Chapter Eighteen: An Unexpected Commission

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18. An Unexpected Commission

Crash! The wall of the bar was suddenly smashed open, and a man with a bruised face was thrown out. Then, the imposing figure of T-850 appeared in the gap, grabbing the drunken men one by one with one hand each, and slamming them hard onto the ground.

Bang! Several people were tossed about, sprawled on the floor, retching up whatever they had just eaten.

A few seconds later, another drunkard was kicked out of the bar and collapsed on the ground. Tang Xiao emerged with a bottle in one hand together with Vulter. The brawl hadn’t lasted long; T-850 alone had beaten those drunks so badly they wouldn’t recognize their own mothers. With Vulter and Tang Xiao also not to be trifled with, the situation was quickly under control.

As a legendary explorer, Vulter found roughing up a few thugs to be a mere trifle. Tang Xiao, though unable to openly use the Force in public, had no problem swinging a bottle to finish them off. Lately, he had been quite frustrated, and the pent-up resentment inside him was venting all at once.

“Damn it! Looking for trouble, huh? Want a beating?!” Tang Xiao spat out a string of Earth curses, not caring whether anyone understood.

His current state was unusual; anger surged uncontrollably in his heart, his eyes reddened slightly, and all he wanted was to tear these people to shreds.

“You damn… Banzar’s dung…” The drunkard still tried to talk tough, but with a snap, Tang Xiao smashed another bottle across his face.

The blows felt exhilarating, and the sudden outburst of negative emotion inside him exploded all at once. His eyes turned an abnormal shade of red as he screamed hysterically, “Get lost!!!”

His voice sounded like a demon’s roar—not loud, but soul-shaking.

Without looking back, he raised his hand and slapped another drunkard who was sneaking up from behind, sending him flying several meters away. The onlookers, eager for spectacle, didn’t question how one slap could send a man flying so far, nor did they notice the faint spark of electricity on Tang Xiao’s palm. They were all cowed by the fierce T-850 and Tang Xiao.

“Let’s go, back to the ship. We’re heading to Mos Espa Port.” Tang Xiao suddenly felt utterly exhausted. He gave another kick to a drunkard’s groin while gasping for breath.

Glancing around, the crowd of bystanders quickly averted their eyes, unwilling to meet Tang Xiao’s gaze. In this lawless place, strength was the best pass.

“Those are Needle Rat Gang members, local thugs who sometimes do jobs for Jabba. Let’s move; they probably have allies and might have called for backup.” Vulter kicked the man on the ground and began rifling through their valuables with practiced ease.

“You sure got the info fast.” Tang Xiao smiled.

They headed toward the docking area for Truda’s ship. Passersby moved aside to give way, unwilling to come close. As they passed a shack, a shadowed voice suddenly called out, low and grim, “I’ve got a job—10,000 Upi. Interested?”

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Tang Xiao turned around, only to see a green-skinned Farlin woman leaning against the corner with a sniper rifle slung on her back.

He frowned and was about to walk away, but Quinto grabbed him and whispered, “Boss, last time Jabba only paid us 2,000 Upi. We took a big loss. If we don’t take some work now, we won’t even have fuel money left.”

Vulter smiled faintly, then walked over and said, “If you’re going to commission us, this isn’t the right place.”

“You’re skilled, and you have a fine ship. So I think this is something you can handle,” the Farlin woman replied.

Vulter was straightforward: “How much are you paying for this job?”

“That’s none of your concern. I know Jabba shorted you on your payment and that you need this money. So, what do you say? Take it or not?” The Farlin woman spoke coldly.

“20,000 Upi. And you must tell me every detail of this job. Otherwise, find someone else.” Vulter had dealt with people like this many times and knew how to negotiate.

If it were Tang Xiao, his instinct would have been to stay far away.

“Deal. Follow me,” the Farlin woman gestured, then lifted a cover inside the shack to reveal a staircase leading underground.

Vulter pondered, exchanged a glance with Tang Xiao, then led the way down with the Farlin woman. Tang Xiao and Quinto followed behind while T-850 and Spard stayed inside to guard the rear.

In the basement, the Farlin woman took out a communicator and activated it. A hologram appeared.

The figure in the projection was tall and gaunt—at least two meters—looking like a human squeezed into a pipe and then pulled out. This was a Muun, with pale skin, wearing a black cloak and hood covering the upper half of his face, and a mechanical breathing mask enveloping his chin.

“This is the man who commissioned the job?” The Muun glanced at Vulter and Tang Xiao.

“Yes. Among the reliable people you can find here on Tatooine, they are the most trustworthy,” the Farlin woman answered.

“Very well.” The Muun nodded. “I am Hego Damask II, your employer. Your task is simple: travel to the planet Maketo, pick up a man named Samid, and deliver him to the planet Ruin.”

Hego Damask II! The moment Tang Xiao heard the name, his eyes snapped wide open. He quickly lowered his head, hiding his expression to avoid giving anything away.

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Vulter didn’t think much of it and simply nodded, asking, “That’s all?”

“I assure you, yes. Of course, you should know that since I’m sending you to pick him up, others are interested in him as well. If you succeed, you will receive a generous reward and… the friendship of the Damask Holdings Group,” Hego Damask II said calmly.

“Who will we be facing?” Vulter asked.

“This is an unofficial commission, so your opponents are everyone.”

Vulter thought for a moment, then gave Tang Xiao a slight nod and replied, “Alright, we accept the job.”

“I will send you Samid’s information,” Hego said, his gaze settling on Tang Xiao. “Your companion here seems… afraid?”

Tang Xiao’s heart skipped a beat, but he tried to appear relaxed.

“He’s a new crew member, inexperienced. With me and Quinto on this mission, there won’t be any problems,” Vulter said.

“Good. It’s best that such a rookie doesn’t affect your mission. This is important. You must arrive at the destination within 89 standard hours,” Hego said slowly.

“That’s certain,” Vulter answered quickly.

The communication ended. The Farlin woman placed a heavy pouch in Vulter’s hand, warning, “This is 5,000 Upi upfront. The remaining 15,000 I’ll pay after the mission. Time is tight—you must depart immediately. Don’t pull any tricks! This is someone you do not want to mess with!”

[Bonus Chapter Illustration 1: Hego Damask II]