After watching Darth Malthael leave the bridge, Ling Liang finally gave Mister Hermit a military salute and said meticulously, "Mister Hermit, I'll be relying on your help in the time ahead."
Mister Hermit nodded without speaking. He was simply staring at another screen.
The sensor feed displayed on that screen appeared to show a drone monitoring and recording the extensive damage to the Xuanwu's bow caused by the recent collision.
The Xuanwu had not activated its bow shields during the collision. The point had been to feel the feedback and vibration of impact in that very instant! To savor the screech of metal grinding against metal! To listen to the wail of a Republic warship being crushed!
There was no doubt that this, too, had been the Archangel of Death's order.
No matter how important and crucial he might be to the future of the Galactic Republic, he was still a Sith! An evil Sith Lord! Mister Hermit roared inwardly.
Sith Lords had no moral code. All they had were their own goals, their own interests, and their own whims.
And now, with all disguise cast aside, the Archangel of Death displayed that side of himself without restraint.
At that moment, a change in the footage suddenly caught Mister Hermit's attention. He discovered that the damage caused by the Xuanwu's collision was repairing itself at a speed visible to the naked eye!
It was so obvious because the damaged section was one corner of the bow. It had completely snapped off and shattered in the collision, its fragments mixed into the wreckage of that Hunter Class vessel and lost forever.
But now, that pointed corner was rapidly reforming its structure, then swiftly restoring itself!
In less than a minute, it had returned to its original state!
"Oh, Mister Hermit, you're