Gamora let out a quiet sigh of relief when she realized that neither Star-Lord nor Rocket Raccoon had any intention of handing her over.Even though she never said it out loud, she had already come to see them as her partners—maybe even something closer.
I don't want to become their enemy, she thought.
Drax, apparently oblivious to the tension thickening the air, finally noticed something was off. He stepped closer and asked bluntly, "Why are you all standing around like this? What is this talk about handing someone over?"
Groot shuffled over as well, tilting his head. "I am Groot…"
Star-Lord and Rocket shook their heads in perfect sync."It's nothing," they said at the same time.
Still, Star-Lord caught the uneasy looks being thrown their way. After a brief hesitation, he turned to Gamora and lowered his voice. "Hey… maybe you should head back first. I'm just worried—"
Before he could finish, Gamora shook her head firmly. "No need. These people wouldn't dare make a move here."
And she was right.Although this was the Mercenary Alliance's mission hall, it was still firmly within Peace Alliance territory. Anyone reckless enough to start trouble here would be openly challenging the Peace Alliance itself—and once the guards were deployed, escape would be impossible.
With that, Gamora stepped forward and entered the mission hall, the other four close behind her.
It didn't take long. The mission was submitted, and the five of them received their reward—twenty-five universe coins.
Just as they were about to leave, Gamora's eyes caught a flashing update on the public bounty board.
Target Notice:If Gamora does not return within three months, Thanos will annihilate Planet Hozeberry.
Her breath hitched.
Her body trembled slightly as the words sank in. Unlike Thanos, she wasn't cold-blooded or indifferent. Hozeberry was her home. No matter how far she'd run, she still cared—deeply.
"No… I have to go back."
She turned and headed toward the mission hall entrance, but stopped short.
A crowd had already gathered outside.
No one attacked. No one even stepped forward.But the looks they gave her were sharp, greedy, and calculating.
Fifty million universe coins was more than enough to make anyone's heart race. If the bounty didn't require her to be captured alive—and if they weren't trapped inside Peace Alliance territory—some of them would've already thrown caution to the void.
Gamora's expression darkened.
Star-Lord, Rocket, and the others quickly moved to her side. Star-Lord asked quietly, his voice tense, "So… what now?"
Rocket curled his lips into a manic grin and pulled his energy gun halfway free. "Looks like we're about to put on a show."
Click.The safety latch snapped open.
That sound was enough.
All around them, weapons came up—blades, energy rifles, machine guns, even portable cannons. The plaza turned into a powder keg in seconds.
Gamora drew the dagger strapped to her thigh. Star-Lord tightened his grip on his energy pistol. Drax calmly unsheathed his short sword, muscles coiling beneath his skin. Even Groot straightened, his usually gentle presence hardening.
Then—
"Ura—Ura—Ura—!"
Sirens screamed through the air.
A moment later, more than a dozen Nova Corps ships roared overhead, descending fast. Loudspeakers crackled to life.
"Combat is prohibited on Peace Alliance territory! Any violators will be executed on the spot!"
The message was crystal clear.
One by one, the mercenaries lowered their weapons. Faces twisted with frustration, they backed away, melting into the surrounding streets.
Still, not everyone gave up. Even as they retreated, several pairs of eyes lingered on Gamora from the shadows. Fifty million coins was hard to forget, and some people were always willing to gamble.
The Nova Corps ships didn't leave.
Instead, they landed directly in front of Gamora.
Each ship stood about three meters tall, ten meters long, and four meters wide—sleek, white, and shaped like a massive bird with wings angled backward. This was the Peace Alliance's Peace Messenger, Model Seven.
It used an anti-gravity magnetic levitation system, reached speeds of up to 3,000 kilometers per hour, and was armed with an electromagnetic cannon, two guillotine machine guns, and a newly developed energy shield.
Its only flaw was its appetite for power. Packed with cutting-edge tech, the ship could only fight at full capacity for three hours before its energy reserves were drained.
The hatches opened.
More than a dozen Nova Corps members stepped out. Leading them was a woman with golden skin, clad in a sleeveless black bodysuit. A golden helmet rested on her head, marked with a hexagonal red star.
She stopped a few steps in front of Gamora.
"Gamora," she said evenly, her voice calm but authoritative. "Hello. My name is Ilani, centurion of the Nova Corps."
The Guardians of the Galaxy let out a collective breath the moment they heard the name.
Irani.
Within the Nova Corps, Irani had a reputation for being fair-minded and surprisingly kind—at least by interstellar law-enforcement standards. If anyone wasn't going to slap energy cuffs on them on sight, it was him.
Seeing the tension drain from the five troublemakers, Irani smiled faintly and gestured ahead. "Our governor wishes to see you. Please, come with us."
Gamora paused, weighing the words carefully, then gave a small nod. "Alright."
Moments later, the five Guardians boarded the Peacekeeper No. 7, the sleek Nova Corps craft lifting smoothly into the air as it headed toward a towering spire that pierced the sky.
Peace Star's architecture was… unusual. The locals favored tall, needle-like towers—elegant, impossibly slender structures that seemed to defy common sense. Thankfully, the planet's weather was famously stable. If a category ten typhoon ever showed up, half the city would probably snap like twigs.
A dozen minutes later, Irani guided them into the highest—and most breathtaking—tower on the skyline.
Gamora slowed the moment she stepped inside. This was the first truly beautiful building she had ever seen. In Thanos's territory, structures were brutal, heavy, and built to endure sieges—not admiration. Beauty was inefficient. Decoration was weakness. Apart from the Sanctuary, everything was gray, angular, and joyless.
Standing here now, surrounded by elegance and light, Gamora felt the old conviction tighten in her chest.
Her father's rule deserved to end.
The interior was nothing short of magnificent. Polished surfaces gleamed softly, light refracted through crystalline panels, and everything—from the floors to the walls—radiated quiet luxury.
Rocket whistled under his breath. Drax stared openly. Even Groot, usually unfazed by just about everything, looked downright stunned.
"I am Groot," he said reverently.
No one disagreed.
Irani led them across the chamber, stopping roughly twenty meters from a figure dressed entirely in white.
The woman stood tall and composed, clad in what resembled a queen's ceremonial attire. She was about one-point-seven meters tall, with snow-white skin, faint lines of age at the corners of her eyes, and a full head of white hair that only added to her presence.
The all-white ensemble should have looked plain. Instead, it radiated purity and authority, like light given form.
This was Lady Mela—Commander of the Nova Corps.
Ilani crossed his arms over his chest and bowed with the highest formal salute. "Centurion Ilani, escorting Gamora, reports to Lady Mela."
Mela inclined her head slightly, her gaze settling on Gamora with calm precision. "You must be Gamora."
Gamora met her eyes and nodded. "Yes. Hello, Lady Mela. I am Gamora."
In an instant, the atmosphere changed.
A crushing aura burst forth from Mela, rolling across the chamber like an invisible wave.
"Thanos's daughter," Mela said coldly. "Your father destroyed our holy land."
Xandar—the birthplace of the Nova Corps and a cornerstone of the Peace Alliance.
Its destruction had shaken the galaxy. It was why the Kree Empire had flown into a rage when Ronan threatened Xandar, even going so far as to confront Thanos himself to keep him out of it.
The weight of Mela's presence forced everyone but Gamora to their knees. Star-Lord grunted. Rocket swore. Drax planted a hand on the floor, teeth clenched. Groot bent slowly, branches trembling.
Gamora alone remained standing.
She had spent years at Thanos's side, enduring the presence of a Skyfather without flinching. Compared to that, the pressure of a Sub-Skyfather—powerful as it was—felt familiar.
Manageable.
Yes. Lady Mela was a being on the level of a sub-celestial father… and one of the three governors who ruled the Nova Corps.
And she was very, very aware of who Gamora's father was.
.....
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