Chapter Thirteen - Karma's a Bitch

Location: Bridge – Eclector

Date: 25th May 1990

Time: 1619 (Ship Time)

Tori watched greedily as Yondu sat in his chair, like a king. The bridge was fully lit, all hands on deck. Kraglin stood to his right, a deadly air of menace, all straight spine and cold eyes.

The sight made her squeeze her thighs together.

Her boys.

Hers.

She stepped onto the bridge with a fresh set of Ravager reds and boots to match, hair tight in a plait that fell between her shoulder blades. The tailor - a teensy thing named Tina - had dug her up a set of sharp shooter goggles which were perched neatly on her head. Tullk - a surprisingly pleasant guy for a Ravager - had decked her out with an ammunition belt, a blaster, a machete, and a wicked looking sniper rifle which was fitted to a harness on her back.

She smirked as both Yondu and Kraglin eyed her hungrily. "Hello boys." She said causally as she took her place behind Yondu's left shoulder.

"Ya look incredible bǎobǎo." Kraglin murmured beside her.

Yondu's hand came up over his shoulder and opened, revealing a massive silver and diamond hoops. He threw her a smirk, "If yer tha Cap'n's girl ya gotta be decked out in shinies doll."

She took them with a grin and put them in her ears. Kraglin nudged her gently, pulling at a thick silver chain around his neck, "Ain't just true fer a girl neither." He said with a wink.

"In position Cap'n." Called one of the pilots.

"Right." Yondu barked. "Gunners, sound off! Ya'll got yer target points?"

A chorus of 'Yes'sirs' echoed through the bridge.

The Centaurian's implant lit like a wildfire, eyes positively demonic, "Let's show 'em what happens when they fuck wit' us. Fire!"

Tori saw what looked like warheads, pull away from several parts of the ship. The bridge was a flurry of activity. Gunners calling numbers, navs tracking positions and all the while Yondu sat projecting a calm demeanor - as if this was an everyday occurrence - maybe it was, but she could see his knuckles going white, like this really mattered. She supposed it did, the Kree had destroyed his life. Fucking them over was worth all the units and shiny things he possessed.

A tiny woman pushed her way through the crowded bridge, shoving and kicking people out of her way. Yondu recognised her but couldn't recall her name, she had a panicked expression that immediately made him lean forwards, her usual summery complexion a sickly pale. Lissa! That was her name. "What'sa matter Lissa?"

"One of my shots didn't fire, sir. Timer's still clickin'."

His eyes widened, "I have a live fuckin' warhead on ma ship?!"

"Yes'sir. Something jammed up the firing mech."

Tori leaned forwards, immediately all business, "You know where it is?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Captain, I can disable it."

He looked over his shoulder, "Yer sure?"

"Four degrees sir, I'm confident I can."

He nodded, "Go. Keep a comm link up, I wanna know what's goin' on."

"Yes Captain."

Lissa raced through the hallways and out into the centre of the ship, "It ain't far, but we only got three minutes 'fore it detonates."

Tori was hot on her heels, "Fuck that, you don't know what I been through these last few weeks, I sure as hell ain't dyin' now."

"Well that's mighty good ta hear ma'am 'cause I weren't real keen on dyin' either."

Location: Third Quadrant Gunnery Room – Eclector

Date: 25th May 1990

Time: 1622 (Ship Time)

Lissa rounded a corner to panicked yelling.

"I don't know Joule! One sec it was fine, next bang!"

"How many times have I told you not to call me that!"

"This is hardly the time for-"

Lissa barged in, "Officer on deck! Move yer asses!"

Tori stepped into the room, "Thank you Lissa."

The woman nodded, "Anytime ma'am."

She turned calmly to the bug eyed one who'd been calling the other one 'Joule'. "Tell me you have tools sweetcheeks or we're all going to die."

"Y-yes ma'am." He pointed down at a toolbox that had been thrown open and scattered.

"Good." She picked up a crowbar and wrenched off a panel on the side of the colossal barrel that practically filled the space, "Hand me a screwdriver, will you?" A ten digited webbed hand shoved a screwdriver in her direction. She raised an eyebrow as slime dripped from it.

He shrugged sheepishly, "Sorry, I get slimy when I'm nervous. It's ok, it's not poisonous or anything. Just -"

"Gross?" Joule offered.

"Shut it Joule!"

"Will you please stop-"

"CAN IT!" Yondu roared through the comm link.

Tori chuckled as a fresh wave of slime hit the deck. She took the screwdriver and opened the warhead panel, "Cutters please - what was your name?"

"Sal. Uh - no offense - I know pretty much the whole bridge crew and I don't remember ever seeing you."

She grabbed the cutters off him and threw him a dark look, "I'm new."

"You got to bridge crew already?! I mean that's-"

"Sal," Yondu began in a tightly controlled voice, "if you keep distractin' Rabbit, Imma shove that warhead up yer ass 'til ya taste it in yer goolies boy. She's been crew as long as Obfonteri, just ain't picked 'er up 'til now, so show some goddamn respect!"

Sal squeaked, "Yes'sir."

Tori focused back on the wiring, digging her hands in and fiddling until she found what she needed. Giving it a yank she pulled out a tiny cylinder.

"Ma'am I don't mean ta rush ya none but that thing'll go off in under a minute."

"Fusion core's dead. Joule! Get me another from that bench there."

Joule looked like a strange mix between granite and a Velociraptor, massive claws and deep brown eyes - someone more suited to tearing things to shreds rather than scrabbling along the bench for a fresh core, while his yelling partner was much shorter and sort of looked like a scaly ape with a wild tuft of black hair sticking up from all angles and big green eyes.

Joule tossed the core to Sal who handed it to her, Tori shoved it into place and quickly replaced the panel.

"Thirty-two seconds ma'am!"

"No time to put the barrel back together!" Tori barked. "Brace!" She slammed her hand on the manual override and the warhead shot out of the ship and into the black.

All four of them held their crouched positions as the explosion battered the Eclector's shields, throwing them sideways.

"Captain?!" Tori yelled over the ringing in her ears.

"Minor damage to the broadside, nothing serious Rabbit." Yondu replied. "Ya did good girl."

She looked up from her position to see Joule fiercely batting Sal's smoking hair. Lissa stood dusting herself off, and Tori chuckled.

"Couldn't have done it without these three, sir." She replied.

"Come'on back doll."

"Yes'sir."

Location: Bridge – Eclector

Date: 25th May 1990

Time: 1630 (Ship Time)

Lissa led her back to the bridge and Tori looked out into the destruction. The moon she'd considered home for the last five years was in pieces.

Yondu was barking out orders to the salvage crew and she could see some of the large ships from the hangar already out there picking off anything worth their time.

"Cap'n!"

Yondu's eyes shot towards the voice, "What is it Deek?"

"Got Railee on tha comms, reckons someone's still alive."

Yondu nodded, "Put it up."

Railee was an amphibious being, tall and thin with ridiculously long limbs. Their boots were magnetised to a piece of drifting scrap, a large welding unit strapped to their back. "This one's still alive sir. Ain't real sure how considerin' we just blew up tha fuckin' moon an' all." Their voice was high and squeaky, the sound only amplified by the rebreather.

"Show me?" Tori asked. Railee angled the camera down and Tori snarled. "That's the Director of Zora."

The man looked blearily up at the camera and frowned, "Harris?"

"Surprise motherfucker. It's all gone. Everything you worked for is gone."

"The – system – is designed to – upload everything – should the base – be – compromised."

Tori laughed bitterly, "What do you think this is? Amateur hour? The only degrees that ever counted to you were my degree in Psychology and my degree in Advanced Nano Technology. You never took into account my Terran degrees because god forbid a fuckin' backwater planet could actually teach anything worthwhile right? I have a degree in Robotics and Computer Sciences too! I can hack anything, I can write code in my sleep and I can sure as hell write a virus which fucks up your simplistic security systems. Your biggest mistake was that you underestimated me! I hacked the Nova Corps vault asshole! A lowly little Terran! It's GONE! All of it. There's nothing left of Zora, or my tech, or ANYTHING to do with the Kree's plans. You – you piece of fuckin' scum, took seventy-two slaves and MURDERED them! Now?" She spread her arms with a cruel smile. "Karma bitch."

Yondu glared at the man. "Railee? Kill 'im."

"Yes'sir." The welder arched up and Railee shoved it through the Director's helmet and into his eye. Pulling it out, Railee sneered, "Ya dun fuck wit' our Cap'n."

The trio watched as the man died screaming and suffocating, globs of blood floating into the black.

"Put tha word out, nobody leaves this moon alive. If anythin' what ain't a Ravager is breathin'. Kill it."

"Aye sir."

The link was cut and Yondu went back to barking orders.

A few minutes later little boy was tugging at Yondu's sleeve, a mop of curls falling into his green eyes, "Yondu? Did you just blow up a planet? What the hell's going on? Who's that? Yondu! Yondu!"

Tori went down on a knee, "You must be Quill."

The boy's eyes shot to hers and he stepped a little bit closer to Kraglin. The Hraxian rolled his eyes, "It's ok Pete, that's Tori she's - uh -"

"I ain't gonna hurt you kid. You don't see many Terrans like us out in the 'verse."

Peter's eyes widened, "You're from Earth?"

"Born and raised kid."

"Awesome! When did you leave? Have you been back? Is it different? I wanna go back one day, my granddaddy must missin' me somethin' awful but mom said dad would come for me, but he never did and Yondu picked me up pretty much straight away anyway and I'm going to be a Ravager when I get bigger and go on adventures and -"

"érzi! Breathe." Kraglin said in an exasperated, yet affectionate tone.

Yondu looked down, "Quill, why don't ya show Tori here 'round tha ship a bit? This salvage job's gon' be a while." The boy nodded excitedly and took her hand. Yondu looked up at her, "Git 'im ta bring ya ta ma cabin after yeah? Gotta git ya set up wit' codes an' shit."

Tori nodded to him and Kraglin and let the boy drag her off.