Chapter 24: Killing to Silence the Witness

23. Silencing the Witness

In the vast emptiness of space, a sudden flash of white light erupted as a YT-1000 light freighter dropped out of hyperspace.

This ship was, of course, the *Lancer*, carrying Tang Xiao and his crew.

Having finally escaped from Makito, everyone breathed a sigh of relief; Tang Xiao, in particular, felt as though his entire body were collapsing from exhaustion. He crawled out of the turret and slumped to the floor. Vurt rushed over, unbuckling his seatbelt from the cockpit to help pull him up.

"We only survived because of you," Vurt said with a smile, looking at Tang Xiao.

"We escaped? We actually escaped! Hahahaha!!" On the co-pilot's seat, Dubrak Kunto stared at his own hands in disbelief.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped up. "We did it! We actually succeeded! We managed to break through Makito's defenses, hahaha! You know, no one has ever committed a crime on Makito and actually made it out!!"

Tang Xiao no longer had the strength to speak. He sat on the floor and weakly pointed toward the cargo hold, signaling them to check on Semid.

Vurt nodded. He first instructed Spad to perform a full inspection of the ship and recycle the shields, for no one knew what lay ahead of them.

"I think we should find a place to rest, resupply ammunition, and refuel," Kunto suggested.

"My suggestion is: don't. This Semid is a hot potato; it's best to get rid of him as soon as possible. If we land on a planet, there's a high chance of complications," Vurt said, shaking his head.

A moment later, the T-850 returned, carrying the man as if he were nothing more than a chicken. Only then did Tang Xiao and the others see that their target was a cowering Munean, wearing a monocle. He looked timid and frail, a far cry from the ruthless criminal they had imagined.

"According to the rules, we won't ask any questions about his business. Let's contact Blackgo first," Vurt said, pulling out the communicator Blackgo had given them earlier.

It was clearly a temporary device; once the transaction was complete, they could simply toss it aside to sever all contact.

The connection went through, and the tall silhouette of Blackgo Damask II appeared in the projection. "You have retrieved Semid. Very good."

Seeing Blackgo, Semid grew even more terrified. As a Munean, his 1.9-meter frame seemed to shrink into a ball. "Lord... Lord Blackgo. I have succeeded... The Tonis family's transaction records are right here." He produced a storage device.

"Very good. You will receive a generous reward," Blackgo said, his words carrying a double meaning, though his eyes remained fixed on Vurt.

Semid whispered, "Yes... then, according to the agreement, may I..."

"Kill him." Blackgo looked at Vurt, the cold word emerging from beneath his metal mask.

"Lord Blackgo! Mercy! I have fulfilled the agreement..." Upon hearing this, Semid fell to his knees, pleading desperately.

Vurt frowned, hesitating. Killing an unarmed, innocent person was absolutely not his style.

"We should act immediately. It's the rule," Kunto whispered.

Blackgo Damask II said nothing, merely watching coldly.

Vurt raised his pistol, but he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. However, at that exact moment, a sudden *bang* rang out! Semid collapsed. Vurt spun around to see that the shooter was Tang Xiao; a thin wisp of smoke was still curling from the barrel of his revolver.

"Heh... fine, fine." Vurt gave a bitter smile and turned back to Blackgo. "Done. I've killed him."

"Hehehe..." Although his expression was hidden behind the metal mask, Blackgo let out a harsh, unpleasant laugh. "Good, very good! Hahaha! Next, proceed to the planet Rune as agreed and collect your reward."

Vurt snorted and pointed at Semid's corpse. "This man was also supposed to act according to his agreement with you, right? Did he receive his reward?"

"It's simple. He knows too much, and you... know nothing. Come to Rune, otherwise, you will find that in the vastness of the galaxy, there will be no place left for you to stand. Hehehe..." Blackgo Damask II sneered and cut the transmission.

Vurt walked to Tang Xiao's side and sighed softly. "Administrator, you made the right decision. I'm sorry; my hesitation just now almost ruined everything." He looked visibly dejected.

"He can still be saved. Hurry and treat him," Tang Xiao said weakly, his eyes barely able to stay open. The continuous use of the Force had nearly drained his spirit; he had only just awakened his powers, and using them was like asking a toddler to run a ten-thousand-meter race.

Vurt's eyes lit up. He rushed back to check and found that Semid indeed had one breath left. He immediately grabbed a medical kit to perform emergency treatment.

"I used live ammunition, and I used the Force to aim for a non-lethal spot. At this distance, the bullet will pass straight through the body, but if treated in time, he should survive," Tang Xiao added.

"It's done. The bleeding has stopped. He's alive for now, but he needs immediate medical attention," Vurt said, straightening up after treating the Munean's wound.

"We don't have time to take him to a planet for treatment. You guys figure something out," Tang Xiao whispered.

"Carbonite! We can seal him in carbonite! This ship happens to have carbonite equipment," Kunto suddenly suggested.

Acting immediately, the T-850 picked up Semid and followed Kunto into a small storage room. Kunto flipped a switch, and a spray of mist erupted, quickly encasing Semid in a grey, semi-metallic, semi-rock substance. They then tucked the carbonite block into a pile of cargo to hide it, ensuring total safety.

Carbonite technology is similar to cryosleep, though much more thorough. It was originally used for ultra-long-distance space travel, but after the invention of hyperspace engines, carbonite chambers gradually exited the commercial market and are now frequently used to imprison fugitives [Note 1].

"I'm sorry I misunderstood you just now, Administrator. I really didn't think you would..." Vurt approached Tang Xiao and took his hand in apology.

If this were a game, Tang Xiao would likely see Vurt's loyalty stat skyrocketing.

"Don't think too highly of me. I'm just keeping an ace up our sleeve. Alright, I need to sleep for a bit." Tang Xiao patted Vurt on the shoulder, lay down on a simple cot nearby, and fell asleep almost instantly.

"We should set off as soon as possible too; Rune is still far away. We have to take the Heidia route first, then transfer to the Korelia route. I must say, once we reach the planet Darun, we won't have much fuel left. Blackgo must have calculated this when he sent us to deliver the goods to the distant Rune," Kunto said to Vurt.

"There's no choice. It's already come to this; we just have to go," Vurt nodded, returning to the pilot's seat and buckling his seatbelt.

***

[Note 1]: For example, in the first episode of *The Mandalorian*, the protagonist uses this technology to imprison an unruly Mythosaurian.

[Easter Egg Image 1: Munean]