"Boom!" Explosions echoed across the skies of Xandar as ships turned into burning wreckage, crashing down onto the planet's surface, destroying its once-beautiful environment. But the devastation of the planet's environment was hardly the main concern of the war. More troubling were the ships being destroyed along with the Nova Corps soldiers inside them.
Despite the absurdity of the Nova Corps' battle tactics, watching life after life sacrificed in front of them affected Star-Lord and his team. These soldiers were dying to protect their planet, and regardless of how ineffective their strategy seemed, they were the heroes of Xandar, the only hope for the survival of its people.
"If we can, we should help. My ship may not have top-tier firepower, but it's agile. We might not stop the Kree battleships' firepower, but we could at least distract them," Star-Lord suggested to Nova Prime after watching the battle for a while, uncertain of when Robert would arrive.
"You only have one ship, and it would be too dangerous..." Nova Prime paused, not convinced that a single ship could make much difference. The Kree Empire didn't just have one battleship; if they did, the Nova Corps wouldn't be suffering such high casualties.
Star-Lord and his team thought the Nova Corps' fighting style was ridiculous, but they didn't know that this same strategy had saved Xandar from countless interstellar wars. The problem this time was that the Kree's attack was simply too overwhelming, far beyond what the Nova Corps were equipped to handle. This highlighted the gap between interstellar civilizations.
Against the formidable Kree battleships, regular starships had little effect. Even if Star-Lord's ship were loaded with heavy firepower and fired endlessly, the Kree ships wouldn't sustain even a scratch. In fact, just being noticed by the Kree battleships would be a death sentence for Star-Lord's ship.
"Your Majesty, it's not just Star-Lord who wants to help. Many of Xandar's citizens have contacted us, asking to assist in the fight. This is their home, after all…" the squad leader cautiously reported to Nova Prime.
The squad leader wasn't exaggerating. After seeing the Nova Corps' sacrifices, many residents of Xandar wanted to fight back. They preferred dying in battle over waiting helplessly for death.
Not everyone was trying to escape, either. Those who had intended to flee had done so as soon as the Kree ships arrived, and many of them had likely already become cosmic dust.
"If people want to fight, let them. But remind them: if they aren't making a difference, they should try to escape. The Kree may not bother to stop them. Anyone who gets away is a victory," Nova Prime sighed before issuing her command.
"You're no exception either. I don't care if you're truly here to help or just looking for a chance to escape. If the Kree don't notice you, feel free to flee. Just promise me that if you do, you'll spread the word of what happens here. I don't want the Nova Corps' sacrifice to be forgotten, leaving us to vanish with Xandar."
"Don't worry, we're not going anywhere," Star-Lord said confidently. "As long as the Nova Corps can hold out a little longer, victory will be ours! Xandar and the Nova Corps will win!"
"Let's hope so," Nova Prime said, her expression softening slightly at Star-Lord's confidence. She gazed at the ongoing battle with a mix of hope and resignation. "If possible, I want the people of Xandar to remember those who sacrificed everything for them…"
"They will!" Star-Lord replied before nodding to his team. With a quick exchange of looks, they headed back to their ship.
"Are we really going to attack those monsters?" Nebula asked as they flew toward the massive Kree battleships, her face showing hesitation as she glanced at the imposing ships, even larger than Thanos' own.
"Are we going to let regular people outdo us? It's just the Kree Empire. Let's do this!" Star-Lord took a deep breath, determination flashing in his eyes as he noticed the civilian ships following them into the skies.
"Do it! Do it!" Drax shouted enthusiastically.
"Yeah! We'll show them! So what if it's the Kree? Big deal!" Rocket Raccoon added, excitement in his voice. "Let me handle the flying. I'll show you what real piloting skills are!"
"Do we have enough firepower for this? Maybe I should take the auxiliary ship to provide extra support," Gamora asked, her brow furrowing as she examined their weapons systems.
"It's more than enough! This ship is the result of all my hard work," Star-Lord boasted proudly. "I got this ship from Yondu, and it wasn't cheap…"
"Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!"
Before Star-Lord's ship even fired a shot, civilian ships had already opened fire, unleashing a barrage of energy blasts at the Kree battleships in the sky.
Unlike Star-Lord and his crew, who couldn't bear to watch the Nova Corps fall, these civilians were defending their home in their own way.
Even though the Kree Empire was one of the most powerful forces in the universe, that didn't give them the right to invade and destroy Xandar. The people of Xandar weren't about to give up without a fight—whether they were Nova Corps soldiers or ordinary citizens.
"Buzz!" Unfortunately, despite the overwhelming barrage, the Kree battleships remained unscathed. A powerful energy shield blocked every attack, and it was clear from a single glance that this shield was far stronger than the one protecting the Nova Corps ships.
"They're tough, I'll give them that. Don't waste our firepower. Try to find a weak spot in the shields," Rocket Raccoon muttered as he piloted the ship, expertly maneuvering around the Kree battleships while analyzing their shields.
The surrounding ships continued to fire, but even as they realized their attacks were ineffective, they didn't stop. They knew they couldn't do much damage, but they hoped to at least drain the Kree's shields or buy time for others.
This constant barrage gave Rocket Raccoon the opportunity he needed to study the shield's pattern.
"Hey! When are we going to start shooting? We've been circling these ships forever!" Gamora asked, impatient with the delay.
"Hold on! Wait for my signal. Don't miss your shot!" Rocket was completely focused, eyes fixed on the Kree battleship's energy shield. After a few tense moments, he adjusted the ship's trajectory. "Now! Aim for the second turret on the lower left! Fire!"
"Whiz!"
"Boom!"
At Rocket's command, Star-Lord and the team unleashed a barrage of energy rounds, targeting the weak point in the shield. This time, their shots went through, hitting the turret directly.
Amid the explosions, smoke and debris filled the air, but as it cleared, Star-Lord and the others were shocked to see that the turret wasn't seriously damaged. Worse, it quickly retracted, and a new turret replaced it, making their efforts seem pointless.
Though their attack hadn't been completely ineffective, it had successfully drawn the Kree's attention. The Kree battleship's scanners locked onto Star-Lord's ship, identifying the crew members.
"It's them! The suspected killers of Ronan! Send ships to capture them!" The Kree commander's eyes gleamed as he issued the order. "Even if we don't know how they did it, we'll bring them back to stand trial and avenge Ronan!"
"Yes, sir!" his subordinates responded, and a swarm of Kree fighters launched from the massive battleships, heading straight for Star-Lord's ship.
"Shit! We only fired one shot! Is it really necessary to send this many ships after us?" Star-Lord cursed, firing back as he shouted at Rocket. "We can't take them head-on! Retreat while firing!"
"Or maybe... they've recognized us as the ones responsible for Ronan's death?" Nebula said, her eyes flashing as she reminded the group of their situation. "Remember, they said they were looking for Ronan's killers."
"Wasn't Ronan killed by the Saiyan? Why are they after us?" Drax asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"From the Kree Empire's perspective, they don't know the Saiyan exists. As far as they're concerned, Ronan was chasing us for the Power Stone when he died. So not only are we the prime suspects, but we're also thought to be in possession of the Power Stone. It's no wonder they're targeting us," Gamora said, shaking her head as she took down one of the incoming ships.
"Looks like things aren't going well for you guys," Robert's voice suddenly chimed in. His figure appeared inside the ship, a smile on his face as he glanced at the Kree ships chasing them.
"Saiyan! You're finally here! It's not just us in trouble. Xandar can't hold out much longer. The Nova Corps are taking heavy losses, and we couldn't just stand by and do nothing," Star-Lord said, relieved by Robert's arrival.
"Mm. The Kree are still scanning your ship, which means they're monitoring your every move. But don't worry, this war is about to end," Robert said, his eyes glinting as he looked toward the Kree battleships. It was as if his gaze pierced through space, locking eyes with the Kree commander across the vast distance.
"Is that the Saiyan? He's the one who killed Ron
an?" The Kree commander felt a chill run down his spine as Robert's image appeared on his screen, his instinct screaming that something was terribly wrong.
"Boom!" At that moment, Robert's figure vanished from the screen, and terrifying explosions erupted outside the Kree ships.
"Commander! Seventy-nine of the eighty fighters we deployed were destroyed simultaneously!" The AI onboard the Kree flagship reported, its tone urgent, causing the commander to break out in a cold sweat.
"Destroyed… simultaneously?" the commander repeated in disbelief.
"Boom!" Before he could get an answer, the entire battleship shook violently, causing the commander to spring to his feet.
"Huh? Pretty sturdy, aren't you? Tougher than Ronan's ship, it seems. Then again, Ronan's ship didn't have time to activate its shield. I must admit, this shield is quite something," Robert said, admiring the Kree battleship's resilience after his attack failed to destroy it outright.
"Whiz!" But instead of launching another attack on the flagship, Robert redirected his energy blast toward a nearby Kree battleship.
As for the flagship, Robert decided to leave it intact. After all, he wasn't just here for a fight—he needed a souvenir from his trip through the universe. He couldn't return with just the Power Stone for research, could he?
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