Part 2 (of what is now going to be 3 parts) And here's Yondu's 'birds'n'bees' turns out he's kind of a chauvinistic prick lol but he loves his boy, even if he'll never ever say that ;)
Btw- alien spacecraft mechanics are surprisingly hard to explain, create and write. So if anyone could do me a favor and tell me if the Almax 3500 and the scenes describing them fixing the ship make any sense- that would be wonderful and I will not at all be offended if you say they don't, I can only improve with honest criticism so don't hold back ;) I'm a big girl I can take it I swear
Thank you for the continued support and reviews! Happy reading!
It had taken whatever hours had been left in the day they'd landed on Xandar and all the way until the sun was high overhead the next for the Ravagers to clean out all the broken pieces from the turbine. Unfortunately, many of the smaller, internal parts had been jostled around inside the larger ones that took the brunt of the damage and were mostly unsalvageable.
There was still the matter of getting and installing a new rotor fan wheel, but, once Yondu had showed him and Kraglin how to operate the Almax 3500, Peter understood how much easier the utility ship would make the job. The spindly legs under the craft unfurled and extended, they were able to turn, flex and even curl the tips into tight hooks for hanging things on, though their main use would be its ability to have the dozen legs work together as a giant claw and lift the massive rotor fan wheel they were picking up from Saman the following day.
Peter had been a bit disappointed when Yondu took the first load of scrap in the rental ship to the Kree parts dealer with Horuz and Tullk in the early hours of the morning, but Kraglin was right that they needed as much time as they could get to work on disassembling the turbine. Both were determined, even more so after the last piece of broken metal was stripped from the ship, and would've worked through lunch if Yondu hadn't come back and barked at them to take a break with the rest of the crew.
"Hey, Kraglin," Peter began after they'd sat down with their lunches on a boulder away from the others, "Can I ask you somethin'?"
"Just did," Kraglin smirked, "Yeah, Pete, what's up?"
"That Saman asshole's Kree?" Peter furrowed his brow when Kraglin nodded and continued, "He's pink. Ain't Kree supposed t'be blue?"
"They're a couple different colors," Kraglin shrugged, "not even most of 'em are blue, but a lot of 'em are. It's an old story, basically they were always blue but then they weren't havin' enough of each other, their population was fallin', so some scientist guy did something, tryin' to make more babies, or clones, I really don't know how it all worked and this was a long time ago, but they did, 'cept the new generations were comin' out white, pink, sorta purple sometimes."
"Huh," Peter nodded thoughtfully as he considered the story, "So that guy ran away from Hala? Why?"
"So he could treat folks the way he'd always been," Kraglin scoffed bitterly, "See the blue Kree is a group of stuck up jerks, they're in charge'a everything in Kree culture and the ones who are, different, well they don't always have the greatest lives just 'cause'a what color they are. But I don't feel bad for Saman, he's just an asshole."
"So him 'n Yondu know each other from back when Yondu was, there," Peter found he couldn't say the word slave, he didn't want to, "How's he know you?"
"Chased me out of the alley behind his shop once 'r twice," Kraglin shrugged, "I did steal from him a few times, but he made it easy."
"Can't fault a man for takin' advantage of shitty security," Peter grinned as he quoted the Captain and the First Mate nodded in agreement.
"Just wish there were anybody else t'deal with here," Kraglin sighed, "Them parts are hard t'come by for a Ravager ship and Saman's the only one who can get 'em."
"Why is Yondu so, like, normal here?" Peter asked, picking at the remainder of his meal with his head down.
"What'd ya mean?" Kraglin asked, bending over to suck meat off a bone.
"Y'know, how like he'd have killed anybody else for talkin' the way Saman was, and then the rental ship, or when he brought me to the hospital here, y'know how he like, pays for stuff around here, like a normal person," Peter continued, but the shadow that darkened the large rock they were sitting on made his stomach turn before his head did, staring right at the Captain.
"At easy, boys, finish y'r'lunch," Yondu said, which was necessary as Kraglin nearly choked on the bone he'd been licking clean, "And Peter, t'answer your question, it's 'cause I don't shit where I eat."
"What'd ya mean?" Peter asked.
"Xandar is home to Nova Corps who police more than just this planet, and offers a lot in ways of stuff we need," Yondu explained and Peter listened intently, "It's centrally located and surrounded by jumps, making it easily accessible just about anywhere. It's a good place to do business if you're smart about it and it's important to have a place to land that provides all those things. These colors might tell people what I am, but here, long as we keep to ourselves, they ain't got no reason t'bother us, there's an endless system of planets to steal from out there, this one's not one of 'em."
"Yes, sir," Peter nodded after a few moments when Yondu had stopped talking but was still staring at him.
"Did Saman confirm the fan wheel will be here tomorrow, sir?" Kraglin slid off the boulder, tossing the clean bones from his lunch into brush behind.
"Said he should have it first thing," Yondu nodded.
"Can we go with to get it?" Peter asked quickly, he'd been very excited to use the giant claw like he was playing an oversized crane game.
Kraglin shot him a wide-eyed expression that Peter understood to mean 'shut up', but Yondu turned his head towards the work being done on the Eclector and nodded slowly.
"You sure got a lot done," he admitted, "There's enough scrap for another load to Saman now and bring back some other things we need."
"That's all of it, sir," Kraglin said.
"All of it?" Yondu looked at the First Mate with mild surprise.
"Yes, sir," Kraglin nodded, "Pulled the last pieces out of the holding bay just before you got back, I still gotta go through some'a them inside bits 'n find what's useful-"
"It's all shit," Yondu growled, "Don't bother siftin' through nuts 'n bolts, I'm gettin' a whole new assembly on this side."
Kraglin nodded, but Peter noticed the corners of his lips curl a little and knew the First Mate was glad to be saved from the tedious task.
"We'll just need the new parts then, sir," Kraglin said, "I, uh, since I got the time now, I'm gonna check the other turbines, just make sure this don't happen again."
"Good," Yondu nodded, "I was gonna ask ya to do that, write down anything that could use maintenance, and don't be stingy, might as well get her perfect before we get back up there."
"Yes, sir," Kraglin said and hurried towards the Eclector, shimmying up the emergency hatch into the hallway of access rooms.
"What're you gonna do?" Yondu's question was directed at Peter and the young man turned his head in search of a job.
"Help load the transport ship with scrap?" Peter offered.
"That'd be a good idea," Yondu said dryly.
The crew formed an assembly line of sorts, most of them sifting through the debris and handing pieces of scrap to Gef and Retch who stood on either side of the rental ship's ramp and passed them up to Peter and Halfnut who filled the large cargo area from front to back. Occasionally, Narblik and Taserface muscled a large, heavy fragment of metal up the ramp and were hardly as diligent about using the space effectively as Halfnut and Peter, leaving a chunk of the rotor fan blades in the middle of the floor after Peter growled at them to put it by the rest of the mess. Halfnut rolled his eyes and refused to help Peter move the obstruction until he stubbed his toe on it, grumbling bitterly as he and the teenager pushed it to the right-side wall.
His shirt was stained with sweat, his jacket long since abandoned on the ground outside the Almax 3500, but they finally packed the last of the scrap that would fit in the cargo area and Peter took the opportunity to sit down on the soft dirt with the rest of the tired crew. Narblik was nearly asleep against the largest portion of the turbine fan wheel, it would have to be carried with the claws under the transport ship, far too large to fit inside even by itself.
Footsteps approaching behind him caught Peter's attention, but he had no energy to turn his sore body and simply tipped backwards until he was lying flat on the ground, watching the Captain and First Mate approach upside down. Yondu stopped and looked down at the teenager with an amused smirk before continuing towards the rest of his men.
"Narblik!" he barked and the massive Ravager snorted awake, stumbling to his feet, "Taserface 'n Brahl, you're with me! We're unloadin' and pickin' up a lotta parts-"
"Why do only we have to do the work?" Taserface challenged suddenly, silence fell over the group as he continued, gesturing at Kraglin and Peter, "What're they gonna do?"
Yondu's eyes narrowed and he took a few steps until he was within arm's reach of the giant, ugly man. His tone was even when he spoke, keeping his eyes on Taserface and addressing the First Mate, "Kraglin, take Peter, Retch, Horuz, Halfnut and Tullk in one'a the fleet ships 'n follow us to Saman," briefly the Captain's gaze swept over the crew, "The rest'a you stay here 'n get t'work on fixin' the dents in those walls!" the Ravagers hurried away as Yondu's red eyes pulsed with anger, turning back on Taserface, "And you," a large blue fist met the man's protruding stomach and Taserface collapsed to the ground on his knees, unable to curl into the pain when Yondu grabbed his long black hair and wrenched his head back, "I will not be interrupted or undermined! Y'damn well let me finish you'd've heard everyone's orders and not be in this situation. Right?"
"Yes, sir," Taserface sounded much weaker than Peter had ever heard, part of him was enjoying it while most of him wondered if he was allowed to leave the awkward scene, but no one else did, so he stayed frozen on the ground, watching.
"You keep your mouth shut and worry about your job, got it?" Yondu pulled harder on the man's hair and Taserface whimpered.
"Yes, yes, sir," he promised.
"Get in the damn ship," Yondu snarled as he pushed the man to the ground and stalked towards Kraglin and Peter.
Kraglin stood at attention and Peter decided it was best to at least push himself to his feet, though his legs didn't appreciate the move.
"Take the Frami," Yondu ordered, "we might need more room for small parts if we fill up that thing."
"Yes, sir," Kraglin nodded and tugged Peter's sweaty shirt to make him follow, he barely remembered to grab his jacket off the ground before he did.
Kraglin led Peter, Retch, Horuz, Halfnut and Tullk up the emergency hatch ladder, through the engine room hallway and up another ladder to the open wall panel on the main floor above. Then the group trudged to the hangar on the opposite side of the ship. Peter's legs felt like were going to fall off and he groaned to himself thinking of unloading everything he'd just loaded when they got to Saman's shop.
He followed Kraglin into the Frami, taking his normal seat in the co-pilot chair, falling into it with his legs hanging over one of the arm rests and closing his eyes dramatically.
"Get'cher feet outta my face," Kraglin grumbled, pushing Peter's boots to the floor, forcing the exhausted teenager into a sitting position, "And buckle up."
"Jerk," Peter muttered, pulling the straps across his chest.
"Bitch," Kraglin scoffed lightly while powering up the turbines.
Yondu was already in the air, hovering with the chunk of fan wheel dangling under the Almax 3500, but the claws held tight even while it swung under the craft as they flew towards the city. Peter was confused, however, when Yondu started flying around the outskirts, barely able to see the buildings distinctly, and wondered if he was going the back way to avoid the crew seeing the festival. Then he considered that was silly because if Yondu said no they just wouldn't go, well Peter would, but he knew how to get what he wanted unlike the rest of the Ravagers.
"Where're we goin'?" Peter asked when they turned and dropped elevation, but were no where near the city.
"Saman's scrap yard 'n warehouse is out here," Kraglin said, "Can't very well keep stuff like this in the middle'a the city, no, he's got a place out here he does business, the store front is more of a meetin' place to discuss with customers y'know."
"Okay, sure," Peter nodded absently, having stopped listening at some point while the First Mate was explaining, his eyes fixed on the yard that appeared over a tall hill.
It would've been exactly like a landfill on Earth except the debris was clearly all alien spacecraft and weaponry. Peter's gaze didn't stop there as Kraglin turned the Frami around to land and he caught sight of the massive steel doors built into the side of the comically tall hill, practically a mountain if it wasn't covered in grass.
"This is Saman's warehouse?" Peter gasped.
"Don't go droolin' over his toys, okay," Kraglin growled, "Guy's a jackass to top all jackasses."
"Yeah," Peter nodded, "but he's prob'lly got some cool shit."
Kraglin shook his head, rolled his eyes and was descending the ladder before Peter even unbuckled from his seat. He followed quickly, but was the last to get to the hatch and, from his unobstructed view at the top of the ramp, he watched Yondu set the broken fan wheel gently on an extensive black patch of ground before settling the Almax 3500 next to the Frami with more grace than the bulky ship should've ever had. Peter hadn't even noticed Saman was outside waiting for them, the huge doors behind him open to the warehouse inside the hill.
Peter was shocked at the difference between the dirty shop and what appeared to be a meticulously organized airplane hanger of ship parts, but he made sure his expression remained neutral, hard even as he stood next to the First Mate and waited for their Captain to descend the transport craft. The bulbous windshield of the rental ship unhinged upward and a ramp slid out from the floor between the pilot chairs, Yondu began walking down it before the end touched the ground with Narblik, Taserface and Brahl following.
"Brought the whole crew huh?" Saman chuckled.
"Not even close," Yondu growled, "Didn't think you'd be much of a help unloadin'."
"Thought right," the pink man nodded, "I got that fan wheel little while ago if y'wanna take a look at it."
Yondu made an affirmative sound and started heading towards the open doors of the warehouse, making Saman jog a bit to catch up.
"Alright, let's start unloadin', c'mon let's go!" Kraglin clapped his hands and the crew grumbled, but made their way to the transport ship's cargo ramp.
Unloading didn't take nearly as long, especially since no one seemed concerned about organization as they tossed one piece after another onto the enormous scale platform near the entrance to the scrap yard where Yondu had already landed the immovable, broken fan wheel. A counter illuminated in the air overhead and the weight continued increasing as they piled more fragments of the old turbine on the scale.
Yondu and Saman returned as the last of the scrap was being removed from the rental ship and the Captain directed his crew to start loading the new parts from the warehouse. No one except Peter grumbled at the command, but Yondu either didn't hear him or pretended he hadn't as he continued arguing with Saman over the price of the scrap. Eventually they settled on an amount that neither seemed pleased with, though Yondu had told Peter before that that was the tell-tale sign of good negotiating and the teen was confident his Captain was more satisfied than he let on.
By the time they left, Brahl and Taserface had to join the others on the Frami with the Almax 3500 stuffed all the way up to the cockpit with new parts. The new rotor fan wheel was massive, having to be hauled out of the warehouse by several of Saman's drones and even Yondu seemed to struggle in the transport ship as he lifted it slowly off the ground.
"Please don't fall, please don't fall, please don't fall," Kraglin muttered from his seat in the Frami's pilot chair, his eyes fixed on the fan wheel swaying under the rental craft.
Peter said nothing, but repeated Kraglin's mantra in his head a few times, just in case.
It didn't fall, though the trip back to the Eclector was painfully slow and several times Kraglin had to adjust the altitude of the Frami or weave the ship back and forth just to keep it in the air, nothing in the Ravager fleet was built to fly that slow. The Almax 3500, however, bumbled along despite the tremendous amount of weight it was carrying and they reached the Eclector just as the sky was darkening.
"All'a you," Yondu barked at the crew after descending the front ramp of the rental ship, "get somethin' to eat 'n hit the rack! We're startin' early!"
An echoed mumble of 'yes, sir' was heard from the exhausted group and the Ravagers trudged into the Eclector, headed straight for the mess hall.
"Capt'n?" Kraglin stopped near their commander as the others made their way into the ship, "I'd like t'get some of the new wiring done tonight, sir."
"Get some rest, Kraglin," Yondu said, "We'll be at it early enough."
"Yes, sir, but I'll still get up with the others I just-"
"Boy!" Yondu growled and Kraglin bit his lips together, "This is not a negotiation. Eat. Sleep. Now."
"Yes, sir," Kraglin nodded curtly and hurried away from the Captain, Peter following closely.
"He's a jerk," Peter grumbled.
"He's the Captain," Kraglin's response didn't sound like he was agreeing with Peter, but he clearly wasn't disagreeing.
"You wanna sneak down later 'n get some'a that done?" Peter asked, wondering why Kraglin had sought permission to begin with when asking forgiveness if he got caught was always the teenager's strategy.
Kraglin turned to him with his brow furrowed, obviously about to refuse, but a moment of thoughtfulness crossed his eyes and the First Mate shrugged, "Maybe, we'd gotta be real quiet though."
"Stealth mode," Peter agreed.
Kraglin grinned, "C'mon, let's eat, I'm starvin'."
Peter laid in his bed fully dressed, his boots carefully situated on the floor so the moment Kraglin knocked quietly on his door Peter was already pulling them on his feet. The First Mate held a finger to his lips and Peter rolled his eyes, tiptoeing into the hallway behind Kraglin and following him to the access panel still hanging open on the wall. Noiselessly they both descended the ladder and hastened down the corridor below deck, neither daring to even breath hardly before they'd rounded the curve, far away from Yondu's quarters.
"You got the wiring harnesses?" Peter whispered, Kraglin nodded.
The turbine access room looked much different without any parts in it and he looked down from the dimly lit balcony platform to the dark ground below, barely able to make out part of the new rotor fan wheel waiting to be installed. Kraglin grabbed a box from the corner and slowly pried off the top, grimacing when the crate lid squeaked. Peter hadn't remembered him bringing it in and wondered if Kraglin had managed to sneak down for the parts sometime after dinner, he was surprised how impressed he was with the First Mate.
"Okay," Kraglin was still whispering as he pointed to a square hole in the wall with the covering panel hanging limp and mangled from a single bottom hinge, exposing a mess of wires, "I'm gonna need t'strip some'a them wires and replace 'em," he'd shoved a handful of fresh wires in his pocket and pulled a headlamp down just above his eyebrows, spinning a pair of wire cutters in his hand once, "I gotta get on the second rung t'reach, so don't let me fall. Okay?"
Peter looked at the four metal rungs running the length of the platform to keep occupants from falling into the turbine, or in this case just a nasty fall to the soft ground, "You mean the top second one or the bottom second one?"
"Top," Kraglin said flatly, "You got it? I don't need t'go breakin' my leg."
"Yeah I got it," Peter rolled his eyes and Kraglin carefully stepped up the rungs to the second from the top, leaning over a little and bracing himself against the wall as he clicked on the headlamp and began stripping wires.
Peter held tight to his calves, but watched Kraglin's hands with astonishment, wondering if he'd ever be able to work on things with the speed and confidence of the First Mate. He stripped the ends of the new wires and twisted them onto stubs of the ones he'd deemed too damaged to remain, Peter just tried to avoid getting hit in the head by the ones Kraglin was tossing carelessly in the direction of the balcony.
They'd been working in near silence, not that Peter was working, but keeping the First Mate from plummeting to the ground was important, and Kraglin finally sighed at what he'd accomplished.
"Alright, Pete, let's get the otherrrr," the First Mate's word trailed into a weak sound and his face paled while his eyes bulged over Peter's head.
He turned and saw Yondu leaning in the doorway, his arms crossed and his face blank. Peter's stomach flipped, backing away when Kraglin's hurried decent from the railing pushed him unexpectedly. How long had the Captain been standing there with his long red jacket over his sleeping clothes? He and Kraglin briefly shared a glance that told the young man they both knew they were in deep shit.
"Bed," Yondu growled.
Neither had to be told twice and rushed from the room, Kraglin didn't even stop to apologize as he skidded passed the Captain. Peter had no intentions of stopping, sure if he did Yondu would lose whatever patience he was using. Kraglin reached the ladder first and his bedroom door was closing quietly just as Peter emerged on the main deck above, slowing his stride to his own room across the hall.
The next morning, Peter sleepily pulled his blanket over his face as light started streaming through his little window, he could not, however, ignore his door being flung open without warning.
"Get up, we got work to do," Yondu said.
"Five more minutes," Peter grumbled and turned over in his bed.
"Should've gone t'bed when you were told," Yondu informed him while stripping the warm blanket from the teenager, "Up. Work. Now."
Peter rubbed his eyes and scowled at the Captain, but swung his legs off the mattress and stretched his arms over his head.
"Can I get some privacy?" Peter asked sharply, grabbing his undershirt from a pile on the floor and slipping it over his bare chest.
Yondu scoffed, but turned to leave, pausing in the doorway to let his eyes scan the small room, "Your room's filthy."
"If you only knew," Peter muttered after Yondu shut the door.
He dressed slowly, yawning and trying to shake the exhaustion from his brain, but, after pulling on his boots, attaching his expanding helmet behind his ear and clipping his Walkman to his holster belt, Peter left his room and descended the ladder to the engine access hallway below. He could hear the bustling of the crew before they came into view around the first curve, carrying fresh parts into the turbine access room.
Yondu was standing outside the door and jerked his head in a silent demand for Peter to enter, which he did, and saw Kraglin elbow deep in the other wiring panel they hadn't gotten to the night before. The First Mate was kneeling on a small hovering platform and Peter was immediately reminded of Marty McFly's hoverboard from Back to the Future, hoping he'd get a chance to try it out.
"Pete," Kraglin glanced away from the mess of wires momentarily and motioned towards the crate he'd opened last night, "Grab me three green and two blue outta there, would'ja."
"Glad y'could finally join us," Horuz grumbled quietly as he passed Peter bending over the box of wires, Peter tried to scowl at him, but the Ravager was already leaving the room.
"How long you been up?" Peter asked, handing Kraglin the requested wires.
"Little while," the First Mate shrugged, "Don't worry about it, I ain't seen Gef or Scrote yet either."
"How much more y'gotta do on that?" Peter nodded at the panel of wires.
"Bout done," Kraglin said with a green wire between his lips as he stripped an old damaged one from the wall, "But I'm gonna need help gettin' up there before we put the fan wheel in," Peter looked up at the ceiling and saw three square holes with more wires hanging through and sighed, "Won't take long with both'a us," the First Mate assured him with a soft chuckle.
"Got another one'a those?" Peter gestured to the hovering platform under Kraglin's knees.
"Should," Kraglin nodded, "check the supply closet."
Peter darted across the hall to the small, dusty room and found another hover platform poking out from under a pile of greasy rags on a low shelf. He tugged hard, expecting the machine to be much heavier than it was and nearly lost his balance. Peter's finger brushed against the power switch on the side and he grinned mischievously as he flipping it, feeling the platform lift in his hands. He pushed it towards the floor and carefully situated his feet on the flat surface before letting go cautiously, using his arms to keep his balance.
Peter covered his mouth when a childish giggled burst passed his lips, but quickly threw his arm back out when he started to tip over. After ensuring he wasn't going to fall, Peter leaned forward slightly and the hovering platform jerked a little before flying out of the closet, across the hall and back into the turbine access room. Peter attempted a quick turn at the corner of the balcony and fell backward, landing hard on his backside with his right boot still caught on the platform. Kraglin shook his head and laughed.
"You're not s'pposed t'stand on it," he said.
"Think Yondu would notice if I kept this in my room?" Peter asked, balancing on the platform again.
"Yeah," Kraglin scoffed, "Pretty sure he will."
"He won't care," Peter shrugged, spinning again on the board, but maintaining his stance this time.
"Alright, c'mon," Kraglin sighed with impatience, "I need y'r'help, and get on that thing right or y'ain't comin' up here. Gonna fall in break somethin' 'n get my ass in shit," he grumbled the last bit.
Peter's arms felt like they were going to fall off after half an hour of replacing wires in the ceiling and the hovering platform had lost its appeal as his knees dug into the hard surface that no amount of shifting would alleviate.
"You about done with that?" Kraglin asked as he floated towards Peter from the second panel he'd just completed.
"Yeah," Peter bit his lip, concentrating on the tiniest wire he'd been trying to twist into its housing harness for several minutes.
"Want me t'get that one?" Kraglin offered.
"I got it," Peter snapped in frustration and roughly jammed the wire, only succeeding in bending the ends so he had to straighten it, again.
"Don't force it," Kraglin chided, "Just put it in gently."
"I am putting it in gently!" Peter insisted angrily, but tried once again with less pressure and finally the wire's tip slipped into the tiny hole in the harness unit.
"See?" Kraglin smiled smugly.
"Shut up," Peter muttered, "What's next?"
"We're ready for the wire assembly!" Kraglin called down to the ground and Yondu appeared under the ship.
"Pete gonna help you?" Yondu barked.
"Yes, sir, he's got it," Kraglin called back and the Captain nodded curtly before disappearing from the small section of ground the boys could see through the hole in the Eclector.
"What do I got?" Peter asked.
"They're gonna lift the wire assembly up here," Kraglin jerked his head as he floated towards the balcony and Peter followed, "We gotta attach it to the panels," pointing at the three wire access points on the ceiling and the two on either side wall, "the sides are easy, but the top's gonna be a pain."
Peter wondered why until a massive cylinder unit slowly rose from the hole. Kraglin shifted to a laying position across the length of the hover platform and Peter copied him, lowering onto his stomach.
"Okay, hold it there!" Kraglin yelled and the wiring assembly unit halted its upward progression with a little over a foot of space between its top and the ceiling.
It was uncomfortable to say the least, as the boys squeezed into the space and started connecting the new wires to the harness points on the assembly. Peter's hands were already clammy, but he started sweating after a few minutes in the cramped spot, thankful that clipping the wires into the assembly wasn't nearly as hard as replacing them had been.
"Good on that side, Pete?" Kraglin asked as he finished the second in record time.
"Yeah, we're good," he nodded, regretting it as soon as his head made contact with the ceiling.
When they'd backed out of the tight space and lowered to the platform like a couple of awkward looking turtles, Peter followed Kraglin's lead and flipped to a kneeling position.
"Alright, Pete, last two," the First Mate pointed at the wall panel on Peter's side as he floated towards the one on his.
His hands scraped the wall and side of the assembly unit while Peter fumbled to reach the wires, clipping them into the harness and tugging a bit to ensure they were connected. Kraglin backed to the platform just before Peter did and gave the teenager a proud nod.
"All set!" the First Mate hollered down the hole and the Peter peered over the balcony, astounded at the sight below the assembly unit.
A few of the Almax 3500's spindly legs were pushing the assembly unit into place, slowly growing longer and fatter as they telescoped from the ship Peter couldn't even see.
"How long do those arms get?" Peter asked in astonishment.
"Not sure," Kraglin shrugged, "seems t'be gettin' the job done though."
Peter nodded in agreement, crouching to watch between the balcony railings and catching a glimpse of the front of the bulbous craft, situated directly under where they stood in the Eclector. It was mesmerizing. The black arms of the ship extended to lift the assembly unit to its cradle in the ceiling and gently turned it a little to the right until it clicked and Kraglin called down to the Ravager directing whoever was behind the controls. Judging by the grace and accuracy, Peter assumed it was Yondu.
Kraglin checked the new addition, making sure it was securely in place, "All good! Ready for the fan!"
"Well, we ain't!" Horuz yelled up from the ground, "We're eatin', c'mon!"
Kraglin and Peter sighed at each other, but shrugged and took the emergency ladder through the hatch around the second curve to the ground, Peter slid down again, uncaring if Yondu saw him. Matbua was carving roasted griss, growling at any of the Ravagers who dared asked him for a larger portion as they passed in line.
Again, Peter and Kraglin took their lunches to the large, flat rock they'd found, perfectly warmed by the sun.
"How much more we gotta do?" Peter asked after a few bites, "After the fan's in."
"Well that's gonna take a little bit," Kraglin said, "but once we get that done not much."
"We gonna be done by tonight?" Peter wondered.
"We're on track t'get to the fest, yeah," Kraglin smirked and Peter smiled, "You wanna find some girls, huh?"
Peter felt his ears burn, but offered a small shrug of admittance, "Yeah, y'know, I don't know, we spend enough time with dudes, be nice t'hang out with some girls, a girl."
Kraglin chuckled, "Don't gotta explain it t'me, Pete, I get it."
"Is anybody else goin'?" Peter asked after a quick glance towards some of the other Ravagers.
"Prob'lly," Kraglin shrugged, "Capt'n can't very well let just us go. Why?"
"I don't want Horuz comin' with us," Peter said, "he'll scare of any of 'em we talk to."
"Don't' worry," Kraglin scoffed, "Pretty sure Horuz is gonna avoid you on every city trip from now on."
"So where we gonna go?" Peter asked.
"There's a few places," Kraglin shrugged, "Wapsgod's kinda a fun place, younger crowd. If they ain't changed it the upstairs is a dance floor."
"Yeah, well, maybe we don't go up there," Peter felt his ears burning hotter as Kraglin furrowed his brow.
"Thought you wanted t'meet girls," the First Mate chuckled, "That's where they are."
"I can't dance, though," Peter muttered.
Kraglin laughed out loud, "All you do is dance, kid!"
"That's just messin' around," Peter insisted, "I mean like, with a girl."
"Naw," Kraglin shook his head, "You'll be fine, them girls do all the movin', you just kinda gotta sway 'n stay with their rhythm. It ain't hard, hell if I can do it you sure as hell can."
Peter half grinned, hoping Kraglin was right.
"Boys tired?" Yondu appeared next to the rock again, startling both boys.
"Capt'n, I know we shouldn't've last night, I'm sorry again, we was just-" Kraglin's babbling ceased when Yondu lifted his large blue palm.
"We're not gonna talk about it anymore," the Captain said simply, "I know you two wanna make it to Worldmind."
"Are you gonna go?" Peter asked.
"Might," Yondu nodded, "Remember what I said, though, don't go wearin' your colors in there, not all folks around here take kindly to Ravagers."
"Folks 'round here don't take kindly t'anyone who ain't them," Kraglin grumbled.
"Just keep your asses outta trouble," Yondu ordered.
"Yes, sir," Peter and Kraglin answered together.
After lunch the entire crew helped ready the rotor fan wheel's position into the connecting assembly until, completing the largest part of the repair, but the installation wasn't as seamless as the wiring harness had been. Peter hadn't thought they were easy at the time, but as minutes became hours stuck on the same awkward angle, he began to realize the assembly unit had been a breeze.
Yondu was cursing and pounded the Almax 3500's steering controls a few times as he tried over and over to force the massive wheel up into the hole, the black, spindly arms slipped their grip once and the wheel fell to the ground with a hard thud, thankfully it hadn't been very high. Peter was beginning to lose hope that the job would be completed by the end of the day when the sun started setting.
Finally, with the rental ship's headlights blaring into the turbine hole while Yondu held the craft vertically under the Eclector and shoved the fan wheel into place with the help of almost every telescoping arm. Kraglin, Peter, Gef and Horuz quickly secured the huge piece in the assembly unit and sighed with satisfaction at the nearly completed new turbine.
"We're gonna make it," Peter was panting with exhaustion, but couldn't help his grin.
Kraglin smiled and nodded back, heaving for breath after the flurry of bolt tightening they'd just accomplished.
"World-mind?" Gef asked breathlessly.
The boys nodded and Gef and Horuz shared a look before wishing the boys fun, a bit sarcastically, and leaving the room towards the emergency hatch.
It was too dark to inspect their work and install the protective covers, so Yondu told them all to grab something to eat and get some rest, though a few crew members he directed towards the shower room after grimacing when he walked passed them.
Peter went to sleep early, so did Kraglin, having discussed at dinner their plans to wake up at sunrise to finish the turbine and spend as much of the day at the Worldmind festival as possible. A few others had plans to go, though most of them seemed frustrated that they wouldn't immediately be getting back in the air.
He woke the moment Kraglin tapped on his door the next morning, dressing quickly when the First Mate told Peter he'd meet him below deck. Peter rushed out of his bedroom and smacked directly into the Captain, shoving the man off balance, but thankfully not knocking him over.
"Sorry!" Peter grimaced.
"The hell you doin', always rushin' 'n runnin' into shit," Yondu grumbled as he straightened his jacket, Peter wanted to refute that he didn't often run into things and when he did, in a streak of freakishly bad luck, it was almost exclusively the Captain, but he kept his mouth shut.
Only the Captain, First Mate and Peter seemed to be awake, at least the were the only ones inspecting the turbine in the steadily brightening light of dawn. Kraglin silently made some adjustments and Peter craned his neck to watch over the older boy's shoulder, earning an explanation from the First Mate on the task he was performing.
Yondu used the rental ship's telescoping arms to hold the protective covers in place while Kraglin and Peter hovered underneath and secured the plates. They were just finishing the last few bolts when a group of Ravagers emerged from the emergency hatch.
"Nice job, boys," Yondu said to Kraglin and Peter, ignoring the others slowly crowding around him wearing guilty expressions, "Go eat somethin' 'n then take that ship back."
"Yes, sir," they echoed together and raced to the emergency hatch, Peter reached the ladder just before Kraglin.
They ate and showered before heading into their own rooms to change. Peter had been mentally considering his outfit since Yondu had offered to let them go to the Worldmind celebration and pulled on a long-sleeved, black shirt that was a little too tight, but made the young man look more muscular than he was and Peter liked that. His chest and arm muscles had become much more defined over the last year, but he was still scrawny.
With his dark red pants tucked into his black boots, Peter considered his appearance in his mirror and was fairly pleased with himself. His hair was sort of messy even as he pushed most of it to one side, curling some of it behind his ears and finally sighed in frustration before pushing out his door.
"Yeah!" Kraglin called after Peter knocked on his bedroom door.
"Hey," Peter stood in the open doorway, running his fingers through his mop of dirty-blonde hair, "Think you could cut this really quick?"
Kraglin turned from his own mirror where he was checking his recent shave and sighed as he nodded, "Yeah, c'mon."
Peter nearly jumped into the room at the invitation and stood in front of the mirror while Kraglin his clippers from his top dresser drawer. They looked like the kind of clippers Peter had seen at the barber back on Earth, but were a little bulkier to accommodate the tiny vacuum system on either side of the blades. The first time Kraglin had cut his hair Peter had freaked out at the sound, but the First Mate had showed him it was harmless, except to the sliced bits of hair that were instantly inhaled into the vacuum, fried by the internal heater and expelled out the back as smoke that quickly dissipated in the air.
"Jeez, kid," Kraglin scoffed after swiping upward on the back of Peter's neck, "your hair grows fast."
"Just don't make it goofy," Peter said.
"Well, y'gotta get down a little," Kraglin pushed Peter gently on the shoulder with his free hand, "You're almost as tall as me."
"I am as tall as you," Peter corrected while crouching a bit, hoping Kraglin would hurry because it was uncomfortable.
Kraglin didn't respond, but continued cutting Peter's hair, swiping up the back in slow, deliberate moves, his tongue clamped between his lips as he concentrated. Peter stifled a little giggle every time the clippers buzzed his neck, but expelled a short laugh when they grazed his ear.
"Alright, take a look," Kraglin said as he turned the clippers off and Peter felt relief as he straightened his legs and turned his head in the mirror.
His long, messy hair was now short on the sides and a bit longer on top, still leaving Peter with the option to push it one way or the other, but it was no longer falling in his eyes.
"Looks good, Krag, thanks," Peter nodded, "I'm about ready."
"Well, I ain't," Kraglin scoffed, gesturing for Peter to leave his room with one hand while shoving the clippers back in the drawer with the other.
"Lookin' good, boy," Peter whirled around outside Kraglin's closed bedroom door to see Yondu walking up the hallway, "You were startin' t'look like a girl."
"Thanks," Peter grumbled, running a hand absently over his new haircut.
"Where you two plannin' on headin'?" Yondu asked, stopping to cross his arms in front of the teenager.
"Kraglin mentioned some place called Wapsgod's," Peter shrugged.
"Goin' dancin' huh?" Yondu chuckled and Peter blushed, "Good thing y'cut y'r'hair then, lots'a girls there."
Peter felt his cheeks and ears burn hotter, "Yeah, well, I was just gettin' sick of it bein' in my face."
Yondu inclined his head slightly at the young man and jerked his head towards the front of the ship as he started walking, "C'mon."
"Why?" Peter whined, "I gotta get ready."
"Thought you were ready?" Yondu called over his shoulder without slowing his stride and Peter sighed, following the Captain begrudgingly to his quarters.
"What?" Peter asked after shutting the door.
"I wanted to talk to ya," Yondu scoffed, sitting in his arm chair and motioning the couch across from it, "Sit down."
"I didn't do anything," Peter insisted, wracking his brain to make sure that was true.
Yondu chuckled, "Y'did a good job helpin' get that new turbine in," the compliment surprised Peter, "But today, I know Kraglin knows how t'keep outta trouble at this thing, you gotta stick with him 'n don't do nothin' stupid."
"I won't," Peter said, but bit his lips together when Yondu scowled at his interruption.
"Y'might not mean to," Yondu continued, "but Xandar ain't like Contraxia, there's rules here, lots of 'em. Don't go gettin' in fights, either, if somebody starts somethin' with you, you walk away," he held up a large blue hand to stop the protest Peter was starting, "I don't care if you can take 'em and I know this is the exact opposite of everything I've always told ya, but not here, Pete. Got it?"
"Yeah, I got it," Peter nodded.
"Alright," Yondu seemed satisfied and continued in a direction Peter immediately found uncomfortable, "Now, I know you know Xandar's a mixed planet, lots'a refuges that've left their homes, so there's a lotta different girls here. Some of 'em ain't much t'look at, but I want you to remember, if y'r'nice to the plain ones their pretty friends are gonna like ya, and they always got pretty friends."
"But what if one I don't like, likes me?" Peter asked, feeling a bit anxious all of a sudden.
"Don't matter," Yondu scoffed, "Once you get the pretty ones talkin' you ain't gotta worry about it, just don't say nothin' stupid."
"Like what?" Peter's eyebrows raised nervously.
"Just ask 'em about themselves," Yondu shook his head with a small grin, "girls love t'talk about themselves."
"What if I, uh," Peter began timidly, "What if I wanna talk to, just, one of them?"
"That's a trick," Yondu laughed, "but if y'keep talkin' to just one, y'know be nice to the others, but focus on one, the rest of them'll sorta float away after a bit. But don't go spendin' all y'r'time with one girl just to find out she's got a boyfriend or somethin'."
"Do they do that?" Peter wondered.
"What? Talk t'other guys when they already got one?" Yondu scoffed, "Yeah, they're good at it, too. Most of the girls at that dance joint are gonna be there for the same reason as you though."
"What's that?" Peter knew his reason, but he didn't know Yondu did.
"Boy," Yondu grinned, "your brain has been one track on girls for months."
"I have, it's not," Peter tried to refute the allegation, but Yondu just laughed.
"You wouldn't have an idea what happened to those Berr magazines I had in my desk, would'ja?" Yondu challenged and Peter felt his ears burning bright red as his eyes met the floor briefly before staring at the Captain's red eyes and offering a complete lie.
"No."
Yondu smirked and shook his head, "I never cared for 'em anyway."
Peter grinned a little at the Captain. The magazines in question were stuffed under his mattress at that moment, a few pictures of gorgeous, naked female mamaliens were dogeared for quick reference. Kraglin had adamantly not wanted anything to do with it when Peter showed him what he'd pilfered from Yondu's quarters, insisting the teenager would be in for the beating of his life if the Captain found out. Peter thought it was kind of funny that Yondu knew and probably had since right after he'd taken the risqué publications, but he was not only not being punished, he was being allowed to keep them. Though, Yondu wasn't stupid and undoubtedly knew what the teenager had been using them for, he probably didn't want them back.
"Real girls ain't like that, though," Yondu said firmly, "Y'gotta be nice t'girls, all of 'em even if y'don't think they're pretty, 'cause y'never know-"
"Who their friends are," Peter finished and Yondu raised an eyebrow.
"Or who their Daddy is," he warned, "Don't go gettin' too nice either."
"Well, what am s'posed t'do then?" Peter tossed his arms up in frustration.
Yondu chuckled, "Be yourself, Pete, the girls are gonna love ya, but don't let one pull ya away with any promises, them ain't the girls y'want. Stick around Kraglin, you'll be fine."
Peter nodded his understanding, feeling much more nervous than before their conversation.
"And Pete," Yondu stopped him as the teenager walked around the back of the couch to leave, "I'm not kiddin', the Nova Corps'll throw ya in a holdin' tank for disturbin' the peace so no fightin'. So help me boy you'll be safer in there than when I get my hands on ya if that happens. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Peter nodded, absolutely resolved to not get in a fight.
"Hey, Pete," Kraglin was walking out of Peter's room when he caught sight of the younger man down the hall leaving the Captain's quarters, "was lookin' for ya. Talkin' t'Capt'n?"
"More like a lecture," Peter rolled his eyes, "Oh, he totally knows I took those Berr mags."
Kraglin's eyes bugged nearly out of his skull, but Peter laughed and told the First Mate about the exchange, feeling satisfied in his surprise at Peter's luck.
"Ready t'go?" Kraglin asked, "We gotta take the Almax back before we can head to the fest."
"Yeah, let's go," Peter felt excited again, finally leaving the Eclector for the Nova Corps Worldmind Remembrance celebration.
Part 3 on the way soon! Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think (preferably of my story and style, but you know you can tell me how your day went too- we're all friends)