Chaos' Heir-Chapter 1328: Doku

According to the reports, the Niqols had set up camp outside the encirclement.

That hadn’t been the Niqols’ initial strategy, but Wayne’s presence had forced them into that slower approach. Nothing they threw at the outpost worked anyway, so they settled on the grey sand, temporarily satisfied with pinning those human forces down.

Actually, few Niqols stood watch anymore after those uneventful two weeks, but Khan’s appearance forced everyone to drop their tasks and gather by the metal encirclement. That was the moment they had been waiting for, and some tension inevitably filled the area.

Khan briefly browsed the encirclement before stepping toward it, stopping once he reached the sitting Wayne. The man had both legs and arms crossed, but his excited smile couldn’t make him look any happier.

"Good job out here," Khan praised, patting Wayne’s shoulder.

"They gave up after only two days!" Wayne proudly laughed. "My performance must have been too shocking for them!"

"I’m sure it was," Khan chuckled. "Go rest now. I’ll handle this."

"I can keep at this for another month!" Wayne claimed.

"I bet you can go even further than that," Khan commented, "But it’s fine now. Go find Deni and get something to eat."

Wayne was conflicted between finding ways of receiving more compliments from Khan and his hunger, but the latter eventually won. He stood up, throwing a proud nod at the aliens on the other side of the encirclement, before turning toward the outpost.

"Oh, Wayne," Khan called, his eyes remaining on the metal encirclement. "Thank you for this."

Wayne didn’t stop approaching the dome, but his loud, happy laugh resounded through the area, creating a misleading impression about the situation’s seriousness.

Khan didn’t care for impressions, and his glowing gaze quickly restored the general tension when it ran over the metal encirclement. His aura wasn’t as oppressive anymore, but the Niqols wielded sharp senses, so his might didn’t go unnoticed, building up a suffocating pressure.

It didn’t help that most of the Niqols in the encirclement were relatively weak. The vast majority were between the second and third level, with only a few exceptions in the fourth. Khan’s mere pinky was stronger than all of them combined.

Still, there was one greater exception. A fifth-level warrior stood among the Niqols, his fixed white gaze on Khan betraying far more than dutiful resolve. Khan soon met that light, and a nostalgic smile broadened on his face.

The fifth-level warrior was tall and slender. No trace of the Niqols’ red mutations tainted his long white hair occasionally combed in thick braids. A noble, firm aura also spread from his figure, but it began to waver during that prolonged stare at Khan.

More than a decade had passed, but Khan couldn’t possibly forget that face, no matter how much it had matured. Doku’s features had grown sharper and sterner, but his gaze sweetened at Khan’s sight, just like Khan’s did.

Khan performed a deep Niqols’ bow at the encirclement, remaining still for a few seconds to highlight his respect for that species. Then, his figure disappeared, and a blue light joined the white and red crowd past the metal barrier.

The sudden speed that bordered on actual teleportation sent waves of silent panic throughout the encirclement. The Niqols quickly noticed Khan’s new position, guided by their heightened senses, and they all tuned toward him, assuming battle stances.

Nevertheless, something else joined the tense panic. Khan didn’t bother to wear anything fancy for the meeting. His shirtless state left his blue tattoos in clear sight, and most glowing gazes fell on them, triggering profound reactions that almost made the battle stances falter.

Doku had every right to be the most stunned of them all since Khan had appeared right at his side. Still, he recovered far earlier than his companions, turning toward Khan while memories rose to his brain.

A smile almost tried to broaden on Doku’s face since Khan was still as fast as he recalled. Yet, the situation didn’t allow a friendly reunion. Doku didn’t wear any battle stances, but his expression remained serious despite his quick inspection of Khan’s tattoos.

"[Doku]," Khan called, a nostalgic smile still on his face.

"[Khan]," Doku said, not adding anything else.

Khan’s smile grew more melancholic at his old friend’s cold reaction. His glowing gaze wandered over the Niqols behind Doku, and their dutiful stances inevitably deepened his sadness. It should never have come to that, and Khan didn’t know how to fix it.

"[Doku]," Khan called again, refocusing on the tall Niqols. "[Are we still friends]?"

The question seemed about to shatter Doku’s firm stance, but the Niqols somehow retained it. He didn’t say anything, but his right eye twitched, winking.

Khan’s smile broadened, and he couldn’t help but heave a relieved sigh. He lowered his gaze, only to fix it on the metal barrier to his right, focusing on the various weapons still pointed at the outpost.

"[Doku, did I hurt any Niqols during the chase]?" Khan asked.

"[No]," Doku promptly responded.

"[I’m glad]," Khan nodded. "[The Niqols are the last species in the universe I’d want to hurt]."

Khan stopped speaking, hesitating to sort out his messy mind and carefully plan his following words. After all, he had just become a father. Careless actions would be the norm in his situation.

"[My daughter, Yeza, was just born]," Khan revealed, "[There’s no way of knowing what I’d do if you keep pointing your weapons at her]."

Needless to say, the news shocked Doku on many levels. It wasn’t just about the fact that Khan had become a father. His daughter’s name had a special meaning in Doku’s mind, almost speaking louder than a thousand words.

"[Lower the weapons]!" Doku shouted. "[Now]!"

The Niqols didn’t really rely on that military technology, but the order carried deeper implications. Still, the alien soldiers in the encirclement got to work, echoing Doku’s words and lowering those rifles, pointing their barrels to the grey sand below.

"[Thank you]," Khan sighed, glancing at his old friend, struggling to find the right words and eventually choosing to give up on the matter altogether, asking the only thing he could ask. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"[Doku, how do I fix this]?" Khan questioned, almost begging his first real Niqols friend to find a solution.

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