Chapter 26: Meeting

Chapter 26: The Meeting

The transaction point designated by the organizers was not in the Alexander Star System. True to their cunning, the space pirates swiftly warped to another star system the moment the auction concluded.

The military had never expected the coordinates to remain static. The Imperial warships, cutting through the Alexander Star System, were merely positioning for the swiftest possible strike.

However, the adjutant stole a glance at the Marshal, who stood at the starship's helm, unusually taking on the role of commander. He couldn't fathom why their Marshal was suddenly so intent on annihilating this pirate group with such palpable bloodlust.

Since the Skull Space Pirates had never dabbled in the illegal arms trade, the military had always assigned a low priority to dealing with them. Had it not been for the sudden appearance of that merman, the matter would never have even reached the adjutant’s desk.

It should have been a trivial affair.

The Star Alliance, the Federation, and countless other galactic matters demanded the Marshal’s attention, not to mention the constant invasions instigated by the Zerg.

Annihilating a mere pirate crew? The adjutant glanced at the preserved footage on his holoscreen, his gaze lingering on the merchandise’s face—so beautiful it seemed almost unreal.

Then he looked back at their Marshal, who exuded an icy intensity.

Could it be that their Marshal, who had remained single for so many years, rejecting every royal marriage proposal on the grounds of cross-species incompatibility, was finally having a change of heart?

An alert from his holoscreen snapped the adjutant back to reality. He reported, "The deposit has been transferred, but the other party sent five different transaction points. Although all coordinates are near the Alexander Star System, none share the same stellar region."

"They want us—the buyers—to wait at each designated location separately. They’ll deliver the specimen at one of these points."

Even with five transaction points, the military had enough personnel to cover each location. The warships moved smoothly under the Marshal’s orders.

Disguised as ordinary civilian vessels, the warships arrived one by one at the Skull’s specified locations. At each spot, a small ship bearing the Skull’s insignia awaited.

Skull Starship Headquarters.

The host stood before countless blue screens of varying sizes, each displaying surveillance footage from the five transaction points.

Beside him stood a human-sized containment tank, inside which was the captive that should have been at one of the transaction points. A voice crackled through his earpiece: "Everything’s under control. You may proceed with the specimen."

The host glanced at the tank again.

To allow the buyer to verify the specimen’s health, the dose of tranquilizer injected into the blue-tailed merman had been reduced. Yet, the merman’s eyes remained closed as he floated unconsciously in the water.

The host murmured, "Wait a little longer. If anything unexpected happens, retreat immediately."

Deng Xi had just regained consciousness when he heard the unfamiliar language. Blearily, he opened his eyes, his azure gaze confused as it peered through the water. But after a brief moment, fatigue dragged them closed again.

Still, he could feel his body recovering slightly—enough strength to flex his tail.

Just a little longer, and he’d be able to make a sound.

As Deng Xi’s gill slits fluttered, a stream of bubbles escaped his lips, rising to the tank’s ceiling before silently bursting. The confining space restricted even the movement of his tail fin.

He thought he was thrashing violently, but in reality, only his fingertips barely twitched, as if trapped in a nightmare, unable to move no matter how hard he tried.

In his dazed state, he felt the tank holding him shift. The blurred light vanished, and he was sealed inside a larger, lightless chamber.

The darkness moved continuously.

Deng Xi didn’t know where he was being taken. Hazily, he blinked, each struggled exhale producing more bubbles in the tank.

The bubbles popped softly.

But to Deng Xi, each burst sounded like a thunderous pop against his eardrums.

It was suffocating, crushing—so much so that he felt he might shatter like the bubbles, dissolving silently into the water. Yet, gradually, the rhythmic popping pulled his wavering consciousness back from the brink.

He wasn’t sleepy at all.

Deng Xi forced his eyes open.

He wasn’t sleepy.

The golden-haired, blue-tailed little merman parted his lips slightly, emitting a faint, broken sound—so soft and weak it was scarcely perceptible.

The merman’s song was as fragile as the bubbles, dissolving instantly into the water.

In the open ocean,

Deng Xi’s songs could travel thousands of kilometers through the merfolk’s unique sonic waves, reaching even the blue whales.

But now, his voice was so faint he could barely hear it himself. If even he couldn’t, how could any creature outside the dark container?

With great effort, Deng Xi stretched out a hand, pressing it against the tank wall. If his tail couldn’t extend, he’d use his arms to push himself up and force open the soundproof lid.

But a merman’s strength was laughably weak.

Deng Xi’s fingertips barely grazed the top of the tank. He foolishly believed a simple touch would open it, but no matter how hard he pushed, the lid refused to yield.

In the end, he sank back to the bottom, exhausted, his long tail coiling pathetically in the cramped space.

Yet, the soft, fragmented sounds—though destined to go unheard by anyone—never ceased.

***

As if sensing something,

the man in the onyx dress uniform lifted his gaze slightly, turning his profile toward the starship’s transparent window. Beyond it lay the infinite void, and an even vaster, more formidable psionic energy silently unfurled.

Like a specter in the dark, it swept across the star system, planet by planet, searching for that faint, ephemeral pulse—the one that had, for a brief moment, pricked his awareness.

Only when the psychic monitoring system blared an alarm did Si Jisheng hear his adjutant’s voice reporting in real time: "Movement in the Tenth Star Sector. After docking with the airship, they produced an obsidian containment unit."

The adjutant asked, "Marshal, do we move?"

Si Jisheng analyzed the surveillance data on the blue screen. The hermetically-sealed black tank sat ominously, surrounded by armed space pirates, while across from them stood the military operatives disguised as subordinates of an interstellar noble family.

"Wait a little longer." Si Jisheng recalled the psychic ripple he’d sensed while scanning the Tenth Star Sector. His silver eyes narrowed slightly as he concluded, "That tank is empty."

The adjutant frowned, irritated by these constant deceptions—reality and illusion blurred, with no way to know where the real auction item was. "Could all the tanks be empty? Are they planning to abscond with the payment?"

Si Jisheng placed a hand on the adjutant’s shoulder. To prevent the merman’s claws from accidentally harming others, his hand was sheathed in an onyx gauntlet.

The moment they touched, the adjutant felt the metallic chill, the arctic touch instantly freezing his agitation into clarity.

"You lack discipline."

The words were spoken mildly, yet they hit the adjutant like a physical blow. He bowed his head deeply.

Si Jisheng stated calmly, "They’ve only received the deposit. Without the remaining billions, they won’t leave. Right now, the organizers are just verifying whether the buyer’s identity is safe—that we’re not a military force disguised to arrest them."

The adjutant nodded in understanding.

Si Jisheng’s tone remained indifferent. "Prepare an A-14 class gunship. I’ll personally retrieve them."

The adjutant, determined to correct himself and become as patient and composed as the marshal, suddenly raised his head. But when he met Si Jisheng's silver eyes—unnaturally pale and razor-sharp—he faltered, cautiously remarking, "Marshal, isn't this a bit rash...?"

Si Jisheng removed his mechanical gloves. Though it was a simple action, the adjutant felt as if their marshal had momentarily unleashed a beast slipping its leash.

"Before I return, keep them hooked with the remaining payment. Don’t let them escape," he ordered coldly.

The adjutant immediately complied, silently hoping the space pirates would at least leave identifiable remains under the marshal’s hands—for the sake of his report.

Minutes later, an inconspicuous small warship silently departed from the military fleet, disappearing solo into the vast starfield.

Yet its course seemed guided by an unseen beacon, heading straight for an uncharted sector.

The Skull Space Pirates' headquarters wasn’t in any of the designated trade zones announced by the organizers. Instead, they had stationed themselves on a backwater rogue planet.

Following the subtle guidance of his mental senses, Si Jisheng finally landed amidst swirling gray dust storms. After sending the coordinates to his adjutant, he commanded, "Execute."

Applying a specialized oxygen patch to his nose, the merman’s gill fins flared reflexively. A faint call, once nearly dismissed as illusion, now echoed clearly in his ears. His silver pupils narrowed to slits.

His breathing grew fainter.

Deng Xi could no longer hold on, his strength waning as he weakly closed his eyes. In his haze, he sensed the black transport tank holding him suddenly halt.

A concussive blast followed, shaking even the little merman curled at the bottom of the tank. His eyes fluttered open reflexively before fatigue sealed them shut again.

The reduced dose of tranquilizer, just enough for him today, finally took full effect. Each blink threatened to plunge him into endless dark.

Deng Xi slowly lifted his head, forcing his eyes open to stare into the absolute darkness. Then, the tank jolted violently—twice—before the lid he’d struggled to open was abruptly flung aside.

After so long in darkness, even the faintest light stung his eyes. His eyelids felt fused shut, refusing to part.

Then, silence.

Much later, in his daze, he felt the neck restraint around his neck pulverized. The constricting pressure on his chest vanished instantly, and his lips curled faintly in unconscious relief.

Vaguely, he sensed himself being lifted from the tank. Water crashed down loudly to the floor as his cramped tail finally unfurled.

A small smile touched his lips.

He seemed so easily content—just a simple embrace, without even a proper place to rest, and he sank helplessly to the tranquilizer’s pull.

Si Jisheng frowned at the waterlogged blue tail. At his feet lay the auctioneer, ribs shattered, unable to even crawl. Meanwhile, fully armed imperial troops descended through the breached deck plating of the starship.

The auctioneer, desperate to understand even in death, rasped through bloody froth, his mechanical eye flickering with strain. His once-pristine suit was now drenched in gore, stinking worse than any feral specimen he’d ever recorded.

"H-how... did you... find... this place—?"

His words cut off abruptly.

The adjutant, arriving just then, hurried to check the auctioneer’s pulse. "He’s alive," Si Jisheng stated.

Meeting the marshal’s vertical-slit irises, the adjutant tensed—then relaxed upon confirming Si Jisheng remained in control. Forcing a chuckle, he said, "Sir, revenge can keep—"

At least until they rooted out all Skull strongholds and freed all captive aliens.

His train of thought derailed as he noticed the long, iridescent tail draped over Si Jisheng’s arm. He audibly gulped, then wisely offered, "I’ll check if the front needs reinforcements."

"Wait," Si Jisheng said. "Prepare a large tank on the ship after the battle."

The adjutant stiffly acknowledged and beat a retreat, just as charging space pirates slammed into the imperial forces. The outcome was never in doubt.

Imperial Year 5346.

The imperial fleet descended upon an unnamed planet. In just three hours, the Skull Space Pirates were wiped from the star charts.

The aliens imprisoned in the ship’s hold were liberated. Per the interstellar accords, they’d be transferred to the Research Institute until cleared as sane.

But first, the military would process them—especially since the adjutant’s top-tier clearance ensured expedited handling.

The Research Institute accepted immediately, forwarding it to the director.

A billion-credit auction, the marshal’s personal involvement—sensational enough. But a merman, allegedly sharing the marshal's lineage? Unprecedented.

The auction’s livestream was analyzed pixel by pixel, pausing where a great white shark nudged the "merchandise." Rewinding revealed the predator slowing its approach, aggression fading.

"Fascinating," the director murmured after three viewings. To his aide: "In three years, we’ve housed thousands of displaced aliens. Yet his innate abilities invert all observed patterns."

***

The adjutant overstepped, placing the massive tank in the marshal’s quarters. By the time Si Jisheng noticed, the merman’s scales were desiccating.

Gently, Si Jisheng lowered Deng Xi into the water.

His dripping greatcoat dripped as he watched the blue tail disappear into the depths. Only then did he leave, messaging the adjutant: "Bring nutrient solution."

A pause.

"Sweetened."

Another pause.

"Not too sweet."

Five minutes and three trips later, the adjutant delivered the modified nutrient packs. Knocking on the marshal’s door, he reported tonelessly, "Anything else, sir?"

Si Jisheng hesitated. "Prepare another room. Move the tank there later."

The adjutant blinked. "Sir, won’t you... establish rapport with your species-mate?" After such effort to retrieve him, to send the only other of his kind away so soon?

Quicksilver gaze hardened.

The adjutant retreated—though not before a final query: "Sir, until we confirm if he’s the test subject... shouldn’t we place him in containment?"

A long silence. "No."

Alone again, Si Jisheng uncapped a nutrient pack and approached the tank. He lifted the comatose mer-being.

Deng Xi dreamed of gorging in deep waters.

With a big whale nearby, he’d filter-feed on plankton from blue whale spouts. Sparse sustenance, perhaps, but he and the small jellyfish never starved.

As the tranquilizer wore off, starvation resurged. Rubbing his gnawing emptiness, Deng Xi frowned at the phantom fishbones piled beside him. Disquieting.

He had already eaten so much fish, yet he was still so hungry, never getting full. Deng Xi drooped his eyes dejectedly, figuring his stomach must be messed up.

He licked his lips.

But his tongue suddenly tasted a hint of sweetness.

The nightmare of never being full seemed to be dispelled by that tiny bit of sweetness. In his daze, Deng Xi felt something pressing against his lips.

A low, cool voice murmured in his ear, "Open your mouth."

Still half-asleep, Deng Xi pouted but obeyed, obediently retracting his tongue and stopping mindlessly licking the tube. He parted his lips slightly, and in his haze, a cool trickle of liquid flowed into his mouth.

A strange taste.

The sweetest thing Deng Xi had ever tasted was the mild sweetness of seafood. The nutrient solution was cloyingly sweet for him.

It was a flavor Deng Xi had never experienced before.

It was delicious.

His growling stomach finally quieted a little, but the drug's effect was already dragging down what little sense he had left. He had only one thought: drink it quickly, fill his stomach, and then he could sleep.

In his daze, Deng Xi reached out and fumbled forward, almost making Si Jisheng drop the nutrient solution several times. Only when he finally grabbed the tube did he calm down, holding it and feeding himself in a daze.

Si Jisheng held the bottom of the tube to prevent the weak, blue-tailed creature from dropping it. He watched as Deng Xi took small sips of the nutrient solution. After a long while, when the tube was nearly empty, he finally spoke softly, "Why didn’t the Research Institute take you back?"

The sudden sound jolted Deng Xi into slow awareness. He had just finished eating and was about to be dragged back into sleep by the drug, but now he realized he wasn’t alone.

Blinking through bleary eyes, he tried to widen his eyes to see, but his watery eyes made everything blurry.

Still, Deng Xi recognized the figure from the vague outline. Even as his eyes struggled to stay open, his eyes crinkled into a smile. His voice was so light it seemed he could fall asleep the next second, but you could hear the happiness in it.

"I found... Little Mute."