Chapter 12: What It Takes

Life had truly metamorphosed for Yondu upon being freed by Stakar and joining the Ravagers. At one time driven solely by his will to survive, he was beginning to find purpose. One could simplify this crudely: say he went from being a Kree weapon of war to just another hired gun, but the shift was inordinately more than this.

Yes, the Ravagers were an interstellar crime syndicate. If the job led to profit and didn't conflict with the code, they took it on: stealing, smuggling, bounty-hunting, the scope was incredibly wide. Yondu felt somewhat apathetic towards the occupation of misdeeds. Perhaps it was the camaraderie that came with his new place in life, or perhaps it was the fact that being a battle slave left such a torrid past his tolerance for the objectionable was incredibly high. Regardless of the exact reason, the Ravager recruit had no qualms with the work they did. Hell... he'd be lying if he said all the jobs up to this point hadn't been fun.

This next job however would be unlike the rest; Stakar made that clear when he was summing up what was to come to the small group he'd tapped for the task. A crew of four: outside of himself he (naturally) enlisted Martinex; Charlie-27; and Yondu. This was a robbery. Not the flashy, gun-toting kind; this had a quiet, more sinister air. The target: a Xandarian noble's home. The score: a safe, reportedly loaded with enough riches to double what they had in reserves. It was a deal too good to pass up; Stakar's intel had them in just the right position to make a move without getting caught.

Breaking and entering on its own didn't have much cause for a moral dilemma: but the noble was not the sole target. He had a family: a wife and children.

The way Stakar was planning would specifically minimize the aspect of terror where possible. They would avoid any involvement of the job with the children, to stay in line with the code. It further bolstered Yondu's level of respect for the captain – Stakar was a man of his word: the code was his bond. This was dirty work, but no matter how shady the job Ravagers would steer clear of involving kids.

The group split to two smaller model M-ships on the way out to Xandar: Martinex rode with Stakar where Yondu flew with Charlie-27.

"Stakar always keeps jobs like this to just a few guys." Charlie-27 informed as he leaned back in his seat. He was more than happy to let the recruit take over flying. "Says when the stakes are high to keep it tight: only bring guys you know you can rely on, guys you really trust to follow through."

It wasn't being said directly, but the fact that Yondu was on this job was a clear indication that the Ravager captain felt this way about him. He couldn't help a swell of pride, though careful not to show any outward indication. Charlie-27 continued. "With the payout on this I'm finally getting my own ship. Man, I can't wait." He smirked, adding childishly: "Aleta's gonna be jealousss."

Yondu acknowledged his comrade with a bit of a chuckle. Having familiars was still so new... but as foreign as it was, feeling valued by this group had inspired his gratitude - he was part of a whole. They had their quirks and their moral ambiguity, but they were each in their own right redeemable, championed by a leader that was strong, admirable, and worth following.

They landed their M-ships, cloaked, at the coordinates provided. The suns on Xandar had long since set: the thrill of the crime would soon set in as they made their way to their target. Quiet was the night - the chirp of crickets the only ambience. Yondu's heart raced as they made their way across the grounds of the Xandarian noble's mansion: the very sound of his boots on the ground felt like too much noise.

Martinex – skilled as he was – made quick work of the door that would act as their entry. Yondu watched intently as the Pluvian took a knee and connected his handheld piece to the panel off to the door's right. The handheld's screen flashed several different colors before prompting a series of numbers: nimbly Martinex's fingers flew to the keypad, typing in the numbers in what felt like less than a second. The entrance reacted with its doors opening at the center; Martinex did not turn around to acknowledge his companions. He went straight in per the plan - he would find the safe.

Charlie-27 went in afterwards; he was on security detail. His role would be to locate the bedroom of the children: by all means, they would be kept out of this. Standing by the door and stepping in if necessary. He was good with kids; the role was well-suited.

Yondu did his best to stave off his nerves. It's not like he was brand-new to the Ravager role... this was what he did. He liked what he did. Being a Ravager was fun. But this job was fundamentally different – no one seemed to be having any fun. His Ravager companions were uncommonly serious, and the captain: he had practically transformed. Stakar almost always had something of a warmth radiating from him, but not a trace of that was present right now. His aura radiated severity: his facial expression, his body language, all of it. The captain was on edge, and that made Yondu on edge.

Stakar didn't even look at him: he just entered the house, knowing that Yondu would follow, through the same door as his Ravager comrades in the same direction as Charlie-27. Past the rear entrance, through the house, up the stairs... Stakar seemed to already know where to go in their search for the master bedroom.

How could he know, though... Where did he get the intel for this gig?

Yondu gripped his weapon tightly as he stood beside his captain from the rear. It was important that he stay focused. He resolved he would just follow Stakar's lead no matter what; that'd been his recipe for success thus far. Yondu felt right in this determination: he would trust in his captain.

For someone of his stature Stakar was a natural in executing stealth. Without a sound he pressed the panel outside the door: it slid open from left to right, a whish briefly cutting through the silence. With a hand he motioned Yondu to flank on the opposite side of the bed ahead of them.

Stakar flanked the left; lightly his footsteps led him around the bed. There was the faintest level of light in the room illuminating from the windows: on the left side slept a woman. Light colored skin, with long brown hair messily gathered in a bun. The captain then did two things in quick succession; he turned on the bedside lamp – and clasped a gloved hand over the woman's mouth. Her eyes darted open.

"Keep quiet," he kept his tone low and serious. A muffled startle escaped as her husband too was unexpectedly woken from his slumber.

"Get up." Stakar secured his other hand to the back of the woman's head. He would coax her into following the instructions as needed. Her eyes welled as she choked back a cry. Her hands went to Stakar's arm, gripping feebly as she was forced to abide and rise, led to the foot of the bed where there was more room. "Get on your knees."

As she genuflected a binding was adhered to her mouth with another put around her wrists, hands behind her back. The captain subsequently reached underneath his jacket, retrieving the dagger held in place by the straps on his back. With his hand he took her head by her hair; and held the blade to her throat. She didn't bother to try and hold back her sobs; eyes horror-struck and set to her husband, nonverbally pleading that he act as her savior.

The tone appropriately set for the terrorizing scene.

Yondu stayed in character - his gun aimed at the noble on the bed with his finger on the trigger. His focus darted back and forth from his task to the scene unfolding at the foot of the bed. The young Centaurian had always been softhearted when it came to women; in a life full of violence, the only tenderness he'd ever known had come from those not-so-lonely nights where he was in a woman's company. As she cried, convulsing against her bonds, his gut tightened without his consent. This didn't feel right...

But this was what they were doing.

To the man of the house Stakar stated clearly: "You need to give us the code for your safe."

The noble - blond hair and sharp blue eyes- had a startled look put on his face. His hands thrust up in a surrendering position, still on the bed under the covering. Yondu felt a twinge of disgust; this guy's just gonna lay there while his wife had a knife to her throat? The Ravager recruit wondered where he got off thinking such was acceptable; this guy needed to get with the program.

Yondu followed Stakar's example: he kept his gun at attention and seized the man at the bicep with his free hand to pull him from the bed and force him to kneel. "Get your ass over here..." the Ravager muttered harshly.

Yanked to a position on his knees the noble looked up to his assailant and the gun pointed at his face. If Yondu didn't know any better he'd say the guy looked more irritated than scared; his hands still up, he swallowed before delivering what was requested. "34. 27. 48. 52."

Stakar released his hold for just a moment to relay this through his comms back to Martinex. After a few minutes the Pluvian would indeed give the affirmative: they had hit their paydirt. Yondu was appreciative - he wanted nothing more than for this to be done.

To his surprise the man at his feet spoke. "Wait!" His words were to Stakar. "The children." Was it a question or a statement... hard to say.

Everything about the captain exuded astringency; the only exception one could possibly perceive was in his hold on the noble's wife, resonating dominance without brutality. Tears streamed down her face, hands twisting in the bonds behind her back as the captain held her in submission by the hair. He responded, "The kids are safe" without emotion. The mother sobbed out in relief at Stakar's words, her voice still restrained by the binding at her mouth.

The noble's eyes began to water. His face contorted into a sour look. "I don't give a damn about those kids." He practically spat out the words.

The wife's eyes widened at this statement, a muffled exclamation directed at her husband. His focus now set to her:

"All these years I've paid for you and for them, and for what?! So you could screw around on me?" Angry tears fell on his face. He proceeded to rant contemptuously."I had tests done, Nora. Those kids aren't even mine! You've made me out to be a fool! Raising another man's children..." His voice full to the brim with rage and pain, he seethed through clenched teeth. "I hope he was worth it."

Yondu had a hard time not wearing his astonishment on his face. What the hell was going on here?! He took in the scene before him, bouncing from husband to wife, she looking bewildered and frightened. The noble turned back to Stakar.

"Bring them in here. I'll pay you double, no - triple, to kill them along with her."

The woman's eyes widened; muffled but loud she gave a most fervent protest to his words. Stakar glared at the man before looking to his comrade; Yondu's fire red eyes were wild in this revelation. "Sonnova bitch..." the captain muttered.

This job was evidently multi-faceted: something the captain had not bothered to share. It was too late to address that now, unfortunately. Stakar ignored the look of audacity worn by his comrade and addressed soundly the noble's proposal."Your listing said a million units to take out your wife, cover-up as a robbery. Didn't say nothin' about kids. I sure as hell wouldn't have responded to it if it had." At his feet the woman was utterly losing it now. The captain's face looked slightly pained as he gripped her hair tighter through her muffled protests, keeping her in place with his dagger still to her throat.

"mommy? daddy?" Little voices from the room next over. Yondu's heart skipped a beat. All the commotion had woken up the kids. Their calls penetrated the walls, as well as the sound of a door opening. "daddy!" another startled cry was heard.

Charlie-27 was on the case: he'd make sure the kids stayed put.

Yondu couldn't hide it; the reveal of this unknown subplot left him feeling angry, confused, and in shock. Resentment grew as he looked from his captain to the noble: he started to feel hate for the man on his knees. What kind of monster had lover's scorn made this man out to be...

Behind him Yondu could see in a picture on the nightstand - a framed photo, their picture-perfect family. Husband, wife. Two small boys for kids... they did not share a resemblance to the noble. While his wife's betrayal was evident, the reaction was beyond the realm of understanding. He may have retained no value for her life, but to go so far as to feel the same for the kids...

His mind had been poisoned by his wife's infidelity. He sought to obliterate the connection he had to them all, to end to the lives of the family he resented so he could selfishly live out his own. The noble continued to argue with Stakar from his position on the floor. "Come on! You can't just leave me with them!"

"I can do whatever the hell I want." The captain's tone audacious. "The fallout from this is your problem. We're Ravagers: we don't mess with kids. You want them dead, do it your damn self."

This earned a wail from the mother. Yondu's heart ached for her; she looked so distraught and helpless. Between her floundering and the muted cries of the children, the scene was nothing short of a waking nightmare. "Stakar." Was all the recruit could say, his voice direct and accusatory. He received a glare from the captain in return.

This was not Stakar's proudest moment – far from it. Every second that passed they drifted further away from how he had wanted this to go. He turned his attention back to the noble. "Whatever she's done: trust that you are more despicable. The fact you would even ask us to do in the kids makes me sick. Transfer the other half for what you owe now. Before I change my mind, and leave you to deal with the mess you've created."

Clearly angered by the captain's words the noble paused briefly before conceding. Deliberately he moved to his wrist-piece and keyed in the transaction; the captain's communicator indicating the transfer following – half a million units.

Stakar tuned out everything from there on in: the look of betrayal from his recruit, the writhing woman at his feet, and his own conscience.

He gravitated to his knees: his voice but a whisper in the ear of the woman, shaking and wailing in a muffled tone. "Ssh." He felt a need to soothe her as he pressed the tip of the blade to her chest, in the location of her heart, wrapping his alternate arm around her head to keep her steady. He would make this as quick and painless as possible.

The look in her eyes - pure unadulterated fear - as she sobbed in what would be her last moments.

This was too much. Yondu had to turn away. He wished he couldn't hear the sounds that filled the room... it was downright suffocating. It did not end until Stakar rested her lifeless body down on the floor.

The captain, a lump in his throat, did his best to withhold any show of emotion with marginal success. He returned to his feet; using a cloth from his pocket he wiped the dagger clean and re-holstered his weapon. He looked to Yondu, making his authority all too clear when their eyes met.

"This needs to look convincing." He said bluntly. "Beat the hell out of him... don't kill him."

"mommy! mommy, daddy!" "daddy!" The frightened shouts that continued to be heard from the children resonated with Yondu: permeating his brain and every fiber of his being.

This was just... so... wrong.

How could Stakar do that?! The gravity of the situation spawned that familiar feeling in Yondu's chest, that clutching sense of despondency and dread that he only felt in the worst of moments. Anger the ever-friendly emotion to solicit in times like these; he glared with intensity at his captain.

Stakar saw it for what it was: insubordination. "That was an order." He was uncaring, serious, in a way he'd never been towards Yondu before.

Yondu clenched his jaw. So that's the way it's gonna be... "Aye aye captain." His tone wrought with spite.

He holstered his weapon and promptly sucker-punched the man knelt before him, sending him to the ground. Making him feel pain would provide some level of satisfaction. The beating that ensued became an outlet; finally, something that made sense to him in this web of shit... The whole event had rattled his heart, shaken his foundation, and shattered the image he had of his captain.

Yondu made sure to stop himself from going too far: he didn't want to prompt his commander needing to intervene because he lost control. He would not speak or look to Stakar from there on.

The job complete, the four retraced their steps to the M-ships; they would need to move quickly. When Yondu started in the same direction as Charlie-27 the captain called out. "Yondu." He motioned with his head. "You ride with me." Martinex looked from the captain, to Yondu, then back to Stakar. Without a word he walked to the opposite site of Charlie-27's M-ship, making eye contact with Yondu as he passed.

The Centaurian huffed a breath through his nose; left with little in terms of options he accompanied the captain on the ride back to the main Ravager vessel.

Stakar made a few jumps, but he did not make as many as he could have to result in a swift return. The trip up to this point had gone without dialogue; Yondu would've been content with it staying that way. But Stakar was intent on hashing out the very clear tension that filled the Ravager craft; eventually he slowed the pace to a cruise, turning his head to address the Ravager recruit.

"Let's talk about what happened."

At this Yondu only scoffed. Talking was the last thing he wanted to do. The captain however didn't need his permission; his words were more of a statement than a suggestion.

"I didn't tell you about that part of the job. I should have." He was stating the obvious. "I just..{sigh}... I honestly didn't think I needed to…" It was a candid, piss poor excuse.

Yondu's body language made clear his disdain for the engagement in conversation. But since he obviously had no choice... might as well say what was in his mind.

"...did Martinex know?"

Stakar had no response; in itself the answer was evident.

"And Chuck?" A shorthand from Yondu for Charlie-27.

Again, his inquiry was met with silence.

"Wow." Yondu's voice cracked a bit. His arms folded he looked away to the side, angry at his own show of emotion. Quiet filled the air... looking down at his chest Yondu's eyes fell to his flames. "...thought Ravagers lived by the code."

Stakar - already struggling to maintain his composure - was aptly rattled at the mention of his mantra. His tone sullen: "We do, Yondu. That's what we did."

The young alien carefully chose his words and delivered them. "Doesn't seem real 'classy' to kill a defenseless woman."

Provocative the statement was, it earned a severe reaction from the captain. "Alright." Stakar said in a reprimanding tone. He flipped over to autopilot; with seriousness he set his full attention to Yondu. "You got anything else you want to say?" The look to the recruit was fierce; Yondu could feel it even though he continued to avoid any eye contact. He would not respond.

Stakar's tone shifted, elevating as tensions were on the rise. "You think I wanted to kill that woman?"

"I don't know what you want." Yondu threw back. "Seems I don't really know nothin'. About you, or any of this."

Stakar, angered by this indignant – albeit justifiable – behavior, responded reflectively. "I get it, if you're upset I didn't keep you in the loop, but you are real close to being out of line so check your goddamn attitude. I stuck to the code."

Yondu wasn't having it. He knew he had no room to talk, but even he had lines to draw. Especially when it came to women, a mother of children no less. "That gonna help you sleep at night?" He directed his gaze to the captain coldly. "The 'code'?"

The way he mocked that last word was the last straw for Stakar. His eyes narrowed as he lashed out. "Get off it. Seriously. You were a Kree battle slave: you think I don't know what that must've meant? Go ahead: tell me you never killed any women, or children for that matter."

Anger was now mixed in with shock - the words cut Yondu to his core, rendering him unable to say anything. It was rare to hear a reference to his past, but for the captain to do it in this way... The silence left the tension in the air thick; full of dejection and remorse.

Stakar regretted what he said immediately. Clearly, out of character himself. "...I shouldn't have said that." He paused, trying to collect the muster to be honest with his companion. "...I really didn't want to do this job. The decision to take it on wasn't easy... it was even harder to bring up with you. So I didn't."

Yondu was quiet. Still avoiding eye contact he muttered. "You don't answer to nobody. If you didn't wanna do it then why did you...?"

Stakar's response was sullen and direct: "We needed the money." Yondu looked over to Stakar. He needed to hear what he had to say. "Everything we've got, everything I want us to do: it doesn't just happen. It costs to keep this thing going. With this score, Charlie-27 can finally get his own ship. We can get a third quadrant on the main." The captain was beginning to channel more of himself. His words definitive, Stakar gave his protégé a clear lesson in life:

"Sometimes the score is just too good to pass up. Sometimes the unsavory has to be done. So we do what we have to do.

This is what it means to be a captain.

You make the tough calls, and you take on the worst of it. You'll have to make hard choices too Yondu, when you become captain."

This was the first time Stakar had made such a mention of Yondu's future. The young alien's face softened; a glimmer of his adoration for the Arcturan was starting to resurface.

The air once again fell to a hush as they drifted through the stars. There was a soothing that came with the low hum of the M-Ship, offsetting the void of sound that was outer space. Stakar eventually broke the silence to say his final piece, his voice but a murmur.

"Im sorry I didn't tell you about the job." The apology was brief but sincere.

Yondu let it all sink in. He observed the demeanor of the captain: bereft, solemn, with a sense of grief. Empathy - an emotion foreign for Yondu to feel for his fellow man - was starting to develop. Despite the tensions from their dialogue, the lingering feelings of shock from the scene, and the faint traces of resentment left for being kept in the dark: Yondu held dear his overwhelming respect for the captain.

Stakar took no pleasure in that vicious act. For the sake of his crew, for the sake of his dreams, he was willing to sacrifice everything: even his own soul. The recruit felt compelled to say something, something that would let Stakar know where he stood.

"...don't worry 'bout it..." his signature low, quiet voice made his words a mumble."...I'm sorry too." Not necessarily for his own actions, but for all that had transpired: for what Stakar had to live with.

The ride would be quiet for its remainder as Stakar made the jump back to the main. The lesson learned here was one Yondu would never forget.