"You've been doing interstellar piracy for so long, haven't you thought about quitting? You're also a founding member of the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and you have a few friends over at the Nova Corps, so can't you stop doing this?" Star Lord frowned and said.
To his surprise, Yondu did not vehemently refute this time. He just remained silent for a while, then sighed and said, "You were born on Earth, always with high standards, looking down on us who rob and steal to make a living. But what you don't understand is that not everyone is like those madmen of the Nine Major Kingdoms, not taking the Three Great Empires seriously. You have to know, just a slight move from any of these three empires can crush us tens of thousands of times. They ignore us simply because we're too weak, not a threat to them, and they can raise bandits to make themselves seem like heroes."
Yondu looked at Star Lord and said, "I don't deny that interstellar pirates never have a good end. The day I entered this business, I knew I would eventually turn to dust under the gun muzzle. But I also know that without me, interstellar pirates would still exist all the same. Only then, more people would suffer, do you understand?"
"I'm not saying I'm a saint. It's just that not everyone can grasp the measure within. A small worm can bore through a planet; like us such worms, we may not bite off a piece of others by fighting to the death, but if we manage to act up at a crucial moment, the cosmos could still be overturned."
Star Lord had never heard his adoptive father say such things, and he looked at Yondu in a daze and said, "What do you mean?"
Yondu suddenly laughed and then said, "You really are a silly kid. Since you already know I founded the first Guardians of the Galaxy and have good relations with the Nova Corps, have you never wondered why I became a bandit?"
"So you became a bandit, huh? But I heard you started out as a poacher..."
"That's ancient history," Yondu waved his hand and said, "I was young like you, wanting to do something to change the world. So I formed the Guardians of the Galaxy and worked with the Nova Corps to maintain order in Centaurus. But later, I found out that if only heroes existed, not much could be changed. So rather than letting fools helm the role of the villain, I took it on myself. Hasn't Centaurus been peaceful until now?"
Star Lord opened his mouth; he seemed to understand, yet perhaps he didn't. After thinking for a while, he asked, "What you're saying cannot be changed are the Three Great Empires?"
"You've finally got it right once." Yondu slapped the gun on the table, started adjusting the parts, and said, "In the era when I was born, the Three Great Empires had already established interstellar order; we could not shake or change it. To survive among the cracks, we had to find another route. This is why Centaurus is now the most liberal star system. I can't credit it all to myself, but at least, the plan that I and the Nova Corps devised back then, succeeded."
Star Lord pressed his lips and said, "Do you know about the Half-World?"
"That cosmic psychiatric hospital?"
"Yes, but it's actually an experimental base of the Kree Empire, where the Skrulls might have done some meddling too; Rocket came from there. I heard it was once a nice place, and then the Three Great Empires ruined everything."
"You have to admit, the Three Great Empires have done some good things; the Ring Region was built pretty well by them. But that's just about the only place."
Star Lord couldn't help but start thinking. Is the flourishing interstellar scene he senses just an illusion? Probably not; whether it's the great Kingdoms or the civilizations on the interstellar internet, they all seem to be doing fine.
But is the situation in Half-World fake? Probably not either; the raccoon's a living example. Even if being a regular little animal wouldn't have provided the same freedom as now, those evil and cruel modification processes are painful experiences that cannot be erased. Even though Rocket shows optimism and strength, Star Lord can feel he has never forgotten that hatred.
Star Lord opposes interstellar wars, and though the Guardians of the Galaxy he leads often act as mercenaries, they have never engaged in war-broking activities. They may be partial to Earth, but they have never participated in any invasion wars.
But from Yondu's attitude, such stagnant interstellar order may not necessarily be a good thing. Too many people are dragged in, beyond their control. From Star Lord's self-interest, if the cosmic order were reshuffled, freeing his foster father from the interstellar pirate industry, he might be able to stand by and watch.
After all, he's not exactly a great hero himself. He has his bottom line, but he excels in "out of sight, out of mind." During the multiverse war, he hid on Earth, though the other universes' Guardians of the Galaxy were running amok in the cosmos, he adamantly dragged Rocket, Gamora, and Drax to vacation on Earth.
"Change is coming," Yondu said, "The Three Great Empires might think making a human the councilman buys them time, but they don't understand humanity's greed. Looking at the history of this race, they're like a broken engine, never knowing how to proceed slowly. They won't stop at good enough, overcoming even their fear instinct, just blindly charging ahead, eventually dragging everyone in."
Star Lord took a deep breath and said, "If the Three Great Empires can no longer control the cosmos, can you quit doing this?"
Yondu laughed again and said, "Don't dream. Even if they can't control the cosmos, controlling a star system is still easy for them. The development of Centaurus into what it is today makes it a piece of fat meat in the eyes of the Three Great Empires. The weaker they become, the more they need such places to bleed dry. Your old man can't retire anytime soon!"
Yondu walked out with the gun, and Star Lord sighed deeply and followed him out. But just as they left the tent, the Centurion of the Nova Corps, Rhomann, flew over in a hurry.
"Oh my god, Yondu, why are you still here?!!"
Yondu was taken aback, then said, "If I'm not here, where would I be? In your damn intestines?!"
Star Lord couldn't help but turn away. But Rhomann had no intention of being polite with him; he walked up with a serious face and said, "Don't you ever go online?! Check out the hottest topic in the headlines!!"
Only then did Yondu pull out his phone, and after taking just one glance, he blurted out a curse. Star Lord also picked up his phone to take a look; he only needed one glance for his eyeballs to almost pop out of their sockets.
"Major deficit in the interstellar council, 20 trillion assets used to fund interstellar pirates?!"
"The truth behind the incessant interstellar piracy! It's the origin of cosmic chaos!"
"Astronomical Funding! Interstellar council colludes with outside enemies, colossal tax revenue used to raise bandits!"
Star Lord's brain momentarily couldn't comprehend these words; he recognized the words but didn't know what they meant together. So he looked at Yondu and asked, "What happened? Who's funding you?"
"I'd like to find out myself!" Yondu couldn't help but curse again, "I've been working my ass off diligently for years, just to take care of these hundreds of people under me, and now it turns out I'm funded by the interstellar council?! And 20 trillion! That damn security minister doesn't even shoot that much!"
Star Lord continued to look down and then said, "This doesn't look fake at all; it's said to be revealed by the propaganda minister, who claimed that the Three Great Empires deliberately altered data to cover up the truth and made him take the blame. He had no choice but to reveal it."
"Wouldn't I know if I received any funding?! Besides, if I really got 20 trillion, would we be holed up on this small crappy planet living in tents?! Do they really think I'm like those useless fools in the armed department? If I had that kind of money, I could hammer the whole Star Area!"
Star Lord thought Yondu was bragging, but there was some truth to it. The Ravagers aren't pretending to be poor; they're genuinely broke. Although interstellar piracy is a business with no upfront costs, just robbing trade convoys daily, expenses are high; weapons need replenishing from the black market, and compensation needs to be paid to those who died. Yondu is one of those conscientious bosses who pays bonuses out of his own pocket.
This is precisely why the Ravagers have been able to survive until now. Though Star Lord has always mixed with a bunch of pirates, he feels the Ravagers are more like a big family. After leading the team himself, he realized that building such a team atmosphere definitely requires spending money.
Currently, Star Lord hardly has any money; repairing ships costs money, buying weapons costs money, having Rocket conduct research costs money, and even he and Gamora need to dress decently to represent the Guardians of the Galaxy in social events. It's practically a money-eating bottomless pit.
Star Lord knows how frugal Yondu is; if he weren't so thrifty, life for the Ravager Team would be a thousand times tougher. But precisely because of this, if there really was so much money, Yondu could absolutely spend it wisely. They may not dominate the cosmos, but they could at least carve up Centaurus, and which black market boss wouldn't look at them respectfully? They wouldn't have to cautiously pick up scraps anymore.
"So you didn't get the money? Then where did the money go?" Star Lord asked.
"How the hell should I know!" Yondu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and said, "There's definitely something going on here; I need to find a way to contact some friends in the council..."
"You have friends in the council?!"
"Of course, how else do I escape every time the Security Department cracks down on pirates?!" Yondu turned around and headed back to make contact with an informant. Star Lord was curious, but after glancing at Yondu and then at Rhomann, he ultimately chose to stay and inquire with Rhomann.
"Do you know what's going on, Centurion?"
"Just like your dad said, there should be something amidst this." Rhomann nodded and said, "Compared to politics, interstellar pirates' looting is as clean as a freshly washed towel. Whether it's the Ravagers or the Nova Corps, we've been scapegoats for politics more than once; we're used to it."
Hearing this, Star Lord held back his anger. He walked into the tent and saw Yondu looking serious, speaking to someone in a language he didn't understand. He exited the tent and looked at the slightly shabby tents in the base, feeling even more furious.
Although they are pirates, if they didn't receive the money, they didn't receive it; why frame them for it? And if they actually gave some, it would have been fine; let's at least throw a bone when feeding a dog, right? Judging by the Ravagers' condition, it's likely they haven't received a single cent, but they're shouldering the blame steadily—these politicians deserve to die!
The more Star Lord thought about it, the angrier he got; he directly pulled out his communicator. However, he didn't contact the Guardians of the Galaxy; he contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. Instead. Though he's not a purebred human, having grown up on Earth and having contributed to Earth (the Guardians of the Galaxy have also helped Earth a lot), S.H.I.E.L.D's goodwill towards them is high—he does have some backing!
He directly called Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. At this time, Nick was answering the phone in the standing office of the Security Committee under the interstellar council's Security Department, wearing a suit from head to toe, his bald head shining, his voice resonant as he said to the person on the other end:
"Oh, sorry, Supreme Magician, I have an incoming call; it should be that kid, Star Lord, calling. I'll remind him to cooperate, don't worry. Though he's a bit of a rash person, Yondu's a smart guy; nothing will go wrong."
"If there's time, I'll arrange to meet him and ensure everything is foolproof... Nick smiled and continued, "Yes, Supreme Magician."