Chapter 30: First Contact

29. First Contact

"Halt! Hands up!" a B-1 battle droid commanded.

Immediately, more B-1 battle droids swarmed in, surrounding their ships so tightly there was no way out, with hundreds of E-5 blaster rifles pointed at their heads.

Tang Xiao and the others immediately raised their hands, showing no intention of resisting.

However, what followed was a group of B-1 droids pushing fuel tankers and engineering vehicles toward them. They began refueling the two ships, repairing the hulls, and even hauling away the corpses of the mercenaries from the Oro-class freighter for disposal. They even wiped clean the control consoles that were splattered with brain matter.

Then, a Mynock-like figure draped in a black cloak approached, escorted by two security droids. He wore a mechanical mask over his mouth, with two tubes connected to his respiratory tract pulsing rhythmically, and he leaned on a walking staff.

Tang Xiao had to admit that, in his mind, this man's attire was similar to a wizard from Dungeons & Dragons. But at this moment, he had no energy to make jokes; he simply lowered his head, trying his best not to draw attention.

The newcomer was their employer—Hego Damask II.

"Mr. Hego, here is what you requested." Vunt bowed very respectfully, presenting the datastick.

"Very good. Your performance exceeded my expectations. I originally thought the victor would be that Falin woman, Rosas Leon." Hego waved his hand lightly. A nearby security droid stepped forward, took the datastick, and handed it to him.

Hego did not check the datastick immediately; he simply tucked it back into his pocket and waved again. Another B-1 droid approached, carrying a heavy pouch.

"This is your payment. One hundred thousand Republic Credits," Hego stated the staggering sum indifferently.

In the black market, the exchange rate between Republic Credits and Upi-Upi coins was approximately 1:0.6. This 100,000 credits could directly purchase a decent starship!

"This... our initial agreed price was only 20,000 Upi," Vunt said, showing no excitement for this extra income. He knew that once you accept more money, you are obligated to do more work.

"That was the price you negotiated with Rosas, not the price I offered," Hego said calmly. "Take it. It is what you deserve. The fact that you managed to break through Makito's siege proves that you are superior to Rosas, and that is your reward. What I am saying is, I am never stingy with rewards for those who work for me."

"So, that Falin woman named Rosas was just a pawn to you, and she was trying to snatch what we had," Vunt said, gesturing with his chin toward the side.

Over there, two B-1 battle droids were carrying Rosas's corpse, preparing to toss her into space.

"I like to have contingencies in my dealings, and furthermore, I prefer dealing with intelligent people. I hope you are such an intelligent person, so you had better not refuse," Hego said, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

Vunt had no choice but to nod and accept the heavy pouch.

"Very well, now we are friends. Take your reward and find somewhere to enjoy yourselves. I will seek you out again." Having said that, Hego turned to leave.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he spun around abruptly, his gaze locking onto Tang Xiao, who was shrinking back in the rear!

Tang Xiao felt it too. He looked up, and his eyes inadvertently met Hego's. In that instant, he felt as if he were being swallowed by a boundless black hole!

Nowhere to hide!

Nowhere to run!

But the sensation lasted only a moment before vanishing. Everything seemed as if it had never happened, and Hego's intrigued gaze appeared before his eyes once more.

He looked Tang Xiao up and down, then suddenly burst into a loud laugh. "Hahahaha!! Interesting. Hahaha... You people... are truly interesting... Hahahaha..."

Laughing as he went, Hego turned and walked away, leaving only his laughter echoing in the hangar.

"You may leave. No, you must leave immediately," a B-1 battle droid said in its stiff, somewhat dim-witted voice.

Vunt glanced at the sweating Tang Xiao and said, "Let's go."

Quanto and Spad went to the YV-865 Oro-class freighter, while Vunt, Tang Xiao, and the others returned to the YT-1000 light freighter.

As the ship pulled away from the hangar of the Generous-class frigate, a moment later, the frigate ignited its engines and vanished into hyperspace. Only then did Tang Xiao, whose nerves had been taut the entire time, let out a long sigh and slump into his seat.

Undoubtedly, Hego Damask II—one of the largest and deepest darknesses in the galaxy—had set his sights on him.

From any perspective, this was not good news.

Vunt went to the cargo hold and found that Jamid, encased in a carbonite block, was still hidden beneath the cargo; the B-1 droids had not discovered him during their cleanup.

At that moment, Quanto sent a transmission: "Uh, Boss. Where should we go now?"

"You are free. Go back to the Endo system to pick up your companions, and then you can go anywhere," Tang Xiao said suddenly.

"Wait a minute, Boss, you mean..." Quanto still hadn't processed it.

"Literally. You are free," Tang Xiao said. "You were originally detained because you broke into the Dawn Star, but now I am letting you go."

There was a long silence on Quanto's end. After a long time, he finally spoke: "Actually, you were right before. I only dare to take simple jobs, like delivering goods; I can't earn much, just scraping by. This ship isn't even mine; it belonged to my old boss. He was killed by pirates during a smuggling run, so I inherited the ship..."

He paused again before continuing, "You and Mr. Vunt are capable people. I've never seen a pilot as excellent as Vunt, nor anyone with miraculous powers like you. This 100,000 credit payout is enough to keep me working hard for three years. So... I want to follow you, Boss."

"You can continue doing safer smuggling, and maybe you'll live to sixty. But if you work with us, you might die tomorrow," Vunt said from the side.

"But I'll also earn enough money to last a lifetime. That's what you can do, right, Boss?" Quanto said.

A slight smile appeared at the corner of Tang Xiao's mouth. "That's right. You will earn wealth you never even dared to dream of before."

"That's it! Tell us our next target, Boss!"

"Back to the Dawn Star."

"Understood!"