The Nova warship lifted off from K-9852 and headed toward the nearest jump point. Inside the ship, Rowan Mercer stood by the viewport, watching the stars drift past. According to Falren's calculations, even on the fastest route, it would take three full days to reach Xandar.
"Headmaster, take a look at this."
Gamora stepped over and projected a stream of galactic news onto a handheld device. Every major outlet was running the same headline: the Terran ancient god Rowan Mercer had slain Thanos and was now in talks with the Nova Empire.
Rowan skimmed the reports and smiled faintly.
"This trip should go smoothly."
Gamora understood the political undercurrents well. The Nova Empire had deliberately released this information, which meant they were eager to formalize cooperation. That suited Rowan just fine. Nova wanted his reputation as deterrence; he wanted Nova's help pulling Earth into the interstellar age and preparing for large-scale migration.
A clean exchange. No illusions. No hurt feelings.
He had no intention of playing offended over half-ambiguous publicity. Time mattered more. The sooner this was resolved, the sooner he could return to Earth and focus on strengthening himself.
Despite how dramatic things looked, he knew exactly where he stood in the larger picture. In the Marvel cosmos, beings on the single-universe level were common. Multiversal entities weren't rare either, and above them were things that made even gods look small. If he stagnated, one passing cosmic disaster could erase Earth outright.
If people wanted to call him an ancient god, that was fine. It was convenient, intimidating, and far easier to explain than a human wielding this much power.
Three days later, a silver planet filled the viewport.
Unlike the brief cinematic glimpses Rowan remembered, Xandar was surrounded by layers of warships and dense arrays of unfamiliar defensive structures. This was not a time of peace. The war between the Nova Empire and the Kree had not yet ended, and the capital's defenses were set for a real invasion.
In the current climate, Ronan's Dark Aster wouldn't have survived long enough to reach the atmosphere.
"Quite a gap," Rowan muttered, looking at the fleets and thinking of Earth's tanks and artillery.
They weren't even in the same category.
Ironically, Earth was still far more dangerous than most planets out here. Galactic threats destroyed worlds. Earth's crises had a habit of threatening reality itself. Otherwise, he would have left long ago, taken the people he cared about somewhere quiet, and buried himself in magic research.
As Falren had already informed the capital, the moment their ship approached Xandar, the defensive fleets parted in perfect formation, opening a clear corridor straight toward the planet.
Falren stared, barely containing his excitement.
"Thanks to you, Mr. Mercer, this is the first time I've ever received treatment like this."
He wasn't exaggerating. A border patrol captain ranked near the bottom of the military hierarchy. This was the equivalent of a small-town officer being escorted into the imperial palace by honor guards.
Peter and Rocket laughed openly.
"Never thought we'd get this kind of welcome," Peter said.
"Same," Rocket added. "Usually we're running from these guys."
Rowan chuckled. "Get used to it. You'll be dealing with people like this more often from now on."
Xandar had only one city. From orbit, it resembled a massive five-pointed star, elegant and precise. With millions of planets under its rule, the Nova Empire had no need for sprawling urban development. Everything else was either protected land or military infrastructure.
The patrol ship descended toward the Imperial Headquarters, where Nova Prime herself awaited, surrounded by the highest-ranking officials of the Empire.
Three days passed in Xandar.
Rowan experienced what it meant to receive the highest standard of interstellar hospitality. Negotiations were almost laughably smooth. Nova needed his deterrence. He needed Nova's logistical and political support for Earth. Neither side had to give up anything that truly hurt.
The entire agreement took less than an hour.
When they finally departed Xandar, Rowan turned to Peter, now at the helm of the restored Sanctuary II.
"Don't head back to Earth yet. Make a detour to Morag."
Peter blinked. "Morag? That's a dead world. A flooded ruin."
Morag had once been a capital planet of a powerful civilization, erased in a single catastrophe. Now it was submerged under endless oceans, only emerging every few centuries when the waters receded. Salvagers swarmed it during those brief windows. Right now, it should have been nothing but sea and monsters.
"I'm picking something up," Rowan said with a small smile.
He didn't elaborate.
The Power Stone was on Morag. That civilization had been destroyed because it couldn't control it. For Rowan, the ocean and whatever lurked beneath it were little more than scenery.
Since he was already out here, he might as well take it.