The next moment, Kaecilius reluctantly opened a massive fiery portal, large enough to accommodate the Guardians of the Galaxy's spaceship with ease. With the advanced Sovereign technology and the successful scan of the Guardians' ship, Tony Stark's attention was no longer fixed on their spacecraft.
"This kind of power truly feels like a miracle!" Rocket Raccoon marveled at the gigantic fiery portal, momentarily overwhelmed by awe.
From Rocket's perspective, this terrifying spatial magic was undoubtedly one of the most strategic abilities in the universe. With such a portal, sorcerers could infiltrate an enemy's home, teleport their allies in, and launch a devastating surprise attack that could decisively turn the tide of any battle.
Rocket's strategic insight wasn't misplaced. Though fiery portals hadn't been used this way, the Asgardian Bifrost, which shared similar capabilities, had more than once been used to ambush and defeat powerful foes through spatial manipulation.
Using the fiery portal, the Guardians' ship first made its way to Oa and then headed toward Sovereign space. At this point, their ship was detected by the Sovereign people and monitored by the forces of a mysterious man.
When the man realized the Avengers weren't aboard the Guardians' ship, he was momentarily intrigued. He had long been obsessed with capturing Rocket Raccoon. Ever since Rocket had escaped his clutches, it had become a fixation for him, a knot he was desperate to untie.
However, he couldn't quite understand why the Guardians of the Galaxy dared to confront the Sovereign people on their home turf. Did the Guardians genuinely believe the Sovereign lacked the means to defend themselves?
"I need to be cautious," he decided. "From the intel I've gathered, the Guardians and the Avengers aren't closely allied. If I can pinpoint the Guardians' location, capturing Rocket shouldn't be too difficult." Though tempted, he restrained his emotions and made a calculated decision.
Unaware that an old foe was watching them, the Guardians were in high spirits. Their last departure from the Sovereign planet had been a humiliating retreat, despite the fact that they had destroyed several Sovereign ships. This time, however, returning with Kaecilius gave them a sense of triumph. Nebula, in particular, was already fantasizing about how to torment the arrogant Sovereign people and teach them a lesson.
Nearby, Star-Lord was trying to ingratiate himself with Kaecilius, envying his magical abilities. He imagined that if he could contact Kaecilius in the future, he'd never have to endure another desperate chase like the one they'd experienced at the hands of the Sovereign.
"Sorry, I don't have the time," Kaecilius replied bluntly. "If you have a problem, contact the Avengers. We generally avoid getting involved in mundane affairs, let alone interstellar matters."
Kaecilius wasn't interested in deepening ties with the Guardians or involving himself in cosmic conflicts. With dimensional threats, Earth's problems, and their frequent collaborations with the Avengers, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were already stretched thin. Getting entangled with Star-Lord would be a step too far.
"Alright, we're here at Sovereign. You can summon the Avengers now," Star-Lord said, trying to mask his disappointment as he pointed toward the planet ahead.
Although the Guardians' ship had long been detected by the Sovereign, they had no response. In truth, they lacked the capability to retaliate. Their previous aggressive military buildup had drained their resources to the point of collapse. They couldn't even field a fleet to counter the Guardians' ship. Most of their weapons had been dismantled and repurposed for materials in their drone fleet, leaving them defenseless apart from the three ships captured by the Avengers, which were now entirely out of their control.
With a soft whooshing sound, Kaecilius opened another fiery portal as Star-Lord spoke. The Avengers stepped through, led by Mobius, whose fury hadn't yet subsided. His eyes glinted coldly as he gazed toward Sovereign.
"They all came!" The Sovereign people monitoring the ship were stunned as they identified the Avengers aboard. Their sudden appearance beyond Earth had already left the Sovereign shocked, but now, seeing them directly teleport to their doorstep, the Sovereign were overwhelmed by a deep sense of foreboding.
"Where did these sorcerers even come from? Why didn't I hear about them when I visited Earth?" The mysterious man, known as the High Evolutionary, silently observed from the shadows. He felt a surge of relief for not acting rashly but also frustration at his ignorance.
The High Evolutionary, once a scientist of exceptional intelligence, had become obsessed with evolutionary biology. He believed that all life's genetic codes could be perfected to create the ultimate being. His experiments had not only produced Rocket Raccoon but also the entire Sovereign civilization. In some ways, the High Evolutionary had accomplished feats rivaling the Celestials.
His interest in Earth stemmed from its unique genetic diversity. He had even constructed a miniature solar system with a Counter-Earth to replicate Earth's evolutionary path. Although he initially wanted to place Counter-Earth within the solar system, concerns about Earth's growing interstellar capabilities had driven him to establish it elsewhere.
Over time, however, the High Evolutionary had grown increasingly wary of Earth. The rapid advancements of the Avengers and the frequent occurrence of supernatural events baffled him, making him reluctant to provoke the planet. Yet, he had been drawn back into the fold by the Sovereign's desperate plea for help.
Unaware of the High Evolutionary's scrutiny, the Avengers had already landed on Sovereign. Lacking the resources to operate their defenses or even manage docking facilities, the Sovereign could only watch helplessly as the Guardians' ship descended unimpeded.
"Wait, this is Sovereign? Are we sure we're in the right place?" Star-Lord muttered in disbelief as he stepped off the ship. The once-glistening golden architecture of Sovereign was now dull and dilapidated. A timid Sovereign citizen nearby, whose skin had lost its radiant gold hue, further fueled his confusion. "Did we miss the memo? Did someone already raid Sovereign before us?"
"It sure looks like it. Who could've gotten here so fast? Or maybe... the Sovereign did this to themselves?" Rocket speculated, recalling the planet's previous splendor.
As the Guardians debated, a Sovereign representative stepped forward and called out to them. "Guardians of the Galaxy, we admit defeat this time. Please, spare us."
The Sovereign, still reeling from their loss, were more inclined to negotiate with the Avengers, but lacking any direct contact, they reluctantly addressed the Guardians instead.
"Well, look who learned their lesson after hitting rock bottom," Star-Lord quipped with a smirk.
The Sovereign representative hesitated but finally spoke. "We were wrong, but as you can see, our planet has been stripped bare. Please, show mercy."
"Hah! Now you beg for forgiveness?" Nebula sneered. "Wasn't it you who kept hunting us down?"
"If you hadn't stolen our energy batteries, would we have chased you?" the Sovereign representative snapped, his tone embittered. "We hired you to guard our batteries and paid you handsomely, yet you stole a third of our reserves!"
The Avengers turned to Star-Lord, their expressions shifting. They didn't condone such actions, even against enemies.
"Uh... it's complicated," Star-Lord stammered, avoiding their gazes.
Nebula, however, stood her ground. "If you hadn't looked down on us and mocked us at every turn, we wouldn't have taken your batteries!"
Tony Stark stepped in, cutting off the escalating argument. "Enough. Let's focus on what matters. You attacked Earth and endangered countless lives. Care to explain?"
Faced with Stark's question, the Sovereign had no rebuttal. Their earlier recklessness now left them defenseless against the Avengers' judgment.
"And what about your planet? Why is it in such ruins?" Stark pressed.
"We used up everything chasing the Guardians," the Sovereign replied bitterly. "We built our fleet with all our resources, and now it's all destroyed..."
The Avengers exchanged bewildered glances. This level of recklessness and lack of foresight was almost too absurd to believe. Was it possible for an advanced civilization to be this... foolish?
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