/hey, thanks
Once the snowstorm cleared, the weather was nice enough for the Eclector to leave the planet. Gamora and the other deckhands were tasked with moving provisions and ammunition onto the ship. Gamora picks up the nearest crate, lifting it off the ground with ease. "Lemme help ya wit' that kid, " Zero takes one end of the crate from her without asking. Otem grabbed the other end.
"But I–"
"I don't wanna be responsible when ya hurt yourself." Zero talks over Gamora. They carried it up to the Eclector, pushing her aside as they passed.
She moved to grab one of the smaller crates, but Birdy grabs it first. "This one's too heavy for you, sweetness." Gamora doesn't even try to protest this time. The deckhand carries it away. She huffs irritably and kicks a nearby snow pile. She doesn't notice L'wit sneak up behind her.
"Cold hands!" She tackles Gamora trying to touch her face and neck with her hands.
"L'wit! No!" Gamora squeals and then she giggles. L'wit shrieks in delight when Gamora lifts her off her feet and swings her around. Until Gamora slips on the ice and they fall into the snowbank. She lands on top of L'wit. It's anything but grateful. Several of the deckhands glare at them, they're blocking the path to the Eclector. The snow seeps into Gamora's jacket, it sticks to her clothes, it's freezing. She sits up and shakes the snow from her hair. "I'm sorry! Are you okay?"
L'wit just giggles, "I'm gonna miss you!"
Gamora grins, "I'm going to miss you too!"
She hears snow crunch under boots as someone walks towards them. They lets out an exasperated sigh, "What're ya doin' donut head?" Someone had ratted her out. Kraglin grabs Gamora by the back of the jacket and pulls her off L'wit.
"I was saying goodbye," Gamora tries to explain.
"Yeah, I can see that. You're suppose ta be workin'." He dusts the snow off her jacket. His expression sets into a scowl.
"I tried but they won't even let me do anything," She grumbled and glares at the crew.
"Now, why would they do that?" Kraglin asks with disbelief. "I bet you just don't wanna work."
L'wit scrambles out of the snowbank. "Don't be mad at Gamora. It was my fault, I didn't know she was workin'." She grabs her friend's hand, attempting to comfort her.
Kraglin narrowed his eyes at L'wit. "Ya better run along then, before I tell your Aunty that you're causing trouble."
L'wit turned pink. "Fine." She switches from Standard to a Badoon language, "Goodbye, Gamora. May the stars guide you."
"Bye, I'll call you." She manages a small smile and waves back. L'wit hurries off towards town.
Kraglin pulls Gamora towards the pile of crates. There a few lingering stares from the crew, before they returned to their work. "8 years old and she's already a lady killer," Otem nods after L'wit, and chuckles.
"I've never killed any ladies! I'm not a murderer," Gamora says defensively.
Kraglin rolls his eyes, "She's too young ta be thinking about those sorts of things." Otem shrugs, picks up the nearest crate and carries it off. Before Gamora can ask him what sorts of things he meant, Kraglin points her towards the remaining crates. "If I have ta repeat myself, the cap'n is gon' hear 'bout this."
"No, don't tell him! I'm going," She huffs indignantly and drags her feet. Kraglin retreats into the Eclector for warmth, leaving the second mate to supervise them. Gamora glares at the ground and kicks a nearby crate out of frustration. It moves half an inch, knocking over the air canisters on the other side. Noto trips on one. He drops the crate he was carrying and nearly fell. He spits a string of curses.
He stalks towards her with malicious intent. She cringed and backed away from him, "I'm sorry! I–I didn't mean to!"
"You damn brat!" He slaps her sharply.
Gamora froze in place. It stings. She holds her cheek and keeps her eyes on her boots, "That hurts."
"Good! All you do is cause trouble!" A long shadow looms over Noto. He raises his hand to hit Gamora again, and the second mate grabs his wrist. They're patterned with irritated orange ringlets, but their eyes are a vibrant red. Their piercing gaze drills into Noto. A few of the deckhands pause their work to watch the show. The color drains from Noto's face. He hisses in pain when the second mate twists his arm behind his back. Gamora panics, "Don't hurt him, please." The second mate regards Gamora cooly, and Noto looks surprised.
The second mate shoved Noto into a nearby crate letting go of his arm. Noto grimaced and rubbed his wrist. He glanced in Gamora's direction nervously, "The first mate already scolded her for slackin' off. The cap'n oughta put her over his…" he trails off when the second mate signs something aggressively. Noto's anger deflates, "Aye, sir." The deckhands return to work. The second mate sighs heavily, their ringlets melt into yellow freckles that splatter across their skin. They turn an uneasy green color, only a few shades lighter than Gamora's own skin.
Gamora sniffles and wipes her nose on her sleeve. The second mate signs slowly so she can understand them. Jazinda was teaching her some simplified shifter sign language in their downtime.
Are you alright?
Gamora blinks back tears, "It hurts. Yondu doesn't hit me that hard." The second mate offers their hand and she takes it. They lead her up the ramp and inside the cargo bay.
It's only slightly warmer inside the Eclector. She can hear the rumble of the heater, over the noise of the docks. The crew hurried to keep out of the second mate's way. To Gamora's horror, the second mate was leading them directly to Kraglin. "If I'm not workin' Kraglin will get me in trouble with Yondu," She tries to keep the panic from her voice. The second mate only shakes their head. Gamora drags her feet and drops her gaze to the floor as she's pulled towards certain doom.
Jazinda and Kraglin are arguing over something inconsequential until the second mate approaches. Kraglin raises one eyebrow, "What'd she do now?" The second mate shakes their head. They sign something long and complicated that Gamora doesn't understand. She tries to stay hidden behind the second mate. Kraglin shrugs, "I'll keep an eye on her. Don't worry." The second mate turns to walk back outside. Gamora tries to follow them but Kraglin grabs her by the collar. "Hold it."
"I'm sorry, I was trying to help. Please, don't tell Yondu," She mumbles out quickly.
"Ya didn't do nothin' wrong, " Kraglin tried to reassure her but Gamora is still on edge. "The second mate said one of the deckhands was beatin' on ya?"
Gamora shuffles her feet and shrugs. A tight ball of guilt formed in her chest. "I wasn't trying to cause trouble."
"Why didn't cha hit 'em back?" He asked. Jazinda snorts and Kraglin shot her side-eye.
Gamora is caught off guard. "I dunno. It was scary, Noto is a lot bigger than me."
"So it was Noto, this time," Jazinda exhales sharply and scans the docks. Gamora shifts uncomfortably, she can't help but feel like she's said too much.
"Bigger than you, " Kraglin echoes with a scoff. He rubs his temple. "Y'know, you hit like a freight train right?" Gamora offers half a shrug in response. She's unwilling to say anything else.
Seeing that Gamora was going to remain stubbornly silent, Jazinda abruptly changes the subject. "Since they won't let you help with the crates, we'll have to find something else for you to do." She pauses, a knowing half-smile tugging at her lips. "Kraglin, Don't we still need someone to clean out the lizard traps?"
Gamora's mood brightened when Jazinda mentioned the lizard infestation. Kraglin grimaced at the thought, "I suppose,"
"I can do it! Please, Kraglin! " Gamora begged.
He sighs heavily and rolls his eyes before giving in, "I guess it's fine." She cheers and bounced up and down. "But cha gotta wash up after, and ya have ta space all of 'em. Understand?" He adds sternly.
"Okay, I will," There's a hint of disappointment in her voice but her smile doesn't falter.
Jazinda's mood drops as they watched Gamora skip off. Once she's out of earshot, Jazinda leans over to Kraglin and says, "She can't fight back because the crew holds power over her. She's afraid of getting in trouble with Udonta for defending herself."
Kraglin makes a face, "the Cap'n would never blame her for that."
Jazinda arches her eyebrows, "And how would Gamora know that? Have you ever told her it was acceptable?"
He furrows his brow. He scoffs and then sputters, "Well, I mean, wouldn't she just… I dunno, I thought…" He sighs loudly and waves a hand in Gamora's direction. "She's defended herself against bounty hunters before."
"Mm, " Jazinda hums and makes a face. "That's not the same for her." Kraglin goes quiet. His eyes follow Gamora across the cargo bay, as he mulls it over. Jazinda rolls her eyes and then suggests in a soft tone of voice, "She's the kind of kid that needs an adult's permission,"
He nods thoughtfully, "'m gonna talk ta Gamora. Make sure she understands that it's okay for her to defend herself against the crew."
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Jazinda says amiably and flashes an encouraging smile. "If it's coming from you, she'd believe it. She trusts you."
He scoffs, but his tone is hopeful, "You don't really believe that,"
"She called you to come pick her up when she got trapped at the Nova outpost, right?" She says casually and nudges him with her elbow.
"I guess, " He bites back a smile. He keeps Gamora in his line of sight for the rest of her shift.
The Eclector follows the merchant ship, the Eostrix, away from the planet that evening. The ship doesn't make it to the jump point before it becomes a floating tomb. Yondu gave the order to board the Eostrix, and Retch and Huhtar began the tedious process of flushing all of the poison out of the ship's air system. It takes nearly the entire day before the ship is poison-free.
There was a large tunnel connecting the Eclector to the Eostrix. It had glass walls and the stars seem to go on forever. Gamora kept running up and down the tunnel looking at the stars.
She's felt unimaginably small while staring into the endless void. The longer Gamora stares out into the void the more stars appear. Space was incomprehensibly big. Everyone she had ever known and loved, only occupy an insignificant small piece of it. The nearest planet is waxing in the light of its star, its four moons are barely visible. The swirling clouds that cover the planet's surface blend and flow together like cream in black coffee. Gamora's breath fogs up the glass and she moves a few paces further down. She's never seen anything like it.
She doesn't notice that Yondu is watching her until it's too late. He walks up behind her and smacks her upside the head. She whines and tries to rub the pain away. "What was that for? I wasn't doin' nothin'!"
"You was smudging up the glass," He scolds her. Gamora shoves her hands into her pockets. She scowls and leaned her against the glass. "Ya keep that up, girly, and I'll make ya wash this whole damn thing."
"I wouldn't mind that, " she mumbled a tad defiantly. She can feel the eyes of the crew on them.
Yondu grabbed her by the arm, yanking her away from the glass. "Don't be givin' me lip, girly!" He spanks her once in warning.
A wolf whistle cuts through the noise. "Don't worry Horuz, you're next!" Hazira yells at him from across the cargo bay. Yondu abruptly lets go of Gamora and put distance between them. There's snickering and laughter from the crew. Horuz spits a profanity in Xandarian and throws a wrench at Hazira.
Yondu turns to snarl at them, "Back ta work! What in the stars, am I payin' y'all for?!" The deckhands within arm's reach jump to resume working. However, the mechanics aren't bothered by his foul mood, they continued to taunt each other. Yondu stalks towards them with murderous intent.
Gamora doesn't exhale until Yondu is a safe distance away. Her knees feel weak and she sinks to the floor to sulk. She lays on her back and stares out the window. The pain fades quickly and it leaves only resentment in its place. The deckhands moving cargo and supplies from the Eostrix to the Eclector grumble as they go around Gamora. A few purposefully step over her, nearly squashing her fingers. She knows she's being a nuisance but she doesn't care.
Someone walks over and lies down on the floor next to her. Gamora tries to ignore them, hoping they would leave her to wallow in her own misery. They sigh loudly, "Alright kiddo, why are we on the floor?" She feels Jazinda brush a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. Gamora rolls over onto her side, turning away from Jazinda. "Maybe if you tell me I can fix it?" Gamora stays quiet for a while, hoping Jazinda would get bored and leave. This is not the case. However, the silence drags on for so long that Gamora suspects she's waited too long and can't respond now. "Gamora, you falling asleep on me?" Jazinda hums in a teasing tone.
"No, " Gamora mumbles into the crook of her elbow. "You can't fix it, go away."
"How do you know that?" Jazinda replied.
Gamora rolls over so she's face to face with Jazinda. "Yondu is being a mean, old, stupid head." Once Gamora starts talking she finds it difficult to stop. "He was really nice to me while we were planetside, but now he's being awful again. It's really confusing. I dunno what I did to make him hate me again." She lowers her voice to a whisper, "He hit me for no good reason."
"Yondu is a mean, old, stupid head," Jazinda agreed with a heavy sigh. Her elbow is on the ground and her head is propped up on her fist, her free hand resting on her hip.
Hazira walks over to them and looks down at Jazinda expectantly. There's a fresh cut across the bridge of her nose and her skin has begun to bruise. Jazinda sits up and hands over a large wad of units to Hazira. "Thanks, " She flashes Hazira a smile before turning back to Gamora. "I might be responsible for the Captain's foul mood. I'm sorry about that."
"You do have that effect on people, " Hazira muttered as she counted her units. She tucks them into her pocket and looks down at Gamora with pity. "You okay, darlin'?"
"Yondu hates me again and I don't know what I did, " Gamora whines before taking a deep shuddering breath.
"Oh, honey. I don't think he–"
"You should ask him." Jazinda cuts Hazira off mid-sentence. She says this decisively and then quickly corrects to a softer tone of voice. "If you really want to know why you should go talk to him. That's the only way to know what he's thinking."
Hazira squints at Jazinda suspiciously before adding, "I'm sure it was nothing you did, honey." Gamora sits up and nods rather sadly, as she considers everything they've said.
Jazinda stands up and stretches her arms. "You wanna go explore the merchant ship with us?" She juts her thumb out towards the Eostrix. Gamora rolls over. She still feels too sad and angry to do anything else.
"If ya find anything interesting, ya get to keep it, " Hazira adds smoothly.
Gamora furrows her brow. She turns her head to look at them with concern, but not for herself. "What do you mean?"
"That ship is ours now." Hazira explains with a wicked grin, "Everything on it belongs to us."
Gamora sits up with her knees against her chest. She scoots over to lean against the glass walls of the tunnel. "What about the crew of the Eostrix?"
"What about them?" Jazinda raised an eyebrow.
"Those are their things. We don't really need those things so it'd be wrong to take them." Gamora fidgets nervously and turns to look out the window. "My mama says you have to work hard to earn things. And we haven't done anything."
Hazira scoffs and rolls her eyes but Jazinda just nods along. She waves for Hazira to go on ahead. "You're mama sounds like a smart woman."
"She was a teacher before I was born, " the words spill out of Gamora's mouth before she can stop them. "She taught me how to read and write in both my native language and in Standard."
Jazinda nodded and then crossed her arms, cocking one hip to the side. "So you don't think helping us move all those canisters into the Eostrix was work?"
"Uh well, " Gamora furrows her brow.
"And distracting the Nova, keeping the ship running, moving cargo–" she pauses to raise her eyebrows at Gamora, "–you don't think that was work, either?"
"I...Maybe? I-I dunno, " She stammers.
Jazinda shrugs and nods at the Eostrix, "C'mon, maybe you'll find a new toy or more chalk." Gamora glanced up as Jazinda's words piqued her interest. "You're momma would understand. You've worked hard for this."
Gamora pursed her lips in half a pout, "you really think there will be toys?"
"We won't know until we look, right?" Jazinda offers her hand and Gamora takes it. She stands up and allows Jazinda to lead her through the glass tunnel.
The merchant ship was the exact opposite of the Eclector in every way. Everything was sleek and silver, none of the pipes or electrical wiring was exposed. It looked pristine compared to the cobbled-together amalgamation of ships that was the Eclector. The crew had already picked the cargo bay clean of everything of value. The mechanics we're disassembling pieces of the ship to upgrade the Eclector with.
Hazira was waiting for them at the edge of the cargo bay. She was talking with Kraglin and Tullk before they stroll over. "So you decided to come along after all, " she says with a smile.
Gamora swings Jazinda's hand as they walked. "Jazi said there might be toys, " she admits rather quietly.
Hazira chuckles, "I'm sure we can find ya something nice, honey."
Kraglin grabs Jazinda by the sleeve as she walks past. When she let's go of Gamora's hand, she looks back at Jazinda with curiosity. She waves Gamora on. Kraglin's expression is hard, "Ain't chu worried the others will see ya actin' all soft with her?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm a woman, we're sensitive." Her voice is practically dripping with sarcasm. She looks past Kraglin and smiles. "Isn't that right, Tullk?"
The pilot was only half paying attention. "Uh, yes ma'am."
Kraglin makes a noise between a groan and a sigh. He let's go of Jazinda's arm to rub his brow. He glances over his shoulder at Gamora, "Keep her away from the windows. Their spacing the corpses."
"Got it," Jazinda replied curtly.
They follow Hazira deeper into the Eostrix. They wander through a maze of hallways and down two ladders to get to the quarterdeck. Jazinda and Hazira wander up and down the hallways looking for something, while Gamora trails behind peering into the different cabins. Most of them have been tossed already. Clothing and personal items littered the floor, furniture was pushed away from the walls or turned on its side. Nothing in the cabins captures her interest. "Here we go!" Hazira calls out. "This is it!"
"What is it?" Gamora hurries over to see. Hazira is crouched down fiddling with an electronic lock on a lone cabin door. Jazinda is leaning against the wall watching her.
"This is the stateroom," Jazinda explains. The lock sparks and Hazira yanks her hand away. She hisses in pain. She glares at the lock and cuts a wire with her pocket knife. "It's where the Captain sleeps. On nicer ships, there would be a stateroom for each of the officers as well." The lock beeps and the light flashes green: unlocked. Hazira puts her pocket knife away and chuckles.
"Woah! It's like a hotel room!" Gamora yells in delight before running and jumping onto the bed. There's a desk with a chair, a window, and a wardrobe. Hazira immediately starts picking the lock on the desk drawers, while Jazinda rifles through the wardrobe. "Does Yondu have a room like this?" Gamora asked them.
"Sure does, hon bun," Hazira replies quietly. She's preoccupied with the lock. This one opens much faster than the other.
Gamora flops onto the bed, "Really? Where?"
Jazinda smiles slyly, "it's on the first level of the quarterdeck. When you leave the catwalk you make two rights and left, can't miss it." Jazinda lays out the contents of the wardrobe on the bed for Gamora to sort through. Jazinda and Hazira tossed the rest of the room looking for anything of value.
Gamora pushes all the clothes off the bed and onto the floor, except for a pretty red scarf which she immediately puts on. There are a few strange looking trinkets that Gamora quickly loses interest in. There are also three leather-bound books. She thumbs through the book's delicate pages, careful not to bend the spine. She can't read the language at all, but she liked looking at the pictures. There were extremely detailed black and white landscapes of a kid walking along a boardwalk. "Jazi, can you read this?" Gamora held up the book for Jazinda to see.
Jazinda pauses in rifling through the desk to glance over her shoulder. "Nope, sorry."
"Oh," Gamora shoulders droop slightly.
Hazira blinks two sets of eyes and glanced over her shoulder. "I think that's one of the Xandarian languages." Gamora frowns at the book and runs her hand across the words. She really wanted to know what it said. She decides to keep the books even if she can't read them.
~~•˖✧•✯•✧˖•~~
One of the hardest things about being trapped in a metal box for several months at a time was finding new ways to fight off boredom. So, Kraglin was not at all surprised when he found some of the crew gathered in the cargo bay. One of the crates containing bottles of alcohol had been pried open. Jazinda was sitting on a different crate. She's holding a crowbar, one end was resting on her shoulder. Gamora stood next to her. They're both watching the crowd. At the center of the noise, Gef and Tullk are arm-wrestling, while bottles are passed around and bets are made.
Kraglin walks over to Jazinda, and gestures at the crowd. "Did you do this?"
She thumps the crowbar against her shoulder, she reeks of alcohol. "The boys came up with this themselves. I only gave 'em a small push." She holds out a bottle of Badoon scotch. "Want some?"
He shifts uncomfortably, "Not supposed ta open these without the Cap'n's permission."
She rolls her eyes and slurs, "C'mon, ya baby, it's gotta be better than whatever ya keep in that flask."
"Jazi, he won't do it. He's a tattletale," Gamora informs her curtly.
"Stop sayin' that!" Kraglin snatched the bottle away and takes a long drink. If only to prove to Gamora that he didn't do everything the captain told him too. Badoon liquor was exceptionally strong. He coughs and wipes his mouth on his sleeve.
Jazinda snickers and nudges Gamora with her elbow, "Atta girl." Gamora was confused but happy to be praised.
"I ain't doin' this because of what she said, " Kraglin points at Gamora.
"Sure, " Jazinda slurs, elongating the word.
He huffs and waves the bottle at them. "If the Cap'n asks why we're missing this from our inventory I ain't gonna lie to 'em."
Jazinda claps him on the shoulder. "Aye mate, no shit!" She is wearing that smug grin that Kraglin hated. "Alcohol came from the Eostrix. Never made it onto inventory."
Kraglin scowls down at the bottle in his hand. "I'm keeping this." He moves further into the crowd. Once he's certain Jazinda is no longer watching him, Kraglin uses the bottle to refill his flask. Gef slams Tullk's arm down and a cheer erupts from the crowd. Units quickly exchange hands. They weren't supposed to be gambling onboard either, and it only irritates Kraglin more. Another round of drinks is poured as one of the deckhand's challenges Gef. When Noto wins the crowd erupts into cheers. Taunts are thrown in Gef's direction and someone refills Noto's drink. He claps his hands together and glances around at the crowd. "Alright, who's next! I'll take all y'all on!" Noto declared, earning more cheers from the crew.
Jazinda yells over the noise, "I bet 500 units that Gamora can beat ya!" The crowd parts so she can make her way over to the table dragging Gamora along by the wrist. She trots up to the table in her pink musty slippers, her nightgown fluttering below her knees. There's an uncomfortable silence as the crew tried to figure out if Jazinda was serious. She slams a crumpled wad of units on the table. The others burst into laughter.
Retch shakes his head, "You're a stupid drunk, woman!"
Jazinda waves the crowbar around to point it at Retch. The crowd takes a cautious step away from her. "Even drunk, I'm smarter and sexier than all ya stupid cunts!"
"I ain't gonna feel bad about takin' your cash then, " Noto places a hefty bet on himself.
"Jazi, I dunno how to play this game." Gamora mumbles, "Can I go sit down? It's loud over here."
"Nah, you're playing, " Jazinda says dismissively. She sits Gamora down and explains the rules to her.
"Go easy on the lassie," Tullk claps Noto on the shoulder, as the crew starts placing bets. There's a growing mountain of units bet on Noto. Horuz glances over Jazinda suspiciously, before quietly placing a bet on Gamora.
"Ya gotta put the dolly down ta play, sweetness," Gef says. There's more snickering from the crew as Gamora quickly hands her doll off to Jazinda. She grabs Noto's much larger hand. "Ready? Go!"
There's a loud crack. Gamora slammed his hand to the table in an instant. The room falls into stunned silence. Gamora gasps and lets go of his hand, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!" Everything erupts into chaos. Some of the crew burst into uproarious laughter, but most yell taunts at Noto. Otem pours beer on Gamora. Jazinda slams the crowbar into his chest, and he falls back into the crowd. Horuz scoops up the mountain of winnings.
Noto slams his palms on the table and yelled over the noise. "We're having a rematch! That one doesn't count! I was going easy on ya, cause I didn't wanna break such a dainty lil' thing!" His feathers are puffed out.
The crew quiets down enough that they no longer need to yell to be heard. Jazinda snickers, "This dainty lil' thing is stronger than every man here. You can play all night but chu ain't gonna win."
Gamora frowns, "Uhm, Kraglin said I can't stay up past midnight."
It feels like everyone in the room turns to look at Kraglin. He's caught off guard, "I don't remember–" Gamora gives him a pleading look and he suddenly understood. He clears his throat and starts over. "Yup, Gamora's going to bed in an hour. She's gotta morning shift." There are several groans and someone throws a cup at him, but Gamora smiles. He feels a weird sense of pride, she was getting better at lying.
They place more bets. They are still disproportionately tipped in Noto's favor. The room falls quiet as Gamora grabs his hand. "No holding back this time." He nods at her. "Ready, Go!" Noto yelps when his hand slams against the table. He falls out of his chair and the crew erupts into laughter again. More people congratulate Gamora and she manages to crack a small smile.
Oblo shoves Noto out of the chair and takes his place, "Alright, you've had your chance! Let a real man handle this." He says before promptly losing to Gamora. The rest of the crew is lining up to try and defeat her, at the risk of being humiliated themselves. After winning four times in a row the bets start tipping in Gamora's favor.
She keeps yawning and the crew seems to take this as an insult. When she starts to rub her arms, Kraglin decides she's suffered enough for their amusement. He takes her doll from Jazinda and announced to the room, "That's it, shows over! Donut head's goin' ta bed." There are several disappointed groans from the crew, excluding Jazinda who appears to have caught on. Gamora stretched her arms out towards Kraglin and he scoops her up. She takes her doll from him and nuzzled it affectionately. The crowd parts for them as he carries her towards the exit.
Horuz was standing by the door counting up all his winnings. He nods politely as they pass. "Not bad, kid, not bad at all." Gamora felt her face flush and hides behind her doll. It's the nicest thing Horuz has ever said to her.
Once they had passed through the doorway and onto the catwalk, she murmurs quietly, "Thanks for getting me out of there."
"I wouldn't have done it without your quick thinking," Kraglin replied and Gamora smiles shyly. After a best, he says, "It's important ta know that you can always leave a situation if ya feel unsafe for any reason."
Gamora frowns and mumbles, "But what if I'm supposed to be workin'? Or if they won't let me?"
Kraglin shrugs, "If you can't leave, defend yourself. You can hit them back or yell for help."
"Even if it's a ravager hurting me?"
"Especially with them! If they hit you, you hit them back! Don't let them get away with that." Gamora winces when Kraglin raises his voice. He takes a breath and tries to calm down, he doesn't want to frighten her. "Ya won't get in trouble for defendin' yourself. Do whatever ya have to, understand?"
Gamora nods dubiously, "Uh-huh."
They move through the catwalk and into the lowest level of the quarterdeck, where Gamora's cabin is located. He sets her down in front of her cabin door. "Okay, goodnight donut head."
"Wait, you can't leave yet!" She yells and grabs onto his sleeve. "I wanna show you something!" Before he can decline, Gamora pulls him into her cabin.
Gamora was sharing a cabin with Hazira. The tailor had decorated her bunk with all kinds of plants and hanging charms. She had even hung up an ornate tapestry as a makeshift curtain to give the bunk some semblance of privacy. Gamora's bunk was bare in comparison. Her only personal items are the heat lamp (clipped to the metal frame of the bunk) and her toy robot.
Gamora tosses her doll onto her bed. She quickly shifts through her storage unit, "I found this when we went exploring." She pulls out a thick leather-bound book. She carefully flips through the pages before holding it up for him to see. "Can you read it?"
Kraglin sighs a little and takes the book from her. He skims over the blocks of text. "This is in northern Xandarian. You found this all the way out here?"
"Uh-huh. It was in the stateroom." Gamora tucks herself into bed and looks up at Kraglin with big round eyes. She waits expectantly.
Kraglin scoffs and rolls his eyes. "You been spendin' too much time with Jazinda. I ain't gonna read this to ya."
"You don't have to read the whole thing if you don't want to." Gamora scoots over to the point to the picture, "I just wanna know what this page says. Please, Kraglin? I won't ask you for anything else ever again."
Kraglin shifts his weight and considered it, "Just this one page?" Gamora nods enthusiastically and Kraglin sighs. He sits down on the bed and she scoots over to see the pictures. One page turned into two and then into five and before he knew it he was reading the entire chapter to Gamora, while she drifted off to sleep.