Chapter 1336: Catching up
Khan took a sip as soon as that nostalgic toast ended. He was a good drinker, and Liiza had truly made him curious about Doku’s concocting skills, but the booze surpassed the reputation earned through her stories by leaps and bounds.
The booze was strong, scorching, but also strangely nourishing. A sense of warmth and fulfillment invaded Khan as the hot liquid flowed down his throat, which spread through his chest and reached his abdomen.
The sensation was so surprising that Khan couldn’t help but glance at his cup afterward. His eyes were also slightly wide, highlighting how good the experience had been.
Doku wore a satisfied face at that reaction, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he turned, going back to his metal box before opting to sit on the sandy ground. There wasn’t enough room for two people on that makeshift seat, and Doku knew Khan wouldn’t mind.
As predicted, Khan followed Doku and sat on the grey sand before him, crossing his legs. The two men ended up facing each other, instinctively taking another sip from their cups, before the Niqols glanced in the distance.
“[Is that yours]?” Doku asked, and Khan didn’t need to turn to know what he meant. Still, Khan did it anyway, gazing at the natural disaster in the distance.
It was technically night on that unnamed planet, but the sky had only dimmed, never becoming completely dark. Yet, the storm in the distance still raged and shone, illuminating its surroundings with its purple-red radiance and flashes.
Two weeks had passed already, but the storm showed no signs of waning. Khan began to think he had to review his initial estimate, but those problems hardly mattered in that situation.
“[It is],” Khan confirmed, facing Doku again. “[Was it so obvious]?”
“[I checked the area while you were inside],” Doku revealed. “[You smell the same].”
Khan smirked as memories flowed into his brain. “[Your nose is as sharp as ever. You also didn’t forget how to wink].”
“[It was a teaching from my dear human friend],” Doku said, “[Even if he looks more like a Niqols now].”
“[Much has happened],” Khan sighed, “[And ten years is a long time].”
Khan didn’t need to explain himself. Liiza had already learned something before the arranged marriage, so Doku and his teams were bound to have uncovered everything there was to find about Khan during the chase.
The task wouldn’t have even been difficult. Most of Khan’s life and achievements were public, and some he had spread himself. Doku must have learned what Khan had faced in those years to become who he was.
“[It is],” Doku agreed, “[But many things remain the same].”
“[They only cause bigger problems now],” Khan chuckled.
“[Yes],” Doku also laughed. “[You had quite the terrible timing, but everyone from back then was happy about you two. Azni got so mad when she learned I was in charge of chasing after you].”
“[I’m sure she understood],” Khan commented. “[You have always been dutiful].”
“[Did you forget how Azni is]?” Doku wondered. “[She is even scarier now that we are married and have kids].”
“[Whom Liiza has described as terrifyingly cute],” Khan revealed, lifting his half-empty glass toward Doku. “[Congratulations. Though I admit I was surprised when I heard you proposed by yourself].”
“[It had to be done],” Doku scoffed, toasting. “[I’ve always loved Azni, and the time was right. One of the best days of my life].”
“[I get it],” Khan nodded. “[It’s the same for me].”
“[I bet],” Doku exclaimed. “[We have all seen the footage. You sure never hold back when it comes to Liiza].”
“[We are both at fault this time],” Khan pointed out, not surprised that the recording of the marriage had reached the Niqols’ teams. “[I was ready to leave in secret. Then, I saw Liiza, and the next thing I knew, I was married].”
“[That’s a Niqols woman for you],” Doku said. “[I warned you on Nitis, but you didn’t listen].”
“[Please, I never had any chance],” Khan responded, showing his tattooed right arm. “[See? I was doomed from the start].”
Doku laughed, but a nostalgic silence followed. Both men had emptied their drinks by then, and one of them had to stand up to refill them. No one else really could.
Despite the celebratory nature of the event, a barrier existed between the humans and Niqols. That hurdle was even taller and steeper when it came to Khan and Doku. The two respective leaders were unapproachable to those ordinary soldiers.
Nevertheless, despite the distance, Khan and Doku were the center of attention. Both Niqols and humans wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation, especially the former. After all, Khan had become quite the mystical figure due to a variety of reasons, and he was right in front of them now.
“[I’ll get it],” Khan eventually said, beginning to stand up.
“[It’s your party],” Doku refused, also standing up. “[I’ll get it].”
The two men ended up standing up simultaneously, only for a completely different event to claim the camp’s entire attention. The dome opened again, and a dark figure dressed in white crossed that passage, stepping on the grey desert while carrying something small in her arms.
Khan was surprised to see Liiza outside so soon, but his reaction was nothing compared to Doku’s and the other Niqols. Liiza was undoubtedly famous on Nitis, and the Niqols in the area knew they had never seen her so happy.
Liiza smiled, ignoring the many glowing gazes on her while slowly crossing the camp, stepping carefully on the grey sand to approach the second cauldron. Khan and Doku met her halfway, and the former already had a cup ready for her.
“[Hello, Doku],” Liiza softly said before greeting her husband with a quick kiss.
Khan handed Liiza a drink before settling at her side, gently rubbing a finger on the small sleeping figure. Liiza could hold Yeza with one arm, so she had no problem sipping from her cup in the meantime.
“[Isn’t she cute]?” Doku questioned. “[Congratulations. Mine are cuter, but you two did a good job].”
“[Thank you],” Liiza replied, smiling while leaning on Khan, wanting to be closer to him in that public environment while their daughter was present.
“[We are almost all together again],” Doku snickered, “[And settled].”
“[George is also married],” Khan revealed when he managed not to focus on his daughter for a second. “[He has a son, too, and I think he sent me a message about his wife being pregnant again].”
“[There’s only Ilman left],” Doku pointed out. “[Though he’ll have a hard time finding someone with that character of his].”
“[Actually],” Khan muttered.
“[We should sit down],” Liiza suggested, giggling. “[This was surprising even for us].”
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