"Report! Our spies confirm that Ronan, Supreme Accuser of the Kree Empire, has departed from Kree Prime aboard his flagship, the Dark Aster!"
"What?"
Dou Jian, the Sword Emperor of the Shi'ar Empire, froze as he read the report.How could that be possible?
If Ronan's Dark Aster had only just left the home port of the Kree Empire,then who was commanding the massive Kree fleet currently bombarding Xandar?
The contradiction was staggering.
Even though the Kree were infamous for their ruthless conquests,they were still one of the Three Great Empires of the Universe — alongside the Shi'ar and the Skrulls.Ronan, for all his brutality, would never openly betray his own people.
And yet… the evidence was clear.The Kree fleet was striking Xandar, while Ronan's flagship had only just launched from Kree Prime.
Dou Jian's eyes narrowed. "Contact the other Accusers of the Kree Empire.Find out whether this attack was sanctioned by their Supreme Intelligence!"
"Yes, Commander!"
The officer saluted and ran off, leaving Dou Jian to stare grimly at the holographic war map.The Nova Corps stationed on Xandar were fighting for their lives,and if help didn't arrive soon, their entire force could be wiped out within a cosmic day.
He opened the comms again."Nova Centurion, hold the line for one day. Reinforcements from the Shi'ar fleet will arrive by then."
"Understood!" came the voice of the Nova commander. "But please hurry, Commander Dou Jian — Xandar can't hold much longer!"
"Affirmative," Dou Jian said curtly, closing the channel."This time… the Shi'ar must intervene."
The Shi'ar Empire's strength had always come from its discipline and adaptability.While the Kree and Skrulls exhausted themselves in endless wars,the Shi'ar quietly expanded — building fleets, colonies, and influence throughout the galaxy.
Now, with Xandar under siege, Dou Jian mobilized his armada.
Fifty thousand soldiers.One mothership. Thirty Star Destroyers. One hundred warships.Countless dropships and escort craft.
If this attack was not sanctioned by the Kree government,then Ronan — or whatever was controlling him — would soon be crushed.
"Prepare for warp!"
But before the Shi'ar fleet could jump, the comms crackled again—
BOOM!!!
A deafening roar echoed across the stars.
From orbit above Xandar, hundreds of Kree warships unleashed their bombardment.Blazing torrents of plasma and antimatter rained down through the atmosphere,lighting the sky with a sea of fire.
"Activate planetary defenses!" shouted Nova Supreme Adora from the Xandar command hall."Level-Three Shield System, full deployment!"
The defensive grid around Xandar shimmered into being,a translucent dome of golden light that enveloped the planet like a second skin.
"Guardians of the Galaxy," Adora ordered,"you are to remain in low orbit and intercept any enemies that breach the shield!"
On a nearby platform, Star-Lord flipped his twin blasters with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes."Copy that, Your Majesty. Let's make sure none of these blue guys get a free landing."
For centuries, under the joint technological exchange of the Shi'ar Empire and Xandar itself,the planet's defenses had evolved far beyond their old limits.Its Level-Three Shield Array could withstand direct hits from multiple Star Destroyer cannons —and even a lesser Celestial strike.
The rain of fire struck the dome,rippling through the barrier in waves of brilliant gold.But the shield held.
For now.
Above the planet, the Kree armada spread like a steel storm.Hundreds of warships surrounded Xandar in a tight orbit,ready to unleash devastation again and again.
Inside the Dark Aster, Ronan the Accuser stood before the observation window,his expression cold, his eyes burning with a crimson glow.
A whisper clawed at the back of his mind — the voice of Phantasos, the Dream God who now dwelled within him.Its tone was soft, almost seductive.
"More… more destruction.Let them burn. Let their dreams feed the darkness."
"Commander!" an officer shouted. "Xandar has activated its planetary shield — Level-Three!"
Ronan turned slowly. His armor glimmered under the scarlet light of the control deck.A normal fleet could never breach such a shield.
But Ronan was no longer normal.
His right eye pulsed faintly with divine energy — the mark of Phantasos' possession.
"Continue the bombardment," he said flatly."The energy required to maintain that shield is immense.Let them exhaust their reserves. Once they falter… we strike."
The officer hesitated. "But, my lord, our munitions—"
"Silence."
Ronan's aura surged outward, pressing the air from the room."Keep firing until I command otherwise.If Xandar dares defy the empire, they will drown in their own light."
Outside, the armada roared back to life,their combined artillery transforming the heavens into a storm of fire and ruin.
Yet even as the inferno raged, Xandar remained standing —its planetary shield glowing defiantly, a golden sun in the darkness of war.
In the royal palace — now serving as the planetary command center —two women stood facing each other.
One was Adora, the young Nova Supreme, her face pale but resolute.The other, cloaked in black and radiating calm, was Pandora.
"So much firepower," Pandora murmured, sipping calmly from her cup."Your shield won't hold forever."
Adora nodded grimly. "We're aware.Our Nova squadrons are deploying to encircle the Kree mothership.Once the Dark Aster is sealed in, we'll strike directly at the command center."
Pandora smiled faintly, her violet eyes gleaming with amusement."Impressive. For a mortal commander, your instincts aren't bad."
Adora blinked. "You speak as if you're not—"
"—one of you?" Pandora interrupted softly. "Perhaps I'm not."
Though Adora didn't realize it, Pandora had already used subtle enchantments to ensure her trust.Still, she couldn't deny the young woman's courage or intelligence.
"The Nova Force," Pandora mused, "a power born from a cosmic computer… fascinating."
Adora nodded. "Our power source, Worldmind, converts universal data into Nova energy.Every soldier is linked to it."
Pandora's gaze drifted upward, as though sensing something unseen.It wasn't the Worldmind that drew her here — but something else.
Beneath the surface of this war, another force stirred.She could feel the pulse of the Power Gem,and beyond it, a faint, chaotic vibration —another cosmic energy unlike any she'd encountered.
Whatever was happening on this world,it was no mere war between empires.
"Very well," Pandora said at last, setting her cup down."I'll watch quietly. For now."
Xandar — One Cosmic Day Later
When the nearest star reached its zenith,Ronan's eyes gleamed with frenzy.
He raised his hand, and the sky itself seemed to tremble.
"Master Phantasos," he whispered,"when my armies breach their walls…I leave the slaughter to you."
And the Dream God's laughter — cold, sweet, and merciless —echoed through the void.
(End of Chapter)
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