Chaos Heir

Chapter 1230 Ground rules

Khan watched Liiza carrying Tamara into the living quarters before disappearing into the areas after them. His arms were still spread, but he eventually brought one to his head, scratching it while heaving a helpless sigh.

'The universe better not give me girls,' Khan thought, his fingers finding the now-familiar braids among his hair. 'It should know it's for its own sake.'

Khan heaved another sigh, looking toward where Liiza had left with Tamara again.

'Who am I kidding?' Khan realized. 'I'm too far gone to have kids. It was evident from Garret's face.'

Khan pushed aside those thoughts, focusing on the matter at hand, which was far from trivial. He didn't regret exposing himself to save Tamara. That feeling never once crossed his mind, but the problem didn't get any smaller.

The cover Khan had worked so hard to maintain was blown, albeit not completely. All those who had seen his face were either dead, in Coravis, flying toward that planet, or inside Carlos' ship. Khan could still contain the news as long as his crewmates had been too scared to leak it already.

Still, Khan couldn't return to Merth 290 or Dark Rock Colony, for that matter. Unless he imprisoned everyone on the ship, he couldn't move freely in those areas, and he didn't want to resort to such methods.

All the new additions to the crew were also former captives, so Khan couldn't bring himself to put them in chains again.

Nevertheless, everything would still be somewhat manageable if it weren't for Tamara. The Nele's pheromones were a massive liability, and a ship full of threats wasn't a suitable place for a kid.

Khan had also promised Tamara to reunite her with her species as soon as possible, and he planned to stay true to his word, which meant a long trip was in order.

'I don't really know where the other Nele's outposts are,' Khan considered. 'Even if I knew, they'll never trust me. It might be feasible with a series of meetings and by using Tamara, but going directly there has to be faster.'

Khan was obviously considering the other lawless zone, Milia 222. The trip would be long, but the idea had many advantages.

First, Carlos had recently repaired his ship. It was far from an ideal state, but it could last a few months in space. Fuel and supplies could become an issue during the last stages of the trip, but its identity as a rescue vessel could come in handy and act as a perfect cover.

Theoretically, no one knew where Khan and Liiza were. People would never imagine they had joined such a low-level crew to perform such demeaning jobs. The trip toward Milia 222 would be safe. Khan even guessed he could use the legal routes and their services without blowing up his cover.

Also, Khan could contact relatively trusted forces on Milia 222, getting into contact with Nele who knew him and cooperating with them. That might even shorten the trip since the Nele could meet him halfway.

Ultimately, Tamara's situation reminded Khan of her species' sad situation. The Nele on Milia 222 had become quite the fearsome force after the crisis with the Nak's hand, but that didn't apply to all their outposts. After all, Tamara had ended up in a cage.

Besides, it was unclear for how long that relative rule on Milia 222 would last. The Nele were careful but also always in danger, and the other species in that lawless zone were bound to rebel sooner or later.

Coravis wasn't ready, but it was a proper planet, and Khan could offer it to the Nele. The human population there was also limited to a series of sea stations. It wasn't perfect, but it had to be better than their current living conditions.

'I guess I'm doing it,' Khan thought, making up his mind. 'Now, for the variables.'

Carlos' crew should have come first, but Khan couldn't help but prioritize the other group. It was only fair after what they had gone through, so he sealed the ship's doors and headed for the living quarters, where he had sensed their presence.

The women rescued from Mister Broze's ship weren't in the best shape. Some were malnourished. Others had mental breakdowns or worse. Most were too tired to realize they had been rescued, but a few were awake enough to notice Khan's arrival.

Khan entered the living quarters, his glowing eyes browsing the many open and closed doors. He quickly spotted the few women in a better state who had gathered on the floor, leaning on one of the walls. They tried to stand up, but Khan stopped them with a simple gesture.

"You don't need to stand," Khan announced. "You are rescued, but there are some caveats."

Khan had to thank Liiza for his ability to speak to those fragile captives. The thin ice over his partially eroded red symbols was keeping his heavy presence at bay, allowing those women to listen to him without trembling in fear.

"You will find clean clothes in the living quarters and cargo area," Khan continued. "They are yours to take freely. The same goes for the food and all the other services this ship has to offer."

The women didn't speak. As bearable as Khan's aura was, they had still seen him in Mister Broze's ship. Besides, his appearance wasn't exactly comforting for humans.

"No one will touch you," Khan added. "My wife will tend to your injuries or whatever else you might need, but …"

Khan heaved a sigh, feeling a bit ashamed. "I can't let you leave this ship yet. I need to do something first, which might take a few months. After that, I promise all of your needs will be taken care of, and you'll be free to do whatever you want."

"I apologize for the inconvenience," Khan concluded.

Khan ran his eyes over the aware women again, but the lack of replies made him turn. Yet, one of them suddenly stood up, mustering the strength to talk. "Why can't we leave?"

"That alien kid," Khan explained, peeking past his shoulder. "I need to bring her to her species before risking exposing myself."

"Is she why you saved us?" The woman asked.

"I would have been more conflicted if it weren't for her," Khan admitted, "But my wife would have acted at that point."

The woman didn't look pleased with that reply, but the reality of her situation was undeniable. They couldn't do much against that blue-haired monster, and a few months on a ship were nothing compared to what they had just escaped and what that would have led to.

"How do you know we'll be safe?" The woman asked, but Khan smirked, and purple-red light ran over his tattoos and ice, leaking part of his aura and affecting the artificial illumination.

The women gasped under that instability, but the chaos was short-lived. Everything resumed functioning, only for them to notice that Khan was gone. Still, his voice echoed through the air, seemingly having a life of its own.

"Who would dare?" The women heard, not knowing whether they were hallucinating or should feel reassured.

Khan knew his request had been unfair, but he wasn't omnipotent just yet. He had to keep his priorities straight and couldn't forget that three species were looking for him.

Khan next went into the cargo area. He didn't actually know that Carlos' crew was there, but the ship didn't have other spacious places, so he made an informed guess, which turned out to be correct.

Needless to say, Carlos and his subordinates were in a far better state compared to the rescued women. Their problems mostly affected their minds, which were still dealing with the shock of having shared living quarters with such a monster for weeks.

The cargo area was tense and silent, and Khan's arrival didn't change that. The crew stiffened when he entered the place, and his glowing eyes triggered instinctive fear when he ran them over those figures.

"Hello, Boss," Khan announced, focusing on Carlos. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for how things turned out. I was having fun playing your crew's pilot."

"You are," Carlos muttered, gulping, "Prince Khan."

"What gave it away?" Khan chuckled. "I know I'm quite popular with the opposite sex, but you don't swing that way."

Carlos was in no mood for jokes. He had seen Khan melting Mister Broze without moving a single finger. That wasn't a power a second-level warrior like him could comprehend, let alone disregard to enjoy playful banter.

"Don't tell my wife I said that," Khan gasped, seemingly just recalling that point. "Even I can't stop her if she gets angry."

The panic on Khan's face looked genuine, but Carlos couldn't care less. Besides, he had learned to fear Doctor White long ago.

"Ah, must have been the eyes," Khan resumed joking, pointing at his face. "I swear, I could turn them off at some point in my life. I guess it's been years since then."

That casual behavior was almost reassuring, but the crew couldn't calm down. Something told them their lives were at stake there, and they were right.

"But they are quite useful," Khan admitted. "I can see things others can't see. Even some scanners would miss things that are as clear as day for me. For example, I can see all your phones."

Sizzling noises resounded through the cargo area, and most of the crewmembers panicked when something burned in their trousers. They quickly drew out their devices, only to see black smoke coming out of them.

"Look," Khan exclaimed, crossing his arms. "You have treated me well. I don't want to kill you, but I would. So, let's establish some ground rules for peaceful cohabitation, shall we?"

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