The Eclector had docked on the planet Leeto earlier that day. The whole crew got time off while the ship was planetside, as well as enough units to cover their living expenses. Kraglin had set Gamora up with a bank account under her mother's name. Gamora's escape plan was already in motion, acquiring an autopilot was easier than she thought it would be. It cost a third of her paycheck, but the clerk didn't ask too many annoying questions.
She was sitting on a bench watching the Eclector from a distance. It was practically a ghost station, only the highest ranking members of the crew were still on board. Kraglin left for the bar district first, followed by the third mate, leaving Yondu alone on the ship. Gamora nibbled on one of her leftover cakes as she waited. She would only eat a little and save the rest for later. The street lamps quietly winked on as they approached sunset. Yondu finally left the ship, locking the main hatch behind him. Gamora waited until she was certain he was gone before she stood up.
With the ship locked up, Gamora had to enter by more unconventional means. There are handles that go all the way around the hull, they made it easier for engineers to make repairs while in null g. She strapped her duffel bag across her back and hoisted herself up. She had to reach out and feel for the next handle, slowly inching around towards a window in the twilight. She smashed a window with a big rock and crawled inside the control center. From there, she unlocked the main hatch on the flight deck.
Gamora crept from the command center into the hangar bay. With the lights off, the security camera couldn't see much, but she threw a wrench at it anyway. It smashed into the camera knocking it off the wall. She turned on her flashlight, using it to navigate the hangar. She found the Anilius without a problem, the key was taped under the steering wheel. Installing the autopilot was tricky, but after reading the instruction manual twice she finally completed the task. It was nearly midnight. She can't help but yawn. Gamora buckled herself into the copilot's seat, anxiety bubbled up in her stomach. She didn't want to know what Yondu would do to her for stealing a ship. Her ribs are still sore from mouthing off.
She powered on the Anilius and entered the coordinates for her homeworld into the autopilot. When the hatch opens, every alarm goes off at once. Gamora felt her heart stop. Yondu would know what she had done. There was no turning back now. Warning lights flash throughout the hangar, as the ship slowly rolls onto the flight deck. The ship begins to rumble beneath her feet. It slowly starts to pick up speed. The sound is nearly deafening. The autopilot flew the Anilius out of the Eclector with lightning speed. It scraps the edge of the hatch as it shuts behind her. Gamora barely has time to register what's happened before the ship pulls away from Leeto. The small red planet fades into the distance until it's consumed by the void of space. She was gone.
Gamora yawned again and settled into the station's chair. She uses her ravager jacket like a blanket. The distant rumble of the ship's thrusters is a soothing lullaby as her eyelids start to droop closed.
The emergency alarms jolt her awake. She can't breathe. Her vision is swimming and she's light-headed. She can barely focus on the words the ship is saying, "Warning: low air. Make an emergency stop immediately." Gamora unbuckles herself and falls onto the control panel. She changes their destination to a nearby space station. Her vision blurs and she feels herself falling, everything fades into oblivion.
When Gamora came to, she was lying on the floor. The ship's hatch is open and light is streaming through the doorway. According to the ship, Gamora was on a space station in the asteroid belt that surrounded the solar system. She needed to get moving again as fast as possible. Yondu wouldn't be far behind her. Gamora ditched the red jacket for a wool sweater the tailor had knit for her. Gamora grabbed her duffel bag and the key before walking onto the docks.
The civilian dock was tiny. There were two other ships there, they looked like they hadn't moved in a very long time. They were practically growing moss. Gamora locks up the ship and quietly makes her way over to the Harbormaster's outpost. They had a small desk with a window separating them. They're the only other soul on the docks. They were scrolling quietly through their transmitter, Gamora had to stand on her tiptoes to ring the bell. The harbormaster looked over Gamora's head, scanning the docks. "Down here!" she said curtly.
They leaned forward to look down at Gamora, "Uhm, hiya darling, are your parents around?" Their left head says.
Gamora ignored the question, "I'm docked in 5A."
The harbormaster blinked both sets of eyes absently. "Okay," They say in unison. They looked between the ship and Gamora, "Where, um, are you, uh" The left head stammers falling out of unison with the right, "Where ya coming from?"
"Leeto."
They tapped away at their console, "How long are you staying?"
"One day," Gamora said, the harbormaster reluctantly told her the price. She tapped her card against the terminal to transfer the funds. It was cheaper than Gamora expected it to be. "Do you know where I can buy air?"
"Yes," the harbormaster's right head pauses as they write out the address. Their left head continues, "You got somewhere to stay tonight, darlin'?" Gamora shrugged, she hadn't thought about it. She wanted to be gone before the night cycle. They scratched another address onto the note before handing it to Gamora. "This place has room and board for cheap." In unison, they say, "Have a safe trip."
"Thank you." Gamora nodded, tucking the note into her pocket. They watched Gamora pass through decontamination, and out to the main quadrant.
The space station was relatively small, with only two hundred levels and ten main quadrants. It was twice the size of the Eclector but had half the population. It ran on Western Xandarian time, which meant it was just about noon. The Eclector ran on Standard time, and her body so badly wanted to be asleep. She tried not to think about how tired she was. She could sleep when she was home. The ceiling was the same deep pink color as the sky on Leeto, and the lights mimicked sunlight. However, it wasn't at all the same as looking at the sky. There were also little islands of exotic trees and flowers scattered throughout the corridors. It looked to be a mixture of both real and fake plants. Everything about this little space station was designed to be comforting, Gamora decided that it was the opposite of the Eclector. The only thing they shared was the maze of corridors and quadrants that seemed impossible to navigate. Gamora had to ask for directions twice before she found the address the harbormaster gave her.
The store kept the air canisters in the back, lined up on the bottom of a shelf. Gamora's heart sank when she saw the price. She pressed her forehead against the shelving unit. She was so close to escaping them. Why were units always the problem? It was money that forced her mother to work. It was money that kept them apart. She needed three air canisters to resupply the Anilius, and she could barely afford to buy one. They were too bulky to steal all at once. She would need to come back tomorrow. She waited until the clerk was distracted by another customer before stuffing one canister into her duffel bag. Gamora grabbed a packet of gummy fruit before heading to the checkout. She needed to buy something or she would look suspicious. Guilt made her stomach turn. Her mother would be disappointed in her for stealing, but Gamora didn't have a choice.
She didn't mean to eavesdrop on the person in front of her but they were shouting. "It didn't cost that much yesterday!" The vaguely Xandarian boy with defiantly fluffy brown hair was doing his very best not to whine. His words sounded clunky and rehearsed. It was like the language didn't fit comfortably in his mouth.
"There's a drought. I don't know what to tell ya Rider," The clerk growled.
Rider took a nervous step backward, nearly bumping into Gamora, "But we need the water."
"Everyone needs the water. Either pay for it or get out." The clerk tapped his claws against the counter impatiently.
Rider glared at the floor stubbornly refusing to move. Before Gamora knew what she was doing she said, "Stars and moons, I'll pay for him."
They both stared at her blankly. "Seriously?" Rider squeaked.
"Yeah, seriously." She tossed her packet of gummy fruit onto the counter. The clerk begrudgingly allowed Gamora to pay for Rider.
She handed the jug of water over to Rider and left the store. She wasn't expecting Rider to follow her, "Hey, wait a minute!" He pushed through the crowd and caught up with her. "I want to thank you for helping me out back there. My name's Richie by the way."
"You're welcome," Gamora said curtly and abruptly turned the corner. Unfortunately, Richie caught up with her quickly.
"No, I mean, I want to pay you back somehow." Richie's smile faltered, "But if you really want me to leave you alone, say the word and I will."
Gamora slowed to a stop in front of a vibrant garden. She knew what it was like to feel indebted to someone and sighed. "Do you know where this is?" She showed him the second address on the note.
Richie took one look at the address and grinned, "Yeah, come on." She followed him through the bustling city streets. After a beat, he asks, "You got a name?"
"Nope."
Richard nods thoughtfully, "I'm going to call you Princess Leia then."
Gamora rolled her eyes, "I'm not a princess."
"Are you sure? You dropped five hundred units like it was nothing and you're wearing real wool." He reached out to touch her sweater, but Gamora swatted his hand away.
She flushed, "Are you stupid?"
Richie laughed, "Sorry, sorry, It's a sensitive subject I get it." She mustered up her best glare, but it didn't faze his cheerful demeanor. Gamora stayed stubbornly silent for the rest of the walk. They wandered through several back alleys to get to an elevator, then rode it down to the 27th floor. It didn't have the same sparkling polished metal as the main floor, but at least the ceiling stopped pretending to be the sky. The stores and walkways are rusted, and some of the sandstone buildings are crumbling. The gardens are less vibrant but overall it was still more charming than the Eclector. Richie grabbed a stick from a nearby garden and walked into a restaurant.
When Gamora stepped inside she was hit with a wave of warmth and the overwhelmingly strong scent of cinnamon and butterscotch. The restaurant looks like any other generic diner in the galaxy. A smiling woman was working in the kitchen, and a large dog sleeping by the door. A waitress, that's a little younger than Gamora, was serving coffee to her customers.
"Ma, I'm home!" Richie yells in language Gamora doesn't recognize. He whistled suddenly, throwing the stick across the room. Gamora jumped. Her head snaps around to look at the city street. She can't find any sign of Yondu but her heart won't stop pounding. The absolute mountain of a dog caught the stick mid-air. The others picked up their drinks the moment the dog landed. It shook the entire diner, the window panels and dishes rattled. The dog pranced around the room in delight, carrying its new toy. "Who's a good boy? You're a good boy!" Richie cooed.
The little waitress frowns at Gamora, "Are you alright?"
Gamora tried to force herself to relax, but her hands won't stop shaking and her breathing is too fast, too shallow. "I'm–I'm alright."
"Peanut is a real sweetheart. Never hurt a fly." She nodded at the dog. The little waitress had the same accent as Richie, but her Standard was better. "Can I getcha somethin'?"
"I need a place to stay for the night," Gamora said.
Her expression softens, "You hafta talk to Miss Rider about that. I can getcha somethin' to drink while ya wait." Her eyes linger on the bandages on Gamora's knuckles. She tugs her sleeves down so they cover her hands. "On the house."
"I want something to drink Cammi!" Richie shouted.
"Get it yourself, dummy!" She shouted back. Gamora sits down where she can watch the entrance. Logically, she knew that there was no way Yondu could get here this quickly, but her heart wouldn't listen. She keeps one eye on the window anyway. The little waitress pours her a mug of something hot and sweet smelling. "My name's Cammi, it's short for Camdecences."
"Candescence is spelled with an N," Richie pushed Peanut away as the dog tried to lick his face. "That would make you Canni."
Cammi ignored him, "What's your name?"
"Uh, I-I dunno," Gamora sipped her drink. It was as thick as syrup, it tasted of chocolate and spice.
"How couldja not know your own name?" Cammi laughs at her and rests one hand on her hip.
"I've been calling her Leia," Richie piped up, "because of the buns."
Cammi tilted her head to the side, her green earrings caught the light. "I don't see it. I think she looks more like Sailor Moon."
"You're the only one who knows who Sailor Moon is." Richie sounded rather annoyed with her.
Cammi shrugs, "It's not my fault you have poor taste in reading material."
Gamora felt left out and got defensive, "I don't know who any of these people are."
Richie sat down next to Gamora, he took the kettle from Cammi and poured himself a drink. "Leia is a character from a popular story on our planet. She's this awesome rebel, space princess. At the start of the movie she's kidnapped by Darth Vader,"
"He's a bag of dicks," Cammi interjected.
"Language please, Cammille." The woman, probably Miss Rider, chided her from the kitchen.
Despite better judgment, Cammi corrected to "he's a bag of penis."
Miss Rider lowered her glasses to glare at Cammi with cloudy eyes. "Dishes, now." Cammi stepped on Richie's foot when he smirked at her. She sulked as she walked back into the kitchen.
"You know," Richie stirred cream into his drink. The foaming liquid turned a soft pink color. "I have all the movies, we could watch them sometime."
"Sure," Gamora said mostly to be polite.
Once the lunch rush died down, Miss Rider left the kitchen. Richie pulled out a chair for her. "Cammille tells me you need a place to stay," Miss Rider says.
"Yes, how much for one night?" Gamora asks, pulling out her card.
Miss Rider's expression twitched into a frown. "Oh, my dear, I don't charge children."
Gamora crossed her arms. "At least let me help out in the diner, then. I won't stay here for free."
"You already paid for our water," Richie pointed out. His mother gave him an inquiring look. He quickly explained what had happened.
Miss Rider clicks her tongue in disapproval and slides a key across the table. It's the old kind. Gamora runs her thumb along the jagged side, the cheap copper feels cool in her hands. Miss Rider sighs, "I suppose we could use the extra help around here. You can assist me in the kitchen." She touched Gamora's shoulder lightly as she stood up. Richie held his breath hoping his mother would forget he was there. Unfortunately, she had not forgotten about him, "Richard could you cover Cammille's shift while she's busy?"
Richie groaned and because he knew his mother wasn't really asking him, he said, "Yeah, okay."
Gamora spent the rest of the afternoon playing assistant to Miss Rider. It mostly involved retrieving utensils and identifying the correct ingredients. Miss Rider was something else entirely in the kitchen. She was always cooking three different things at once. After a month working in the Eclector's galley, Gamora fell into an easy rhythm alongside Miss Rider. Two other people were working in the kitchen and Cammi was up to her elbows in dishes. The smell of cinnamon was so strong, Gamora could practically taste it. Miss Rider held up two different cans, "Tomatoes on your left and soup stock on your right." Gamora gestured with the potato peeler.
"Thank you, dear." Miss Rider hummed opening the can of soup stock.
"Are you blind?" Gamora asked.
Miss Rider chuckled softly at the pot of soup, "Mostly."
"She's got a third eye in the back of her head," Cammi grumbled as she put the clean dishes away. Gamora squinted at Miss Rider but couldn't make out her third eye. She gave up after a while and returned to peeling the reconstituted potatoes.
"And...we're done!" Richie flipped off the open sign, Cammi threw her hands in the air and cheered.
The soft-spoken teenager helped Gamora out of her apron, "Are you taking in more street kids, ma'am?" He smiles shyly at Miss Rider.
"Well, someone ought to." She said as she locked the front door. It took Gamora a moment to realize they were talking about her.
Richie held the door open as they moved into the back room, and then up the stairs. Gamora found the room number that matched her key. She shoved the key in the lock and turned it until it clicked, but she couldn't get the key out. Someone touched her shoulder, Gamora jumped. She wanted to punch Richie for startling her. "You need some help with that? It's an old door, the lock gets stuck sometimes." She waved a hand at the lock. He jiggled the key until it came loose. "Here."
"Thank you."
"So, did you want to watch the movie tonight?"
"The what?" Gamora was struggling to find the motion sensors on the door. It should have been on top of the doorframe. She waved her hand in front of the lock trying to get the door to slide open. Richie coughed to cover his laughter. He turned the lock and pushed the door inward. Gamora scowled at the door when it swung open, that was just… wrong.
"It's an old door," Richie reiterated gently. Gamora nodded and tossed her duffel bag onto the floor. Richie stood in the doorway, "Anyway, the movie about Princess Leia? If you're leaving tomorrow we should watch them tonight."
"Oh right." A small part of Gamora whispered for her to shut the door and crawl into bed. Richie would understand that Gamora was tired. More than that, she was exhausted. She was terrified that Yondu would find her, and if she stopped moving for even a moment she would feel the weight of being separated from her mother. That was a terrible weight to carry. But she wanted to be Richie's friend, so instead, she said "Sure."
His face lights up, he bounced on his heels, "Awesome! Okay, I'll be right back!" Richie made finger guns at her before taking off down the hallway. Gamora exhaled slowly. She left the door open and leaned against a wall inside her room. She slid down until she was sitting on the floor. Her knees were pulled against her chest. There were so many bad feelings that she couldn't feel anything at all. Maybe the movie would be a welcome distraction. She heard Cammi and Richie talking as they approached her room. They're speaking in their native language again."...wanna startle her."
"Peanut's a sweetheart!" Richie insisted in defense of his dog.
"He's a sweetheart with three sets of teeth and an exoskeleton," Cammi said. There was a pause, she could hear a cart rolling across the metal flooring. "Don't give me that look. She's… going through something right now."
"How do you know?"
"Well, she's... I was–I am..." Cammi struggles to find the right words. "I just do, okay? Peanut's sleeping in Robbie's room tonight." A door opens and then shuts. The cart moves closer to Gamora's room.
"Sleepover!" Cammi yelled in Standard, while pushing a small laundry cart into the room. It's filled with blankets and pillows. Richie was carrying a large black box with lots of wires. He sets it down in the middle of the floor. Cammi pulls the mattress off the bed frame and flips it onto its side.
"What are you doing?" Gamora frowned, her poor bed.
"I'm building a pillow fort!" Cammi announced. She strung up the blankets into a giant tent over the mattress. She scattered the pillows and remaining blankets onto the mattress, before stepping back to admire her handiwork. Cammi grinned at Gamora, "Help me with the lights?" Gamora pulled a box out from the laundry cart, inside is a collection of rocks that gave off a faint glow. They were light enough to float in the station's low gravity. Gamora inspected a green one curiously. "Pretty bitchin' right?" Cammi set out the stones around the pillow fort. They both lie down on the mattress. Gamora wrapped herself up in a thick blanket, feeling the comfort of its warmth. "Is the VHS player ready yet?"
"I think so." Richie managed to connect his transmitter to the black box and aimed the projection at the wall. He turned off the lights but didn't join them on the pillow fort. Cammi's jewelry and all the little rocks glowed intensely. "Are you afraid of dogs?" He blurted out.
Gamora rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. "Not really."
"But you looked scared when Peanut jumped earlier." Cammi pointed out with concern.
"Oh, it wasn't the dog." Gamora fidgeted with the green stone. "Whistling uh reminds me of something bad… I know it's weird," She admitted softly.
"It's not weird, " Richie reassured her quietly. Gamora didn't know what else to say so she stared at the green rock in her hand. Richie sighs and points towards the door with his thumb, "I'm going to go get Peanut."
Cammi watched him leave the room. Once the door was closed, and the sound of his footsteps disappeared, she mutters, "The sound of glass breaking freaks me out. My mom would throw her empties at the wall, instead of my head, when she was being affectionate." She doesn't turn away from the door, but there's a faint smile on her face.
"When Yondu was being affectionate he would threaten to throw me out an airlock," Gamora replied.
"Mom threatened to throw me outta the house and let me freeze to death too!"
They both grinned despite the morose tone. It made Gamora feel a little better. She asked, "Is Miss Rider your mom?"
"What? No!" Cammi wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue. "My mom died. Miss Rider and I just happened to be on the same refugee ship."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Then she frowns and rolls over onto her side, propping her head up on her hand. "When Thanos invaded our planet and my mom died protecting me from his soldiers. I–I don't know why she did that. I know I should miss her or feel sad, but," her soft brown eyes caught Gamora's gaze. "I'm glad she died. It was the best thing she ever did for me. I think… I think I might be a bad person."
Gamora let go of the green rock and watch it float up. It joined the other glowing rocks at the top of their pillow fort. They clustered together like colorful little stars. "I don't think that makes you bad. I think that just makes you a person."
Cammi looked like she wanted to say more, but stopped when Richie returned with Peanut. The dog licked Cammi's face until she giggles and pushes him away. Richie settled onto the mattress next to Gamora. "Ready to start the movie?"
"Yep!" Cammi's reply was muffled because her face was pressed into Peanut's stomach.
Richie started the movie but he kept talking over it to explain things to Gamora. Until Cammi got so annoyed she tried to smother him with a pillow. Gamora got involved and they roughhoused until they wore themselves out. Gamora was declared the champion of pillow fights. Cammi brought something called nail polish and Gamora let Cammi paint her nails a pretty pink color. She talked Richie into painting his nails too. After they started the second movie, Peanut found the food Gamora was keeping in her duffel bag. What Peanut didn't wolf down, Cammi ate. Gamora mourned the loss of her cakes, and Richie promised they'd replace all of her "nightmare Twinkies" with something better. He fell asleep halfway through the third movie. He was curled up with Peanut and they stole all the blankets. Gamora had to stop Cammi from drawing on Richie's forehead. She insisted that it was a tradition. Gamora was the last to fall asleep, she quietly turned off the movie. She was snuggled up between Richie and Cammi. His hand was resting on Gamora's waist. She let her eyes drift closed and for the first time in weeks, Gamora felt safe.