Chapter 221: Taking Down the Aether Beast
Drax roared as he held the front line, his massive frame and brute strength serving as the best meat shield and target to draw fire.
He swung his two massive battle-axes, hacking frantically at the Devourer Beast's tentacles and limbs. Although it was difficult to break through that increasingly tough, metallic-sheened hide, he successfully drew most of the attacks.
The Devourer Beast's tentacles lashed against him with dull, booming sounds, knocking him back time and again, yet he roared and charged forward each time.
Gamora wove through the openings created by Drax. She used two specialized high-frequency vibrating daggers and barbed alloy cables to harass the Aether Beast's weak points.
Especially the areas previously grazed by the main cannon of the milano, aiming to widen those wounds.
Star-Lord and Rocket were in the long-range strike team.
The specialized armor-piercing rounds fired from Star-Lord's railgun occasionally left shallow pits on the Devourer Beast's shell, but the effect was limited.
He relied more on utilizing the terrain, constantly moving, using his Vibranium blade to slice open the Aether Beast's tentacles, and commanding the overall situation.
Rocket's engineering drones proved remarkably effective.
These agile mechanical units, equipped with physical drills and cutting arms, specifically targeted the tiny wounds created by Gamora to inflict damage or harass the Devourer Beast's sensory clusters.
Rocket himself, using the observation equipment on the milano, continuously called out the Devourer Beast's energy flow weak points and attack intervals.
However, the Devourer Beast's defensive capabilities far exceeded expectations.
It seemed to have realized that energy attacks were ineffective against Star-Lord and the others, so it completely abandoned long-range energy blasts, turning all its energy toward reinforcing its physical body and regeneration.
The wounds hacked open by Drax and the gashes torn by Gamora's daggers often healed with writhing flesh at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Its strength was astonishing; its swinging tentacles could crush crystalline rock. Drax's armor was dented in many places, and Gamora was panting, her speed slightly reduced.
"Damn it! This thing's hide is too thick! This is doing nothing but scratching it!" Star-Lord emptied a magazine, leaving only a few white spots on the Devourer Beast's flank, and couldn't help but curse.
"Its muscle tissue and shell density are abnormally high! Physical attacks are too ineffective!" Gamora said hurriedly, dodging a sweep.
Time ticked by second by second. Although the Devourer Beast's evolution and spatial abilities were suppressed, its physical body alone left them at a loss.
Although its movements were slightly stiff due to the environmental suppression, its strength and defense remained formidable.
Just as the battle reached a stalemate and everyone's stamina was dropping, a turning point arrived in an unexpected way.
Drax once again met the Devourer Beast's main tentacle head-on. He was knocked back several steps by the immense force, and a piece of crystalline rock beneath his feet suddenly shattered, causing him to stagger.
The Devourer Beast seized the opportunity. Another tentacle, long coiled and ready, lashed out like a giant python, instantly wrapping around Drax's waist and lifting him high into the air!
It actually opened its abyssal maw and shoved Drax, who was entangled by the tentacle, straight inside!
"Drax!" Gamora exclaimed, attempting to rescue him, but she was blocked by other tentacles.
"No!!!" Star-Lord's eyes split with rage.
However, the next moment, the Devourer Beast's massive body suddenly stiffened, and it let out a screech of pain so intense it sounded distorted!
The light on its body flickered violently, and dull sounds of striking and tearing came from within its body!
"Its outer shell is hard, but the inside might not be!" Star-Lord reacted instantly, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.
"Rocket! Give me that little baby!"
The hatch of the milano popped open, and a small launcher fired a fist-sized metal ball toward Star-Lord.
Star-Lord caught it precisely. This was the internal-blooming high-explosive pulse bomb that Rocket had boasted about earlier, designed specifically for the internal environments of large organisms, but the prerequisite was getting it inside.
"Gamora! Cover me!" Star-Lord shouted.
Gamora understood immediately. She fired all remaining alloy cables and interference grenades at the Devourer Beast's head sensory area and risked a charge herself, stabbing her daggers into the edge of its mouthparts to try and keep it open.
Star-Lord activated his jetpack and charged toward the Devourer Beast's maw, which had not yet fully closed and was constantly twisting and expanding due to the struggle inside!
Like a slinger, Star-Lord hurled the pulse bomb deep into the Devourer Beast's maw at point-blank range!
Then he immediately fired his jetpack in reverse at maximum power, narrowly avoiding a flailing tentacle.
The bomb was successfully deployed. The Devourer Beast seemed to sense the fatal threat and frantically tried to vomit or close its mouth, but Drax was inside, desperately causing destruction and buying time for the bomb.
"Drax! Get out!" Star-Lord roared into his comms.
A few seconds later, a relatively weak part of the shell on the Devourer Beast's back exploded into a bloody hole, and Drax, covered in viscous glowing bodily fluids, roared as he smashed his way out and landed in a heap.
The very moment he escaped.
After a low pulse hum, a sound like muffled thunder erupted inside the Aether Beast!
Brilliant blue-white light burst from its giant mouth, eyes, ears, and the wound just torn open by Drax!
Its body expanded violently like an over-inflated balloon, and countless spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its surface, with light shining through the fissures.
In the end, this arrogant sub-space behemoth disintegrated from within, amidst a screech that was cut short, crumbling into countless charred fragments burning with embers.
Everyone collapsed to the ground, panting heavily and looking at each other, all feeling the exhaustion of having just survived a near-death experience.
No one expected that this would be the way the battle was finally resolved.
They rested for about half an hour, treated their wounds, and replenished their water.
Following the mission requirements, they cut off the most distinct part of the Aether Devourer Beast's skull as proof and boarded the milano.
On the return trip, klein gave them a rare word of positive evaluation.
"Not bad. Your adaptability in a desperate situation was decent. Drax, don't do that next time; you won't always be able to cut your way out from the inside. And Star-Lord, you should have thrown the bomb after Drax got out."
Drax wiped the grime off his face and snorted, but there was a hint of pride in his eyes. Star-Lord breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled foolishly.
When the milano docked again at the spaceport of Sovereign, a squad of golden-armored warriors came to greet them. After checking the Aether Beast's skull and confirming it was correct, they led Star-Lord and the others to meet the High Priestess.
"The mission was completed quite well. This is the agreed-upon reward." Ayesha waved her hand, and her subordinates brought over several sealed cases. When opened, they contained a large sum of Universe currency.
Her expression was indifferent. "I didn't expect you ragtag mercenaries to be of some use occasionally.
Although the process must have been crude, the result meets the requirements. Take what you are owed and leave. Sovereign does not welcome long-term visitors."
The contempt in the High Priestess's words was undisguised.
Star-Lord's eye twitched, but for the sake of the generous reward, he squeezed out a professional smile. He signaled for Gamora and Drax to count the cargo, preparing to leave this uncomfortable place as soon as possible.
"Thank you for your business, respected High Priestess Ayesha. It was a pleasure doing business. If you have any needs, contact us again."
Gamora counted the cargo with an expressionless face. Drax scoffed at the Sovereign people's attitude, but still helped Gamora organize it.
Rocket, however, was uncharacteristically quiet. His little eyes darted around, constantly observing the Sovereign's energy nodes, which emitted pure energy fluctuations, and the unguarded supply crates.
Chapter 222 The Chase
Taking advantage of the moment the Sovereign finished their handover and turned away, their attention no longer focused on them, Rocket, with the dexterity of a raccoon, quietly operated on a few supply crates that appeared to be placed casually but actually contained backup high-purity energy batteries.
Using a homemade decoder, he instantly cracked the simple locks, stealthily swiped quite a few fist-sized Sovereign energy batteries, then carefully stuffed them into the inner pocket of his spacesuit, and finally followed Star-Lord and the others away as if nothing had happened.
He thought he had done it flawlessly, not knowing that all of this was seen by Chen Mo at the porthole.
Chen Mo's lips curled into an almost imperceptible arc, and he shook his head, saying nothing, simply continuing to feed Little Groot some diluted energy fluid in a leisurely manner.
After everyone returned, the milano slowly pulled away from the Sovereign starport. Inside the cabin, Star-Lordwas excitedly planning with Gamora and Drax on how to use this huge sum of money.
Rocket hid in his workshop, happily tinkering with the stolen energy batteries, calculating what he could use them to upgrade.
Chen Mo leaned back against his chair, closing his eyes, as if dozing off.
Only he knew that the unique energy reaction of the energy batteries Rocket swiped today would soon bring some unexpected surprises to their fledgling Guardians of the Galaxy.
Chen Mo's premonition soon came true.
Just as the milano finished its hyperspace jump and had just exited the transition state, preparing to head to the nearest neutral supply star, Taronga IV, for rest and procurement, a piercing red alarm instantly tore through the brief relaxed atmosphere in the cabin.
"Detected a large-scale fleet signal appearing from behind! The energy signature is identified as the Sovereign! Damn it, hell, at least three hundred ships or more! They are approaching at full speed in combat formation, estimated to enter effective range in three minutes!"
Rocket's scream came from the cockpit, his little paws tapping rapidly on the control panel, calling up the scan image of the rear star sector.
In the dark background of the starry sky, a dazzling patch of golden light points was surging in pursuit like a swarm of bees; it was the Sovereign's iconic spherical drone fighter fleet.
"Sovereign?!" Star-Lord sprang up from his seat, rushed to the main console, and looked at the hair-raising number of enemy ships on the screen, his face full of disbelief. "How long has it been since we left? Didn't we complete the mission? What does this mean? Are they going back on their word, trying to pull a double-cross?"
Gamora's expression was grave as she quickly checked the weapon systems. "No, Peter. If they were pulling a double-cross, they should have acted at the spaceport, or intercepted us before we jumped. Since they are chasing us now, and have assumed this full-scale attack posture, it looks more like a manhunt."
"Manhunt?" Drax gripped his battle axe. "Peter, did you rape their High Priestess?"
"Fuck you. No!"
Star-Lord tried to open the general communication channel to negotiate with the Sovereign. "Sovereign fleet, this is the Guardians of the Galaxy. I am Peter Quill. We just completed your commission and have already left peacefully. May I ask what is the meaning of your massive mobilization to follow us? Is there a misunderstanding?"
The communication channel was silent for a few seconds, and then, High Priestess Ayesha's cold voice, filled with monstrous rage, sounded. "Despicable thieves! Filthy space rats! You dare to steal the sacred creation of the Sovereign! This is the most unforgivable blasphemy and provocation against the perfect race! Immediately hand over all the stolen energy batteries and bind yourselves for trial, perhaps we can leave you with a relatively intact corpse! Otherwise, the Sovereign's wrath will turn you and this piece-of-shit ship into the most basic particles of the Universe!"
"Energy batteries? Thieves?!" Star-Lord turned back sharply, his gaze shooting like lightning toward a certain direction in the cabin.
Everyone's gaze focused on Rocket Raccoon, who was sneakingly shrinking under the engineering console.
Rocket felt his fur stand on end from being watched. He stiffened his neck, but his eyes flickered, and his voice was clearly lacking confidence. "Look... why look at me? I just... just took a few! Just a few! Who told those gold-skinned freaks to be so stingy? They didn't give much in the reward! These batteries have super high energy purity, they are top-notch! They can help Little Groot accelerate growth, and can also serve as secondary energy for the milano. I did this for the team!"
"You... you motherfucker..." Star-Lord was so angry he nearly choked, his finger pointing at Rocket trembling. "I was wondering why you were suddenly so quiet! You actually swiped things on their turf?! And you stole energy batteries?! Do you know the Sovereign value this stuff more than their lives?!"
"Now I know!" Rocket said, giving up, baring his teeth. "Stolen is stolen, can I give it back? If I give it back, will they let us go? Don't be naive, Quill! Those arrogant pricks are definitely going to tear us limb from limb!"
Gamora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Prepare for battle. Explanations are useless; the Sovereign won't listen. Their pride cannot be violated, especially since theft is considered the lowest of crimes."
Drax, however, got excited. "Then let's fight! It just so happens I didn't get enough of a fight against the Aether beast just now!"
Star-Lord looked at the golden fleet on the screen, which was getting closer and had already entered a ready-to-attack state, and then looked at the defiant Rocket. A sense of powerlessness and frustration surged in his heart.
Run? The enemy's numbers were too great, and the Sovereign's ships were known for their speed and agility. Before they could fully enter hyperspace jump, they would likely be caught and destroyed.
Fight? Hundreds of drone fighters had enough firepower to instantly overwhelm a small warship; fighting head-on was suicide.
"Damn it!" Star-Lord slammed his fist hard on the console, a struggle flashing in his eyes, but it was eventually replaced by determination.
He couldn't run, at least he couldn't sit and wait for death!
"All hands on deck! Rocket, take those crappy batteries you stole and hurry up and hook them into the weapon systems or shields! Gamora, the main cannon is yours, aim for their command nodes or engine clusters! Drax, prepare to operate the secondary cannons and interceptor missiles! We are going to fight our way out!"
the milano turned sharply, charging toward the surging golden torrent! The bow main cannon began to charge, the secondary turrets rotated, and the missile silos opened.
"For Groot!" Rocket, with red eyes, roughly connected the stolen energy batteries to the ship's energy network. The shield glow of the milano instantly became more solid, and the weapon charging speed also slightly increased.
The next instant, endless golden beams poured down like a rainstorm!
the milano maneuvered crazily amidst the attacks, like a storm petrel in a tempest.
Star-Lord pushed his ship piloting skills to the limit, narrowly avoiding one fatal coordinated attack after another.
From time to time, Sovereign fighters were destroyed, exploding into dazzling golden fireballs in space.
But the disparity in numbers between the enemy and them was simply too great. The Sovereign's fighters seemed endless, attacking without fear of death, and with precise coordination.
the milano's shields flickered violently under the dense attacks, and the energy readings dropped rapidly.
The hull began to be struck by beams that slipped through, the armor plates twisted, and external equipment sparked.
"Shields at 37%! Still dropping rapidly!"
"Port thruster damaged, power output dropped by 15%!"
"Missiles are almost out!"
Bad news came one after another.
Star-Lord looked at the golden fighters surrounding them from all directions, his heart constantly sinking.
Although their counterattack was brave and destroyed quite a few enemy planes, to the entire Sovereign fleet, it was merely a drop in the bucket.
If it continued, being destroyed was only a matter of time.
"No! We can't hold them off!" Star-Lord gritted his teeth, pushing the thrusters to the limit again, while his hands operated rapidly on the navigation panel. "Prepare for emergency hyperspace jump! Set random coordinates! Jump as far as we can!"
"Calculating jump path... Need at least twenty seconds to stabilize the channel!" Rocket shouted, his little paws moving so fast they were a blur.
Twenty seconds, under such dense firepower, felt as long as a century.
the milano, trailing thick smoke and sparks of electricity, dodged desperately in the hail of bullets, buying time for the jump.
Fifteen seconds... ten seconds... five seconds...
The jump engine began to emit a low hum, and space in front of them twisted slightly.
However, several Sovereign fighters seemed to sense their intention and launched a suicide charge, recklessly crashing toward the area where the milano's jump engine was located!
Just at this critical moment,
Hum...
A strange spatial tremor swept across the entire battlefield without warning.
Following that, in the void between the Sovereign fleet and the milano, space rippled with visible energy rings, like a lake surface into which a stone had been thrown.
The moment these ripples appeared, they gently swept over the hundreds of aggressive golden Sovereign drone fighters.
All the Sovereign fighters touched by those chaotic ripples, at that very instant, silently decomposed into the most primitive basic particles, merging into the void of the cosmic background.
The golden fleet that just a moment ago had blocked out the sky and been filled with murderous intent, in the next, was completely gone.
Chapter 223: Ego Appears
The Sovereign fleet, enough to overwhelm the milano, vanished into thin air like pencil marks erased by an eraser.
Behind the Sovereign fleet, a silver spaceship, shaped smooth and round like a small Planet, slowly emerged from stealth mode.
Inside the cockpit, Star-Lord and the others, having just experienced a life-or-death situation and preparing to execute a random jump, were all stunned.
The red dots on the screen representing the enemy ships were extinguished all at once after a strange energy ripple swept past. In space, only some unburnt wreckage remained, along with that abruptly appearing silver spaceship.
"What... what is going on?" Star-Lord rubbed his eyes, wondering if the Sovereign had beaten him into having hallucinations.
"It's not a hallucination." Gamora stared intently at the silver spaceship, her tone grave. "It was that ship. It disintegrated hundreds of Sovereign fighters in an instant. I have never seen this kind of weapon before."
Rocket's little claws also stopped moving. Looking at the data stream on the screen, he muttered, "The energy reaction is completely impossible to analyze. It's not any known type of weapon system. This thing is a bit eerie."
Drax was quite direct. "It saved our lives. Could it be a friend?"
Just then, a magnetic male voice connected to the milano's general communication channel.
"There is no need to panic, lost travelers. I was just righting a wrong and doing a little cleaning up. The Sovereign are too arrogant; sometimes they need a reminder that they do not rule the Universe alone."
Star-Lord steadied himself and tried to respond. "Uh! Thank you for the help, mysterious friend. We are the Guardians of the Galaxy. May I ask who you are?"
"Ego. A traveler, and I suppose, barely, a governor of a star region. I see your ship is heavily damaged, and there doesn't seem to be a suitable supply point nearby. If you don't mind, you can come to my temporary landing spot for some rest. I have complete repair equipment and supplies there."
Star-Lord and Gamora exchanged a look. There were still doubts in Gamora's eyes, but the milano was in terrible condition and in urgent need of repairs. Furthermore, the other party had just saved them, and at least for now, had shown no hostility.
"This? Would that be too much of an intrusion?" Star-Lordasked tentatively.
"It is no trouble. Meeting is fate. The coordinates have been sent. I look forward to speaking with you all."
"Should we go?" Star-Lord looked at his companions.
"We don't have a better option." Gamora checked the ship's damage report. "The port thruster needs a major overhaul, the shield generator is overloaded, and the weapon systems have multiple faults. Without deep repairs, we won't even be able to make the next long-distance jump."
"Then we go!" Drax settled the matter. "As long as there's food."
Rocket had already started planning the route on the navigator, muttering, "I'll get to see what kind of engine that silver ship uses; its energy efficiency is frighteningly high."
From beginning to end, klein had been sitting in his exclusive seat, holding Little Groot in his arms, a faint, imperceptible smile hanging on the corners of his mouth. "Ego. It seems to be Star-Lord's long-lost wild father!"
klein shook his head and looked at the silver spaceship leading the way outside the porthole, his eyes full of the interest of someone watching a show. He had originally intended to step in only when Star-Lord and the others truly couldn't hold on anymore; after all, those Sovereign flies were annoying, but for him, they were just a matter of waving his hand.
Unexpectedly, someone was more enthusiastic than him and had set up the stage first. That was perfect; it saved him the effort, and he could sit back and watch a cosmic-level family drama of father and son reuniting.
As for Star-Lord and the others trusting a stranger so easily, and even preparing to follow him to his lair? klein could only sigh. Although the Universe was full of variety in terms of fighting and killing, when it came to the cunning of the human heart and the depth of schemes, it was practically still in the barbaric age compared to Earth.
A thief raised by the Raiders, an assassin under Thanos, an Avenger with a brain full of muscles, a mechanically modified creature... For this bunch to have survived until now, besides strength and luck, they probably really have to thank the simple and honest nature of the Universe's inhabitants.
the milano followed Ego's silver spaceship and performed a short-distance space jump. When they dropped out of warp, the scene that appeared before them made Star-Lord and the others gasp in amazement once again.
A strange continent floated within a magnificent Nebula, shrouded in soft light. The outlines of mountains, lakes, forests, and even city buildings were vaguely visible on the continent, but everything was enveloped in a beautiful halo, as beautiful as a dream.
The silver spaceship led the milano and landed on a flat crystal platform at the edge of the continent. The hatch opened, and Ego was already standing outside waiting.
He looked like a middle-aged human male, tall and well-proportioned, wearing a simple yet strangely textured white robe. His face was handsome, his short golden hair was combed meticulously, and his eyes held a gentle smile. His whole person radiated an aura that made people involuntarily want to be close to him.
"Welcome to my little resting place, friends." Ego opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.
Star-Lord led the way down the gangway, extending his hand somewhat reservedly. "Thank you again, Mr. Ego. I am Peter Quill, and these are Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and... uh, we also have an Advisor on our ship, Mr. klein, and a little friend."
He pointed to klein, who was walking slowly down the gangway holding Groot, as well as the Little Grootseedling in klein's arms.
Ego's gaze swept over everyone, lingering slightly on Gamora and Drax, as if he recognized something, but his smile remained unchanged. When he saw klein, his eyes flickered imperceptibly, but he quickly returned to normal and nodded politely at klein as well.
Finally, his gaze lingered almost greedily on Star-Lord, his eyes incredibly complex.
"Peter Quill." Ego repeated the name in a low voice, walked forward, and instead of shaking hands, gently patted Star-Lord's shoulder, his movements natural yet carrying an inexplicable intimacy. "A good name. It's been a hard journey, hasn't it?"
Star-Lord was a bit uncomfortable with this overly intimate gesture and chuckled dryly. "It's, uh, alright. Space, you know, always has to have some excitement."
Over the next few days, Ego displayed unparalleled hospitality. the milano was taken away by his servants—humanoid creatures that looked like they were made of light and energy—for a comprehensive repair and upgrade, using materials and technologies that Star-Lord and the others had never heard of. Rocket was so excited that he spent all day in the hangar.
Everyone was arranged to stay in rooms that were unimaginably comfortable, enjoying all kinds of exotic fruits and delicious delicacies. Ego kept Star-Lord company, chatting, listening to him talk about the past on Earth and his adventures with the Raiders, his eyes always filled with paternal love?
Gamora remained vigilant and said to Star-Lord in private, "Ego's hospitality is excessively good. And his interest in you clearly exceeds his interest in the others. Be careful, Peter."
Drax thought the food and drink were great, and there was all kinds of unseen equipment for training. It was simply fantastic, and he praised Ego endlessly.
Rocket was completely captivated by the high technology and had no time to think about anything else for the time being. klein spent all day wandering around Ego's Planet with Little Groot in his arms.
Several days of rest passed quickly, the milano was repaired, and its performance was even improved by a large margin compared to before. Star-Lord felt it was time to say goodbye; after all, they still had their own business to attend to.
Just as Star-Lord was about to bid farewell to Ego, the smile on Ego's face gradually faded. He waved his hand to dismiss the light-based humanoid servants on either side. In the large, magnificent hall, only he and the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy remained, along with klein, who was holding the flower pot and watching the fun.
Chapter 224: Ego (Part 2)
Ego walked up to Star-Lord, placed both hands on his shoulders, gazed deeply into his eyes, and said in a heavy, emotionally charged tone,
"Peter, my child. It is time to tell you the truth. I am not merely a kind stranger who happened to pass by.
I have crossed the stars, enduring a long and lonely journey, and one of the most important reasons for it was to find you."
Star-Lord was stunned. "Find me? Why?"
Ego's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes even welled up with tears. "Because I am your father, Peter. You are my son."
A boom, as if a thunderbolt had exploded in Star-Lord's mind.
He stared blankly at Ego, mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.
Father? Was this powerful, mysterious, wealthy man his father?
Gamora and Drax also widened their eyes in shock. Rocketlooked up from his obsession with a newly acquired energy core, his little mouth forming an 'O' shape.
"Pfft!!! Hahaha hahaha!!!"
A burst of raucous laughter suddenly broke the touching silence.
klein really couldn't hold it in anymore; he hugged Groot and laughed until he was rocking back and forth, tears almost streaming down his face.
While laughing, he waved his hand at Ego and the petrified Star-Lord,
"Sorry, I usually don't laugh, unless I can't help it. Hahahaha!"
Ego's expression darkened for a split second, but he quickly returned to that look of sorrow mixed with fatherly love. He just glanced coldly at klein, ignored him, and continued speaking affectionately to Star-Lord,
"I know this is very sudden, my child. But please believe me, I have missed you and your mother every single moment.
I had no choice but to leave Earth. Now, I have finally found you. Stay, Peter, stay by my side.
This is your home. You possess my divine bloodline; you should not be wandering in the Universe."
Star-Lord's mind was in total chaos. Father? Home? Divine bloodline? The massive influx of information caused him to lose the ability to think.
He had grown up without a father; after his mother died, he was taken away by Yondu and raised among the Raiders. He had longed for fatherly love, but had never truly experienced it.
Although Yondu raised him, that rough, pirate-style affection was completely different from the haloed, idealized fatherly love that Ego was painting before him.
Ego's offer was too tempting: a powerful father, a magical home, a noble bloodline.
But at the same time, Gamora's warning, klein's jarring laughter, and the complex, awkward feelings he held deep down for Yondu made him feel uneasy and resistant.
"I... I don't know." Star-Lord spoke with difficulty, his voice dry. "This is too sudden. I need... I need time to think."
A trace of imperceptible malice flashed in Ego's eyes, but his tone remained gentle,
"Of course, my child. I understand your shock. But please believe that everything I have said is true. Stay, and we can get to know each other slowly. You will realize that you belong here."
Star-Lord's mind was in turmoil. Subconsciously, he sought out a familiar voice, the opinion of someone who, even if they always scolded him, he knew would never harm him.
He avoided Ego's eager gaze and whispered, "I... I want to contact Yondu."
Upon hearing the name Yondu, Ego's eyes turned completely cold, but he did not stop him.
Star-Lord walked to the side and activated the encrypted communication. A few seconds later, Yondu's face, wearing an impatient expression, appeared on the small screen.
"Kid? What trouble have you stirred up now? I'm busy!" Yondu's voice was as rude as ever.
"Yondu, I... I met someone." Star-Lord's voice trembled slightly. "He says... he is my father."
On the other end of the screen, Yondu's expression froze instantly.
The impatience on his face vanished, replaced by a gravity Star-Lord had never seen before.
"Father?" Yondu's voice lowered, carrying a dangerous rasp. "Is his name Ego?"
"How did you know?" Star-Lord asked, surprised.
"Leave there immediately! Right now! At once!" Yonduroared suddenly, his voice so loud that even Gamora and the others in the distance could hear it clearly,
"Peter Quill! I order you in the name of your adoptive father! Get away from that son of a bitch!
He is not your father! He is a cosmic-level monster! A piece of trash!"
Star-Lord was startled by Yondu's intense reaction, and also felt a bit annoyed. "Yondu! What right do you have to say that? Do you know him?"
"I know him too damn well!" Yondu was so anxious his eyes turned red,
"Listen, kid, I don't have time to explain in detail! But remember, it was him who hired the Raiders to go to Earthand pick you up back then!
But I found something wrong! I discovered that his countless illegitimate children scattered across the Universe all disappeared inexplicably!
He wasn't raising children; he was using them as batteries! Absorbing the divinity within them to nourish himself! He is a selfish, ultimate devourer!
I kept you because I didn't want to hand you over to become his fuel! Now, while he hasn't made a move yet, run!"
The amount of information was even greater—and more terrifying—than when Ego claimed to be his father. Star-Lord's face turned pale.
Absorbing his own children?
Ego had arrived behind Star-Lord at some point. "Yondu! After all these years, you still love meddling and spreading rumors."
Seeing Ego appear in the background of the screen, Yonduwas livid,
"Ego! If you dare touch a single hair on his head, I swear I will bring the entire Raiders fleet and blast your pathetic Planet to dust!"
"With just those scrap ships and that rabble of yours?" Egosneered, gracefully raised his hand, and directly cut off Star-Lord's communication.
He turned to the pale-faced Star-Lord, his tone now carrying an unquestionable sense of oppression,
"Peter, don't listen to that despicable pirate's nonsense. He is jealous that you have found your true home, jealous that you possess a noble bloodline.
He raised you only by treating you as a piece of merchandise that could be sold for money. Now, come back to your father."
Star-Lord looked at Ego, then thought about Yondu's words; his heart was in an internal struggle.
Rationally, although Yondu was a jerk, he had never truly harmed him, while Ego's appearance and Yondu's warning were both too bizarre.
Emotionally, the home Ego described held a fatal attraction for him, especially when he had always felt lost and insecure about his own origins.
In the end, it was the long-accumulated trust in Yondu, along with a sliver of wariness toward Ego.
Star-Lord took a step back, shook his head, and said,
"No. Mr. Ego... or, Father? I don't know who or what you really are. But I cannot stay right now. I am leaving with my friends."
The last trace of gentleness on Ego's face completely vanished.
He watched Star-Lord quietly for a few seconds; in those azure eyes, all the affection, excitement, and nostalgia faded away, leaving only a cruelty like one looking down upon ants.
"Leave?" He repeated softly, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile devoid of any warmth. "My dear son, I'm afraid that is not up to you."
Chapter 225: Ego (Three)
Just as he finished speaking, the floor and walls of the entire hall suddenly began to squirm. Countless shimmering things, resembling both plant roots and neural tentacles, shot out abruptly, wrapping toward Star-Lordand the others like living creatures!
"Watch out!" Gamora was the first to react, unsheathing her short sword and slicing through several tentacles.
Drax roared and charged at Ego, swinging his battleaxe, while Rocket shrieked and leaped away, pulling out his blaster to fire.
Star-Lord also dodged in a panic, firing his element gunrepeatedly, but once those tentacles were severed, they quickly grew back, becoming more numerous and dense.
As early as the moment Ego's expression changed, klein had leisurely retreated to the edge of the hall holding Little Groot, finding a spot with a good view to enjoy the show.
He even pulled out a handful of melon seeds from who-knows-where and started cracking them.
"Now that's more like it. Revealing your true colors, how straightforward," he commented while cracking the melon seeds. "It would have been so much better to do this from the start. Why bother acting like an affectionate father? What a waste of time."
The battle in the hall was completely one-sided.
Ego's tentacles possessed immense strength and seemed capable of absorbing a certain amount of energy attacks.
Gamora and Drax were quickly entangled, and Rocket's blaster had very little effect. Star-Lord was also cornered by several thick tentacles.
Just as everyone was about to be captured in one fell swoop,
Suddenly, the ceiling of the hall exploded, leaving a massive hole!
Several ruggedly styled assault craft painted with the Raiders' insignia crashed in. Before the hatch doors could even fully open,
towlines and grappling hooks shot down, precisely snagging Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket Raccoon.
"Hold on tight!" a familiar voice called out through the assault craft's loudspeaker.
It was Yondu! He had actually led his men to break in personally!
"Yondu!" Star-Lord was both shocked and overjoyed.
"Shut up, you idiot! I'll settle the score with you when we get back!" Yondu roared, pulling the assault craft sharply upward while pouring firepower onto the frantically surging tentacles below to buy time for Star-Lord and the others.
Yondu's strike team barely managed to scoop up Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket. The small craft clustered together and fled frantically toward the Raiders' mothership anchored in the outer sky.
Behind them, the surface of Ego's Planet fluctuated violently as more tentacles and energy beams pursued them, but the Raiders' mothership also opened fire, temporarily blocking the pursuit with a dense barrage.
Having successfully escaped back to the Raiders' mothership, the shaken Star-Lord hadn't even had time to catch his breath before a heavy punch from Yondu landed squarely on his face, making him see stars as he staggered and crashed into the bulkhead.
"Do you fucking have space jellyfish slime in your brain?!" Yondu grabbed Star-Lord by the collar, his blue face turning purple with rage, his spit nearly spraying onto Star-Lord's face.
"Didn't I make it clear enough to you? Ego is not a good guy! He's the most fucking disgusting piece of trash in the Universe, the kind that deserves to be thrown into a black hole!
And you actually wanted to acknowledge him as your father?! Are your eyes on your ass?! Huh?!"
Star-Lord's temper was also flared. Combined with the fright from earlier and his previous inner conflict, a surge of anger rushed up. He shoved Yondu away violently.
"What about you then?! Are you some kind of good guy?! You're a pirate! You steal kids! You stole me from Earth!
You never told me anything about my father! You raised me just so you could sell me for a good price one day, didn't you?!
Now that you see I have noble blood and a powerful father, you're jealous? Afraid of losing me as your cargo?!"
These words stabbed into Yondu's heart like a knife. He stared intently at Star-Lord, his chest heaving violently. For the first time, a deeply wounded pain flickered in those eyes that were usually fierce and cunning.
But he didn't explain, only using greater fury to mask his vulnerability.
"Yes! I am fucking jealous! I just didn't want to hand you over to that monster! What of it?! Now that your wings are fully grown, you want to go find your God of a father?
Go ahead! Go see how he drains you dry and turns you into a pile of fertilizer on his crappy Planet!"
The surrounding Raiders looked at each other, none of them daring to chime in. Gamora and Drax silently pulled the still-cursing Rocket aside.
"I won't believe you ever again, Yondu!" Star-Lord said, his eyes red. "I'm going to ask him clearly! I'm going to find out for myself!"
"Then go die, you idiot!" Yondu waved his hand in a rage and roared at his subordinates,
"Lock him up! And those friends of his, throw them in the brig together! No one is allowed to let them out without my orders!"
Several Raiders stepped forward, attempting to grab Star-Lord. Star-Lord resisted fiercely, but outnumbered, he was quickly subdued.
Seeing this, Gamora and Drax had no choice but to give up resisting and were escorted away together. Rocket still wanted to fight back with his little gun, but a Raider smacked him with a rifle butt, making him behave.
In the midst of this chaos, no one noticed that one of Yondu's most capable lieutenants,
Kraglin, the one with a scar on his face, quietly retreated to the back of the crowd and sent a brief message through a hidden device on his wrist.
"Lord Ego, the targets have been controlled. Yondu has lost control of his emotions; the timing is perfect."
Ego received the message. A hint of satisfaction flashed through his cold consciousness.
"Foolish blue-skinned monkey, and that ungrateful brat...
Kraglin, you know what to do. Bring that little brat to me.
As for Yondu? Dispose of him. Clean up Peter's troublesome friends as well. Keep it clean."
"Yes, My Lord."
Outside the brig of the Raiders' ship, Kraglin, leading a few of his trusted men, quietly disarmed the guards and opened the heavy hatch.
Inside the brig, Star-Lord sat against the wall, anger and bruises still visible on his face.
Seeing the newcomer, he asked testily, "Kraglin? What are you doing here? Did Yondu tell you to let us out?"
A hypocritical smile appeared on Kraglin's face. "Something like that, Quill. However, it's not CaptainYondu's idea."
He suddenly raised his hand, and a powerful electric pulse shot out from his sleeve, instantly knocking the caught-off-guard Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket to the ground.
The four of them convulsed violently and lost consciousness.
"Tie them up and gag them. Especially that green woman and the big guy—add a few more ropes," Kraglin ordered coldly.
His subordinates quickly stepped forward, firmly securing the unconscious four with special restraints and gags.
Kraglin then led two others toward the bridge.
In the bridge command room, Yondu was pacing irritably, sulking at the star map.
He regretted hitting Star-Lord just now, and regretted even more saying those hurtful words, but he was more worried that Ego would not let things slide. They had to leave this sector immediately, the further the better.
Just then, the door to the command room slid open. Kraglinwalked in with a flattering smile on his face.
"Captain, still angry at that kid Quill? If you ask me, he just needs to be taught a lesson. You saved him from Ego, and he's still ungrateful..."
Yondu waved his hand impatiently. "Cut the crap. Have the navigator set a course, we need to..."
He stopped mid-sentence. Kraglin had suddenly pulled out an oddly shaped, thick-barreled pistol from behind and pressed it against Yondu's lower back.
At the same time, several other Raiders in the command room who were originally operating the controls silently stood up, pulled out their weapons, and aimed them at Yondu and the other crew members loyal to him.
"Kraglin! What are you doing?!" Yondu was both shocked and enraged. He tried to turn around, but the barrel pressed even harder against his lower back.
"What am I doing?" The smile on Kraglin's face vanished, replaced only by greed.
"Captain, the brothers have been running with you for so many years, risking our lives. What for? Isn't it just for money, thrills, and status?
But what about you? For that Earth kid, you first disobeyed the employer's orders, making us lose a huge commission.
Then, for him, you went head-to-head with Ronan, nearly dragging the entire fleet down with you! And the result? What did we get? Absolutely nothing!"
He looked around at the mutinous Raiders. "The brothers have been dissatisfied with you for a long time! You're too sentimental. Putting the brothers' interests aside for some stray brat?
Lord Ego is different. He offered a price we couldn't refuse.
Not just Star-Lord, but his friends too, especially that daughter of Thanos, can be sold for a good price.
Furthermore, all future transport of special cargo under Lord Ego will be handed to us. This is the real way to lead the brothers to fortune!"
"You were bought out by Ego?!" Yondu's heart sank to the bottom. He suddenly realized that Star-Lord and the others were in danger!
"It's making a wise choice," Kraglin sneered.
"Don't worry, Captain. Out of respect for how you used to look after the brothers, I won't kill you. After all, Lord Egodidn't ask for your life either. He just hopes you won't get in the way anymore."
He gave a look, and two henchmen nearby immediately stepped forward, roughly pinning Yondu down. They violently ripped the metal fin controller that operated his yaka arrow off his head, threw it to the ground, and crushed it underfoot!
The controller was directly connected to his nerves. Being forcibly ripped away brought excruciating pain, making Yondu groan as the veins on his temples bulged.
"Lock him in the strongest brig in the lower deck, and send a few more men to take 'good care' of him. After all, he was once our Captain." Kraglin put away his gun, adjusted his collar, and his face returned to that hypocritical smile.
"As for Star-Lord and the others, pack them up and prepare to deliver. We can't afford to be negligent with the tasks Lord Ego assigned."
The Raiders' mothership turned around and slowly sailed toward Ego's Planet.
Chapter 226: Nebula Appears Again
The Raiders' mothership drew a dark red trail across the sea of stars, heading toward Ego's Planet.
Kraglin stood in front of the bridge's main console, his fingers lightly tapping the control panel, with a subtle hint of smugness on his face.
Behind him, Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket, bound to special restraint chairs, were lined up in a row.
Energy suppression patches covered their mouths, and their wrists and ankles were locked tight by high-strength alloy shackles, leaving them able to make only muffled whimpering sounds.
"Don't waste your energy," Kraglin said without looking back.
"These shackles were specially prepared for you. And honestly, I didn't want it to be like this either.
But you have to understand, this is business. Lord Egooffered a price we couldn't refuse."
Gamora glared at Kraglin, a cold fury burning in her eyes. She tried to struggle, but the neural suppressors embedded in the shackles instantly released a weak electrical current, causing her muscles to spasm.
Drax, on the other hand, was like a trapped beast, his entire body tense with muscles, letting out a low growl from his throat.
If not for the suppressor, he would probably have broken the shackles and pounced on them already.
Rocket's small eyes darted around, clearly plotting a way to escape. But every time he tried to touch the shackle's clasp with his claws, the same current would make his fur stand on end.
Only Star-Lord appeared unusually silent. He hung his head, his blonde hair falling to cover his eyes.
Yondu's words were still echoing in his mind, "He's not your father! He's a cosmic-level monster! A scumbag!"
"Report, an unidentified ship signal has been detected ahead, approaching rapidly," the navigator's voice interrupted Kraglin's monologue.
Kraglin frowned and turned to the main screen. "Identify the signal. Is it Lord Ego's rendezvous ship?"
"No, Captain. There's no matching record in the database. Wait... this ship's registration code shows it belongs to a vessel under Thanos's command!"
"What?" Kraglin's expression changed.
Almost simultaneously, the communication channel was forcibly overridden, and a cold female voice rang out in the bridge.
"Raiders ship, this is Nebula. I know Gamora is on your ship. Hand her over, and you can leave alive."
Nebula's face appeared on the main screen, but compared to when she last left, she looked even more terrifying now.
Originally, only half her face was mechanical; now, almost her entire face was covered in silver-gray metal, leaving only one human eye, which currently burned with a near-insane obsession.
"Nebula?!" A complex mix of emotions flashed in Gamora's eyes.
Kraglin quickly composed himself and flashed a shrewd smile. "Ms. Nebula, I've heard much about you. But you might have misunderstood; Gamora is currently our prisoner. We have already found a new buyer for her."
"Ego," Nebula's voice was completely devoid of emotion. "I know. But Lord Thanos's order is that Gamora must be brought back. Immediately, right now. Hand her over to me."
Kraglin's smile stiffened slightly. "Ms. Nebula, I respect Lord Thanos very much, but business has its rules. We have already reached an agreement with Lord Ego..."
"I am not negotiating with you," Nebula interrupted him. "I am giving you a choice: hand over Gamora, or I will destroy your ship and salvage her from the wreckage. You have thirty seconds to decide."
The bridge fell into a dead silence. Everyone could feel the murderous intent in Nebula's words.
Cold sweat beaded on Kraglin's forehead. He certainly didn't want to offend Thanos, but Ego was not one to be trifled with either.
More importantly, if he just handed Gamora over like this, he wouldn't be able to account for it to Ego, and that massive commission would likely go down the drain.
The seconds ticked away.
Twenty-five seconds... twenty seconds...
Just as the veins on Kraglin's forehead bulged and he was on the verge of making a decision, Nebula suddenly spoke again.
"Or, there is a third option."
Kraglin snapped his head up. "What?"
"Let me board. I will go with you to see Ego. Lord Thanoswants Gamora, and Ego wants Star-Lord. It's not impossible for us to cooperate. After all, Ego probably wouldn't want to make an enemy of Lord Thanos either, would he?"
Kraglin's eyes lit up. This was indeed a way!
Letting Nebula negotiate with Ego herself meant that no matter the outcome, he could reap benefits from both sides without bearing the risk of offending either.
"A wise suggestion, Ms. Nebula." He quickly put on a smile again. "Please approach for docking. I will personally welcome you aboard."
At the same time, in the deepest brig of the Eclector's bottom deck.
Yondu lay on the cold floor, a throbbing pain coming from the back of his head.
Although the bleeding had stopped where the fin controller on his head had been forcibly ripped away, the burning sensation at the neural connection point was still distinct.
Worse still, without the controller, he couldn't use the Yaka Arrow that had accompanied him for decades—the symbol of his status as a Raider Captain and his most powerful weapon.
"Kraglin... you traitor..." he cursed hoarsely.
Fragments of memories from years ago surged in his mind. The first time he met Kraglin, he was just a teenager surviving by stealing spaceship parts on a wild Planet.
He had taken him in and personally trained him, teaching him how to pilot, shoot, and negotiate, watching him step-by-step become his most capable second-in-command.
Together, they had gone through countless battles, escaping the blockades of the Kree Empire and carving a bloody path through the chaotic brawls of interstellar pirates.
"I treated you like a son..." Yondu closed his eyes with a bitter smile, "and you ended up using me as a stepping stone."
But compared to his current situation, Yondu was more worried about Star-Lord. That monster Ego would definitely turn him into nutrients!
He had to escape. He had to save that little bastard.
He struggled to sit up and began to inspect the holding cell.
The four walls were all reinforced alloy, with no windows. The only entry and exit was a thick airtight door, but it was locked from the outside.
The vent was too small for even a child to squeeze through. Yondu would never have guessed that the holding cell he had designed himself would now be imprisoning him.
Just as Yondu was about to despair, the vent's grate suddenly let out a soft click.
He snapped his head up to see the grate being removed from the outside, and a tiny figure crawled out of the ventilation shaft.
It was a little tree-person only thirty centimeters tall, its body made of tender green branches, with two tiny leaves on its head. It waddled up to Yondu and looked up.
"I am Groot."
Yondu's eyes widened. "You... you're that..."
Little Groot pulled something out of the ventilation shaft and handed it to Yondu.
It was a metal fin controller.
Yondu took the controller with trembling hands, looking at Little Groot in disbelief. This was his replaced old gear.
Chapter 227: Nebula Captured
Looking at the tiny Little Groot, Yondu immediately understood that this item definitely wasn't something this little guy could have retrieved on his own; it must have been the mysterious klein helping from the shadows.
"Where is he? Where are Star-Lord and the others?" Yonduasked urgently.
Little Groot shook his little head to indicate he didn't know, then pointed at the controller, then at the door, and made a gesture of opening it.
Yondu took a deep breath and placed the controller on his head.
The familiar sensation of the neural connection washed over him; although it wasn't as smooth as the one that had been destroyed, it was sufficient.
He focused his mind, sensing the Yaka Arrow hidden somewhere on the ship.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, a flash of red light passing through them.
"Found it."
On the bridge, the moment the docking hatch opened.
Nebula stepped onto the bridge of the Raiders' ship, her gaze immediately locking onto the restrained Gamora.
A complex array of emotions flashed in her eyes: resentment, jealousy, and a trace of almost imperceptible worry.
"Sister, we meet again."
Gamora met her gaze, her own eyes filled with similar complexity.
They were sisters, yet they were also enemies. Both were the sharpest weapons in Lord Thanos's hands, yet both wanted to break free from his control.
The last time they parted, Nebula had left without looking back, but now she had returned, carrying direct orders from Lord Thanos.
It was evident from the mechanical modifications covering her body that Nebula had been captured by Lord Thanosonce again.
"Nebula, you shouldn't have come."
"Lord Thanos wants to see you. He knows about what happened on Xandar. The Power Stone was secured by the Nova Corps, Ronan failed, and you have been mixed up with these people."
"So what?"
"So what? Because of you, Lord Thanos's plans were disrupted! Because of this, I was punished!"
She ripped open a part of her collar, revealing the mechanical structures beneath.
The skin around the newly installed ports was an unnatural purple-black, as if corroded by strong acid, and one could faintly see the traces of the internal precision mechanical structures forcibly fused with biological nerves in a cruel manner.
"He modified me, again. But this time is different; he implanted a self-destruct program in my system. If I cannot bring you back within thirty standard days, I will start to melt from the inside out. The pain will last for a long, long time."
Gamora's expression changed. She knew Lord Thanos's methods too well, and she knew Nebula wasn't lying.
"So you must come back with me, for my sake and for your own. Lord Thanos will not kill you; he has always favored you the most.
But if you resist, he will have me deal with you personally. And this time, I will not go easy on you."
Kraglin and the other Raiders stood to the side, holding their breath; no one dared to interrupt.
Just then, the Raiders' mothership arrived at Ego's Planetand began to descend slowly.
Kraglin adjusted his collar and gave a look to his subordinates.
"Bring the cargo down. Be careful, especially with the green-skinned one; that is someone both Lord Ego and Lord Thanos value."
Then, Kraglin said to Nebula, "Ms. Nebula, let's go down; you can discuss the specifics with Lord Ego!"
Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket were roughly shoved down the gangplank by Kraglin's men.
Nebula followed Kraglin off the ship, her one good eye fixed on Gamora's back, while her other mechanical eye scanned the surroundings of this eerily beautiful Ego-continent with vigilance.
Ego was already waiting at the edge of the platform, his face restored to that compassionate expression. Seeing Star-Lord, a glow of paternal love surfaced in his eyes once again.
"Peter, my child, you have returned." He opened his arms, his tone filled with anticipation,
"I knew the call of blood would make you understand where your true home is."
Star-Lord looked at him, then at his tightly bound and silenced companions, and the last shred of hope and confusion in his heart was completely extinguished.
Yondu was right; this existence who claimed to be his father was, from beginning to end, a carefully orchestrated performance, and he and his friends were nothing more than the most pathetic props, or perhaps even sacrifices, in this show.
"Let them go, Ego." Star-Lord's voice was unexpectedly calm. "I will go with you, do whatever you want to me. But they are innocent, let them go."
"Peter!" Gamora turned her head sharply to look at him, her eyes filled with shock and disapproval, a muffled sound of protest coming from her throat.
Drax also struggled violently, making muffled noises. Rocket's small eyes widened, and he shook his head frantically.
Ego seemed satisfied with Star-Lord's realization; he nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the others, lingering for a moment on Gamora and Nebula.
"Your friends do indeed have their own value. However, since you plead so earnestly..." He changed the subject, looking at Kraglin and Nebula, "And who is this...?"
Kraglin immediately stepped forward, a flattering smile on his face,
"Respected Lord Ego, this is Ms. Nebula, under Lord Thanos's command. She has come under Lord Thanos's orders to bring back her sister, Gamora. She hopes to negotiate with you."
"Negotiate?" Ego raised an eyebrow, looking at Nebulawith a half-smile,
"Thanos wants his runaway daughter back. Then, what is he willing to pay for this daughter?
You should know that the blood flowing in Ms. Gamora's veins, as well as the many secrets she knows about Thanos, are also of great research value to me."
Nebula stepped forward. "Lord Thanos's will cannot be defied. Gamora must be brought back. As for the price..."
She paused. "Lord Thanos promises that if you hand over Gamora, he will consider sharing information about the Infinity Stones with you in the future. That should be much more useful than Gamora herself, shouldn't it?"
Ego pondered, his fingers tapping unconsciously against his arm.
He was weighing his options; Lord Thanos's promise of information sharing was certainly tempting, but too ethereal. Besides, the secrets Gamora held might also bring surprises. More importantly, this was his home turf.
Ego finally spoke slowly, "A very tempting proposal, Ms. Nebula. But I prefer to keep all value in my own hands. Gamora can stay. As for you..."
A cold light flashed in his eyes. "Since you are here, you might as well stay too. I believe Thanos won't mind having one more missing daughter; after all, he has many daughters, doesn't he?"
Nebula's expression instantly turned extremely ugly. She suddenly raised her mechanical arm, and the energy cannon began to charge. "How dare you..."
However, Ego was faster than her.
With just a thought, the halo around the platform suddenly intensified, and several solid chains of light appeared out of thin air,
They instantly wrapped around Nebula's limbs and neck. A powerful energy suppression emanated from the chains, causing her cannon, which had just lit up, to instantly extinguish. Her entire mechanical body froze in place, able only to emit angry, hissing electrical sounds.
"Too rude. Didn't Thanos teach you how to face the strong?" Ego commented indifferently, then said to Kraglin,
"Well done, Captain Kraglin. I will double your reward. Now, take your people and leave my domain. The rest is my family business."
Kraglin was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly: "Thank you, Lord Ego! We will leave at once. I wish you a happy family reunion!"
He waved his hand impatiently, taking the Raiders who had mutinied with him, and hurried toward the Raiders' mothership, wanting only to leave this place of trouble quickly and go enjoy his double bounty.
On the platform, only Ego remained, along with the firmly restrained Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and the newly captured Nebula.
Ego's gaze finally fell on Star-Lord, the look no longer hiding anything, leaving only fanaticism and greed.
"Now, my child, let us truly begin. Embrace your destiny, and offer your power to your creator, your father."
Star-Lord's heart sank to the bottom. He looked at his immobile companions, at Ego's hypocritical and cruel face, and despair engulfed him like a cold tide.
Was this really the end?
Chapter 228: Yondu Regains Control of the Raiders
Just as Kraglin returned to the spaceship and had just left Planet Ego not far, before he could make a space jump, the bridge alarms suddenly blared crazily!
"Report! The brig has been breached! Yondu has escaped!"
"What?!" Kraglin's face changed drastically. "How is that possible? Wasn't his controller already destroyed?"
Before he could finish speaking, a red light pierced through the bridge at an incredible speed!
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The three mutinous Raiders standing in front of the console fell almost simultaneously, each with a tiny blood hole between their eyebrows.
It wasn't until they hit the ground that the red Yaka Arrowrevealed itself in the air, hovering in front of Kraglin like a living viper, its tip less than a centimeter from his eyeball.
"Don't move, Kraglin." Yondu's voice came from the bridge entrance.
Everyone turned their heads to see Yondu standing there, wearing a slightly crude controller on his head, his eyes burning with cold fury.
Behind him, Little Groot followed unsteadily, trying hard to put on a fierce expression, but that little look really lacked any intimidation.
"Yondu..." Kraglin's voice trembled slightly, but he forced himself to calm down. "How did you escape? And where did that controller come from?"
"A gift from a friend," Yondu said coldly, walking slowly into the bridge.
The Yaka Arrow moved with his gaze, keeping Kraglinlocked in its sights. "Now, release Star-Lord and the others. Immediately."
"Yondu, calm down. I've already given Star-Lord to Ego." Kraglin forced a smile.
"We don't need to do this. We can split the price My LordEgo offered. Seventy-thirty... no, sixty-forty! You get sixty, I get forty! Think about all that money; it's enough for you to retire, find a Planet with nice scenery..."
"Shut up." Yondu's voice wasn't loud, but the killing intent contained within made Kraglin fall silent instantly.
"I saved your life, Kraglin. Three times! I raised you from a thief scavenging in garbage piles to the second-in-command of the Raiders. I gave you power, gave you respect, and treated you like family." Yondu approached step by step, every wrinkle on his face etched with disappointment and pain.
"And what is your repayment to me? Betrayal. Selling my son to a monster for money."
"He's not your son!" Kraglin suddenly screamed, fear turning into hysterical anger.
"He never was! He's just cargo! Cargo you stole from Earth! We could have sold him for a good price, but you insisted on keeping him! Because of him, how many opportunities have we lost? How many people have we offended? Now My Lord Ego is willing to pay a sky-high price; this is our chance! It's what we deserve!"
Yondu stopped. He looked at Kraglin for a long time, then said softly,
"You know, Kraglin? You got one thing right. Star-Lord isn't my biological son. But when he called me Dad, it was real. When I hit him and scolded him, that was real too. I saved him from Ego not because he was cargo, but because from that moment on, he was my son."
As he finished speaking, the Yaka Arrow darted through the bridge at a speed impossible to track with the naked eye!
With every flash, a mutinous Raider fell. They didn't even have time to raise their guns before their throats or hearts were pierced.
Kraglin tried to seize the chance to draw his gun, but Yonduwas faster. He kicked Kraglin's pistol away, then smashed a fist hard into Kraglin's face.
"This punch is for betraying the Raiders' oath," Yondu said, throwing another punch. "This punch is for betraying my trust in you." A third punch. "This punch is for almost getting my son killed."
Kraglin collapsed to the ground, face covered in blood, unable to speak. Yondu looked down at him, the last trace of emotion in his eyes vanishing.
"You don't deserve to die by the Yaka Arrow," he said coldly, then turned to the other surviving Raiders.
"You lot. Those who want to get rich following Kraglin, step forward now, and I'll give you a quick death. Those who want to keep following me, pick up your weapons and prepare for battle. We're going to Ego's Planet to take my son and his friends back."
After a brief silence, a young Raider was the first to pick up a gun from the floor. "Damn it, I've long been sick of Kraglin! Captain, I'm with you!"
"I'm with you too!" "Count me in!" "If it weren't for CaptainYondu, I would have died at the hands of the Kree ten years ago!"
Soon, more than two-thirds of the Raiders stood behind Yondu. The rest looked at each other, eventually silently picking up their weapons. Among the Raiders, betrayal is a capital offense, but if you defect back during a battle and perform well, you might still live.
The first thing Yondu did after regaining control of the Raiders was to wave his hand at the limp, deathly pale Kraglin on the floor. "Throw him out. Clean house."
Two Raiders loyal to Yondu stepped forward and roughly dragged the incessantly pleading Kraglin toward the airlock. No trial, no unnecessary torture; this was the most ruthless and traditional way for the Raiders to deal with traitors internally. Exiling them directly into space. To meet an inevitable end in the vacuum, extreme cold, and isolation.
"Yondu! Captain! Spare me! Think of all the years I've slaved for you! Please, spare my life!" Kraglin's shrill screams were cut off by the heavy airlock door, eventually disappearing into the silent darkness of the Universe.
The bridge was silent for a moment. All the Raiders, whether they had just chosen to return or had never participated in the mutiny, felt a chill down their spines. They remembered clearly once again that this blue-skinned old pirate before them was not just the Captain who would fly into a rage over his adopted son and sometimes seemed emotional; he was also Yondu of the Whistling Arrow, whom countless enemies once feared. The price of betrayal has always been death.
Yondu turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone, the killing intent that had been boiling due to betrayal and anger slightly receding. "Accelerate. Target: Ego's Planet." His voice was transmitted clearly to every crew member via the internal communication system.
"Ready all usable weapons, shields to maximum. We aren't going there as guests."
"Yes, Captain!"
Meanwhile, Ego led Star-Lord toward his core. As for Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Nebula, they were imprisoned by Ego beneath the surface in a cage woven from glowing roots. They were bound by vines of light that constantly released paralyzing energy, and even Nebula's mechanical parts seemed to be under stronger suppression, with sparks occasionally bursting from her joints. Just as everyone was trying to figure out a way to escape this place, suddenly...
Chapter 229: Yondu Attacks
A familiar voice, tinged with impatience, rang out in the dimly lit cellar.
"How did you get captured again? Can we pick a different place to meet next time? Like a beach bar or something?"
Everyone whipped their heads around, looking toward the source of the voice.
There, at the cellar entrance sealed off by glowing roots, stood klein, holding Little Groot.
"Groot! My baby! Ah!!!" Rocket's eyes lit up instantly. He struggled to reach out, but was shocked by the light vines, causing him to shudder.
Gamora was both surprised and delighted, urging, "klein! It's you! Quick, get us out of here! Peter has been taken by Ego! We have to save him!"
"Alright, alright, don't rush me." klein raised his hand casually and flicked his finger at the cellar door.
The glowing roots sealing the door, along with a small portion of the wall, were struck as if by an invisible hammer, instantly exploding into a shower of light dust and debris, revealing the winding passage behind.
klein, carrying Little Groot, stepped over the ruins and walked into the cellar, patting Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Nebula on the shoulder.
Those incredibly tough light vines, imbued with paralyzing energy, snapped silently the instant klein's fingers touched them, dissolving into specks of light that drifted away.
Gamora and the others instantly felt their bodies lighten; the restraints were gone, and their strength quickly returned.
They stretched their stiff limbs and stood up.
"Go! We must go and rescue Peter immediately!" Gamoradidn't want to waste a single second and rushed to head out.
"No! Gamora!" Nebula suddenly stepped sideways, blocking her path.
"You cannot go! You must come back with me now! If you continue to associate with these people and defy Father's orders, he will kill you! This time, it's for real!"
"Move aside, Nebula! Peter is our companion; he has saved me, and now he is in danger!"
"And what about my danger?!" Nebula's voice rose sharply, carrying a hint of imperceptible trembling and despair.
"I have been implanted with a self-destruct program! Thirty days! If I don't bring you back, I will start melting from the inside! Dying in agony! Do you want to see me like that, sister?!"
"That is Thanos's fault! Not mine!" Gamora gritted her teeth, trying to get around her. "Once I save Peter, we will find a way to solve your problem!"
"It's too late! There is no time!" Nebula's mechanical eyes flashed with red light, her tone becoming frantic.
"Either you come with me now, or I will break your legs and drag you! Father only said he wanted you alive anyway!"
Before she finished speaking, Nebula struck! Energy surged in her mechanical palm as she lunged for Gamora's shoulder!
Gamora was prepared, drawing her short sword to block. With a metallic clang, the two instantly began to fight in the narrow cellar, their moves fierce and lethal, filled with combat techniques meant for killing.
"Hey! You two beauties!" Rocket scratched his ears irritably. "Can you stop fighting? Are we not going to save that idiot Quill?"
klein watched the sisters' brawl with interest for a short while, then shrugged at Rocket and Drax, who was standing to the side, unsure whether to break up the fight or help someone.
"What's so interesting about women fighting? They won't even rip each other's clothes. Let's go, let's go. Drax, Rocket, you two come with me. Let them sort out their own family business."
"Are we not going to save Star-Lord?" Drax asked in a muffled voice.
"Save him? Of course we will." klein, holding Little Groot, had already turned and walked out of the cellar, his voice drifting back lazily.
"But there are different ways to save someone. Yondu's fleet will be here soon. You two, rendezvous with Yonduand give Ego's lair a warm greeting from the outside."
Rocket's small eyes lit up instantly, revealing a cunning and ferocious smile. "Heh! Heh! Heh! That's a great idea! Tearing places apart is my specialty! Drax, Groot, let's go! We're going to blow a few new craters into that damn Planet!"
Drax thought about it and felt that attacking from the outside to create chaos, and possibly hacking more enemies in the process, seemed like a good plan. He shouldered his battle axe and followed Rocket without a word.
klein, however, strolled unhurriedly toward the depths of the cellar, toward the core area of Ego.
...
Meanwhile, Ego was leading Star-Lord toward the Planet's core.
The ground beneath their feet was soft and elastic, emitting a faint, warm light; every step felt like treading on the skin of a living creature.
Surrounding them were glowing forests, rivers flowing with liquid halos, and crystal-like mountains.
These things, which shouldn't have existed inside a Planet, felt coldly eerie in Star-Lord's eyes at this moment.
He could feel that the continent beneath his feet was like a living thing.
"It's beautiful, isn't it, Peter?" Ego spoke as if he were just showing his son around his backyard.
"Every inch of this land, every ray of light, is an extension of my will. It is a masterpiece that I spent eons carving, bit by bit, from a desolate star core."
Star-Lord walked in silence, his gaze sweeping the surroundings vigilantly.
He thought of Gamora and the others who were imprisoned, thought of Yondu's angry and pained warning, and also thought of his own long-faded memories of his mother on Earth.
"Why do you need me?" Star-Lord finally spoke.
"If you are truly as powerful as you say, if you are truly a God... why would you need a mortal like me?"
"Mortal? No, no, no, Peter, you were never a mortal. You are my son; my divine blood flows through your veins. It's just that it is still sleeping and needs to be awakened."
They arrived at a flat, circular area, with a spiral staircase extending downward at the center.
"Come, child. The true ritual must be conducted at the source." Ego stepped onto the stairs first.
Star-Lord hesitated for a moment, but the invisible pressure Ego exerted made him realize he had no choice.
Star-Lord took a deep breath and followed.
The stairs seemed endless, going down, down, and further down.
The surrounding walls gradually changed from glowing crystals to organic tissue pulsating with dark red light, resembling muscle fibers. An indescribable scent permeated the air.
The temperature was rising. A low, slow, pulsating sound, like the beating of a giant heart, came from the depths. It grew louder and louder, causing Star-Lord's chest to feel stifled.
He could feel that something filled with a greedy will was waiting for him down below.
...
Just as Star-Lord and Ego were heading toward the Planet's core, Yondu's spaceship broke through the thin atmosphere of Ego and dove without hesitation toward the landing platform location from his memory.
However, this time, what greeted them was no longer the seemingly peaceful halos.
On the Planet's surface, countless originally gentle glowing roots suddenly erupted, like the tentacles of a giant, enraged sea anemone, lashing out wildly at the Raiders' mothership with fierce energy light!
Dense beams of golden energy, like a rainstorm flowing backward, poured toward the hull.
"Evasive maneuvers! Fire!" Yondu ordered sharply.
The Raiders' mothership displayed maneuverability that belied its rugged appearance, weaving with difficulty through the tentacles and energy beams filling the sky. Its cannons roared, blasting apart the roots as they approached.
However, the roots were endless, regenerating rapidly where broken. The entire Planet seemed to have come alive, turning into a monster filled with deadly traps.
"Captain! Energy shields down to 65%! Port side turrets three and four have been destroyed!"
"Have you found Star-Lord's life signal?!" Yondu stared intently at the scanning screen, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He didn't care about the damage to the ship; he only wanted to know if his son was still alive.
"There is an energy reaction in the direction of the core that partially matches Star-Lord's biological signature! But it's wrapped in a much larger energy, making it impossible to pinpoint!"
"Push through in that direction! Use the main cannon to blast a path!" A fierce light flashed in Yondu's eyes. He seized control of the weapons and aimed personally at the thickest roots.
The Raiders' mothership, like a fly caught in a spiderweb, struggled to advance inch by inch toward the Planet's surface.
With every second, the shield reading dropped, and the ship constantly shuddered and exploded from being hit.
Yondu clenched his fists, his gaze seeming to pierce through layers of deck and rock, reaching straight to the core.
"Hold on, kid! Dad is coming."
Chapter 230: Yondu Attacks (Part 2)
The Raiders' mothership shuddered violently within the raging defensive firepower of Planet Ego, like a lone boat in a storm.
The light of the energy shields flickered uncertainly under the barrage of golden beams and the lashing of giant glowing roots, the sound of alarms mixing with the groans of the ship's overstressed structure.
"Port shields are about to overload!"
"Engine groups 7 and 9 are damaged, thrust down by 40%!"
"Captain! We can't break through! We must retreat!" the first officer shouted hoarsely, watching the data on the screen plummeting rapidly.
Yondu gritted his teeth, his blue face taut; at this moment, only desperate determination remained in his eyes.
Retreat? What a joke! His stupid son was inside the belly of that monster down there!
Just as Yondu was about to order a near-suicidal final charge, attempting to ram a path through with the mothership, a miracle happened.
The glowing tentacles, which had been dancing crazily and blotting out the sky on the Planet's surface, suddenly froze in unison, as if a pause button had been pressed.
Immediately after, the rain of dense golden energy beams ceased abruptly, leaving only a few stray beams to streak across the sky before quickly vanishing.
The powerful energy barrier that had shrouded the entire landing platform area flickered a few times like a lightbulb losing power, then hummed and dissipated completely.
The area that had just been like the entrance to hell became eerily calm in an instant.
Only the remains of destroyed tentacles and scorched marks on the ground proved that the terrifying barrage just now had not been a hallucination.
"Wh-what's going on?" Inside the bridge, everyone was stunned, including Yondu.
"Scans show the Planet's active defense system has stopped?" the navigator reported in disbelief, looking at the rapidly changing data on the screen.
"Energy readings are plummeting! The interference field is gone! Captain, we can land!"
Yondu's pupils constricted slightly. The defense system could not have stopped for no reason, especially when Ego, that old monster, clearly wanted them dead.
The only explanation was that something had gone wrong on the inside. Who could it be?
Regardless, this was a godsend!
"Attention, everyone!" Yondu suppressed his doubts, his voice transmitting throughout the ship via the comms.
"The Planet's defense system is paralyzed; we only have one chance! Abandon the original assault plan, the Eclector is landing immediately! Landing teams, get ready. Once we hit the ground, establish a defensive line immediately and search for Star-Lord and his teammates' signals! Move!"
Trailing black smoke, the Eclector dove toward the now wide-open platform area.
The heavy hull slammed into the ground with a loud bang, sliding for a distance before finally coming to a stop.
Before the hatch had fully opened, the heavily armed Raiders poured out like a tide, quickly establishing makeshift fortifications around the ship and aiming their weapons vigilantly at their surroundings.
"Report, Captain, no enemy ground resistance detected!" the advance scout reported.
"Multiple life signals detected, concentrated in two areas. One is deep below the surface, with a complex and powerful energy signature, suspected to be Ego; the other..." The technician paused and looked at Yondu.
"Is inside a structure about two kilometers east of the surface. The signal is weak, but we have confirmed the life signs of one humanoid, one small mammal, and a faint plant-based life reaction."
Upon hearing the technician's report, Yondu immediately realized these were Star-Lord's companions.
"Go get them! Send an elite team over, confirm the situation, and bring them back safely! Everyone else, come with me to find an entrance to the underground!"
Just as the Raider team was preparing to set out, a somewhat distorted voice suddenly came through their portable communicators.
"Hey! Blue-skin! Can you hear me? Is that Yondu? It's Rocket! Big guy and Groot and I are here! We took care of the switch for this crappy Planet! How are things on your end? Did you save that idiot Quill yet?"
Yondu snatched the communicator, "Little Raccoon? It's Yondu! Where are you? Star-Lord isn't with us; we just landed! You stopped the defenses?"
"Of course it was us! Who else could it be?" Rocket's voice carried undisguised smugness, though there seemed to be Drax's heavy breathing and some metallic clanging in the background.
"This narcissist's Planet is all flash and no substance; fighting is all dependent on these automatic tentacles and turrets, and there were hardly anyone watching the control room! Drax and I snuck in and made short work of it... Ouch! Big guy, take it easy!... Anyway, we're in control of this crappy Planet's defenses now! But I think we triggered some alarm; some moving glowing stone men are coming, but there aren't many, we can handle them! You guys go find Quill!"
It really was those two! Yondu felt reassured, yet also surprised by their efficiency and audacity.
He replied immediately, "Good job, furball! Hold on, reinforcements are on the way! Send me your exact coordinates!"
"Groot!" Little Groot's tender voice suddenly came through the communicator.
The corners of Yondu's mouth twitched upward imperceptibly. "...Take care of the little sapling; we'll be there soon."
Hanging up the communicator, Yondu quickly adjusted the deployment.
One team of Raiders, led by him personally, would head to the coordinates sent by Rocket to rendezvous and secure the control room; the other team, led by his most trusted first officer, would continue searching for an entrance to the underground and attempt to establish a defensive system to use when they retreated later.
Rewinding to Drax and Rocket.
When the two of them escaped from the cellar with Little Groot, they decided to rendezvous with the incoming Yondu and give Ego something to do.
They snuck into the Planet's defense control room, where, aside from a few glowing humanoid servants responsible for maintenance and cleaning, they didn't encounter any decent guards.
It was unclear whether Ego was overconfident in his Planet's own defense system and his own power, or if he believed no one could destroy his defense system.
Relying on Rocket's keen sense for machinery and energy, as well as Drax's violent path-clearing, they didn't have much trouble finding a control hub hidden within the mountain's crystals.
This place was less of a military control room and more like a massive energy node dispatch station combining biology and technology.
Countless glowing veins converged here, connecting to a light sphere in the center that constantly changed patterns.
A few glowing servants tried to stop them but were casually dealt with by Drax like swatting flies.
Rocket pounced on the control interface, his little claws operating with lightning speed.
"Wow... these energy circuits... these control protocols... narcissistic as he is, this old guy's technical taste is actually pretty good!" Rocket marveled while cracking the code.
"But there are quite a few loopholes; it relies too much on biological neural links. Cut the main control neural bundle, then disrupt the secondary energy distribution. Done!"
As Rocket physically cut several key circuits and injected a piece of his self-written interference code into the core light sphere, the light of the entire control hub flickered violently a few times, then mostly extinguished.
The raging defensive tentacles and turrets on the Planet's surface also stiffened and dimmed as a result.
"Success! Now this crappy toy belongs to us!" Rocketwaved his little fist excitedly. Little Groot, at his feet, also used his tiny branches to wave along, cheering.
However, the anomaly in the control hub had clearly triggered some kind of secondary alarm.
The walls and floor around the control room began to squirm, and some guards made of glowing crystals and rocks—crude in shape but clearly aggressive—rose from the ground, slowly surrounding them.
"Ha! Bring it on!" Drax roared, swung his battle axe, and charged forward, fighting these stone guards. The axe blade struck the crystals, sending out dazzling sparks.
Rocket, meanwhile, quickly utilized the partial permissions he had just seized, attempting to reactivate certain defensive functions to deal with these guards, or at least provide guidance for Yondu's attack.
It was at this moment that he saw, through the external monitors remaining in the control room, Yondu's fleet struggling to break through, and the scene of them landing smoothly after the defenses stopped, and he managed to establish communication.
When the elite Raider team led by Yondu arrived at the control hub, they saw Drax fighting like a god of war, charging back and forth among an increasing number of stone guards.
Rocket was crouched in front of a semi-paralyzed console, cursing while attempting to operate it, and using his sidearm blaster to potshot approaching enemies.
Little Groot was trying his best to stretch his branches, attempting to trip the guards approaching Rocket.
"Fire! Clear those stone lumps!" At Yondu's command, the Raiders' powerful firepower poured out, quickly suppressing and destroying the remaining guard constructs.
"Phew! Right on time, Blue-skin." Rocket wiped off some non-existent sweat and jumped down from the console.
Drax also stopped fighting and walked up to Yondu, "Quillisn't here. He's below."
Yondu nodded, "You did well. Now, leave this place to my men to secure. You, come with me, and we'll drag that idiot Star-Lord out from below!"