Ok the next two chapter, occur on the same day. But I had to cut it for length and pacing. But with all the players established, now the next moment and the next day. And times they are a 'changing

Planting the Seeds of Family. Chapter 9

The next morning there was high tension within the Elector which everyone was picking up on. Yondu had checked, and Proctom had had a bad night, so Iztel had been pretty much-keeping vigil by his side. Even under sedation, he had left breakfast and a stew pot with the words "Feed Yourselves asshole" next to it.

Yondu and Kraglin wanted to observe Omevic with their son, they were confident that he wouldn't lash out at the toddler, but perhaps Peter could have a playmate and maybe that would help him. The truth was they were clutching at straws, but watching them over the monitor secretly.

At that time of day, with one else in the room, Peter understood that Iztel was away for a while, and just played contently with his toys. He didn't need an audience to have fun, and he had the new arrival to play with, with was fun for Peter anyway since the new boy wasn't playing right.

For Omevic, the feeling he had had since the day before just caused his heart to clench. Omevic knew the boy was the Captain's son and was nervous about being around Peter. Fearing that this was a test and if he messed up or hurt the toddler, he would be killed in an instant. But for Peter, he was just happy for the extra attention, passing Omevic his toys and telling him what to do.

Omevic just grew silent and more withdrawn, he didn't know what to do. He knew he was the same age as the toddler when he was taken to new Master. However, he had never played with toys in his life and lacked the imagination to do it. Omevic as a defence mechanism just drew further into himself

Watching this over the monitors, Kraglin just run his hands over his face, this was already a disaster and perhaps asking too much. Taking the decision to get the pair away from each other for a while. Peter could spend some time with him on the Bridge, which both of them would like. But stepping into the Mess Hall, Peter who was building something with his blocks stopped suddenly and looked at Omevic, with his green eyes flashing for a moment.

"You hurting and sad". Peter said in a clear voice which no toddler should possess. Omevic look startled and just nodded, suddenly fearful of speaking to the toddler who his parents had placed their trust in him.

"You don't have a family", Peter's mind came to the logical and accurate conclusion, and Omevic just nodded wordlessly and Peter's little face in response just screwed up in concentration.

"You need a family", was all Peter said, then he noticed his daddy and scrambling up, run for a cuddle which Kraglin obliged.

However, Kraglin noticed the look on Omevic's face, a sudden look of longing, but could offer him, and at that precise moment, Yondu sent him an order, which Omevic could have said no but he didn't realise he had that option.

Yondu made the decision to take Omevic on a small mission, just to get him off the ship for a few hours. Proctom had woken up and was on the way to recovery, but it was apparent that it wasn't a good idea for the fragile child and the even more fragile ravage to be in the same room for a while.

No one blamed either of them for this, this was just the reality of the situation, and Yondu was hoping on some level that this mission could kick in something dormant from Omevic which could be useful as a potential Ravager. It was unheard of for a child to become one, but perhaps they had something to work with, in the future.

On the retrieval, Yondu was also present just to keep an eye on the situation, even though he tried not to be that obvious about it, while Omevic since he looked so pale and wasn't wearing the Ravager leathers, just stuck out.

The retrieval itself was a high-class Xandarian statesman who kept sacred Darbian jewels, which had been passed through his family for over a hundred years in his office. Just so he could act like a tosser and show them off when he wanted. He was so convinced he could never get robbed even his security was lax to the point of non-existent.

However even though his crew was itching for carnage it wasn't a good idea when Omevic in company, and instead the Ravagers were perched on the roof of the building waiting for a signal to change to charge down there and steal some shit.

This made the crew restless, even with the child in tow, but they seemed to get it and didn't even protest when Yondu told them to wait and keep calm.

His crew were so good at this, Yondu didn't need to be there, as they piled down the stairs and into the now deserted office and got to work. Omevic seemed slightly overwhelmed but hung back and did what he was told.

All he was told to do was keep a lookout and scream in he saw anybody, while the crew placed the very delicate jewels into a bag and all of them just smirked with glee. This was a hell of a bonus, and all of them couldn't wait for them to be appraised, contact the buyer and for them to get paid.

Yondu noticed at out of the corner of this eye Omevic passing past a desk and stuffing something in his pocket but decided not to mention it, hell if the young ex-slave was showing sign of thievery, it was a sigh he was going to make it as a Ravager.

Back on the Elector, the Ravagers celebrated their mission and intended to go to the mess hall for beer, but instead, Yondu told Omevic to get some rest, and the eight-year-old, seemed relieved to be away from people for a while.

Two hours later, a slightly rested Omevic came back and encountered Yondu in the corridor, and was told to start cleaning the ship handing him a mop and bucket.

It was a way to give him some distance from the rest of the crew, and to keep him busy, it was the stupid things but the Elector had to be kept clean, and it was at least something Omevic could do in silence and privacy.

Omevic just accepted this without comment, knowing that he as being punished for causing that other Ravager to faint so took his punishment without a word. Yondu even though he was also an ex-slave, didn't even notice there was a breakdown in communication, which he only realised when he was on the bridge.

"Has anyone seem Omevic?" Yarovesky asked since no one had remembered to put a tracker on the child and he hadn't been seen for a while.

"Yeah, I told him to clean the decks a few hours ago", stated Yondu and Yarovesky nodded to himself and just paused suddenly, "You told him when he could finish didn't you?".

Yondu just stared for a moment and sighed, motioning for Yarovesky to follow him.

Several decks down, Omevic was exhausted but determined to be the best slave in the galaxy, the decks he had cleaned were bright and shining, as he pushed his mop some more, swaying on his feet slightly.

He felt like he was about to pass out for the second time, when Omervic heard footsteps on his bright, clean floor, and looked up the have the rough blue hand of the captain of the Ravagers grab him before he could fall.

Instantly Omevic dropped the mop, and shrunk back in fear, expecting the first strike. Instead, the Captain was joined by Yarovesky, who took him by the arm, his voice full of concern.

"Let's get you some rest" was all he said, and Omevic was too tired to disagree and let himself be led back to his room.

Entering the small area, Yondu was struck by how clean and organised it was as if almost every surface had never been touched. The only sign that there was any life on the room was the blanket and pillow on the floor, and on the small table was a flower in a pot.

Yondu just looked at it and at the eight-year-old who just had a terrified look on his face, while Yarovesky was helping him out of his light jacket, and the Captain of the Ravagers kept his voice calm and relaxed. "So that's your thing, you like plants?"

Yondu had already figured it was what Omevic had swiped earlier. It could have been anything of value, but it was some type of black flower. Strange, but he wasn't going to begrudge the boy that.

"It's ok", Yarovesky told the child, and in a hesitant voice, his eyes still on the floor, Omevic spoke up "Master, he had a wife, she had a garden. She was like him, she was the one who burned me, laughed all the time. I used to hide in the garden to hide away from her, and I …"

Omevic was speaking in broken Xandarian, and Yondu suddenly realised that this sentence was the most he had ever talked to him.

"She died in an attack with the Kree, Master beat me and destroyed the garden" Omevic finished, and Yondu looking at this pathetic whelp of a child couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling in his chest, at the one thing in his life he loved being ripped from him.

"Ok…ok, well you get some rest, and I'll have some food brought to you. You did well today, worked hard" Was all Yondu could say, as Omevic still swaying on his feet, let Yarovesky helped him take his jacket off, and was almost asleep before he settled on the floor.

"I'll make this right, I promise you", Yondu heard Yarovesky say, but decided not to pry, since he was aware of the guilt the older Ravager carried in his heart, and in all honesty, seeing his navigator wrecked with emotions was making the Captain of the Ravagers a sentimental bastard and he didn't like it one bit.

However, both of them left the room and the eight year old alone, just dealing with their thoughts in silence.

To be continued

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