The word "spy" seemed to echo longer than the others. That's how Khan and the others experienced the revelation in their minds.
Silence ensued afterward. Everyone inside the reinforced room fell deep into their thoughts as they reviewed the revelation and tried to connect it to what they knew about the situation.
Sneaking inside the industrial area, entering the factory, stealing a prototype, and escaping without leaving any trace sounded impossible, even when spells were involved. There were too many obstacles to cross, starting from learning about the actual existence of the prototypes.
Luke had explained how the workers basically lived inside the factories. Only their leaders could go out every once in a while to enjoy the city, and their privileged position immediately turned them into suspects.
However, the leader appointed inside that specific factory had to be someone extremely trusted. Khan also felt sure that the Cobsend family had already investigated them deeply, but Luke had still brought his team there.
'The Cobsend family must have already proven the leader innocent and investigated all the workers,' Khan concluded.
"Are there cameras in the factory?" Francis asked while the others were still busy reviewing the situation.
"There are cameras on the various entrances to the industrial area, but nothing after those points," Luke stated. "Before you ask, yes, my family has investigated everyone inside the factory thoroughly and found nothing."
"But that's-," Francis began to say.
"Impossible," Luke interrupted Francis. "I know, but some prototypes have still gone missing, and my family can't send official forces to scour the city. That's where you come into play."
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"Do you want us to explore the city looking for clues about your missing prototypes?" Monica questioned.
"Our missing prototypes," Luke corrected. "As I've already said, the whole point of this business is in its nature as a monopoly. All the Credits invested in the research for the reinforced fabric will be wasted if a competitor appears. We would probably still manage to break even, but I bet none of us wants that."
'It's impossible for everyone inside the factory to be innocent,' Khan thought. 'Even these wealthy descendants knew nothing about the reinforced fabric. Unless, of course, someone inside Luke's family has leaked the information.'
That still wasn't enough to find answers. The Cobsend family would have noticed if someone important enough to know about the factory were to travel to Milia 222. They would have immediately turned into suspects, which brought the target back on the workers.
'It has to be a worker, or the leader, or both,' Khan stated in his mind, 'But they would have never been able to create believable alibis on their own. Someone powerful enough to fool the Cobsend family must have helped them, someone who already knew that something was going on here.'
A realization suddenly dawned upon Khan's mind. Only a wealthy family with influence equal or slightly inferior to the Cobsend family could find ways to turn workers into spies and provide them with what they needed to appear innocent.
However, only a family involved in the project could know that the factory had something worth stealing. Monica and the others came from families that had invested in the reinforced fabric, which turned them into suspects.
Khan understood that Luke's invitations had a hidden purpose. He didn't only want to create a team that could pass unnoticed inside the city. He also needed all the potential culprits to be on Milia 222.
'It's more complicated than that,' Khan thought as he dived deeper into the matter. 'Those in this team might know nothing about the thefts even if members of their families were involved.'
Khan also saw the second hidden purpose behind Luke's invitation. The latter probably knew that Monica and the others were unaware of the shady plans run by their families, but bringing them on Milia 222 would make the real culprits nervous. That could lead to mistakes that could lead to the truth.
'Everyone except for Martha and I is a suspect,' Khan concluded. 'Maybe Bruce and Amanda are to exclude due to their tight relationship with Luke, and the same goes for Master Ivor.'
Everything fell apart when Khan began to doubt his companions. Monica's behavior turned from interesting to worrisome. Khan didn't know if she was only pretending to be attracted to him. Her story about Francis might have been a lie to bring Khan on her side and hinder the investigation.
'I can't trust anyone,' Khan exclaimed in his mind as he summarized everything he had learnt and guessed.
Only someone inside the factory could know about the prototypes, but only someone from wealthy families could make the actual theft possible. Also, Luke would have probably learnt if his reinforced fabrics had hit the market, which meant that they were still hidden somewhere, probably on Milia 222.
Khan soon understood what he had to do. The Cobsend family had already come back empty-handed from its investigations, so he had to start from the places that it couldn't reach. He had to find clues about the prototypes inside the city and connect them to the actual theft.
"What do you know about the criminal organizations on the asteroids?" Khan eventually asked.
"I will send you a report written by a trusted figure in my family," Luke stated. "It will list many locations known for their illegal activities. Other than that, I'll support you as much as I can. I only regret being unable to join the search since I would stand out too much."
"Isn't the same with them?" Khan questioned while glancing at Bruce and the others.
"No one knows about their shares in the factory," Luke revealed. "As far as the workers know, the Cobsend family is the sole owner, so eventual leaks would have spread that lie."
'How can something so secretive even get robbed?' Khan wondered as he tried to imagine if the invisible man met in Reebfell's Slums could pull that theft off. He surely would have an advantage in front of cameras and similar tools, but the factory's doors would be enough to keep him outside.
The first-level warriors voiced questions that Khan had already answered on his own, and Luke's replies eventually made everyone understand that he suspected them. Luke never said anything specific about that, but their involvement was almost evident. Only an idiot wouldn't make that connection.
"Can I?" Khan asked while pointing at the reinforced fabric in the distance.
"Sure, go ahead," Luke announced.
Khan reached the reinforced fabric and walked around the table to study every inch of the item. The material didn't seem to have anything special at first sight, but Khan observed with more than his eyes.
The mana inside the fabric was odd, to say the least. Khan sensed the heavy presence of synthetic mana with different natures fused with something that felt natural.
His first guess was that the scientists had added effects to an item that already carried favorable features. Still, Khan didn't linger too long on his hypotheses and focused on memorizing the peculiar signature of the fabric.
Khan actually had it easy there since he had never sensed a similar item during his life. The mana on it was too diverse, which created a unique signature that he would never fail to recognize.
The inspection didn't stop there. Khan's methods went beyond human standards, and he had applied them to items far more disgusting.
Khan approached the table and neared his head to the reinforced fabric. Initially, he limited himself to touching it and growing used to the sensations it caused on his fingers. Yet, he soon proceeded to sniff it and rub his face on its long sides.
That behavior left the group in the distance surprised, but their mouths opened when they saw Khan licking the fabric. He made sure to experience the chemical taste lingering on the unique leather before ending the inspection.
Khan kept his eyes on the reinforced fabric as he retreated toward the group. The uniqueness of the mana signature carried by the item allowed him to sense it clearly even when he wasn't too close to it. A casket or any random container could probably cover that detail, but he still wanted to be ready.
"Luke, what's the illegal aspect of the item?" Khan asked once he returned to the group. "There might be a connection between that and the theft."
"I'm afraid I can't reveal that," Luke exclaimed. "I do trust you, Khan, but these restrictions come from above me. These secrets might tarnish my family's reputation."
"No problem," Khan reassured. "Yet, can you confirm that the illegal aspect has nothing to do with the theft?"
"There can't be a connection," Luke vaguely explained. "Different aspects of this business would have suffered otherwise. The culprits wouldn't stop at a simple theft in that case."
Khan discarded that option and went back to the initial hypothesis. Investigating his companions wouldn't lead anywhere, so he had to find the stolen leather and trace the culprit. He believed that everything would become clear afterward.
"When do we start?" Khan questioned while picking up his phone. "Why don't you send the report since you are at it?"
"This reinforced room prevents access to the network," Luke revealed. "Many areas inside the factory do the same. I'll send it as soon as we go out."
"Is it possible to have the results of your family's investigations too?" Khan wondered. "I'd also like to know more about the workers and the leader of the factory."
"Everything about the workers is classified," Luke declared. "However, I can give you the reports of the investigations without the actual names. If you find something odd, you can just point it out, and I'll ask my family to check again."
"That works," Khan nodded.
"Well then," Luke exclaimed, "Do any of you have other questions that are better to ask in this private area? Mind you. I expect the mission to start as soon as we leave."
"What," Amanda said with evident hesitation in her voice, "What do we do if we find out that our family is involved in the theft?"
Bruce glared at Amanda, and the others also shot meaningful glances at her. The woman had expressed her worry since she feared that her family could ruin her chances with Luke, but she didn't realize that everyone had kept the topic silent on purpose. Luckily for her, Luke had a silver tongue.
"I'm sure none of your families are involved," Luke reassured. "It would make little to no sense to betray this economic alliance. My money is on the Fuveall since their factories are so close."
Khan rolled his eyes after making sure that no one was looking at him. The Fuveall generally had straightforward and honest characters. Moreover, they were a species that specialized in technology. They would rather create a better reinforced fabric than steal it.
Luke had clearly lied, but his words still carried some truth. There had to be a reason behind that potential betrayal, and Khan didn't see it. He didn't know enough about that field to understand how stealing prototypes could benefit someone inside the same financial alliance.
'There has to be something that makes the theft worth it,' Khan thought. 'Unless I'm wrong about the involvement of my companions' families, which would leave me without any clear hypothesis.'
Truth be told, the hypothesis didn't matter too much. Khan only had to find the stolen leather. Everything else would be clearer afterward.
The group decided to ignore the topic brought up by Amanda to ask a few questions connected to the nature of the investigation. It turned out that Luke didn't care what they did as long as they achieved results. They had complete freedom on the approach, and he would take care of all eventual problems.
The group left the factory as quickly as they entered. The insides of the industrial area soon reappeared in their vision, and Luke didn't hesitate to send the reports at that point.
The reports listed many famous locations dealing with stolen merch and similar businesses. They even featured a few names and descriptions, which stated how they came from someone who deeply knew Milia 222's environment.
A second message reached Khan's phone while he was busy studying the list. A frown tried to appear on his face when he noticed that the text came from Luke, but he quickly suppressed that reaction, and no one noticed the event since they had their heads on their screens.
'It's not the Eerly family,' Khan read on the message. Luke was basically clearing Bruce and Amanda from the possible suspects while confirming Khan's initial guess.
"I don't know how you want to divide yourselves," Luke exclaimed. "I suggest you make teams of two or three to have someone watching your back. I'll be here or in another house on the second asteroid. Just send me a message if you need anything."
Exchanges of glances immediately happened among the group. The soldiers already had preferences, so forming teams wouldn't take long. Only Khan found himself hesitant when he found Martha and Monica looking at him.
Khan disregarded Monica and focused on Martha. He wanted to look after her, but he also knew that he would be better off on his own. His senses and Milia 222's peculiar environment gave him an innate advantage that could become null if he was with someone who didn't know how to blend in.
"I think I'll clear these places faster if I go alone," Khan eventually spoke the truth, "But I won't stop you if you want to come with me."
Martha understood Khan's abilities better than anyone else on the team, so she took no offense in his statement. After all, they were working. They couldn't put the mission at risk because they preferred to be together.
Yet, Martha was an outsider among that group of wealthy descendants. She wasn't sure she could find someone to team up with, and part of her was still hesitant about remaining alone.
"Don't worry about us," Monica exclaimed before stepping next to Martha. "We will be fine. Go and do what made you famous."
Martha couldn't help but shoot a surprised glance at Monica. She had basically teamed up with her without asking anyone's permission, but that ended up solving the issue.
Khan wanted to keep his barriers against Monica high, but he couldn't stop the faint gratitude that appeared in his mind. Even if Monica ended up being the spy, he liked to know that Martha wouldn't remain alone.
"Though, give me your contact so I can call you if something happens," Monica continued while wearing a teasing smile that told everyone about her real intentions.
"I think you can find it on my profile," Khan complained while approaching Monica with his phone in his grasp.
"But I prefer you to give it to me," Monica stated without blinking.
Khan didn't reply and proceeded to exchange numbers with Monica before separating from the group. He already had a target in mind. He had to interrogate the most untrustworthy but knowledgeable species on Milia 222. Khan had to look for Orlats, and the list mentioned a nightclub on the second asteroid that suited his needs.
A message reached Khan's phone while he was about to leave the industrial area, and he felt no surprise when he read Monica's name on it. Yet, its contents managed to increase his confusion.
'The illegal aspect must be the material used in the project. I'll tell you more if I find something,' Khan read on his phone before putting it away.. He didn't want to trust Monica, but his instincts were telling him that she was being honest with him.
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