Character Profile: Gwen Khan

Gwen Khan is a strange one. He looks strange, he acts strange, and he definitely talks strange (tending to run on and say things more than once).

Gwen Khan has been fascinated by the Galactic Leyline, and the Kei Pirates decide to help him along (so long as they went along for the ride). He learns of the Grave of the Dragon and gathers from it a few pieces of ancient alien biotechnology and a lot of secrets. He is unable to discern all of the secrets, but he figures out how to integrate everything. Using a front, the Kei Pirates contract the Space Forces to create an experimental grappler: the perfect cover for Khan to conduct his work. He eventually succeeds in creating the two-part system that would unlock the Leyline.

The first part was the ship, the means of reaching the Leyline. By itself, it is an impressive piece of work, with a state-of-the art cockpit, advanced AI, and (a first for the Space Forces) two grappler arms. Most importantly, though, was its special navigator interface. That was to hold the second piece of the puzzle.

To unlock the Galactic Leyline, you needed a living key: the Maiden of the Leyline. To fulfill that role, Khan placed the bulk of the mysterious alien technology into a bio-android. The interface aboard the XGP would allow this maiden to guide the ship to the Leyline, where she herself would then be used to unlock the core.

Everything seemed set. What Khan didn't count on, though, was an Outlaw getting in the way. "Hot Ice" Hilda ended up stealing both the ship (the XGP15A-II) and the bio-android (Melfina), throwing the entire operation out of whack.

But then, as Khan was observing the Heifon space race, he looks at a ship called the Outlaw Star...and realizes that he's just found his lost ship. He eventually confronts Gene and company about the ship, and though he doesn't learn anything from them, he makes it a point to keep tabs on them. They eventually meet again at the Grave of the Dragon, and he helps Gene figure out the location of the Leyline... but then he gets abandoned. Khan gets his chance to follow, though, when Ron MacDougall requests his services. Taking advantage of the situation with Harry, Khan decides to give them what Gene had taken away: a way into the Leyline. He helps the MacDougalls get to the Leyline so he can get there himself.

Why does Gwen Khan want to find the Galactic Leyline? Quite simply, he's on a quest for ultimate knowledge. He figures the Leyline has ties to the very fabric of the universe and so could grant him that wish. In the end, Khan gets his wish, even though his body is killed. His virtual persona lives on, united with the Leyline's infinite store of knowledge.

Gwen Khan is a crazy scientist who follows Gene on his quest to the Galactic Leyline, as well as joining up with the Harry and Ron McDougall brothers to follow the Outlaw Star. He keeps asking how they got the ship, where they got Melfina, and if he can join up with them. He also shut off Melfina for a while while she was still in the computer tube thingy.

With the McDougall brothers, he makes it to the Leyline but doesn't get his wish to know everything.