The threat of Thanos loomed over the galaxy like a gathering storm, yet on the bridge of the Plumbers' new flagship, Ben was in no particular hurry. The Accuser fleet and Thanos are bearing down on Xandar, not Sakaar. He could afford to wait, to let the notoriously arrogant Nova Corps feel the pressure and fall into disarray while he finalized his own preparations.
According to intel, Brunnhilde should be arriving at Klyntar any day now, he mused. While the Andromeda galaxy was a vast distance away, the network of wormhole gates surrounding Sakaar made the journey manageable.
Over the past few days, Beta Ray Bill had worked tirelessly, overseeing the preliminary refit of the colossal Korbinite refugee ship. While some sections still bore the rough-hewn look of a rush job, it was operational. Ben had taken the time to give it a final, personal touch. As Upgrade, he had merged his Galvanic Mechamorph body with the vessel's hull, and under his influence, even the most minor flaws and structural imperfections melted away. The ship's systems integrated seamlessly, its power flowing more efficiently than ever before. It was difficult for Upgrade to conjure advanced technology from a pile of scrap, but when enhancing an object that was already a technological marvel, the process was almost effortless.
The vessel that had once belonged to the Korbinite people now belonged to the Plumbers.
Beta Ray Bill remained its guardian and chief commander. The army he led was a formidable mix of his own Korbinite warriors and the hardened gladiators who had survived Sakaar's arena. In terms of sheer combat experience, they were arguably the most powerful fighting force on the planet.
With the flagship complete, the newly recruited Plumber operatives began to board, finding their posts and performing their duties under Bill's steady command. Among them was Nebula. With most of her body now restored to its original flesh and blood, she wore the black and green Plumber uniform with a quiet dignity. As the former daughter of Thanos, her knowledge of his armies was invaluable. She had even crossed paths with Ronan during her years as a space pirate. Now, she would serve as Bill's chief strategist, helping him devise countermeasures against the Black Order and the Accusers.
At that moment, Ben, Bill, and Nebula were gathered around the holographic command table, debating their next move. Should they wait for Brunnhilde to return with the symbiotes, or depart now and rendezvous with her later?
Ben was in favor of the former. "We can activate the ship's stealth systems once we're underway. As long as we don't get too close to Xandar's system, we shouldn't be discovered."
Their strategic discussion was abruptly shattered as Star-Lord burst onto the bridge, his face pale with panic.
"Ben! We have a problem! A major, green-skinned, running-away-at-light-speed kind of problem!"
The words had an immediate effect on Nebula. Her head snapped up, her eyes flashing as she shot to her feet. In an instant, she had crossed the bridge and seized Star-Lord by the collar of his jacket, lifting him clean off the floor with a display of strength that made him yelp.
"What did you say?" she snarled, her voice a low growl. "She couldn't have escaped!"
Nebula had been there when they'd tried to reason with Gamora. She had taunted her sister, declaring her own allegiance to their cause with a defiant, "You are my family, so I must help you!" But Gamora, though hesitant, had not dared to openly defy Thanos. To her, Ben and his allies were still the enemy, and her relationship with them was nothing like Nebula. She wouldn't take the same risks.
So, while Ben had freed Nebula and even Star-Lord, Gamora had remained a prisoner. And now, she had somehow escaped? Nebula found it impossible to accept.
Just then, an alert flashed across the main viewscreen. An Sakaarian transport had launched without clearance and was racing towards the shimmering portal of the 'Holy Gate' in high orbit.
Nebula knew instantly. It was Gamora.
She cannot be allowed to leave Sakaar! The thought screamed through her mind. Whether it was because of her own bitter history with her sister or the very real fear that Gamora would leak their plans, she had to be stopped.
Dropping Star-Lord in a heap, Nebula lunged for the control console. "Patch me through to that ship!" she yelled at the comms officer. "Stop immediately, or you will be—"
Before she could finish her threat, a calm hand reached out and terminated the connection. She spun around to see Ben standing beside her, shaking his head slowly.
"Ben…" Nebula began, her voice a mixture of confusion and frustration. "We can't let her go! If she tells our father about our plans…"
"Don't worry," Ben said, gently guiding her back toward the command table. "I let her go on purpose."
Bill watched from the side, his expression puzzled but his trust in Ben unwavering. My intellect is not suited for this, he thought. I will not try to guess his reasoning.
"Why?" Nebula demanded, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Gamora knows nothing of value," Ben explained patiently. "All she knows is that we plan to join forces with the Nova Corps to fight Thanos. By the time she reaches his fleet, the war on Xandar will have already begun. Her information will be useless."
"Even so, there was no need to let her go!" Nebula insisted. They had finally captured the deadliest woman in the galaxy, only to let her walk free. "She's an assassin. If she returns to Father's side, more of our people will die."
"Exactly," Ben said, his gaze locking with hers. "Which is why this time, you have to be the one to defeat her."
Nebula stood frozen, the meaning of his words slowly dawning on her. He had done this… for her. So that she could finally confront the shadow that had loomed over her entire life. She was touched, but the old, familiar fear crept back in.
"What if I lose?" she whispered, her voice laced with a lifetime of self-doubt.
"If you are about to lose," Ben said, as if stating the most obvious fact in the universe, "then you protect your own life, retreat, and you fight her again next time."
"From childhood to now," she said, her voice hollow as she looked down at her hands—hands that were finally her own again. "I've never won. Not once."
Ben placed a hand on her shoulder. "That was then. This is now," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "The Nebula of the past was a daughter of Thanos. The woman standing here today is Nebula of the Plumbers."
She looked up, speechless, a whirlwind of emotions churning within her. Ben had orchestrated this entire "unnecessary" event just to give her a chance to break free from her past. The weight of his faith in her was heavier than any burden she had ever carried. She lowered her head, her silence her only reply.
And on Xandar, the war had already begun.
Facing the assembled might of the Nova Corps, Thanos did not unleash the power of the fake Infinity Stone. He did not even deign to take action himself. In his mind, using such power against Xandar would be a waste. He would save that for a worthy opponent, and that opponent was not here.
But the Black Order and the Accuser fleet needed no such motivation.
The ensuing star war was a spectacle of violence far exceeding the invasion of Earth. A tide of Chitauri soldiers poured from their Leviathans, swarming the golden ships of the Nova Corps. Countless more surrounded the planet itself, a blockade of living death. This was not the small advance team that had attacked New York; save for their Queen, this was the bulk of the Chitauri race.
On the bridge of the Sanctuary II, Thanos watched the destruction unfold with cold indifference. In his grand design, the fall of Xandar was merely the prelude.
The next target would be Sakaar. And when his fleet arrived, they would come without pause. The infinite power of the true Power Stone would tear through the shield generated by the Space Stone, and he would bring death and destruction to Ben Parker's home.
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