"You've gotta be careful dealing with these people. They're insanely sensitive and can't take even the slightest offense. Say the wrong thing and we won't be welcome anywhere in their territory."
As the group walked back toward the ship, Quill gave everyone a reminder.
He'd dealt with the Sovereign before. These people were not only arrogant, but absurdly thin-skinned. Say anything remotely questionable and they'd somehow twist it into an insult against themselves, then immediately fly into a rage.
Back on other planets, that had merely been annoying.
But now they were standing in the Sovereign's homeworld. One wrong sentence might cost them their lives.
Soon, the group arrived at the royal capital of the Sovereign—a gigantic golden sphere that resembled a jewel set atop a crown.
"How was architecture like this even built? It completely defies structural physics."
Looking at the absurdly impossible construction, Tony once again felt his worldview being rewritten.
"This isn't a backward planet like Earth. The Sovereign's technology is incredibly advanced. Anti-gravity suspension tech is already common throughout the galaxy. For them, this stuff is child's play."
Quill had traveled to countless planets under Yondu and knew very well how advanced the galaxy truly was.
Compared to them, Earth was practically primitive.
Most advanced civilizations wouldn't even bother invading Earth—the place was too underdeveloped to interest them.
Ironically, back on Earth, countless people were still enthusiastically broadcasting signals into space in hopes of contacting aliens, completely unaware that doing so might attract catastrophic consequences.
The group entered the palace.
A queen with golden skin that looked as though it had been coated in liquid metal sat upon a throne, surrounded by equally golden guards. The place resembled an Oscar statue showroom.
"We thank you for your service, Guardians of the Galaxy."
The queen spoke from above with supreme arrogance.
"I cannot allow the citizens of Sovereign to risk their lives. Every one of them is born according to the perfect design of our species. Their bodies and minds are flawless."
"So all Sovereign people are artificially engineered?"
Tony immediately grinned.
"I still prefer the traditional way of making babies."
Apparently, he wasn't too fond of test-tube babies. Or perhaps he just preferred the process itself.
"I completely agree~"
Quill instantly chimed in.
He certainly wasn't some innocent saint. Across the galaxy, he'd probably slept with half the known species already.
Karl shrugged as well.
Back in his previous life, he'd heard all kinds of rumors about test-tube babies—claims that they lacked emotional connection with their parents, suffered emotional deficiencies, and so on. Whether any of it was true, he had no idea.
But in traditional Chinese culture, people generally held resistance toward children conceived through such technological means. To put it bluntly, many believed test-tube babies weren't truly "born" from the mother and would therefore lack emotional warmth.
Karl never really understood that logic, so he'd always just treated it as idle gossip.
"Alright, alright~"
Gamora finally couldn't listen anymore.
If they kept going, the topic would spiral completely out of control.
One Quill was already unbearable enough. Now there was another Earth-born idiot who shared the exact same sense of humor. If left unchecked, the two of them would probably end up hand-in-hand at some alien nightclub.
"Your Majesty, can we receive the payment you promised us now? We'll depart immediately afterward."
Gamora stepped forward.
She didn't care how people reproduced. She cared about getting paid.
The queen raised a finger slightly.
One of her attendants nodded, and moments later a notification sound rang out from Rocket's wrist device.
"The money's here. Time to go."
Rocket sounded anxious.
After all, he'd secretly stolen several Harbulary batteries. If that got discovered, they'd never make it off this planet alive.
"Not so fast. I've prepared an additional gift for you."
The queen glanced toward one of the guards.
The guard immediately departed and soon returned, accompanied by subordinates dragging along a cloaked prisoner.
The hood was yanked away, revealing a blue cybernetic face.
Nebula.
The same Nebula who had escaped after the battle on Xandar.
Somehow, she'd been captured by the Sovereign.
"Nebula?! How did you end up here?"
Quill exclaimed in surprise before immediately glancing toward Gamora.
"Family reunion~"
He even softly hummed a tune under his breath, trying desperately to ease the awkward tension.
Tony and the girls quickly noticed that Nebula wasn't entirely organic. She was more machine than flesh.
Especially Tony.
His sensitivity toward machinery was on another level.
"JARVIS, is she synthetic?"
Tony whispered.
"Yes, sir. She possesses highly advanced cybernetic architecture. However, portions of her body still retain organic tissue. She appears to be a fusion of biological and mechanical lifeforms. Frankly speaking, Earth technology is nowhere near capable of replicating something like this."
After secretly scanning Nebula, even JARVIS sounded impressed.
Most of her body was mechanical, with only fragments of flesh remaining.
Gamora remained silent, staring steadily at Nebula.
Nebula stared back just as coldly.
"I understand she is your sister. Consider her a gift."
The queen's tone remained entirely emotionless.
Honestly, she sounded more robotic than Nebula herself.
"To me, she's merely a bounty from Xandar."
Gamora replied expressionlessly, though she still reached down and helped Nebula to her feet.
Her words weren't genuine.
She simply didn't want to expose her true emotions.
More importantly, she was putting on a show for the Sovereign.
You never knew who might exploit a weakness. She needed them to believe she and Nebula were irreconcilable enemies.
"That one attempted to steal our batteries and was caught by our soldiers. You may dispose of her however you wish."
The queen rose from her throne. As she moved, her regal robes transformed into an elegant golden dress.
Gamora said nothing more.
She grabbed Nebula and turned to leave.
Nebula struggled violently the entire time.
And unlike Gamora, she wasn't pretending.
She still genuinely hated her sister.
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty."
Quill bowed politely and prepared to leave as well.
But the queen's next words stopped him.
"Do you understand your own origins, Mister Quill?"
Quill paused.
"My mother was from Earth. Terra."
"And your father?"
The queen's expression became strangely complicated.
Part curiosity.
Part fear.
"He wasn't from Earth. That's all I know."
Quill looked increasingly confused but still answered honestly.
"I sense an extraordinary bloodline within you. The feeling it gives me is… primal."
The queen stared into Quill's eyes as if trying to uncover something hidden there.
But all she found was confusion.
Among everyone present, only Karl knew who Quill's father really was.
A planet.
"I heard your people were all arrogant assholes," Rocket suddenly interrupted.
"But honestly, that description still isn't enough."
He had completely forgotten that Sovereign people were born with glass hearts and hair-trigger egos.
Several Sovereign citizens immediately frowned.
Even the nearby guards raised their weapons.
Karl sighed internally.
Just like in the original plot, if they wanted to leave Sovereign alive, they were probably going to have to fight their way out.
Rocket's mouth was every bit as dangerous as Quill's.
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