"Want a drink?"
Inside the Prime Minister's Palace of Xandar, Ragna swirled a glass of Xandarian Sunfire Wine, watching the golden liquid catch the light.
"Definitely! It's our pleasure!" Peter Quill, better known as Star-Lord, answered immediately.
If the Ruler of the Holy Heavenly Palace was offering drinks instead of death, that had to be a good sign. But why them? What could a cosmic powerhouse like Ragna possibly need? Star-Lord took a sip, mind racing.
"Yondu Udonta," Ragna spoke with a casual smile, shifting his gaze to the blue-skinned Centaurian, "leader of the Ravagers, right? That Yaka Arrow of yours is quite the weapon."
Yondu tensed slightly but nodded. "Ain't many who appreciate its finer qualities."
Ragna's gaze then landed on Gamora, his smile deepening. "And you—Gamora, the Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy. I have a rather good impression of you. So don't be nervous. If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Gamora and Yondu eased up, but only slightly. Star-Lord, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease—though the way he was rapidly downing his drink suggested otherwise.
Ragna leaned forward. "First thing—Yondu, do you know where Ego's planet is?"
Silence.
Yondu's red eyes flicked toward Quill, hesitation evident.
"Ego?" Star-Lord's brows furrowed. "You mean Ego the Living Planet? That guy was once ranked as the seventh-most powerful entity in the known universe! What do you want with him?"
Ragna took another sip of his drink. "I need his assistance with a little research."
Yondu's grip on his drink tightened. He had spent years keeping Peter away from Ego. If Ragna wanted something from the Celestial, it could only mean trouble.
"What's he got to do with me?" Star-Lord asked.
Ragna's eyes glowed with quiet amusement. "Because, Quill—you're his son."
"…What?"
Star-Lord blinked, his mind short-circuiting.
His father was an actual Celestial? One of the most powerful cosmic beings to ever exist? Then why the hell had he been scraping by with the Ravagers all these years?
He barely had time to process before Yondu grumbled, "If you knew the truth, boy, you wouldn't be so happy."
Ragna leaned back. "Yondu, do you know the coordinates?"
Yondu hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah… I know 'em."
"Excellent."
Gamora exchanged a wary glance with Yondu. What exactly did Ragna want with Ego?
"You don't need to worry, Yondu," Ragna reassured him. "I don't intend to harm Quill. In fact, I'm going to make him stronger."
Gamora's skeptical gaze flicked toward Star-Lord. "Him?"
Star-Lord puffed out his chest. "Hey, I do have Celestial blood, y'know."
Ragna smirked but didn't elaborate. Instead, he turned to Gamora.
"Second thing—where is your father, Thanos?"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Even Star-Lord, who had been riding high on his newfound heritage, fell silent.
Gamora's eyes hardened. "He's not my father. Not really."
"That's not what I asked," Ragna said. "Where is he?"
Gamora clenched her fists. "I don't know. I left him. I'm going to stop him."
Ragna studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough. You may go."
Gamora blinked in surprise.
"Your ship was destroyed in the war," Ragna continued. "So I've prepared something better for you. A gift before parting."
Gamora narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
Ragna's smirk returned. "Consider it… an investment."
Outside the palace, Gamora inspected her new ship—a sleek, Kree-tech starfighter, modified with Stark-level thrusters and Shi'ar cloaking systems.
Star-Lord whistled. "Damn. That's some fine tech."
Gamora remained skeptical. "He's up to something."
"C'mon," Star-Lord grinned. "A little Xandarian hospitality never hurt anyone."
Gamora shot him a glare.
"Alright, alright." Star-Lord raised his hands in surrender. "Good luck out there, Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy."
Gamora boarded the ship without another word. The engines roared to life, and in moments, she was gone.
Back inside the Prime Minister's Palace, Ragna sipped his wine as a shadowy figure emerged from the dimly lit corridor.
A metallic voice echoed through the room.
"My Lord, the tracker has been installed in the ship's navigation system. As long as Gamora flies it, we can monitor her every move."
The speaker knelt, revealing herself—Nebula, Gamora's cybernetic sister.
"Excellent," Ragna murmured.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
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