An. I figured since I took forever to post the last chapter I'll leave you guys with two instead of one ;P

Chapter 10: Beauty Lies Just Beyond the Eye

Four moons shined in the night sky of Berhert. Dara had been staring up at them trying to drown out the music playing from the cassette player within the ship. How that thing managed survive the destruction of the ship a second time, she would never know but she cursed the fact that it had. Of all the things that she had to put up with during her time with the Guardians, Quill's music was something she wouldn't ever get used to.

She knew how important it was to him. She was there the day he opened that gift from his mom and made them listen to his new tape on repeat for the last three months. Everyone else on the ship had felt the same way for the first few weeks but for whatever reason they all grew accustomed to it and now didn't mind it playing mindlessly in the background. Even Rocket, the one who she had gotten along with the most was now humming along to the music.

"Could you please just turn it off?" She asked with a long sigh, staring back down from the sky.

Rocket ignored her, as he had been since they'd been left here. Huffing she stood up, ready to break the thing and deal with Quill about it later. The campfire crackled as her feet patted across the forest floor. She felt little fists pound against her legs, pulling on her as if they had a chance to stop her. She looked down to Groot, snaring at him in annoyance. Gently, she shook him away from her, not caring when he thumped to the ground with a cry.

This caught Rocket's attention. The rodent bared his teeth and dropped his tools, "Do that again and I swear I'll blast you!"

"Turn that trash off and I won't have to!" Dara shot back, still making her way into the ship. She was about to reach the player to rip it out of the wall when a harsh beeping came from Rocket's portable data pad.

She remembered him setting up security triggers around their camp site just in case anyone did happen to find them. She stopped what she was doing and narrowed her eyes at him. "You set up traps right?"

"What do you take me for? An idiot?" Rocket exclaimed, getting ready to run off to see who set the security triggers off.

"Yes."

Rocket was all too good at ignoring Dara because she was just like him. They both needed to have the last word. He rolled his eyes. The difference between them though was that he was smarter than her and knew that she'd just keep rolling out insults and forget about the problem at hand. Someone had found them and they needed to find out who.

"You stay here. Watch Groot and the crazy blue lady." Rocket ordered before running off into the woods.

Dara rolled her eyes. As if that raccoon would give her orders. She waited until the coast was clear before she started to head out of the ship, ignoring Groot's pleas to stay with him. She knew that she was of better use out there than babysitting.

She made sure her footsteps were light as she jogged the opposite way Rocket had gone, hoping to meet the intruders before he did and show him up. She frowned moments later but stood silent still because she could hear Rocket's traps being set off, the cries of men being heard throughout the wood. She could see a flash of light, signaling where they were. She could hear another group nearby, probably rushing to see what was happening to the other half of their party. Dara smirked, rushing to cut them off. She raced through the trees, their shouts getting louder. She could hear them barking orders to the others, all panicking by being caught and failing a sneak attack. The Badoon saw the group of men a few feet away from her. They were Ravagers.

How they found them, she couldn't guess. They hadn't seen them since Xandar. She knew that this face off would happen sooner or later and she was glad that Peter and Skadi weren't here. They still had a soft spot for their old Captain whether they were brave enough to admit it or not. Dara knew that they'd hold back if they had to fight Yondu again.

She whistled loudly, earning their attention. They all turned around, shouting. The Ravagers weren't known for being quiet she'd come to find out. They all began to take aim at her but she was quicker. She had been a trained Badoon Warrior once before. These Ravagers were nothing compared to some of the armies she's fought. Before any could take aim, with a mere look she sent them flying into the air. Their weapons ripped from their hands midair. She let them fall once they were high enough for it to hurt but not kill them.

She barely gave them a moment to catch their breath before throwing them back up, like this was a child's game. Dara hear Rocket fighting off his on group of Ravager flunky's and grinned. She couldn't wait for the others to return so she could give them a shit-eating grin about this. She finally released them from her grasp after a few more tosses up and down, having heard footsteps running up behind her.

The Badoon wiped around, swiping her hands out and clawing the Ravager that tried to sneak up on her. He cried out as the skin on his cheek was ripped opened. As relentless as ever, Dara continued, using the other hand to claw his other cheek before kicking him to the ground. As he was sprawled out on the ground she used her powers to forcefully slide him backwards into a tree. She continued to take on each Ravager who dared to come against her. She relayed less on her powers and more on her brute strength, having much more fun when she could engage hand to hand.

Dara pressed deeper and deeper into the wood, now trying to see where Rocket was, wanting to see if he found Yondu yet. She had wanted to give him a piece of her mind and refused to let him get out of this alive. When she could hear no sign of him she decided to go back to the remains of the ship. Maybe they were back there and she was missing out.

Swiftly and being undetected by the other Ravagers that littered the forest around her she made it quickly to the Milano. Rocket wasn't there, only Groot looking at her in relief. Nebula had been trying to convince him to release her from the looks of it. Dara matched up to her, expectantly. Nebula glared up at the Badoon as she was so close to convincing the little tree to release her.

"You need my help. Free me and I will help you defeat them." Nebula tried to reason. "I'm not going to die without being able to defend myself."

"One: Gamora said not to trust you, you'd attack me the moment I'd let you go. Two: if you honestly think I'd ever need your help, well, I had thought I met stupider people in the galaxy than you." Dara laughed, turning to head back into the fight.

"I won't, I promise and I keep my promises." Nebula shouted to her, causing Dara to turn to give her one final glance.

Back in the forest Rocket stood in a clearing after taking down another set of Ravagers. His ears were twitching like crazy, trying to pick up on his surroundings. Rocket groaned the moment he heard that familiar whistle he heard back on Xandar. He closed his eyes knowing that he had been caught. He took down as many Ravagers as he could, also hearing Dara taking down her own as well. He was about to head back to the Milano to try and radio the others but he was stuck. He was stuck with Yondu's arrowing floating behind his head and he had no means of escaping this one.

"Pretty easy to find you lot. Put a tracer on your ship back during the war over Xandar." Yondu appeared before him, smiling.

"Give me your word you won't hurt Groot, and I'll tell you where the batteries are." Rocket raised his hands in defeat, looking up at the blue bastard.

"My word means squat." Yondu gave him a toothy laugh, picking his tooth with his finger. "Luckily for you, that is otherwise I'd actually hand you over to that golden priestess."

"Otherwise you'd do what?" Another Ravager, Rocket never saw before walked up.

He hadn't seen him when they teamed with Yondu to defeat Ronan. Rocket was sure he'd remember a face like that. With his pinkish, purple skin filled with scars and disgusting warts. His greasy hair shaved to a long Mohawk. His whole being just screamed gross creepy pirate.

Yondu simply brushed his new crew member off, turning to look back at Rocket, "We'll take those batteries. They're worth like what? A quarter mil' on the black market?"

"The priestess offered us a million!" The pink alien cried out again, "A quarter is only one third of that!"

"What?" Yondu stared at him, squinting his eyes narrowly, "A quarter ain't one thi-,"

"A quarter is four times million!" Oblo, one of Yondu's more trusted crew members spoke up, trying to end the confusion.

"No, idiot a quarter is twenty-five." Gef spoke up next.

"No," Yondu shook his head, placing his hands on his hips tiredly.

"We can't even buy a pair of boots with twenty-five units." Gef continued,

"Enough!" Yondu shouted, silencing all you spoke out. He gave them all his fear death glared, daring them to talk back again. "The POINT is, we aren't going to be stupid enough to help kill the Guardians of the Galaxy. We'd have the whole Nova Corps on us!"

Kraglin, who had been silently standing behind the Captain, frowned. He always obeyed every order Yondu gave him. He respected him more than anyone else in the entire galaxy but he was now coming to realize what their Captain was really doing and he was tired of it. All these years he served him just as Peter and Skadi did, even more loyally than they ever did so. He never stole from him, snuck out or openly disrespected him the way they did but in the end Yondu would always favor them over him any day.

"That ain't right." Kraglin spoke up before even realizing he had. With Yondu now staring at him he couldn't find it in himself to stop speaking. "I'm sorry but I just gotta say it this one time, Cap'n. No matter how many times Quill and Skadi betray you, you protect them. It's like none of the rest of us much matter. I'm the one who always sticks up for you!"

"Damn straight, lad. You're right; he's gone soft. S'pose it's time for a change in leadership!" The newest Ravager spoke up again, lifted his weapon.

He pointed it straight to Yondu, knowing that other would follow. The handful that did had his back, aiming their own at those loyal to their Captain. Rocket crutched down, seeing that he was in the center of the potential crossfire. The Ravagers shouted at each other, trying to see where their loyalties lie and what side they wanted to be on. Yondu stepped forward, giving a toothy snare at Kraglin, showing his disappointment. Glaring at the main mutineer, he gives a wet whistle ready to end the sudden rebellion when a gunshot rang out.

Rocket gasped as Yondu's fin was shot off his skull causing the blue alien to totter back and forth, losing his balance from the impact. As his Yaka arrow clatters to the ground so does Yondu with a huff before he's out like a light. Rocket's eyes slowly rise in anger and betrayal as he sees Nebula lose, aiming a smoking pistol at where Yondu once stood. Next to her was Dara, who seemed to show no remorse for letting Gamora's psychopathic sister loose.

"Well hello boys." Nebula smirks, holstering the pistol.