Gamora paced around the small chamber, explaining the functionality of the Infinity Stone. "The stone reacts to anything organic - the bigger the target, the bigger the power surge." She paused, and Peter promptly took over.
"All Ronan has to do is touch the stone to the planet's surface, and zap! All plants, animals, Nova Core-"
"-everything will die," the green-skinned woman ended. Star Lord picked up the narrative as if this interruption were perfectly normal behavior.
"So Ronan does not make the surface. Rocket will lead a team to blow a hole in the Dark Aster's starboard hull - then, our craft and Yondu's will enter."
Yondu's second in command was beginning to look faintly uneasy. "Won't there be hundreds of Shicarin soldiers inside?" he demanded incredulously. Drax glanced at him with thinly veiled contempt.
"I think of Shicarin as paper people," he spat. Rocket raised his hand - well, paw.
"Uh, quick question. Why are we going through all this?"
Peter looked taken aback. "It's called a battle plan. We kind of have to outline it for everyone else? You know...for it to work?" The genetically engineered raccoon grinned, his sharply pointed teeth making the smile appear rather feral.
"It's only a twelfth of a battle plan, according to you," he pointed out. The other guardians stared at him, and Star Lord frowned.
"So?"
Rocket looked distinctly smug. "So, I just came up with a better plan. A real plan." His furry lips pulled back again, and his eyes and teeth glittered in a way that sent chills racing down the spines of Yondu's henchmen. "Give me half an hour to make some alterations, and things will be a whole lot simpler."
He scampered off, chuckling to himself, leaving a bemused gathering behind him.
HALF AN HOUR LATER
Ronan stared at the Infinity Stone embedded in the war hammer, his bright purple eyes glowing with dark desire. Power. Unlimited power, in his grasp, and as soon as he reached Xandar, everyone and everything on it would be nothing more than a cloud of space dust, drifting through the cosmos. And then... then Thanos would pay for everything he had-
"ATTENTION, IDIOT!"
The Kree's head jerked up as a voice boomed out around his warship, and he rose from his seat, striding to a viewport and staring out, somewhat flabbergasted, at the towering figure standing on the nose of an enemy vessel. The voice continued, commanding and contemptuous and disrespectful, with just a hint of malicious glee running through the words.
"THE LUNATIC ON TOP OF THIS CRAFT IS HOLDING AN AGERON ENFORCER. A WEAPON OF MY OWN DESIGN." A distinctly gleeful chuckle. "AND IT'S GOT SOME MAJOR FEATURES ADDED TO IT. I GIVE YOU TO THE COUNT OF FIVE TO SEND OVER THE INFINITY STONE, OR YOU'LL FIND OUT JUST HOW GREAT AN INVENTOR I AM. FIVE...FOUR...THREE..."
Rooted to the spot in complete shock, Ronan didn't even have time to react.
"ONE!"
One moment, a Kree warship. The next moment, a blinding flash of light - a ripple of electricity - a magnificent explosion to rival that of a detonating Alderaan - a crackle of purple power...
And then a cloud of space dust, drifting through the cosmos.