As a close opponent of the Kree Empire, the Nova Corps had a thorough understanding of them. They knew all too well just how influential Ronan was within the Kree, both in official capacity and in public opinion. This was evident from the fact that despite Ronan's massacres of numerous planetary civilizations, he had not been expelled from the Kree Empire. He had even caused the collapse of a peace treaty between the Kree and Nova Empire, yet he faced no punishment, nor had the Kree recalled him for trial. This demonstrated the immense power and influence Ronan wielded.
But now, Ronan was dead. Moreover, the people responsible for killing him were directly tied to Star-Lord and his group, who had shown up on Xandar. This escalated the already tense situation, as the Nova Empire feared the Kree Empire would immediately declare war upon learning of Ronan's death.
While the Nova Empire had talked about the possibility of war with the Kree, it was more out of necessity than choice. The Nova Empire was keen to avoid conflict, evident when they eagerly accepted the Kree's peace treaty offer. In reality, the Nova Empire knew full well that if war broke out, they would stand no chance against the Kree. Their technology was defensive in nature, with little offensive capability. Hence, they greatly feared what might come next.
The news brought by Star-Lord and his team placed immense pressure on the Nova Empire. Nova Prime herself was deeply concerned, so much so that she briefly considered expelling Star-Lord and his crew from Xandar, despite their criminal records having been wiped clean.
"There's no need to be so scared. Isn't Ronan's death good news for the entire universe?" Star-Lord shrugged as he saw Nova Prime's reaction. He and his companions had once thought that the Nova Empire could stand up to Ronan. Now, it was clear that they were weaker than expected. With a leader so hesitant and lacking in courage, how could they hope to confront the Kree Empire?
"Good news? Ronan was merely the figurehead of the Kree's war faction. His death changes little. What's more important is that his death will provoke the war faction. The Kree Empire will likely mobilize for war, and the opportunity for peace will vanish!" Nova Prime glared at Star-Lord, her voice heavy with frustration, as if blaming him for not understanding the gravity of the situation.
"Well, shouldn't you be relieved? Even if Ronan hadn't died, he would have eventually brought war to the Nova Empire!" Nebula interjected coolly. "From the intelligence we've gathered, if Ronan had survived and obtained the Power Stone, his first move would have been to destroy Xandar."
"The Power Stone? Wait! Where is it? If we could get the Power Stone…" Nova Prime's eyes lit up. With Ronan dead, she assumed the Power Stone hadn't fallen into the Kree's hands. There was a good chance it was with Star-Lord's group. If the Nova Empire could harness its energy for technological upgrades, they might have a fighting chance against the Kree.
"Don't bother dreaming. We don't have the Power Stone," Star-Lord dismissed the idea. He hadn't mentioned Robert's involvement or detailed the situation, but he briefly explained the Power Stone's fate. "Even the Collector was in danger after getting his hands on it. If the Nova Empire tried to wield the Power Stone, you wouldn't need to wait for the Kree to invade—your empire would collapse on its own."
"Thanos is collecting the Infinity Stones to fulfill his plan of wiping out half the universe's life," Gamora added, further crushing any ambitions Nova Prime might have had regarding the Power Stone.
As Star-Lord and Gamora explained, it became clear that whether it was the Kree Empire, Thanos, or other unknown forces, the Nova Empire couldn't stand against any of them. Whether they took possession of the Power Stone or not, their fate was sealed.
"Alright, we've given you the news about Ronan. It's time for us to leave," Star-Lord said, turning to Rocket and the others with a smirk. Their visit to Xandar had primarily been to show off and stir up trouble for the Nova Empire. Now that they'd accomplished their goal, there was no reason to stay.
Especially now, with the entire empire on edge. Star-Lord wasn't eager to stick around in a place where every move they made would be under tight scrutiny. It wasn't the best place to spend their newly earned fortune.
"Alert! Alert! A large number of unidentified starships are approaching through the nearest wormhole to Xandar. They are expected to arrive within three minutes!" As Nova Prime and her officers processed Star-Lord's departure, alarms blared throughout the room. Everyone's faces fell, including those of Star-Lord and his crew.
They had come to Xandar just to stir the pot, but now it seemed the Kree Empire had actually launched an attack. The timing couldn't have been worse.
They were certain the invaders were from the Kree Empire. The Nova Empire didn't have many enemies aside from the Kree, and as the alarms blared, the holograms showing the incoming starships displayed clear Kree markings.
"We can't stay here! It's too dangerous now. This is all your fault for wanting to show off on Xandar!" Nebula shot Star-Lord a frustrated look and urged him and the others to leave.
"Yes, yes, it's all my fault. Let's just get out of here!" Star-Lord didn't argue and quickly acknowledged his mistake. Taking advantage of Nova Prime's distraction, the group fled the conference room, intent on leaving Xandar before the situation escalated.
They weren't the only ones trying to escape. Panic had gripped the entire planet, and many were scrambling to board ships and flee.
"Nova Empire, hand over those responsible for Ronan's death, or we will destroy Xandar!" The Kree commander's voice boomed over the planet.
"Wait… do you think they're talking about us?" Star-Lord's expression stiffened as he muttered in disbelief.
"Ha! No way! We didn't kill Ronan. Why would they target us?" Drax laughed heartily, teasing Star-Lord. "Your brain's not working right… Huh? What are you guys doing?"
Before Drax could finish, a squad of Nova Corps soldiers surrounded them. The squad leader spoke sternly, "You're not leaving Xandar."
"What? Are you planning to hand us over to the Kree? Is this the true face of the Nova Empire?" Rocket Raccoon aimed his heavy energy weapon, ready to fight his way out if needed.
"No. Xandar's space has been sealed off. You won't be able to use a wormhole to escape, and trying to fly out will only get you targeted by the Kree's firepower. Your best option is to stay on Xandar and wait for the outcome of our battle with the Kree," the squad leader explained calmly, shaking his head.
"But don't worry. Even if the Kree Empire came because of you, we won't hand you over. You're not criminals of the Nova Empire anymore. Besides, after analyzing the situation, Nova Prime believes that even if we gave you to the Kree, they wouldn't stop their attack. Their war faction's anger over Ronan's death won't be satisfied with just your capture. The only way for the Kree Empire to be appeased is for our civilization to be destroyed."
"Well, at least you're seeing things clearly," Star-Lord sighed, looking at the Nova Corps ships gathering in the sky. "So, we really can't leave? You guys don't have some sort of special transport system?"
"Sorry, no. If the Nova Corps can't stop the Kree fleet, then it won't matter if it's you, us, or even Nova Prime—we'll all be reduced to cosmic dust along with Xandar," the squad leader said with a weary sigh.
"What now, Peter? We need help!" Nebula said urgently, frowning as she turned to Star-Lord. "With the Kree Empire's strength, Xandar won't hold. We're stuck here, so unless we want to die with them, we need the Saiyan to intervene…"
"Cough, cough!" Star-Lord coughed, signaling Nebula to stop talking. The squad leader's eyes lit up at the mention of the Saiyan but quickly pretended he hadn't heard anything.
The squad leader had been sent specifically to keep an eye on Star-Lord's group and to probe whether they had any hidden cards to play—such as Robert. If they could draw out Robert's involvement, it would be a major advantage for the Nova Empire.
As Nebula had pointed out, the Nova Empire couldn't fend off the Kree's forces on their own. When they learned of the impending attack, Nova Prime had quickly realized that Star-Lord's team wasn't as simple as they appeared. After all, if they had managed to survive the encounter with Ronan, they must have had some powerful ally.
Nova Prime had dispatched the squad leader to see if they could uncover that ally. Sure enough, Nebula's words hinted at an ace up their sleeve. However, Star-Lord seemed to have realized this and chose not to immediately contact Robert. He wanted to wait and see how things played out first.
Before long, the squad leader led Star-Lord and his crew back to the conference room, where the battle between the Kree Empire and the Nova Corps was already unfolding on-screen.
The Kree fleet was indeed terrifying, while the Nova Corps ships looked almost laughable in comparison. Star-Lord and his team
were especially confused when they saw the Nova ships combine to form a shield around Xandar, blocking the Kree's bombardment directly.
Though the Nova Corps had the advantage of defending their home planet, they had no capital ships. Their only line of defense was their vast number of small, interconnected ships, forming a barrier to protect Xandar from the Kree's attacks.
The small ships were supposed to be more mobile and ideal for hit-and-run tactics, harassing the Kree fleet and keeping their firepower distracted. But instead of engaging in guerilla warfare, the Nova ships had formed a massive, stationary wall, absorbing the brunt of the Kree's attacks. This strategy left Star-Lord and his team utterly baffled.
As the battle raged, many Nova ships were destroyed, exploding one by one, killing countless Nova Corps soldiers. Nova Prime and the other high-ranking officers watched with reddened eyes and clenched fists, unable to stop the carnage. But the way they were dying seemed far too senseless.
"Has the Nova Empire never fought a war before?" Star-Lord asked after a long silence, his voice dripping with incredulity.
"The Nova Empire has always prioritized peace. We have a vast territory, but we mostly colonize uninhabited planets for resource extraction. We've never launched invasions against other civilizations. Our technology and tactics are all built around defense…" Nova Prime sighed, her voice heavy with sorrow.
"Well, that explains a lot," Star-Lord muttered, tempted to vent his frustration but stopping himself as he watched more Nova soldiers perish in battle. With a heavy heart, he began contacting the Avengers.
Star-Lord didn't have a direct line to Robert, so he had to reach out to the Avengers to pass on the message. Fortunately, Robert was still in contact with the Avengers, and the message eventually made its way to him.
"The Kree Empire? Xandar? Alright, I suppose I'll check it out," Robert said, pocketing the versatile weapon and Power Stone before disappearing from Knowhere.
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