[On the ground, Yondu, having survived the crash, calmly bent down, picked up his little frog figurine, and placed it back in his coat pocket.]
["Yondu Udonta! Order your men to fire on the Nova Corps!"]
[Yondu turned to see a squad of Sakaaran soldiers aiming their rifles at him.]
[Slowly, Yondu reached into his coat, his hand hovering over the Yaka Arrow controller on his belt. He let out a soft, low whistle, and the crimson arrow lifted from its sheath, hovering and spinning in the air beside him.]
[The Sakaarans, having never seen such a weapon, were baffled. One of them barked a question at Yondu in their native tongue, asking what he was doing.]
[Yondu didn't answer, letting the note of his whistle hang in the air.]
[A Sakaaran soldier roared, "Enough of your tricks, Ravager! Prepare to die!"]
[The instant he finished speaking, the pitch of Yondu's whistle sharpened. The Yaka Arrow shot forward, a red blur that pierced the soldier's heart before he could even register what happened.]
[In a flash of lethal grace, the arrow tore through the heart of every Sakaaran on the ground before rocketing into the air toward a hovering Necrocraft.]
[With a soft thump, the arrow punched effortlessly through the ship's cockpit, impaling the pilot before exiting the other side to continue its deadly dance among the remaining soldiers on the ground.]
[When the last enemy fell, Yondu stretched out his hand. The arrow returned, settling gently in his palm. He slid it back into its holster as the bodies of the Sakaarans collapsed in unison and the pilotless Necrocraft crashed to the ground behind him.]
"Whoa… That thing is insane," Peter Parker from another universe exclaimed, his eyes wide. "It's like a cheat code for clearing out a battlefield. I'm not even sure my spider-sense could keep up with that."
"It's incredibly sharp," Gwen observed from his side. "The material must be unique. It went through that ship's hull like it was nothing. I wonder if that suit Tony gave you could block it?"
After the battle against the Elementals, Peter had been working tirelessly. He'd even returned to his own universe wearing the advanced suit Tony had built for him. Though he'd lost his connection to JARVIS, Peter had managed to recalibrate most of the armor's functions, and studying Stark's work had given him a wealth of new ideas.
"I wouldn't bet on it," Peter admitted, shaking his head. "The Spider-Armor Model 15 is mostly advanced nano-polymers. It's light and versatile, but it sacrifices some of the raw defensive power of Tony's usual gold-titanium alloys. It's great for adding modular gear, like the multi-particle cannons, but a direct hit from something that sharp? Probably not."
He watched Yondu on the screen and chuckled, changing the subject. "But man, for a tough-as-nails space pirate, he sure loves his little toys. I guess it's true what they say: a guy never really grows up, no matter what planet he's from."
[Meanwhile, the Dark Aster was still locked in a brutal struggle with the Nova Corps fleet.]
[Nebula's arm, twisted at an unnatural angle from Gamora's attack, suddenly twitched. With a series of sickening clicks and whirs, her cybernetic body began to repair itself. Dislocated joints snapped back into place, and her mangled facial plates reformed.]
[Gamora rushed into the chamber just as Nebula rose to her feet.]
["Nebula, please!" Gamora pleaded, not wanting this fight.]
[Her plea was met with a snarl. Nebula swung her twin blades, and Gamora dodged, sidestepping behind her sister and landing a sharp elbow strike that sent Nebula stumbling to her knees.]
[Ignoring her, Gamora rushed to the power system, grabbing the control valve to disable the blast door.]
[Enraged, the half-kneeling Nebula slammed her hands together, and her short blades connected to form a double-ended electro-staff that crackled with energy.]
[Just as Gamora was about to destroy the power unit, Nebula lunged, striking her with the electrified staff. The shock sent shudders through Gamora's body, forcing her to back away. Nebula pressed the attack, her face a mask of fury, driving Gamora back with a furious combo that ended with a hard kick to the abdomen.]
[At the same time, Ronan, watching the Nova Corps shield holding firm against his ship, finally lost his patience.]
["I have had enough of this! Necrocraft pilots, break formation! Destroy their city!"]
[A large squadron of Necrocraft immediately peeled away from the main battle and dove toward the city below.]
["They're bombing civilians! Corpsman Saal, should we break the net?" an officer asked.]
["No!" Saal commanded, his voice firm. "Hold the line!"]
[Saal knew that if the Dark Aster reached the ground, all was lost. The Necrocraft could inflict damage, but they couldn't wipe out the entire planet. His decision would cost lives, but it was their only hope.]
[As the Necrocraft began their attack runs, panicked citizens fled through the streets.]
[From the command center, Nova Prime watched the red trails of enemy fire descend upon her city, her heart sinking.]
[On a bridge packed with fleeing people, Rhomann Dey's wife clutched their daughter, running for their lives. But you can't outrun a starship. Seeing a Necrocraft dive straight for them, she could do nothing but shield her child with her body and wait for the end.]
[At the last possible second, a hail of cannon fire shredded the Necrocraft, blowing it to pieces. The explosion saved the mother and daughter, along with everyone else on the bridge.]
[Rocket's souped-up Ravager ship zipped past. "Keep Ronan busy up there! Saal! We'll handle civilian protection down here!"]
[Saal watched the ship go, muttering to himself, "I can't believe I'm taking orders from a hamster."]
"So it was him… Rocket saved them," Rhomann Dey whispered in the viewing room, a wave of profound gratitude washing over him as he realized who had saved his family.
Far away, in the chaotic aftermath of the battle over Knowhere, Nebula and Carina hid in a secluded asteroid hangar. Carina watched with a mixture of fear and fascination as Nebula's cybernetic body continued its self-repair protocols. Noticing her stare, Nebula shot her a vicious glare before turning her attention back to the viewscreen, which showed the ongoing battle between the golden Sovereign fleet and Thanos's remaining forces.
Just as the two fleets were locked in their deadly exchange, a new player entered the field. A pristine, white, egg-shaped ship drifted silently into the warzone.
Aboard the ship, a being known as Ego looked upon the chaos with a frown of annoyance. Then, without warning, his ship unleashed tendrils of crackling blue energy, attacking both fleets simultaneously.
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