849 Reunion
The Thilku team ended up winning the [Feast]. Those alien soldiers had been on Baoway long enough to learn about its environment. Moreover, they were more familiar with the event's rules, performing better than their opponents.
That conclusion pleased Lord Exr, who mentioned it in the inevitable following discussions with Tlexicpalli. However, the atmosphere grew more friendly as the two aliens became accustomed to their respective customs and characters.
Of course, Khan's presence played a significant role in that development. His political status forced both alien leaders to control themselves and behave due to the planet's benefits for the two species. Also, Lord Exr and Tlexicpalli respected Khan as a warrior, valuing his words and accepting his eventual reprimands.
Sadly, the relative understanding between the two leaders didn't stretch to their troops, and neither Tlexicpalli nor Lord Exr had the time to babysit them. The latter even departed shortly after the [Feast], leaving his proud Thilku among the battle-driven Ef'i.
The cohabitation of those species was a recipe for disaster, and their suppression would only lead to violent outbursts. Actually, fights were inevitable, so Khan had to channel them in the appropriate environment. He had even promised something similar to Tlexicpalli, and the incomplete arena created the perfect chance.
The arena required many tests for most of its functions, and Khan never failed to send the Thilku and Ef'i inside its walls during those instances. He also set specific rules to avoid casualties, and things went smoothly on both ends. The technicians gathered valuable data while the two alien species vented the constantly building tension between them.
Khan had to preside over the first battles to ensure everything went smoothly, but his Uncle and Aunt replaced him as soon as the custom was established. Those friendly fights almost became one of Baoway's first traditions, eventually expanding past Thilku and Ef'i.
The human soldiers were the first to join the fray, fighting Ef'i and Thilku to kill time. Occasionally, the troops used those battles to solve minor scuffles, reinforcing their positive effect on the planet's peace.
The Scalqa were the last to join, and their entrance into the customs brought Khan out of his secluded training. Their original traditions conflicted with the idea of friendly fights, so Khan had to be present to prevent problems. Nevertheless, Baoway's natives had attended enough battles to understand their trend, so Khan only had to show his face a few times before refocusing on his business.
Still, while the planet had somewhat stabilized, Khan's problems weren't over. Alexander, his Grandfather, had yet to reach Baoway, and the reason behind his delay would be obvious even without Prince Thomas' updates.
Khan had stirred quite the mess by killing Prince Jack. Giving away free samples of the supplement and defensive magic item could delay violent reactions, and the same went for the tournament. Yet, his family's other factions would eventually knock on his door again, and nothing ensured positive intentions.
Alexander was handling precisely that. On paper, he was flying toward Baoway. However, the trip had many stops featuring representatives from the family's factions. The latter didn't only know Alexander. He was far more trustworthy than Khan when it came to politics.
Khan didn't fear the possibility of Alexander's betrayal. He didn't know much about him, but his political skills were also famously on point. Having the factions' representatives trying to go over him irked him, but he didn't have much choice in that situation.
For now, Khan only had Baoway as an available playing field, and another important piece eventually arrived. The planet's bright star shone in the sky, illuminating a silver rectangular ship descending into an empty area near the arena. The ride was relatively small, but Khan knew it held an entire team.
Khan wasn't alone in the empty area. Multiple technicians stood behind him, waiting for the ship's landing. Those workers wielded devices and other equipment but nothing bordering firearms or similar items.
The ship quickly landed, and the bottom of its square front opened sideways, releasing a silver lamp. Relatively tall, blue-grey figures crossed it, but pieces of their skin reflected Baoway's morning light, partially ruining the scene.
Those occasional flashes couldn't make Khan's blink. His cold eyes remained fixed on the descending team, who studied its surroundings before focusing on him. Truthfully, the aliens were curious about the area, but Khan's presence kidnapped their attention.
Khan's cold expression almost broke when he recognized one of the aliens. A big, silver nose had replaced the previous filter, and metal plates covered both arms from shoulder to pinky. Khan's heightened senses also noticed more invasive implants that improved that third-level warrior's body.
"Noah Balvan!" The alien shouted, snickering as he approached Khan. "[Sen-nu is joking. Long time no see, Prince Khan]."
Hearing the Fuveall language after many years tried to awaken memories inside Khan, but he rejected them to address that reunion. He had contacted Sen-nu from Milia 222, hiring a team of Fuveall to help with the arena. The Nognes family's money backed his offer, so Sen-nu couldn't refuse.
"[Sen-nu]," Khan called, stretching his hand toward the nearing alien. "[I find you well]."
"[Better than you]," Sen-nu laughed, seemingly unaffected by Khan's heavy aura. He shook his hand, gradually increasing the strength of his grip. Still, his smile soon disappeared.
Sen-nu's expression grew serious. He bent forward, his long black hair falling over his big forehead as he put more strength into his grip. His golden eyes occasionally checked Khan, but he didn't flinch at all.
"[You have improved]," Khan said when he felt Sen-nu was reaching his limit. "[No third-level warrior should have this raw strength]."
Sen-nu froze at the compliment before his smile returned. He exploded into a laugh, letting go of Khan's hand before stretching his arms, showing them off to the other humans behind.
"[Sen-nu is very proud of these]," Sen-nu nodded, his eyes glued to his silver arms. "[The actual data of muscle density and power output is a secret, but Sen-nu assures you won't find anything better among my peers]."
Khan had his heightened senses, but technology had always been his weakness. The silver arms also belonged to a field that humans still couldn't match, making it impossible for him to understand their power.
Nevertheless, seeing that mixture of natural and synthetic mana again gave Khan some information. He also noticed certain odd areas which probably had special functions. He could confirm that those arms were strong, stronger than the average third-level warrior.
'How do they even work?' Khan couldn't help but dwell on a past curiosity. 'They are like organic machines.'
That childish curiosity felt nostalgic, but Khan quickly killed it. As much as he would love to learn more about the Fuveall, he had hired them for a specific job. He also had another idea in mind, so his whims had to wait.
"[Is that Atef]?" Khan asked, peeking past Sen-nu to look at another alien.
"Prince Khan," The alien said in the human language, approaching Sen-nu. "Your Fuveall is basically perfect."
Atef looked scared and wary, his eyes darting between Khan's attire and his surroundings. His behavior initially confused Khan, but everything made sense when he recalled a certain detail.
'Right, I forgot,' Khan thought. 'They are idiots.'
"[I hired you because I need your technology]," Khan reassured. "[I'm buying technology]."
The Fuveall were heavily oriented toward technology, and Atef pushed things one step forward. He believed wood and metal were bound to clash, mainly since the former was envious of the latter. As for Sen-nu, he was simply an uncaring fool.
"[If you say so]," Atef said, switching language again, "Prince Khan."
Atef's statement wasn't convincing in the slightest, but Khan ignored him to nod at the technicians behind him. One of them delivered a device, which Khan promptly handed to Sen-nu.
"[This is a partial blueprint of my arena]," Khan explained, looking at the nearby huge building. "[I want your team to study it and improve where necessary]."
The device captured Sen-nu's interest, and the other Fuveall gathered around him. The screen was too small for all of them, but the human technicians promptly delivered more devices.
"[You dress like them now]," Sen-nu commented while tinkering with the device. "[You even look like them]."
Khan didn't need questions to understand Sen-nu's statement. He wore pelts and bones, and his face was emotionless. It wasn't the same thing, but a Fuveall brain couldn't see many differences from a Nele.
"[How are the Nele faring]?" Khan asked.
"[Knowledge is a currency]," Sen-nu stated, his eyes still on the device.
"[This isn't Milia 222]," Khan pointed out, "[And I'm paying you]."
"[Not a newbie anymore]," Sen-nu grinned.
"[Sen-nu]," Khan called, and the alien couldn't ignore his aura now. Sen-nu's implants almost shook under Khan's pressure. His eyes briefly landed on Khan before returning to the device, and his grin slowly disappeared.
"[The Nele are thriving]," Sen-nu revealed. "[They had hoarded resources before the mess, so they took control of the market. They almost occupy the entirety of the second and fourth asteroid now]."
"[Problems]?" Khan asked.
"[You should ask them]," Sen-nu shook his head. "[As you know, we keep our distance. Still, they heard about you. We did, so they must have too]."
Khan kept his gaze straight, but his mind tried to wander. Jenna and Caja had high hopes for him, and he had even reached the point when he wielded real power. However, his domain was too chaotic and dangerous for a species he would protect with his life.
"[You should visit them]," Sen-nu suggested, lowering the device and lifting his head. "[They would welcome you, especially dressed like this]."
"[What do you think about the arena]?" Khan questioned.
"[Sen-nu thinks the blueprint is too incomplete to evaluate]," Sen-nu claimed.
"[You'll gain complete access after providing pointers]," Khan stated. "[The Fuveall technology is unmatched, so that shouldn't be a problem]."
"[Sen-nu has a pointer]," Sen-nu declared, waving the device. "[This is already good. Human good, not Fuveall good, but still good. So, why is Sen-nu here]?"
Khan couldn't help but feel surprised, and that feeling intensified when the rest of the alien team focused on him, sharing Sen-nu's stance. After mere minutes of studying the incomplete blueprint, all the Fuveall had seen through him.
"[I want my arena to be Fuveall good]," Khan explained, "[But there is another job available, if you are willing to take it and can handle it]."
"[Sen-nu is a genius]," Sen-nu claimed. "[Sen-nu can handle anything]."
"[You once told me that humans might reject the Fuveall implants]," Khan reminded. "[I want you to fix that problem]."