In the desolate star system, two different energies continued to collide. The Collector's strength had indeed surpassed that of Korath and Ronan, allowing him to unleash a deeper level of power and rules from the Power Stone. This also enabled Robert to better understand the essence of the Power Stone's energy.
As long as the Collector could hold on, Robert would gain valuable insight, though maintaining this would cost the Collector some of his vitality and mental strength.
Meanwhile, in Knowhere, Star-Lord and his team had fought off countless outlaws, finally securing the Collector's base. They began scavenging through the remains of his collection, with Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon estimating the value of the items they found.
However, before they could finish divvying up the spoils, a Ravager ship arrived at Knowhere. The newcomers were none other than Yondu, Star-Lord's adoptive father, and his Ravager crew. Their intelligence was slightly delayed, as they had come after hearing about Star-Lord's escape from the prison on Xandar, intending to rescue him from Ronan and his forces.
Yondu's crew, on the other hand, had hoped to intercept the Orb (the Power Stone) before it could reach the Collector, betting on Ronan delaying Star-Lord long enough for them to steal it.
Unfortunately for them, when they arrived at Knowhere, they found the place in ruins, as if it had just been through a major battle.
"Damn it! Peter better not be hurt! Ronan, if Peter's dead, I'll make you pay!" Yondu panicked upon seeing the state of Knowhere. He had raised Star-Lord for so many years and held deep feelings for him.
While most of the Ravagers saw Star-Lord as just cargo from an old job, Yondu viewed him as his own son. If Star-Lord had died at Ronan's hands, Yondu would undoubtedly seek revenge.
"Boss, we've located Star-Lord. He's in the Collector's base. It's possible he's already completed the deal," one of Yondu's subordinates reported urgently as Yondu simmered with anger.
"What about Ronan? The Kree? Any sign of them? Could they have taken the Orb already?" Yondu felt a bit of relief knowing Star-Lord was safe, but he quickly realized he needed to help cover for Star-Lord. If not, it would be hard to protect him in front of his crew.
"If the Kree took the Orb, Star-Lord still owes us compensation!" A large, ugly-looking Ravager growled at Yondu. "Boss, are you going to break the rules again for this kid? Don't forget, if it wasn't for him stealing the Orb, we'd already have collected the 4 billion reward from the Collector!"
Seeing the others' expressions, Yondu's face darkened. He knew that Star-Lord had indeed acted selfishly, and if he didn't handle this properly, the morale of his crew could crumble, making it hard to lead them.
"We wouldn't have been able to hand the Orb over to the Collector even if we had it. If Ronan made a move, we couldn't have stopped him…" muttered Kraglin, Yondu's loyal lieutenant, speaking up cautiously in defense of Star-Lord. Kraglin knew he had to stand by Yondu's side.
"Nonsense! If Star-Lord hadn't been stupid enough to go to Xandar, he wouldn't have been caught! If he'd come straight to Knowhere, we'd all be sitting pretty by now!" The ugly-faced alien glared at Kraglin. "Am I right, guys?"
"Exactly! We'd be living it up if it weren't for Star-Lord!"
"Yeah, it's his fault we've been running around like this!"
Encouraged by the ugly alien's words, most of the crew began to shout angrily, except for a few who remained loyal to Yondu. Even though Yondu was stronger than all of them, the crew felt they had a right to demand answers after missing out on the big payday.
The Ravagers had never been known for loyalty, only sticking with Yondu because he was strong and watchful. Without order, rebellion was always a possibility.
"I understand. I'll give you all an explanation," Yondu said calmly, his gaze lingering on the ugly-faced alien. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and spoke.
"Boss, we trust you! As long as you don't favor that kid, we'll get back what we lost!" the ugly-faced alien grinned, pleased with his seeming victory.
"Let's move out! Capture Star-Lord!" Yondu's eyes flashed with cold determination as he issued the order. "But remember, I want him alive! In one piece! If you can't manage that, don't blame me for what happens."
As he spoke, Yondu glared at the ugly-faced alien and lifted his coat, revealing a red Yaka arrow underneath. This was Yondu's signature weapon, controlled by his whistles. Its speed and power were greater than that of a laser, making it one of the key reasons for Yondu's dominance in the galaxy.
"Tch!" The ugly-faced alien's eyes flickered with fear at the sight of the Yaka arrow, but he quickly let out a disdainful laugh and headed toward the Collector's base.
"Someone's coming!" Rocket Raccoon, who had been arguing with Star-Lord over the value of the items, suddenly stopped and pricked up his ears, staring toward the entrance in alert.
"More visitors? How many waves of these guys are we gonna get? Didn't the last bunch of dead bodies teach them anything?" Star-Lord sighed, glancing at the scattered corpses nearby.
While Star-Lord had been a space outlaw for many years, he wasn't accustomed to causing widespread death. At most, he had been a petty thief.
But the outlaws of Knowhere left him and Rocket with no choice but to kill. A string of dead criminals lay in their wake, keeping the Collector's base relatively quiet for now.
As Star-Lord's exhaustion started to creep in, it quickly vanished when he saw the ugly-faced alien walk through the door.
"Kid, you really think you can hide from us… huh?!" The ugly-faced alien sneered, but as he entered, he immediately sensed something was off. The dead bodies, the dilapidated base—it all far exceeded his expectations.
The Collector was a figure the ugly alien considered untouchable. Trouble outside Knowhere was one thing, but seeing the Collector's base in ruins made him question if Ronan and the Kree were truly that powerful.
"What happened here? Are you looting the Collector's stash?" The ugly alien quickly realized what was happening. He saw Drax and others stuffing items into bags, and greed flashed in his eyes.
After all, the 4 billion bounty might be lost, but nothing stopped them from stealing the Collector's treasures.
"I suggest you stop and hand them over. If the Collector comes back, you'll regret it," the ugly alien said, signaling his fellow Ravagers while glaring at Star-Lord.
"Alright, cut the crap. I know you too well. If you want to rob us, just do it. The Collector's not coming back!" Star-Lord scoffed. Rocket Raccoon raised his weapon, pointing it at the ugly alien, and the tension escalated immediately.
"Peter, where's the Orb?" Yondu's voice came as he entered the room, stepping in front of the ugly-faced alien's line of fire and facing Star-Lord.
"The Collector took it. And don't worry, I didn't get the 4 billion either, so I'm just trying to salvage what I can here…" Star-Lord explained briefly, his expression softening a little.
"The Collector took the Orb?" Yondu's face darkened. "What the hell happened here?"
"Ronan and his Kree soldiers are dead. The Collector ran. The Orb is way out of our league. If you want to make up for the loss, scavenging Knowhere for loot might help. A lot of people died here, so there's plenty to pick up. But as for the Collector's stuff, that's ours—don't even think about touching it," Star-Lord warned Yondu and the ugly alien.
"I see. Let's go! We're pulling out!" Yondu ordered decisively. If Ronan and his Kree forces were dead, he knew this was no place for the Ravagers to get involved. Star-Lord was warning him to leave while they could, or else they'd get tangled up in bigger trouble—trouble like the Kree Empire.
"Boss! What do you mean by that?!" The ugly alien roared in fury, pointing his gun at Yondu's head.
Several other Ravagers followed suit, weapons raised, ready to rebel. They had clearly thrown their lot in with the ugly alien.
"Whistle!"
Before the ugly alien could fire, a sharp whistle cut through the air. Yondu's Yaka arrow shot out, faster than a laser, slicing through the heads of the ugly alien and the traitorous Ravagers in a blur.
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
One by one, the Ravagers' bodies collapsed to the ground. Even Rocket Raccoon was shocked at how decisively Yondu had killed his own men, though the ugly alien had clearly been planning a mutiny.
"The matter of the Orb ends here. It's beyond our reach. Now, you've got two choices: stay here and scavenge what's left, or leave with me before the Kree Empire's army arrives!" Yondu said firmly, looking at Kraglin and
the remaining loyal Ravagers.
"Boss, I'm with you! This place is too dangerous!" Kraglin quickly stepped up, pledging his loyalty once more.
"Alright, then let's move out!" Yondu nodded in satisfaction. He gave Star-Lord a look, and Star-Lord responded with a gesture, signaling they'd be in touch. With that, Yondu and his crew turned and left the Collector's base.
For Star-Lord and his team, the appearance of the ugly alien and his group had only slightly slowed their scavenging. Beyond that, it had no real impact. But for Yondu, the incident had shifted internal tensions outward and rid him of the rebellious Ravagers, ensuring the crew's stability for the near future.
Shortly after Yondu's departure, Star-Lord and the others finished looting the Collector's stash and quickly left Knowhere, worried that the Kree army might arrive soon.
Back in the barren star system, despite the passage of time, the Power Stone's energy remained undiminished. However, the Collector couldn't hold out any longer. The energy bestowed upon him by the stone had been exhausted, and now, overusing it had triggered a backlash.
Just like the Reality Stone's backlash, the Collector's life force was rapidly draining. Despite his near-immortal nature, he couldn't hold on much longer.
"Already giving up?" Robert sensed the Collector's weakening aura and let his Ki blast dissipate.
"Spare me…" Seeing the Ki blast vanish, the Collector thought he saw a glimmer of hope and quickly sent a desperate plea to Robert.
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