They came without warning. Hundreds of them. Their warships darkening the daytime sky into night, and mercilessly striking their village with a seemingly endless array of sophisticated weaponry. The Kree; a savage race known for their brutality in their incessant quest for dominance and power, a people that expressed no remorse as they continued to take their people down one-by-one. Only a select few were taken prisoner aboard their ships; all others were slaughtered within a matter of seconds. Men, women, children. No one was spared.

Not even Oruna's mother. Though the attack waged on and their people continued to flee, the young Centurian girl could only sob harshly against her fallen mother's torso. The Kree were still coming, she knew, but she couldn't bring herself to leave her mother's side. Not yet. Not yet.

Mother, her mind wailed as her sobs intensified. Mother!

A sudden blast struck the nearby mountainside, causing her to wince at the loud sound. As a high-pitched ringing filled her ears, her fingers tightened on the fabric of her mother's tunic.

Please stop. Please stop. Please…

Peeling her eyes open, she continued to weep as she looked at her trembling hands, the blood from her mother's wounds staining her azure skin a dark purple. She'd never seen so much blood in her life.

Mother…She closed her eyes as she clenched her little hands into fists. Help me, please…

When the ringing subsided, she gasped when voices became audible in the distance. Lifting her head, she listened, ignoring the tears that ran hotly down her cheeks. Her vision was blurred, but she held her breath and tried to decipher the words being shouted amid the surrounding commotion.

"…edge of the perimeter over there…We take no more…kill all you see…"

Another gasp caught in her throat when she could make out several of their figures at the base of the mountainside, no more than several hundred meters from where she was currently concealed. Kree soldiers. Though she hesitated a moment further, a deep-seeded instinct began to overtake her senses, the need to survive rushing through her veins as an insistent voice in her head screamed at her to Go!Justgo!

She released a harsh cough. Mother—

She didn't know how she got to her feet, nor how she managed to finally let go of her mother. All she knew was that in the next moment, she was running—running—making a desperate dash for the thick forest on the far side of the mountain, praying she'd somehow entered its wooded confines undetected…

OOOOOO

It was hard to say how much time had passed before the sounds of the ensuing onslaught could no longer be heard behind her. Minutes? Hours? Days? It was of no consequence. All that mattered was putting as much distance between her and the Kree as possible. Regardless of how exhausted she was, or the way her legs were burning from the exertion of running, or the fact that her bare feet were torn and bleeding from repeatedly pounding the rough earth.

Got to get away, her mind kept repeating as she stumbled forward, unable to run any more. Have to keep…

Mother…

Just when she was about to collapse, she arrived at the edge of a small clearing—and abruptly came to a halt. As if he'd been waiting for her to arrive…

Her first instinct had been fear, trembling breaths passing her lips as she stared at him. But then as he carefully approached, it slowly dawned on her that the man she was seeing was not Kree, but Centurian. Like her. She closed her eyes, opened them again. Not a figment of her imagination; he was real, and she was no longer alone. Despite his imposing demeanor, there was a surprising gentleness evident in his red eyes as came nearer, holding his palms up in a placating manner.

"Don't be afraid, little lady," he told her, kneeling in front of her. "I'mma git you outta here, alright? I can take you to your daddy. D'ya want me to take you to your daddy?"

She didn't answer; all she could focus on was the hand he was holding out to her, and the last thing she remembered was collapsing in his arms before being consumed by darkness.

A shiver ran through her, and Oruna automatically pulled the sleeves of the oversized jacket even tighter around her shoulders. No longer on Centurian IV, but aboard the Ravager ship Eclector, leaving the chaos of the Kree attack far, far behind. Still, the memories were so vivid in her mind that even though an entire week had passed, it seemed as though everything had occurred only hours ago. The sounds; the smells; they were still with her, still surrounding her, still haunting her every time she closed her eyes.

Sniffing quietly, she turned her attention back to the window beside her. Normally, a trek like this across the galaxy would have been significantly shortened by way of various jump-points, but they were intentionally being avoided. Something about the numbers of jumps required being too dangerous to physically withstand. Even so, it gave her a chance to observe their ever-changing surroundings. The stars in this sector were so different now, unlike any she'd ever seen in her eight years of life. Some glowed violet; some bright red; others maintained the brilliant white glow that she was used to seeing from her home-world. Like glittering gemstones peppered throughout the vast velvet blackness. If only her heart could appreciate such astral beauty.

In the distance, they passed yet another planet—this one more massive than others she'd seen on their journey so far—and the sudden realization that this was to become a familiar sight to her…that this region of the galaxy was to be her new home…

Oruna felt a knot of worry tighten in her stomach. I can take you to your daddy. D'ya want me to take you to your daddy?

"Is he a good man?" She asked nervously, turning away from the window to look at the ship's captain. "My father?"

The captain—Yondu, he'd called himself—said nothing. Just kept his stoic gaze fixed on the view in front of him as he continued to navigate towards their destination.

"Cap'n?"

His shoulders visibly sagged as he exhaled, and though his features softened slightly, his voice was terse when he replied, "He'll take care a'ya."

It was all he said, and she didn't press him any further as she turned her gaze away. Her daddy. Her…father. A man who had never been present in her life, and yet she was en route to an unfamiliar world in order to be with him. She swallowed hard. Mother had often told her tales about her space travelling father, and for all the years she'd spent longing to know who he really was, nothing could have prepared her for the possibility of actually meeting him. Of being placed in his care forevermore.

In truth, she was utterly terrified by the notion. But with her mother gone…who else did she have to turn to?

She released a sigh through her nose, staring down at her bandaged feet. There weren't any boots small enough to fit her on-board, so Yondu had taken it upon himself to carefully wrap them up to stop the bleeding. They were still scraped and bruised, though not nearly as sore as they had previously been. He'd also provided her with one of his jackets in case she got cold, a gesture she had quietly appreciated.

Her brow furrowed slightly. This was the quietest Yondu had been towards her in days, but it didn't occur to her to mind. After all, he'd been nothing but kind to her since bringing her aboard his ship. Being the only child on a ship full of Ravagers was overwhelming at best, especially with a rowdy group comprised of so many different races from across the galaxy. But he'd made it very clear she was not to be harmed, and went to great lengths to make sure she was shielded from the worst of their antics. Lifting her eyes to him once again, she studied him quietly. The fact that the two of them shared a common ancestry had provided her with a small degree of comfort: not only did they have the same sapphire skin-tone, but his scalp was also just as bare as hers, save for that peculiar red strip running down the middle of his. Part of her couldn't help but wonder whether her father would look anything like her—

From the corner of her eye, Yondu reached for a thin lever on the console panel, and the Eclector's velocity decreased significantly.

"That's it o'er there," he said, "Ego's planet."

Looking to where he was gesturing, Oruna's eyes widened, her lips parting on an intake of breath. Ego's…planet. They were really here.

In the background, the intercom crackled to life. "Orders, Cap'n?"

"We'll hold our position here, Kraglin," Yondu responded, activating a series of switches beside him. "Prep the fourth Quadrant for release."

"Aye, Sir. You wanna crew prepped for arrival?"

"No; I'll take 'er to the surface myself…"

While they continued to speak, Oruna slowly stood and carefully hobbled over to the viewport for a better look at Ego's world, feeling only a slight ache in her feet with each step. Yondu had mentioned that her father had an entire planet to call his own, but now that she was seeing it, she was in absolute awe. The planet…was beautiful. So vividly colored with its thick vegetation and multiple shining seas, which were evident even from their position high above the atmosphere.

Ego, her mind echoed as her fingers gripped the jacket around her once more. Her father's name was Ego. And she was about to meet him for the very first time…

"'Fore I take ya down there, little lady," Yondu said, recapturing her attention, "somethin' I wanna say to you."

Those red eyes were steadily holding hers, a new kind of intensity seeming to radiate from their depths. Such an expression might have left her feeling intimidated had it been another Ravager sitting before her, but deep down, she sensed no ill will from him.

"I know you ain't never met your daddy before, and I don't want you thinkin' that you have to stay with him jus' 'cause we brought you here," he said quietly, "not if it ain't what you really want."

She could only stare at him and, for some reason, her heart began to flutter beneath her chest.

"So if ya like," he continued, "you can stay on board here. With us."

Her eyes went wide. What...did he say?

"Ain't many out there who can say they survived a Kree attack, but you," he smiled, giving her a glimpse of his broken teeth, "you're one a' the lucky few. You knew when to git yo'self outta there at just the right time, and that shows me how willing you are to trust your own instincts. That's smart, kid. You're smart. And strong; stronger than you give yo'self credit for. I see a lotta promise in you, and our crew could use a mind like yours if you'd be willin' to stay." Then his smile faded, and those eyes took on a more questioning look as he held a hand out to her. "Whaddya say, kid?"

Aside from the shuddering breaths passing through her lips, Oruna was silent as she stared at his blue palm. He was offering to let her stay? Here? Among his crew of Ravagers? She almost didn't dare to believe what her ears were hearing, but the longer his eyes remained locked with hers…The intensity in them reminded her of the way Yondu would keep vigil over her while she slept, the events of that horrific night still replaying themselves in her mind over and over again. It made her afraid to merely close her eyes.

It don't matter how much your body heals up, he'd told her. If you continue to let 'em beat you in here, he touched a finger to her forehead, then they've won. You need to let your mind rest, or else you'll neva' heal. Then he whistled shortly, making her gasp when a golden arrow appeared beside him. And if they still haunt ya in your dreams, just know that I'll be here to take care of 'em…

Her heart swelled unexpectedly at the memory. Stay with them; stay with him…

But then a wave of sadness washed over her as thoughts of her mother flooded her mind. Mother...All she could think about was the fondness she used to hear in her voice every time she spoke of her father; how her eyes would shine whenever she mentioned the love they'd once shared; and the way he'd dance with her beneath the light of Centurian's eight moons; and how she longed for her daughter to have a relationship with the father she never knew. The weight of the memories made her head feel heavy, forcing her to lower her gaze to the floor. As grateful as she was for Yondu's offer, as much as she wanted to accept the invitation to remain on a ship that had become her second home for the past week…Deep in her heart, she knew that her mother would have wanted her to remain with the last shred of family she had left in the universe.

She closed her eyes, feeling something tighten painfully in her chest. "Wa—" Her lips were trembling terribly, but she lifted her eyes to his and somehow found the strength to try again. "Wanna…be with my daddy."

Though his expression didn't change, something seemed to pass through his eyes as he drew his hand back. What that something was, she would never know. "If that's what ya really want," he pressed.

Swallowing, she forced herself to give a short nod.

He released a long, slow breath, then reached into one of his pockets and pull out a small communication device. Holding it up for her to see, he said, "Ya remember seeing me use this?"

She nodded; she'd seen him use it a few times in her presence.

He nodded in reply. "You keep this with you, then. That way, if he ever does anythin' to hurt you, or make you feel scared..." He trailed off, then leaned forward to slip it in into one of her jacket pockets. "You just contact me if you need me, ya hear?" A pause. "You keep that jacket, too, little lady; you'll grow into it someday, and you'll need it to keep ya warm."

Hearing him say that made her hands clench into fists, that statement sending a warm surge of gratitude through the chill of sorrow filling her chest.

"Also," he turned, reaching for one of the items on his console. "I know ya like this one best, so I want you to have it."

She released a shuddering breath, hardly daring to believe that he'd actually part with one of his beloved decorative critters. But then he was placing it in her trembling hand, and she stared down at it incredulously. Out of his entire collection, it was this one that had completely captured her eye: a rugged, natural piece carved from an orange cardilasion stone. A Terran creature he'd referred to as a…a bear, she recalled. She just loved how smooth its surface felt against her palm. Lifting her gaze to his again, tears clouded her vision as she searched his eyes, trying to come up with something to say in return.

Say something. Anything. Say anything...

But then Kraglin's voice was on the intercom once more, "Fourth Quadrant prepped and ready for departure, Sir."

His eyes held hers for a moment longer, but then he was averting his gaze as he turned towards the speaker to reply, "On our way."

She didn't even remember disembarking from the Quadrant, nor the trek they had made across the field to the appointed meeting place. All she could focus on was how rapidly her heart was pounding beneath her chest as she peered around Yondu, looking up at the being standing only a few feet away from them. A man with piercing blue eyes accenting a ruggedly handsome face. Ego. Her father. The one her mother had fallen in love with years ago, and the very man she'd been waiting her entire lifetime to know. And all of a sudden, there he was, standing merely a few feet away from her...and yet she couldn't bring herself to leave Yondu's side. His hand was just so comforting upon her shoulder.

She squeezed the stone creature in her hand, hoping it would convey some semblance of reassurance in her mind.

"Oruna," Ego smiled warmly, "my girl, you're the absolute image of Lu'diine."

She gasped quietly. Lu'diine. The utterance of her mother's name elicited such a sweet pain in her heart, and she could feel the premature sting of tears behind her eyes. It seemed to take forever before she managed to hoarsely whisper, "D…Daddy?"

Ego's smile widened. "My girl."

She couldn't help but notice that Yondu's fingers had tightened ever-so-slightly on her shoulder.

"I know you've been through quite an ordeal, but you don't know how good it does my heart to have you here at last."

Her vision momentarily blurred before hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Yondu," Ego addressed the elder Centurian, "I certainly appreciate you bringing her here safely. Thank you."

For a moment he said nothing. Then, "She still has nightmares. Gonna have to make sure she feels safe when she goes to sleep at night."

She angled her head towards him, gradually releasing a breath. His words were succinct, but she could tell he absolutely meant them.

"Of course," Ego replied, looking back at her. "I understand you've been through quite an ordeal, but you don't know how good it does my heart to have you here at last." He eyes shone as he went to one knee. "Oruna," he said, holding his arms out to her, "come to me, my girl."

She stared for what felt like a long time, then found herself looking up at Yondu, feeling two more tears fall from her eyes. Though his gaze was averted, he was wearing that same stoic expression she'd seen earlier.

"It's a'right, little lady," Yondu said, softer than she'd ever heard him speak to her thus far, "go to him."

But just as he was nudging her forward, she reached up to cover his hand with hers. "Cap'n?" He froze. Waited. So many thoughts raced through Oruna's head as she tried to come up something to say. Some way to tell him how much she appreciated all that he'd done for her; for rescuing her at just the right moment; for bringing her across the galaxy to this distant world; for helping her find her long-lost family. Some way to make him understand that because of him, she'd never have to be alone, and that he'd forever be her hero.

All she could come up with was a breathless, "Thank you."

His jaw seemed to clench beneath his cheeks, but then he was encouraging her forward again, not saying another word as her hand slipped away from his. Next thing she knew, she'd closed the distance between her and her father, allowing him to sweep her up into his arms. She clung to him as if her life depended on it, sniffing audibly as her tears continued to fall. She became aware of the fact that he was murmuring reassurances to her, and the hand that he ran soothingly over her back. Just like her mother used to do.

As he turned to walk away, Oruna opened her eyes, catching one last glimpse of Yondu as he made his way back toward the Quadrant. Another tear fell down her face. Until we meet again, she thought, squeezing the cardilasion bear in her hand once more.

THE END