the Headmistress. A long discussion was waiting for him, but he didn't fear it.
On the other hand, Khan knew that the Solodrey and Alstair families were bound to annoy him. He couldn't have predicted the presence of a bomb, but the situation didn't change. He had put those descendants in danger. Monica's parents wouldn't miss the chance to complain.
Those thoughts inevitably converged toward Raymond. Khan didn't mind walking into obvious traps to learn more about himself and the Nak, but the bomb made everything different. It almost seemed that Raymond wanted him to die in the mission, which didn't match his previous behavior and the idea Khan had about him.
'What is even happening?' Khan cursed during his meditation, and the situation worsened when he thought about Wayne's revelations. He had finally obtained proof of his noble heritage, but that information sounded useless for now.
Someone approached Khan before he could delve any deeper into those thoughts, and he opened his eyes to greet the soldier. The latter was surprised about that passive awareness, but she still gulped to convey the updates.
"We are about to move, sir," The woman announced.
"Did you retrieve my companions?" Khan questioned.
"We just received confirmation," The soldier stated. "Miss Solodrey is exhausted but healthy. Mister Ildoo suffered injuries, but nothing worrying. Mister Alstair and Mister Durarel are also fine. We are currently moving everyone to the closest medical bay."
"What about the bomb?" Khan asked.
"The embassy teleported specialists in the area," The soldier explained. "They isolated the weapon already. It's no longer at risk of exploding, so the evacuation has been called off."
"I understand," Khan nodded. "When do we move to the medical bay?"
"As soon as you give the order, sir," The soldier uttered.
"Let's go, then," Khan responded, glancing in Wayne's direction before closing his eyes again. The soldiers had patched him up, so Khan could focus on his meditation.
The ship began to move while Khan was busy recovering. He noticed that part of the rescue team remained in the area, but that was to be expected. The Harbor had to scour that underground hideout to find clues, even if their presence sounded unlikely.
The rescue teams had fast ships, so Khan reached his destination in minutes. The vehicle landed on a relatively big island that featured a huge outpost equipped with turrets and multiple facilities, and a squad of doctors welcomed his arrival.
More confusing moments unfolded. The team changed Khan's bandages, fixed his shoulder to a metal brace, and applied specific ointments to his burns. All of that while moving him inside the outpost, where a few beds were ready for him and his companions.
By the end of the process, Khan's upper part was nothing short of a mummy. The bandages had holes before his eyes, but recognizing him was impossible.
Meditating would usually be Khan's priority, but he couldn't stay put before seeing his companions. The doctors had put Wayne in his room, but the latter was sound asleep and full of meds. He was out of danger, so Khan didn't need to worry about him.
The medical bay was an isolated section of the outpost with little to no personnel. Few doctors and nurses roamed through its corridors, and none outranked Khan. Besides, the bomb had made everything messy, especially as the rumors started to spread, so Khan could walk out of his room without meeting any hindrance.
Lauter's outposts followed fixed arrangements that Khan had studied before Lucian's mission. He barely needed to inspect his surroundings to understand where he was and how to find rooms that probably held his companions.
A short walk proved Khan's knowledge right. He crossed a corridor and peeked into a few empty rooms before finding a familiar figure on a bed. The man had his legs, waist, and arms wrapped into tight bandages, but the funny look on his face spoke for his well-being.
"What happened to you?" George chuckled, recognizing Khan even with all his bandages.
"Are you okay?" Khan asked, glancing at the sword leaning on the bed's right side.
"Never better," George declared. "It would have been nicer if your girlfriend didn't destroy the tunnel I was in, but whatever."
"Did you see Monica?" Khan promptly questioned.
"I was on a ship when they pulled her out of the crater," George explained. "Warn me if you ever cheat on her. I want to have the time to get off the planet."
"Don't you have to reassure Anita?" Khan snorted. "Do you know where they put her?"
"Take the next right," George revealed. "I've seen the doctors with her going there."
"Thanks, George," Khan stated. He was about to leave the room's entrance, but a peculiar feeling radiated by George's mana made his curiosity flare.
"What happened?" Khan asked.
"Nothing much," George groaned, adjusting himself on the bed. "I just confirmed something."
"Was it good?" Khan wondered.
"I guess," George sighed.
Khan knew George like the back of his hand. He only needed a look to understand his issue, and a smile inevitably bloomed on his face.
"You might have to settle for real now," Khan teased.
"Oh, shut up," George cursed. "Don't tell me what I already know. Go see your girlfriend already."
"I'm happy for you, man," Khan stated, leaving the room's entrance to go on his way.
George let a few seconds pass while watching the empty entrance. He was happy for himself too, but a sad comment still left his mouth. "I can't wait to say those words to you."
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