Beyond the N52 Star, the Skrull Empire fleet loomed. At its helm, General Aurgus stared at the planet displayed on the screen, his gaze flickering with uncertainty. He had considered the possibility that his trusted enforcer, Magar, might fail—but never had he expected Magar to perish on this mission.
And all because of someone on that planet.
"General Aurgus, based on the information extracted from Magma's mind, the one who abducted Astra is named Lothar, hailing from the Centauri system."
"Lothar? Centauri? You mean Thanos' Centauri?"
Aurgus turned, folding his arms, a hint of confusion in his voice. The Centauri system was a considerable distance from N52, even farther from Torfa.
"Yes, sir. This Lothar is Thanos' son."
The general furrowed his brows, his expression growing more serious as he processed this revelation. Initially, he had assumed some lowly space pirate had gotten involved. But now, the truth was far more complicated—the son of one of the most feared warlords in the universe had entered the fray.
"General, if Thanos—"
"There is no 'if'." Aurgus cut off his officer mid-sentence.
"Thanos' reach does not extend this far. This is not his playground." Aurgus scoffed, his words laced with unwavering confidence in the Skrull Empire's military might.
What did it matter if this was Thanos' son? He could feign ignorance. The secrets Astra carried belonged only to the Skrulls.
"General, incoming communication from the Kree."
Aurgus frowned at the comms officer's report. Soon, the massive display lit up, revealing the blue-skinned face of his old nemesis—Accuser Dudek.
"Well, well. What a rare occasion. You're actually reaching out to me first?"
"Aurgus, this is not a place for your kind." Dudek's tone was calm as he absentmindedly wiped his warhammer clean.
"That warhammer… wasn't it Robb's? How did it end up in your hands? Oh, right. Robb's dead." Aurgus smirked, wasting no time in driving the dagger deeper. Robb's death was still a sore wound for Dudek, and he knew it.
"Astra is Kree. He is not yours to take."
"Simple. Let my men see him, and we'll leave. I promise we won't take him away."
"…How did you even learn about Astra?"
"Who knows? Maybe one of your scientists got drunk and spilled the secret."
"You—"
"Cut the transmission. Now." Aurgus waved a dismissive hand. He had no patience for verbal sparring with Dudek.
Who did Dudek think he was? Did he truly believe he could dictate terms here?
After all these years, the Accuser still clung to his delusions of superiority.
"General, incoming transmission from N52. Identified as Diana."
Finally.
A slow grin spread across Aurgus' face. His fleet was positioned here for a reason.
It was never about conquering. It was about forcing the Kree's hand. It was about making those seven lunatics on N52 believe that negotiation was still an option.
"Patch it through."
...
"Prince Lothar, Woz managed to intercept only the final portion of the transmission."
On N52, inside Diana's grand estate, Lothar sat upon her throne, fingers idly tapping against the armrest. He gestured for Woz to proceed with decoding the message.
The transmission crackled, revealing a low, sinister voice:
"If you wish to live, bring me the Kree named Astra. Now."
Then, silence.
"That's Aurgus' voice!!!"
Seated cross-legged on the floor, idly toying with the special green helmet Woz had crafted for him, Astra shot to his feet. His eyes burned with fury.
He knew that voice.
The voice of the butcher responsible for his parents' deaths in the L77 War a century ago.
"You know him?" Lothar arched a brow, his gaze shifting toward Astra's darkening expression.
"Aurgus, a general of the Skrull Empire. Magar was one of his subordinates. He is the one who led the destruction of L77's Kree fleet." Unlike his usual flippant demeanor, Astra was eerily composed.
Lothar nodded in understanding, his fingers drumming steadily against the throne's armrest.
"I've already spoken with the other six. They've agreed to activate the Babel Tower Project."
A voice interrupted his thoughts, drawing closer. Draped in a flowing wine-red gown, Diana sauntered into the hall, her hips swaying with practiced ease. Astra, his fury momentarily forgotten, found himself admiring her elegance instead.
Diana smirked, pleased.
Lothar might be impervious to charm, but his prey clearly appreciated her allure.
"Tonight, through the seven Babel Towers, we will seize control of every propulsion system on N52. From there, it's all on you, Prince Lothar." Imitating The Other, Diana lowered herself into a deferential stance.
If this plan succeeded, they would finally escape this wretched battlefield. No longer would their lives hang in the balance of imperial whims.
But for it to work, Lothar—their pilot—had to withstand the onslaught of two galactic empires long enough to shift N52's trajectory.
"Wait a second. I have a question."
Astra's voice cut through the moment. He stepped toward Diana, replaying Lothar's earlier words in his mind.
"If time is this tight… what about everyone else on N52?"
Diana chuckled as if he had told an amusing joke. She did not push him away as he closed the distance—instead, she reached out, adjusting the slightly disheveled collar of his uniform.
"Them? Darling, they're a pack of irredeemable bastards. And you're worried about their lives?"
Across N52, not a single person had clean hands—especially in the Bat's domain.
"Remember this, sweetheart. Their sins are beyond counting."
"Burning their lives to fuel this world's future is the only contribution they're capable of making."
N52 was under the watchful eyes of two galactic superpowers. Diana would not jeopardize the Babel Tower Project by wasting time saving people who weren't worth saving.
"Then it's settled." Lothar rose from the throne, locking eyes with Diana as he secured his silver-white wristband.
"Take them to the only Babel Tower capable of sheltering them."
Without another word, Lothar vanished, his departure sending a gust strong enough to tear at Diana's gown. Astra's gaze flickered with amusement, and he let out a low whistle.
"Come on. I'll take you to the only safe Babel Tower."
Unbothered by her tattered dress, Diana turned to The Other, gesturing for him to follow.
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