Chaos' Heir

The potential meeting points were quite diverse in their location and distance from Milia 222, but Khan only had one variable to take into account.

Time remained Khan's main issue. Zalpa and Ilman's sudden arrival had proven that Khan couldn't stay hidden much longer. As much as Zalpa had used eerie methods to find him, more parties were bound to catch up with him, be it out of sheer luck or a simple, methodical search.

Khan also had troublesome cargo to take care of before the situation deteriorated. Reuniting Tamara with the Nele was a priority, but the same went for Carlos' crew and the rescued women. Khan didn't want to risk fighting a war while still having to protect those groups.

So, after calculating the various flight routes, Khan selected the closest meeting point to his location. He didn't know what would await him there, but his ship would reach it earlier than the alternatives, allowing him to solve part of his impending issues.

Of course, Khan was in no hurry to say goodbye to Tamara. If anything, he would love to spend more time with the little Nele, and Liiza was in the same situation.

That cute little Nele had grown dear to the married couple during their weeks together, but their situation was too dangerous. Besides, Tamara's parents were out there, and neither Khan nor Liiza could fathom how worried they must be about her.

The cumbersome ship had already spent a few weeks flying toward Milia 222 through regulated areas of the universe, but reaching the agreed-upon meeting point would take over a month of travel.

Much might happen in that relatively long time, but the tension about those dangerous possibilities never leaked outside the bridge. Life on the ship became quite peaceful and cozy, and having Ilman as a second pilot allowed the couple to spend more meaningful moments together.

Still, the time for tension eventually arrived. The trip was luckily uneventful, but something was bound to happen when the vessel entered the appointed star system. Khan didn't know what to expect but made sure to be on the bridge to be ready for everything.

The ship's scanners were as terrible as ever, but Khan prompted the control desk to recheck everything multiple times while venturing deeper into the appointed star system.

The meeting point was somewhere between the next two planets, but Khan didn't see anything on his scanners. Theoretically, he should have picked up on something already, but his vessel wasn't ideal for those tasks.

Moreover, chances were that those waiting for Khan were using cloaking technology. The Nele weren't great in that field, but Milia 222 had that equipment. Besides, it wouldn't even need to be state-of-the-art to trick Khan's ship.

So, Khan pushed the ship forward, blindly flying toward the meeting point decided over a month ago. He didn't exchange further communication with the Nele after that first contact, but something told him that they didn't forget about it.

A cold hand reached for Khan's when the tension started to affect him. Liiza was with him in the pilot's seat, staring at the same menus. She didn't understand much about that data, but her husband's reaction told her that their destination had to be close.

"[It's fine]," Khan reassured, letting Liiza intertwine her fingers with his while he continued rubbing her waist. "[I'm not worried]."

That was the truth. As much as everything was unclear, Khan had followed the instructions to the letter. He had only exchanged cryptic messages as well. Khan was sure the Nele had listened to him. The only variable was that a third party might have intercepted the communication.

As for that potential third party, the worries had to lie with it. The cumbersome ship had Tamara and Khan's pregnant wife, so there was nothing he wouldn't do to keep it safe.

"[You are getting more overprotective by the day]," Liiza teased, looking up at Khan to ease the tension. "[I'll have to teach our girl all my tricks once she comes of age]."

"[Just because it's too early to know]," Khan said, pretending to be casual while his body tensed up, "[It doesn't mean our child will be a girl]."

"[You have also agreed not to know until I give birth]," Liiza giggled. "[Well, I wanted that, and you couldn't refuse me]."

Khan couldn't help but lower his gaze at that point. He wanted to tease Liiza back, but those intentions vanished when a quick kiss landed on his lips.

"[You'll have such a difficult Papa]," Liiza muttered, looking at her waist while squeezing the warm hand on it. "[But don't worry. He'll never be able to refuse us]."

Khan followed Liiza's gaze. Her waist had yet to bloat, but the signs had started to appear. He still couldn't sense anything, but that was bound to change soon.

"[Mama likes to tease me]," Khan whispered, placing his mouth on Liiza's hair, "[But she'll be as protective as me. You won't have it easy, little one]."

"[But you'll be loved]," Liiza continued. "[We'll love you so much you'll start to resent us]."

Liiza leaned deeper on Khan, and he held her tightly. The two lost themselves in that cozy moment, staring at Liiza's waist while bathing in the love the situation created.

Still, the control desk eventually beeped, forcing Khan to divert his attention. Something had finally appeared on the scanners and quickly multiplied, turning into a sea of signals that reflected a clear picture.

Tens of dots appeared on the holographic star map, flying at full speed toward Khan's ship. He wouldn't be able to dodge them even if he wanted to, but didn't try. Khan stopped his vessel, letting those incoming vehicles surround him.

The scanners picked up something before interferences afflicted their correct functioning. Something was jamming the ship's equipment, preventing Khan from studying the situation. He only saw that a proper fleet had reached him before everything went dark.

That fleet was also strange. Its ship didn't belong to a single technological style or species. They were closer to a random arrangement of available vessels, but Khan found the sight reassuring. After all, that scene smelled of a lawless zone.

"[Let's go]," Khan said, standing up with Liiza and taking her left hand. The time to meet the Nele had finally arrived, but the tinge of foreign jealousy that seeped into his brain told him that he didn't account for every variable.