Khan dropped Rick on his shoulder and started moving back toward the center of the camp. Some of the soldier's blood fell on him, but he didn't have the upper part of his uniform, so nothing got dirty.
Delia quickly went after him, and the red-haired girl ended up joining the group. Khan and Delia shot curious glances toward her, but she had an explanation ready. "He still owes me Credits."
Moses and the other soldiers limited themselves to stare at the odd group as they left the barren area. They still didn't know how they felt about Khan's character, but some of them silently decided that they would test him properly once he got better.
Delia and the red-haired girl also didn't feel too good about what they had just witnessed. The latter could easily stop caring about the matter, but Delia was different. She liked Khan, so hating his ruthless side made her feelings messier. She knew that he had never tried to hide that part of him, but seeing it applied on his companions scared her a bit.
The red-haired girl actually eased some of the awkwardness that had fallen between Khan and Delia. Her presence prevented the two of them from talking properly, and she didn't even hold back from asking questions that also occupied the woman's mind.
"I still don't think he had to go through all of this," The girl announced while the soldiers in the camp inspected the badly injured Rick on Khan's shoulder. "Some people simply don't suit the battlefield."
"He wanted to learn to fight," Khan explained. "He had to start somewhere."
"I'd be surprised if he recalled anything about today," The girl continued.
"Rick is a tough man," Delia announced. "His determination is admirable. He will recall."
Delia glanced at Khan, but he pretended not to notice that gesture. He had understood that she wasn't feeling too good about what she had witnessed, but he couldn't say much either. In his mind, his ruthlessness had been necessary.
"Was that stuff about the battlefield true?" The girl asked. "I've been in a trench for a few months, but I've never fought for real. It doesn't feel like a proper battlefield when I shoot at aliens from behind a barrier."
"Why do you even want to see what a real battlefield is like?" Khan asked.
"I like fighting, and I'm good at it," The girl exclaimed. "There are no politics there, and our origin doesn't matter either. Battles are simple."
"You are way too young to have this mindset," Delia sighed. "Maybe you can have it only due to your inexperience."
"Why would my age have anything to do with that?" The girl complained while pointing at Khan. "I'm as old as him, but he became a hero in a few weeks spent on this planet."
"Our platoon had more than thirty soldiers and a Lieutenant," Khan revealed. "Only five of us have survived the escape. That's not really heroic."
"I guess you are right," The girl stated. "I don't plan on remaining here for long anyway. I only need to get Credits and some stuff to put on my profile before going somewhere else. I don't want complete safety, but Ecoruta is honestly pointless. Humans are nothing more than spectators in the fight between two alien species."
"Why not Earth?" Delia asked. "I'm sure the training camps need good soldiers after everything that has happened on Istrone."
"My family is on Earth," The girl replied. "Everyone there prefers my well-mannered sisters. I can't stand most social gatherings and similar events."
"You'll get your Credits if you keep helping Rick," Khan declared before recalling something. "I don't think I know your name."
"I'm Lucille, but don't use that name," The girl said. "I prefer Lu. It's shorter, and it doesn't remind me of my family."
"Alright, Lu, I'll need you to take care of Rick for this month," Khan continued. "You can decide what to do afterward, but I'd like for the two of you to keep sparring."
"Right, the assault team leaves in a month," Lu recalled. "Lucky you. Are you joining the attack?"
Lu glanced past Khan to look at Delia, and the woman showed a fake smile before replying. "I have yet to decide. I'm not excited at the idea of jumping back on another battle, but I want to make the Stal pay too. I'll think about it properly in the next weeks."
"You didn't tell me that you were considering joining the assault team," Khan uttered.
"You never asked," Delia responded as a weak smile appeared on her face.
"Are you already fighting?" Lu questioned. "Many said that relationships born on the battlefield don't last long. I know a few women who are only waiting for you two to break up."
"We have been in this camp for only a few days," Khan frowned. "How can someone come up with such ideas already?"
"Rumors run fast inside a camp," Lu explained. "Even I know that you sleep in the same habitation. You sure got over the alien woman pretty quickly."
Khan heaved a helpless sigh but remained silent. Delia casually naming Istrone had been fine, but he still couldn't deal with those who talked about Liiza without knowing what had really happened on Nitis. The misunderstanding about his relationship with Delia was kind of fine, but even she realized that she might have gone too far with it.
"See, don't become like me," Khan joked. "Avoid the battlefield and focus on your studies to get a nice position somewhere safe."
"My mother has always told me not to trust men who can't keep it in their pants," Lu announced. "I hate her, but she knows her stuff about men. I won't get lectured by someone like you."
Khan couldn't help but smirk in front of Lu's honesty, but Delia had a very different reaction. Lu's words explained precisely why she could trust Khan. She almost couldn't believe how wrong she had been about him.
Delia opened her mouth to say something in Khan's defense, but she ended up pouting when she saw that he glanced at her with curious eyes. She could read his desire to tease her in that gaze, which ultimately made her remain silent.
The faint awkwardness caused by Rick's training seemed to vanish after that interaction. Khan was still playful, and Delia rarely managed to get the upper hand in discussions, especially when she couldn't be intimate with him. His cold side still existed, but it wasn't a predominant aspect of his personality. Also, she could justify it after thinking about his life.
The group eventually reached the medical bay, and Rick's bloody figure helped them avoid the greetings that Khan would typically attract. It didn't take them long to find Doctor Holger, and she didn't hide her surprise at the sight of the injured soldier.
"What has happened to him?" Lieutenant Holger asked while leading the group to the room where Khan had woken up after his last battle against the Stal.
"Just harsh training," Khan admitted without mentioning any detail.
Lieutenant Holger helped Khan put Rick on the bed, and she quickly stripped him down to assess his injuries. Then, she moved to another room to pick a few lotions that she applied to his wounds as soon as she returned to the room.
The Lieutenant was fast with her movements. Khan had never seen anyone applying bandages so quickly. She was also precise and delicate at the same time, which only showed how experienced she was at her job.
"He'll need to spend the day here," Lieutenant Holger explained. "His injuries aren't severe, but he has lost a lot of blood. Still, tomorrow he should be back in fighting shape. Let me see your hand now."
Khan showed his right hand, and the Lieutenant carefully inspected it. She even touched it in specific spots to check the condition of the bones kept still by the metallic structure.
"You are healing faster than I expected," The Lieutenant eventually announced. "I should be able to remove this brace in two weeks, and you'll only need an additional week to recover completely."
"That's great," Khan exclaimed. "It was getting tiring to pay attention to this thing all the time."
"I noticed that you have damaged it a bit," Lieutenant Holger stated. "A replacement with metal resistant to your element has already arrived, so come here immediately if you happen to break it."
"Thank you, Doc," Khan honestly responded. He had to admit that he didn't expect the Lieutenant to be so mindful about those details.
"Right, HQ sent a package for you a few minutes ago," The Doctor continued. "You can pick it up on your way out of here. Just try not to blow up your habitation. Those things cost a lot."
"Is there a place where I can train safely and alone?" Khan asked, but the Doctor immediately shook her head.
"Privacy is hard to attain on a camp like this," The Lieutenant explained. "You should feel lucky that your habitation is big enough for the two of you."
The Doctor wore a warm smile as her eyes moved between Khan and Delia. The latter widened her eyes and diverted her gaze timidly, while Khan felt the desire to frown, but he eventually decided to ignore the issue.
"Can I remain here a bit?" Lu asked. "The guy still owes me money."
"Don't be loud and don't hurt him," Lieutenant Holger ordered. "I have nothing against that otherwise."
Lu nodded and gave her contact to Khan before he and Delia left the room. The two reached an area with a series of consoles, and one of them opened to reveal two caskets when Khan took out his phone near it.
"You are about to skip sleeping again," Delia sighed when she saw the excited expression that filled Khan's face.
"I'll just inspect them for now," Khan responded. "I'm not tired, but I don't know if the habitation can handle them."
Delia didn't say anything and limited herself to following Khan out of the central structure in the camp. She walked behind him until they reached his habitation and went inside with him.
"Hey, Delia," Khan called while placing the caskets on the couch, "I trust you, but I think it's better if I watch these spells on my own."
"Can we talk for a bit first?" Delia finally broke her silence, and her timid tone made Khan take her request seriously.
"You didn't need to be so hard on Rick," Delia stated. "He is a good soldier. He would have eventually reached that point even if you didn't put his life at risk."
"Delia, he couldn't go back to his habitation after another failure," Khan explained as he sat on the couch. "It was better to create an initial success. Besides, that's how I learnt how to fight."
Delia covered her face with a hand while she shook her head. She had to take a deep breath to calm herself down and resume speaking. "Can your life get any sadder?"
Khan diverted his gaze when he thought about all the details that Delia didn't know, and she heaved a helpless sigh when she noticed that reaction. She gave in on complaining and sat next to him before lying her head on his shoulder and taking his arm in her embrace.
"I don't like seeing you like that," Delia admitted as she rubbed her head on his shoulder.
"But that's how I am," Khan whispered. "That's how we escaped from the Stal."
"I know," Delia sighed. "I'm not saying that you are wrong, but I hate knowing that you actually take it easy on others. Most of your ruthlessness is toward yourself."
Khan felt surprised that Delia had noticed that detail so quickly, but he didn't say anything. There was nothing to add to her statement.
"Khan, why did you even come to Ecoruta?" Delia asked. "You could have gone everywhere with your profile, and the Global Army would have never sent you here on its own. Why did you choose a battlefield right after Nitis?"
"I wanted to grow strong quickly," Khan revealed without describing the deeper details behind his decision.
"Why?" Delia questioned. "Is it for her? Did you think that getting stronger could get you back on Nitis?"
"Part of me thought that," Khan admitted. "I've seen a lot of death in the planets that I've visited. I would have been able to change things if I were stronger."
"That's so silly," Delia scoffed. "It's not your job to save others or lead everyone to victory. You are seventeen, but you have already gone through so much. Try to find peace instead of punishing yourself over things that you couldn't control."
"I needed to clear my head anyway," Khan replied. "Ecoruta is helping. You are helping."
"Don't try to trick me," Delia threatened while pulling his ear to make him bend on her.
"You are clearly using your experience to your advantage," Khan joked when his arm ended up pressing on her chest. "Older women are so scary."
"Shut up," Delia ordered while adjusting her position to make him lay his head on her lap. "You would be naked if I were to try for real."
"Why aren't you doing that then?" Khan asked. "I thought that you wanted it."
"I want it," Delia sighed, "And I will take it if you start running away. Yet, I don't want you to sacrifice yourself to make me happy."
Khan remained silent for a few seconds. He couldn't believe that another woman had ended up mentioning that same problem. He had learnt a lot about relationships with Liiza, but it seemed that his bad habits were still there, and Delia had noticed them.
"I still plan to check the spells," Khan eventually said.
"I'll leave you be in one hour," Delia promised while caressing his head. "I'll be selfish for a bit now. Do the same if you can."
****
Author's notes: I bet you had lost all hopes for today's releases.. Anyway, I'm also making a second chapter to cover for Sunday.